WWE TLC 2014 : Final match card analysis and predictions

TLC might not have the legacy of WrestleMania or the glitz of SummerSlam but none can argue about the importance of this pay-per-view. TLC will be the company’s last outing for the year and will have to set things straight for the Road to WrestleMania.This year’s show would be filled with nine matches including the pre-show bout. While most of the buildups for these matches have been spot on, others have been utter failure among the WWE Universe.All those prejudice could take a back seat if the company delivers some credible action on Sunday night just like what they did with Survivor Series. And here is a look at the possible outcomes that could come out of the pay-per-view.

#9 The New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston) (with Xavier Woods) vs. Gold and Stardust

A majority of the fans expected New Day to be the tag titles challengers in their first pay-per-view but the company is being patient with the stable and letting them grow slowly.

With the Usos and the champions working out a feud for the title, the only choice WWE had for New Day was the Dust Brothers. Though it might not sound like a big match, it has all the ammunition to steal the show.

All the superstars involved are great entertainers and once the bell rings, the fans could expect an all-out chaos with some meaty tag team moves thrown in between. The match was designed to make New Day look good and that’ll clearly happen on Sunday.

Prediction: New Day Wins

#8 Nikki Bella (c) vs. AJ Lee (Divas Championship)

It’s not really hard to predict most of the matches in TLC card but this one is an exception. Considering how the divas division has been booked in recent months, the match could go either way.

AJ has been red hot after she dropped the championship at Survivor Series and has a better momentum than Nikki. The champion on the other hand has to deal with her twisted sister as well. This match has the potential to be a solid one with all the subplots, but with the WWE writers, we can never say for sure.

Though it would be great to see AJ win the championship, Nikki is the favorite here. This is because of the impending feud between the sisters for the championship and that will not happen if AJ gets the championship back at TLC.

Prediction: Nikki Bella wins

#7 Rusev (c) vs. Jack Swagger (United States Championship)

The match didn’t have much heat before this week’s Monday Night Raw but after that one segment where Jack Swagger showed great intensity against the Bulgarian Brute, the stock of this one reached sky high.

Rusev is almost sure to dominate these sorts of matches as long as his winning streak doesn’t end but the fans will be heading into Sunday expecting an equal encounter where both men gets enough action.

Despite all these expectations, the outcome is pretty much clear. Swagger is not the person that should end Rusev’s streak. So, for the time being, the United States Championship will be staying with Rusev until someone better comes along.

Prediction: Rusev wins

#6 Luke Harper (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler (Intercontinental Championship)

This will probably end up being the best match of the night if the company gives both men some freedom. Harper and Ziggler have been doing wonder between the ropes for a long time now and with the pay-per-view spotlight shining bright on them, the stakes would be higher.

Ziggler has two ladder match victories to his name with the only loss coming in this year’s Money in the Bank match. Harper on the other hand is new to the scenario making interesting dynamics.

The Show off is coming off a great run at Survivor Series but that momentum wouldn’t be enough to give him the championship. There is still a lot more to come from Harper’s title reign but as far as the match is concerned, it’s going to be a stellar one.

Prediction: Harper wins

#5 Erick Rowan vs. Big Show (Stairs match)

The last time these two locked horns between the ropes, they surprised everyone. It wasn’t a wrestling clinic but the two big men managed to keep the fans on their seat with some pure brute force.

It will also mark the first ever stairs match in WWE history. Since we don’t know how things are going to turn around with such a stipulation in place, the company could bank in on that opportunity and make a simple match look extraordinary.

This will be Rowan’s first big match as singles superstar and WWE will not be looking to bury him there itself. The big red would easily come out winning and it would be interesting to see where he goes from that win.

Prediction: Rowan wins

#4 The Miz and Damien Mizdow (c) vs. The Usos (Tag Team Championship)

This one is not just about the tag team championship. It will be about the friction between Miz and Mizdow while there is a big Naomi factor looming around.

The reigning champions have still a lot of steam left in the tank and pulling off the title change so early is unlikely. However, all the subplots are going to be mixed into a great match between the two teams.

Naomi is most likely to be the match deciding element as she could easily cost the Usos this one. That could then be worked into a sibling rivalry by the WWE while Miz and Mizdow could take a different path that will end with a head on clash at next year’s WrestleMania.

Prediction: Miz and Mizdow

#3 John Cena vs. Seth Rollins (Tables Matches)

WWE has the big opportunity in their hand when Seth Rollins and John Cena will face at TLC. They could stamp Rollins’ place as the next big thing if they give him a clean win but knowing how the writers work, that epic moment isn’t happening.

Cena’s No.1 Contender ship being on the line is the heart and soul of this match as otherwise; it’s just an ordinary encounter between two superstars in main event level.

There isn’t anyone better than Cena to face Lesnar at the moment and this ensures a Cena win. Also, in order to protect Rollins, the company will most likely bring in Randy Orton into the mix as an outside interference. That is, in simple words, we could see Rollins getting RKO’d into a table.

Prediction: Cena wins

#2 Ryback vs. Kane (Chairs Matches)

There is a lot of confusion among the WWE writers on what to do with Ryback. The big guy was apparently getting a big push before Survivor Series but all that changed. He was overshadowed by all the action going around and from a possible feud with Triple H, Ryback slipped to an angle with Kane.

Kane is a great wrestler and shouldn’t be seen as an inferior opponent but this match doesn’t draw. The chairs stipulation will help Ryback look like a babyface monster as he could dismantle Kane.

Ryback is the hands down winner in this one unless there is an external interference from Hunter. This win will get the big guy’s career back on track at the expense of the big red monster, which is what he desperately needs.

Prediction: Ryback wins

#1 Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt (TLC Match)

If this doesn’t main event the TLC pay-per-view, the fans are going to riot. Last time these two men met, there were bounds of rules which limited them from going full on crazy. This time however, there isn’t anything that is going to hold them back.

Bray and Ambrose will be out there to destroy each other and this might even end up as a late entry for Match of the year contender. At the same time it is also the hardest match to predict as well.

Both men need a win desperately to stay relevant in the roster but it’s Bray who wants it more badly. His career took big blows thanks to John Cena and Chris Jericho and a win at TLC could turn things upside down for the eater of the worlds.

Prediction: Bray Wyatt wins