Smackdown is up again as they have their next exclusive PPV TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs on Sunday. It has 6 matches on the card, four having the stipulations of either tables, ladders or chairs, one no DQ grudge match and a tag title match out of nowhere. Let's break it down.
Alexa Bliss will once again get an opportunity at the Smackdown Women's Title as she faces defending champion Becky Lynch in a Tables match. Say what you will about Raw's women title picture being the same thing but has Becky defended the title against anyone else besides Bliss? Didn't think so. Like the obviously upcoming Sasha/Charlotte VI at Roadblock (Ironman match anyone?) this is a feud that will end this month. I'm all for Bliss as champion. I love her as a heel and her in ring work isn't that bad. She's definitely improving. I like the idea of a Tables match, only because you can have the champion lose by a single slip ala John Cena VS Sheamus in 2009. Bliss doesn't have to look dominant to win the title her. The bad thing for Alexa is that she's had the upper hand for most of this feud and usually, the more dominant person loses in the title match. Becky Lynch retains the title as Smackdown continues to build towards their mega women's match, Becky VS Nikki Bella, which has not happened yet since the brand split. It's obviously the big money match and could definitely be a Wrestlemania encounter in Orlando.
Baron Corbin will face Kalisto in a Chairs match. This is one to look out for. Corbin has been bullying Kalsito since the brand split and this is their first big match up on PPV. Now, rumors are out there that Baron Corbin will begin to feud with John Cena in 2017 which would fit Cena's schedule the last couple years of feuding with monsters from NXT. (Wyatt in 2014 and Rusev in 2015) If that's to be believed, Corbin can't take a loss here. He needs to be Kalisto in convincing fashion to prepare himself for a feud with the great John Cena. Corbin wins.
Carmella and Nikki Bella will do battle once again on PPV but this time, the match will be a No DQ match. Anything goes between the two ladies and with the way they've been feuding since August, this will definitely be the feud ender. Like Bliss, Carmella has gotten the upper hand one too many times on Nikki, who hasn't looked like her dominant self since her return from injury. That ends Sunday. Nikki will defeat Carmella in convincing fashion and she will be next in line for a Smackdown Women's Title match. I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with the match!
Oh my goodness, Bray Wyatt might just finally become a champion. On Sunday, Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton, out of nowhere, will face Heath Slater and Rhyno for the Smackdown Tag Team Titles. Slater and Rhyno have been boring as champions and with all the love Slater gets, I feel like he should be the one feuding for the Intercontinental Title. Reports suggest that the next tag feud for Smackdown is American Alpha VS The Wyatt Family and that would be a great breakout feud for Jordan and Gable. Besides, The Wyatt Family can defend the titles using The Freebird Rule ala The New Day. They deserve the run after being the last two surviving members for their team at Survivor Series and the faction has been long overdue for a tag title run. It's been a fun ride for Slater and Rhyno but the time for fun and games are over. Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton will win the Smackdown Tag Team Titles. Bray will finally win a title in WWE.
If people are complaining about Sasha and Charlotte constantly battling for the title on Raw, I KNOW the same people must be complaining about The Miz and Dolph Ziggler! This will be the 3rd IC Title match on a Smackdown Live PPV that features these two and not to mention all the title matches on various Smackdowns. I believe this will be their 5th match for the title. I will give Miz credit, he has defended against Kalisto and Sami Zayn during his feud so I can't be too mad. This will be their last match and it's a big one; a Ladder match, the first stipulation for the feud if you don't count the time Ziggler put his career on the line. This is going to be a classic. Both guys have experience in ladder matches as both have won the Money in the Bank ladder match. Miz in 2010 and Ziggler in 2012. Both have held the IC Title on numerous occasions. It all comes down to this last match. WWE has been doing the hot potato thing lately with the Raw Women's Title so why not the IC Title? I still think Heath Slater should be next in line for the title and if that's the case, you know WWE likes the face chasing the heel. With that being said, I'm going with The Miz to retain the title. Slater will eventually win it next year or maybe on the last Smackdown of 2016 in a way to give new life to the title.
The match of the night will be the main event. AJ Styles will defend the WWE World Championship against Dean Ambrose in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match. This is the type of match you want on your card and a great way to end this feud between the two. Ambrose has the experience factor as he had a vicious TLC main event with Bray Wyatt in 2014. This is the first time AJ Styles will be in a ladder match in WWE, let alone a TLC match. I believe he was in TNA's version, Full Metal Mayhem, a few times though. If their Backlash encounter is anything to go off of, we're in for a great treat. Ambrose as WWE World Champion isn't going to happen again unless he's a heel. He was just a boring champion and his reign was forgettable. Styles is on a whole nother level as top guy on Smackdown and it's one he will continue to carry into Wrestlemania season. AJ Styles will retain his WWE Title in a barn burner of a main event that will reach near 30 minutes.
Smackdown won't be on PPV again until The Royal Rumble in 8 weeks. That's essentially two months with no PPV so expect plenty of title matches on the shows leading into the Rumble. After Styles vanquishes Ambrose. Styles will get ready for a major challenge. He was pushing for a match with Shawn Michaels at the Royal Rumble, since it was in Texas and HBK is from Texas, it only makes sense this mega match would take place in The Alamodome in front of nearly 70,000 people. HBK would be Styles biggest challenge since John Cena. The other option is The Undertaker, who made his claim that he was back and Wrestlemania would no longer define him, yet he still hasn't appeared since then...Anyway, like HBK, Taker is from Texas and this would start his retirement tour, which would most likely end at Wrestlemania 33 against John Cena in the dream match that should have been happened. Whether it is for the WWE Title remains to be seen.
Regardless, it will be a big opportunity for Styles on his one year anniversary with the company. We'll leave that for another post because Styles does still have to get through Ambrose. See you soon for Roadblock predictions and then the big post, my Best of the Year in WWE!
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