Tomorrow night, SmackDown hosts its last Pay-Per-View of 2016, TLC. The entire event is focused around three things: tables, ladders, and chairs. The WWE Championship match features all three, while other matches on the card feature only one of the listed weapons. Without further ado, let’s get in to what matches we are actually going to see (and predictions, as always).
Baron Corbin vs. Kalisto – Chairs Match
Several months ago, there was a triple threat match between Baron Corbin, Kalisto, and Apollo Crews (please, somebody give this man some direction) to determine the #1 Contender to the Miz’s Intercontinental Championship. Apollo Crews would win the match, but Corbin would blame the Lucha Dragon for his loss. Corbin would then constantly attack Kalisto backstage, and it led to Kalisto being injured for a couple months.
Kalisto returned to action at Survivor Series, where he challenged Monday Night Raw’s Brian Kendrick for the Cruiserweight Championship (and the entire division!). Corbin would interfere, continuing where he left off months ago. Two days later, Daniel Bryan gave Kalisto a shot at the Intercontinental Championship, and Corbin ruined that one as well. Since a chair was involved in the second interference, this is a chairs match.
Prediction:
This is probably the hardest match on the card to predict. Both men need direction, or else they are going to end up in Apollo Crews territory pretty soon. SmackDown needs to build up more heels than just AJ Styles, The Miz, and The Wyatt Family, so I see Corbin picking up the win here. Winner: Baron Corbin
Nikki Bella vs. Carmella – No Disqualification
This feud goes back about as long as the Corbin/Kalisto rivalry. Ever since SummerSlam, Carmella has quite the problem with Nikki Bella being in the spotlight. Carmella has attacked Nikki Bella from behind several times, and the feud has gotten to the point that a No Disqualification Match is the perfect way for this feud to end.
Prediction:
Nikki Bella was attacked backstage at Survivor Series, so she couldn’t compete in the women’s elimination match. Since this match is No Disqualification, whoever attacked her could interfere in this match and help Carmella get the win and become a more believable threat in the women’s division. Winner (via shenanigans): Carmella
Heath Slater & Rhyno (c) vs. Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton – SmackDown Tag Team Championships
Heath Slater and Rhyno won the SmackDown Tag Team Championships a coupe of months ago, when they defeated the Usos in the finals of the championship tournament. They have yet to be defeated for the titles, which was assisted by them not defending it at Survivor Series. Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton won Tag Team Turmoil against American Alpha with the help of Luke Harper to become the #1 Contenders for the gold.
Prediction:
The rejuvenated Wyatt Family has been on a roll as of late, and their efforts over the past few years should finally be rewarded with tag team gold (I guess it’s silver in this case). While Beauty and the Man-Beast have been great, it is finally time to make Heath Slater a singles star by giving him an Intercontinental Championship title push. Winners, and NEW SmackDown Tag Team Champions: Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton
The Miz (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler – Intercontinental Championship (Ladder Match)
The Miz and Dolph Ziggler have been feuding over the Intercontinental Championship for months, including a Title vs. Career match at No Mercy in October. The Miz won the belt back from Ziggler five days before Survivor Series, and successfully defended it against Raw’s Sami Zayn. Daniel Bryan knows that Dolph Ziggler has a rematch in store, and has decided that no matter what happens in this match, this is the end of their feud.
Prediction:
Sasha Banks and Charlotte have been flip-flopping the Raw Women’s Championship for the past few months, and it has been slightly frustrating (but relieving to see Banks with the belt again). I hope SmackDown doesn’t do that with this belt. Plus, The Miz has Maryse and the Spirit Squad to legally use whenever he wants to in this match, so he has the upper hand by far. Winner, and STILL Intercontinental Champion: The Miz
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Alexa Bliss – SmackDown Women’s Championship (Tables Match)
Sasha Banks and Charlotte have had a Hell in a Cell match, so now Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss get to have a tables match. Lynch successfully defended the belt against Bliss on the November 8 edition of SmackDown, but the referee did not see that the challenger’s foot was on the rope. To justify this, Daniel Bryan has given Bliss another chance. Since this is a tables match, there is [almost] no way for this match to have a screwy finish.
Prediction:
Now that I think about it more, this is definitely the hardest match to predict on the card. Becky Lynch has been a great Women’s Champion, and is one of the best in-ring workers WWE has, male or female. However, Bliss has been amazing in her pursuit for the gold, and by far deserves a championship for her performance. This one is literally a coin flip. Heads: Lynch, tails: Bliss.
It’s tails. Winner, and NEW SmackDown Women’s Champion: Alexa Bliss
AJ Styles (c) vs. Dean Ambrose – WWE World Championship (TLC Match)
Dean Ambrose has been trying to get under AJ Styles’ skin for the past couple months knowing that this match was coming. He helped James Ellsworth (who is legitimately a WWE Superstar now) defeat AJ Styles three times, and earn another WWE World Championship opportunity. Styles injured Ellsworth last week, so now Ambrose is out for two things: the title, and revenge.
Prediction:
Styles and Ambrose have been killing it in their feud, so it would make me happy to see either man walk away champion. However, this is not about what I want (neither is Monday Night Raw, zing!). AJ Styles has had the most consistently great performances in 2016 (which will lead people to forget that he lost to Chris Jericho at WrestleMania), and deserves to be WWE World Champion at least until WrestleMania. Winner, and STILL WWE World Champion: AJ Styles
