There were two new champions crowned at Sunday’s TLC and the pay per view as a whole was okay as we saw a ton of gimmick matches. Here’s a report on each match from TLC with a grade attached. Don’t agree with a grade, then feel free to score the show. If you missed the pay per view, be sure to check our TLC results.
Mixed Match Challenge Finals: Fabulous Truth (R-Truth & Carmella) vs. Mahalicia (Jinder Mahal & Alicia Fox)
Honestly, I have yet to watch the Mixed Match Match Challenge outside of the hilarious highlights on YouTube. The match belonged on Facebook or the pre-show. When the highlight is the dance break or the post-match interview, you know WWE booked the wrong teams in the finals. These teams had one of the worst records in the challange, but injuries and superstars being removed due to storylines is what led us to Fabulous Truth against Mahalicia. The post-match interview was the only highlight. Grade: C-
Ladder Match: Elias vs. Bobby Lashley
Sometimes, I wonder if Vince McMahon checks in with Vince Russo on time-to-time about the product. Not only was this a lame ladder match, but it was so corny that the winner had to grab a guitar above the ring. This totally felt like a WCW match during their finals days. Lashley lost and Elias did not look any stronger. To me, both were losers at TLC. Grade: C-
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match: Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin
This was not really a match. Braun Strowman did not throw a single blow as he simply pinned Baron Corbin after several upset RAW superstars got their revenge. While it was not really a match, I liked how the program played out on TV. It will be interesting to see if Vince McMahon has anything to say on tonight’s RAW. Grade: C
SmackDown Tag Team Championship: The Bar vs. The New Day vs. The Usos
When we look back at the past few years in the tag team division, there is not too much to fondly remember. If any tag teams helped keep the division alive, it was thanks to New Day, The Bar and The Usos. The match deserved a good 30 minutes so everyone could hit their spots with lots of close falls. With the little time allotted, all six men did their best. Hopefully, we see these three teams continue to meet and help rebuild the tag division. Grade: B
Chairs Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton
It seems in the long history of Rey Mysterio and Randy Orton being in WWE that there is s decent chance they have met before in a chairs match. Mysterio is known for being innovative and he took that to another level with the use of chairs. I thought Orton could have been a bit more vicious, although he did a decent job. There were several good spots, but nothing too brutal and the ending should have been a major bump; not a roll-up. Grade: B
Finn Bálor vs. Drew McIntyre
Since joining the main roster, Drew McIntyre has been basically unstoppable. He seemed destined for a world title run in early 2019 and now has lost a pair of matches in the last few weeks. The match saw McIntyre use his impressive strength with Finn Balor not willing to quit. It was Dolph Ziggler playing the key role that allowed Balor to get the win. Ziggler and Balor fighting backstage after the match was just questionable booking. Grade: B
RAW Women’s Championship: Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax
This was a rematch from Money in the Bank, when we never got a real winner. Compared to six months ago, Rousey has grown so much as a wrestler. It felt like we saw several new moves from Rousey and that could be because she is unable to toss Nia Jax around like Alexa Bliss or Nikki Bella. Rousey finally got the win over Nia and she looked strong in the process. I have to say, RAW is running out of challengers for Rousey. Grade: B+
Intercontinental Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose
First off, these two should have fought in a TLC match. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins have such bad blood that they needed a match without rules. The way Renee Young spoke, I figured she might turn heel and give her husband the assist. That could still happen down the road as these two are far from done. We have seen these two wrestle many times, with the face and heel roles going the opposite direction. Good match from two guys who know each other very well, although the ending seemed a bit weak. I wonder how long the feud will go and what kind of gimmick match will be added in their next meeting. Grade: B+
Tables Match: Natalya vs. Ruby Riott
We have seen the female superstars take part in a tables match before and it did not come off well. Ruby Riott was impressive and Natalya continues to show why she is the veteran of the women’s division. Even though Liv Morgan was not in the match, the bump she took from the apron through the table on the outside looked viscous. Seeing images of Jim Neidhart and Ruby on two different tables brought something unique to the match. While the storylines seemed tasteless, I liked the ending with Natalya paying homage to her late father. The table match was much better than I ever imagined. Grade: B+
WWE Championship: Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles
We have seen these two wrestle before, but not with Daniel Bryan playing the heel. A face vs. face match is fine but when there is a heel in the mix, there seems to be more in play. It was somewhat of a technical match, with a good mix of some hard-hitting spots. The match was on point and my only complaint is that Bryan did not perform too many heel tactics. For a heel to get heat, it helps to cheat a fan favorite out of any win. Bryan won clean and I do not see the need for a rematch. I wonder if WWE booked the match to end the feud on the chance they do not re-sign Styles. Grade: A-
Cruiserweight Championship: Buddy Murphy vs. Cedric Alexander
The cruiserweights are back to not only being the pre-show, but they were actually the first match. With about half of the fans still not in their seats, Buddy Murphy vs. Cedric Alexander met in a rematch from Super Show-Down. As expected, neither 205 Live superstars disappointed. In a pay per view full of gimmicks, they did not need one. Plenty of action here and they opened the pay per view setting the bar high, but not too many people would know because of the awful position they were placed in. Grade: A-
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
Not only did the female superstars headline another pay per view, but they did so in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match. There were some slight botches, but most of the bumps looked they did some damage and I imagine everyone involved will be hurting for the next few days. All three were over, with Becky still being the most popular superstar currently on WWE’s roster. I like how Asuka finally gets the title she deserved 10 months ago and it happened without Charlotte or Becky having to get pinned or submitted. Everyone looked strong coming out of the match. I understand Ronda Rousey getting involved to further the storyline from Survivor Series but like the live crowd’s reaction, it seemed to take away the spotlight from the three female superstars that earned the right to close TLC. Grade: A-
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