2016’s edition of WWE TLC is shaping up to be one of the most exciting TLC pay-per-views in recent memory. While the card isn’t exactly stacked like Survivor Series, the SmackDown exclusive event will have 1uite a few exciting matches and not to mention weapons, even though the use of them may be very PG in the end.
The card is headlined by the huge grudge match between WWE World Champion AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose. Styles took out Ambrose’s buddy James Ellsworth last week with a brutal Styles Clash to the floor and Ambrose will be out gunning for revenge. Then there’s also the ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship between incumbent champion The Miz and Dolph Ziggler. Miz and Ziggler’s back and forth feud has been going on for a while but it’s nowhere near stale and in fact, just about reaching its peak.
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As for the SmackDown Tag-Team Champions Heath Slater and Rhyno, they’ll face stiff opposition at TLC as they come up against Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton who beat American Alpha last week to become #1 contenders. Becky Lynch is also on the card defending her beloved SmackDown Women’s Championship against Alexa Bliss in a tables match. Carmella and Nikki Bella will also face off in a No DQ match.
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It looks like WWE will have a couple of surprises for us as TLC draws closer. Read on to check out the latest rumours and scoops ahead of TLC.
5: Samoa Joe debuts
Samoa Joe is more than ready for the main roster. If it had been up to me, I’d have booked Joe in Goldberg’s spot to crush Brock Lesnar.
Joe recently regained the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: Toronto before losing it again yesterday at NXT Tokyo to Shinsuke Nakamura. With the title off Joe, it seems likely that Joe’s main roster debut is impending and with the blue brand needing more stars, Joe looks like he’ll debut for SmackDown and it could happen as early as TLC with a Cena-esque surprise appearance.
Even if TLC is too soon, we still expect Joe to get called up to the main roster sooner rather than later.
4: Title Changes
Backstage rumours at WWE are suggesting that there could be as many as 2 title changes at WWE TLC tonight. While there are no particular details about which titles may change hands, there’s a good chance that Alexa Bliss could leave WWE TLC as the new SmackDown Live Women’s Champion.
As for any other title changes, while it was earlier thought that the SmackDown Live Tag-Team Titles would be changing hands tonight, there may be a chance that that might not be the case (more on this later) which means that there may be a good chance that Dolph Ziggler could be climbing the ladder and winning back the WWE Intercontinental Championship tonight.
3: End of the New Wyatt Family?
Rumours suggest that TLC could be the beginning of the end as far as the Wyatt Family is concerned.
The Randy Orton-Bray Wyatt storyline has been one of the most compelling programs in WWE in recent weeks. Initially, Harper didn’t trust Orton as part of the family but Orton has proved himself to Bray week after week, especially at Survivor Series when Wyatt and Orton ended as the sole survivors.
Although conventional wisdom suggests that now would be a terrible time to turn Wyatt and Orton against each other, rumours suggest that there is some chance that there will be friction between the two at TLC as they face Heath Slater and Rhyno for the SmackDown Live Tag-Team Championships. But will they actually split up and feud with each other? We’ll have to wait and see.
2: A surprise return by John Cena
Let’s get one thing out of the way first – John Cena isn’t scheduled to return to WWE until a house show appearance at Madison Square Garden on December 26. An interesting point to note is that his return match happens to be a triple threat match where he will face off against AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose.
Could we see a comeback program against either Styles or Ambrose? It’s definitely possible seeing that he has a history with both men. Cena has lost to Styles twice in one-on-one action and is yet to beat him in a singles match and his feud with Ambrose was heating up prior to Cena’s hiatus with Ambrose pinning Cena clean on an episode of SmackDown Live.
With American Grit filming still seemingly going on, it’s unlikely that Cena will show up at TLC but some sources are saying that there’s definitely a chance. Plus, we do know that Cena has a penchant for epic surprise returns ala Royal Rumble 2008.
1: The Undertaker
The Undertaker re-emerged on the 900th episode of SmackDown Live to hint at an extended run on the road to Wrestlemania 33, not to mention the rumours of a match with AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble in January.
Some backstage are suggesting that an Undertaker-Styles match could very well be on the cards and if that is indeed true, expect the Deadman to interfere during the WWE TLC main event when AJ Styles faces off against Dean Ambrose.
A match between Taker and Styles would one of the blockbuster attractions at the Rumble and with WWE expecting to fill 60,000 seats at the Alamodome, it’s just what the doctor ordered.
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