WWE TLC 2014: Full Card Predictions After Survivor Series
WWE TLC 2014 will struggle to top Survivor Series' main event.
A John Cena-led team walked out of St. Louis with a victory that yanked on fans' heartstrings along the way. TLC won't have the advantage of being where Sting debuts or the moment The Authority fell, but having Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar back will certainly boost it.
WWE already announced that Bray Wyatt and Dean Ambrose are going at it again come Dec. 14.
Ambrose lost at Survivor Series when he couldn't control his rage, cracking Wyatt across the brow with a steel chair. That non-definitive finish and The Lunatic Fringe's post-match rampage now lead to another clash.
With as intense and compelling as these two predators were at Survivor Series, adding weaponry is only going to elevate the rematch.
What bouts will join that one on the TLC card? Hints from the latest pay-per-view, story arcs and gauging a sense of where WWE wants its stars helps answer that.
Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton
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Randy Orton didn't make the surprise appearance at Survivor Series many had expected/hoped for. His issues with Seth Rollins, though, are still unsettled, and when he's back from filming his movie, he will still be seething.
Rollins jettisoned The Viper from TV with a Curb Stomp onto the ring steps. That act will fuel Orton when he returns, and Rollins won't have The Authority around to protect him anymore.
WWE is clearly still high on Rollins, booking him to last longer than any of his teammates in the main event. A showdown with Orton is the kind of high-profile match that he's going to keep getting for the foreseeable future.
Erick Rowan vs. Luke Harper (Intercontinental Championship)
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Erick Rowan and Luke Harper didn't have adequate time to swipe at each other with their big paws at Survivor Series. WWE is saving that electricity for TLC.
The collisions they did have and the fact that they chose opposing teams is enough to get this rivalry rolling. Rowan's insertion into the main event in St. Louis boosted him, giving him spotlight he wouldn't have had otherwise and some momentum now that he's a Rubik's Cube-playing babyface.
Both men get the biggest singles match of their careers. WWE has the option to amplify the chaos this match with have by adding a ladder stipulation.
The Miz and Damien Mizdow vs. The Usos (Tag Team Championship)
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Fans chanted for Damien Mizdow for much of the Fatal 4-Way title bout at Survivor Series. When he finally made his mark on the match, he did so in a memorable way—pinning Goldust to win the tag team titles.
WWE doesn't have many options for whom the duo will face at TLC.
It can either go a multiple-team route again or pick one of the babyface duos. The Usos are an easier team to present as legitimate challengers. The company knows it's getting a quality match if it plugs them in.
Look for the growing tension between The Miz and Mizdow to grow, their dysfunction a key subplot in a match anchored by The Usos' high-flying.
The Bunny vs. Adam Rose
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Adam Rose watched on in frustration from the ring apron as The Bunny pinned Heath Slater. The long-eared star then crowd surfed toward backstage, leaving Rose alone.
That's a sure sign that the dissolution of those two party-goers is sure to continue.
For the last few weeks, Rose has taken out his anger on his rabbit friend, showing off a darker side of himself as well. Survivor Series pointed at that evolving into a full-fledged feud between them.
Rose isn't going to let The Bunny upstage him. Look for him to complete his in-progress heel turn in the coming days.
TLC then gets its comedy match, and The Bunny gets his biggest opportunity to date.
Nikki Bella vs. Brie Bella vs. AJ Lee (Divas Championship)
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Brie Bella had fans flashing back to WrestleMania 28 when her kiss caused AJ Lee to lose the Divas title in mere seconds.
The story is set to get a bit sticky following that. Brie's forced laboring for her sister Nikki is set to be over at the end of the month. She's clearly added some heelish elements to her persona, though, and made an enemy out of AJ.
In search of her title, AJ will get mixed up in a family drama. Brie's not just going to forget about Nikki torturing her from Hell in a Cell onward. Count on WWE cramming all three women together as the feud increasingly intertwines.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Big Show
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Survivor Series showcased Dolph Ziggler's gutsiness as well as WWE's renewed confidence in him. He knocked off three members of The Authority and was his team's sole survivor.
The company's options to capitalize on that moment are limited, though.
If Seth Rollins is busy fending off Randy Orton and Luke Harper has an old brother to contend with, there aren't a ton of viable heels for him to face. Unless WWE plans on having him be the one to finally beat Rusev, it's going to be giant versus showoff at TLC.
Big Show looks to have switched sides once more, knocking out John Cena as part of an impromptu deal with The Authority. There's an easy story to build on here with Ziggler angry about Big Show abandoning him and a David-versus-Goliath dynamic at play.
This may not be what Ziggler fans dreamed of when asking for bigger chances for him, but other heels' dance cards are full.
John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
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Brock Lesnar hasn't been in the ring since Night of Champions. As much as WWE is veering from the status quo with his title reign, it's going to be hard to hold off his next defense until the Royal Rumble. That would be a four-month stretch of inactivity.
Fans are getting restless. Injuries have thinned out the roster.
The title shot John Cena earned at Hell in a Cell can't wait. Look for WWE to work a deal out with The Beast Incarnate and have him cap off 2014 with his third showdown with Cena of the year.
Survivor Series' main event didn't need the WWE title to prop it up. TLC will be hard to sell without that prize at the top of it.
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