Credit:PWInsider
Fandango vs. Dolph Ziggler
They started off hot with Ziggler taking a nice backdrop over the top to the floor. When we returned from a commercial for the PPV, Ziggler was in a chinlock but fought his way out. They went back and forth until Ziggler went for a superplex. Summer Rae got on the apron and distracted Ziggler, who was shoved down. Fandango nailed the top rope legdrop and scored the pin.
Your winner, Fandango!
Way too short to be anything of note. Sort of sad to hear the crowd chanting, "We want Ziggler" and then he loses in 5 minutes.
The pre-game show ended with Triple H, Stephanie and YES, Vince McMahon arriving at the show.
TLC PPV
The TLC PPV opened up with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon coming out to welcome everyone to the PPV. Stephanie McMahon said tonight was one of the most important nights in WWE and professional wrestling history. Yes, she said the words pro wrestling! Triple H explained that in 1963, Lou Thesz vs. Buddy Rogers ended with two championships as both claimed victory - one as the World champion and the other as what is now known as the WWE title. Well, that was true....from a certain point of view, sort of like Obi-Wan Kenobi's version of what happened to Luke Skywalker's father....meaning, it's not really factually true. Thesz won. WWWF ignored it and named Rogers champ, but they are also claimimg the World title goes back to Gotch as well, instead of 2002. HHH ran down a lot of the greats that held the two titles and Stephanie said tonight, they would learn whether John Cena or Randy Orton would be the unified champion.
CM Punk vs. The Shield - Handicap Match
Dean Ambrose and Punk started out. They went back and forth with some wrestling with Punk getting the better of the exchanges. Frustrated, Rollins tagged out to Seth Rollins, so Punk went to the floor.
Rollins tried to follow him out but Punk rolled back in the ring and was nailed with a kick. Punk nailed a series of shoulderblocks in the corner. Punk nailed a hangman's neckbreaker on Rollins and scored a two count, then locked in a front facelock. Rollins fought his way towards The Shield's corner.
They noted a lot of legends are Tweeting about the unification match, including Terry Funk. I just wanted a reason to mention the Funker. Sorry!
Punk is finally brought into The Shield's corner and worked over. Roman Reigns beat him down with right hands and began double teaming him with Rollins. The crowd chanted for Punk. The Shield began picking Punk apart.
Punk fired back with a series of right hands to Reigns but was cut off with a clothesline. Punk was tossed to the floor. Reigns followed and went for the spear but Punk avoided it and Reigns went flying over the top of the announcer's table in spectacular fashion. He was almost counted out but rolled back in at eight.
Punk attacked Reigns, who was selling that his eye was hurt, and went right after it. JBL claimed that Reigns hit his face on a chair and said he couldn't see and hurt his eye. Reigns was able to toss Punk to the outside and tagged out. His eye did look a little swollen.
Rollins tossed Punk into the ring and worked him over. Punk went for the GTS but Rollins slippped out. Reigns stayed on the floor holding his eye, getting looked at by the doctor.
Punk slipped out of a move from Rollins and kicked Ambrose off the apron, then nailed Rollins with a roundhouse kick for a two count. Punk and Rollins went back and forth. Punk grabbed the Anaconda Vise but Ambrose attacked him. Ambrose tagged in and worked over Punk in a corner.
Ambrose set Punk atop the turnbuckles and went for a superplex but Punk fought his way out with headbutts. Ambrose crashed into the ring and Punk went for the flying elbowsmash. Rollins tried to stop him but was too late. Punk knocked him off the apron and covered Ambrose for another two count.
Punk called for the GTS on Ambrose but dropped him when he saw Rollins coming. He nailed Rollins and went back to Ambrose but saw Reigns coming with a spear and ducked out of the way. Reigns speared Ambrose and Punk covered him.
Your winner, CM Punk!
Punk ran up to the entrance way to celebrate.
You could see Reigns absolutely has a swelled up eye.
A much better match than you would expect the handicap match stipulation to give you. It was probably the best handicap match in the history of the company, both from the story they told and the use of the talent involved. This will obviously play into the teased Reigns turn as well. Good opener.
WWE Divas champion AJ Lee cut a promo backstage. She said that the entire WWE Universe and the Divas division are a joke except for her. She's the only Diva that matters and she's the champion. She promised that tonight, she would remind everyone of why that is. Good promo.
WWE Divas champion AJ Lee (with Tamina) vs. Natalya
AJ Lee and Natalya went back and forth early with some really good wrestling. They went to the floor, where Natalya rammed Lee into the guard rail throat first. She tossed Lee into the ring but was distracted by Tamina. That allowed AJ to nail a sliding kick.
AJ locked on a sleeper. Natalya fought her way out with elbows but was nailed with a DDT as she rebounded off the ropes. Natalya came back, drilling Lee into the buckles but was kicked by Lee. Lee brought her into the corner and nailed a series of kicks.
Lee missed a charge into the corner and was grabbed for a slam. AJ locked in a forward choke. Natalya rolled out of a sunet flip and dropkicked Lee in the corner.
Lee went for a kick but it was blocked and she was nailed with a series of clotheslines and a suplex. Natalya nailed another one and hit a sitdown slam. She set up for the Sharpshooter and turned Lee over in the middle of the ring. Lee fought her way to the ropes but was pulled into the center. Lee pulled herself under Natalya's legs and rolled Natalya over.
Tamina got on the apron but was nailed by Natalya. AJ went for the Black Widow but Natalya broke it. She nailed another big clothesline and went for the Sharpshooter but Lee grabbed her and rolled her up, grabbing her into a forward roll, for the pin.
Your winner and still WWE Divas champion, AJ Lee!
Very good back and forth match.
They aired an awesome video on the history of the WWE and World titles with lots of old footage.
WWE Intercontinental champ Big E. Langston vs. Damien Sandow
Langston was in control early on but Sandow cut him off and drilled him with the elbow of Disdain, then cinched in a chinlock. Langston came back with some power moves and a big splash for a two count.
Sandow worked over Langston, who came back with a massive clothesline and the Big Ending. That was it.
Your winner and still IC champion, Big E. Langston!
It was OK.It was pretty much a showcase for Langston with a little early offense from Sandow. Solid but nothing amazing.
Vince McMahon wished Randy Orton well in his match.
They added Kofi Kingston vs. Miz in a NO DQ match for later.
WWE Tag Team champions The Rhodes Family vs. Real Americans vs. Ryback & Curtis Axel vs. Big Show & Rey Mysterio
Ryback and Cody started with Ryback working him over. Cody made a comeback. He and Goldust worked over Ryback with some double team maneuvers. Axel tagged in and dropkicked Goldust. He grabbed a side headlock. He and Goldust went back and forth until Show tagged himself in. Axel wasn't thrilled about that. He tried to tie up with Show but was easily overpowered. Show chopped him hard in the corner. The crowd chanted for Show to do it one more time. Show obliged.
Rey tagged in but was slammed by Axel. Axel came off the ropes, then tagged Ryback, who nailed a splash off the ropes for a two count then pummeled Rey with punches. Ryback worked over Rey, who finally tagged out to Goldust.
Goldust took over on Ryback with several punches, a clothesline and a spinebuster. Axel tried to interfere but was nailed but Ryback cut him off and went for a powerbomb. Goldust slipped through and Ryback was rolled up and pinned.
Ryback and Axel have been eliminated.
Jack Swagger, in the bout for the first time, attacked Goldust. The Americans trapped Goldust and worked him over in their corner. The crowd chanted, "We the People." Goldust was knocked to the floor. Swagger followed and set up and nailed a running clothesline.
Cesaro tagged in and nailed a gutwrench suplex for a two count, then cinched in an armbar. Swagger and Cesaro take turns working over Goldust. Cesaro nailed the Big Spin. Cesaro leapfrogged Swagger en route to a doublestomp and covered him for another two count. Swagger locked on a side chinlock but Goldust fought his way out.
Goldust knocked Swagger off the apron and kicked off Cesaro. He went to tag Cody but Swagger pulled him off the apron. Rhodes began grabbing at his knee. Show grabbed Swagger and tossed him into the rail. Goldust nailed a rana on Cesaro. He made a hot tag to Show, who cleaned house on Cesaro.
Show nailed Cesaro with a big shoulderblock and called for the chokeslam. Swagger tried to stop him but was nailed with a KO punch. Show then KO'd Cesaro as he came off the ropes and covered Cesaro.
We are down to two teams. Rhodes is hurting and Goldust is exhausted. Show helped Dust up and showed him respect. The crowd got into it as they faced off.
Rhodes grabbed a side headlock but was picked up by Show and nailed with shots to the mid-section. He sent Goldust into the ropes and shoulderblocked him down, then pulled him up and tossed him back in. Show whipped him into the corner but was kicked off. Goldust nailed a bodypress off the ropes for a two count.
Rey and Cody tagged in and they had a great back and forth. Rey caught Cody coming off the ropes and nailed a powerbomb for a two count. He sent Cody into the ropes but Cody blocked a 619. They went into a great back and forth series of two counts. Rhodes finally nailed the CrossRhodes for the pin on Rey.
Your winners and still WWE Tag Team champions, The Rhodes Brothers!
That was just great. Really loved this and worth checking out. Great sequences and near falls aplenty.
Everyone showed respect for each other after the bout.
They had a pretty goofy vignette with the Prime Time Players, Vickie Guerrero, Torito, Brad Maddox, Great Khali and El Matadors to put over the Brawling Buddies. It ended with Kane, complete with music, looking disgusted at Vickie and Brad for playing, then using Brodus Clay to beat up John Cena. Yeeeeeeeeep!
Brodus Clay (with Tensai) vs. R-Truth (with Xavier Woods)
This is Woods' WWE PPV debut. Truth controlled Clay early and hit a dive to the floor where Clay went outside to recuperate. Truth tossed him back in and ascended to the top but was nailed and sent to the floor. Brodus nailed the Banzai Splash and covered Truth but Truth kicked out.
Truth was nailed with a series of elbows and legdrops. The story was that Clay was being too aggressive and mean. Clay nailed a heart punch. JBL made an Ox Baker reference. Clay nailed an exploder and mocked Truth's "What's Up" song.
Clay nailed a running Avalanche splash in the corner, then hit another. Truth crumpled down in the corner. Truth rolled out of the ring. Clay was going to toss Truth into the steps but Tensai stepped in the way and argued with him to toss him in the ring and get the win. Clay said he was winning.
Clay tied Truth upside down and kept nailing him in the corner. Tensai got on the apron and told him to just get the win. Clay said he was a main event player and better than him. Tensai threw his hands up and was disgusted. He walked out. Naomi and Cameron soon did the same. Clay was angry and all this took so long that Truth nailed him with a leg lariat and rolled him up for the pin.
Your winner, R-Truth!
As a way to showcase the new, angrier, more aggressive Clay, it was good...until the end. I hope they have something planned to follow up for tomorrow or else that was a waste. The match itself was fine as was the breakup angle.
Vince McMahon shook John Cena's hand and wished him luck.
Miz vs. Kofi Kingston
They began brawling immediately and battled around ringside. Kingston went for Trouble in Paradise on the floor but Miz moved and nailed the ringpost. That allowed Miz to work him over on the floor and tossed the injured Kingston back into the ring.
Miz began working over Kingston's leg and knee. He began slapping Miz around. Miz placed Kofi's leg on the bottom rope and jumped down upon it, softening it up for the figure four leglock.
Miz exposed the top turnbuckle, then drilled his knee into Kingston's face. Miz went to the top but was dropkicked as he attempted to come off with a flying axehandle. You could hear a pretty sizeable "Boring" chant. The went back and forth. The crowd chanted for Tables.
Miz was sent into the exposed buckle and then nailed with Trouble in Paradise for the pin.
Your winner, Kofi Kingston!
Daniel Bryan vs. The Wyatt Family - Handicap Match
Wyatt took a chair at ringside. Rowan went right after Bryan but ate a bunch of kicks. Rowan cut him off with a big elbow. Rowan has really improved. Luke Harper tagged in. They called him the workhorse of the family and that's the truth. He and Bryan battled back and forth with some nice forearm exchanges.
The Wyatts cut down Bryan and worked him over. Rowan nailed him over and over with slams and then dropped down with a headbutt to the back. He locked Bryan in a bearhug. They worked over Bryan until Bray Wyatt stood up and took off his hat and shirt.
Wyatt entered the ring and screamedthat it didn't have to be like this and that they could have been friends. He yelled "I could have helped you!" and drilled Bryan with a running splash. He began ripping on Bryan in the corner. Bray was admonished by the referee and he said, "Don't judge me sir."
Wyatt picked up Bryan for a suplex and tossed him off into a slam. He did the spider walk towards Bryan, screaming, "I could have been your friend, Bryan." He tagged out to Harper, who locked Bryan in a headlock. The crowd chanted, "That was creepy."
They worked over Bryan. Bray entered the ring and said they could have been friends. He offered his hand and said he would make it all go away. Bryan kicked him and attacked Wyatt but was taken down with a leaping forward elbow.
Wyatt ordered Harper to finish him. Harper nailed a BIG sitdown powerbomb and scored a two count. Wyatt began giving instructions and Harper went for a running big boot. Bryan moved and Harper was caught up on the top rope.
Bryan charged and dropkicked the others off the apron, then nailed Harper as well. Bryan set up Harper on the top and nailed a belly to back superplex. He covered Harper for a two count. The crowd went nuts chanting "Yes" as Bryan nailed a series of kicks to the chest.
Bryan kicked Harper in the head and went to the top with a flying headbutt but Rowan broke up the pinfall attempt. Bryan nailed him with a roundhouse kick to the head and Rowan's arms ended up entangled in the ropes. Bryan nailed a series of kicks to Rowan. Harper tagged Wyatt but Bryan drilled him with a kick, dropkicked Rowan over the ropes to the floor, then tossed Harper over the top.
Wyatt whipped Bryan into the ropes but he ducked a clothesline and hit a suicide dive to Harper, sending him over the announcing table, Bryan sent Rowan into the stairs, then nailed Wyatt witha flying headbutt. Bryan went for the Yes Lock but Wyatt nailed him with a series of elbows to the head. He nailed Bryan with Sister Abagail and pinned Bryan.
Your winners, The Wyatt Family!
A great match that was designed to make the Wyatts and their characters major players with an awesome performance by everyone involved. This was just great stuff. The Wyatts, as they should have been presented, officially have arrived, finally, from NXT.
WWE champion John Cena vs. World champ Randy Orton TLC Match to determine the WWE World Heavyweight champion.
They were playing this up as the biggest match of all time. They are also acting like Chris Jericho didn't unify the belts, so whatever - it's their story.
They locked up and went back and forth grappling. Cena shoulderblocked Orton down and went for a ladder. Orton tried to stop him but he nailed Orton with it. Cena went for a table and brought it into the ring. Cena and Orton battled. Cena went for the AA but Orton went to the outside and grabbed a chair. He used the chair to keep Cena at bay and kicked the ladder out of the ring.
They battled over the chair but Orton kicked Cena in the gut and then drilled him twice with the chair. Cena went to the floor. Orton stalked him with a chair but missed and hit the ringpost, hurting his hands. Cena began unloading with the chair on the floor.
Cena set up another table on the outside of the ring on the floor. He went to use it against Orton but was fought off and sent into the ringside steel stairs. Orton brought Cena back into the ring and worked him over, using the Garvin Stomp and kicks to take Cena back down when he fought his way up.
Cena fought off Orton and set up a ladder. He tried to climb and retrieve the belts but Orton caught him and nailed a belly to back suplex into the ring below. Orton closed the ladder and charged Cena with it. Cena ducked and the ladder went to the floor. Orton grabbed a chair and beat the hell out of Orton with it.
Cena ducked a right hand and hit the tackles and the Blue Thunder Bomb, then went for thge Five Knuckle Shuffle. Orton kicked him in the face from the mat, then rammed Cena into a chair wedged in between the buckles. Orton went to the floor and retrieved a ladder.
Orton prepared the ladder so he could grab the belts. He climbed the ladder but Cena caught him and slammed him into the ladder. Cena did the Five Knuckle Shuffle off the ladder. Orton rolled to the apron outside. Cena grabbed the ladder and hit Orton like a battering ram, sending him off and through a table on the floor.
Cena opened the ladder and went to the top. He had his hands on the belts but before he could grab them, Orton shoved him off and nailed him with an RKO. They battled back and forth. Cena fired back and clotheslined Orton over the top to the floor. He worked over Orton and nailed him with the steel steps. He nailed Orton again and they said Orton may have been busted open, which he was, around his nose. They've built a nice intensity at this point, the type you don't see a lot in wrestling in WWE.
Cena brought another table into the ring and went for Orton but was nailed with a mic that Orton grabbed. Orton placed Cena on the steps and stomped it. Orton began beating him with the house mic over and over. He went for the punt kick but Cena grabbed him and nailed an AA through the announcers' table.
Cena tried to pull himself up the ladder but was spent and it took along time. He grabbed one but Orton pulled the ladder out from under him. Cena held on as Orton grabbed a chair and nailed him. Cena crashed down and Orton beat him over and over with the chair. Orton stood over Cena, pounced to nail him again, but Cena leapt up and tackled him through a table propped in the corner.
Orton went to the floor and went searching for something under the ring mats...handcuffs! He handcuffed Cena to the ropes with one arm, then grabbed a chair. Orton taunted Cena by holding the key. If he was smart, he's chuck them into the audience. As soon as I typed that, he did! If Cena ever needed the audience to channel 2006 in the Hammerstein Ballroom and throw something back, it's now
Orton walked up the aisle and grabbed a ladder. When he returned, Cena was using a ladder to try and break the handcuffs. Orton nailed him from behind with the ladder. He set the ladder up in the center of the ring. Man, if they hit Daniel Bryan's music right now and he saved Cena, imagine the pop.
Wow, they went a different route. Cena unhooked the turnbuckle in the corner and dragged the ring ropes with him so he had slack. He followed Orton up and nailed him with the metal part of the buckles. Orton went down. Cena went to grab with one arm, but he didn't have enough reach with the handcuffed arm. He went to grab them with the other arm but Orton grabbed the ring ropes and yanked Cena's arm. This led to a tug of war, which Orton eventually did, yanking Cena down headfirst towards another table that was set up in the corner. The idea was for Cena to go through the table but he landed short, except possibly hitting his head on the table, which didn't break.
With Cena out, Orton ascended to the top and took a moment, then unhooked the belts.
Your winner and undisputed WWE World Heavyweight champion, Randy Orton!
A great main event with tons of plunder, brawling, insane spots and a good intensity. They fought their asses off and they earned this one. Well worth seeking out.
Just as it seemed they would go off the air, out came Vince McMahon, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, Stephanie hugged Orton. Cena sat on the floor watching, heartbroken. HHH and Vince McMahon congratulated Orton, who held both belts above his head to close the show.
This was easily the best PPV offering from the company since Summerslam.