This Sunday is the final 2018 pay-per-view from WWE - which will settle our nerd pick'ems once and for all with James and Jon separated by just one point! We sat down to discuss the big five questions about the show!
THERE ARE 12 MATCHES ON THE SHOW... THOUGHTS?
ROSS: Anyone seen the early Wrestlemanias? They had like 14 matches on. They were alright, so this should be too.
SHADS: That’s a hell of a lot of matches, maybe last year was the peak of pay per views and we are going slowly back to the big four which last for 10 hours each!
RYAN: Twelve is way too many, hope they all get a chance to have enough time to make the matches worthwhile!
ROBIN: Got to be 2 squashes in there somewhere. My guess is Finn and Corbin are getting Brock Lesnar'd. Good to see a lot of the roster getting on the show.
MITCH: Good to have lots of matches!
SIMON: Would be all good if I can find a gaff in Amsterdam to watch it.
RO: back to the preshow with the cruiserweights. Sad face. But why is Lashley on the card?? Why are Jinder and Truth on the card? Why does Lashley still have a job?
JAKE: A dozen scraps. Wonderful.
PHIL: It's a massive card every time there's a PPV now! They bloody love cramming it all in!
PETE: Way too many, and frankly I have no clue why Braun vs Corbin, Elias vs Lashley and Drew vs Finn are separate matches. Combine all three into one tag team TLC match and combine the various stipulations as well. Cuts down on time, ups the stakes.
ROB A: Well, in that case I'll treat it like I do Raw and just forward wind all the way through to when Becky Lynch comes out... On smackdown.
ALEX: There is no energy left for me to give WWE anymore. I see but I do not watch. I hear but I do not listen. TLC is the one chance each year for WWE to have fun, exciting matches despite a lack of build due to the gimmicks. This year however will fall flat unfortunately.
ROB C: Seems a lot for any WWE show to be honest. Vince could do with a “less is more” approach these days. But if it means a lot less Baron Corbin screen time, then it works for me.
JAMES: 12. 12 matches. On the 12th day of Christmas an out of touch old Guy gave to me 12 fucking matches. That's too long. I don't know why they did away with the single brand PPV. I'd prefer a 2 and a half hour show this week and a 2 and a half hour show 2 weeks later. Sort your life out, Vince.
WHICH MATCH ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO?
ROSS: Daniel Bryan v AJ Styles in a PPV match? WOOF!
SHADS: Rollins vs Ambrose, hope they can rip into each other and use all the tools.
RYAN: Seth v Dean!
ROBIN: Orton v Mysterio. Safe bet for a quality match (if Orton can be arsed)
MITCH: All of them. Especially the title one.
SIMON: I’m gonna go with Rollins/Ambrose because of the build-up.
RO: Triple threat SD women's TLC match as it should be fun. And the Braun match as it's always fun watching him throw people off and through things.
JAKE: The Smackdown girls’ 100 percent.
PHIL: Triple threat smackdown women's title match should be great! First time on a PPV card that I'm most looking forward to a women's match...times are a'changin.
PETE: The SD women's TLC triple threat by the longest shot. It's basically the ultraviolence division now. I'm expecting Charlotte vs Onita soon.
ROB A: I have exclusively watched Becky Lynch and Daniel Bryan segments all month, so I reckon the Becky Lynch or Daniel Bryan match.
ALEX: Buddy Murphy vs Cedric Alexander.
ROB C: Quite a few! Bryan vs AJ is always an exciting prospect. Any match involving Usos & New Day is good (even if Sheamus must be involved). But Charlotte vs Becky vs Asuka tops it for me.
JAMES: Becky Lynch vs Charlotte vs Asuka. I think Asuka wins this. Freeing up Becky to win the Rumble and go after Rousey for Mania. In more likelihood Charlotte wins this to allow Becky to win the Rumble and go after Rousey for Mania. Would love to see Asuka get a run though. Her just smashing shit out of them both with a stick at the end of Smackdown was brilliant. Go Asuka! P.S also Murphy v Alexander. Always great.
LARS SULLIVAN IS COMING – HOW WOULD YOU BOOK HIM ON THE SHOW?
ROSS: No Way Jose comes out with his conga line of freaks. Lars is dressed whacky and unnoticed amongst them. He tears off the zany clothes and kicks all their asses - declaring himself the super freak.
SHADS: WWE Championship, Vinnie Mac used to love turning to the big heel like Kane or Big Show if in doubt. Start him at the top, why not! AJ about to win the title back and then Lars Sullivan comes in and destroys everything in sight!
RYAN: Have him cost Strowman vs Corbin
ROBIN: I don't think the farting gimmick they gave Natalya a couple of years ago back was given enough of a chance, so I'd give it to Lars. He looks like a guy who could tear an arena in half with one.
MITCH: Big Randy Orton.
SIMON: Him to shit on the PPV and help Corbin beat Braun
RO: Snitsky looks different... but why is he back?
JAKE: Couldn't care less. He bores me.
PHIL: Lars Sullivan vs Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder in a Handicap match. Basically, a Ryback repeat.
PETE: Makes a run in during a match and slips up like Titus at the Rumble. I don't care for him at all.
ROB A: Hmm, as long as it's not in the Becky Lynch or Daniel Bryan match, I don't really care.
ALEX: Having never heard of him, after a quick cursory google search, I’d have him rag doll Heath Slater for like 20 minutes. Don’t even attempt a pin, brutalise any refs who try to stop the match until Braun must come out and stare him down. Set up a RAW hoss match for the following week.
ROB C: He really needs to destroy someone to establish him as a monster heel from the off, I think. I’d be tempted to feed him people like Heath & Hawkins for a few weeks to start.
JAMES: Can Lars just come and batter Lashley and Elias, after Elias’ song but before they have to have a match?
IF CORBIN LOSES – WHO WOULD YOU REPLACE HIM WITH AS NEW RAW GM?
ROSS: I am a bit bored of the GM idea but if it must happen, get a face one so we don’t deal with authority bullshit. Maybe Kurt and his son Jason Jordan would play off well and possibly lead to a match between them down the line to conclude their silly but fun angle.
SHADS: John Bradshaw Layfield as a heel GM.
RYAN: Kevin Owens to get him back on TV.
ROBIN: Extremely unlikely but I'd love to see Stone Cold back. Not just for his screen presence, but for his influence creatively backstage also.
MITCH: I would give it to Val Venis. He’s a good heel.
SIMON: Jericho (Wouldn’t happen).
RO: Stone Cold... give those raw ratings a little boost!
JAKE: Joe Coffey. Always.
PHIL: Teddy Long for Raw GM (if he's still alive, which I honestly don't know if he is or not. I hope so.)
PETE: Nobody. I'm done with GMs. No one cares about them and they haven't added anything to the show in forever. As for an actual answer to the question though, Keith Lee. If I were a gigantic corporation, I'd pay top ad money for three hours a week of Keith Lee smirking at the camera.
ROB A: I like the work Becky Lynch and Daniel Bryan are doing on smackdown, so anyone but them can take over and it should all be fine.
ALEX: Jim Smallman - bloke is a shill.
ROB C: Can anyone do a good job as Raw GM with the way the show is booked? Have Stephanie in charge for a while I reckon. Failing that, Alexa would be a fun short-term idea.
JAMES: Sid Scala. He's due a promotion, I think.
IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A BUMP USING A TABLE, LADDER OR CHAIR WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
ROSS: Spearing Phil through a table for old times sake.
SHADS: Double table with the Singh brothers on the bottom one and myself and Foxy on the top. Take all the trash out at once!
RYAN: A table, as long as it’s not an Eddie Dennis/Mark Andrews one!
ROBIN: A Rhyno Gore through a table propped up against the turnbuckle. Took a thousand of these when I was 15 doing backyard wrestling (replace table for fence panel), so I know I can sell it like an absolute champ!
MITCH: Ladder through a flaming table. Just for the laughs, innit.
SIMON: Crash land into a pile of stacked tables like the first TLC.
RO: Shooting star press off a ladder through a table covered in chairs... why the fuck not?
JAKE: Oh, doesn't everyone just want to be Swanton bombed through a table?
PHIL: If there was a title on the line, I'd take a bump from absolutely anything! I'd do anything to get that sweet gold back around my empty waist!
PETE: When you say chair bump is that a chair shot or a bump onto chairs? Because I would take your common garden variety chairshot but as for bumps onto stuff, table all the way. I'm a complete wimp, you see.
ROB A: I'd land on a table because at least it's flat. I would hate to land on something bobbly, wobbly or jaggedy.
ALEX: Table. Not a NJPW one, however. Give me one of those break upon gust of air, WWE ones please.
ROB C: Table I think. They look a fair bit more forgiving than a chair or a ladder.
JAMES: Done it, see below…
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