Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: Story Will Outshine Gimmicks with Ambrose vs. Wyatt

1. Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt Is About Payback, Not Spots

WWE's last TLC event, like all the previous five editions of the pay-per-view, is billed as a carnival of violence and spectacle. The tables, ladders and chairs that give the show its name are given equal (or sometimes more) space on the marquee as the men wielding those weapons.

A recent promo video mentions all those pieces of furniture but doesn't list a single match on the card.

When the last bell rings, though, it will be the story that Ambrose and Wyatt told in the ring that will have most impressed itself on the crowd's memory. The TLC element of their match will certainly add some big moments. It will boost Dolph Ziggler vs. Luke Harper as well.

Gladiators tearing themselves apart can only affect one so much, though.

It's the growing animosity between Wyatt and Ambrose that will power this bout. A feud that had no real thrust or focus shifted when their attacks got personal. Ambrose destroyed Wyatt's rocking chair.

The Eater of Worlds responded by destroying his enemy's trachea.

It's straight-forward booking like this that is often most effective. The pursuit of revenge is a time-honored narrative in wrestling for a reason—it appeals to the audience's heart.

Ambrose suffered injustice. He wants a pound of flesh as payment in return. Watching him go after it promises to be great fun.

If WWE's pay-per-view schedule weren't so packed, the company could allow this to stretch out for longer, having Ambrose milk the injury more. Still, adding the fire of fury has this clash feeling like the main event, regardless of when it goes on.

2. The Intercontinental Championship Curse Continues

Harper is finding out what other midcard champs have over the last few years—with the title comes defeat.

WWE has inexplicably fallen into a habit of making its titleholders look weak. Instead of being in the midst of a hot streak, these folks stumble again and again.

That's happening to Harper, as he's failed to win even a single match since dethroning Ziggler.

Date	Event	Partners	Opponent(s)	Result
11/23	Survivor Series	Team Authority	Team Cena	Eliminated by Dolph Ziggler
11/24	Raw	N/A	Dean Ambrose	Loss (disqualification)
11/28	SmackDown	N/A	Dolph Ziggler	Loss (count-out)
12/1	Raw	Kane, Seth Rollins	Dolph Ziggler, John Cena, Ryback	Loss
12/5	SmackDown	N/A	Dolph Ziggler	Loss (disqualification)
12/8	Raw	N/A	Erick Rowan	Loss (disqualification)

The company can't have everyone going on winning streaks at the same time, but it can't forget to throw some jobbers Harper's way. What's the point of having guys like David Otunga or Fernando on the roster if someone isn't made to look better by stomping on them?

3. Non-WWE Ladder Matches

Before Harper and Ziggler tear it up in Cleveland, let the world outside of WWE get you pumped. Beginning with one of the first Ladder matches in wrestling history and ending with a rivalry that is set to continue at NXT, here are five standout Ladder clashes to seek out:

• Stampede Wrestling, July 22, 1983—Bad News Allen vs. Bret Hart
• WCW Starrcade 1999—Jeff Jarrett vs. Chris Benoit
• TNA Impact, July 5, 2010—Beer Money vs. Motor City Machine Guns
• TNA Turning Point 2012—Jeff Hardy vs. Austin Aries
• Ring of Honor Final Battle 2012—Kevin Steen vs. El Generico 

4. Tag Team Title Feud Getting Personal

On paper, The Usos vs. The Miz and Damien Mizdow match doesn't sound great. Had you not been watching the buildup to it, you would assume it would be another showcase of Mizdow's mirroring antics.

The rage that jealousy births has elevated it beyond that.

The Miz has taken an interest in Jimmy Uso's wife, Naomi. Offering her his agent's business card and a vase of flowers has turned the former tag champ into a fang-bearing beast.

That's a welcome sight. The Usos' happy-go-lucky attitude has only so much appeal. Seeing Jimmy enraged like this builds up anticipation for when he and The Miz both enter this tag match.

Suddenly, this bout is among the most worth looking forward to at TLC.

This is a reminder that it doesn't take a stroke of genius to elevate a feud; it takes motivation beyond just wins and losses. If only Ryback vs. Kane had more of that.

5. Equal Opportunity TLC

Just about everyone is getting a gimmick at TLC. The women aren't invited to that party, though.

In the history of the TLC pay-per-view, there have been 19 table-, ladder- or chair-centric gimmick matches. Only once did they involve the Divas.

TNA, meanwhile, has allowed its women to use these types of bouts to their advantage. On the July 11, 2013 edition of Impact, Gail Kim met Taryn Terrell in a Ladder match—this following their Last Knockout Standing.

The promo for Kim vs. Terrell is a glimpse at what WWE's Divas division could look like if the company took it more seriously. Notice that the story of this bout includes no boyfriends, no husbands and no sexual innuendo. It's just two fighters prepping for a fight.

6. Throwback Promo of the Week: Jimmy Del Ray

As announced on WWE.com, Del Ray (real name: David Ferrier) died over the weekend in a car crash.

He wasn't a big star, so it's not surprising that WWE didn't put together a tribute for him. Were the company to do so, it would be heavy on tag team wrestling.

Del Ray had his most success as part of The Heavenly Bodies, becoming a fixture on the tag team scene in ECW, Smoky Mountain Wrestling and WWE.

He didn't say much during his Smoky Mountain debut, but that's what a professional loudmouth like Jim Cornette is for.

Del Ray's job was to deliver in the ring, which he did for over a decade. He did have one choice line in this first appearance. He told the females in the crowd, "Ladies, the line is to the right."

Rest in peace, Gigolo.

7. NXT Takeover Likely a Swan Song for Top Prospects

NXT Takeover: R Evolution is as much a welcoming party as it is a send-off. Kevin Owens makes his debut at the live special, and Hideo Itami and Finn Balor have a chance to announce their presence in their first big NXT match.

The show is likely one of the last for Charlotte, Sami Zayn and The Ascension, though.

All of those prospects have already appeared on main-roster programming, with Charlotte last doing so on Monday's Raw in a battle with Natalya.

That feels like WWE beginning the transition for her from NXT to the big leagues. Zayn has put his NXT career on the line for a chance at Adrian Neville. Should he lose, his next step will be WWE proper.

The Ascension has looked ready for a promotion for months. Look for this to be one of its last contributions to the NXT library before setting its sights on The Usos and company. 

8. TLC Title Change History

If history holds up, Nikki Bella fans are going to be happy. The Divas title has never changed hands at the TLC event.

It's the now-defunct World Heavyweight Championship that has seen the most new titleholders there.

• World Heavyweight Championship—Times new champion crowned: 4; Times retained: 2
• United States Championship—Times new champion crowned: 1; Times retained: 1
• Tag Team Championship—Times new champion crowned: 1; Times retained: 2
• WWE Championship—Times new champion crowned: 1; Times retained: 3
• Intercontinental Championship—Times new champion crowned: 1; Times retained: 4
• ECW Championship—Times new champion crowned: 0; Times retained: 1
• Women's Championship—Times new champion crowned: 0; Times retained: 1
• Divas Championship—Times new champion crowned: 0; Times retained: 3

Champions are 17-5 at TLC in terms of keeping their title. Whether that trend continues or 2014 becomes an outlier is uncertain. We can, however, count on the world title not finding a new home.

Brock Lesnar won't even be at the pay-per-view.

9. Armchair Booking: Bray Wyatt vs. Dean Ambrose

WWE would be wise to use Ambrose's anger as his downfall and as a way to show off Wyatt's cunning. The Man of 1,000 Truths can goad Ambrose into taking big risks, outsmarting him in the process.

Credit: WWE.com

Wyatt slaps Ambrose, spits on him, laughs in his face. He then slips out of the way just in time to have his charging foe collide into a propped-up table or pile of chairs.

At one point, Ambrose should have Wyatt beaten, but instead of finishing him off, he decides to go for one more big spot. He leaps from the top of a ladder, misses and bends the steel in half. 

Wyatt chuckles before nailing Sister Abigail and getting the win. The feud can then continue, the delay of Wyatt's comeuppance making it sweeter once it does happen.

10. Robbie Lawler Welcomes CM Punk to UFC

Not everyone is happy about Punk making the move to the Octagon. Some feel that he's taking away a spot from more deserving, more accomplished fighters. Some feel that a "fake" wrestler can't cut it in MMA despite what Lesnar and Bobby Lashley have done in the sport.

Lawler, the UFC welterweight champ, had some words of encouragement for Punk:

The odds are against The Best in the World. He's beginning a career in a dangerous, difficult sport at age 36 with no background in amateur wrestling or athletics outside of WWE. You can bet he's relishing this underdog role, though.

Whether he gets knocked out in embarrassing fashion or shocks the world, one can count on the buyrate being tremendous.