Tables Ladders Chairs...and Stairs? A Jon and Nathan Preview

We've made it. After a year of craziness, Daniel Bryan return rumors, Sting appearances, and CM Punk joining UFC...we're at our final WWE PPV of the year. As per the usual, our crack team of prognosticators Jon and Nathan have collaborated on their thoughts for this Sunday's ridiculously-named Tables, Ladders, Chairs...and Stairs pay per view. 'Tis the season to beat the crap out of each other, WWE-style.

Nathan and Jon here once again to bring you your monthly WWE Pay Per View predictions and ramblings, as we’ve been doing since SummerSlam of this year. This month, we are focusing on the final WWE Pay Per View of the 2014 calendar year with WWE TLC...S: Tables, Ladders, Chairs...and Stairs. I honestly don’t remember much of what happened from last year’s event. But, I do remember that we got Cena vs. Orton match #3345665323466 in the main event. And while it was good, it was far from great. Let’s get to running down the card, shall we?

Pre-Show Match: A New Day (Kofi Kingston and Big E Langston) vs. Gold and Stardust

Jon: It’s not WeeLC but it should be a great match to start off the show. Unlike Nathan, I love the gimmick of the Dust Brothers--and by contrast I am disappointed in the New Day gimmick. This match has been building for the past two weeks between these two tag teams. The finish will tell us a lot both about the direction and “push” of A New Day.

Jon’s Prediction: A New Day

Nathan: Not sure what to think about this match, as it just seems like it was thrown together. Hopefully, A New Day will win. They should still be undefeated but lost on their debut on RAW a week ago Monday--since no one watches Smackdown. I’m torn on this match, but I feel that Kofi and Big E will win and hopefully build a winning streak.  Plus I can’t stand Star and Golddust and want them to lose so we have an excuse to get Cody Rhodes back. This Stardust schtick has gone on way longer than it ever should have (and longer than I wanted it to go on).

Nathan’s Prediction: A New Day

Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt

TLC Match

Jon: Well their last match was set up to lead up to this match.  Now this match has to deliver, giving these two all of the toys at their disposal should tell a great story.

Jon’s Prediction: Dean Ambrose

Nathan: This match should be damn good. I am really looking forward to it after the way their match last month at Survivor Series ended. In case you don’t remember, we had a weird ending to the match last month. Dean Ambrose decided to grab a chair and hit Wyatt in the mid section with it, which forced a disqualification. Dean then completely snapped and brought out Tables Ladders and Chairs (oh my!), which was the obvious (but perfectly acceptable) set up to Sunday’s match.

Last month’s match ended in DQ before it really even got started but this match can’t end in DQ because you can literally do anything within the confines of this match. I’m really torn on who I think should win this match but I will go with Dean Ambrose.

Nathan’s Prediction: Dean Ambrose

Dolph Ziggler vs. Luke Harper ©

Ladder Match for the WWE Intercontinental championship

Jon: I’m very impressed with both wrestlers after their part in the Survivor Series match.  This seems like an odd match for Harper to be in but I think it can work.  Could this be a Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels-type match? Let’s hope so, and let’s hope Dolph Ziggler gets his Intercontinental Championship back.

Jon’s Prediction: Dolph Ziggler

Nathan: This match should be good. I’ve been watching Luke Harper since before he was even in WWE. He impressed me then and he impresses me now. In a world where Bray Wyatt is pretty much an afterthought, it’s great that Luke Harper has taken the ball and ran with it; The guy is great.

Dolph Ziggler just seems to be spinning in circles and WWE seems reluctant to push him past mid-card status.  I hope that’s changed somewhat after his breakout performance at Survivor Series 2014. But that remains to be seen.  Either way, Dolph Ziggler is better than the Intercontinental Championship and hopefully after he loses this match, it’s his exit out of the IC title picture (and on to bigger and better things).

Nathan’s Prediction: Luke Harper

Erick Rowan vs. The Big Show
Stairs Match

Jon: Everything about this match screams train wreck! Big Show isn’t a good character and is just a plodder in the ring. Rowan will have to carry this match and I’m not sure if he is capable of doing that yet. I’m hoping Rowan kicks some major ass while continuing to impress.

Jon’s Prediction: Erick Rowan

Nathan: This match is probably not going to be very good, even though I hope it isn’t as bad as it probably will be. The main problem I have with this match is that they haven’t even explained what a stairs match is. Are the stairs legal in the match (that would make sense)? Do you have to climb a set of giant stairs to win the match (that, not so much)?

But all I’m saying is that I’m confused as to what this match is supposed to be because they failed to explain it. As far as who wins? Erick Rowan is a new star that they are trying to do something with and Big Show winning this would be about five steps backwards for Rowan. But, this is WWE, so anyone could win really.

Nathan’s Prediction: Erick Rowan

Ryback vs. Kane
Chairs Match

Jon: The Big Guy wins this match. It’s meant to be a brawl fest which is right up both men’s respective alleys. Kane has little to no direction now that the Authority is over and done with.

Jon’s Prediction: Ryback

Nathan: Ugh. I don’t care about this match too much. Kane has been completely uninteresting; it’s hard for me to get invested in anything he does. Ryback will most likely win and we will go from there but I’m struggling to remember why this match was added to the show. It just seems like filler.

Nathan’s Prediction: Ryback

The Usos vs. Damien Mizdow and The Miz ©
WWE Tag Team Championship Match

Jon: Mizdow is the superstar of the year in my eyes, he took a shit gimmick--wait, can I curse? (Ed. Note: Yeah, Speed just censors out of niceness. Keep it PG-13, though)--and made it gold. He continues to win the crowd over and when his face run comes it will be well received. The Usos are a good team but I want the champs to retain.

Jon’s Prediction: Damien Mizdow and The Miz

Nathan: This match should be good. I’m a big fan of The Usos and Damien Mizdow is excellent in his stunt double role. I still don’t like The Miz, because he’s extremely boring. but as long as Mizdow is on my TV screen that’s all that I care about. Mizdow completely takes the shine away from Miz (which gets my approval).

My only complaint is that Miz should be the one holding the fake titles. This would be while Mizdow holds the real ones. But, I digress. This will go down in typical rematch fashion and Miz and Mizdow will retain and move on to new challengers.

Nathan’s Prediction: Damien Mizdow and The Miz

AJ Lee vs. Nikki Bella ©
WWE Diva’s Championship Match

Jon: Poor Divas division. I know there is talent in this division, but it lacks in creative. Nikki Bella wins; I don’t see why there will be another title change this soon.

Jon’s Prediction: Nikki Bella

Nathan: Here we go with another rematch from a previous PPV. But...whatever. This match is another one that seems very cut and dry. Nikki Bella will retain the title because having AJ win the title back would serve no purpose. But, hey, this company has done that before...so, what do I know? Anyways, I’m going for Nikki to win the match and retain the title. Like I stated in my previous prediction, I hope that Nikki will move on to other challengers like Paige, Alicia Fox, etc.

Nathan’s Prediction: Nikki Bella

Jack Swagger vs. Rusev ©
WWE United States Championship Match

Jon: Swagger is looking for a measure of revenge against Rusev. Their earlier feud which saw Rusev dominate Swagger a majority of the time. Rusev has yet to be pinned or fall to a submission. They have had some quality matches and this encounter should be just as good with Rusev retaining his title. Anytime Lana is on my TV, I am happy.

Jon’s Prediction: Rusev

Nathan: Ugh another REMATCH. I’m sensing a theme with this pay per view (aside from the obvious one). We have seen this before and I’m not sure where they are going with it this time. I’m sure these two will have a good match, but it’s just not fresh anymore.  It seems like they don’t know what they are doing with Rusev, but at least he is the United States Champion.

As far as I’m concerned, with the WWE Champion Bork Laser showing up whenever he sees fit, The United States Title is the most important Title in WWE at the moment. Rusev will win the match. Who knows where he will go from there? But I’m intrigued because Rusev is one of the more interesting things going in WWE at the moment.

Nathan’s Prediction: Rusev

Seth Rollins vs. John Cena

Tables Match

Jon: Cena has lost his fair share of tables matches in some sort of silly fashion in the past. Seth is a top heel and will have Joey and Jamie by his side. How Seth is kept strong in this match will be interesting as Cena undoubtedly will win and go on to face Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble.

Jon’s Prediction: John Cena

Nathan: This match should be interesting frankly because these two always seem to have some pretty decent chemistry while in the ring with one another. The added Tables stipulation leaves me intrigued to see how they will go about it. I hope that if Cena does lose, they won’t have him lose in some sort of ridiculous fashion (see Sheamus winning the WWE Title in 2009 for instance when Cena fell through a table).

But, I don’t see Rollins winning. We found out that if Cena loses this match that he also lose his opportunity at the World Heavyweight Championship and Brock Lesnar come Royal Rumble.  I however don’t see that happening, if the match didn’t have that stipulation then Rollins may win but I feel with the stipulation this match is an open and shut case.

Nathan’s Prediction: John Cena

Final Thoughts

Jon: Nathan, I hope we end the year strong with our predictions, more importantly my favorite time of the year is on the horizon. No, not Christmas. I’m talking about WrestleMania season. Hopefully, creative has saved their best for the next three months of television and events. Thanks for teaming up with me on the predictions, Nathan. It’s always a pleasure to talk wrestling with you.

Nathan: Well said Jon and It’s always a great time when we get together to do these things and like you I can’t wait until January where when we get to The Royal Rumble and more importantly than that WrestleMania Season. It’s after the Royal Rumble where Mania season truly kicks it into high gear. Hopefully, it will force the company to get out of the funk that they are in with creative.

Right now, it is extremely exhausting to be a WWE fan. They constantly deliver on pay per view--and constantly bore me to tears during RAW and Smackdown. It’s like I am watching a completely different company on Sundays versus Monays and Fridays. Either way, it will be nice to finally get our champion back on TV and see where things go from there. I am ready and I am sure Jon is as well.

With that being said, that’ll do it for Jon and myself and our preview/predictions for this Sunday’s WWE Tables Ladders and Chairs...and Stairs pay per view. Per the usual, it will be fun to watch the show and see how we both did in predictions come Sunday. I also look forward as always to the Twitter interactions, because even when a show is boring, I can consistently count on Twitter to entertain me when what I am watching doesn’t.  

So until this Sunday be sure and follow Jon on Twitter at @BigJonDaLegend and also myself at @Headliner5.  Also please make sure to go and follow the Eyes on The Ring Twitter located @EyesOnTheRing.  If you have any thoughts on the show please let us know you can also visit our facebook page at facebook.com/EyesOnTheRing (like Us!) and leave us your feedback.  Last but not least visit keep your eyes on EyesOnTheRing.blogspot.com as Jon, myself and the rest of the Eyes On The Ring team brings you the latest wrestling news and opinions. Why? Because that’s what we are here for.