10 Thoughts: WWE TLC 2013 (John Cena, Randy Orton, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Triple H)

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1. I know you’ve missed my 10 Thoughts but here I am! CW will still be covering Raw but I’m hanging onto the PPV “10 Thoughts” since I’m already covering the show on Twitter (@pulsewrestling). I’ll start off quickly with my predictions for tonight in case you missed the latest HTC Wrestling Pulsecast.

Fandango vs Dolph Ziggler

– WWE Tag Team Champions Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio & Big Show vs. Ryback & Curtis Axel vs. The Real Americans (Elimination Fatal 4-Way Match)

– Intercontinental Champion Big E Langston vs. Damien Sandow

– Divas Champion AJ Lee vs. Natalya

– CM Punk vs. The Shield (3-on-1 Handicap Match)

– Daniel Bryan vs. The Wyatt Family (3-on-1 Handicap Match)

– World Heavyweight Champion John Cena vs. WWE Champion Randy Orton (Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match)

2. I said it on our preview Pulsecast that I thought if anyone could make a handicap match entertaining, it would be CM Punk and The Shield. They did just that and more so. I REALLY liked the dynamic of the match and the different approach they were able to direct it. It’s funny, I predicted that CM Punk would win and Justin predicted The Shield would win but Roman Reigns would spear Dean Ambrose. Therefore I’m just going to claim the win since my guy had his hand raised.

3. I’m still confused on how Natalya lost another Divas championship match. I KNOW AJ Lee is the best woman they have on the roster. But she is also at her best when she can let all of the crazy out (on TV, at least). What reason does she really have to be crazy if she is already at the top of her profession. Give her someone to chase, someone to obsess over, ANYTHING to give her a strong storyline. Keeping the title on her doesn’t give her any motivation to really compete.

4. Big E Langston is going to be HUGE for the WWE in the near future. I checked out his age to see how long he may have in the ring – the beast is 27 years old. That’s DAMN young for a professional wrestler and the tools he has at his disposal should only get better as he works with more seasoned wrestlers.

5. The elimination stipulation added to the Tag Team Championship Fatal Four match was a great addition. Not only was it able to feature all four teams more prominently but we also got a damn good match out of it! The tag team division in the WWE is the best it’s been since the glory days of early SmackDown and this match was just a taste. Don’t forget that The Shield & the Wyatt Family wasn’t involved at all (along with others). I’m REALLY looking forward to 2014 if this trend continues.

6. Finally we get the Brodus Clay we all expected when he showed up as the “Funkasaurus” and he loses cleanly to R-Truth? I’m looking forward to the new “monster” Clay but I did hope for a stronger start.

7. A high intensity, quickly thrown together match that filled a solid spot on this card. I really don’t understand why we needed another Kofi Kingston/Miz feud, especially when it’s rather obvious that The Miz is now a heel. But the No DQ stipulation caught my attention and they held my attention for the duration.

8. A much more storyline driven match compared to the Shield/Punk match but still damn good. Bray Wyatt always impresses me when he steps into the ring. His speed, persona… just his “IT” factor is off the charts and tonight was no different. I love the fact that he lost the extra weight which just added to his unbelievable speed & the fact that he pulled off the spider walk was just impressive. The “That was creepy!” chant from the live crowd was perfect!

9. I don’t know what is but I love it when they actually raise the championship belt above the ring right before the match starts. I love the visual it creates.

10. Once I saw the handcuffs come out, I immediately flashbacked to the TLC match featuring CM Punk, The Miz and Alberto Del Rio where Miz handcuffed Punk to the turnbuckle. Punk used the same escape route to fend off Miz and Del Rio & it was a great visual. I was happy this played out much differently. The “tug of war” and the way Cena’s head bounced off of the table instead of completely going through it all added to the drama of the finish. I’m sure there will be ton of critics of this match but I truly think these two men laid out everything they had and put on a helluva a performance. Plus, A CLEAN FINISH! ON PPV! It’s about damn time and it was the right time for one.

Follow Matthew on Twitter @HTCHarrak Visit his site at HTCwrestling.com Email him at MHPulse@4sternstaging.com Become a fan on Facebook