WWE TLC Tables Ladders & Chairs 2019 airs this Sunday, December 15, live on WWE Network. The show, which has not had a ton of build to say the least, features a tables, ladders, and chairs match for the Women’s Tag Team Championship, as well as a tables, ladders, and chairs match over dog food-related grudges. Here’s the complete card as of publication.
TLC 2019 card:
1. TLC Match: Roman Reigns vs. King Corbin
2. Universal Championship Match: The Fiend Bray Wyatt (c) vs. The Miz
3. Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: New Day (c) vs. The Revival
4. Aleister Black vs. Buddy Murphy
5. TLC Match for the Women’s Tag Team Championship: The Kabuki Warriors (c) vs. Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch
6. Tables Match: Rusev vs. Bobby Lashley
7. Viking Raiders open challenge for the Raw Tag Team Championship
As always, we’ve got your complete rundown of the card and analysis below, featuring predictions for all seven matches. As we head into the weekend, here’s what we think’s going down at WWE T-Boz Left Eye Chili. Drop a comment in our comment section below to let us know who you think’s winning.
Viking Raiders open challenge for the Raw Tag Team Championship
What Should Happen: Cesaro and a returning Sheamus reform The Bar and answer the challenge, setting up an awesome, hard-hitting, 15-ish minute tag team classic. I know Sheamus has said he’s returning to Smackdown, but since when has “saying something” and “announcing things” ever set plans in stone?
What Will Happen: This was announced on the fly this week to help fill out the card and the best team for the job, The Street Profits, already challenged and lost in about three minutes on Raw. So unless it’s randomly Matt and Jeff Hardy, what’s the answer? The Usos? All I can really think of as a real answer is the AOP, with Seth Rollins helping them win. WWE can’t do a top heel faction without giving all of them championship belts, and that seems like the first step. And nobody beats Brock Lesnar except Seth Rollins, right?
Staff Picks
Emily Pratt – If it’s possible for the Usos to come back, this could be a good moment for them to make a surprise return. My actual prediction is that the Good Brothers respond to this, which leads to the Raiders aligning with Randy Orton to feud with the whole O.C., like the Revival did earlier this year to turn Randy vs. Kofi into FTRKO vs. The New Day.
Elle Collins – The only surprise team that could answer an open challenge and then win the Tag Titles are the Usos. It would be really cool if it was the Usos actually, but there have been no rumors that they’re coming back anytime soon, so probably the challenge will be answered by whoever’s standing around backstage, and the Viking Raiders will win handily.
Marcus Gilmer – This COULD be sorta compelling if AOP answers the call and rolls out with Seth Rollins at their side to take the titles even if that doesn’t serve any major purpose in advancing the KO-Seth storyline. But it’s probably not gonna be that, is it? So I guess i’ll take the Viking Raiders to retain over The Field.
Scott Heisel – The only active tag teams on Raw right now are Street Profits, Gallows & Anderson and AOP. AOP seems unlikely as they’re involved in a main event feud now, and Street Profits just did the job on Monday night, so by process of elimination, I guess we’re getting Gallows & Anderson again — unless the Raw writer’s room took note of how big Matt Hardy’s nostalgia pops have been the past few weeks and put in a call to Jeff to bring back Team Extreme for another run. Jeff’s been sidelined since April with a leg injury that was slated to keep him out for 6 to 9 months, and this falls squarely in that return time. Of course, even if the Hardys reunite, you can’t have them go over the Raiders, can you? Wouldn’t that completely nuke your tag team division? Unless you give them a surprise victory, then have AOP completely murk the Hardys on Raw the next night via an open challenge of their own, thus giving Seth Rollins’ new faction some gold to trot around and pushes the Viking Raiders into a trios situation with Kevin Owens. This could work, actually… Okay, I’ll stop now, considering I’ve put more thought into this than WWE Creative has.
Raj Prashad – I’d pick the Viking Raiders against almost any tag team on the roster, so I guess going with those guys.
Tables Match: Rusev vs. Bobby Lashley
What Should Happen: This could actually be really good if they just let Lashley and Rusev hoss out and beat the shit out of each other for a while. Keep Lana relegated to standing at ringside making upset faces and yelling encouragement to Lashley, give Rusev an extremely strong win with gusto to move him into something (literally anything) else, and move Lashley forward a little broken but still confident in the fact that he and his Favorite Pose stole away a man’s beautiful and enthusiastic but very-very-bad-at-acting wife.
What Will Happen: Lashley should win by putting Rusev through a table, and then he and Lana should make out while standing over Rusev and the broken table That’s the result we’re getting, right? There’s no way they’ve put enough thought into this to be “ending” the angle at the “pay-per-view.” It’s all about those sweet, sweet YouTube views, and make sure Lana and Rusev feel bad about getting married without running it by Vince McMahon first for the rest of their lives.
Staff Picks
Emily Pratt – If this match isn’t extremely overbooked, it should at least partially make up for one of the most insane WWE storylines of the decade. If they just let Rusev and Lashley beat the heck out of each other, this could be awesome, and with a hot crowd too. I’m guessing Lashley wins to set up a rematch and this is one of those WWE angles that goes on for about ten years, but I hope Rusev wins and ends it.
Elle Collins – I think Rusev loses, and then he leaves the company instead of signing a new contract and goes somewhere with a boss who doesn’t hate him for marrying a conventionally hot blonde American. Lana can stick around, valet for Bobby, be in the Women’s Royal Rumble and enjoy the perks of being a conventionally hot blonde American in a company where that matters at least as much as how well you can wrestle. And secretly, in real life, Rusev and Lana can stay happily married, knowing they’ll never have to be in a storyline together again.
Marcus Gilmer – Even though romantic entanglements are a storyline trope as old as pro wrestling itself, I hate this storyline and cannot wait for it to be done forever. I’m picking Rusev because a Rusev win would be the only silver lining in this bad timeline.
Scott Heisel – If Rusev doesn’t win here and free all of us of this agonizing storyline, then Christmas is officially canceled.
Raj Prashad – Rusev has gotten the best of Lashley a few times now, and I just can’t imagine him ending this rivalry this quickly. Picking Lana to cause a distraction and Lashley to earn the win.
TLC Match for the Women’s Tag Team Championship: The Kabuki Warriors (c) vs. Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch
What Should Happen: When Becky Lynch is about to pull down the title belts, which I assume will also be in a briefcase for some reason, Asuka spits green mist up at them to make them slippery. Unable to get a hold on them, Becky falls off the ladder into Charlotte and the Kabuki Warriors retain.
What Will Happen: If Charlotte Flair could competitively wrestle the Kabuki Warriors 2-on-1 for 15 minutes and almost win, and Becky Lynch could competitive wrestle the Kabuki Warriors 2-on-1 for 15 minutes and win by disqualification, why on Earth would Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch not be able to defeat the Kabuki Warriors 2-on-2? Because there are tables now? Because they still kinda don’t like each other? The first one seems incidental more than anything, and the second seems irrelevant since they made a point of showing how and why they’ve been on the same page. So, yeah, it’s been nice knowing you, Kabukis. Gotta have some unlikely Tag Team Champions so they split up circa Fastlane and feud into WrestleMania.
Staff Picks
Emily Pratt – The whole build-up to this match has been frustrating, full of nonsensical handicap matches and WWE setting up wrestlers to get “What?” chanted for not speaking English. But there’s no way these women don’t all go extremely hard in this match, and they could easily steal the show here. I feel like it could get pretty creative with the weapons too. Asuka and Kairi Sane win in a way that sets up these wrestlers feuding with each other in different combinations, probably Becky vs. Asuka and hopefully Charlotte vs. Kairi.
Elle Collins – You know what would be cool, is if there was a Women’s Tag Team Division, so the Kabuki Warriors could have matches against other tag teams, instead of the top women’s stars in the company, who don’t even get along in kayfabe. But since there’s not, I think the KW’s will retain, probably in a way that sets up Asuka versus Becky, because there’s not really a Women’s Singles Division anymore either.
Marcus Gilmer – Given we’re about to roll into Wrestlemania season and, thus, will surely have big storylines planned for Flair and Lynch (and a returning Rousey, presumably, who could come back here to give this PPV some spice), feels like the Warriors retain but WWE being what it is, I could see them further burying two of the more talented wrestlers on their roster by taking the belts off of Asuka and Sane. Still, I’ll stick with the Kabuki Warriors and the Green Mist of Hell.
Scott Heisel – This seems like an extremely easy way to get Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair on network TV as much as possible as the road to WrestleMania starts. Or, for simplicity’s sake: “We have new women’s tag team champs, King! But can they coexist?!”
Raj Prashad – Can Charlotte and Becky Lynch co-exist long enough to earn the tag team belts? I’d venture to say no. Going with the Kabuki Warriors to hold onto their belts.
Aleister Black vs. Buddy Murphy
What Should Happen: Two guys who can be truly spectacular in-ring performers when given the right spotlight and amount of time to work, have similar enough but wildly different looks and builds, have similar enough but wildly different movesets, and seem desperately hungry to work going balls the fuck out for as long as they want, until we’re so sick of kicks and knee strikes we swear off of them forever. And then we immediately rewind the match and watch it again. Let these dudes shine. LET THESE DUDES SHINE.
What Will Happen: About 90 seconds in, Erick Rowan runs in and face-chokeslams both men.
Staff Picks
Emily Pratt – Both of these guys are in weird, good-but-unimportant Raw midcard match purgatory, Black more literally. Their match could easily steal the show if the tag title matches don’t.
Elle Collins – I wish both of these guys could win this match. They both deserve to be much bigger stars in WWE than they currently are, and I’m glad they have this PPV spot. It’s just a shame that one of them has to take a loss in this crucial moment. I’d rather Buddy lose, to be honest, but my gut says it will be Aleister taking that pin.
Marcus Gilmer – Aleister Black’s closet confessionals sure have a “when are they gonna get to the fireworks factory” feel to them but, hypothetically, an Aleister Black vs Buddy Murphy match in a vacuum sounds amazing so I’m going to keep that perspective. Black wins.
Scott Heisel – There’s no scenario I can imagine for this match that doesn’t end in Aleister Black kicking Buddy Murphy’s head into the crowd a la Snitsky’s legendary baby punt.
Raj Prashad – Black is on a roll and I don’t expect that to end anytime soon. Murphy should pose quite the challenge, but I’ve got Black coming out on top.
Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: New Day (c) vs. The Revival
What Should Happen: The Revival lose clean in a suspiciously embarrassing way, then get even more embarrassed after the match, backstage, or both. Then on Monday we get the surprising news that WWE has released Dave Harwood (Scott Dawson) and Dan Wheeler (Dash Wilder), collectively known as The Revival, and wishes them the best in their future endeavors. HARD CUT TO THEIR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
What Will Happen: This has happened a lot. I hope the staff picks about WWE moving the tag title off Kofi so he can win the Royal Rumble and redeem himself for that Five Seconds Of Smackdown are true.
Staff Picks
Emily Pratt – This should be a straight-up good tag team match. In a perfect world, maybe the New Day loses the tag titles, but only because Kofi Kingston’s going to win the Royal Rumble and get squash redemption against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania.
Elle Collins – I have this weird feeling like I’ve seen this match before. I don’t know, the New Day retain this time, probably.
Marcus Gilmer – WWE does not have a very consistent track record of doing right by The Revival and I still see Kofi featured in a ton of Smackdown ads that Fox airs during NFL games so… New Day? New Day.
Scott Heisel – This whole card feels ultra-predictable, which makes me think that something unexpected has to happen. So I’m going to predict the New Day drops the straps to the Revival after a rare miscommunication between Kofi and Big E. Gimme some long-term storytelling that finds the New Day starting to crumble and Kofi starting to go into a depression about his WWE Championship loss, culminating in Big E and Kofi almost coming to blows in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania, only to have Xavier Woods make a surprise return and reunite the group, leading to Kofi’s first-ever major battle royal win. This could also happen at Royal Rumble, letting Kofi finally win the event he’s become synonymous for, and lets him challenge Lesnar at Mania. Book it, Vince!
Raj Prashad – In lieu of a championship rematch against Brock Lesnar, it would seem Kofi Kingston is in line for a nice little tag team title run. Picking the New Day to keep their title run moving.
Universal Championship Match: The Fiend Bray Wyatt (c) vs. The Miz
What Should Happen: The reason this is happening is to reveal whatever new form Daniel Bryan’s taken, so fingers crossed that he’s skipped “hillbilly cultist who hosts a children’s show in the middle of a different show about wrestling and sometimes transformrs into a shadow clown” and goes straight to 2007 Ring of Honor World Champion Bryan Danielson. Cloak and all.
What Will Happen: How many Skull-crushing Finales can Miz hit The Fiend with and still look surprised about? Rollins topped out at 11 finishers with surprised theatrics. I do think Bryan shows up with some brainwashing having happened, and that he and Wyatt work their asses off to do some unsurprisingly great work to get him back to Yes Movement Daniel between TLC and WrestleMania. Or, even better, Miz wins with one Skull-crushing Finale, becomes Universal Champion, and opens Smackdown just repeating “really?” at Seth Rollins.
Staff Picks
Emily Pratt – This match has by far the best storyline out of anything on this show. It also has the potential to reach Rollins-Fiend levels of insanity. I’m guessing there’s weird lighting that makes it borderline unwatchable and a bald Daniel Bryan shows up, setting up a feud of Evil Bryan vs. Good Miz trying to save his soul? While this match might be terrible, it’s the one I’m most interested in seeing what WWE does with.
Elle Collins – There’s no way The Miz wins the Universal Championship as the Holly Martins to Daniel Bryan’s Harry Lime. The Fiend definitely wins. I’m just hoping for better lighting and for the Miz to stay a babyface despite the apparent curse of losing to the Fiend.
Marcus Gilmer – This match is also as transparent as the Corbin v Reigns match. We all know Fiend vs Daniel Bryan is the big match we’re heading toward for the Rumble/Mania so, uh, yeah, The Fiend, right? And as great as The Miz is, nothing’s gonna save him from another Red Light Special.
Scott Heisel – This is a non-title match with Bray, not a championship match with the Fiend, so we get some wiggle room for storytelling here. Miz has the Firefly Funhouse Bray nearly beaten until a newly converted (and clean-shaven) Daniel Bryan appears, costing Miz the match. This sets up Bray & Bry vs. Miz & a Miztery partner at Royal Rumble, which is the perfect spot to reintroduce John Morrison and his bedazzled abs. Book it, Vince!
Raj Prashad – I love the prospect of Bray just causing mayhem across the Smackdown roster. He should make quick work of Miz.
TLC Match: Roman Reigns vs. King Corbin
What Should Happen: TLC should end with King Corbin hopping away from the ring crying, with a crown shoved up his ass.
What Will Happen: Roman Reigns is about to win the match, but oh no, here’s Dolph Ziggler to interfere! Reigns fights him off and is about to win the match again, but oh no, some other random heel like, say, a returning Lars Sullivan interferes! Reigns is able to fight off him as well, but oh no, King Corbin has recovered and stops him! That’s when the Roman Reigns mascot dog makes its triumphant return and Corbin thinks it’s another body to help him win…
… but the dog unmasks as SHORTY G and pushes Corbin off the ladder, allowing Roman to finally win! Thanks, Shorty G! Sorry about your name!
Staff Picks
Emily Pratt – I guess Roman Reigns should and probably will win this. The biggest upside of this match is that it’s fun to watch Roman do WWE hardcore stuff and hit people with chairs.
Elle Collins – It’s entirely possible (likely even) that Corbin’s cronies cause some shenanigans that give him the win, setting up further matches with Roman, but I’m going to be optimistic and predict that Roman wins and everybody gets to move on.
Marcus Gilmer – In no world should King Corbin beat Roman Reigns, wielder of The Spear™ and the SOO-PERMAN Punch!™, especially heading into Royal Rumble season which is really just Wrestlemania Preseason. No dog food in the world can fix that.
Scott Heisel – Roman wins LOL
Raj Prashad – I’m really bummed this hasn’t somehow turned into a Kennel from Hell match. In all seriousness, fully expecting Reigns to unleash to wrath of the Big Dog on Corbin for the win.
There you have it. That’s what we think will happen at TLC 2019, from the open challenge to the mystery of whether or not Roman Reigns will win. Make sure to drop down into our comments section below to let us know what you think will go down, and be here on Sunday for our open discussion thread, results, and more. Hey, WWE does its best work when they’ve put almost no effort into it. It’s the effort that trips them up.
See you on Sunday!
