WWE TLC 2018: 5 things we learned from the pay-per-view

WWE’s Tables, Ladders, and Chairs pay-per-view were the last one of the year that had high expectations from the fans. The event saw a loaded card which consisted of the top superstars in the business today.

From the bottom to the top, many matches delivered while some fell flat on its face. What was evident was that the three big matches from SmackDown did better than the matches from Raw, and even the Cruiserweight Championship match had the potential to steal the show.

There were a total of two title changes on the show, and the road to WrestleMania has begun now. WWE saved the best for last as the women’s championship match to close out the show was a treat to watch. Sadly, the bout between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose did not deliver as it should have, but we have a new Intercontinental Champion nonetheless.

At the end of the night, there were a few takeaways from the show which can make an impact on the months to come. Take a look at the 5 things we learned from the final PPV of the year.

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#5 The 205 Live Champions are extraordinary

Buddy Murphy defended his Cruiserweight Championship against Cedric Alexander in a rematch of their Super Show-Down bout to kick off the action on Sunday.

The match was nothing short of an A-grade performance from both the men which makes it seem like both are incapable of having a bad match.

Sadly, the match found itself on the kick-off show and had the potential to even make it to the last three matches of the night. The action was competitive, fast-paced, and high-flying, and demonstrated some of the best action these men can showcase in the ring.

Murphy retained his championship, but Cedric Alexander performed his heart out too and this shows how far the cruiserweight division has come since the creation of 205 Live.

If the men of the division keep putting on such performances, there is little doubt that they will be on the main card of pay-per-view events more often than not.

#4 Elias vs Bobby Lashley shouldn’t have happened

The match between these two was a botched booking, to say the least. Both men are very unfamiliar with ladder matches, and their size and strength can prove to be a better match for some other stipulation.

Thankfully, the match found itself on the kick-off and did not damage the show too much. But comparing it to the match that took place right before it, it was nothing more than a bad booking between two superstars with great potential.

Elias has been kept in the mid-card for a long time, and there is little he can do with this win going forward as too many heels and top-card superstars have already taken the highlight of Raw. It seemed like the entire purpose of the match was to have more heat against the Lio Rush and Bobby Lashley who will probably progress more than Elias in the near future.

The fact that a guitar was used to end the match made it seem even dumber since both men rely on their strength to win matches rather than weapons and objects for the most part.

#3 R-Truth and Carmella will be part of the same Royal Rumble

The Mixed Match Challenge 2 may have started off with a bang with many great names involved, but ended not so well.

The match involved three forgotten superstars and Carmella who is slowly moving into their league too. Overall, the match wasn’t exciting and had way too many messes and botches to come out on top. The predictable dance breaks and interferences from The Singh Brothers kept the action dry.

After Truth and Carmella picked up the win, the commentators tried to make a big deal about Truth and Carmella earning the No. 30 sports in the Royal Rumble. This further confirmed that both superstars who aren’t seen as major threats will probably have something up their sleeves.

Keeping in mine what Truth had said earlier, it is possible that he will enter the women’s Royal Rumble along with Carmella at No. 30 instead of the men’s Royal Rumble. Since he has requested a shot at the women’s championship in the past, this seems to be the perfect fit as it makes no sense why WWE would reveal the No.30 entrant of the men’s match already.

#2 The Bar will stick together

The Bar recently parted ways with The Big Show after a short partnership with the big man which saw him help them win the SmackDown Tag Team titles.

Since their defense was at TLC against two of the best tag teams in WWE today in a triple-threat match, it seemed like they would drop the titles and maybe even split up in the process to return to singles competition.

However, they overcame the odds and stood tall as the reigning SmackDown Tag Champions in a decent match which saw a few ups and downs.

Many fans of Cesaro were hoping that The Bar will lose and go their separate ways come Royal Rumble where the Swiss Superman might have a chance of winning the Royal Rumble match. However, given the outcome of the match at TLC, it seems unlikely that this will happen.

Instead, we could probably finally see the rise of Sanity on the main roster as potential threats to The Bar after The New Day and The Usos lost their chance.

#1 Women can easily headline WrestleMania

The main event of the entire event saw SmackDown’s Women’s Champion Becky Lynch defend her title against Asuka and Charlotte in a potential Match of the Year candidate.

Compared to the match between two great wrestlers Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose that preceded it, this match was miles better and saw the best performances by all three women this year.

Not a single spot disappointed and led to the crowning of a brand-new champion for the blue brand which is a great decision on the part of the creatives.

Even though Ronda Rousey’s interference dampened Asuka’s win a little, it was probably all done to set up a Four horsewomen match for the future which could probably even headline WrestleMania 35.

The women of WWE are now ready, raring to go, and better than ever. All three things were evident in the bout between the three best workers in WWE today.

Will we see Vince McMahon move Becky Lynch, and maybe even Charlotte, to the red brand on Raw this week?