One of WWE’s most iconic games returns this coming Sunday at the TLC pay-per-view. Both WWE and Universal Tournaments will be on the line in TLC games with high expectations for both delivering big shots.
In total, TLC has five online tournaments, including Roman Reigns defending the all-time champion against Kevin Owens and Drew MacIntyre putting the WWE title on the line against AJ Styles. All the action descends from the ThunderDome within the Tampa Bay Tropicana Range.
TLC will start at 7pm ET and the show is expected to last around three hours, not counting the kickoff show, which starts an hour before the main card at 6pm. CBS Sports will be with you all the way on Sunday with live results, ambitions and analysis.
Let’s take a closer look at who our CBS Sports experts predict will emerge at WWE TLC.
Forecast 2020 WWE TLC
Women’s Tag Team Competition: Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler (c) vs Asuka & TBD
With Lana torn from the game due to a kayfabe injury, there is a finite number of women who can take her place: Nikki Cross is the one who makes the most sense and then Charlotte Flair and Naomi , and either would return after an injury layoff. WWE is more likely to rearrange its women ‘s stories as they were originally intended before Mandy Rose was injured. I believe Rose & Dana Brooke were supposed to go ahead and defeat Jax & Baszler with one or both of those women moving into conflict with Asuka for the Raw women ‘s tournament. going into 2021. So with Lana on his side and Rose back, it makes sense to run an angle with Jax & Baszler outscoring Asuka before the game, allowing Adam Pearce to pick a new team who will get the job as originally intended. Select: Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke won the titles – Adam Silverstein (also Brent Brookhouse)
Raw Tag Team Competition: The New Day (c) vs. Hurt Industry
The build-up to this game was confirmed by New Day going 2-0-1 in title games against Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin before the essential singles from Alexander won another title game for Hurt Business. Hurt Business needs to raise the titles, while New Day gets a little boring with the straps on Raw. I’m not sure why the story would have run like this if it hadn’t been for a change in this pay-per-view. Select: Hurt Business wins the titles – Silverstein
I could see the titles changing here, but I think this is where the seeds they’ve been planting with Cedric Alexander’s selfishness are starting to pay off . Alexander was tagging in that with Bobby Lashley gaining the upper hand in six, he has signaled wildly several times in a way that seemed to upset the rest of the Hurt Industry and so on. I see him coming to a decision that goes backwards, allows New Day to take place and causes internal issues with the organization. Select: New Day retains the titles – Brookhouse
“The Fiend” Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton
Wyatt is on the usual path in front of a competitor in a game like his own before the payoff game like The Fiend. Orton had the upper hand on the first game before Wyatt left and was replaced by the Fiend. Orton then lit a box in which Wyatt was on fire only to see the Fiend appear. With Wyatt’s “victories” over Raw, Orton would normally win at the pay-per-view. But the Fiend is a special deception and these rules do not always apply. Plus, Alexa Bliss has been off screen since Orton threatened her as proof that he found The Fiend’s weakness (she was just close to filming for the new Punky Brewster show). This would be a good place for her to pop back up, spend the game for Orton and prove she’s not a weakness. Select: “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt wins – Brookhouse (also Silverstein)
Women’s SmackDown Competition: Sasha Banks (c) vs. Carmella
WWE is finally giving Banks a run with a contest after its history that it can’t hold on to the title. It’s hard to see that ending at Carmella’s hands less than a month after Banks won the belt. Carmella has come out strong throughout the story and that’s great for the division, as SmackDown needs more players at the top of the women’s division, but she’s not ready for a title run and Banks didn’t run until enough. Select: Sasha Banks will retain the title – Brookhouse (also Silverstein)
WWE Tournament: Drew McIntyre (c) vs. AJ Styles (TLC game)
Styles is a pretty handy player at this point. You can put it in any situation and it’s a credible risk. That said, it’s hard to see MacIntyre losing the belt ahead of WrestleMania, especially after losing the belt to Orton for a short time. This should be a good game and could be an attempt to establish Miz Money’s money in the Bank, which would also likely fail to keep MacIntyre a strong champion. Select: Drew MacIntyre will retain the title – Brookhouse (also SIlverstein)
Universal Tournament: Roman Kingdoms (c) v. Kevin Owens
The simple fact of the matter is that Reigns is the main character and the story going on in WWE right now. He’s been an amazing new character that captures an audience and makes people excited about SmackDown. Kingdoms will lose the title at some point, but it won’t be to Owens at PPV level B. He’s likely to be at WrestleMania against another mainstream superstar (like Daniel Bryan or Big E). if WWE continues through with the rumored game Goldberg, Reigns may be holding the title for a calendar year until SummerSlam. Owens is revived by this conflict, but perhaps the change we see in him is more of a heel turn than Owens is becoming a new champion. Select: Roman Reigns retains the title – Silverstein (also Brookhouse)