7 things that must happen TLC

The final pay per view of 2018 is now imminent. The card looks like it will be hot and cold. There are a lot of matches on the show that feel like they're happening just to stretch out time and make the event feel unnecessarily long, like Ruby Riott vs. Natalya.

Some other matches feel like formalities. There's no chance of Ronda Rousey losing her title to Nia Jax. Finn Balor (assuming he's cleared) has no chance of defeating Drew McIntyre. Daniel Bryan is a shoe-in to retain the WWE Championship. Some other matches, like the Mixed Match Challenge final, mean little, even with a #30 Royal Rumble spot up for grabs.

There are other matches that have more stakes and are up in the air. WWE should make the following decisions in order to ensure that WrestleMania season gets started off on the right foot.

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#1 Elias must defeat Bobby Lashley

It's time to walk with Elias.

Raw's midcard may be open heading into WrestleMania. Usually, the midcard titles are defended at the Showcase of the Immortals in multi-man matches, leaving a lot of room to build new stars in the process.

One such star in the making is Elias. A master of crowd control as both a heel and a babyface, Elias has a lot more potential than the place that he's been operating in. Competing for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania is a possibility that should be pursued.

To do this, he needs to start heating up, and defeating Bobby Lashley would be an excellent way for him to do so.

Lashley hasn't clicked since his return, even with his heel turn a few months back. It's clear that Elias has the bigger upside at the moment. WWE should start taking advantage of it here.

#2 Rey Mysterio must defeat Randy Orton

Viper venom.

It's with a heavy heart that I say that Randy Orton needs to lose on Sunday. It's far from a stretch to say that he's doing some of the best work of his career at the moment. Rey Mysterio, in the meantime, hasn't felt like a huge deal despite his being a big return.

Unfortunately, SmackDown's babyface side is weak at the moment. With AJ Styles unlikely to recapture the WWE Championship on Sunday, the blue brand needs to start building some challengers for Bryan. While it's unlikely that Mysterio will compete for the title at WrestleMania (which would be a bad idea anyway), he could serve as a good filler opponent.

Alternatively, Mysterio can enter a rivalry with Shinsuke Nakamura over the US title, which needs some spark. Him capturing the title to eventually drop it to Andrade "Cien" Almas would be a good decision.

Either possibility requires a victory for him on Sunday.

#3 The Bar must retain the SmackDown Tag Team Championship

Raise the Bar.

Sheamus and Cesaro's coming out strong in the rap battle segment yesterday suggests that they might lose on Sunday, but it would be a bad decision. There's little to be gained for the division with another New Day title reign, while The Usos have a lot of room left to explore a potential feud with the reigning champions and don't need to win them so early.

The Usos vs. The Bar is a rivalry that could extend for the next few months and a chase for The Usos would be more entertaining than an endless series of title defense rematches.

Now isn't the appropriate time for The Bar to drop their titles, especially considering that the other heel teams on SmackDown are essentially nonexistent. One need not think about how badly SAnitY has been handled since their main roster debut.

#4 Buddy Murphy must retain the Cruiserweight Championship

The juggernaut's reign continues.

This rematch was inevitable. It should be one of the sleeper hits of the night. If they get the time to have a solid match instead of just a sprint, they might be able to rival their May 29th match of the year candidate.

Nevertheless, the right result isn't in doubt. Buddy Murphy needs to retain on Sunday.

There's a lot left for 205 Live's juggernaut to do as Cruiserweight Champion. A second title reign for Cedric Alexander feels pointless at this juncture, especially when he was overshadowed by Murphy and Mustafa Ali throughout his entire reign.

A re-do of Murphy vs. Ali should be the ideal Cruiserweight Championship match at MetLife Stadium. Cedric Alexander doesn't figure much into the equation right now.

Ultimately, he should put up a valiant fight, but fall short of stopping the juggernaut of the purple brand.

#5 Dean Ambrose must win the Intercontinental Championship

The Lunatic reigns.

There's a chance for a real and badly needed shakeup on Monday Night Raw looming. That shakeup should begin on Sunday, with a shocking moment where the red brand's resident hero losing his coveted title to its greatest villain.

A Dean Ambrose victory would not only give the Raw midcard division an evil champion to overthrow, but it could also potentially reinvigorate the main event of the show as well.

Chatter has been going around that Seth Rollins is the favorite to win the Royal Rumble this year. If there's anyone that deserves the honor in the men's match, it's him.

Dropping the Intercontinental Championship would not only allow him to move on to bigger things, but it would give him a crisis of confidence heading into one of WWE's biggest events. His despair and triumph would make for a great story - all in a preview of an even bigger foe awaiting him on the grandest stage.

To get the Road to WrestleMania started, Dean Ambrose should win here.

#6 Braun Strowman must squash Baron Corbin

Triumphant return.

After this build, it appears inevitable that Braun Strowman will return in triumph at TLC. It has to be the case, right?

Baron Corbin has been so visible and abusing his power so much that fate almost has to demand that he lose at TLC.

But the manner of his loss is important as well. With Braun Strowman possibly not at 100% heading into the pay per view, a short, brutal, and sweet victory for the Monster Among Men would allow him to save face and still heal his injury. In the meantime, the build to the Royal Rumble will begin with another showdown between him and Brock Lesnar.

With so many matches on this card, some need to be shorter than others. This one should be such a match. A short and brutal match will suit both of these men the best.

#7 Asuka must win the SmackDown Women's Championship

An imperial coronation.

It's the right decision for so many reasons.

First, it would allow Asuka to save face and salvage her year after being treated horribly since WrestleMania. Fans still want to get behind her, to the point that even Vince McMahon is purported to have taken notice. This would be the way to build enthusiasm for her.

Second, a victory for Asuka here would make the Royal Rumble a lot more unpredictable and exciting. If Charlotte or Becky win on Sunday, it's obvious that the other one will win on January 27th and challenge Ronda Rousey. With both of them in the Rumble, things get a lot more tense, which is just what the company should want in building up to one of its biggest pay per views.

Third, it would allow for the potential for Becky Lynch to capitalize on an amazing year and give fans what they truly want - a showdown with Ronda Rousey. To get there, she needs to drop the SmackDown Women's Championship. There's no better and more popular candidate, one who wouldn't get blowback from fans, than Asuka.

An Asuka victory would be great for both her and Becky, who are both a lot more popular than Charlotte. It's the magic outcome everyone wants.