Smackdown Live has many things it can be proud of lately.
Following the 2016 Brand Extension on July 29 , Commissioner Shane McMahon and his General Manager Daniel Bryan wasted no time in establishing Team Blue as a destination for captivating wrestlers, exciting stories, and a chance to see new faces emerge into positions previously thought unattainable. New Championships and opportunities alike were created to the delight of many.
On December 4, TLC presents one last chance for the competitors to cement their year on a big stage and set the tone for what they wish to accomplish going into 2017. There is no doubt the drive and hunger that fuels them will result in a very memorable pay-per-view.
Six matches will take place, four of which will be contested for championships.
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1, No Disqualification Match
Nikki Bella vs. Carmella
Unfortunately, she caught the full attention of Carmella and it hasn't been at all peaches and creams for the object of John Cena's desire.
You see, Summerslam took place in Brooklyn and not only was it in Carmella's backyard but her PPV debut since being drafted onto Smackdown Live. Both of which she felt were overshadowed by the one woman who absorbed the spotlight once too often. Adding salt to the wound was Bella, Natalya, and Alexa Bliss defeating the trio of Becky Lynch, and Naomi that evening.
It shouldn't have come as too big of a surprise when on the subsequent Smackdown Live that Carmella took matters into her own hands; just prior to their scheduled match, Renee Young took to the ring to get a word with Nikki about her comeback when the Princess of Statin Island ambushed her from behind and delivered a vicious beat down.
And it wouldn't end there either. On the Talking Smack that followed , Carmella would once more assault Bella from behind before security would intervene and put an end to it.
Ever since that night, Bella has never been out of Carmella's sight or thoughts. Their rivalry would intensify at Backlash where in the midst of a six pack challenge to crown a Smackdown Women's Champion, Carmella would eliminate her rival with a roll up. While she herself would be eliminated by eventual winner Becky Lynch, having one up on Nikki was enough to further fuel her fire.
Nothing was beyond reproach, even the much publicized romance between Bella and the 15 time World Champion John Cena. On multiple occasions Carmella has invoked the relationship, claiming if it didn't exist neither would Nikki in a WWE ring.
All the hostility caused by her words made Carmella a prime suspect when Bella was mysteriously assaulted and removed from the Team Nikki vs. Team Charlotte match at Survivor Series. She of course denies any involvement but certainly didn't shed any tears either.
The time for talking is over however and now the ladies head into battle on Sunday. With DQ's waived, it's open season for them to fully unleash their mutual hatred and for a winner to be determined once and for all. As seen on Raw with Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte in a Falls Count Anywhere match, the women of WWE hold nothing back in the quest for championships and glory.
Prediction: This should be a fiery contest with both women making full use of the lack of rules and the weaponry at their disposal. It is likely whoever emerges victorious will be in line to challenge the winner of the Smackdown Women's Championship as if either needed an extra incentive to bring their A game.
In the end, I see Nikki coming out on top but not without a dogged fight.
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2. Chairs Match
Baron Corbin vs. Kalisto
One of the worst kept secrets in WWE is that Baron Corbin hates pretty much anyone he comes into contact with. No deep motivation is required either, the Lone Wolf prefers to go into battle alone and hurt as many people as possible along the way.
Nobody though has incurred his wrath more than former United States Champion Kalisto dating all the way back to the August 2 edition of Smackdown Live. The two crossed paths in a Triple Threat Match with Apollo Crews with the winner receiving an Intercontinental Championship match at Summerslam.
Corbin put forth an impressive display but a Kalisto hurricanrana sent him over the top rope and he was unable to break up the pinfall when Crews cradled Kalisto for the victory. That one offensive maneuver set Corbin off and he hasn't slowed down since.
Imposing his height and strength advantage, the 2016 Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner would attack Kalisto backstage and leave him in a crumpled heap. Each time he'd warn that the beatings would continue and the worst was yet to come.
After one such assault, Kalisto would not be medically cleared to face Corbin at Summerslam. Naturally Corbin dismissed this as his smaller opponent being afraid of taking another beating from someone that superior. Perhaps putting the former Lucha Dragon out of his mind, Corbin would engage and come out victorious in a brief feud with then-free agent and new Smackdown signee Jack Swagger at No Mercy.
The sky seemed to be the limit for Corbin when he was hand selected to be a member of an all male Team Smackdown to take on five of the best Monday Night Raw.
Though he competed in the NFL, Corbin would once again prove to be anything but a team player. He would refuse to team with his fellow Survivor Series partners in a six man tag team match so Shane put him up against a familiar face: the returning Kalisto
Arrogantly Corbin expected to simply pick up where he left off but karma always has a way to come back around. After tweaking his knee coming off the apron, Corbin would receive a taste of his own medicine. A fired up Kalisto targeted the injured leg and delivered a splash onto it with great force. The end result would be Corbin being removed from the Survivor Series and McMahon being drafted in to take his place.
Now it would be Corbin who was out of sight, out of mind. Or so it seemed that way. At Survivor Series Kalisto challenged Cruiserweight Champion Brian Kendrick not only for his title but the entire Cruiserweight Division which would have moved to Smackdown Live with his victory. In a highly competitive match, he was poised to secure both when Corbin re-emerged to get him disqualified and deliver an End of Days.
Not satisfied with costing Kalisto one title, Corbin would repeat his interference during Kalisto's challenge of the Intercontinental Championship against the Miz, helping Miz walk away with a successful title defense. Fed up with these brazen acts, Daniel Bryan placed Corbin into a match with Kane that never came into fruition when Kalisto sought his own brand of justice. He would run down for a fight and surprise Corbin by getting the better of him even when a chair would be introduced into the battle.
On the November 29 edition of Smackdown Live, the chair would make a second appearance courtesy of Corbin slamming it into Kalisto's back resulting in a DQ loss for Corbin and The Miz against Kalisto and Dolph Ziggler.
The message was sent and received. On Sunday these two look to settle the score once and for all in a chairs match. It's not as if Corbin needs any additional help in causing a world of hurt but a chair in hand will do the trick. But Kalisto has proven to be quite resilient and should not be viewed too big of an underdog.
Prediction:
Kalisto is going to give every ounce of effort he can muster, no doubt utilizing his speed and high flying abilities to keep Corbin off balance. However Corbin does not go down easily under any circumstance and I expect him to weather the early storm and pick up the with via End of Days.
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3. Smackdown World Tag Team Championships Match
Heath Slater and Rhino (c) vs. Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton
The unlikely rise of Heath Slater and Rhyno would certainly rank among the most colorful success stories in both the year 2016 and WWE history.
It wasn't even that long ago that nothing could seemingly go right for the One Man Rock Band.
He went undrafted to either Raw or Smackdown Live in July and couldn't secure a contract for either brand to save his life.
It wasn't for a lack of trying though. He stared down Brock Lesnar on Raw and was annihilated for his efforts. He recruited old 3MB mate Jinder Mahal to get Raw General Manger Mick Foley's attention only for Mahal to defeat him to earn his own contract. And he didn't fare too well on Smackdown either.
Whether it was losing matches or sticking his foot in his mouth, Slater couldn't catch a break. He was desperate to provide for his wife and his 7 (or 8, or 12, or...) children back in West Virginia. What was a man to do?
His struggle did not go unnoticed though. The man who defeated him on an episode of Smackdown Live and prevent him from gaining an entry back onto television full time, developed a respect for him. That man was Rhyno.
The duo later coined Beauty and The Manbeast entered the tournament to crown Smackdown World Tag Team Champions, shocking everyone by defeating The Headbangers, The Hype Bros, and The Usos enroute to capturing the titles and in the process the contract Slater had long sought after.
They have gone on to prove themselves to be fighting champions turning back challenges from the likes of The Ascension, The Usos, Breezango, and others. The high energy of Slater and brute force of Rhyno make them a duo to be reckoned with.
Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt were intertwined in a disturbing game of cat and mouse for much of the Fall. Bray saw Orton as weak coming off his loss to Brock Lesnar at Summerslam and found the need to try and put him out of his misery.
A backstage assault would delay their encounter at Backlash but the two would go to war at No Mercy. The returning Luke Harper proved to be the deciding factor in Wyatt's victory so Orton turned to an old friend/rival in Kane for help in taking down the Wyatt Family for good. They would lose to Wyatt and Harper on an edition of Smackdown Live but not give up the fight until..
Bray Wyatt has an uncanny ability to take up residence in a man's mind rent free. His occupation of Orton's caused a sudden shift in attitude and mindset; Kane would wind up on the wrong end of the creation of a New Wyatt Family. One RKO is all it took and everyone was put on notice. Orton and Wyatt were more dangerous than ever before.
The initial reaction to the union was one of disbelief on two different spectrums. While some wondered aloud who would be able to stop the new Wyatts', others questioned the motives of the Viper.
In 2015 he infiltrated The Authority as a means to take down then-WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins with no fear of repercussions from Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.
On top of that, The Wyatt Family itself had experienced the same thing only a year prior to that. Daniel Bryan had seemingly given up his own fight against Bray only to reveal it had been a ruse and decimate Bray inside a steel cage.
So which side of the coin would this development land on?
Thus far unfortunately for the Smackdown locker room it has landed on the side of a cohesive Family hell bent on leaving a wake of destruction as it sees fit. Orton and Bray would wind up being the sole Survivors in Team Shane vs. Team JeriKO at Survivor Series with Orton going as far as pushing Bray away from a Roman Reigns spear and absorb it himself.
Despite some noticeable doubt from Luke Harper, the new Wyatts quickly turned their attention to the tag team division, After American Alpha thought they'd won a number one contender's gauntlet, they discovered that light at the end of the tunnel would be hard to come by.
On the November 29 edition of Smackdown Live The Wyatts would go on to defeat Alpha with an assist from Harper to earn the opportunity that awaits them.
Prediction:
This will be a unique blend of styles and personalities.
Rhyno has been in the trenches since his days in Extreme Championship Wrestling and is unlikely to be intimidated by the Wyatts. And while Slater may be openly afraid, he too has proven he will not back down when there is something to fight for.
With their minds thinking as one, The Wyatts are easily the most difficult puzzle the champions will have to solve. If the bond is as strong as it appears to be, I predict that despite their best efforts, Slater and Rhyno will come up short. One Sister Abigail to Heath and Bray will get his first taste of gold since his ominous arrival.
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4. Smackdown Women's Championship Match
Becky Lynch (c) vs Alexa Bliss
Much like Carmella, Alexa Bliss has undergone a major transformation that sharply contrasts with who we saw emerge in NXT circa 2013.
In fact I am pretty sure present day Alexa would give that Alexa a thrashing and a wake up call in one fell swoop.
Since she found her inner evil, Bliss has been a dangerous threat to anyone that has come across her path especially as it pertains to women's champions. In NXT though they walked away victorious, the likes of Bayley and Asuka knew they had been in a fight with the little ball of dynamite.
Now Becky Lynch can relate to their struggles first hand. In fact Bliss made her Smackdown debut upon being drafted onto the blue brand by scoring a pinfall victory over Lynch (albeit with an assist from some Eva Marie shenanigans). It was a statement victory and a sign of what was to come for the domineer of straight fire.
At Backlash both women competed in the six pack challenge to crown a new Smackdown Women's Champion. Bliss put forth an impressive effort but was the first eliminated while Lynch emerged as the champion, something that eluded her in previous pursuits against Charlotte.
Undaunted Bliss went on to defeat Naomi, Natalya, Carmella, and Nikki Bella on the following Smackdown Live to earn another crack at the title. The match was set for No Mercy but it would be delayed due to Lynch suffering from a medical emergency. None too happy, Bliss still found herself in competition that night only to be upset by Naomi.
Once medically cleared Lynch made her triumphant return and on November 8 she received a heroes welcome defending her title against Bliss in her home country of Scotland.
The march was not without controversy though. Bliss once again showed what she is capable of when driven by championship aspirations and had Becky reeling throughout the contest.
After a great back and forth struggle, Lynch managed to trap Bliss in the Disarmer forcing Bliss to submit despite much effort to escape. The caveat came in the form of her foot being draped across the bottom rope which went undetected. Not surprisingly Bliss would not be just content with another narrow defeat and go on a campaign to be granted another title opportunity.
She wouldn't have to wait long since Lynch is certainly no closet champion and agreed to defend against Bliss once more at TLC. Then things took a turn for the worse for the champ.
A contract signing was held on the November 29 edition of Smackdown Live and as usual with these types of things there was no shortage of fireworks.
Bliss launched into a scathing tirade that ripped apart everything about Becky from her attire, her accent, and especially how she retained her title in their last encounter. Lynch would respond in kind first verbally and then via right hand to the face. A brawl ensued which saw Bliss get the upper hand and stand victorious after putting Lynch through a table!
This marks the first women's tables match at a TLC since 2010 where Natalya and Beth Phoenix defeated Lay-Cool.
Prediction:
This one is almost too close to call. Both will come out swinging early on and Bliss is pure genius at waiting for an opponent to get too overzealous and leave the door open for an attack.
Though Lynch can't win by submission, her mat based offense can come in handy in wearing Bliss down and a damaged arm can't put anyone through a table no matter how determined one is.
In the end.. I see a Twisted Bliss through a table to secure Bliss her first taste of gold. But this won't be the end of the feud.
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5. Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship
The Miz (w/Maryse) (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
Perhaps no other two wrestlers in WWE are cut from the exact same cloth yet couldn't be any more different at the same time than Dolph Ziggler and The Miz.
Both are immensely talented, confident in their abilities and aren't shy of telling you all about them.
Both have also seen their talents underappreciated and undervalued no matter the accomplishment leaving a huge chip on their shoulders. Both have endlessly believed they have something to prove no matter the match or the stakes.
They have had rocky career paths out of the gate that most others would have overcome let alone subsequently flourish. Miz had the unenviable task of hosting the 2006 Divas Search while Ziggler recited cheers in a most enthusiastic manner.
Both men felt the sting of decline following their respective title losses and always had the stigma of being flash in the pan level champions. They stuck it out, waded through the turbulent times that followed, and found their footing with the Intercontinental Championship.
For all those similarities, their differences are even more striking.
While brash Ziggler has become more humble as his career progresses. He truly appreciates everything that has happened in the 10 years he's been in WWE especially the support of the fans who never stopped believing in him. To him, the IC Title is shared with them.
On the other hand, Miz thinks he's owed something every time he wakes up and that we're fortunate enough to occupy the same space as him and his lovely wife Maryse. The fans? Simple minded nobodies that exude jealousy of him at an alarming level. The IC Title owes its value to him holding it and bringing it with him on every media appearance he makes.
In 2014 they traded it back and forth but nothing has been as personal as this year's rivalry.
Coming off Summerslam, the aforementioned feeling as if there was something to prove had never been higher for either man.
Miz successfully defended the IC Title against Apollo Crews yet found himself being branded a coward by GM Daniel Bryan and losing his mind in one of the most memorable diatribes in wrestling history.
Ziggler came up short against then-WWE Champion Dean Ambrose and was being weighed down by the albatross around his neck of never winning the big one when it counted the most since his WHC victory. When their paths crossed, each knew the buttons to push and Ziggler successfully earned himself a title shot at Backlash.
Miz shamelessly countered Ziggler's aggression by using Maryse (the one responsible for his capturing the title from Zack Ryder the night after WrestleMania 32) and some hair spray to retain the gold.
Ziggler would be granted a return match on the 9/13 edition of Smackdown Live and would once again fall to Miz's underhanded tactics. Maryse would be sent to the back but her hair spray once again provided the opening Miz needed to walk out still IC Champion.
Desperation kicked in and Ziggler went to the ultimate length for one more opportunity: He put his career on the line at No Mercy. Miz would engage in mind games and bring back Ziggler's old Spirit Squad partners Kenny and Mikey as a means to drive it into Ziggler's head that he would never put his past to rest and be forced to walk away for good.
But the Showoff would not be denied. Maryse and The Squad would all get involved but nothing would prevent Ziggler from showing the world what he was made of once again. Miz's 188 day reign came to an end just like that.
Suddenly Miz found himself on the outside looking in and he didn't like that one bit. He became further enraged when his return match was denied in favor of Ziggler defending the IC Title against Raw's Sami Zayn. So he set out to pester Daniel Bryan who relented and granted him one last opportunity to reclaim the gold. To the shock of no one, Miz would use every dirty trick at his disposal and make the most of it.
Once again outside interference was the deciding factor. The Spirit Squad would come out but Ziggler easily thwarted them. He could not however counter Maryse; one quick momentum shove of an inside cradle and Miz was once again back on top.
Miz would go onto to successfully defend against Zayn and Kalisto only to be met with a superkick from Ziggler following the latter. He would go on Talking Smack and demand justice from Bryan who immediately made a match between the two at TLC in a Ladder Match.
Prediction:
Another match that is almost too close to call.
Both have much ladder match experience with the respective MITB wins. Ziggler does have TLC PPV history on his side though; last year he won his fourth IC Title from Luke Harper in a hellacious ladder match.
The key is, can Ziggler have an answer for whatever Miz will undoubtedly have up his sleeve? While his wife won't be able to ring the bell and cause confusion as she did at Survivor Series, one has to know there is always Plan B-Z when it comes to this devious couple.
It is because of that I see Miz retaining by hook or crook. Whatever keeps him in the spotlight and fulfilled, he'll do regardless of what his GM and haters may think of him..
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6. TLC Match for the WWE World Championship
AJ Styles (c) vs. Dean Ambrose
In many ways, the headaches AJ Styles has suffered at the hands of The Lunatic Fringe was all brought upon by himself.
It was one thing when The Phenomenal One used a low blow followed by a Styles Clash to capture the WWE World Championship at Backlash. The down and dirty Ambrose could appreciate the underhanded methods even if severely pissed off they came at his expense.
Styles would follow that up with a successful title defense at No Mercy defeating Ambrose and John Cena in a Triple Threat Match. Again, no big deal here. He pinned Cena with a Phenomenal Forearm in a hotly contested opening match at the PPV without controversy.
It wasn't until Styles would attempt to make a mockery of the Smackdown Live roster and belittle the downtrodden that his woes would begin. He picked the wrong underdog to bully.
For whatever reason AJ plucked the man out of thin air and named him as his tag team partner against Ambrose and Cena, cockily stating it wouldn't matter who he teamed with because he'd get the job done by himself.
Ellsworth would get another butt kicking this one courtesy of The Miz who wound up taking his spot in the match before he could even get to the ring.
Not one to leave well enough alone, Styles then tried to name Ellsworth as his opponent, looking for an easy night's work. This was granted but with the twist of his old buddy Dean being special guest referee/
Ambrose made it a point to ignore every pin attempt and submission Styles would dish out causing much anger and aggregation for the champ. He would become further displeasured when Ambrose hit Dirty Deeds, threw Ellsworth on top, and made a lightning fast three count!
Suddenly Styles couldn't escape the Ellsworth Experience no matter how hard he tried. Ellsworth was even granted a WWE World Championship Match and went 2-0 with a DQ victory.
As if that weren't bad enough, Ellsworth was named the mascot of the Survivor Series team Styles and Ambrose found themselves a part of. At that event, the two bitter rivals couldn't get through the match without incident, each causing the other's elimination.
Despite being tossed around like a sack of potatoes by Strowman for a second time at the PPV, Ellsworth would find his way back onto Smackdown; this time he was offered an official contract by Shane McMahon. Flabbergasted and angered, Styles immediately objected and challenged Ellsworth to put up that contract in a ladder match. What threat could he pose? He was in a neck brace and gingerly moving about!
Plenty as it turned out. With a little help from a defiant Ambrose (Shane unsuccessfully attempted to remove him from the building to ensure a fair fight), Ellsworth improved to 3-0 against Styles and earn the contract in grand fashion.
It was then Styles hit his breaking point. Ambrose was in his head and driving him insane with each passing antic thus putting his title reign in danger. A regular match against the former US and WWE World Champion was tough enough but a TLC Match without complete focus? Something had to change.
And it did in a big way. On the 11/29 edition of Smackdown Live Styles sent a direct message to his challenger that the fun and games were over. He was a world class wrestler who deserved respect and if he wasn't going to be given it, someone would have to pay.
That someone was James Ellsworth. A sickening Styles Clash onto the chair took the unlikely hero out of the equation perhaps permanently. The act was too much for even color commentator John "Bradshaw" Layfield, a staunch detractor of Ellsworth, to handle.
By the end of the night Styles would interrupt an interview with Rhyno and Heath Slater to gloat about what he did. He wouldn't do so for long as a wild Ambrose flew at him like bat out of hell. A one sided brawl ensued and Ambrose delivered his own message: It was fully ON for TLC.
Predictions:
This is going to be one wild match. Ambrose tends to thrive best when the rules don't have to be of any concern. However Styles is quite possibly one of the best adaptive wrestlers when it comes to his environment. He has been in so many big time matches with every stipulation under the sun to the point that experience could be the game changer.
Will Ambrose's desire to extract revenge on behalf of his little buddy cancel out his goal to recapture the World Title? Or has Styles opened up another can of worms he will live to regret?
What part, if any, will James Ellsworth play in all of this? May he be the deciding factor once more should he be able to appear?
However this play out, I see Styles emerging still World Champion. If he can use Ambrose's reckless abandon against him, he has a good shot at withstanding the impending onslaught.
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Overall:
I expect this event to fully deliver on its potential. Every match has a unique element to it that makes it worthy of being included. Very much looking forward to it!
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