WWE TLC 2019: 10 Things That Must Happen

9. Aleister Black vs. Buddy Murphy Goes On First

TLC 2019
WWE.com

It does need a hot opener.

Think of Aleister Black vs. Buddy Murphy as akin to one of those old WCW Cruiserweight matches, again from the 90s (that misty-eyed fondness for retro will stop soon, honest). If both are given 10 minutes to go out and warm up the live crowd with dives, strikes and near falls, they'll do a grand job.

A popular win for the Black Mass-armed Aleister would get a positive response from Minneapolis and have the fans on side early. That's surely the purpose of any solid pay-per-view open. Getting the fans up for the rest of the show without throwing a car crash gimmick match away early and rendering Black vs. Buddy meaningless as a toilet break later should be the goal.

If it's only there to exist as 2019's version of Heath Slater vs. Curt Hawkins from 2017's Great Balls Of Fire, it'll flop. WWE need to give fans a reason to care about both these men. Letting their in-ring talent shine through makes sense.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.