2009 will be remembered as the year WWE went themed-PPV crazy, kicking off with Breaking Point; an event centring around variations on the classic Submission match.
This was quickly followed up by Hell in a Cell, and now TLC (Tables, Ladders & Chairs). The concept is simple, there will be a Tables Match, Ladder Match, Chairs Match, and a good old fashioned TLC match.
Smackdown's World Heavyweight Championship will be contested in a 'Chairs Match', while the ECW title will be on the line in a Ladder Match.
John Morrison (c) Vs. Drew McIntyre for the Intercontinental Championship
This is one of the few matches on the card that as of yet doesn't have a stipulation, although as the WWE are always so eager to tell us, the card is always subject to change.
Luckily this is also one of the few matches on the card that shouldn't need a stipulation to excite the crowd and fans watching around the globe.
McIntyre has been on an epic rise through the ranks since debuting a few months ago as a 'future champion' hand picked by Mr. McMahon himself, and this will be his first chance to make good on that claim and capture championship gold.
Morrison has barely put a foot wrong since taking the Intercontinental Championship from Rey Mysterio, defeating Dolph Ziggler numerous times and most recently retaining his title against Eric Escobar, despite the best efforts of Vickie Guererro.
A loss for McIntyre in such a high profile match shouldn't be too damaging to his credibility, but the way he has been thrust into the limelight means failing to take the belt in this match could damage the effectiveness of the push.
If Morrison retains the belt it will be due to something completely out of left field, such as interference from Ziggler.
Prediction: McIntyre to claim the gold on his first time of trying, barring anything overly unpredictable.
Christian (c) Vs. Shelton Benjamin Ladder Match for the ECW Championship
Of all the matches on the TLC card, this is the one that has the potential to completely steal the show, something that both Christian and Shelton have alluded to in the build up.
Christian is somewhat of a pioneer in terms of Ladder Matches, taking part in many epic tag team Ladder bouts and even the very first TLC match that this Pay Per View takes it's name from.
Shelton on the other hand is the perennial under-achiever when it comes to matches involving Ladders; taking part in numerous of Money In The Bank matches, pulling out all the stops to deliver memorable moments, but ultimately falling short each time.
Shelton will no doubt want to set the record straight here, and will be looking for arguably the biggest win of his career.
No doubt this match will be full of high risk offence, but the question is for which Superstar will it be high reward?
A slip of the tongue by Byron Saxton on ECW just days before the event indicates that Shelton might be taking the gold at TLC, as he described the bout as : "a ladder match that will determine a new ECW Champion".
Prediction: Christian's had the gold for a long time and Shelton has struggled to win ladder matches in the past. That, combined with Saxton's slip, means Shelton looks good for the win here.
The Undertaker (c) Vs. Batista Chairs Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Batista and The Undertaker are no strangers to each other, having battled through an epic feud back in 2007 which saw them meet at WrestleMania 23 for the same piece of gold.
Since then Batista has gone through a severe personality change, turning his back first on his best friend Rey Mysterio, and then the WWE Universe in general.
After putting Mysterio on the shelf with a brutal beating, The Animal has set his sights on The Deadman's World Heavyweight Championship, making his intentions clear with a number of savage attacks on Smackdown in the past few weeks.
Taker has overcome adversity before, but with Batista in such a selfish and devastating frame of mind, many expect him to struggle in a match where steel chairs are legal and the use of them is even encouraged.
The rumours are that The Undertaker is struggling with a champions schedule, so moving the belt onto Batista would be a logical step. However, Rey Mysterio has delayed urgent surgery in order to participate in WrestleMania and to have him return and not confront Batista would be a strange move for the WWE writers to make.
Prediction: The Undertaker to retain his gold after interference from Rey Mysterio.
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Jay Davies - Jay Davies is a 25 year old graduate of the University of Lincoln's School of Journalism, currently residing in South Yorkshire, ...
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