TLC 2018: Last Minute Predictions

TLC Match for Smackdown Women's Championship: Becky Lynch (c) vs Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka

Smackdown's top three women do battle in the first-ever TLC match for the women.

Since this is another case of a first-ever type of match, it should be the one to close the show. What's the point of constantly making note of how things are 'historic' if they don't get spots that warrant it? It may not close the show, but it should be one of the best bouts of the night.

Any three of the women could conceivably walk out with the gold. Vince is obsessed with Charlotte and you know he wants her to break her father's record of 16 title reigns. It's why she was booked to viciously attack both Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series and Asuka on Tuesday's Smackdown.

And it was why she was gifted another shot at the Smackdown Women's Title. Becky Lynch should conceivably hold onto the gold until a potential showdown at WrestleMania, but her having two belts wouldn't help out the show she'd be leaving (Smackdown).

If the plan is for her to face Ronda at WrestleMania 35, it would be better as a hotshot challenger rather than a match between two champions. It would be worthy of a main event slot even if both women aren't holding gold, but it wouldn't offer up much for the other women in WWE to do at WrestleMania.

And then there's Asuka. She was added to the match a couple of weeks ago presumably to help carry the match so that Lynch can be somewhat protected in her return.

It'll be hard to do though in a match as physical as a TLC match. Reports also suggested that Vince 'was surprised that the crowd didn't cheer louder for Flair' when Becky chose her replacement at Survivor Series.

The crowd was clearly rooting for Asuka to take Becky's place. WWE will pull out almost all of the stops in this match because of its historic nature. My heart and my mind are telling me two different things, but neither have Lynch retaining.

I'm on board with her as the red-hot champion, but her losing opens her up to 1) have her rematch at the Royal Rumble and 2) potentially win the Rumble so that she can challenge Ronda at WrestleMania.

So that leaves Flair and Asuka.

Flair doesn't need yet another reign as champion, but Vince loves her. She was atop the hierarchy of the women in WWE until Rousey showed up. She might walk out with the title because Vince simply wants it. Regarding Asuka winning, it could be a bad sign for her that she was left standing tall at the end of Smackdown.

The performers who usually do that on the go-home shows usually don't win their matches at the PPVs. But when WWE has had either replacements in matches or added a third person, the person added has often won the match.

I'm hoping for the latter to happen.

The crowd might loudly boo if Charlotte wins the title (again) at the expense of the two most popular women on Smackdown.

Prediction: Asuka deservedly wins and starts her first reign as Smackdown Women's Champion