The next era of WWE history begins at WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, when World Heavyweight Champion John Cena faces WWE Champion Randy Orton in what is arguably the single most important match in WWE history.
How to watch WWE TLC | Available on most devices
Even beyond that huge collision, the WWE Universe is excitedly looking ahead to a packed card featuring no fewer than two other championship bouts, and two grave challenges to WWE fan favorites CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. Which Superstars will rise to the occasion? See who we picked with our WWE TLC 2013 predictions.
Joey Styles: This match is what sports books call “even money.” Since his red-hot WrestleMania debut to upset the first-ever Undisputed WWE Champion, Chris Jericho, and making “Fandango-ing” a global phenomenon, the gliding grappler has cooled off. It’s almost as if The Wrestling Gods got a bit bored staring at their newly created shining star. Ziggler, on the other hand, has had two cups of coffee with the World Heavyweight Championship, but also seems to be Zig-Zagging an uphill battle on wrestling's Mt. Olympus. Though the winners of this match will ultimately be the more than 1 million WWE Universe members who watch pay-per-view Kickoffs, I see interference from Summer Rae allowing Fandango to abscond with the cheapest of victories. WINNER: Fandango
Alex Giannini: The WWE TLC Kickoff Match has the potential to steal the show, as Dolph Ziggler looks to get things started on a high note against the fleet-footed Fandango. Both Superstars are as talented as they come, and their one-on-one bout should be a dynamic display of athleticism. Under the bright lights of a pay-per-view prelude, though, I won’t bet against The Showoff. WINNER: Dolph Ziggler
Anthony Benigno: Here’s how you know WWE TLC will be good: A match between two of WWE’s most talented performers is theKickoff Match. This has the potential to be a dark-horse minor classic, actually. To be perfectly frank, we all win with a contest like this. In terms of who gets the 1-2-3, though, I’m going with my gut and saying The Showoff. Plan your celebratory hip wiggles accordingly. WINNER: Dolph Ziggler
Jake Grate: One of the most intriguing matches on the entire WWE TLC card will go down before the pay-per-view even starts. Two impressive, talented, well-rounded Superstars will be looking to finish off the home stretch of 2013 in style, as Ziggler and Fandango go one-on-one for the first time. Although it’s hard to pick against The Showoff, and Fandango has been on a bit of a losing streak in recent weeks, the toe-tapping Superstar waltzes his way to victory. WINNER: Fandango
John Clapp: I’m calling it now: Ziggler vs. Fandango will be the most athletically impressive match to be featured on a Kickoff to date. Assuredly, both are looking to turn heads, and I could see the bout playing out like an updated version of Shawn Michaels vs. Rick Martel or WCW-era Dustin Rhodes vs. “Stunning” Steve Austin: Fast-paced, back-and-forth and showcasing two informed skillsets that haven’t even begun to peak. I think The Showoff claims victory, but not with one of his signature moves. WINNER: Dolph Ziggler
Dolph Ziggler: 3, Fandango: 2
Joey Styles: The Second City Saint is not one to be outsmarted, and The Hounds of Justice cannot be leashed. These two points are why WWE records will reflect a win for CM Punk at WWE TLC, even though he may end up leaving the arena on a stretcher. How so? The rules of this 3-on-1 Handicap Match state that Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns have to tag in and out. For a year, The Shield has made it evident that they would rather lose by disqualification than by letting one of their members be pinned or made to submit. Punk will get the better of one of the three men in black, only to be attacked by the other two. He will officially win by disqualification, but will be the obvious loser, left to be tended to by WWE’s medical personnel. WINNER: CM Punk
Alex Giannini: I just can’t see a way for Punk to overcome all three Shield members. I know we’ve seen miraculous squared circle victories in the past, and Punk, especially, has the cunning to come out ahead against even the most staggering of odds. At the end of the day, however, it’s enough of a task to go one-on-one with Ambrose, Rollins or Reigns. To face all three at the same time in one match? I just don’t see a miracle propagated by The Second City Saint at WWE TLC. WINNERS: The Shield
Anthony Benigno: For the first time ever, there’s a crack in The Shield, thanks to some budding tension between Dean Ambrose and his fellow men in black. Look for Punk to try and exploit the miscommunication for some old-fashioned head games … and look for The Shield to beat him, anyway. WINNERS: The Shield
Jake Grate: Even Punk knows that this match is less about defeating The Shield and more about seeing how many of The Hounds of Justice he can drag down with him. Signs of tension among the three Shield members are worrisome, but that won’t be enough for even The Best in the World to emerge victorious when the odds are so stacked against him. WINNERS: The Shield
John Clapp: If any Superstar is clever enough to exploit the disunity sprouting among The Shield members, it’s CM Punk. Now, I’m not convinced The Straight Edge Superstar will actually be able to overcome the 1-on-3 disadvantage, but even if he tastes defeat, I think he’ll irreparably damage the collective psyche of The Shield in the process. WINNERS: The Shield
CM Punk: 1, The Shield: 4
Joey Styles: The Intellectual Savior of the Masses, The Duke of Decency, The Lord of Literacy. Damien Sandow can call himself anything he likes. At WWE TLC, the WWE Universe will be calling him “road kill.” Or is “mat kill” acceptable? We’ll have to ask Sandow after he regains the wind in his lungs following The Big Ending. You’re Welcome. WINNER: Big E Langston
Alex Giannini: I know what you’re thinking — Big E’s going to run over Sandow in this one. Not so fast. The Intellectual Savior is due for a major pay-per-view moment, and I’m going out on a limb here to say that WWE TLC will provide Damien Sandow with the biggest win of his career, and it’ll kick-start an epic rivalry of brains against brawn. WINNER: Damien Sandow
Anthony Benigno: Damien Sandow is as worthy of the Intercontinental Championship as any Superstar in WWE. That said, Langston’s on a roll right now, and even The Enlightened One’s mighty cranium won’t devise a way to take him down this time. WINNER: Big E Langston
Jake Grate: This appears to be a battle between the two Superstars who could very well be WWE’s physically and mentally strongest competitors, respectively. Big E has the look of a long-reigning champion, with muscles, charisma and intensity to spare. The savvy Sandow, however, will use all his intellectual might to prove that smarts are indeed superior to strength, as the intellectual claims his first title in WWE. WINNER: Damien Sandow
John Clapp: In the past, Damien Sandow has been wrongly perceived as lacking toughness — a myth that his series of matches against Dolph Ziggler all but completely dispelled. If The Intellectual Savior can maintain that rough-and-tumble nature while keeping his game plan malleable (i.e., not focusing too narrowly on landing the You’re Welcome against the immense titleholder), he will win his first championship in WWE. WINNER: Damien Sandow
Damien Sandow: 3, Big E Langston: 2
Joey Styles: Though both champion and challenger had to claw and scratch their way to becoming WWE Divas rather than being discovered in modeling agencies, that’s where the parity ends. AJ’s cunning manipulation of most of the Divas division has kept her wearing the butterfly-emblazoned title since the date tattooed on the back of her neck. However, Natalya has never been sucked in to AJ’s web of lies. The Hart Dungeon Diva is the best wrestler in WWE Divas’ division and probably in all of WWE. If WWE still sanctioned inter-gender matches, I think Nattie could German suplex, discus clothesline and Sharpshoot into submission many men in tights. Come WWE TLC, AJ will fall to the generational pink-and-black attack, and a tearful Natalya will be Divas Champion once again. WINNER: Natalya
Alex Giannini: Not to be Mr. Negativity, but I’m once again going against the potentially feel-good story here, and instead of a triumphant Sunday night for much-deserving “Total Diva” Natalya, I’m putting my money on another pay-per-view win for Divas Champion AJ Lee. In a match that may well come down to who taps out first, I’m choosing The Black Widow over the Sharpshooter. WINNER: AJ Lee
Anthony Benigno: Ordinarily, this would be a cinch: AJ in decisive fashion. But the champ hasn’t been the same since losing that Survivor Series Match a few weeks back, and Natalya’s on a roll. Looks like it’s time for The Black Widow to be squashed under the heel of the pink-and-black attack. WINNER: Natalya
Jake Grate: This contest, pitting the grapplers with the Divas division’s two most dangerous submissions against each other, is all but guaranteed to end with either AJ or Natalya tapping out. Although The Queen of Harts’ pedigree and technical prowess are impeccable, AJ simply finds ways to win and retain the butterfly-emblazoned title. She continues that impressive streak at WWE TLC. WINNER: AJ Lee
John Clapp: AJ Lee had better squeeze in as much snuggle time as possible with her beloved Divas Championship now, because at WWE TLC, her reign could well come to an end. Thanks to recent wins over Tamina Snuka, momentum is working in Natalya’s favor. Expect the third-generation Diva to look more confident than ever en route to making AJ tap. WINNER: Natalya
AJ Lee: 2, Natalya: 3
Joey Styles:Unlike CM Punk, Daniel Bryan is not a strategist. The submission technician is an undersized offensive machine with a chip on his shoulder. At only 5-foot-10 and barely over 200 pounds, Bryan has had something to prove since he graduated high school in Aberdeen, Wash., and drove 2,219 miles (according to Google Maps) to Shawn Michaels’ wrestling school in San Antonio, Texas. Even though his against-all-odds success cannot be questioned, his modus operandi is a poor one for this match; unlike Punk, winning by disqualification will not satiate the vegan pit bull inside Bryan. The former World Champion is more than capable of defeating Luke Harper, Erick Rowan and Bray Wyatt in singles matches. However, with half a ton of swamp monsters having the advantage of tagging in and out, the pride of Aberdeen will meet the same fate as many a gator on Wyatt land. WINNERS: The Wyatt Family
Alex Giannini:To choose Daniel Bryan as the winner of this 3-on-1 Handicap Match would be lunacy, yet my gut tells me he’s going to figure out a way to beat the odds. Then I start to actually think about what winning this match would entail, and I have to go with my head on this one. The Wyatt Family will make WWE TLC one very long and horrible night for The Beard. WINNERS: The Wyatt Family
Anthony Benigno:Daniel Bryan will not be joining The Wyatt Family; frankly, that much facial hair in one faction would tear the cosmos asunder. The newly minted Superstar of the Year will tap into his inner animal and tear them apart, though since that kind of proves Bray Wyatt’s point of late anyway, can it really be called a victory? In the classic sense, Bryan takes it. WINNER: Daniel Bryan
Jake Grate: Against any member of The Wyatt Family in singles competition, the bearded wonder would be an even-money, 50/50 bet. Against all three? The WWE fan favorite could be in for a very short, but very painful, night. WINNERS: The Wyatt Family
John Clapp:Daniel Bryan usually matches up very well against the giants of WWE, and he’ll be staring across the ring at three of them at WWE TLC. I predict The Beard will be mindful of avoiding The Wyatts’ corner and will attempt to cut off the ring if the opportunity presents itself. Even if it doesn’t, I still see Bryan successfully alternating between flurries that neutralize whoever’s on the apron and a methodical attack against the legal man. WINNER: Daniel Bryan
The Wyatt Family: 3, Daniel Bryan: 2
Joey Styles: Most people I have spoken to think it’s a foregone conclusion that John Cena will walk away from WWE TLC with both official titles and the unofficial title, “Face of WWE.” I, on the other hand, think there is no way that The Authority lets that happen. Any tension between Orton and The Authority is a ruse, I believe, with the purpose of making fools out of Cena and us, the WWE Universe. John Cena is a 14-time World Champion, second only to Triple H’s hero and mentor, Ric Flair. There is no way that WWE’s COO is going to let anyone ever tie Flair’s epic record. Furthermore, after helping Orton win at WWE TLC, expect Triple H to even turn against him, too, if he approaches Flair’s legacy. For any of you reading this and thinking that I am a conspiracy nut, do you really think it is coincidence that The Authority made the stipulations of this historic matchup Tables, Ladders & Chairs — a match that has no disqualifications? WINNER: Randy Orton
Alex Giannini: Though everyone at WWE.com can agree on the historic significance of this match, what we can’t see eye-to-eye on is who will ultimately emerge victorious as The Champion of Champions. I have my doubts about The Authority’s ability to remain as impartial observers to the title bout, but I don’t doubt The Champ’s ability to rise above pretty much anything thrown his way. Face of WWE, thy name is Cena. WINNER: John Cena
Anthony Benigno: Oh, boy. You’d hate to bet against The Champ with the stakes as big as this. You can count on one hand the times he has blown it with the big prize on the line. But there’s (here it comes) no chance in hell The Authority is letting two titles slip through their grasp, let alone one. By hook, crook and RKO, Randy Orton remains king. WINNER: Randy Orton
Jake Grate: Orton’s current WWE Championship reign was at least partially due to the involvement of The Authority. Now that it is unclear if The Viper maintains the crucial support of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, it is very possible that he will be facing Cena at WWE TLC without any aid, interference or asterisk. In a brutal one-on-one battle, The Champ overcomes The Viper in an instant classic. WINNER: John Cena
John Clapp: I don’t think The Authority was ever particularly averse to John Cena as The Champion of Champions, and following the bedlam that closed Raw Monday, it’s entirely possible that Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are now firmly in the corner of The Champ. Outside parties aside, Cena has actual experience in TLC Match combat, unlike Orton, and that could spell the difference in determining which Superstar leaves Houston with two World Titles. WINNER: John Cena
John Cena: 3, Randy Orton: 2