WWE TLC 2011: Will PPV Struggle Without The Rock?

One month after The Rock electrified a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd at Survivor Series, the WWE will see if it can maintain any of that momentum now that Rocky has returned to shooting movies. It's a tough task which will require several other superstars to step up.

December's pay-per-view, Tables, Ladders and Chairs, is nothing more than a bridge between The Rock's return and Royal Rumble. While some fans may dislike the gimmick because of its PG adaptation, it still tends to display some unique things that aren't regularly seen.

Other than the gimmick, WWE will be relying on two guys to take their performance to the next level in order to make the PPV must-see television.

CM Punk is the obvious one. He'll defend his title against The Miz and Alberto Del Rio. Nobody in wrestling has been hotter over the past couple months than Punk, who is using his outsider mentality to perfection.

It's yet to be seen if he can carry the company on his back, though. Vince McMahon has received a lot of heat from the Internet wrestling community for relying too heavily on John Cena and Randy Orton. The reason that happens is because those two are known commodities. Punk isn't yet.

They allowed him to win back the WWE Championship at one of the year's marquee events with hopes of selling him to the larger, more casual audience. Now it's his turn to prove they made the right decision.

Luckily for him, his title reign comes immediately after an unimpressive stint by Del Rio. A lack of crowd reaction, which ultimately doomed the Mexican Aristocrat, shouldn't be a problem for Punk. He's quickly asserted himself as the company's best worker on the mic after his summer rise.

The other important factor at TLC will be Zack Ryder.

There were a lot of questions as to why he was left out of Survivor Series after being featured so prominently. It appears the WWE was hoping to save some of his hype and momentum for TLC, as he was finally granted his United States title match vs. Dolph Ziggler.

The Long Island Iced Z built up his fanbase slowly through a YouTube show and a constant barrage of Twitter messages, but is finally getting the push his fans have been clamoring for.

Those two guys can really prove their worth by putting on a good show at TLC, but Punk is under the most pressure to perform.

Without The Rock storming out to save the day, the WWE must find a way to keep the average fan interested until he comes back for WrestleMania. CM Punk and Zack Ryder are two keys to making it happen.