WWE TLC 2013: GSM's Pick, Preview and Potential for Each Match
In mere hours on Sunday night, WWE will present its fifth annual TLC pay-per-view event, live from the Toyota Center in Houston at 8 p.m. ET.
From its inception in 2009, TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs has always been an entertaining event, and the latest installment appears to be no exception. With it being the final pay-per-view of 2013, will WWE be successful in closing out the year on a high note?
In a match 11 years in the making, World Heavyweight Champion John Cena and WWE Champion Randy Orton will meet in a title unification TLC match. With a unified champ virtually guaranteed, which one of these valiant Superstars will emerge with both belts in hand?
CM Punk has had a score to settle with The Shield in recent weeks. Will the inner animosity between members of the group give Punk the victory, or will The Shield prevail against The Voice of the Voiceless?
The Wyatt Family has set their sights on Daniel Bryan for the last two months, but the rivalry will come to a head at TLC when Bryan battles the group in a 3-on-1 Handicap match. Will Bryan be able to overcome the odds, or will The Wyatt Family get the better of The Bearded One yet again?
Here, I will provide my personal preview, prediction and potential for every match on the advertised card.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Fandango (Kickoff Match)
1 of 7
Preview: Despite being pushed aggressively during the spring season, both Dolph Ziggler and Fandango have cooled off considerably. Neither Superstar has done anything of note as of late, and they have found themselves on the losing end of matches more often than not.
Now, they will meet for the first time ever in singles competition in the Kickoff match at WWE TLC.
Prediction: Wait, wasn't Ziggler headlining this very same pay-per-view one year ago against John Cena, and won? Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Fandango hasn't been doing much better, either, as he has been an afterthought on WWE programming for months now.
If his loss to Zack Ryder on a recent episode of WWE Superstars was any indication, then Ziggler will be winning this matchup. Don't expect him to receive a push any time soon, though.
Potential: Seeing how this will be the first time these two have ever locked up, it will be interesting to see they fare in a one-on-one contest. However, I have faith that it will ultimately be a fun bout, considering both Superstars are great in the ring and could very well have excellent chemistry together.
This could prove to be a hot opener to the pay-per-view if given enough time.
Big E Langston vs. Damien Sandow (Intercontinental Championship)
2 of 7
Preview: In what was the rubber match of their raging rivalry, Damien Sandow defeated Dolph Ziggler on the Dec. 2 edition of Raw to become the new No. 1 contender to the Intercontinental Championship. Big E Langston has observed Sandow from afar in recent weeks and is well aware of the fact that he will prove to be a major obstacle to overcome. Now the only question is whether Sandow can finally capture his first singles title in WWE.
Prediction: After unsuccessfully cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase against John Cena at the end of October, I hoped Sandow would be booked better from that point forward, but apparently not. He was overlooked in November, but it is good to see him involved in something substantial right now.
His feud with Langston hasn't been anything spectacular, but it is better than nothing. Langston just won the title a mere month ago, so I don't foresee him dropping the belt at any point in the near future. However, I hope to see this rivalry continue going into the new year.
Potential: Langston has had a strong series of matches in recent months with the likes of CM Punk, Alberto Del Rio and Randy Orton. I believe he is underrated as an in-ring worker, and the same can be said for Sandow. That being said, this could very well be a good match that will exceed expectations.
AJ Lee vs. Natalya (Divas Championship)
3 of 7
Preview: Over the last few months, AJ Lee and Natalya have traded victories over one another, but neither Diva has been able to get the upper hand. Natalya earned her shot at the Divas Championship by pinning AJ and forcing her to submit on a number of occasions since Survivor Series. Now, in what will be Natalya's first title match on pay-per-view in over three years, will she be able to defeat the champion when it matter most?
Prediction: Call me crazy, but I honestly think AJ has brought prestige to the Divas Championship for the first time in...well, ever. From Kaitlyn to Brie Bella to Naomi, she has defended her strap against all comers since June and has been the one to watch in the Divas division all year long.
I still think there is a lot left in the tank as far as her title reign goes, but I would be fine with Natalya winning the title on this show. It has been nearly three years since she last held it, and if any Total Divas star was going to win it, it might as well be the show's best wrestler.
Potential: These two have had a handful of great matches in the past, and their latest encounter should be no exception. Both lovely ladies are submission experts and have proved in the past that they can flat out go in the ring for a lengthy amount of time, so here's hoping they have the time to shine at the event. It has potential to be one of the best Divas matches of the year, right alongside AJ's matches with Kaitlyn from a few months ago.
Fatal 4-Way WWE Tag Team Championship Match
4 of 7
Preview: Since capturing the WWE Tag Team Championships in October, Cody Rhodes and Goldust have been lighting the tag team division on fire. With successful title defenses against the likes of The Shield, The Usos and The Real Americans, the Rhodes brothers have already cemented themselves as forces to be reckoned with in WWE.
Curtis Axel and Ryback, a new tandem on the scene, recently scored a non-title victory over the Rhodes brothers on SmackDown, as did The Real Americans. Big Show and Rey Mysterio were randomly paired together and somehow were granted a shot at the titles, but at least they add star power to the match.
Prediction: I, for one, have been absolutely loving the team of Cody Rhodes and Goldust and what they have been doing for the tag team division in the last few months. That being said, I fully expect them to part ways and feud at some point (preferably on the road to WrestleMania), but they should hold onto the titles for a while longer. The Real Americans have shown they are worthy of being champions, but not just yet.
Potential: I can't recall the Rhodes brothers having one bad match since they first teamed up, so I expect this match to be excellent as usual. Ryback and Axel aren't a great team, but they aren't terrible either, so they could make for a nice addition to the contest. My wish would be to make this a Ladder match (or even a Tables match) seeing how the event is WWE TLC, but it's a long shot.
The Wyatt Family vs. Daniel Bryan (3-on-1 Handicap Match)
5 of 7
Preview: One night removed from the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, The Wyatt Family unleashed all of their aggression on Daniel Bryan for no apparent reason. Despite Bryan defeating Luke Harper and Erik Rowan in tag team action at Survivor Series, the group has continued to make life miserable for The Bearded One.
A match pitting Bryan against all three members of the clan was made for WWE TLC, but Bryan has since gotten the better of The Wyatt Family by outsmarting them at every turn in recent weeks.
Prediction: I am surprised by just how much The Wyatt Family has been losing as of late. They have been able to maintain good heat, but constantly losing matches to Bryan does them no favors. Thus, I fully expect them to decimate Bryan on Sunday, but I don't the feud will conclude there.
Potential: Bryan has worked well with Harper and Rowan in the last month, but it still remains to be seen what chemistry he will have with Bray Wyatt in the ring. Being the ultimate underdog he is, Bryan should put up a fun fight against The Wyatt Family before going down for the count.
The Shield vs. CM Punk (3-on-1 Handicap Match)
6 of 7
Preview: Following his disparaging remarks toward Triple H, CM Punk was sentenced to an assault at the hands of The Shield the night after Survivor Series. Punk has been looking to seek revenge ever since and has seemingly been getting in the minds of the members of The Shield.
Punk's last two victories over Dean Ambrose have indicated that not all three of them are on the same page at the moment, but don't think for a second that their common dislike for Punk has faded away by any means.
Prediction: With there being two Handicap matches on this show, it would be rather boring for both heel factions to go over, so a Shield victory seems unlikely. However, their recent dissension could easily be a red herring for their win over The Voice of the Voiceless to seem like a surprise.
Plus, it has been duly noted that Punk has injured ribs right now, so he has an out for losing as well. Regardless, I think a Shield split is only inevitable (unfortunately), so I predict Punk to pull out the win one way or another.
Potential: The most exciting aspect of this feud has been that Punk has hardly worked with The Shield in the last year. So, their recent matches against each other have been refreshing and entertaining. I expect this Handicap match to be much of the same in the sense that it will be equally enjoyable. Of all the matches on the card, this one in particular could end stealing the show.
John Cena vs. Randy Orton (TLC Match for the Undisputed WWE Championship)
7 of 7
Preview: At the conclusion of the Survivor Series pay-per-view, World Heavyweight Champion John Cena and WWE Champion Randy Orton came face to face. It was announced the next night on Raw that the two would meet in a TLC match at the WWE TLC pay-per-view to determine a sole undisputed champion.
The two have made their respective cases in recent weeks as to why each of them deserves to be the rightful titleholder, but one thing is certain: One man will walk out of Houston with both belts.
Prediction: Firstly, I am not a fan of unifying the championships at this point in time, and building it up in only three weeks is a bit ridiculous. Secondly, I can't see either Cena or Orton as Undisputed Champion, if only because both have run out of possible challengers.
If I had to pick one of them, I would go with Orton due to his association with The Authority, and the fact that I don't want to see Cena surpass Ric Flair in number of world titles won. I have a strange feeling Triple H might insert himself into the match and win the titles, and there is a slight chance of that happening if the plan is to have Daniel Bryan win the Royal Rumble next month.
Potential: Say what you will about their stagnant characters, but at least Cena and Orton have had strong championship matches in the past. I was a fan of their Hell in a Cell and Iron Man matches, but they have the opportunity to top both bouts in a TLC environment on Sunday. This match should be great and far better than anyone thought it would be, but only time will tell.
Read more prediction pieces for past WWE pay-per-views here.
Graham Mirmina, a.k.a. Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website at Next Era Wrestling and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
.jpg?w=600 "WWE Raw Results & Grades 🔠")
