WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (2015)

[jdoggivjc]

First thing's first: oi vey - what a mess.

In what was probably the worst Survivor Series in recent memory, if not all time, Sheamus is your new WHC after cashing in on Roman Reigns, who had just beaten Dean Ambrose cleanly to win WHC for the first time (and sadly, the final outcome might be what saved Survivor Series from being the worst PPV of 2015).

I think the worst thing about this last month was how badly and painfully obvious Vince and Dunn sandbagged it - made the product so bad that the fan response was so bad that now they say to their universe "See? This is why we can't have a WWE without John Cena and the Bellas as the faces of the company." when in reality it is lazy ****** writing and not giving the fans what they want.

So where do we go from here? I'd say WWE is in such a bad place that I'd just start building for WrestleMania XXXII and let TLC stand on its own laurels - the good ol' fashioned trainwreck nobody wants to turn their eyes from.

Clearly they're using the model to build Roman Reigns the same way they built Daniel Bryan from 2013 SummerSlam until late fall when they shelved him, and then kicked back into overdrive after CM Punk suddenly quit the company (and it will fail because Reigns doesn't have the overwhelming fan support that Bryan had at the time; but, as the good li'l Universe member WWE wants me to be, I'll play along - for now). Thinking the way Vince and Dunn thinks, odds are Reigns will be main-eventing WrestleMania either as champ or challenger (probably the latter, since this is a WrestleMania build), so Reigns won't be disappearing from the spotlight any time soon. Expect him to get his rematch at TLC where The Authority screws him out of a win, setting up Reigns to be your 2016 Royal Rumble winner (and there was much rejoicing - yay) or to win a qualifying match between then and WrestleMania.

(continuing in the next post because Safari on my iPhone is getting wonky)

 

[jdoggivjc]

Next, clearly John Cena will be facing and beating ADR at TLC. It's as if they rehired and booked ADR with the intent of making the Universe pine for when Cena was holding UST, and everyone knows he's going to win it back. Look for more U.S. Open Burials between now and WrestleMania, and have him drop UST there or Extreme Rules so they can build his WHC run for late 2016 (which, according to rumors, was the plan all along).

Kevin Owens vs Dean Ambrose is clearly a feud that's continuing, and one that Owens is winning. I'm still convinced the ultimate goal is Owens vs. Zayn at WrestleMania for ICC, starting with Zayn's shocking debut eliminating Owens from Royal Rumble (skipping NXT altogether) and building and intense feud. Where Dean Ambrose goes from there I have no idea - hopefully not another feud with the Wyatts.

Speaking of The Wyatts, ugh - what now? As someone said last night, The Wyatts have been thoroughly buried by everyone in WWE and have zero credibility left. They deserve so much better - but where do you go from here?

Speaking of characters that deserve better than having zero credibility left - Paige. At this point in time she is literally nothing more than a high profile jobber. Is there anyone she hasn't jobbed to this year? First, the Bellas. Then Sasha Banks. Now Charlotte. She even jobbed to Becky Lynch prior to Survivor Series. She literally carried Nikki Bella during her telegraphed run at AJ Lee's record, carried a sputtering Divas Revolution, and just got done carrying Charlotte through Survivor Series. She literally has no credibility left, and casual fans are basically saying "she's had her chance - now back of the line" (or, if they had their way, out of WWE altogether).

(continues in next post)

 

[jdoggivjc]

So Divas title - what do you do when basically all story lines are DOA? Perhaps we can get what I've been hoping for for months - Charlotte, Paige, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and maybe Natalya, Naomi and/or Brie Bella in a ladder match for the Divas title. And maybe we can get back Paige some of the credibility she never deserved to lose in the first place?

Tag team division starts and ends with New Day right now, and whatever they decide to do at TLC they have no business losing the titles. Quite frankly, it doesn't matter who they put across from New Day, they have no business taking the titles from them. This division went from on the rise back in WrestleMania to one dimensional today, and the outlook is bleak. Enzo and Cass would brighten it up, but it appears Cass is still injured.

And don't expect Cesaro to compete anytime soon - he's out for 4-6 months with a torn rotator cuff.

 

[jdoggivjc]

So it looks like Sheamus AND Rusev are both Authority members now (would not stun me if King Barrett is now as well).

 

[jdoggivjc]

Well, I guess we're going to find out if the Dudleyz are the next to bury the Wyatts.

 

[KHoing7]

RUSEV!!!!

 

[xboxfever]

I missed the first hour due to the game, but I tune in and Paige is cutting a solid promo, and then The New Day country music jamboree? Man they are still booking them to perfection.

 

[jdoggivjc]

The New Day's First Anniversary Country Music Jamboree & WWE Tag Team Championship Open Challenge? Good lord... :laugh:

 

[jdoggivjc]

I missed the first hour due to the game, but I tune in and Paige is cutting a solid promo, and then The New Day country music jamboree? Man they are still booking them to perfection.

Makes me wonder if that Figure 8 under the ropes last night was intentional or if they saw what happened after the fact and are rolling with it to keep Paige in the spotlight.

And I really want to see that Divas ladder match.

 

[xboxfever]

Oh my god the New Day need their own show.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Oh my god the New Day need their own show.

And WWE has their own network to facilitate that. New Day's show following Edge and Christian's show? Quality entertainment.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Charlotte vs. Paige rematch. Hope this isn't burial part 2. Actually, if Paige doesn't win, I'd love to see all kinds of interference to break this match up.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Neville vs. Mark Henry? This match makes all kinds of sense :err:

 

[xboxfever]

Why the **** is Heath Slater still employed by the WWE and why is he getting time on RAW?

 

[jdoggivjc]

Yep - Barrett is now Authority too.

Give Reigns credit - he was pretty good tonight.

 

[BLRNerd]

Am I the only one that is tripping out over the TLC Match Card Graphic?

If I had to take a guess, the Tables stipulation is for sure going to Paige and Charlotte and despite people complaining about Paige getting too many title shots, I think she might actually win this match and hold onto it til WM and then drop it to a tweener Sasha at WM in a Fatal 4 Way (Paige (C) vs Charlotte vs Sasha vs Becky/Nikki?)

 

[CoKane]

One thing I liked about Raw: Team Euro-trash in the Authority. There are some obvious problems with this right now like them playing second fiddle to HHH, but I like Rusev and Barrett so hopefully this leads to more screen time for both.

One thing I will always hate: The PTO on the table. Everything about it makes no sense. What does the table add to the move? A RamPaige on the table would look deadly.

 

[Gunnerclone]

Why the **** is Heath Slater still employed by the WWE and why is he getting time on RAW?

I turned the sound off when Stephanie started talking. Turned completely off when I saw Heath Slater on my screen.

 

[CoKane]

Also, what the hell is this ADR vs. Jack Swagger feud? The guy we are supposed to cheer for is a guy that's upset his former friend isn't racist anymore? We're supposed to dislike the guys who want to bring peace between 2 countries? What?

 

[jdoggivjc]

One thing I will always hate: The PTO on the table. Everything about it makes no sense. What does the table add to the move? A RamPaige on the table would look deadly.

I agree a RamPaige would look lethal on the announcer's table. There perhaps might be two problems with it, though:

1. Paige and her partner might not generate enough force to collapse the table, which would make it look a little stupid.

2. If she can collapse the table, it might have something to her scoliosis. Yes, she takes bumps all the time, but those are predictable and practiced bumps. Even going through a standard folding table is predictable. But going through the announce table is not predictable - it doesn't always collapse, and when it does it doesn't always collapse the same. They may not want to risk Paige hurting her back on something like that.