WWE Hell in a Cell
Boston, Massachusetts
October 31, 2016

There was one match on the Kickoff Show. Here’s what happened.

The announcers for the Kickoff Show are Mauro Ranallo even though he’s a Smackdown announcer. He’s with Corey Graves.

Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado & Sin Cara vs. Tony Nese, Drew Gulak & Ariya Daivari

Sin Cara hit backbreakers for all three heels to start the match. Daivari hit a neckbreaker on Sin Cara after a distraction from Nese. Sin Cara came back with a moonsault off the middle ropes. Dorado tagged in against Nese with a hurricanrana by Dorado, then a back elbow and a spinning heel kick. Dorado nailed a Shooting Star Press for a two count as the heels made the save. Double clothesline sent four guys out to the floor. Nese caught Dorado and launched him over the top rope onto the other four guys that were outside the ring.

(That awful KFC commercial with Ziggler and Miz aired. Then a commercial aired for this show that we are already watching.)

Back to the match, Daivari worked on Dorado. Running knee strike by Daivari gets two. Gulak locked up Dorado in a submission move working on the legs. Nese tripped up Dorado and hit a springboard moonsault, but he didn’t connect with the splash part of it very well. Dorado with a hurricanrana on Gulak gets two and he tagged in Alexander. Great back elbow by Alexander on Gulak followed by a roundhouse kick. The three faces hit diving attacks onto the heels outside the ring. That was sweet. Gulak grounded Alexander with a Dragon Sleeper submission. Dorado made the save with a top rope legdrop. There were some nice moves by the guys that weren’t the legal men. Gulak went for a rollup pin on Alexander, but Alexander kicked out. Alexander hit the Lumbar Check (double knees to the back) for the pinfall win after about 10 minutes. That’s a great move.

Winners by pinfall: Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado & Sin Cara

Analysis: **3/4 A very good match as expected from these guys. I liked the triple dive spot outside the ring. Then it led to some big moves from each man until Alexander was able to stop Gulak with his impressive finishing move. No surprise that the faces won because they have WWE contracts while the heels are just used once in a while by WWE. I liked that choice for an opener because they are exciting wrestlers that can get a crowd hyped up about a show like this.

Here’s the main card that started at 8pmET.

There was a video package about the destruction that might take place inside Hell in a Cell. Then it featured clips of the people involved in the three matches in the advertised triple main event. The video was very good as usual.

The pyro went off to welcome us to the show and the cell was already surrounding the ring.

The raving Russian appeared on the stage in a fantastic looking outfit. She introduced her husband Rusev. It says “US CHAMP” on Rusev’s tights.

The announce team of Michael Cole, Corey Graves and Byron Saxton welcomed us to the show from their Raw announce position by the entrance ramp. The Spanish announce team is at ringside and so is the German announce team.

The United States Champion Roman Reigns made his entrance. It was a typical mixed reaction for him. Maybe more boos than cheers. Cole noted it’s the first time the US Title is on the line inside Hell in a Cell.

United States Championship Hell in a Cell Match: Roman Reigns vs. Rusev

No sign of Lana at ringside. Rusev was aggressive early on as there were dueling chants for Rusev. That’s certainly different. Rusev took control with a hard kick to the ribs. Reigns sent Rusev out to the floor, then Rusev stood on the apron and Reigns hit a shoulder tackle that sent Rusev into the cell. Reigns tossed Rusev into the cell three times in a row followed by an uppercut. Reigns whipped Rusev hard into the steps. Reigns grabbed a table from under the ring, but Rusev recovered by whipping Reigns into the cell. Rusev nailed a kick to the back as they continued to battle outside the ring. Rusev rolled Reigns into the ring as the announcers noted Rusev’s arm was bloody after he was tossed into the cell earlier. Hard whip into the corner by Rusev gets two. Reigns avoided a corner splash, Rusev did a hip toss and Reigns avoided a running splash. Corner clotheslines from Reigns in the corner and a running kick to the face. Rusev left the ring, Reigns went for a Drive By dropkick, Rusev avoided it and clotheslined him. Rusev whipped Reigns shoulder first into the steps. Fans chanted “Get The Tables” because they saw them earlier. Rusev whipped Reigns into the cell. Rusev grabbed the steel stairs and rammed them into Reigns’ face two times in a row. Rusev placed the steel steps on the top rope, but Reigns stopped him with some uppercuts as well as a clothesline that sent Rusev over the top to the floor. Reigns kicked Rusev into the cell as the crowd chanted “table” in reply to that.

Rusev put Reigns on his shoulder and drove him face first into the cell. Rusev grabbed a kendo stick instead of a table. Reigns hit a Drive By kick and Reigns attacked with the kendo stick with several hard shots to the back and the chest. When Reigns was trying to get in the ring, Rusev kicked the ropes to stun Reigns. Rusev locked Reigns’ arms in the ropes. Rusev attacked with many kendo stick shots to the chest and then he broke the kendo stick. Reigns nailed a clothesline for two. Reigns nailed a Superman Punch for two. Rusev nailed a hard kick to the face and sent Reigns head first into the steel steps that were on the top rope. That earned a two count for Rusev. Really good nearfall. Rusev applied the Accolade submission with some fans chanting “tap” because they wanted Reigns to lose. Reigns fought out of it, ran the ropes and Rusev dropped him with a roundhouse kick to the head. Rusev grabbed a steel chain from under the ring. Reigns nailed him with an uppercut to avoid getting hit with the chain. They went back in the ring with Rusev hitting Reigns with the chain in the stomach as well as the back a few times. More dueling chants for Rusev. Rusev brought steel steps into the ring again, whipped Reigns into them and then hit a leaping kick to the face for a two count. Rusev grabbed the chain and set up Reigns for the Accolade on the steel steps. He put the chain over the mouth of Reigns, which did look pretty painful. Reigns powered out of it and gave Rusev a Samoan Drop onto the steel steps. Good spot. With Rusev standing on the steps, Reigns ran at him and gave him a Spear so that it was a Spear off the steps, which elevated it by a couple of feet. Reigns covered for the pinfall win after 25 minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Roman Reigns

Analysis: ***1/4 A very good effort from two guys that have wrestled many times in the last three months. It was a long match that was very physical. I like how there were several moments where the match could end, yet they were able to keep going and hit some even bigger moves. I thought it was a bit too long, though. I get wanting to go a bit longer to make it stand out more than their other matches. It just felt like they could have taken out 7-10 minutes and it could have been a better match. No surprise that Reigns won. This likely ends the feud for now.

After the match was over, the crowd gave them a big ovation. Reigns celebrated with the US Title that he may not lose for a while.

The announcers talked about what happened on Raw when Seth Rollins pinned both Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho in a triple threat match. Post match, Owens gave Rollins a Powerbomb against the side of the ring.

Kevin Owens, the Universal Champion, was interviewed by Tom Phillips backstage. Owens said that Rollins was beaten down, wrecked and broken after what Owens did to him on Raw. Owens said that Rollins was the one that spent Raw writhing in pain. Owens mentioned that the last time he Powerbombed somebody like that was John Cena and it took weeks to come back, but Rollins is going to try it just six days later. Owens said when he’s done with Seth he’s not going to call himself The Man because Seth will barely look like one. He also claimed that Rollins won’t look like a winner, but you can still call Owens the Universal Champion and that makes him The Man.

Analysis: A good promo from the champ like usual. They needed to do an interview and fill time so that they could get the cell raised, so that’s fine. I like hearing from people in big matches. It lets us know their mindset going into the match.

Bayley made her entrance and then Dana Brooke entered. Other announcers were shown in the arena: Portuguese, Japanese and Russia.

Bayley vs. Dana Brooke

Bayley has the tape on her right arm to sell the injury. Corner dropkick by Bayley early on. Arm drag by Bayley, but then Brooke caught her and sent her shoulder first into the top turnbuckle. Brooke nailed a hard clothesline for a two count. Brooke choked Bayley against the bottom rope and then rammed her arm into the apron. Brooke continued to work on the arm of Bayley. When Brooke went for a handspring, Bayley kicked her away. Brooke grabbed the arm of Bayley and yanked on it against the top rope. Bayley was able to stun Brooke against the middle ropes. Bayley hit her back elbow in the corner followed by a suplex and a clothesline. Bayley hit a back elbow smash off the middle ropes. Bayley went for Bayley to Belly, Brooke hit her arm, but Bayley ended up hitting the Bayley to Belly suplex to win after 7 minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Bayley

Analysis: *1/2 A predictable win for Bayley. Brooke was in control for much of it and Bayley did a good job of firing back. Brooke’s offense is still poor, but at least in this match it was basic stuff working on the arm. Bayley could get into the title picture again although she’s likely just going to be a part of the elimination tag at Survivor Series.

The KFC commercial featuring Ziggler and Miz aired.

A WWE 2K17 commercial aired.

The Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon and GM Mick Foley talked about Survivor Series. They mentioned the elimination matches as well Brock Lesnar vs. Bill Goldberg. Chris Jericho talked about how Smackdown has a formidable roster with guys like AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose. Foley asked if Jericho had a point. Jericho asked what happens when you interrupt Jericho and that he’s already been on it before. Jericho told Foley to watch…it. Jericho said that their first choice for Team Raw should be Chris Jericho and the second choice should be Kevin Owens. Stephanie said they will take it under advisement. Jericho said that Team Chris and Kevin should be co-captains of Team Raw. Foley mentioned Owens in the Hell in a Cell match later. Jericho teased writing something on The List and left.

Analysis: Good way to get people thinking about Survivor Series. It didn’t accomplish much aside from putting an idea in people’s heads. You would think Jericho would be mad about not having a match on this show. Apparently he’s not upset about it.

There’s a show called Raw Talk immediately following Hell in a Cell only on WWE Network.

Analysis: They did a special Talking Smack following No Mercy earlier in the month. The PPV ended about 20 minutes before the third hour, so it was a way to fill time.

Enzo & Cass made their entrance. Enzo called The Club “Andy and The Big Gal.” Enzo said he’s been with girls bigger than Gallows. Cass reminded us the names are Andy and The Big Gal. Cass talked about the Times New Roman font again as a way to insult. Cass did a rhyme that ended with “Big Papi” (David Ortiz) to suck up to the Boston crowd. Enzo made a Toy Story reference for Andy because that’s the name of the kid in Toy Story. They ended with their SAWFT bit. Graves was happy it was over.

Analysis: I didn’t know there would be a Toy Story reference on the show. WWE is just so unpredictable these days! Now that’s sarcasm. It was a fun promo.

Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass

Enzo whipped Anderson into the corner. Cass tossed Enzo into Gallows and then into Anderson in the corner. Both heels were outside the ring, so Cass picked up Enzo and tossed the little man with the big hair onto the heels on the floor. Gallows tagged in and crushed Enzo with a huge clothesline outside the ring. That led to the heels working on Enzo for a bit. Anderson put him on the top rope, Enzo kicked him away and hit a leaping DDT. Cass tagged in against Gallows with clotheslines and a running boot to the face. Cass punched Anderson in the corner, then hit corner splashes on both guys. Anderson landed on the apron and Cass nailed him with a big boot to knock him down. Cass with a slam and Empire Elbow on Gallows. Fallaway slam by Cass. Enzo tagged in as Anderson hit Cass with a running kick to knock him out of the ring. Enzo cross body block on Anderson. Enzo got in some offense on Gallows, but was stopped with a kick to the head. Anderson tagged in and the heels hit the Magic Killer on Enzo to win the match after about 7 minutes.

Winners by pinfall: Gallows & Anderson

Analysis: **1/2 It was a standard tag match with the predictable formula that we see for every E&C match. It’s always Enzo getting worked on to build up for the hot tag to Cass. That’s why I get tired of Enzo & Cass matches. It’s always the same thing every time. If they lose the match, it’s Enzo that takes the pin too. I’d love it if they changed it up once in a while, but that won’t happen because WWE wants Cass to always look strong. I thought Gallows & Anderson would win because WWE needs to establish them as a credible tag team. They will likely be the ones to take the titles off New Day in December or January. Enzo & Cass may win them at WrestleMania. It would make sense at least. I’m 4-0 in predictions so far counting the Kickoff Show.

There was a plug for WWE’s work with Komen to raise money for cancer awareness.

A Survivor Series graphic reminded us that Goldberg vs. Lesnar takes place at Survivor Series in Toronto on November 20.

Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins is up next for the Universal Title in a Hell in a Cell match. A video package aired to set up their feud with Chris Jericho talking about why Owens deserves that title.

Analysis: This also confirmed that the main event is Banks vs. Charlotte.

The Universal Champion Kevin Owens made his entrance first. There were a lot of boos, but some cheers as well. Seth Rollins entered to a loud ovation from the crowd in Boston. The face turn is working for him although he hasn’t changed much about his look and character. When they were both in the ring, the introductions for each man took place. Rollins has tape on his back to sell the back injuries from Raw.

WWE Universal Championship Hell in a Cell Match: Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins

Owens left the ring to look for weapons under the ring. Rollins went right after him and tossed him into the cell. Back in the ring, Slingblade by Rollins. After some trash talk, Rollins hit a blockbuster off the middle ropes. Rollins grabbed a table from under the ring, which he set up between the ring and the cell. Owens with a hard whip into the corner followed by a senton splash on the bad back of Rollins. Owens sent Rollins into the cell a few times and pulled off the tape that was on Seth’s back. When they were back in the ring, Rollins tried to fight back, but Owens launched him between the ropes and face first into the cell. That was an impressive bump by Rollins that would have led to a blade job if this was before 2008, but not in today’s WWE. Blood helped tell a story although I don’t miss seeing it in matches. Owens continued his aggressiveness with a cannonball attack in the turnbuckle. Rollins was seated against the cell, so Owens hit a cannonball splash into the cell. Back in the ring, they exchanged superkicks, then Rollins nailed a roundhouse kick and Owens hit a clothesline as both guys were down. Great sequence there as the crowd gave them a big ovation. Both guys were down for a bit.

Owens brought out another table and thought about what he should do with it. He wedged the table against the cell and placed it above the other table that was set up against the cell. They battled on the other side of the ring with Rollins hitting a Falcon Arrow suplex on the side of the apron. On Smackdown, AJ Styles hit a snap suplex on the apron on Ambrose. That was cool, but this was better. Rollins hit two suicide dives while driving Owens into the cell. Rollins bailed to the floor again. Owens had the fire extinguisher in his hands and hit Rollins in the ribs with it. Owens “accidentally” sprayed stuff from the fire extinguisher into the face of referee Chad Patton. Then he did it again. Another ref John Cone was there to help Patton. The cage door was open, fans chanted “Y2J” and right on cue there was Owens’ buddy Chris Jericho in street clothes, which includes leather pants and a scarf. Jericho went into the cell, Cone tried to stop it, but Jericho locked the door because he had the key. Owens kissed him on the cheek because he was happy to see him. Rollins sent Jericho into the cell and Owens hit a package Powerbomb for a two count. Rollins nailed a springboard knee attack on Owens. Jericho got  back to his feet and went for a move off the top, but Rollins nailed a Pedigree on him. Owens capitalized with a kick to the face of Rollins. Owens went for a Powerbomb, but Rollins fought out of it, he powered up Owens and sent him Powerbomb style through the table that was above the other one. Wow that was impressive. That’s a pretty nasty looking bump, but it looks like Owens was fine with the landing. That drew a huge ovation from the appreciative crowd. Rollins rolled Owens back in the ring, went up top, hit a Frog Splash for the one…two…no because Jericho pulled ref John Cone out of the ring.

Rollins went after Jericho. He tossed Jericho into the cell. Rollins picked him up Powerbomb style and sent him into the side of the cell. When Rollins went back in the ring, Owens hit a superkick and Popup Powerbomb for a two count. Awesome nearfall there with Owens looking stunned that he couldn’t beat Rollins with that. Jericho had a steel chair, which he gave to Owens. That led to Owens using the chair as a weapon to the back of Rollins. Rollins was able to get the chair from him, he nailed Owens in the back and hit Jericho with some chair shots as well. Owens recovered with a DDT onto the chair. There are no chair shots to the head in WWE, but apparently that’s fine I guess if he didn’t really connect with it. Owens with another chair shot to the back. Owens put the chairs side by side and opened them up. Owens gave Rollins a Powerbomb through the two chairs. He covered for the pinfall win after 24 minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Kevin Owens

Analysis: ****1/4 That was a very good match even with Jericho in there to make it feel like a handicap match more than a singles match. The idea was to make it a cheap win for Owens, which makes Rollins a sympathetic face that came close to winning so many times. They worked very hard, took some big bumps and told a predictable story with Jericho as the difference maker for the second straight title match between them. Rollins was awesome throughout the match with a mix of high flying moves, some crazy bumps and that Powerbomb that sent Owens through the tables was awesome. Owens showed a lot of aggressiveness as the heel champion. I liked the ending of the match because Rollins already kicked out of a Popup Powerbomb during the match, so they needed to do something more creative to finish it off. That’s where the two chairs came into play. During the preview, I wrote that Owens was going to win thanks to Jericho and I doubt that I was the only one that thought that. That’s what happened because it was obvious WWE didn’t put Jericho into another match so he could be involved with this. Foley’s probably going complain about Jericho’s interference yet they did nothing to prevent it during the match. That’s a problem with the stories on Raw because they let the interference happen and then try to make stories of it after instead of during the matches. Great performance by Owens and Rollins, who are two of the best performers in WWE.

Post match, Owens and Jericho celebrated the win. When Rollins finally got back to his feet, Jericho went back into the ring and hit a Codebreaker on him. Jericho’s music played while Owens was up the ramp with the title.

Analysis: We can probably pencil in Rollins beating Jericho on Raw this Monday or soon after so that Rollins can get his revenge.

The Hell in a Cell Kickoff panel talked about the show to kill some time. Time to hit fast forward.

There was a clip from earlier in the night when Brian Kendrick told TJ Perkins he needs the Cruiserweight Title. Perkins told him to try to win. Kendrick said he needs Perkins to let him win and he left.

Analysis: That was similar to what they did on Raw when Kendrick said the same thing to Perkins.

WWE Cruiserweight Championship: TJ Perkins vs. Brian Kendrick

They did a monkey flip exchange leading to Kendrick getting a rollup for two. Cradle by Perkins gets two with Kendrick looking upset about it. Perkins got some more athletic offense in, but Kendrick slowed him down by kicking him when he was against the ropes. Kendrick grabbed the athletic tape on Perkins left hand and tapped it to the bottom rope. Trash talk by Kendrick. The crowd wasn’t into the match very much as Perkins nailed a neckbreaker. Shoulder to the gut by Perkins and then a missile dropkick. Perkins nailed a slingshot dive over the top to the floor. Some fan in the crowd: “Get a fuckin’ haircut, hippy.” Back in the ring, Perkins with a vertical suplex into a belly to back suplex. Perkins went for a missile dropkick, but Kendrick nailed a dropkick of his own. Perkins nailed the Detonation Kick for a two count. I think that should be his finisher, but he just uses it as a setup move. Kendrick nailed a belly to back suplex into a two count. Perkins went for a pinfall, but Kendrick countered into the Captain’s Hook submission with Perkins countering into a pinfall attempt for two. There’s no crowd reaction for this. Perkins rolled through with the knee bar, but Kendrick got to the bottom rope to break the hold. Kendrick sent Perkins face first into the middle turnbuckle. Kendrick went for the Sliced Bread #2, but Perkins avoided it and Kendrick went down in pain as if his knee was hurt. The referee asked Kendrick if he wanted to continue. Perkins looked sad in the corner while the crowd booed the stop in action. When Perkins checked on him, Kendrick did a headbutt and then slapped on the Captain’s Hook submission. Perkins tapped out after 11 minutes.

Winner and New Cruiserweight Champion: Brian Kendrick

Kendrick smiled as he held the Cruiserweight Championship while Graves said that Kendrick fooled everybody. As he said it, the “man with the plan” part of his song played, so that was timed well.

Analysis: **1/2 It was a good match that wasn’t at the level of their other matches. They weren’t helped by the fact that they followed a great Hell in a Cell match because the crowd barely reacted to any of it. I mean it was really quiet with barely a reaction to anything, even the finish. It was a crafty win for the heel challenger, who played mind games to get the title from Perkins. It made Perkins look bad because most of us could see Kendrick outsmarting him and that’s what happened. I picked Kendrick to win, so I was 6-0 in predictions up to this point. While I’m a bit sad that Perkins lost the gold after less than two months, it’s okay because WWE should build up other challengers. Kendrick is a heel champion that can feud with the likes of Rich Swann, Cedric Alexander and others that WWE may want to elevate by putting the title on them.

A commercial aired about WWE Network while also promoting WrestleMania as well.

The announcers talked about how if you sign up for WWE Network now you can get Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe at NXT Takeover Toronto on November 19 and also Survivor Series from Toronto on November 20.

Analysis: I’ll be at both of those shows. I live a couple of hours away from Toronto, so it’ll be nice to make the short trip. I’m going to skip Raw also in the same building at the Air Canada Centre.

The odd couple tag team of Sheamus and Cesaro were backstage in the locker room. They bickered about things with Sheamus telling Cesaro to follow his lead and Cesaro said he was the reason they beat New Day on Raw last week. Sheamus said he’s the one that got the pinfall. Then they bickered about rental cars and Sheamus wanting to go to Irish pubs in every town.

There was another plug for “Raw Talk” on WWE Network after the matches.

The New Day made their entrance with Xavier Woods saying they defend their WWE Tag Team Championships against Cesaro (crowd cheers) and Sheamus (crowd boos). Kofi Kingston said they thought they would be fighting like two fat dudes over Fenway Franks to suck up to the locals. Big E said he’s hearing that sponsorship deals have been rolling in for Cesaro and Sheamus including shoes for Cesaro. Kingston said that he’s wearing the signature shoe of Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots. Kingston said he’s from Boston and feels like nobody knows it with the whole Jamaican thing. Kingston said he loves this city. Woods pointed out Kofi’s mom in the crowd. The fans chanted “shame” when they mentioned Sheamus getting sponsorship deals on things like trash cans. They ended it with their “New Day rocks” chant.

Analysis: A good promo from the champions. It was needed because the crowd lost a lot of energy from the previous match, so this got them fired up. Nice to see Kingston mention he’s from the Boston area because he’s right that fans don’t think of him as a Boston guy.

Normally it’s Big E & Kofi defending the titles, but we get Big E & Xavier for this match. The tag title reign is 434 days for New Day. It’s second longest to Demolition, who held them for 478 days. I think they’ll get that record, which means holding the titles into mid-December.

WWE Tag Team Championships: The New Day’s Big E & Xavier Woods (w/Kofi Kingston) vs. Sheamus & Cesaro

Cesaro started with Woods, which led to Sheamus hitting a cheap shot on Woods to knock him off the apron and Cesaro didn’t like that. Forearms to the chest by Sheamus, then Cesaro tagged himself in and hit a forearm smash. Each guy kept tagging themselves in to piss off the other guy. Sheamus hit the backbreaker on Woods to prevent him from tagging out. Woods got a boot to the face of Cesaro and then nailed a leaping kick off the middle ropes. Big E tagged in against Sheamus with Big E hitting three belly to belly suplexes, which is what he usually does after the tag. Running splash by Big E on Sheamus. Big E sent Cesaro out of the ring and Woods took out Cesaro with a somersault dive over the top to the floor. Sheamus went for the Brogue Kick, Big E caught him and hit a Powerbomb for two. Impressive strength by Big E. Sheamus came back with a powerslam for a two count. Woods tagged in with a cross body block. Sheamus nailed White Noise on him for a two count. “Shame” chants for Sheamus. Rolling senton for Sheamus, Cesaro tagged in and hit a double foot stomp for a two count. Woods nailed Cesaro with a kick. Kick for Sheamus on the apron too. Woods up top, he walked across the top rope a bit and hit a great flying elbow for a two count. That was awesome. Cesaro came back with uppercuts on Woods after he knocked Big E off the apron. Cesaro Swing time on Woods leading to the Sharpshooter. Big E into the ring and he hit an overhead belly to belly on Cesaro that sent him into the turnbuckle. Big E tagged in, put Cesaro on his shoulders and tagged Woods. Sheamus made the save, went for a Brogue Kick on Big E, he moved and Sheamus hit Cesaro with the Brogue Kick. Big E clothesline sent Sheamus and him out of the ring. Woods with the one arm cover, but Sheamus was there to save Cesaro as they showed some continuity for a change. Sheamus sent Woods out of the ring. Sheamus went to the top rope and jumped onto all three New Day guys. Sheamus rolled Cesaro back in since he was the legal man. Cesaro tripped up Woods and applied the Sharpshooter. Cesaro dragged him to the middle of the ring. Big E tried to save, but Sheamus pulled him out of the ring. Big E shoved Sheamus down. Sheamus hit Big E in the back with Francesca II the trombone. While still on the floor, Sheamus went after Kingston with the trombone, Kingston moved and Kingston hit Trouble in Paradise on Sheamus. The referee turned around to see Kingston hit the move, so the referee called for the bell to disqualify New Day after 12 minutes of action.

As all of that was going on, Woods was tapping out while the referee was signaling for the bell. Sheamus & Cesaro were announced as winners by disqualification while New Day retain the titles. Replays aired of the finish with the announcers explaining it to the viewers. Sheamus and Cesaro argued about it.

Winners by disqualification: Sheamus & Cesaro (New Day retains the Tag Team Titles)

Analysis: ***1/4 A fun tag match like they had on Raw with a finish I wasn’t expecting. I give WWE credit for coming up with a creative finish that you don’t see very often. It accomplishes the goal of keeping the titles on New Day so they can get the tag team title reign record and also sets up another match between these teams. I liked a lot of the nearfalls. People will hate the ending because they like to complain, but I thought it was fine in terms of doing something different to end a match while not hurting the champions or challengers. It leaves us wanting more.

That’s the first prediction I got wrong because I thought New Day would win.

A video package aired about Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series. Lesnar said he didn’t give a shit about Goldberg’s wife or kid. Lesnar’s message to Goldberg’s wife and son is “don’t watch” and said “please don’t watch.” Lesnar said he’s going to suplex the shit out of Bill, he’ll F5 him, 1-2-3 and he’ll go home while Goldberg doesn’t. The graphic tells us it’s “Fantasy Warfare” to promote the match as well as the WWE 2K17 video game.

Analysis: Always good to hear Lesnar talk. He comes off as a such a jerk when he’s just trying to be honest. Please don’t hurt me, Brock.

Goldberg is on Raw live this Monday.

The video package aired to set up Sasha vs. Charlotte for the Raw Women’s Championship. The video package showed clips of women wrestlers in WWE over the years as well as the history of both women and Foley lecturing them about the pain involved with Hell in a Cell matches.

The challenger Charlotte Flair made her entrance as four dudes carried her down to the ring while she sat on her throne since she calls herself The Queen. I put Charlotte Flair because it seems as if WWE has put the “Flair” name instead of just naming her Charlotte. She also has “CF” on her boots. Cole noted that Charlotte is 13-0 in PPV matches and 12-0 in title matches, which is the longest streak for any WWE superstar to begin their career.

The crowd chanted “We Want Sasha” as the Raw Women’s Champion Sasha Banks made her entrance in her hometown of Boston. Banks entered in a Cadillac Escalade. It says “Boss Town” on the back of her entrance gear since it is Boston after all.

Both women were introduced without the cell being around them. The cell was lowered as both of them stood in the ring facing the hard camera while the announcers put over the significance of the first women’s match inside Hell in a Cell.

Charlotte attacked Banks before the cell could hit the ground and the cell was stopped. Charlotte attacked Banks outside the ring. Banks tossed Charlotte over the barricade. They brawled into the crowd with Banks tossing Charlotte back over the barricade into the ringside area. Banks cleared off one of the announce tables as the cell was lowered to the ground. Charlotte climbed up the side of the cell, Sasha chased after her, Charlotte dropped down first, then grabbed Sasha off the cell and gave her a Powerbomb through the announce table. Banks was out while referees checked on her.

Analysis: That was a fast start for these women. It didn’t officially start because they were yet to get into the cell, but it got the crowd fired up just by having them brawl before the bell rang.

Fans were chanting “Let’s Go Sasha” as Banks was stumbling around ringside. Hey look there’s former WWE superstar Chris Nowinski at ringside. Banks continued to stumble around the cell and then she collapsed outside the ring. Other referees kept Charlotte from attacking Banks. The stretcher came out for Banks as the announcers used SERIOUS VOICES~! to talk about it. Charlotte went into the ring saying she wants her title back. Banks was placed on the stretcher. The ring announcer Jojo said that the winner of the match due to forfeit and the new…but there’s Banks. She got off the stretcher and entered the cell. The door locked to begin the match. Banks got up when she heard the near announcement that Charlotte would the new champion, so that’s what motivated her to keep fighting.

Analysis: It was a good angle to get the crowd to have the heel Charlotte use a cheap attack to weaken Banks before the match could even begin. It also led to the crowd supporting Banks even more than they already were. Sympathy heat is an easy story to tell especially when Hell in a Cell is involved.

After all of that, the match began at about 10:52pmET.

WWE Raw Women’s Championship Hell in a Cell Match: Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte

Banks slammed Charlotte into the side of the cell. Hard slap by Banks while Charlotte said she wanted out of the cell. Charlotte drove Banks face first into the ring post. Monkey flip into the cell by Charlotte. Cool spot. Back in the ring, Charlotte worked on the back of Banks. Charlotte suplexed Banks back first into the turnbuckle for a two count. Charlotte picked up Banks and dumped her over the top to the floor. Charlotte grabbed a steel chair from under the ring. Banks came back with a two baseball slide dropkicks and then a suicide dive into a cross body block in the cage. Charlotte came back with hard chops in the corner. Banks fought back with punches followed by a drop toe hold that sent Charlotte face first into the seated chair. Charlotte came back with a back breaker onto seated chair for a two count. Good spot as the focus on the match remains on the injured back of Banks. They were outside the ring with Banks kicking her down. Charlotte launched her into the cell, Banks grabbed onto the cell and hit a double knee attack to take down Charlotte outside the ring. That was an awesome spot. Banks whipped Charlotte into the cell and hit the double knee attack two times in a row.

They went back into the ring with Banks hitting double knees into the corner. Banks hit three rolling vertical suplexes like her hero Eddie Guerrero as the crowd chanted “Eddie” for that. Banks went up top with a Frog Splash like Eddie for a two count. Nice tribute to him. Bank Statement submission applied by Banks, but Charlotte got out of the ring. Banks set up Charlotte on the middle ropes, put the chair under her and Banks nailed the double knee attack to send Charlotte butt first into the chair for the two count. Charlotte sent Banks face first into the top of the ring steps. Charlotte brought out a table and set it up between the ring and the cell. She teased a suplex, but it was obviously not going to happen. Banks kicked her and Charlotte landed on the table, but she didn’t go through it. The table just collapsed under her without breaking in the middle like we’ve seen many times. Banks grabbed another table, but Charlotte drove it into the throat of Banks to send Banks into the cell again. Charlotte set up the table in the ring. Charlotte with a backbreaker followed by a big boot. Charlotte applied the Figure Eight submission, but Banks used a chair to break free by hitting Charlotte in the hip with it. That was a creative way to break the hold. Charlotte came back with backbreakers and a sidewalk slam. Charlotte put Banks onto the table while teasing a moonsault, but Banks knocked her down. Banks moved the table against the turnbuckle on the other side of the ring. Banks went for a Powerbomb through the table, but her back gave out. Charlotte tossed Banks onto the table and Banks’ shorts rode up so it was like she had a wedgie. I doubt most male viewers are going to complain about that look. Just saying. The table didn’t break. Charlotte tossed Banks onto the table again. It didn’t break. I assume it was supposed to. Charlotte hit the Natural Selection neck snap for the pinfall win after 23 minutes.

Winner by pinfall and New Raw Women’s Champion: Charlotte

It’s the third-time Charlotte has won the Women’s Title. She smiled when she was handed the title.

Analysis: ***3/4 That was very good with some issues too. Nearly four stars of five for their first time in the Cell is impressive. A better finish could have helped. The match result was an outcome that I didn’t expect, but I’ll reflect more on that a bit later. I think some of the spots they planned towards the finish did not go the way they wanted, but they managed to make it work as best they could. Those table spots at the end were likely done so that they could break the table leading to a pin, but it wouldn’t break. Perhaps 110 pound women like Banks (she may weigh less than that) are not made to break tables. I doubt Charlotte was going to win with just a Natural Selection, so that was part of it. The best thing about the match was Banks selling the back injury the whole match, Charlotte targeted it the entire time and it played into the finish as well even though that table didn’t break. I don’t know if this was their best match. I liked some of their regular matches better. Give them credit for doing some different things, though. I have a lot of respect for what they did.

Regarding the victory for Charlotte, I’m very surprised by it. Why change the title every month? Banks won it in July, Charlotte won it back in August, Banks won it on October 3 and now four weeks later it’s another title change. What’s the point? With other title reigns that are long we hear WWE put over how impressive the champions are, but in this case it hurts both women. The match quality is good. The repeated title changes isn’t that interesting to me. I figured Banks would win this match in her hometown to put an end to this feud although WWE does tend to have people lose in their hometown. Instead, it’s going to keep going. Will Banks win the title back in another rematch? I hope not because they need to move on although Survivor Series has the elimination tag, so it might be another PPV. They might want to do Charlotte vs. Bayley as a feud in the near future.

The show ended with Charlotte holding up the Raw Women’s Title while Banks was still in pain.

The PPV portion of the show ended at 11:16pmET. There was a 44-minute edition of “Raw Talk” to put the broadcast at four hours. I’m not going to review that.

Analysis: I expected the women to main event the show, but I figured the night would end with Banks celebrating with her title in front of the hometown crowd. Charlotte winning back the title was an ending that a lot of us didn’t expect.

 

Five Stars of the Show

1. Seth Rollins
2. Kevin Owens
3. Charlotte
4. Sasha Banks
5. (tie) Roman Reigns
5. (tie) Rusev

 

Final Thoughts

It gets a 7.5 out of 10 from me.

It was a history making night with a women’s match main eventing a WWE PPV for the first time. I thought Owens vs. Rollins was the match of the night, but Charlotte vs. Banks was excellent as well. Three 20+ minute matches that were all above average helped the show a lot.

The three cell matches were all very good, but felt a bit repetitive since they did tables spots and used other weapons. It’s hard to make every weapon spot feel like a big deal when you see so many of them on the same card.

I’m not a fan of the length of this show. Just because Raw is a three-hour show that often goes ten minutes over that does not mean a PPV needs to run more than three hours. I get it for Survivor Series going four hours next month, but not this show too.

I think what’s hurting with WWE PPVs is they don’t do major events very often. It’s all about the matches, which is cool, but was there anything “can’t miss” on the show? Not really. I miss when they would do bigger angles and things that made shows stand out. It’s been this way all year.

Please put Sami Zayn on every PPV. It’s ridiculous that he was not a part of the show, even in a match against Braun Strowman.

In terms of in-ring action, it was a strong show. Some of the booking was questionable, but a lot of it was predictable too. I went 6-2 on the predictions because I didn’t have Sheamus & Cesaro by DQ win and Charlotte leaving with the Women’s Title.

 

WWE PPV Rankings In 2016 So Far

Money in the Bank – 8
Battleground – 8
Hell in a Cell – 7.5
Payback – 7.5
Backlash – 7.5
Royal Rumble – 7.5
SummerSlam – 7
Clash of Champions – 7
Extreme Rules – 7
No Mercy – 6.5
WrestleMania 32 – 6
Fastlane – 6

It’s been a weird year with no standout PPV. Normally my top score will be a 9/10, but I don’t think there’s been a PPV at that level this year.

———

Thanks for reading. Go Toronto Raptors. Go Los Angeles Rams.

John Canton – [email protected]

Twitter @johnreport

Personal Facebook and TJRWrestling on Facebook

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— Dave Meltzer noted on Twitter that Roman Reigns has been pulled from the rest of the ongoing WWE tour in Europe and won’t be on any more shows for the rest of the week.

— There was much speculation on why WWE pulled Reigns, but Meltzer stated that it was neither due to an injury or a Wellness Policy violation and that everything was “fine” and there was nothing to be worried about.

— In an update today, it has been revealed that the reason Reigns is off the tour is due to a family situation.

— Reigns had been facing Rusev in matches up until this point and Big Cass is said to be filling in for any matches moving forward.

"I will never give up, until I have what I have deemed PREORDAINED… and that is the @WWENXT Championship! – @SamoaJoe #NXTakeOver pic.twitter.com/6mzXMKsgfh

— WWE (@WWE) November 20, 2016

Following the conclusion of Saturday night’s NXT TakeOver: Toronto live WWE Network special, WWE caught up with the new NXT World Champion Samoa Joe and the former champion Shinsuke Nakamura for web-exclusive post-match interviews.

First up, as seen above, Joe spoke backstage at the Air Canada Centre, the venue in Toronto that hosted the first NXT TakeOver special based in Canada this weekend, about making history as the first-ever two-time NXT World Champion.

Also featured in a web exclusive interview after the show, but nowhere near as talkative, was the charismatic Japanese superstar who lost the title in the rematch with Joe that headlined the live WWE Network special on Saturday. As seen in the video, Nakamura was emotional in defeat, and didn’t seem too interested in giving interviews.

For complete NXT TakeOver: Toronto results from the Air Canada Centre on Saturday night, click here.

.@ShinsukeN was in no mood for conversation after losing the @WWENXT Championship to @SamoaJoe at #NXTTakeOver: Toronto… pic.twitter.com/OhLnoEfLAU

— WWE (@WWE) November 20, 2016

John: Welcome to the TJRWrestling WWE TLC (Tables, Ladders & Chairs) preview. The Smackdown Live branded show is taking place this Sunday, December 4 in Dallas, Texas.

It should be a pretty good show because most of the matches are based on feuds that have been going on for several months. There are also stipulations on five of the six matches, so it feels like a lot of the rivalries are going to end at this show with most performers moving onto new storylines heading into 2017.

Joining me for the preview are Kurt Zamora and Mike Holland. No Matty J. Douglas this time because of work commitments. He should be back for Roadblock in two weeks.

Kurt: If I sound more biased than usual about this Smackdown show, it has to do with the fact that I’ll be attending this show in person. I’m really looking forward to it as well, as all six matches at the very least have reason to take place and weren’t just thrown together for no reason. The Smackdown group always works hard and I think will strive to end their year strongly. With only six matches, none of these matches should be rushed and all should then be able to tell a great story to probably wrap up the majority of these angles. I think this could be a truly great show.

Mike: With all the reports about WWE realizing they may have gone a little hog wild on the number of PPVs they are packing into the Network schedule, you might be forgiven for thinking that Smackdown hasn’t exactly had a plethora of time on their hands to get this TLC gig together coming out of Survivor Series just a couple of weeks ago. (And hey, which brand gets Hog Wild on their schedule?) Should WWE be looking for suggestions on what particular fat to trim, allow me to suggest the Tables, Ladders & Chairs event itself. It’s no offense to the announced matches, as most of them should be pretty good given the time they should get. It’s more the cumbersome way these weapons have to be shoehorned into matches to make the event feel more special. As opposed to Raw’s Elimination Chamber, the TLC stipulations have the danger of taking away from the action just as much as making it better.

While the blue brand has unequivocally won week after week of television programming since the brand split, their smaller roster means we’re getting a lot more of the same matchups Sunday. One thing is for sure: Expect the harbingers of foreign objects to allow for more than one feud to finally come to its close. TLC to me is all about setting the table for what’s to come.

(Note: All graphics are from WWE.com. The banner is courtesy of our friend Melo Man.)

If you like what you see here and like what we do at TJRWrestling.net daily, please purchase one of our seven available shirts available at http://www.prowrestlingtees.com/tjrwrestling right now. We would really appreciate it. Thank you!

 

Chairs Match: Kalisto vs. Baron Corbin

Kurt: I don’t understand why WWE continues to have the chairs match, but hey, at least it’s not a stairs match! At the very least, with the size difference and creative ability of Kalisto, they may actually be able to do some unique spots with the chair and make this match entertaining. This has been an odd storyline as it was originally started months ago, but Kalisto had an injury that stopped this before it could get going. Then he came back and ended up taking out Corbin himself, who was not healthy enough to participate in the 5 on 5 Survivor Series match, but was healthy enough to cost Kalisto his shot at the Cruiserweight Title. Kalisto grabbed a chair a couple weeks ago and poof, you get a Chairs Match.

Just from a logical standpoint, I don’t see how it’s a punishment putting a guy in a match where you give him the ability to use a steel chair freely against a guy half his size, but I digress. For that reason alone, and the fact that Vince’s love for big men has to kick in for Corbin at some point, I pick The Lone Wolf to win.

Prediction: Baron Corbin

Mike: This likely opener reminds me of everything that irritates me about WWE creative at this point. It’s like they have two random wrestlers interact for a bit, drop the feud like a bad habit, and then resurrect it whenever it’s convenient or they’ve got a few moments to kill. Remember when Corbin getting drafted to Smackdown seemed like a really big deal? He’s had underwhelming encounters with Kalisto and Jack Swagger and now we’re mining the same area we’ve panned for gold unsuccessfully numerous times before.

It was storyline smart to have Corbin cost Smackdown its chances of gaining Raw’s cruiserweight division, and that at least adds another dimension to this battle. Much has already been made of the high flyer’s chances against a brutish opponent swinging a seat, and that’s classic misdirection in my book. The prospect of a chairs match isn’t very appealing to me anyway, but even less so when you’re mixing in a masked cruiserweight and a plodding ogre. I can’t imagine Kalisto will be relying on the chair too much, so in the end it will be Corbin blundering his way into another shocking loss. He badly needs a change of scenery and a fresh start.

Winner: Kalisto

John: It would be a major surprise if Corbin didn’t win this match. We know WWE management thinks highly of him because he’s a bigger wrestler with main event potential. Corbin should be featured in matches more, have him rack up wins and give him an impressive showing in the Royal Rumble. If they don’t push Corbin stronger they will have a tough time getting him to the main event level that management wants him to be at.

Winner: Baron Corbin

 

No Disqualification Match: Nikki Bella vs. Carmella

Kurt: I thought some of the shine of this match was taken off by the fact that Raw had the Falls Count Anywhere match just six days before this was to take place. Hopefully though, that gives these women motivation to stand out and be different/better. That being said, I really love this program, especially from Carmella’s perspective. She’s gained more confidence each week. This week’s Smackdown is a perfect example as I thought she had a tremendous promo and handled the crowd well.

Nikki won at No Mercy and I thought it was a mistake since I didn’t feel this program would last until December. Now that it has, Carmella even more needs this win now. She needs to move on to be Becky’s next challenger and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Natalya get involved to cost Nikki the match and be revealed as the one that took her out at Survivor Series. That way, the brand continues to have two strong women’s programs going.

Prediction: Carmella

Mike: Despite the much-discussed fact that Charlotte and Sasha Banks have been tearing the house down on a regular basis over on Raw, Smackdown has consistently featured the female side of the roster in a much better way. Part of that success has been establishing solid secondary feuds such as this one. Carmella’s surprise attack on Nikki Bella and subsequent beatdowns at every opportunity are like catnip to me as a wrestling fan: take a boring babyface character similar to everything we’ve seen a thousand times before them and get them instant nuclear heat by taking out a fan fave. It’s simple, it’s super effective, and it allows even a raw rookie like Carmella to bask in the glow at least temporarily.

The no disqualification stipulation is obviously the most important part of this match, and it’s no surprise that such an angle favors the heel in a major way. This feud should be closing, as both have done all they can with it, so what’s left is to reveal Nikki Bella’s mystery Series attacker and in so doing start off the next fracas. I fully expect Natalya to renew hostilities with NB (to be played out on Total Divas, natch) and cost her here.

Winner: Carmella (with an assist from Natalya)

John: It’s been a long rivalry going back to Carmella’s surprising heel turn after SummerSlam. They have made the feud feel personal by having Carmella suggest that Nikki is only considered a top woman in WWE because her boyfriend is John Cena. While I think there are some fans that think that is true, Nikki has improved in all areas and did come back from a broken freakin’ neck (hey Kurt Angle), so I do have a lot of respect for Nikki as well. It’s an example of how Smackdown booking is more realistic than Raw because they let the performers bring up the personal things as part of a story.

For the past few weeks I’ve said Carmella should win because she needs it more. When I mentioned it in my Smackdown reviews in the last few week as well as the podcast, I thought I would be unique in thinking Natalya might cost Nikki. Nope. Both of my friends mentioned it above, so we’re all on the same page. As long as WWE remembers that Nikki was taken out at Survivor Series, the payoff should be here with Natalya helping Carmella win. It wouldn’t shock me if Nikki does go over, but I think it’s a better story for Carmella to get what would be the biggest win of her career.

Winner: Carmella

 

Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: Heath Slater & Rhyno (c) vs. Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton

Kurt: How many title shots of any kind has Bray actually had? It’s got to be under 10 right? So this is actually kind of a big deal. As much as I’m sure the Orton interjection into the Family was supposed to be a short term deal, I really think they have lightning in a bottle here and should keep this going for a while. He and Bray just work well together. There’s a magnetism between the two of them that is undeniable.

The champs have honestly become back burner material as Heath has really cooled off lately, I think Ellsworth has stolen a lot of his thunder, and no one really expected he and Rhyno to be a long term pairing. This is a perfect opportunity to have a title switch and after what we saw this past week with the Wyatts and American Alpha, who wouldn’t want more of that? The dichotomy of Luke Harper being jealous of Orton will be really appealing as well. Really though, it should not have taken this long to get a belt on Bray.

Prediction: New Tag Team Champions, Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton

Mike: I’m still a bit shocked that we’ve gotten to this point with these four guys, but it illustrates why depth is an issue on the blue side of the ledger. Randy Orton’s decision to join the Wyatt Family made about as much sense as anything else they’ve done together, and anyone who’s not counting the moments until Orton tires of the charade and lays out the charismatic leader of the pack with an RKO Out of Somewhere has lost the plot entirely. The only question then, really, is whether the WWE picks here to do it.

I’ve never viewed Heath Slater and Rhyno as long-term tag champions. It was a vehicle to get the one man rock band onto the roster, and it worked exceptionally well. They have an odd chemistry and good comic chops, but the tag belts aren’t attached to a laugh track. This division seems like it’s on autopilot until American Alpha is ready to go, and that means an interim heel team is needed to unseat the current pair. Who better than a duo guaranteed to be broken up and battling by WrestleMania? Absolutely no one. Orton steers Bray to victory just to set things up for an epic showdown between them later on.

Winner (and NEW Tag Team Champions): Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton

John: I would be shocked if Wyatt and Orton didn’t win the titles. I think it’s great that WWE built up the Slater/Rhyno team so well over the last few months, but they have played a lesser role in the last month. They didn’t do much at Survivor Series and they have barely been on television in the last month aside from watching matches on a television backstage. Slater winning the titles along with a SD Live contract was a fun story, but they really aren’t important players on Smackdown now.

I think Orton and Wyatt will win the titles because there’s something cool about them being a team. Every time I watch them I wonder when Orton is going to drop him with a RKO. I think it’s most likely going to happen in February or March leading to an Orton vs. Wyatt match at WrestleMania match. There’s plenty of time to go until then, though, so let’s see them hold the titles for a few months. Congratulations Bray Wyatt on your first title in WWE. It only took three years on the main roster.

Winners and New Tag Team Champions: Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton

 

Tables Match for the Smackdown Women’s Championship Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Alexa Bliss

Kurt: I made a case ever since Hell in a Cell ended that Smackdown needed to follow that up by having the first ever Women’s Ladder Match. They have to stay pace with Raw and not look inferior, so I think they missed an opportunity there. I am glad that they did get some sort of gimmick match so they can do something different and stand out in their own way.

I’ve been critical of Alexa Bliss before, but she has grown on me leaps and bounds lately. She’s comfortable on the mic and her actions and body language are fantastic for the character she’s trying to portray. I’d love to see a tie-in to their match in Scotland where Alexa had her foot under the rope but the ref just saw the tap out, to where maybe Alexa goes through a table but the ref takes a bump and doesn’t see it. Then Becky goes through a table and we have a new champion. However, I don’t foresee them taking the title off Becky any time soon, so I’m sure it’ll be a fun brawl where the champ will retain.

Prediction: Becky Lynch retains

Mike: If you’re looking for a title change, this match would be an excellent place to check. Becky Lynch has carried the title since its inception, and Alexa Bliss has proven to be much more than a colorful thorn in the side as she’s gone after Becky’s personality, career and ability in ways that have been as entertaining as they are hostile. This feud has elevated both women in my view, and Bliss could certainly walk away as the new champion, particularly since putting Lynch through a table protects her from getting pinned and conceivably allows the tale to continue.

They’ve booked Lynch as fairly beatable heading into this tilt, though, and that’s cause for a second look. Bliss will be a player on this stage for some time to come, but I’m not convinced she’s ready to start sporting the gold quite yet. The blue brand also lacks a second credible heel challenger to Becky’s throne at the moment, so there’s no rush. I predict this to be the most underrated match on the card, with the champion coming close to defeat several times but ultimately prevailing. Should be a statement for both ladies.

Winner (and STILL Smackdown Women’s Champion): Becky Lynch

John: I’m not a huge fan of the Tables Match because there’s a lack of drama of whether somebody is going to take a bump through a table. When you have a near submission or a nearfall it’s much more interesting. Teasing table bumps just isn’t as interesting because some of the teases are unrealistic moves that you know the superstars aren’t going to take through a table. With that said, I think both women are smart enough to know what’s going to work and the match should be pretty good.

I’m cool with either woman winning because it would give Bliss a lot of momentum to hold a title this early in her main roster career. I just think it’s more important for Lynch to help establish that Smackdown Women’s Title as an important commodity. In order to do that, she should hold onto the title at least a few more months.

Winner: Becky Lynch

 

Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship: The Miz (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler

Kurt: The feud of the year for me will culminate in what should be a match of the year candidate. I predicted at Survivor Series that we would have a triple threat match that included Sami Zayn, so I was clearly off on that, but this is a nice consolation gift.

I’m glad that Daniel Bryan made sure to state that this is the last match, no matter the result, because once you get done with this match, there’s nothing more for these guys and you run the risk of overkill. This will be the perfect send off.

This is actually the hardest match for me to predict. Ziggler obviously never got the opportunity to show he could take the title to new heights as this generation’s working champion, whereas Miz is phenomenal in his role and I don’t think needs the title to continue to ascend to the next level. So that’s reason enough to pick Ziggler to win the title. However, I think there’s something about having the title that makes Miz just that much more of a big deal, and I think there’s big possibilities and potential for him as champion heading into WrestleMania.

Prediction: The Miz retains

Mike: The feud between Dolph Ziggler and The Miz has been the best one on either brand, and the prospect of adding ladders into the potent mix is exciting beyond belief. I wasn’t a big fan of having Dolph finally defeat Miz just to move it back to the former champ, but I can understand why if the goal is moving both men to other things. Daniel Bryan has said it’s over between them after this, and a ladder match is sure to provide the type of moment in time that can go a long way toward providing an indelible image commemorating their excellent battle of wills. Both step it up under the hot lights in a major way.

With all of that said, I don’t see a viable scenario where Dolph becomes champion again. They’ve already worked the “last chance” angle for all its worth. Miz will certainly utilize every outside interference opportunity he can, and it adds up to making Mr. Ziggles an unfortunate victim this weekend. The better and more interesting question is whether we get a Sami Zayn sighting after that drama with Mick Foley last Monday night. He would make the perfect foil for Miz’s self-absorbed ego tripping. A guy can dream.

Winner (and STILL Intercontinental Champion): The Miz

John: This has been one of the best feuds of the year and I think both guys deserve a lot of credit for that. The promos were awesome, the matches were some of the best of either man’s career and I’m glad that it’s coming to an end with this Ladder Match.

While I will fully admit that it’s difficult to pick a winner because they really could go either way, I’m leaning towards Ziggler. It just feels like they took the title away from him prior to Survivor Series in order to have him win it back in what is essentially his last chance as a way to make the fans happy. It’s just like winning the retirement match at No Mercy. Ending the feud on a happy note is what I’d do. Plus, it would allow Miz to complain about not getting a rematch to SD GM Daniel Bryan, which is usually a lot of fun.

Give them 20 minutes, let them try to steal the show like they’ve done before and end the match with Ziggler leaving as the Intercontinental Champion once again.

Winner and New Intercontinental Champion: Dolph Ziggler

 

TLC Match for the WWE World Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Dean Ambrose

Kurt: I have three big questions for this match. First, will James Ellsworth really decide who wins this match, or will they just have him get involved but ultimately let it be decided between Dean and AJ? Second, will we see a turn of any type in this match? Lastly, at the conclusion of the show, will the last person seen be The Undertaker?

For the first question, as much as I’m on the James Ellsworth bandwagon, he cannot affect the outcome of this match. It needs to come down to Dean and AJ at the end. A guy in his role should barely be standing after the beating he’s taken the last two weeks, let alone being able to dictate the outcome of a World Title match. I think they should let him stumble out midway through the match, but have AJ promptly take him out again.

Secondly, I really do think someone has to turn in this match. The boos for Dean were more noticeable than ever this past week. I don’t know if that is due to indifference for him now from the crowd, or just the victim of unfortunate circumstances due to the swell of support for AJ these days. I would love to see some sort of double turn if it was possible, but I think ultimately only Dean will turn, and it will be a slow turn as he slowly gets tired of Ellsworth hitching his wagon to him.

Lastly, if you’re going to have The Undertaker come out and say that WrestleMania won’t define him anymore and he’ll be around more often, then you need to put your money where your mouth is and start the build for Royal Rumble. A match you never ever never thought would happen, AJ Styles vs. The Undertaker for the WWE World Title, yeah I think that’ll sell some tickets in The Alamodome. I just gave away my prediction, but even though I feel Dean has been fantastic ever since dropping the title, it’s nowhere near time to slow down the rocket that’s attached to AJ right now. He’s on fire and you keep rolling with that. These two can’t have a bad match so I absolutely expect this to tear the house down.

Prediction: AJ Styles retains

Mike: This particular matchup more than any other feels like it’s dragged a bit at times as we’ve seen this all before. That said, any excuse to see AJ Styles continue to cement his legacy as the best wrestler of 2016 is good enough for me.

While I would like to tell you that Ambrose has a chance to come away with the gold, unfortunately it’s just not going to happen. I fear that the only thing that might save the leader of the asylum is a switch over to the dark side. Fortunately, there’s ample opportunity for that with James Ellsworth scoring an invite to ringside. Ellsworth no doubt plays a part in this affair, and likely not the one you’d think. Let’s hope this upcoming year is a bit kinder to Monsieur Ambrose.

Winner (and STILL WWE World Champion): AJ Styles

John: The match was announced one month ago and you would think they would spend the month giving both guys wins in matches. Instead, Styles put over James Ellsworth three times in comedy matches while Ambrose has barely had any televised matches. I think the build has been a bit off because of that. It leads me to think that they have to factor Ellsworth into the finish somehow because he’s been involved so much.

The last Smackdown saw Styles crush Ellsworth with a Styles Clash on the floor. That’s probably going mean that Ellsworth will be back in a neckbrace wanting to help Ambrose and Ambrose telling him it’s too dangerous. Since a TLC match allows for interference, I think they’ll do a finish where Ellsworth accidentally costs Ambrose the win by accidentally knocking him off a ladder and sending him through a table. I’d prefer a dominant win by Styles, but I think they’re going to factor Ellsworth into it too much. It gets the same result. I just wish Styles was booked as more of a serious wrestler.

I think Styles will win whether it’s clean (unlikely) or from an accidental assist from the dummy Ellsworth. I just don’t see why they would put Ambrose over when Styles clearly has a lot more to do as champion. If they end the show with The Undertaker showing up to confront Styles to set up a Royal Rumble match then that’s perfectly fine with me too. It would certainly add some intrigue and star power to Smackdown as well as the Rumble PPV itself.

If you want more of my extensive thoughts on this match check it out at The Comeback because I broke it down in different categories while also talking about the future of both guys.

Winner: AJ Styles

 

Final Thoughts

John: I think it’s going to be a very good show. There’s a chance we could be talking about the best PPV of the year if the right matches get a lot of time and the matches are booked well. I have a lot of faith in the performers delivering quality matches because there’s a lot of talent there. Smackdown Live is clicking on all cylinders and I think their last PPV of the year is going to be an awesome event.

If you want more WWE TLC talk as well as discussion on everything else going on in WWE from Rey Moralde and myself, check out the TJRWrestling Podcast with info on how to listen here (search “John Canton” or “TJRWrestling” on iTunes).

I’ll have the WWE TLC Review up either late Sunday night or early Monday morning.

Kurt – @KTankTMB

Mike – @DharmanRockwell

John – @johnreport

If you want to send an email, send it to me at [email protected] as well. Thanks for reading.

 

 

– Finn Balor recently indicated that he’s targetting a return to WWE in time for WrestleMania and may be ready a few weeks before the PPV. Balor, recovering from shoulder surgery, also said while competing in the Royal Rumble is not entirely impossible, he doesn’t expect to be on the show.

– WWE is reportedly interested in Shaun Ricker (Eli Drake in TNA). He was previously in WWE developmentals but was let go.

Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Subscription information available at f4wonline.com

It looks like 20-year on-air WWE performer Michael Cole may soon be filling a different off-camera role with the company.

According to a new report at PWInsider.com, the longtime WWE announcer may soon be transitioning off-camera and into a full-time behind-the-scenes role with the company. The report states that in the past few weeks especially, there have been discussions about Cole’s future with the company.

In addition to his gig as an announcer for WWE RAW every Monday night and the monthly pay-per-views, Cole already handles some behind-the-scenes duties in WWE. Currently, Cole assists on the production-end of things and helps with grooming the next generation of WWE announcers.

Apparently Cole won’t be leaving the announcers table in the immediate future, but it’s said that he and WWE management have been given strong consideration towards the next chapter of his career with the company.