Updated WWE TLC Lineup Including First-Ever Women’s TLC Match
The last WWE pay-per-view of 2018 is called Tables, Ladders & Chairs (aka TLC) and it takes place at the SAP Center in San Jose, California on Sunday, December 16. The card is coming together nicely after a big match was set up for the Smackdown Women’s Title.
The opening of Smackdown this week (read my review here) saw Becky Lynch call out her on again/off again friend Charlotte Flair. The women exchanged trash talk with Lynch claiming that Flair acted like Lynch at Survivor Series while Fair claimed that Lynch stole “The Man” nickname from Charlotte’s dad Ric Flair, which is true. To calm them down, Smackdown General Manager Paige said it’s going to be Lynch defending the SD Women’s Title against Flair in a TLC match at TLC. That led to the other 9 women on Smackdown to say they want a shot at Lynch, so Paige put them in a battle royal for the main event. Asuka won that, which was the right decision, so that set up a triple threat TLC match for the Smackdown Women’s Title.
That’s a match that could go either way because remember, whoever isn’t the champion going into January’s Royal Rumble is a potential winner of the Royal Rumble to set up a huge match at WrestleMania. We all know Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey is likely for WrestleMania, so perhaps this is where Lynch drops the title and then wins the Rumble leading to a WrestleMania challenge against her rival, “Ronnie” Rousey. That could mean the title goes back to Flair or maybe Asuka wins it for the first time. I don’t have a prediction for the match right now. I think it can go either way.
I think it’s cool that it is Lynch vs. Flair vs. Asuka in the first-ever women’s TLC match because they’re very good in the ring, so I have faith in them having a great match. I assume it follows TLC title rules with the title hanging above the ring like a ladder match rather than winning it via pinfall or submission. Grabbing the title after climbing the ladder is a cooler visual.
Here’s the rest of the card in terms of official matches although one match may not happen as advertised.
WWE Championship: Daniel Bryan (c) vs. AJ Styles
Smackdown Women’s Championship TLC Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
Intercontinental Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Dean Ambrose
Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match: Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin (If Strowman wins, he challenges Lesnar for the Universal Title at Royal Rumble. If Corbin wins, he is full-time GM of Raw.)
Raw Women’s Championship: Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Nia Jax
Finals of Mixed Match Challenge (Teams to be determined.)
The Twitter account @Wrestlevotes, which has broken some stories in the past, noted that Strowman’s elbow surgery will likely cause him to miss the TLC match against Corbin.
Hearing Braun Strowman may indeed be out past the TLC PPV, and they are preparing to make the TLC match involving Baron Corbin a multi man contest similar to the 2012 TLC PPV.
— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) November 27, 2018
If they make it a multi-man match that could mean a 3 on 3 tag team match, which is how things are setting up on Raw. Corbin is leading a group right now with Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley. This week on Raw they beat up Elias and Finn Balor, so they could be on the face team. The third face could be a returning Bray Wyatt, who is due back any week now. They could also put Kurt Angle in the match with the role of GM on the line.
For now, Corbin vs. Strowman is still advertised.