Mike Tedesco’s WWE TLC Predictions
December 14, 2014
By: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
Well the final PPV event of 2014 is kind of limping to the finish line. Other than the TLC Match between Bray Wyatt and Dean Ambrose, none of the builds to these matches have contained compelling television. We’ve got matches randomly made by computers, due to food fights, and well, just because. If this were on traditional PPV, this would most likely wind up bombing big time. However, since it’s only $9.99, you’re just about getting your money’s worth. I think it’ll be actually wind up being a good show (rumor is none of the main roster guys want to get upstaged by NXT); it’s just the build for it was pretty terrible.
WWE TLC Kickoff Match
The New Day vs. Gold and Stardust
Much like the “new and improved” Fandango, The New Day is pretty much the same as the old day. Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and Big E are in no better position than when they left the roster for a few weeks to get repackaged. Granted, it’s still early on, but I think this is as good as it’s going to get for them. Since they so easily defeated Gold and Stardust in about two minutes in the Tag Team Turmoil match a few weeks back, why should I expect any differently? I think it’ll go longer than two minutes, but the result will be the same. The Blue Day will win.
Prediction: The New Day
WWE Intercontinental Championship – Ladder Match
Dolph Ziggler vs. Luke Harper (c)
Other than Wyatt vs. Ambrose (which I’ll get to in a little bit), this is the match I’m really looking forward to seeing. This has the potential to be really impressive. Luke Harper is an amazing big man who I really believe can do just about anything. I think this is going to be a really big night for him. He’ll establish himself as a dominant and impressive big man in singles competition. Even though I think he’ll lose, he’ll most likely come out of it looking strong because Ziggler is great at making guys look really good. That’s Ziggler’s role on the roster, and he plays it really well. I really believe this has a chance to steal the show and be the sleeper hit of the night. I think Ziggler is going to take it. Let’s hope the curse of the Intercontinental Title doesn’t hit him again so he’s not jobbing every single week.
Prediction: Dolph Ziggler wins the title
WWE United States Championship Match
Jack Swagger vs. Rusev (c)
Well they ran out of American wrestlers that could seemingly legitimately challenge Rusev, so they went back to their well of already defeated superstars and brought back Jack Swagger for another go with him. To me, this is a slam-dunk in Rusev’s corner. They didn’t build him up with an undefeated streak all year just to lose to Jack Swagger in a really poorly built up feud that is just a rehash of what happened over the summer. When I say poorly built, I mean –come on – the hallway in which Zeb Colter was attacked was so narrow. You’re telling me he could hear a 300-pound Russian coming up from behind him? Then you’re telling me after he got attacked he didn’t see who attacked him in the middle of that long, narrow hallway?
Prediction: Rusev retains
WWE Tag Team Championships Match
The Usos vs. The Miz and Damien Mizdow (c’s)
Even though I think it’s a mistake to take the titles off them so soon, I think The Miz and Damien Mizdow are going to be on the losing end of this match. Then I think they’ll start teasing dissension between the two of them. I’ll admit that I really like the act. It’s the one instance of WWE comedy that really gets to me, but at least they’re going to quit while they’re ahead and not let it get to “groan level.” The Usos are going to regain the titles, which will be the third or fourth greatest thing to happen to Jimmy Uso this year, next to winning the Slammy Award and marrying his wife.
Prediction: The Usos win the titles
WWE Divas Championship Match
AJ Lee vs. Nikki Bella (c)
I’m struggling to find any reason to even remotely care about this match. This whole thing is a mess. The whole “Bella breakup” angle was so poorly executed and abruptly ended with no explanation, so they’re just doing whatever for whatever reason they never gave for getting back together. On the other hand, AJ seems like she’s on complete autopilot mode. When she gave that speech after accepting Diva of the Year on RAW, it sounded to me like she knew her days were numbered in the company. I don’t think she’ll be leaving in the immediate future, but I don’t think she’ll be here come this time next year. So you have a champion that has no credibility or story and a challenger who seems to have one foot out the door with the other foot on a banana peel. Sounds like a real interesting match.
Prediction: Nikki Bella retains
Steel Stairs Match
Big Show vs. Erick Rowan
After seeing their first match on RAW two weeks ago, I can’t say that I’m really thrilled to be getting this a second time. I’m not sure what a Stairs Match is. For that matter, what is a Chairs Match? Do you get disqualified if you use any weapon other than a set of stairs or a steel chair? I’m expecting a slow, plodding match with minimal excitement, and the Big Show somehow coming out on top of the whole mess. Hey, it’s his thirty-second turn of his career. The guy has to retain some heat, ya know?
Prediction: Big Show
Chairs Match
Ryback vs. Kane
This match is another slam-dunk like the Rusev match was. They booked Ryback so bizarrely at Survivor Series. They spent the entire build to that building up which side he’d wind up on (Team Cena or Team Authority) only for him to be the first one eliminated from Team Cena relatively early in the match. It’s time for him to get some heat back, and he’ll do it by dispatching of Kane in relatively short order. Again, this match pretty much started over a food fight and the fact that Kane’s concession stand didn’t have beef jerky or protein shakes, so I’m not really sure why I’d be motivated to spend money to see it.
Prediction: Ryback
Tables Match
John Cena’s #1 Contendership is on the line
John Cena vs. Seth Rollins
This will probably wind up being the main event of the show, but I don’t think it should (more on that in a few moments). Table Matches aren’t really too thrilling. I haven’t seen one good Tables Match since the very first one at Royal Rumble 2000 (which you can watch on the WWE Network for just… you know the drill). I don’t think they had John Cena go through a big Hell in a Cell in October only to pull the plug on the match against Brock Lesnar a month before it happens. Seth Rollins is definitely firing on all cylinders right now (he’s just got to lose the Dr. Evil laugh), and he’ll get a really big rub because I think Randy Orton is going to make his return and cost Rollins the match, setting up a big showdown at the Royal Rumble. I hope I’m right because I can’t wait to hear the reaction Randy Orton gets when he comes back.
Prediction: John Cena
TLC Match
Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt
In my mind, this should be the main event of the show. It was well built up with some good promo work and interactions. I really liked almost all of the angles leading up to this match. I’m also glad that they finally put Wyatt solidly on the heel side of things with that promo he did against the crowd on this past Monday’s RAW. I know it won’t be the main event, but the build and the reception says to me it should be. It’s going to be a knockdown, drag out brawl that has the capability of being the best match on the card. I can’t wait to see these two go at it tonight.
Prediction: Bray Wyatt
With my Survivor Series predictions last month, I went 4-1. This is the last PPV of the year, so my record will reset to zero for next month. This is my record as it stands now. I’ll let you know where the 2014 record wound up in the Royal Rumble predictions column.
Predictions Record: 30-14
Well, those are my predictions for the show. What are yours? Do you agree? Disagree? Let me know!
E-Mail – MikeyT817@gmail.com
Twitter – @MikeTedescoWV
As always, Wrestleview.com will be providing excellent live coverage of the Survivor Series event. Live coverage begins at 8 PM EST (7 PM CST) along with brief updates on Twitter.
Alas, I will not be covering Monday Night RAW tomorrow because I’ll be attending a Christmas party (well, actually I’m contractually obligated to be there), but I will be covering the live Smackdown on Tuesday and Tribute to the Troops on Wednesday. Check those shows out!
Thanks for reading and enjoy the show!