WWE TLC 2018: 5 potential finishes for Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles

'The New' Daniel Bryan defends his WWE Championship for the first time against former champion AJ Styles. Claiming the WWE Championship once more has turned Bryan into an environmentalist heel who chides the fans and constantly calls them 'fickle', although his far-left views haven't really been used as the impetus as a heel in WWE.

Bryan initially captured the belt in controversial fashion when he hit Styles with a low blow that led to his win on the Smackdown before Survivor Series. He also attacked a downed Styles after winning the title.

Ever since then, and even during his match with Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series, Bryan has had an more of an edge to his personality.

With the potential of two of the matches not happening in the usual fashion (Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin), this one needs to be among the best matches of the night.

The two ring technicians face off again for the WWE Championship on Sunday at TLC, and several things could happen to determine just who walks out with the gold.

Here are five potential finishes to the match.

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#5: Daniel Bryan retains in clean fashion

It's hard to think this will happen due to Bryan's recent turn

This seems like the least likely of the finishes, at least in my opinion. Bryan's recent heel turn suggests that some chicanery will go down, but the two wrestlers might just wrestle a clean match with a clean finish.

Styles is still the face in the feud, so he likely won't take any short cuts in order to regain his belt. Bryan will probably wrestle most of the match cleanly as well, with only the way he retains in question.

This is just the beginning of Bryan's title reign as a heel, and he's only going to get more insufferable the longer he holds the belt. He can not only help his cause if he retains his belt, but does so in clean fashion. He can say that he took everything Styles had and still beat him.

That would stick in Styles' craw and likely either push him over the edge or give him time to recoup. I'm predicting Bryan retaining his belt but winning the match cleanly doesn't seem to suit his new turn.

#4: AJ Styles Regains his title

Could AJ take back the belt he held and defended for much of the last year and change?

AJ winning back his title would be both cathartic for him and the fans. He didn't lose in in what can be considered clean fashion, which stinks for a guy who has carried the Blue Brand for most of the last two years. He deserved better, but it got Bryan where he needed to be with his heel turn.

AJ and Bryan are the two best wrestlers the brand has to offer, so just seeing the two of them in a WWE ring for a WWE Championship is partially reward enough. If AJ does win at TLC, he'll likely do so in clean fashion. He's still a face and wouldn't likely resort to drastic measures - yet.

AJ showed us how he'll respond when pushed over the edge like he was in his feud with Samoa Joe. Since I mentioned that I have Bryan retaining, I also have this as not as likely to happen as some of the other potential finishes.

AJ is also slated for a brief hiatus before Wrestlemania next year, so him winning back the title only to have to lose it again seems counterproductive.

#3: AJ Styles gets disqualified

Bryan might just have pushed Styles over the edge just like Samoa Joe did over the summer

This one has a strong chance of happening. Daniel Bryan has verbally trashed Styles and the fans ever since winning the WWE Championship. He's even gone so far as attacking Styles mercilessly when Styles is out in the ring.

He's repeatedly attacked his legs and even slapped on a figure four lock around the ring post, and even attacked the talented Mustafa Ali after he and Bryan had a good match on Smackdown.

Bryan's tactics might just lead to the Phenomenal One finally snapping and getting disqualified. Bryan might try to do something underhanded and Styles might catch him in the act and do it himself.

If he did, it would garner even more heat for Bryan and could conceivably prolong the feud. Styles getting disqualified might not be the most optimal finish for the fans, but if WWE is seeking to extend the feud, this might be one way to do it.

#2: Daniel Bryan gets disqualified but retains

Could AJ become victim again to yet another low blow this year? His poor groin

This, along with the next possibility, are the two most likely outcomes in the match between AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan at TLC, at least as I'm predicting things. Bryan hasn't shied away from using underhanded tactics in order to win and retain his title recently.

Even though he beat Styles for the title, he attacked Styles after the bell and cemented his heel turn. He's repeatedly attacked Styles whenever the two have confronted each other. When he has attacked Styles, he's brutalized the Phenomenal One with kicks to the body and face as well as utilizing leg locks.

There might come a time in the match where Bryan feels like he isn't going to win and he might resort to another low blow or the use of a weapon. Should he get caught, Styles would win via disqualification.

Since Styles technically won the match, he could petition for yet another title match that could potentially go down at the Royal Rumble. Bryan could still gloat that he has the belt and Styles will be furious while waiting for the potential match in January.

#1: Daniel Bryan wins via underhanded tactics

Bryan might kick Styles below the belt again, but will he get caught?

This one seems likely on two levels. On one hand, it would further Bryan's turn as a heel and get him even more heat. Secondly, it would allow Styles to demand a fair match at the Royal Rumble.

Nearly every feud Styles has had as the WWE Champion has lasted at least two months. It happened with Shinsuke Nakamura and with Samoa Joe over the end of summer and fall, so it stand to reason that this feud would also be spread out across three big PPVs.

It would provide WWE with at least one surefire match that would deliver and it could certainly help mask any deficiencies TLC/Royal Rumble might have should prior plans not go down. Having the last match of the feud would also allow Styles to take a little time off before Wrestlemania.

He's currently negotiating a new contract as his first one with WWE expires in April 2019. Ultimately failing in his bid to regain his title would allow him the hiatus he is seeking in order to spend more time with his family.

I'm also predicting that these two are facing off once again at the Royal Rumble, so having some sort of screwy finish seems like the most likely way to get there. Bryan could land another low blow or hit Styles with a foreign object.

However he may do so, I think the New Daniel Bryan will retain his title at TLC.