WWE TLC 2019: Final Match Card Predictions
By Mark Justice
Rey Mysterio (c) vs. AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton [United States Championship]
After a six-man tag loss to The O.C. last week on Raw, Rey Mysterio is currently scheduled to defend his United States Championship against former champion AJ Styles on the TLC go home show of Monday Night Raw. As unlikely as it is for Mysterio to defeat AJ Styles a second time, it is also just as unlikely for Styles to win back the championship so soon after Mysterio won it.
Expect this match to end inconclusively due to a Randy Orton interference. With his recent grudges against Styles, Orton will very likely force a disqualification to this match by attacking Styles as soon as he is about to defeat Mysterio.
This will keep both superstars in the match looking strong and lead to a triple threat United States Championship match at WWE TLC 2019. If this triple threat is booked for the PPV, Mysterio has a solid chance at retaining his championship because Styles and Orton will be too invested in pummeling each other and thereby cancel each other out.
Mysterio can then focus on new challengers on the road to WrestleMania. Andrade should be next in line for Mysterio since he has been stuck defeating jobbers on a weekly basis and has had enough history and show-stealing matches with Mysterio to warrant a fun-filled championship rivalry with him in the next few months.
Prediction: Rey Mysterio
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) (w/Sami Zayn) vs. Braun Strowman [Intercontinental Championship]
Other than the fact that Braun Strowman approached Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn backstage with his eyes on the Intercontinental Championship, there’s no need to expound on this potential match since there has been very little build up towards it. Nevertheless, to expedite the process, it is one of the matches rumored for TLC and should be taken into account.
If this match occurs, Strowman should not win the title with such a lack of build up. However, he should lose the match either. The best case scenario is that Strowman wins this match by disqualification thanks to a Sami Zayn interference and thereby earns a rematch at the Royal Rumble in 2020, for which they can build up to such a more meaningful championship match.
Prediction: Braun Strowman (by DQ)