Blogtrest Wrestling Talk: WWE TLC 2017

WWE TLC 2017

PREDICTIONS

WWE TLC this year, will be taking place at the Target Centre in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and on paper I've got to say that this PPV card looks very awkward and weak, very much the definition of a throwaway PPV that I'm sure WWE management are looking at as a throwaway event before we get to this years Survivor series.

We've had the very sudden and surprise news that Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns who were key figures on this PPV will no longer be participating at the event due to 'medical reasons'which is reported to be some kind of viral infection that has plagued a number of WWE superstars.

This in turn has thrown a big spanner in the original plans for this show as Kurt Angle will be taking the place of Roman Reigns in what is sure to be the main event 5 on 3 Handicap Tables, Ladders and Chairs match and AJ Styles taking the place of what was to be the debut of Bray Wyatt in his Sister Abigail gimmick, (which I must say I was intrigued about)going against the Demon Finn Balor.

Both Kurt Angle (left) and AJ Styles (right) could either change WWE TLC 2017's dynamic for the better or make it less eventful

I'm not sure whether these changes will make for a PPV that would be any better than the original plan or whether they will in fact make this PPV any worse than what it would of been.

I am not totally convinced that Kurt Angle will actually be wrestling tonight, which I will get to in more detail a bit later in my predictions.

So without further a do let's get into those predictions for what I personally feel will be a weird and lackluster PPV offering:

Pre Show Singles Match:

Sasha Banks vs Alicia Fox

Will 'The Boss' Sasha Banks (left) gain revenge on a vicious and determined Alicia Fox? (right)

WWE TLC 2017 seems like it is going to be a night with a big emphasis on the women's division as we have not one, not two, but three! Women's matches, and the first of these matches will be kicking off the Pre Show.

I'm not quite sure what to make of this match at all as it just seems randomly thrown together as Sasha Banks for some reason is yet again feuding with Alicia Fox much like earlier this year when it appeared that Sasha Banks was getting a big demotion down the roster on Raw, and it seems like Sasha Banks is lost in the shuffle yet again with Alicia Fox also holding a pinfall over Sasha Banks.

This match will most likely be a slightly entertaining smash mouth affair for what it is, but it's very unlikely to hold my attention.

What Will Happen: Sasha Banks will defeat Alicia Fox.

What I Want To Happen: Same As Above.

Tag Team Match: 

Cedric Alexander & Rich Swan vs Brian Kendrick & Gentleman Jack Gallagher

Which Cruiserweight pairing will gain momentum with a win in what should be a fast paced tag team match?

Another randomly thrown together match on the card is this Cruiserweight tag team match, which also seems to be thrown together out of no where, and i'm not sure why these guys have been put against each other in a match as I am not a regular 205 Live viewer.

I'm also not very intrigued by the way that the WWE has booked the Cruiserweight division ever since it's new inception, the only bright spark of the entire division is Enzo Amore who i'll get to a bit later.

As for this match, it should provide some nice high flying fast paced action, and I am a big fan of Brian Kendrick, so there will be a reason to get invested into this one somewhat.

What Will Happen: Brian Kendrick & Gentleman Jack Gallagher will defeat Cedric Alexander and Rich Swan.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

   

WWE Raw Women's Championship Match:

Alexa Bliss(c)vs Mickie James

Will Mickie James mark a triumphant return to the Women's division by defeating a determined Alexa Bliss for the WWE Raw Women's Championship

I've got to say that this is a match that i'm looking forward to seeing on the card as we have the returning women's division veteran Mickie James vying for the WWE RAW Women's championship currently in the possession of the excellent Alexa Bliss.

This match has eerily got a Trish Stratus vs Mickie James vibe to it and that is a good thing for sure.

The possibility of Mickie James capturing the WWE Raw Women's Championship makes this one a must see and with Alexa Bliss's good chemistry with Mickie James, I can see this one being a gem of a match on the card.

What Will Happen: Mickie James will defeat Alexa Bliss to become the new WWE Raw Women's Champion.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

 Singles Match:

Demon Finn Balor vs AJ Styles

Who will emerge victorious in a long awaited battle between two of the most athletic men in the business?

In what was supposed to be a 'demonic' showpiece battle between Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt under the Sister Abigail gimmick, we now have AJ Styles randomly slotted from Smackdown into Bray's place.

As much as it will be interesting to see AJ Styles and Finn Balor finally clash on the big stage that is WWE, I can't help but feel in the back of my mind being intrigued for how the whole Sister Abigail angle would of played out in this match (even if it would of ended up being ridiculous).

I do expect a thrilling showpiece between two very athletic men in the ring who will surely turn up the action and make the most of the situation.

What Will Happen: Finn Balor will defeat AJ Styles.

What I Want To Happen: AJ Styles defeats Finn Balor

WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match:

Kalisto(c) vs Enzo Amore

Will 'The Realest Guy In The Room' Enzo Amore (right) claim back the Cruiserweight Championship from a determined Kalisto? (left)

I was very confused as to why the WWE decided to put the Cruiserweight championship on Kalisto out of seemingly nowhere 2 weeks ago on Raw when he suprisingly defeated Enzo Amore because Kalisto despite WWE's constant attempts to push him as the second coming of Rey Mysterio, just does not connect with the crowd or in the ring, he is just not wrestling's next big luchador.

Turns out the reason behind putting the strap on him was due to Neville leaving the company.

Enzo Amore on the other hand is a diamond of a talent in the WWE and his inclusion into the cruiserweight division is one of the smartest things the WWE have done as his presence and character automatically injects life into what is pretty much a very dry division.

I fully expect the Cruiserweight belt to return to the waist of Enzo Amore here. And this should be a fun little bout.

What Will Happen: Enzo Amore will defeat Kalisto to once again become WWE Cruiserweight champion.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

Singles Match:

Auska vs Emma

Will Asuka (left) begin another dominant undefeated run on the main roster underway by defeating Emma (right)?

Here is another match on the card that should prove to be a interesting clash, as Asuke will finally be making her big PPV debut after being such a dominant force in NXT as NXT Women's Champion, which the WWE have officially billed as being the longest undefeated streak in WWE history.

It's also not hard to see just why Emma was booked to win the opportunity to face Asuka here, as it is clear that the WWE have no big plans for her and want her to be the first opponent that Asuka knocks down on what will be another strong run for her on the Raw brand.

In doing this booking decision they avoided having Auska meet the likes of Sasha Banks, Bayley and Nia Jax so soon into her run.

This is also not the first time that Asuka and Emma have met, as they had a very highly praised match all the way back in December of 2015 at NXT Takeover London which I feel WWE want to try and recreate here for Asuka's first big match.

What Will Happen: Asuka will defeat Emma.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

5 on 3 Handicap Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match:

Kurt Angle, Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins vs The Miz, Braun Strowman, Kane, Sheamus & Cesaro

Which team will be victorious in this unpredictable battle which will see the in ring return of a much loved veteran?

And here we have it, perhaps one of the most randomly thrown together and booked main event matches that I can remember in a long while.

It also marks the big in ring return of Kurt Angle, who hasn't performed in a WWE ring since 2006.

I am however not entirely convinced that we are going to see Kurt Angle take part in this match as we could well see a bait and switch scenario which sees Kurt Angle 'taken out' backstage before he even has the chance to compete possibly leading to Jason Jordan replacing him and facilitating a much needed Jason Jordan heel turn and feud with his 'dad' Kurt Angle down the road.

A second possibility could be that Jason Jordan offers to join his dad Kurt Angle, making the match a 5 on 4 Tables Ladders & Chairs match.

Or a third possibility could be that Kurt Angle surprises us all and puts on a showpiece in the ring, taking bumps and all for good measure which would see the crowd give a insane nostalgia pop.

Whatever happens, this randomly thrown together main event should provide some great thrills, excitement and bumps.

It's also great to see The Miz finally being involved in a main event feud too, as I believe this is a place he belongs long term as he has really become a seasoned performer and character in 2017.

What Will Happen: The Miz, Braun Strowman, Kane, Sheamus & Cesaro will defeat Kurt Angle, Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

And there you have my predictions for what will be a weird PPV which has the potential on Paper to disappoint, but let's hope it doesn't.

Feel free to leave your comments and opinions on how you feel things will play out on the night.

-Simeon Barrett

Blogtrest Wrestling Talk: WWE Hell In A Cell 2017

My WWE HELL IN A CELL

PREDICTIONS

WWE's blue brand will be taking centre stage on the WWE Network for the ninth annual Hell In A Cell event which will be taking place tonight at the Little Ceasars arena in Detroit Michigan.

Much like last months No Mercy PPV I'm pretty much keeping my expectations low for this one, as it is pretty much the tale of two matches for me, which are both going to be contested in a Hell In A Cell match.

The First match that I am most anticipated for of course is Shane McMahon vs Kevin Owens as I truly believe we will be in for a very good and thrilling match, as Shane McMahon has still proved even at this stage in his career, he is willing to take any kind of risk or bump to entertain the fans and make sure his matches live up to the hype.

Tensions between Kevin Owens (left) and Shane McMahon (right) have been brewing for months, we will finally see it all unleashed inside Hell In A Cell

The Second match that I believe could come very close to stealing the show , is the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Hell In A Cell match between The New Day and The Usos as these two teams have proved they have excellent chemistry together and can put on one hell of a match.

The New Day and The Usos have been involved in the best tag team matches in WWE and matches of the night on some PPV's this year and will take it to the next level inside Hell In A Cell

Without further ado let's get into my predictions and thoughts of what I think will happen on the night for what I'm hoping will be a PPV that will go beyond being just solid enough.

Tag Team Match:

Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin vs The Hype Bros

Can Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin (left) keep their momentum going into a possible shot at the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championships? Or will The Hype Bros (left) cut them off in their tracks?

I'm still not quite sure what to make of the new dynamic and pairing of Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin or what the end game is for this team, but I have a feeling there are plans to insert them right in line for the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championships when this night is over.

As for The Hype Bros, it has been a very long time since I have seen them do anything of significance on TV and believe a boat has been missed with these two as I just can't see them taking off with any steam in the near future and it's most likely down to Zach Ryder's injury which most likely killed any big momentum they were gaining.

This should prove to be a good opening tag team match to warm up the crowd.

What Will Happen: Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin will defeat The Hype Bros.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

WWE Tag Team Championship Hell In A Cell Match:

The New Day(c) vs The Usos

Who will emerge from this tag team war in the Cell as the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions?

I can confidently say that this is going to be a superb WWE Tag Team Championship match as the ingredients are all there for an epic all out war inside a Cell between the two best tag teams in the WWE (yes I mean it).

If there had to be another match on the card to take place in a Hell In A Cell it would most definitely be this one.

I'm not sure how far these teams will go in the Cell though as there may be a plan not to outshine the main event cell match on the card, but I am expecting to see the Cell be used for some high flying antics.

I also feel that this will be the final encounter between these two teams over the belts as the Cell is usually a place where feuds are settled and I think it's time for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships to back to who I think is the most entertaining tag team in all of WWE.

What Will Happen: The Usos will defeat The New Day to once again become the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

Singles Match:

Randy Orton vs Rusev

Will 'Rusev Day' be back on track with Rusev (right) getting a big win over The Viper Randy Orton (left)

The more I see of Rusev on my TV screen, the more I become a massive fan of him, and it's a real shame that the WWE don't seem to want to get strongly behind his heel character which has been super entertaining and funny, it's a character that puts a smile on my face when he is in a segment, look no further than the 'Rusev Day' segment from two weeks ago on Smackdown as an example of why I love this character.

I really feel that Rusev should be in the role of Jinder Mahal as the foreign heel WWE Champion right now.

As for Randy Orton, it has not been a good 2017 for his character at all as he is really showing signs of staleness, and it may be time for a heel turn somewhere down the line soon.

I am expecting this match to actually be a contest this time around, unlike the poorly booked SummerSlam match which saw Rusev get pinned in seconds by Orton.

The time for Rusev to get a much needed big PPV win is now, as Orton is in a state of no direction at the moment.

What Will Happen: Rusev will defeat Randy Orton.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

WWE United States Championship Match:

AJ Styles(c) vs Baron Corbin

Will Baron Corbin make his big first statement in the WWE by defeating AJ Styles for the WWE United States Championship?

It's gonna be interesting to see how this match will go down as it feels like a very fresh WWE United States Championship defense for AJ Styles after his long rivalry with Kevin Owens over the belt.

It is also going to be interesting to see if the WWE plan to give Baron Corbin another push by making him a midcard champion and giving him his first major championship in the company, as he has been given a new epic entrance theme in the past weeks.

It does however seem weird that Tye Dillinger is not involved in this match in some way, but I feel we may just see some kind of appearance and shenanigan from him.

What Will Happen: Baron Corbin will find a way to defeat AJ Styles for the WWE United States Championship.

What I Want To Happen: AJ Styles defeats Baron Corbin to retain the WWE United States Championship.

WWE Smackdown Women's Championship Match:

Natalya(c) vs Charlotte

In a match up that is generations in the making, will the Sharpshooter succeed or will the Figure Four Leglock provide victory?

I must say it is good to see Natalya finally at the top of the WWE Smackdown Women's division as it is very much well deserved after a very long period of being stagnant and lost in the shuffle, she is also being booked dominant too, especially after making Charlotte tap out this past Tuesday on Smackdown.

Charlotte as a babyface however has not had the impact that it should of had since moving to Smackdown as her character just seems so much weaker than her previous Raw heel persona which was well on it's way to becoming one of the all time great female characters in the WWE.

We should witness a very solid WWE Smackdown Championship here, as it will be the battle of the Shaprshooter and the Figure Four Leg Lock.

What Will Happen: Natalya will defeat Charlotte to retain the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

Singles Match:

Bobby Roode vs Dolph Ziggler

Will Dolph Ziggler (right) prove that he is the best in ring performer or will Bobby Roode (left) silence Dolph for good?

I'm not sure what to expect from this match, as it could end up being a excellent contest between two great athletes or it could end up being a disappointing dud, it will be interesting to see if these two have in ring chemistry.

Dolph Ziggler's character has taken a very crazy heel twist in the past 3 weeks, and I'm not sure if this angle is serving as his company swan song as there is a smell in the air that Ziggler could well be leaving the WWE soon when his contract is up.

This has potential to be the darkhorse match of the night.

What Will Happen: Bobby Roode will defeat Dolph Ziggler.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

WWE Championship Match:

Jnder Mahal(c) vs Sinsuke Nakamura

Will Jinder Mahal (left) yet again find a way to retain the WWE Championship? Or will 'The King of Strong Style' capture his first WWE title?

The feud between Jinder Mahal and Sinsuke Nakamura has been very underwhelming to say the least as all we have had between these two is Jinder Mahal cutting 'racist' joke promo's mocking Nakamura and his broken english, and that's it.... yep that's it.

When I look at both Jinder Mahal and Sinsuke Nakamura, I can't help but wonder and imagine how much more this feud could have been between these two as there could of been a sort of Jackie Chan movie feel where Nakamura, the honourable and courageous japanese martial artist goes on a one man campaign to take down the evil Indian tyrant Mahal and his stooges the Singh Brothers, a feud which would incorporate more out of the arena segments, just something anything more than what has just been a very lazy and playing it safe booked feud so far.

But this is the WWE we have to put up with in this era.

As for this match, I am not really expecting anything out of the ordinary, it is possible that it may be a step up from their very underwhelming Summerslam match.

I also don't think that WWE are ready to put the WWE Championship on Sinsuke Nakamura yet.

What Will Happen: Jinder Mahal will retain the WWE Championship by Disqualification.

What I Want To Happen: Sinsuke Nakamura defeats Jinder Mahal to become the new WWE Champion.

Falls Count Anywhere Hell In A Cell Match:

Shane McMahon vs Kevin Owens

Will Shane McMahon (left) get his revenge? Or will Kevin Owens (right) successfully continue his rampage with a victory?

And here we have it, a match that should prove to be a lot of fun and hot favourite to take match of the night on the card.

This is perhaps the most organically booked match that the WWE has put on in a very long time as the tension has been rising for months between Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon, and it was just a matter of time before these two came to blows. It just makes so much sense.

WWE seems to be putting a lot of stock in Kevin Owens now, and definitely see him as a major player for the company as there are rumours that he could be moving back to the Raw brand soon.

His segment with Vince McMahon where he savagely attacked the chairman of the board, very much looked like Kevin Owens definitive breakout moment in WWE and it has given this match a real personal 'blood feud' feel going into it.

I will very much be getting the snacks out for this one as we could see this match go all over the place and we most likely be in for some major highlight reel calibre bumps and spots.

What Will Happen: Kevin Owens will defeat Shane McMahon.

What I Want To Happen: Same as above.

And there you have my predictions and thoughts for what should be a slightly above average PPV overall.

Feel free to leave your comments and opinions on what you think will happen on the night.

-Simeon Barrett