Read on for how I'd book WWE TLC and why.
If for some reason there needs to be an 8th match (I don't think the card needs it, but in case someone has an injury or something), this can be set up on the pre-show. Primo and Epico complain to Booker T. in his office about Rosa being mistreated by Hornswoggle. Ryder and Santino bust in and say that they should be on the pre-show since they're YouTube sensations. Booker makes a tag match between the two teams. I think more matches should have backstory to them instead of just being thrown out as bonuses.
There are a number of options for the pre-show: I'm hearing a lot of buzz for Paige in NXT and wonder if she's ready for the main roster. If she is, this is the perfect time for her to "pull a Gail Kim" and win the title on her first night. She should enter last in her typical black (since the other Divas will be wearing Santa outfits) and get the win. That would certainly give some new life to the Divas division.
If they don't feel that she's ready for such a big push (and it is a pretty big deal to get that kind of push), keep her out of the match and save her debut for down the line. Vickie Guerrero interrupts the beginning of the match by saying "Excuse me!" on the mic and distracting AJ. As she's focused on staring down Vickie, Tamina will eliminate her. At some point, Kaitlyn eliminates Aksana by clotheslining her over the top rope and Aksana drags her down to be eliminated as well to continue their feud. I think they could do more with their feud, like establishing why Aksana is going after Kaitlyn (they were both fitness models before WWE and didn't get along on NXT Season 3- there's material to work with here). Anyway, Natalya wins. Eve's already beaten Kaitlyn and I don't think it's quite time for Eve vs. AJ so Natalya's filling in.
Moving to the actual title match, Paige gets the win by surprising Eve if she debuts. If it's Eve vs. Natalya, Eve wins (possibly with her feet on the ropes or something) and she does the posing to the camera thing she did on Raw. Eventually we get Eve vs. AJ. Build both of them so the match means something.
If we get that bonus match, we get shenanigans with Khali and Hornswoggle distracting Rosa, Primo, and Epico so Ryder and Santino win. Ryder and Santino get to say they got a win, and Primo and Epico are protected because of how they lost. I'm a fan of protecting talent where applicable.
Antonio Cesaro gets a clean win over R-Truth. Cesaro's damn good and I think his reign should continue. Don't worry about protecting Truth. He just needs a mic to stay over. Cesaro can have a longer feud with Brodus and Sin Cara from here. Long-term, he should face Jack Swagger for the title (maybe at WrestleMania?). Even longer term, he should bring back the European Championship and possibly feud or team with NXT's Kassius Ohno. I don't know how they'd work out as a duo or opponents in WWE, but they know each other well.
Kofi Kingston wins a hard-fought match with Wade Barrett. As he's celebrating with the title, Barrett recovers from Trouble in Paradise to hit the Bull Hammer. Feud continues. The announcers should really be putting both guys over as future WWE/World Champions and be passionate about the win and the Bull Hammer. Both guys should be elevated in 2013.
Team Rhodes Scholars gets the win by putting Rey through a table. Rey's got 2 Wellness strikes and a lot of mileage. That should affect how he's booked. Of course we get Hell No vs. Rhodes Scholars down the line. Build towards Rey vs. Sin Cara at Mania in a match that will elevate the young gun. The announcers should talk up Rhodes Scholars as credible contenders so when the tag match happens it MEANS SOMETHING. I can't stress that enough. It should not just be a generic title defense: Rhodes and Sandow have futures.
Dolph Ziggler holds his own against Cena, but eventually the veteran is in position to climb the ladder. Special guest timekeeper Brad Maddox rings the bell before he gets to the top, then storms the ring to stop Cena. As Cena's dealing with that, Ziggler climbs up and gets the win. This elevates Maddox and Ziggler as characters without hurting Cena. He has an out for losing. Ziggler of course presents a one-sided narrative to his "single-handed" victory. He should be treated as someone to watch in 2013 and a future World Champion going forward (i.e. NOT losing clean to Cena multiple times).
Big Show gets the win over Sheamus "in name only" as Sheamus takes it to him. He needs help getting to the back. After he's gone, Sheamus stands up in the ring under his own power and hopefully gets a good reaction for a hard-fought match. Note that this in theory elevates Sheamus even in a loss. For Mania, I'd be thinking Ryback vs. Show for the World Title and Sheamus defending Triple H's honor against Brock Lesnar. Alternately, Triple H can be the special referee. Note his past with Sheamus. While the natural inclination would be another round of HHH/Lesnar, this positions the star of today's era better. After Mania, Lesnar and HHH are going to remain part-time guys. Sheamus is going to be relied on for non-Mania season buyrates, merch, ratings, etc.. Position him strong! Big Show's next opponent is Miz.
Team Rhodes Scholars helps The Shield dispose of Team Hell No, after Ryback goes after an interfering C.M. Punk. Kane takes the table bump to protect Bryan and Ryback. Hell No and Ryback are protected because it took 6 men to beat them, heat is added to Hell No vs. Rhodes Scholars, and The Shield's momentum is kept. We get Punk vs. Ryback for the title on a Raw leading into the Rumble. The Shield prepares to make a mark in the Rumble match itself.
So that's how I'd book TLC. I'll be back for the real thing later.
Chuck, I agree with most of these predictions, and think they are all valid and justifiable ones. I think you've got some good creative ideas with bringing up Paige, as well. It's no secret the Divas division has been a bit stale, and lack of good storylines have plagued the division for a while now. Shaking it up a bit would be a good idea. I like Eve and think she is far and away the most "complete-packaged" of any of the divas, but agree switching it up is a good idea. Very reminescent of the tag team division when Hell No won the titles.
ReplyDeleteThe main wild cards in terms of where we may conflict or that are really hard to coalesce are Hell No/Ryback versus The Shield and Ziggler vs Cena.
The Shield match is REALLY hard to call for me. On one hand, Ryback has been dominant (just one loss) and Hell No has been booked very well in tag matches. Also, it goes in their favor that The Shield has never wrestled before on the main roster, so to have a win over three established stars may seem a bit overwhelming to some.
However, The Shield has been running wild for weeks and weeks, so to put a stop to their antics by losing clean would be a bit puzzling, too. It would be VERY hard to not see The Shield not ending the show in some sort of chaotic and controversial fashion. Punk very well could interfere, as well. It's tough to call, man.
Well thank you! The Paige idea is almost completely stolen from what they did with Gail Kim when she debuted, with the exception of her gimmick being different. It'd be a big push for someone so young, and I'd be hesitant to pull the trigger, but the idea is there. And it's not even that I dislike Eve. She's grown a lot since her debut. I just think there's more of a story with AJ or Paige as champion.
ReplyDeleteAs I said, I don't think a dirty loss hurts Cena. He can easily get his momentum back by taking care of Maddox. Or he could mostly shrug it off and focus on the Rumble. It'd be much harder to re-establish Ziggler if he lost.
My original idea was The Shield taking Ryback or Bryan out before the match and winning 3-on-2 (with the possibility of a "comeback" as the match is ending). I don't think it'd be too much of a stretch for them to get a win with the odds in their favor. Plus it immediately makes them more of a threat. As much hype as the three of them have gotten, I think they need to look pretty good. In my scenario, Ryback would get revenge in the Rumble match itself, eliminating all three members on his way to a win.
Anyway, I like when things are kind of up in the air at times. I think a lot of fans do, too. I know I sometimes advocate keeping things kind of predictable to build people up, but sometimes I prefer watching something that's not so obvious.
♫ What can I say Chuck, this is fabulous! Two very important factors: It's realistic and it helps with development. Y'know you're gonna get something good with Eve vs Nattie but Paige, it would certainly bring immediate attention to her but is she ready to keep that attention on her, that's my concern. No offence to Paige: She's no Gail Kim.
ReplyDeleteKofi and Barrett, yes. Y'know JBL is gonna give them superb commentary, hyping them for future success, the success which they deserve, the success which they could achieve (Royal Rumble anyone?)
Totally agree vs AJ/Eve (I love her btw) build-up, maybe even for WrestleMania? Once AJ's done with her scandal.
My brother and I have been playing with the idea of a Luchador WrestleMania match, would you like to see them both as faces...sorry técnicos? Because who could really play the he...rudo?
And yes I absolutely agree with everything else, I'd just be repeating you. Nice touch with Maddox in the Ladder Match, gives Dolph a way to "cheat" in a match where you can't really "cheat"! Beating Cena at PPV regardless of how it's done...let's just say JBL would be proud!♫
I hope you don't mind me deleting the other comment, since there was some kind of issue with it.
ReplyDeleteI've only seen a few matches of Paige. I've liked her, but I do think that would be a BIG push for her. Maybe I'd save that idea for after Mania once I'd done Eve vs. AJ, AJ vs. Tamina, and AJ vs. Kaitlyn for the title. I think you could get a few matches out of each of those feuds. Maybe even AJ vs. Aksana, though Aksana wasn't very good on Smackdown. Of course, if they want to try Naomi and Cameron as wrestlers there's always that option, too.
I don't know if I could wait til Mania to do AJ vs. Eve. Eve's beaten Kaitlyn and Alicia. I guess she could face Naomi and Cameron in a pinch. It's doable, but it might be a little rough.
TV commentary doesn't usually do as well promoting what's going on in the ring. Hopefully the PPV would be different.
I'd have Sin Cara as the heel, fed up with not being tag team champions (note that Rey went through the table, not him) and Rey overshadowing him. I think I'd even have him paired with Del Rio at some point with either Del Rio or Ricardo as his mouthpiece (he could refuse to speak English).
I like booking heels as low down and dirty in contrast to faces. There's been a LOT of cheating in my fantasy booking. We should want to see the righteous faces getting the win and overcoming all the shenanigans. I think they really have something with the Maddox character and that ending would make him even more hateable.
Overall, thanks for giving your opinion! Feel free to comment on any other articles in the future.
Chuck, to go along with my other post, notice JTG defeated David Otunga in a dark match for TLC. Yes, I said that right. JTG. The same JTG who has won two matches all year and has been at the bottom of the rung for years since Cryme Tyme. I would consider this ridiculous if I was Otunga's shoes. Are you buying into the notion that Otunga is buried now? Lol.
ReplyDeleteI addressed this a bit in the latest news post. My stance is still the same: until something comes out that says that management is trying to send him a message or punish him or doesn't like him, it could just be that they don't see him as someone to push.
ReplyDeleteTo me, being buried means management is actively trying to sabotage your wrestling career. Unless one part of management likes him (the people who decide who makes it in movies and commercials) and one part doesn't (the matchmakers), I don't think they're out to get him. He could lose every match he's in and I wouldn't believe he was buried unless a report comes out from a credible site that management doesn't like him.
I guess we differ on "burying's" definition. Most people's definition of being buried would be losing to a guy in JTG who has like a .050 win percentage the last year or so lol. It's a complete shame right now being a fan of Otunga's.
ReplyDeleteTo me, if he's not being punished, he's just losing a lot of matches. I think there's a difference between jobbing and being buried. I've already mentioned Funaki. He lost a lot but management liked him. Thus, no burial.
ReplyDeleteAll in all, I think they might have just been throwing JTG a bone. It could have just as easily have been Michael McGillicutty losing.
Another theory is that they want Otunga to pay some more dues (which would be weird seeing as how he's already been a tag team champion). Miz went through something similar when he was cutting his teeth. He has to prove to the veterans that he's not just there to be famous and make money. If he does the things I mentioned Miz did to elevate himself, maybe things turn around. Of course, paying your dues and being buried are still different things.
That makes some sense. The Miz stance is logical and somewhat relateable. Miz did have a big losing streak, but my rebuttal to that is (I'm playing devil's advocate here because you have a good point) that Miz's losses were mainly all to higher card guys and Otunga's have not been.
ReplyDeleteBeing a fan, I wouldn't have much concern if those losses Otunga has piled up have been to higher card guys. However, they've been to fading wrestlers that are at best mid card and primarily lower card. I guess time will tell, however. Being 32, I'd imagine he doesn't have all the time in the world, though.
Where are you predicting The Shield to go from here now? I know Ryback has his rematch with Punk and Kane and Bryan are facing Sandow and Rhodes, so who are you predicting The Shield to fued with short term and also where do you think they will end up in a number of months?
By the way, are you still taking classes right now like you mentioned or are you taking a short break?
I'm referring to Miz's career pre-ECW brand, where he was in Divas search segments, getting a lap dance from Big Dick Johnson, and I think working with The Boogeyman. There were people backstage who thought he straight up would not make it in WWE. I think Otunga's in a similar on-screen position. I think it would benefit his wrestling career if he wasn't seen as a celebrity/wrestler or a lawyer/wrestler, but a wrestler exclusively. Like Miz had to go from being reality show star/wrestler to a wrestler exclusively. WWE wants people who live and breathe WWE.
ReplyDelete32 to me is still pretty young in the world of WWE, especially for someone who's only been taking bumps for a few years. Based on those two factors, he could have a couple of years before he even reaches the middle of his WWE career IF he wins the right people over.
I'm thinking The Shield enters the Rumble. Kane/Bryan vs. Rhodes/Sandow might not last long in favor of more matches with The Shield. From there I don't know. Maybe they win the tag team titles and hold them for a while. I'm confident that WWE has plans for them as important characters for the time being.
And I'm on winter break for another couple of weeks.
That makes some sense in that since Otunga having the "star power" currently with movies and his wife that being seen as a hard worker in the ring would help his cause. I think Otunga is a bit hung up on the "entertainer" aspect in that though this is the entertainment business and he has charisma, he needs to also have the "wrestler" element to fulfill the whole "entertainer" persona. We'll see what happens. I do think if he's 32 right now and since it may take him a couple of years (minimum) to establish credibility and push as a wrestler, time may be an issue, though.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested to hear your thoughts on Cena winning "Superstar of the Year". I didn't see any comment from you on it in your Raw post. I understand that "superstar" is Vince McMahon's definition of "entertainer" and Cena has done wonders for the company in terms of buy rates, merchandise, ratings, and marketability.
However, in the ring, he's had arguably his worst year ever. CM Punk lacks some of the hype and success Cena has had out of the ring and isn't yet the "face of the company" yet, but he has held the title for over a year. I am kind of 50-50 on Cena deserving that title. What do you think? I know you're not a huge proponent of Cena currently and his current gimmick.
I wouldn't hold my breath on him being a huge star, even in a couple of years. It's possible, but a lot of things have to go in his favor. WWE has a good number of talented wrestlers right now that are probably higher on the food chain. He doesn't just have to get better in the ring; he's got to be seen as in the same category as Cesaro, Rhodes, Sandow, Bryan, Ambrose, Ziggler, Kingston, Miz, Ryback, Rollins, Reigns, Sin Cara, Barrett, and anyone they call up from NXT. I think all of those guys have shots at being part of the future of WWE (I think Del Rio, Sheamus, and Punk are part of the present AND the future). He'll probably have some of those guys beat in the promotional appearances department (which is important), but I think HHH is looking for guys who have what it takes to get it done in the ring beyond the basics. I know Ryback isn't Chris Jericho in the ring, but he's working with HHH, Regal, and Arn Anderson and that's got to be helping his career.
ReplyDeleteI will say one thing that looks favorably for Otunga: they've never delegated him back to NXT after his main roster debut like they did Riley, Hawkins, Young, Curtis, Slater, the Usos, JTG, Gabriel, Mahal,McGillicutty, Kidd, Barreta, and Tatsu (and probably a few others). That could just be because they like him as a character, but the fact that someone with so little WWE (and overall) experience wasn't/isn't stuck on the "C-show" is impressive. It might have done him better to get that in-ring experience in the long run, but he was saved from the scrap heap by having a character Creative could do something with and he will likely continue to escape that kind of "demotion". Though if you're on NXT currently and doing well, that might mean HHH is in your corner and that's got to count for something. Either way, he's at least not so far down the totem pole that he's not on TV.
Cena winning Superstar of the Year just means a lot of people with the WWE App voted for him. That's legitimately how they tallied it. There's no way heels Punk or Show were going to win that without a massive internet fan push (and if they couldn't get Bryan in over Kane, they're not going to get Punk over the #1 face in the company for several years running).
Cena has been champion and PPV closer for about 7 years now. He doesn't need the title to be one of the top guys and headlining PPVs, so it's good that Punk has gotten the rub being champion (even though Cena is still the "face of the company" so some of that rub is moot). I think Cena is underrated as a wrestler, but the character at this point is stale, overpushed, and unfunny to me and a lot of other fans (hence the "Cena sucks" chants). It's great that they're finally having some new faces in the mix who look like they're in his league. Cena being able to beat every full-time guy is great for Cena and Cena fans, but I think it would be better if the company didn't put all their eggs in a basket that's facing so much backlash.
*Especially with so many other talented people on the roster who could benefit from getting some of the attention Cena gets from WWE.
ReplyDeleteFair points there on both Otunga and Cena. When it comes down to it, I guess I'm always going to be a little biased being a fan of Otunga's and whoever I'm a fan of that is being pushed aside a bit. I was the same way with DDP back in like 2000/2001 when DDP lost the WCW Title to Jeff Jarrett and he tailed off a bit before WCW disbanded in 2001. If I wasn't a fan, I may look at things a bit differently.
ReplyDeleteWhat interests me is 1) How long The Shield will be a unit and 2) What will happen if/once they disband. From a limited sample size, I can tell Ambrose and Rollins are good on the mic (Reigns isn't too bad, either). Reigns has the power game and size going for him, so you know that is something the WWE brass will like in him.
I haven't seen much of Ambrose, but one thing I admire about Ambrose is how he tried hard to stand out in FCW by sending a message to William Regal by doing his finishing maneuver in his matches. That type of tenacity gets you noticed. He seems very intense, and that's something that could get him good air time in the future and/or when The Shield disbands.
You mentioned Rollins was a good guy before, so not only is he in a tougher and less familiar position than Ambrose, but I think it will take him some time to gel in his heel role. He's done well so far, though.
I haven't seen much from them in the ring, but like you mentioned, being just a good wrestler may very well not get you as far in the industry unless you have that "entertainer" element with the charisma element.
About all I can add about The Shield is that WWE management's high on them and that's always good. They've wanted to use Ambrose for a while now, and were just looking for the right idea. Rollins was the first NXT Champion, so they've been grooming him, too. Reigns was something of a surprise since he didn't have much air time in FCW/NXT. It just makes sense to use a big guy as the enforcer. It makes me wonder why they used Reigns there and Big E vs. Cena, but maybe they felt Big E was ready as a singles star. Reigns also has family heritage going for him, though I don't think they've mentioned that on WWE TV.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, once the Shield disbands I see Rollins becoming a face and Ambrose staying a heel. If Reigns sticks around I think he'll stick at being a heel since I don't think his career was going much of anywhere as a face.
And I don't know if it was up to Ambrose to use Regal's finisher. It might have been something their Creative team came up with. I know Regal sees a lot in him, and could have suggested to work with him.
If you're searching for some pre-WWE clips, Rollins and Ambrose had I think a 30-minute or so match against each other and Ambrose wrestled Punk as well. Reigns hasn't done as much of note.
Switching gears a bit, this reminded me a bit of Santino Marella and how generic his gimmick is, yet it is still hilarious. What are your thoughts on this? Santino came to mind right away.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8mJJJvaes
I didn't really think of Santino. About the only wrestling thing that came to mind was Jamie Noble and Nidia becoming "rich" and buying a fake fur coat. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteWith how generic both that song and Santino's gimmick are, it rung some bells. Santino coming out with that green sock passing off as a snake that he probably got at Goodwill was the main resemblance lol. Either way, both are taking a very generic subject and making it creative and fun. Did you think much of the song/video itself?
ReplyDeleteI guess I didn't think of it since it's probably something WWE made for him. I know they sell replicas of it.
ReplyDeleteAt first I didn't like it much, but it grew on me. It's definitely something different from the stereotypical rap video, and I like that.