So about last night... WWE TLC PPV 2018 (16/12/2018)

So about last night and wow, WWE TLC was absolutely brilliant (sans a couple of things). The PPV was overall brilliant from start to finish and really showed what WWE can do with a TLC match in 2018.

As there is a lot on the card, I’ll quickly give my opinions on some of the matches.

• Elias won by retrieving his guitar vs Bobby Lashley (w/ Lio Rush). This was OK by Elias standards, but I feel that Lashley is being wasted here
• Mixed Match Challenge Finals – Truth and Carmella won. That was OK. I am actually happy with that result. The two of them have been brilliant this year!
• Finn Balor vs Drew McIntyre. The match was OK, but I felt that there should have been some sort of stipulation on this match in order to make it worthwhile.
• Rey Mysterio vs Randy Orton. This match would have worked better if it was a proper TLC match and not simply a ‘Tables Match” – Some good spots in the match, but not enough for me to care that much.
  

Buddy Murphy vs Cedric Alexander

This was an exciting opening match for the PPV. Murphy is starting to grow on me as he is very very very good in the ring and the in-ring chemistry with Alexander is brilliant.

Nothing much to report here with this match other than Murphy retains. Gret opening for the card

The Bar vs The New Day vs The Usos

I have a problem with this. It was a Triple Threat Tag Team Match but yet only two of them were allowed in the ring at the same time. Why? It’s a TRIPLE THREAT! Good match otherwise but could have been better by having 3 people in the ring at the same time. Shame WWE. This could have been better.

The Bar retain after Sheamus hits the Brogue kick to Xavier Woods.

Braun Strowman vs Baron Corbin

This was more of the interesting matches storyline wise. You have Corbin who is about to become a GM because Braun is unable to be there and will win.

Heath Slater (who is now a referee) counts Corbin until about 7 or 8 and then Braun’s music hits and charges down to the ring. While Braun can’t do much to Corbin tonight, Apollo Crews, Bobby Roode & Chad Gable and Finn Bálor all arrive and start laying into him with chair shots after chair shots. Slater even throws the ref’s shirt at him.

Corbin is about to leave up the ramp but gets interrupted by the return of Kurt Angle. Angle throws him back into the ring where everyone hits their finisher. Strowman gets back into the ring. Slater puts the ref shirt back on.

Strowman puts one boot on the chest of Corbin and Heath Slater counts the pinfall and Braun wins. He now faces Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at the Royal Rumble PPV and Baron Corbin no longer has any authority figure! Brilliant end to this. Whether this means Angle gets reinstated tonight on RAW or whether we get a new General Manager is yet to be seen but we’ll wait to hear from Vince tonight!

Natalya vs Ruby Riott

This match was way more fun than it needed to be. Both women were fantastic in the ring tonight and the psycology between the two of them was just brilliant.

When Ruby came out, she was flanked by Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan with the table that they had on RAW with the decal of Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart who passed away earlier this year. The whole match was centered around this table (as it was a tables match) but it would seem that Natty has something up her sleeve.

Natty pulled out a table from underneath the ring with a decal of Ruby on it. She then sported her father’s jacket for the reminder of the match. After close attempts to put each other through the table, it would be Natty who would get the victory who would powerbomb Ruby Riott through the table.

Massive props by the way to Liv Morgan who took a nasty but satisfying bump from a spear off the apron and through a table. Textbook stuff there.

Ronda Rousey vs Nia Jax

This was a good match, a proper David vs Goliath match up. Nia was dominate very early on in the match up and well deserved to be the victor of this, but it was the sheer power of Rousey’s armbar that got her the win and she managed to retain her title.

Nothing much more to say about this match in general. After the match, Becky Lynch meets Nia backstage and attacks her.

Daniel Bryan vs AJ Styles

This was an all-out brawl which I loved from start to finish. The two of them in the ring is just well put together, so we knew that we were going to be in for a good ride. There was the (Formally known as ) “Yes Kicks” and there was holds applied and at one point, I was thinking “Styles could tap to Bryan” which wouldn’t be great for his character.

The finish came when Styles tried to roll Bryan up in a small package but ultimately got reversed by Byran with one of his own for the win to retain the WWE Championship

Seth Rollins vs Dean Ambrose

I thought this match had a lot to live up to after the Styles/Bryan match and unfortunately was the weakest match on the card. Not bad, just weak. Compared to the other matches on the card, this match lasted longer but there was nothing to show for it.

Finish of the match came when Amrbose wanted to do the Shield fist thingy but Rollins rejected it, he was about to go for the Stomp, but Ambrose nailed Rollins with the Dirty Deeds for the W and Dean Ambrose becomes the NEW Intercontenintal Champion!

Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair vs Asuka

This was the match of the night, as long as you can forget about the finish.

Some fantastic wrestling and spots from all three women, especially Becky & Charlotte who just beat each other as if they were fighting in real life. The leg drop through the table with Charlotte on top was by far one of my favourite spots. In about 5 or 10 years time, you can go back and look and see how good this match was and it was truly fantastic.

The finish came when Charlotte & Asuka were on top of the ladder fighting when Becky pitched another ladder beside them, Asuka fell down and that led to Becky & Charlotte fighting.

Out of nowhere, the RAW Women’s Champion, Ronda Rousey appears and pushes the ladder and leaves, leaving Becky & Charlotte hurt after hitting the ropes after falling off the ladder.

Asuka climbs the rungs of the ladder and detaches her NEW SmackDown Women’s Championship! Her first title after a year on the main roster.

And that is your lot. A very good PPV but was slightly held back by some decision making. The main focus on tonight was Becky Lynch and this now raises questions with her status on WWE.

As I tweeted last night, I made some bold predictions:

I can see this happening, so I am hoping this comes to fruition. Let’s see what Vince says tonight on RAW about this 🙂

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