Hey everybody! @TheMagnumDA here, and YES it’s the last WWE PPV Pick’em of 2018 – Tables, Ladders, and Chairs! I wouldn’t expect to see a lot of Tender Love and Care this evening! Haha…as many of you know, we’ve been keeping track of our scores throughout the entire year. Here’s a recap of those scores:
MagnumDA: 86 Points
Heel Turn Tom & Tricky Don: 86 Points
Colin: 83 Points
There’s going to be a huge bonus for this special occasion – There are up to three bonus points for each match involving a Table, Ladder, or a Chair. So for example, the Chairs Match with Orton vs. Mysterio is 2 points (one bonus point for having a Chair added to the match). As you can probably guess by now, the TLC matches are worth a heaping FOUR POINTS. So yeah, anyone can still take this.
Tom and Don will consolidate their picks in an attempt to take the crown as co-champions! Who is going to win the prestigious Captain Lou Albano Cup?! LET’S FIND OUT.
Mixed Match Challenge Finals – Winners get the #30 Spot in the Men’s and Women’s 2019 Royal Rumble.
Fabulous Truth (R-Truth and Carmella) vs. Mahalicia (Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox)
Magnum: I honestly don’t think any of these four people will win the Royal Rumble. What I could see? A dance break at the end of one of the two Rumbles. Maybe both! Give me the Fabulous Truth to win it.
Tom & Don: Of the people in the match, we could see them pushing Carmella again. Of the men, we think they could push Jinder again. But of those two options and because people like them, we see R-Truth and Carmella getting the win.
Colin: Who would’ve thought these two teams would be in the final when all the teams were announced!? Mind you, the only reason they are is because most of the others are tied up in a match on the show. If they had done the finals on Tuesday, I bet things would look different. But anyway, I’m rooting for Carmella and Truth. They have been very entertaining lately and they’ve stepped up. So kudos to them.
WWE Intercontinental Championship
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Dean Ambrose
Magnum: This has been a feud built on the bond that was The Shield. Dean apparently wants to go his own path, but along the way he’s said some pretty stupid things, most notably about Roman Reigns. I like Seth here, but it’s going to be an all-out dogfight.
Tom & Don: This story has been so strange and we don’t like them pulling in Roman’s real illness. To see this end and them create a new top babyface, we predict Dean wins and becomes the IC champ.
Colin: There are rumors that Rollins will be in a higher-profile match towards WrestleMania season. For this to work, he needs to drop the Intercontinental title. And to make Ambrose’s return meaningful, he needs to win the title. #AndNew
TLC Match – Strowman’s #1 Contender vs. Baron Corbin’s Job (Four Points!)
Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin
Magnum: This could be the impetus for Strowman to take some time off to clean up the elbow, and then he can enter the Rumble at #29 and cause hell. Because there’s no pinfall at stake, I think they could have Corbin win, while still keeping Braun strong. I’ll take Corbin in a huge upset.
Tom & Don: Unless Braun is more injured than that elbow surgery that they had him fix, we don’t see him losing. They can’t make him into the Big Show flip flopping face and heel and losing more than win. Strowman for the win.
Colin: This will be interesting. Since they haven’t announced anything, I’m expecting Strowman to win. Corbin as a GM doesn’t cut it. He’s boring. If anyone could benefit from a gimmick change it’s him. Plus Angle is booked for Raw the next night which makes me think Strowman gets this.
WWE Women’s Championship – Raw
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Nia Jax
Magnum: Before we get to WrestleMania, Ronda’s going to have her first loss. I think it happens tonight. I think Nia could walk into WrestleMania XXXV as the Raw Women’s Champion, where she will face…well, we’ll talk about that later. 😉
Tom & Don: After injuring Becky, we don’t see any way Nia wins unless it is a DQ. But we won’t predict the second Rousey vs Jax ending in a DQ again. Rousey to tap out Jax and retain.
Colin: I don’t think anyone is taking that title away from Ronda Rousey until it’s time for WrestleMania. It would be stupid to do so and such a monumental loss (for her) has to happen on the biggest stage of them all. Rousey to win.
Finn Bálor vs. Drew McIntyre
Magnum: Drew’s getting the push. What more do you need to know? McIntyre wins.
Tom & Don: There is no way that they are stopping McIntyre’s push. So no demon tonight and a win for Drew.
Colin: Drew could be a monster main event player. Too bad it’s at Balor’s expense this time around. Drew wins.
Guitar on a Ladder Match (Yes, you read that right – Two Points!)
Elias vs. Bobby Lashley
Magnum: This could be WrestleCrap material, if we’re not careful. I think Lashley gets a push before the Rumble, so he’ll win big here with a little help from his friend Lio Rush.
Tom & Don: Since we picked Drew to win the last match, we don’t see them having Lashley win. Also, his character is just not over. Elias to win and shut up Lio Rush.
Colin: Elias is over, no doubt about that. But Lashley needs a good victory here. His partnership with Lio Rush is great and this version of Lashley is better than the boring face Lashley. Give me Lashley for the win.
Triple Threat – WWE Tag Team Championship
The Bar (Cesaro and Sheamus) (c) vs. The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston, and/or Xavier Woods) vs. The Usos (Jimmy & Jey)
Magnum: Some things in life, you can’t un-see. That’s how I felt about ‘Ice Ice Shamy’. Shameful. Ironically, they’re holding on to the belts. The Bar retains.
Tom & Don: This will be the tag team match of the night and only second to AJ vs. Bryan. And just for the Ice Ice Shamy rap, The Bar wins tonight.
Colin: Now if this was a TLC match, it would have been 100% better. I like The Usos, but will they take the titles away from The Bar this soon? I’m sick of The New Day to be honest and overall sick of seeing all these teams wrestling each other every week. So I don’t know… I see The Bar retaining.
Tables Match (Two Points!)
Natalya vs. Ruby Riott
Magnum: This could be a good one-on-one match, but we’ve got a gimmick thing going. Plus, it’s another feud with tasteless remarks that I won’t even go into. I’ll take Natalya to win and avenge her father’s name.
Tom & Don: For some reason we thought we read Natalya was injured. If she was or wasn’t, we see them pushing Ruby Riott so she will beat Nattie tonight.
Colin: Surprised that they used Jim Neidhart here? Nope, not me. Natalya needs to get revenge on Riott so I predict pink and black will reign supreme tonight.
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Cedric Alexander
Magnum: This was a fantastic bout at the Super Show-Down. I could see another four-star affair tonight. Give me Buddy to retain the crown.
Tom & Don: We think they will bring up some new, good competition for 205 Live soon. Buddy to win and to go into 2019 as the champ.
Colin: My interest in the Cruiserweights remain at the level it was last month, and the month before, and the month before that…minimal. Buddy Murphy retains.
Chairs Match (Two Points!)
Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton
Magnum: This is one of those matches where Rey could win, and then Randy will destroy him after the bell. Hell, I think I just spoiled the finish. Rey wins!
Tom & Don: Rey’s contract is not for a long time. WWE is getting the most out of him until he resigns or contract is done. Since there is time, we see Rey getting the win and moving onto some new challenges with wrestlers he has not been in the ring with yet.
Colin: Match #1,859,362 between these two! LOL! My God! Orton hasn’t been used much lately on pay-per-views. He was overlooked at the Survivor Series strangely enough. But anyway, I give this match to The Viper Randy Orton.
WWE Championship
‘The New’ Daniel Bryan (c) vs. AJ Styles
Magnum: Ohh man. I love me some “New” Daniel Bryan. He’s just an angry little man…and when you’re the best in the world, and you go dirty…well, you’ll do anything to hold on to the title. I think Bryan will retain, but I also believe that AJ Styles could win the match, too. Hmm. This is tough. Give me Bryan.
Tom & Don: AJ has been pulling a lot of weight as champ for a long time. While we want him to win, he could use a little break. Also, it would seem to kill a new angle to do anything else. A low blow or something leading Daniel Bryan to retain. (If it is a low blow AJ needs to get a cup to protect his crown jewels.)
Colin: It’s amazing what a turn of events with Bryan. Everybody loved him but then he came back and…okay, nothing happened. The “Yes” movement was literally dying a slow death. Loving his new gimmick. The “white meat babyface” is now a credible heel. Don’t see a reason why he should drop it for now, so Bryan wins.
TLC Match – WWE Women’s Championship (Smackdown Live – Four Points!)
“The Man” Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
Magnum: I’ve been loving “The Man” as much as the “New” Daniel Bryan. I think Becky should make that song by The Killers her new theme song. That’d be bad-ass. I think they’re going with Charlotte vs. Ronda and Becky vs. Jax at WrestleMania, so I will take Charlotte to win here and put an end to the Chapter between her and Becky.
Tom & Don: Tough one. We like Becky and her character as of recent. But I wonder how healed and healthy she is. We’d bet that most of the match and bumps are done by Flair and Asuka. We are saying on this night, neither was ready for Asuka, as Asuka climbs the ladder for the Smackdown championship.
Colin: One of the most anticipated matches of the card. If not the most. Wonder if this will close the show. If I were booking this show, I’d have Asuka win this. Wait, what? Yes, Becky NEEDS to win the Royal Rumble to face Ronda Rousey. She can’t win the Rumble being a champion. Plus Asuka is long overdue for a title run. She was “robbed” at Mania last year I think. Taking the title off Becky and make her chase it is much more interesting. Plus she doesn’t have to take the pinfall to lose it. I think this would be the more compelling scenario personally.
Wow! Without question, there won’t be a tie tonight. These picks have been crazy different! It’s been an awesome year doing the Pick’em report for Wrestling-Online. I’m not sure what the future holds, but I know Magnum wants to come back to WO in 2019. I hope Colin’s ready, because I’ll be bringing the Captain Lou Cup with me!! From all of us at the Pick’em Crew, HAPPY NEW YEAR and we will see you very soon! @TheMagnumDA, signing off.
