WWE TLC 2016: Right Track Or Wrong Turn?

Hi, I’m Justin Watry. You may remember me from such classic columns as March 2012’s “WWE WrestleMania 28: Sheamus Should Defeat Daniel Bryan in Less Than a Minute” and October 2015’s “WWE NXT: Bobby Roode, You’re Next.”

Backstory

Originally, I was supposed to write a column on what I’m thankful for in 2016. Pretty cliche stuff around this time of the year. I decided not to go that route. With multiple columns per week done by yours truly, it is very apparent already what I enjoy and what I dislike about the wrestling industry. No use in beating a dead horse on it all. Instead, WWE TLC 2016 is less than a week away! That means we get one last chance to enjoy the Smackdown LIVE brand give us a pay-per-view worthy event before 2017 begins. Let’s take a look at the card and see if WWE should change things up a bit…or if they are currently on the right track.

Nikki Bella vs. Carmella in a NoDQ(.com) match – WWE is on the right track with this feud. Not many complaints here except for the fact that this bout should have been saved for the pay-per-view and not happened last week on Smackdown. We got a lengthy match with a non-finish, when it would have meant much more not happening at all. Maybe even a brawl before the bell rang or something else. Still, nitpick aside, I loved the Carmella heel turn because it was needed after after flat debut on the main roster, and it legitimately caught me off guard. Nikki Bella is the reality show star, plus wrestler, and it seems people want to cheer her now. Thus, go with it. If that means interactions alongside John Cena in the future, fine. If not, you can always turn her heel again.

Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss for the Smackdown Womens Title – Unpopular opinion time. I think this should have been given a gimmick. We already saw the normal single’s match a few weeks ago, with Becky winning (controversial decision aside). The PPV needed to be introduced to either the Tables, Ladders, or Chairs tagline. Whatever. Honestly, I would have loved to see what they could do in a ladder match. I mean, we had a Heck on a Deck bout in October for the women…why not? I do think WWE is on the right track with both competitors right now. My only worry is following TLC. Assumption is Becky retains and keeps the title for awhile, but that leaves Alexa without a direction in the short-term (no pun intended). Probably depends on the outcome of the NoDQ battle.

Kalisto vs. Baron Corbin in a Chairs Match – Another home run for WWE. I am a fan of Kalisto. I am a fan of Baron Corbin. One is a lovable face with a high ceiling. The other is a hated bad guy with an equal amount of potential to succeed. Simple solution – have the two feud and go from there. The seeds were planted months ago, and to their credit, the company has continued their grudge. That is great news for those concerned about their “spot” going forward. Even better is WWE sprinkling in some interactions from Daniel Bryan. Big plus that goes a long way in telling the audience that this story line is important and not useless filler in the mid-card. Like the previous match, I am interested in seeing where things go after Sunday. Money has to be on Corbin looking strong and being victorious, but you never know with the unlimited amount of chairs sure to be used.

Smackdown Tag Team Titles – WWE has not been on the right track with these belts since the beginning. Injury or not, American Alpha should have run wild all over the division. The Ascension? Vaudevillains? Hype Bros? Seriously, all of them. One by one, fall to Jason Jordan and Chad Gable. The Usos had a good thing going with their heel turn, but that was tossed out the window quickly. All for what you ask? Yep, so Heath Slater and Rhyno can be the comedy duo with the titles. So, so disappointing. It is one thing to have them on television; it is another to have them be the centerpiece of the supposed ‘wrestling’ brand for tag teams. Inserting Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt to the picture just means WWE knows it is a problem and wants to use some STAR POWER to fix the problem. Or just crown American Alpha the champs.

The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler for the IC Title in a Ladder Match – Again. I am sure the match will be fine, but this is another feud on Smackdown that can go away. It all peaked at No Mercy back in October and hasn’t been entertaining since. Even The Spirit Squad has felt tacked on. It was fun for a week or two, but that is no longer clicking. Them and The Miz (and Maryse) is odd enough when not involving Dolph Ziggler. These two will no doubt put on a show stealer Sunday night. However, I hope it is their last for a long, long time. With the Royal Rumble coming up, it’d be cool to have Ziggler AGAIN give himself motivation and pressure to do well. Maybe not put his career on the line or anything but vow to make the final four for himself. Something like that might be cool.

AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose for the WWE Title in a TLC Match – I never cared for James Ellsworth. Told this story before but when reviewing the edition of RAW when he got crushed by Braun Strowman, it was not even worth a second mention. He came, lost, and that was it. Didn’t care and wasn’t wowed by it. Dime a dozen stuff. Then suddenly, all of this nonsense began online about him, and I was like “Um, who? Huh? What did I miss?” Yet, here we are months later. James Ellsworth is in the main event scene (and gets another future WWE Title match) on Smackdown LIVE overshadowing champ AJ Styles and challenger Dean Ambrose. Boy, those TV ratings and attendance really prove how amazing this is…

…not.

This is a TLC match for the WWE Title with Styles and Ambrose. Main eventing for the Blue Brand. Can we just get back to THAT? Ellsworth can go hang out with The Spirit Squad or Heath Slater in his pool. Get away from the important business. That garbage aside, I predicted Ambrose would be a bust as champ (he was), just as I said his cool/funny vibe was beginning to wear thin in the Fall. Not everything can be solved with a heel turn, but he has long needed a reset. Styles needs to retain and find a new opponent come Royal Rumble time. Current rumor is The Undertaker (because of the Texas ties) will be that for come January. Perfect idea to get fans in the huge AlamoDome.

While it is a retread, here is my idea: Styles retains the belt, stands over Ambrose, and just as the show is about to go off the air, The Undertaker’s music hits! Fans go nuts, and sure enough – there is The Deadman in the ring where Ambrose used to laying. He sits up, choke slams AJ, and poses with the belt. Exact re-creation of the Summerslam 2009 ending with CM Punk and Jeff Hardy I know. Still, it would rule!

Summary: That is WWE TLC in a nutshell. A lot of the Smackdown under card is good with the top feuds needing to move on after the weekend. Head into 2017 strong, not with another series of rematches. I will be back later in the week with my November edition of “reader feedback,” so be sure to leave a comment! Last chance to earn a reply until next month. Remember to keep it clean and be respectful. Enjoy the show!

Self Promotion

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— Justin Watry (@JustinWatry) November 13, 2016

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