WWE TLC - WWE Intercontinental Championship: Big E. Langston (c) VS Damien Sandow

[Jack-Hammer]

As a result of winning a #1 contender's match against Dolph Ziggler on Raw last night, Damien Sandow goes to TLC to face Big E. For the Intercontinental Championship. No special stipulations regarding tables, ladders or chairs have been named for this or any other match on the card save for the title unification match. It's possible, however, that stips could be named between now and TLC.

This will be a win for Big E., though I think Sandow should give him a pretty decent match. WWE officials are, allegedly, far too high on Langston to have him drop the IC title in only his 2nd title defense.

 

[Mustang Sally]

This will be a win for Big E., though I think Sandow should give him a pretty decent match. WWE officials are, allegedly, far too high on Langston to have him drop the IC title in only his 2nd title defense.

Sounds right. At first, I figured this was just another PPV-filler, but it must be remembered that we're looking at the mid-card here, where there's a little more flexibility in determining who rates what in terms of title shots.

Sandow has acquitted himself fairly well lately, but this match is a vehicle for Big E. It's far too early in his tenure to have him lose the IC belt. Mark Henry is down the line and given his history of getting hurt, they're not going to wait too long to get the two big guys in the ring.

Meanwhile, Sandow has some credentials to point to his belonging in this match. The MITB briefcase had us talking about him for awhile. It will be enough to make him a credible opponent for the IC title.......but not enough to win it.

 

[MCMG]

A triple threat match could have been nice but I'm not complaining about this. It will be a solid match between two talented guys that ends with Big E getting the win. Nothing overly spectacular but it will work. Big E gets the win and Sandow gets back on PPV.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I like Sandow too much to have him just be Big E's fall guy in this match. He deserves better. Hopefully those rumours of a Henry/Langston feud are true and Henry turns on Langston in this match. If Henry is a babyface and isn't Sexual Chocolate, then just what is the point, man!

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Big. E takes this one with a convincing win. I'm sure Sandow will stand in there long enough to give Big. E a respectable fight, but there's no way he's walking away with the title. Big. E is still in the very early stages of his reign as IC Champ, and WWE is using Sandow as a sacrificial lamb here.

 

[The Eighties]

I can't see anything but a Big E win here, hopefully they get some mic time in the build up to prevent it coming off as total filler. The best outcome for Sandow would be a DQ that allows them to build the feud up to the Rumble and that allows him to seem like less of an enhancement talent, but I think this will be a straight forward result that will get a decent match length for both guys to look good.

 

[Pedigree1]

I also see BIG E retaining here as well. The WWE is high on Big E and as well they should be. Big E has WWE champion written all over him. The IC title is just a stepping stone,in terms of what is in store for this guy. Sandow is a decent worker,above avg mic skills and is pretty believable as a heel. Im not complaining about this match up. Should be a good one to watch

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Big E has a ton of potential. This should be a solid match and I'm guessing Langston goes over.

 

[Blade]

Langston will be the guy who brings a bit of meaning back to the Intercontinental title. Or, at least, I hope so. Is that too much to hope for? I hope not.

But yeah, two title defences in the space of just over a month. That's probably the same amount as Axel had in his entire reign, which felt eternal but was probably about 5 or 6 months.

Langston goes over in convincing fashion after a decent 10 minute match, Sandow gets a rematch on Raw the next night, which he also loses, then Langston goes on the search for a more realistic challenger. I hear Mark Henry doesn't have much going on these days.

 

[Softcore Holly]

But yeah, two title defences in the space of just over a month. That's probably the same amount as Axel had in his entire reign, which felt eternal but was probably about 5 or 6 months.

Langston goes over in convincing fashion after a decent 10 minute match, Sandow gets a rematch on Raw the next night, which he also loses, then Langston goes on the search for a more realistic challenger. I hear Mark Henry doesn't have much going on these days.

Actually Axel has defended the title about 8-9 times before losing it. He was champ for about 6 months, in which he didn't go through a PPV without defending it and he defended it on TV like 3 or 4 times. Sure it wasn't a exciting reign at all but least he was fighting champ.

Anyway I would drop the IC title to Sandow believe it or not. Like have Henry cost Big E the title, which sets up the feud perfectly since it would setup heat between the 2 men. Meanwhile Sandow gets his first title and at least a minor compensation for losing the MITB cash in.

I know what you guys are going to say, they want to push Big E, and I agree. And winning the IC title was a great start, but what he really needs is his first major feud, not sacrificial opponents like Axel had during his title reign. That obviously did nothing for Axel, and it won't do much for Big E either. Get Big E in a physical hard hitting feud with Henry, where he can do things like eliminate Henry out of the RR(how huge of a pop would that be?). Meanwhile Sandow can bring meaning to the title if they actually let him have a mic in his hand. Have the Henry/Big E feud end before WM season where Big E will challenge Sandow for the title, and win it back on the biggest stage of them all.

Now THAT is how they should push Big E.

 

[HBsam31]

I agree. Big E retains. Maybe just maybe we will start seeing more actual storylines and feuds for the IC champion. Sandow is a solid opponent for the IC title, and I would like to see this feud go on. I think though that Big E will win and convincingly.

 

[The Brain]

I’m kind of torn here. I like Langston a think he has a lot of potential. I’d hate to see his momentum derailed before it really gets started. I don’t think such a short reign would do him any favors. On the other hand I like Sandow too. I don’t like how he has been so inconsistent lately. Earlier in the year he started what could have been a good feud with Sheamus to having their match regulated to the PPV pre show. He won MITB and had a good feud with Cody Rhodes but after that could barely get on tv while holding the case. He had a good match with Cena when he cashed in but kind of faded away again after that. I think a nice long IC reign would be great for Sandow. I definitely picture him with the IC belt and think he could be one of the better champions we’ve seen in a while. In hindsight it probably would have been better to give Sandow Curtis Axel’s title reign instead of MITB and have Langston take the title from him but what’s done is done. I guess I’d be satisfied with either outcome here. I like Jake’s idea of Henry turning on Langston, even thought they just got together, and Sandow winning the title. That way Sandow can be champ and Langston can still look strong in going over Henry later.

 

[L@RISANO]

Hopefully the title stays with Big E Langston for an extended amount of time. having him first have a proper feud with Mark Henry and beating him at Wrestlemania, then a couple more feuds(Sandow, Barrett, Ziggler,even Reigns or Bray Wyatt etc.) until the Summer, all the while building him up for an upper card move.
Not many Huge guys up and coming in the WWE currently. Langston is one of very few on the roster who has some sort of build in character.

 

[Diet Soda]

I'm hoping for Big E. to run with the belt for a while. Like others have said, it's far too soon in his reign for Big E. to lose the title, especially to someone like Sandow who has moved out of the rookie category and is now established as a solid mid-carder.

Therefore, Langston needs the win more than Sandow to build up his momentum as champion - I don't think Sandow would be damaged that much by taking a loss here. Hopefully from here we'll see more of the Langston we did in NXT when he was champion there. So far on the main roster he's been much more reserved, even restrained, than he was before. If he continues being the IC champion Big E. ought to come out of his shell more.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I'm thinking this will go on first, and hopefully it does so that we can get it out of the way quickly. It's the match on the card that interests me the least. I like Sandow a lot, he deserves to get the win here. I just don't understand what it is about Langston. I can't stand this guy, he's boring as hell. Sandow could do a lot of good for the Intercontinental Championship and since he's got the skills needed to be a champion while our current champion does not, I hope Damien Sandow will win the match. Unfortunately that probably won't happen.

What I want to see and what I think will end up happening are not always two thoughts that are on the same page. People, for whatever reason, seem to like Langston and he has not had the belt for that long of a time, so it might not be time for him to lose it yet in WWE's eyes. I have no desire to watch him retain. I'll be heading to the pantry for my christmas tree shaped Crabby Patty gummies after taking the dogs for a walk. The feud needs to end here. Sandow deserves better than this regardless of whether he wins the title or not. Sadly, I don't think he will win. Langston retains and they each move on to new feuds.

DAGGER'S PREDICTION
Big E Langston retains the Intercontinental Championship.