wrestling / Columns

411’s WWE TLC PPV Preview

December 4, 2016 | Posted by Larry Csonka
Image Credit: WWE

~THE STAFF~

* Mike Hammerlock
* Rob Stewart:
* JUSTIN WATRY
* Mike Chin

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Chairs Match: Kalisto vs. Baron Corbin
Mike Hammerlock: I suppose the weaponry will help level the playing field for Kalisto, who’s giving away 14 inches and 105 pounds to Corbin. Yet, as Billy Conn learned 70 years ago, you can run, but you can’t hide. I suppose they could give Kalisto a shock win here, but why? If Corbin’s ever going to be anything this is go time. Kalisto’s a fun attraction who’s settling into the lower midcard. Plus, if Corbin stays hot up to the Royal Rumble, it will make him seem like a legit player at that event.

WINNER: Baron Corbin

Rob Stewart: Well thank goodness we had the Kendrick/Kalisto “Fate Of The Cruiserweight Division” match interrupted last month so that we could have THIS barn-burner. This is what I had long forgotten I disliked about the brand split previously before the new one happened: matches like this appearing on PPV. Neither of these guys is really going anywhere, so this feels negligible. Corbin likely wins because he has slightly more upward mobility than the former US Champ.

WINNER: Baron Corbin

JUSTIN WATRY: You know, it is real easy to bash WWE and hate on their product. It is so simple to be negative. Yet, when you have to give them credit, you just have to. No way around it. Smackdown LIVE had done a very good job in making both Kalisto and Baron Corbin relevant since the WWE Draft. One is the no good punk heel; the other is the under dog coming back from injury on the man who hurt him in the first place. Adding in the Chairs gimmick is fine as well because it SHOULD be a brawl-type match for them. My prediction is Baron Corbin wins. Despite being a fan of each guy for various reasons, he is the perfect guy to build up for a strong Royal Rumble win and make the final four. Bring connected to Daniel Bryan helps as well.

WINNER: Baron Corbin

Mike Chin: This is a deceptively important match, because it suggests how seriously WWE intends to take not only Kalisto, but Cruiserweights in general against their heavyweight counterparts. On one hand, WWE has given itself an out, because the Chair Match stip means Kalisto can win via far from conventional means. On the other hand, as with WrestleMania season around the corner, I suspect WWE has much bigger plans for Corbin than Kalisto, and so I see him going over here.

WINNER: Baron Corbin

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No Disqualification Match: Nikki Bella vs. Carmella
Mike Hammerlock: I like that they’re having a honest-to-goodness midcard women’s feud. Carmella has acquitted herself well. She’s been able to outmaneuver Nikki and show some skills in the ring. Credibility is what she needed and a decent match here should get it for her. As for Nikki, there’s probably some WrestleMania plans for her. Don’t know what they are. Maybe the women will get a Royal Rumble match and she’ll win that. Yet this should be the definitive win for her that ends this feud and serve as the statement win that proclaims she’s back.

WINNER: Nikki Bella

JUSTIN WATRY: I wrote about this a bit during my last column, but I really liked the decision to turn Carmella heel. If she wasn’t going to be paired up with Big Cass and Enzo, then she HAD to be her own woman. If that meant being ‘bad’ for awhile, so be it. She clearly was not getting many cheers after being drafted. Thus, change up the script. Brilliant. Not sure about going after Nikki Bella, John Cena, and the reality show junk but whatever. A story line is a story line. Since Carmella has seemingly got the better of Nikki for months now, I am going in the other direction at TLC. Nikki wins the No Disqualification bout. My only hesitation is what happens with Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss…

WINNER: *flips coin* Nikki Bella

Mike Chin: While Carmella has much more credibility to gain from a win here, I expect that this is how Bella blows off the rivalry and moves into the title scene to challenge Becky Lynch.

WINNER: Nikki Bella

Rob Stewart: I’m not sure how well a No Disqualification stipulation fits these ladies; it’s not like I expect them to even match what Sasha Banks and Charlotte did on Raw this week. This is a match like Corbin/Kalisto where I’m just having a hard time getting excited for.; it’s not the ladies aren’t trying (and I do appreciate secondary women’s division storylines), it’s just Carmella is… not that interesting. Nikki wins.

WINNER: Nikki Bella

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SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: Champions Heath Slater and Rhyno vs. American Alpha or Randy Orton & Bray Wyatt
Mike Hammerlock: Much as I love Heath Slater and I’m happy to see Rhyno in search-and-destroy mode, Orton and Wyatt’s victory at Survivor Series makes little sense if they don’t win here. They just took out Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. It was the biggest win Wyatt’s had since the Wyatt Family beat the Shield at Elimination Chamber in 2014. It also advanced the story of Orton buying into what Bray’s selling. This is supposed to be a scary alliance that could disrupt the entire WWE (or at least Smackdown). You don’t derail that locomotive this early in the journey. Bray finally gets a belt.

WINNER: Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt

JUSTIN WATRY: Super bummed about the American Alpha tease. Bait me in and then switch it up a week later, BOO! Those two better be getting set up for a memorable WrestleMania 33 moment, like Bayley and Big Cass/Enzo. That is is my only explanation for them doing nothing on the Blue Brand since July. In turn, the tag team division has revolved around the comedy pairing of Heath Slater and Rhyno. What was funny months ago is no longer funny…it is just a joke. An unfunny one at that. You can see why WWE is inserting Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt into the picture. Gives everybody credibility and more star power to the tag scene. Whatever the end game is for The Wyatt Family and Mr. RKO, it hopefully includes a win on Sunday. Anybody but Heath Slater and Rhyno, anybody…

WINNER: Anybody but Heath Slater and Rhyno

Mike Chin: While I can totally see Orton and Wyatt winning to shore up their Two Man Power Trip Lite, I both have some faith in WWE’s renewed commitment to full-time tag teams over temporary star pairings, and I’m picking the Wyatt-Orton partnership to fracture and give way to the two feuding again sooner than later. Add onto that rumors that Orton is taking time off, and I foresee Orton taking the fall then taking a beating that removes him from TV for a week or two.

WINNER: Heath Slater and Rhyno

Rob Stewart: It’s interesting to see Orton and Bray settle into the tag team division instead of going after a more prominent spot on the card, but I do like it, even if I wish American Alpha was here instead. It seems odd that Smackdown keeps letting Alpha get so close to the titles just to yank the rug out from under them. It’s detrimental to their momentum, and with the work #DIY and The Revival have done in NXT, I worry the boat has already been missed on Gable and Jordan. Still, though, I like this Orton/Wyatt storyline which is crazy to me because historically, these are two guys I never had any interest in whatsoever. But (for modern WWE), this is fairly long-form storytelling here considering Orton hasn’t turned on Bray yet. I would hope they carry this partnership through the Rumble at least because it has been entertaining. Not sure this is an obvious call; Heath and Rhyno should be badly overmatched here, but… do I see Orton and Bray winning the titles yet?

WINNER: Heath Slater and Rhyno

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SmackDown Women’s Championship Tables Match: Alexa Bliss vs. Champion Becky Lynch
Mike Hammerlock: Alexa Bliss and Carmella both came up to the main roster after the brand split draft. Both hijacked a prominent female face on the Smackdown roster in an attempt to make a name for themselves and TLC could be the logical end to both of those feuds. While I think Carmella has done well, Bliss strikes me as a divas throwback. All I want to do when I see her is change the channel. What ever it is she’s supposed to be doing, it’s not working for me. The sooner she goes away, the better. I also really like Becky Lynch, who’s better in the WWE than she was in NXT. Yet here’s the thing: tables matches are screwy. The person who wins most of the match almost always goes through a table at the end. So it’s entirely possible Lynch will look spectacular and kick Bliss’ ass all over the ring only to lose on a fluke table spot. It’s practically set up for the annoying one to beat the talented one.

WINNER: Alexa Bliss

JUSTIN WATRY: First off, credit to the company making this a Tables Match. Something I wanted from the beginning, kudos to them in adding the stipulation. Better late then never, right? Secondly, I am totally confused by the victor here. I mean Becky already won on Smackdown LIVE a few weeks ago. Controversial finish aside, that could have ended the feud right then and there. It continued and now? Now, Alexa Bliss appears to be a bigger threat and has done a wonderful job this past month. The Tables Match gimmick also is a quick way to have a face lose without actually being pinned or submitted. Protects them a bit with a fluky outcome. Still, I’m going with Becky Lynch leading to a showdown with Nikki Bella come early 2017. No clue honestly.

WINNER: Becky Lynch

Mike Chin: Alexa Bliss has come a long way and as she continues to develop, I hope she does get the opportunity to hold the title at some point. With Raw’s Women’s Championship scene as high profile as it is, I like the idea of Smackdown’s side holding pace to some degree, and Lynch is the only choice in that case. While I can see Bliss stealing the win off a lucky table spot and dropping the title back, I think WWE’s sold enough on Lynch to keep the strap on her for now.

WINNER: Becky Lynch

Rob Stewart: These two can’t possibly have any worse luck with tables than Sasha and Charlotte had in Hell In A Cell, right? I do worry that you might have to fire Alexa out of cannon to put her through even a gimmicked table. I do think this bout will be a lot of fun, and Smackdown’s top divas should have all the motivation in the world to go out there and prove they are as big of stars as Raw’s top pairing. Alexa deserves the belt eventually, but Becky shouldn’t lose it just yet.

WINNER: Becky Lynch

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WWE Intercontinental Title Ladder Match: Champion The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler
Mike Hammerlock: A lot of people are down on 2016, but Miz and Ziggler have had a great year. Miz has become a note perfect douchebag heel. He’s beyond snide on the mic and he’s great at weaseling his way to victory. He doesn’t overdo it. He picks his spot, it’s never quite the same thing twice and it’s never overly elaborate. He only needs to cheat a little to win. That’s important. He’s not unworthy, just unlikable. Meanwhile, Ziggler is back in action man mode. When he brushes his teeth in the morning it gets ****. He dropped the IC belt to Miz just prior to Survivor Series, which made for more of a traditional face-heel dynamic as Sami Zayn challenged Miz for the title. Now the question is whether Ziggler only loaned out the strap. It could go either way, and the loser might find himself challenging for the WWE title in the immediate aftermath (because both of these guys deserve main event treatment). I’m going to go with Ziggler here because he knows how to party at the top of a ladder. Check out his TLC victories in 2012 and 2014, and his 2014 MITB win. He’s like the WWE’s in-house ladder match specialist.

WINNER: Dolph Ziggler

JUSTIN WATRY: Remember last month when everyone thought the IC Title (and Cruiserweight Title) was going to RAW? Ha, good times. I am not going to say much about this one. They have wrestled a billion times and peaked at No Mercy. Can’t really go anywhere but down after a retirement match stipulation. Strange use of The Spirit Squad afterwards and IC Championship altogether. Keep it on The Miz and go from there. His act with Maryse is too good to ignore. As for Dolph Ziggler? Read my latest column where I outline a decent idea for him come Rumble time. Champ retains in a show stealing awesome ladder match to end this thing once and for all!

WINNER: The Miz

Mike Chin: This rivalry has been surprisingly great, and here’s hoping they blow it off accordingly with a solid ladder match. I could see the match going either way. While I think that Ziggler is the overall better performer, I can’t help seeing a bit more upside in Miz as the dick-ish heel champ as he carries on with his out-of-ring rivalry with Daniel Bryan and fends off face up and comers for the immediate future.

WINNER: The Miz

Rob Stewart: I think I see another title change here. It seems weird because this should be the match that Maryse has the easiest time marring since there are no rules, but I think she might get so blatantly involved so early on that the ref tosses her, allowing Dolph to snatch the title. That will give Miz some righteous indignation that rules were enforced on him in what is essentially a no-rules match, and it will keep these two going back-and-forth in their quality feud.

WINNER: Dolph Ziggler

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WWE World Championship TLC Match: Dean Ambrose vs. Champion AJ Styles
Mike Hammerlock: Ambrose has been trying to get the title back for three months. My take is if it was going to happen for him, it already should have happened. AJ’s beaten Ambrose repeatedly. His job of late has been to beat Ambrose all across the country in WWE live events. Ambrose is getting a Cena-esque amount of chances here (aka as many chances as it takes for you to win). Yet Ambrose has lost to AJ often enough that he really needs to move down the pecking order and re-prove himself. I’m not sure fans would greet an Ambrose win with the sort of full-throated enthusiasm you’d ideally want. He’s had his shots. Also, the best match I’ve seen in 2016 was AJ vs. Shinsuke Nakamura at Wrestle Kingdom 10 in January. My 2017 dream match is for them to do it again for the WWE title at WrestleMania. Can’t give up on the dream.

WINNER: AJ Styles

JUSTIN WATRY: I don’t care if James Ellsworth turns heel or never shows up again. All I see is another Colin Delaney (who also got a contract for those that care). He came, he became popular for some reason, was beat up every week, and then was released a few months later when WWE finally realized what they had done. The fact that this is all taking place in the MAIN EVENT is beyond ridiculous. The charade has gone on too long. AJ Styles will defeat Dean Ambrose in a thrilling TLC match and face a bigger/more prominent opponent next month in the AlamoDome. What Ambrose and Ellsworth do…who knows? Get them away from the WWE Championship. Styles deserves this run and shouldn’t be dragged down by nonsense so close to Mania. Other than that, I actually like the WWE TLC 2016 pay-per-view card and am looking forward to the event.

WINNER: AJ Styles

Mike Chin: For Styles to drop the title now–having only defended against Ambrose and Cena, and after squandering multiple weeks on James Ellsworth shenanigans–feels too soon for such a hot main event act to close. While I could imagine Ambrose winning to extend the rivalry another month or two, I think it’s in WWE’s best interests to move on to new challengers–The Undertaker, Bray Wyatt, Dolph Ziggler, maybe Shane McMahon, dare I pitch Shinksuke Nakamura?

WINNER: AJ Styles

Rob Stewart: I’m as much of a fan as the James Ellsworth stuff as anyone, but I do hope he doesn’t appear here. Interfering in the cross-brand Survivor Series match to eliminate the monster who had previously destroyed him is fair game, but in the world title main event? I hope we get nothing more than a very slight cameo from the mascot. With him out of the way, this match has great potential between the sheer brilliance of Styles and the opportunity for Dean to just go berserk. This is a stipulation that should allow these two to shine. Styles should win this and move on to a new feud, though I’m not sure who on Smackdown Live is up to the challenge at the moment.

WINNER: AJ Styles

411 will have live coverage of the WWE TLC PPV starting at 7:30PM ET on Sunday night.

article topics :

WWE, WWE TLC, Larry Csonka