WWE Tables, Ladders and Chairs 2011: 12 Bold Predictions for the Next Huge PPV

The final WWE pay-per-view of 2011 is almost upon us.

On Dec. 16, WWE TLC emanates from the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland, and the company is looking to give us a good show and end the year on a high note.

We only have one match announced so far--Mark Henry defending his World Heavyweight Championship against The Big Show—so the rest of the PPV is pretty much up in the air at this point.

That's why I'm here today, to take a look at what could go down as the WWE closes out 2011.

Here are 12 bold predictions for the WWE's next big pay-per-view, Tables, Ladders and Chairs.

12. Cody Rhodes Will Successfully Defend His IC Championship Against Booker T

When Cody Rhodes brought back the retro, all-white Intercontinental Championship at Hell in a Cell, he preached about how he would bring back the title's prestige by defending it as much as possible.

So much for that.

Since making that bold claim, Rhodes has defended the title exactly zero times on TV and pay-per-view. Now that his feud with Booker T is finally kicking into gear, however, I think we'll see Rhodes put the title on the line at WWE TLC against the former World Heavyweight Champion.

Of course, I don't see any result other than Rhodes retaining his Intercontinental Championship, either.

Booker T may be coming back for his last run, but he's not doing so to bury the WWE's up-and-coming superstars. He's returning to help put them over. 

11. Goldust Gets Involved in the Feud Between Booker T and Cody Rhodes

Here's the latest on Goldust petitioning to face his half-brother Cody Rhodes for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 28, courtesy of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (via WrestleNewz.com):

"

As noted before, WWE officials are open to the idea of a Cody Rhodes vs. Goldust match. Word now is that they aren’t too keen on holding it at WrestleMania 28, but are open to it.

"

Well, it appears Goldust won't face Rhodes at the granddaddy of them all, but with WWE officials reportedly "open" to the idea of those two facing each other at some point, we could start to see the WWE build to their encounter sooner rather than later.

I realize that the rivalry between Rhodes and Booker T just started, but it would make sense to have Goldust (Booker T's former tag team partner) get involved in the rivalry as early as at WWE TLC.

Goldust doesn't necessarily have to cost Rhodes the match or anything like that to make this work. As long as he makes his presence known in some way, then we could witness the beginning of the build to Rhodes vs. Goldust.

10. Zack Ryder Will Defeat Dolph Ziggler to Win the United States Championship

This one's been a long time coming.

We thought Zack Ryder would face Dolph Ziggler for the United States Champion (and win it) at Survivor Series, but that didn't happen. So, now that Ryder is still trying to get fans to sign his petition for another US title shot, I have to think that that match will take place at WWE TLC.

Ryder's gotten over enough to where the WWE should give him his first run with a singles title, and Ziggler's above that United States title level—he's ready to move to the main event.

Combine those two factors, and we should see Ryder get the victory over Ziggler at the upcoming pay-per-view.

Woo woo woo, you know it. 

9. Dolph Ziggler Will Part Ways with Vickie Guerrero

It's clear that the WWE plans on moving Dolph Ziggler to the main event scene, but in order to do so, he has to drop the United States Championship.

I think he'll do that to Zack Ryder at WWE TLC, but the WWE can't book Ziggler to lose totally clean here if they want to elevate him to the World title scene right away.

That's where Vickie Guerrero comes in.

If I'm booking the Ryder/Ziggler match at TLC, I have Vickie interfere and inadvertently cost Ziggler the match. That way, two things can happen: Ryder can win the US Championship, and Ziggler can go crazy and "fire" Vickie as his manager.

Ziggler's is good enough as a heel and an in-ring worker to drop Vickie, and she can always take over as the manager of another young heel in order to help get him over. 

8. Epico and Hunico Will Defeat Air Boom to Win the WWE Tag Team Championship

We don't get Superstars here in the United States, so I don't think I'm really spoiling anything when I tell you that Kofi Kingston jobbed to Primo on this week's episode.

That can't be a good sign.

Now that Evan Bourne is eligible to return to action and Kingston lost to Primo, I think we could see a situation where Air Boom loses the WWE Tag Team Championship to some combination of Epico, Hunico and Primo as "punishment" for Bourne's suspension.

After all, Kingston faced Hunico in two tag team matches during the build to Survivor Series, so the history between the two is there. Plus, Hunico and his crew will be looking for a new feud now that Sin Cara is out with an injury.

I think it's highly like that Hunico and Epico (or Primo) face Kingston and Bourne at WWE TLC for the tag titles. It's just a matter of them winning the belts or not. 

7. Brodus Clay Debuts...Finally

On this week's episode of Monday Night Raw, John Laurinaitis revealed that Brodus Clay's re-debut is scheduled for next week's episode.

But Clay's return has been pushed back so many times that I have little to no faith in that actually happening.

If the creative team is serious about getting Clay over as a hated heel, though, perhaps it should bring him back on pay-per-view as opposed to on TV.

Have Clay do something, anything that will make the fans truly hate him. Heck, have him attack someone like John Cena—that's gonna be ten times better than just having him squash jobbers.

The point is that, if you can't find a way to fit Clay in on a two-hour TV broadcast, then have him return on a three-hour pay-per-view.

6. We'll Witness the Best Divas Match of the Year

At last year's WWE TLC pay-per-view, we saw Beth Phoenix and Natalya face LayCool (Layla and Michelle McCool) in a Tag Team Tables match, and it was—at least in my view—the best Divas match of the year.

I think we could see something similar in 2011.

Though LayCool is more talented than a pairing of Kelly Kelly and Eve or K2 and Alicia Fox, placing two of the WWE's top baby face Divas in another Tables bout against Beth and Natalya would be a nice change from the crap we usually get.

Given that the WWE hasn't really had any memorable Divas matches in 2011, it won't be all that hard for Kelly Kelly, Alicia, Beth and Natalya to put on the best Divas match of the year if given enough time with a gimmick stipulation.

Perhaps we'll see the WWE take a page out of the history book and essentially copy last year's match featuring Beth and Natalya vs. LayCool.  

5. Wade Barrett Will Beat Randy Orton Clean

Randy Orton has been the MVP of the WWE in 2011.

He's put over the likes of Christian, Mark Henry and Cody Rhodes, and he even took another TV loss, this time to Dolph Ziggler, on Monday's Raw. Now, he's in the process of also helping Wade Barrett get elevated to the top of the card.

Orton has already taken two losses to Barrett—once in a singles match on TV and in the 5-on-5 match at Survivor Series—and a third win over The Viper would really put Barrett over the top.

Barrett will likely be billed as one of the Royal Rumble favorites, so it would be a huge momentum boost to see him head into that pay-per-view with another win over Orton.

I think Barrett needs this victory much more than Orton, and I think he'll get it.  

4. WWE Triple H Returns and Attacks Kevin Nash

The latest on Triple H vs. Kevin Nash is that has been scrapped from the WWE TLC pay-per-view, if not altogether. 

I'm of the belief, however, that it's more likely that their bout be moved to the Royal Rumble because the company's roster lacks depth, and that means they'll have most of their mid-card and main event stars in the 30-man Royal Rumble match. In turn, that weakens the undercard considerably, so a Nash/Triple H match would help take care of that problem.

If Nash vs. Triple H is going to be moved back to the Rumble, though, we need to get some sort of big showdown between the two before then.

That should happen at WWE TLC.

Bring out Nash to cut another one of his boring promos, have Triple H return and attack him, and then that's all she wrote. 

3. CM Punk Will Successfully Defend His Title in a Fatal 4-Way TLC Match

John Cena doesn't have a real feud at the moment, The Miz is clearing out the competition (mainly John Morrison and R-Truth) and Alberto Del Rio lost his guaranteed rematch in somewhat controversial fashion.

Combine all of those factors, and what do you get? A clustered main event scene.

I think the WWE is building toward a WWE Championship feud between CM Punk and The Miz, but the company likely wants to hold off on a big match like that until the Royal Rumble. So, now the WWE finds itself in a bit of pickle with what to do until then.

Simple.

You throw the top four stars on Monday Night Raw—Cena, Punk, The Miz and Del Rio—into a Fatal 4-Way TLC match for the WWE title, and you have Punk retain.

It'll keep Punk looking strong, solve the problem of his controversial win over Del Rio on Monday's Raw and also give The Miz and Cena something to do at the pay-per-view.

2. Kane Returns with His Mask on to Destroy Mark Henry

The WWE has been airing promos for Kane's upcoming return, and all indications are that he'll be coming back under his mask.

I'm a big fan of that decision, and I'd love it if Kane returned as a monster heel. But The Big Red Machine has been out of action for so long that I don't think he can be brought back as anything other than a baby face.

Therefore, it would make perfect sense for him to attack the heel who put him out of action, Mark Henry.

If I'm booking WWE TLC, I have Henry beat The Big Show to retain his World Heavyweight Championship, and then after the match, Kane makes his return and destroys Mark Henry.

In turn, that would lead to my No. 1 bold prediction on this list... 

1. Daniel Bryan Will Cash in His Briefcase and Become World Heavyweight Champion

When Michael Cole interviewed Daniel Bryan on Monday's Raw and asked him why he tried to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Mark Henry despite vowing to wait until WrestleMania 28 to do so, Bryan's answer was simple: He saw an opportunity, and he took it.

Now, I saw that as the WWE's way of saying, "We might have Bryan cash in his briefcase before WrestleMania, and we wanted to come up with a reason why fans shouldn't hate him for doing it."

In other words, Bryan may not wait until the granddaddy of them all to cash in his briefcase.

In fact, I don't think he will.

Especially if Kane returns and destroys Henry post-match, then I think Bryan will take full advantage of that great situation and cash in his briefcase at WWE TLC and win the World Heavyweight Championship.