'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WWE TLC is just hours away. We have a number of big title matches on the card, with Drew McIntyre defending the WWE Championship against AJ Styles while Roman Reigns defends the Universal Championship against Kevin Owens. We take a look at Drew McIntyre's original opponent for WWE TLC, who had to be pulled due to injury.
Trending
With Lana out for WWE TLC, we also take a look at a 12-time champion who could replace her as Asuka's parter. With a number of title matches on the card, we also look at one match where a title change looks likely.
Charlotte Flair could be set for a return at WWE TLC
Going into RAW earlier this week, it looked like the plan was for Lana and Asuka to face Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler for the WWE Women’s Championship at TLC.
However, after Lana rolled up Nia Jax and pinned her, she was beaten down post-match and is now out for WWE TLC.
Asuka needs a partner at TLC and there has been some talk that this could be an opening for 12-time champion Charlotte Flair’s return to WWE. Here’s what PWInsider had to say:
The talk coming out of Raw is that Lana was expected to be off TV for the next several weeks, possibly as long as 3-4 weeks. There was some buzz last night that perhaps this was an angle to bring Charlotte Flair back on Sunday, but PWInsider.com has not yet confirmed that to be the plan.
Charlotte has been out of action for about six months. With the Royal Rumble coming closer, we could definitely see Charlotte back soon. However, we can’t yet be sure if it will be tonight at the Royal Rumble, although there is definitely a chance of it happening.
Original opponent for Drew McIntyre at WWE TLC
Drew McIntyre is set to defend the WWE Championship against AJ Styles tomorrow night in a TLC match. McIntyre will be the favorite heading into the match at WWE TLC, but Styles will have Big Omos in his corner who could get involved. The Miz has also been teasing cashing in the Money in the Bank contract recently, but a successful cash-in seems pretty unrealistic at this point in time.
However, according to Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live, original plans for WWE TLC had Drew McIntyre facing former Universal Champion Braun Strowman. Alvarez said that plans changed when Braun Strowman picked up a leg injury:
The story, as noted, is that Braun was scheduled to face Drew McIntyre at TLC but he got the leg injury and he is rehabbing it. I didn’t hear anything about surgery, just that they are rehabbing it. Presumably, he won’t be out that long but I guess we’ll see.
As of this writing, we don't know when Strowman will be back in action.
Possible update on Firefly Inferno match at WWE TLC
Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt's feud saw The Viper set Wyatt on fire on RAW last Monday. The Fiend then emerged and took out Randy Orton with the Mandible Claw. The feud looks set to culminate tonight at WWE TLC in a Firefly Inferno match.
We don't yet have any details on the match, although Dave Meltzer gave an update on what WWE could be doing on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio.
Meltzer said that it could be a match with the ring being surrounded by fire, like the regular Inferno Match between The Undertaker and Kane:
I just figured it's a ring surrounded by fire match. They've done that before. Those matches usually are really bad. The visual looks good but what can you do in those matches.
They haven't explained it. They didn't say a word about it last night. H/T: Sportskeeda
Dave Meltzer's co-host Bryan Alvarez also theorized that since the name of the match had "Firefly" in it, we could see a cinematic match at WWE TLC.
Roman Reigns set for new feud after WWE TLC
Roman Reigns will defend his WWE Universal Championship against Kevin Owens at WWE TLC. Reigns is the clear favorite heading into the PPV. Roman Reigns and his cousin Jey Uso destroyed Kevin Owens on Friday’s episode of SmackDown when KO came out to confront Reigns and Uso in the ring.
Already hurt and outnumbered, he was taken apart and beaten down with steel chairs and sent through a table. Reigns then stacked tables onto Kevin Owens and continued smashing him with a steel chair with Jey Uso also joining in.
Roman Reigns is currently expected to move into a new feud following the PPV. Dave Meltzer mentioned on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE could be looking at a feud between Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan heading into the Royal Rumble.
Daniel Bryan could be the perfect opponent for Roman Reigns after WWE TLC. He’s one of the biggest babyfaces on the SmackDown roster right now, not to mention that the match between them should be top-notch.
Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander could leave WWE TLC as RAW Tag Team Champions
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods will defend the RAW Tag Team Championship against Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin of The Hurt Business tonight at WWE TLC. According to the odds, it looks like Benjamin and Alexander are the favorites to win the match.
The Hurt Business will be looking to add some more gold tonight at WWE TLC. Bobby Lashley is already the WWE United States Champion. We could see Benjamin and Cedric Alexander add some more gold to their ranks tonight with the RAW Tag Team Championships.
Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin teamed up with fellow Hurt Business member Bobby Lashley on WWE RAW last week to face the team of Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, and Jeff Hardy. The Hurt Business members were pretty dominant in the match, with Bobby Lashley forcing Jeff Hardy to submit to The Hurt Lock. We also saw MVP in action last week as he was beaten by Riddle.
Meet Randy Orton's lovely wife HERE
