10 Major Takeaways From WWE TLC
Last night's WWE TLC pay per view may have snuck into consideration for one of 2016's best [...]
1. Put AJ Styles In The WWE HOF IMMEDIATELY
I don't care that he's only been in the WWE since last year's Royal Rumble. AJ Styles has more classic performances in 12 months than most Hall of Famers have in their entire career. Looking at you, Bushwhackers.
Styles had his pants and quite possibly his entire backside ripped open last night when Dean Ambrose hurled him into 8 folding chairs, yet came back to deliver the most ridiculous spot I've ever seen in a TLC match.
AJ is the best wrestler in the world right now. Let's cut the formalities and go ahead and enshrine him.
2. Now Is Where The James Ellsworth Story Really Begins
I've called the James Ellsworth heel turn coming since the day he showed up on Smackdown LIVE. But the way in which it happened has added another layer to the story that I did not see coming. I had always assumed Ellsworth would be more valuable to the company as a slimy, heel manager than as a wrestler. He is built in the mode of Downtown Bruno and Jimmy Hart; the despicable big talker who everyone wants to see get shut up by the good guys. It seemed as if an eventual pairing with AJ Styles would make the most sense. Instead, Ellsworth became so delusional that he actually believed that he had the ability to defeat AJ Styles. Now, unlike Jimmy Hart, he will not have the benefit of having a bigger wrestler to fight his fights for him. He will have to pay for his sins by facing AJ with no assistance and for whatever hell Dean Ambrose has in store for him. I think James will eventually end up in his rightful place as heel manager, but the transition to get there should be fun.
3. Smackdown's Women Division Is Pretty Damn Good
After the brand split, the Smackdown's women division hardly seemed deep enough to even need their own championship, yet 3 months later it might even be deeper than its RAW counterpart.
Everyone expected Alexa and Becky to put on a good match, but who saw Nikki Bella and Carmella's unbelievably entertaining No-DQ match coming? With Alexa as the evil heel champion, Becky as the plucky underdog, Nikki still being Nikki, Natalya being thrown back into the mix and an eventual Eva Marie (who always draws a huge reaction) return, the SD women's roster is much less top heavy than the RAW brand.
4. Baron Corbin And Kalisto Almost The Show
For a feud I could have cared less about heading into the evening, the two former NXT standouts put on the best chairs match I've ever seen. On any other card not featuring AJ Styles, this could have been the match of the night. This was the feud Baron Corbin needed; Kalisto was the perfect opponent for the lonewolf to brutalize, and that end of days shot into the chairs was magnifique. And if you ever wonder if we'll ever see a Rey Mysterio comeback, look no further than the lucha lucha standout for your answer. Is he as good as Mysterio in the ring? No, but for a much cheaper price, he's close enough.
5. The Miz Is The Best Pure Heel In The WWE Right Now
There are so many shades of gray in the WWE's top villains. People laugh with Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho. They applaud AJ Styles. They pull out their cell phones for Bray Wyatt. Yet, The Miz is able to make people only hate him. He is pompous, sadistic and never breaks that character to play to the crowd's whims. By two shots to the grapes and a push off the ladder, he even managed to win in the most heelish way possible. Oddly enough, the Miz is the one who still gets called on to do a majority of the WWE's charity work. The guy is in the zone right now.
6. Dolph Ziggler Desperately Needs A Rebrand
There's nothing else for him to do as the guy who really tries his best but always comes up short. Not being able to win "the right way" has been the impetus for a switch to the dark side since the beginning of time. I don't know where Dolph can go as a heel, as The Miz has the mid-level heel spot completely locked down, and he doesn't have the credibilty to compete for the WWE championship, but it's high time to rebrand the showstopper.
7. Finally, Bray Wyatt Has A Championship
Yeah, he needed Randy Orton to hit the finisher and make the pin. yeah, it was only against two guys who were almost unemployed a few months ago. And Yeah, it was only the tag team championship, but finally, after 4 years, Bray Wyatt is the holder of a WWE championship belt. The common misconception is that supernatural characters "don't need the belt" to be relevant, but when the point of this entire constructed reality is to win championships, it's important for the most ambitious character to actually win one every now and then.
8. Randy Orton Has A Plan. I think ...
It's seemed that from the beginning Randy Orton was simply playing Bray Wyatt. But, match after match, he's been a loyal soldier. Now that we've seen the tension between Randy and Luke Harper seep into the Wyatt storyline, it's hard to imagine what Randy's end game is. The Orton/Wyatt teaming has been a bright spot on Smackdown. Hopefully, this leads somewhere less predictable than Orton going deep undercover to tear the Wyatts down from the inside. Especially considering there's only two of them.
9. Mauro Ranallo Better Not Be Leaving The WWE
Wrestling analyst Justin LaBar tweeted last night that Ranallo's contract was coming to an end soon and that the 4 person announce table was set up to ease the eventual transition of Mauro's departure. I swear, WWE, if you leave us with Otunga, JBL and Tom Phillips, I will never forgive you. The emotion Mauro puts into calling the action is the closest we've had to JR since he left the company. Do not take this away from us!
Mauro's contract coming up & they add another play by play man & make 4 man team? Plus, he's good his way but not what #WWE loves. #WWETLC
— Justin LaBar (@JustinLaBar) December 5, 2016
10. This Miz And Daniel Bryan Program Better Be Heading Somewhere
It's no coincidence that Miz keeps using Daniel Bryan's moves and taunting him in interviews. But, where can this program lead to? It's well known that Bryan is not medically cleared to wrestle full time anymore, but will the WWE give him one final send off match with The Miz at Wrestlemania? In wrestling, every story leads to the ring. So, if this one isn't heading that direction, please don't get our hopes up.
