WWE TLC 2011: 5 Reasons WWE Needs to End Year with a Bang

To say that 2011 has been a down year for WWE would be an understatement. While there have been singular moments worth talking about, on the whole the company has been trending downward due to poor writing, booking and a general malaise that set in with the creative team. 

But there is still time for WWE to make things better with the final pay-per-view of the year. TLC has a deep card with intriguing matchups that should be good, with the exception of the Triple H-Kevin Nash ladder match. 

And as we all know, the final impression is always the most important because it is the freshest one in people's minds. 

It is critical that this show succeeds because WWE has big plans for next year, but if they end on a down note, people won't be as excited as they should for what's coming in the future. 

Here are five reasons that TLC must deliver the goods to the fans tonight. 

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Overall, 2011 Was a Bad Year for WWE

I mentioned this in the intro, but it is worth repeating: 2011 was a bad year for WWE. The company was able to mask some of its problems by having The Rock return to spike the buy rate for WrestleMania, but overall, there was nothing worth getting excited about. 

Even the CM Punk angle back in June was ruined one month later because he was brought back too soon to sell a SummerSlam match that no one really cared about. 

But it is never too late to make a good impression. TLC has great potential on paper. Zack Ryder, Dolph Ziggler and Wade Barrett should emerge from this event looking like stars if their matches are given the time that they need/deserve. 

This show doesn't have to be the best of 2011—that will be hard to top because Money in the Bank had at least three four-star matches—but as long as it is better than what we got at Hell in a Cell, Vengeance and Survivor Series, all will be right with the world. 

New Stars Need to Show What They Can Do

I don't know if you have noticed, but John Cena is healthy and NOT wrestling on this show. There has been talk of incorporating him onto the show somehow, though that is not official as of right now. 

But I would prefer WWE keep its top star off the show. It's not because I have something against Cena, but I am interested to see how well this show does without him on it. 

In addition to that, other wrestlers who we constantly talk about needing a bigger push—Dolph Ziggler, Zack Ryder and Wade Barrett—will get their chance to shine on a show, and the fans may find them even more interesting without having to worry about whether or not Cena will win the WWE title for the 3,452nd time. 

And it gives CM Punk a chance to headline a show on his own. He has been in pay-per-view main events this year but has always had the Cena safety net to fall back on. WWE has a chance to make him a mainstream star if he is given an opportunity. 

This is the perfect event to keep Cena off, because when the new year starts, he is going to be locked in a four-month feud with The Rock. 

Bad String of Shows

Forgetting the return of The Rock at Survivor Series and how excited the fans were to see him back wrestling again, WWE has had a long string of bad shows that are hurting any momentum that they hope to build for the new network and any other business ventures they might have. 

There hasn't been a really good show that you could say justified the $44.95 price tag (or $54.95 if you prefer high-definition) since Night of Champions back in September—and even that show had a problems. 

In addition to the string of bad pay-per-view shows that we have had to endure, Raw has been abysmal for most of the last three months. Television is the easiest way to turn the business around, and fans have lost confidence in the company based on what they have seen in recent months. 

It is time for WWE to just blow everything up and end the year with one great event that reminds us all why we watch and love wrestling in the first place. 

All of the pieces are in place for this to be a lights out show, just as long as the booking team doesn't try to get too cute. 

Royal Rumble Momentum

These final two reasons tie-in to each other. 

The Royal Rumble in January is the kick-off to the Road to WrestleMania, and that event needs to be something that gets the fans excited. But it will be hard for us to just jump out of our seat for a show if we have had to endure a bad show in December. 

While the Rumble is going to sell well on its own because it has that kind of cache with casual fans, a strong TLC pay-per-view can add even more mystery and intrigue to everything that follows. 

There are a number of storylines that need to be wrapped up at this event and new ones that should start in January. But if WWE drops the ball, which is entirely possible, the anticipation for the Royal Rumble will be at an all-time low. 

TLC can leave fans with a good memory in an otherwise forgettable 2011, and it can also get the build for Royal Rumble, which is traditionally WWE's second-biggest show of the year, started in a positive way. 

WWE Needs Positive Buzz

I can't speak for all wrestling fans, but when I think about the WWE product today, I get angry. I love wrestling and know that it can be great. 

WWE has the stage and talent it needs to be great, but stupid decisions from the people in charge have made the product difficult to watch on a weekly basis. 

The company has big plans for 2012, starting with the launch of the WWE Network and WrestleMania on the same day, but right now the buzz for those major events is not looking so hot because of what we have been fed for the last 12 months. 

We know that when WWE wants to take chances and make things in wrestling fun again that it can. It happened with CM Punk in June, The Rock came back and caused quite a stir, and Mark Henry actually got over as a monster. 

The problem is that the company has no idea what it is doing with most of its talent, and Vince McMahon has to tinker with everything to the point where none of it makes sense from week to week. 

If TLC is good, it can start to increase fan anticipation for what is to come next year. It will take time but you have to start giving fans a reason to get excited if you want them to keep spending money on your product.