We've finally reached the last pay-per-view to what's been a very tough year for WWE. The company seems to have hit an all time creative low, as the main feud features two guys that either the crowd doesn't care for or about. While the matchups on paper look fine, haven't we seen all these matches before?
The main event stemmed from Sheamus stealing Roman Reigns' big moment at Survivor Series after he won the tournament to crown a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. The WWE has done nothing special to build up to this event, with Reigns talking about Sheamus smuggling in tater tots from Ireland instead of potatoes. Oh man, we definitely have to see that bad blood boil over!
This is the WWE's last stop of 2015 and December pay-per-views have always proven difficult for WWE. This was a chance for them to generate some momentum going into the Royal Rumble, which kicks off the road to WrestleMania 32. The time to steer the ship in the right direction leading up to that event is running out.
Event Card (in no particular order):
- ECW Originals vs. The Wyatt Family - Tables Match
- Ryback vs. Rusev
- Jack Swagger vs. Alberto Del Rio - Steel Chairs Match for United States Championship
- Charlotte (c) vs. Paige for the Divas Championship
- Kevin Owens (c) vs. Dean Ambrose for Intercontinental Championship
- The New Day vs. The Lucha Dragons vs. The Usos - Triple Threat Ladder Match for WWE Tag Team Championship
- Sheamus (c) vs. Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Spoilers lie ahead. Be warned!!
Triple Threat Ladder Match - Tag Team Championship
In a match sure to feature exciting in-ring action, the WWE chose to start the night with a high-tempo match. The multiple ladders were used well as weapons and as props for high spots. Xavier Woods was a great addition to the commentary team and even threw in a trumpet solo mid match. Big E and the Lucha Dragons did a great spot with Big E bench pressing the ladder from underneath forcing the Luchas off the ladder. Kalisto stole the show with a Salida del Sol off the top of the ladder, through a propped ladder between the ropes. With Kalisto set to climb the ladder to retrieve the belts, Xavier interfered, allowing Kofi to climb up for the win... Winner: The New Day (c) Match Rating: 8.5/10
Ryback vs. Rusev
@thelanawwe gives @rusevig one last kiss for luck before heading out to face @thebigguyryback22 at #WWETLC! A photo posted by WWE (@wwe) on
Rusev had his first PPV match since coming off injury with Lana back by his side. This one had standard "two strongmen match" written all over it. The match consisted of high impact offense emphasizing each guy's brute strength. The crowd wasn't really into this one. Lana proved to be the difference, feigning an injury and providing Rusev the distraction he needed to incapacitate Ryback and lock on the Accolade for the win.
Nothing special to this match, and it earns the Bret Hart rating.
Winner: Rusev
Match Rating: 4/10
Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger - Chairs Match for United States Championship
So Del Rio's allegiance with Zeb Colter lasted all of three weeks and thus, we get a rematch of WrestleMania XXIX with Del Rio and Swagger swapping face/heel roles. As expected in a Chairs Match, both guys' offense involved the use of, well chairs.
Swagger got creative, wedging Del Rio's ankle into a chair before executing the Patriot Lock, but Del Rio was able to escape.
Del Rio was able to secure the win after hitting a double foot stomp off the top into a pile of chairs. Two good workers, but the Chairs Match just doesn't make for a great gimmick match.
Winner: Alberto Del Dio (c)
Match Rating: 6/10
ECW Originals vs. The Wyatt Family - Tables Match
This match provided some nostalgia, as it's been a while since we've seen the Dudley Boyz in a tables match and it's a good way to give the rub to the Wyatts. Rhyno and Tommy Dreamer are sure to give some good feelings for longtime ECW fans.
Rowan was eliminated via 3D through a table, while Rhyno was the first of the ECW team gone at the hands of Luke Harper. Bray Wyatt took out D-Von with a one-armed slam through the wood. Harper then speared Dreamer through a table, leaving Bubba alone with Bray, Strowman and Harper.
Bubba attempted to take the match to a hardcore level, bringing lighter fluid out and spraying a table. However Strowman was able to sneak up on Bubba and finish the match by slamming Bubba through a table. Convincing win for the Wyatts.
There was nothing really memorable about this match, lacking the violence we'd been accustomed to in previous tables matches.
Winner: The Wyatt Family
Match Rating: 5/10
Kevin Owens (c) vs. Dean Ambrose - Intercontinental Championship
No gimmicks needed for this match (although a ladder match would have been sweet here.) In a perfect world, this would be the world title match, but I digress. Kevin Owens does all the little things so well in a match, using old school methods to build heat throughout a match. Owens was the aggressor much of the match, with Ambrose being the resilient one. Ambrose was able to reverse a Pop-Up Powerbomb into a hurricanrana with a pin a la Rey Mysterio. Good match from these two. Seriously Vince, can these two headline next time?
Winner: Dean Ambrose - New Intercontinental Champion
Match Rating: 8/10
Charlotte (c) vs. Paige - Divas Championship
This is a feud with so much potential, but WWE really does have to give these ladies a chance.
Side note: If Vince Russo was booking this match, he'd have the Nature Boy turn on his daughter...
Charlotte pulled off some Flairish antics, even doing the patented Ric Flair forward fall. The ladies spent much of the match imitating the other, with Charlotte shouting "this is my house!" while Paige did the Nature Boy strut and even locked on a Figure Four.
Flair intervened on his daughter's behalf, placing her foot on the rope when she was being pinned. Charlotte took advantage of the distraction by exposing the second turnbuckle and driving Paige's face onto it and getting the pin. After showing signs of a heel turn in recent weeks, we can say this was an outright heel turn, as Charlotte now apparently will be using the dirty Flair tactics from now on.
Winner: Charlotte (c)
Match Rating: 7/10
Sheamus (c) vs. Roman Reigns - TLC Match, WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Oh yay! Here we go, the exact two guys that are the most over on the roster. The guy who is drawing heel heat with ease and the white hot babyface fans can't wait to see get his retribution! Okay, that's only what Vince McMahon is seeing.
While the feud was lackluster, it could have been salvaged with a great TLC match.
Reigns took some good bumps in the match, going through a couple of tables. Sheamus took control in the early going, capping it with White Noise through a table, using the steel steps as leverage.
Try as they might though, these two couldn't get a positive reaction from the crowd. It was so bad that there were GROWN MEN chanting FOR John Cena! Wait, has all this been a setup for WWE to get the adults to appreciate Cena? Of course, there were the more common chants, clamoring for Daniel Bryan and CM Punk.
After being the aggressor most of the match, Sheamus took a big bump himself, breaking a propped ladder in half from a Samoan Drop.
Reigns and Sheamus finally got to the ladder in the middle of the ring. With Sheamus climbing the ladder, Reigns delivered a Superman Punch, knocking Sheamus off the ladder, through a table.
With Reigns going for the title, the League of Nations interfered on the champion's behalf. Reigns was able to fight Rusev and Del Rio off, but Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick on Reigns and was able to climb the ladder and snatch the belt to retain.
The League of Nations celebrated, but Roman attacked all three with a chair. The Authority then came out with officials to restrain Reigns. When the dust settled, Reigns hit Triple H with a Superman Punch followed by some chair shots. He capped it off with a Powerbomb onto the announce table, and an elbow drop to put Hunter through the table. While walking away, Reigns turned back and charged at Hunter from the ramp delivering a huge spear to the floor. Reigns finally garnered some decent support from the crowd following the beating of the boss.
The in-ring action wasn't bad and both men worked their asses off, but the bottom line is nobody cares about this feud and that always hurts a match.
Great, now that that's over with, it's time for the real main event, Stone Cold's interview with Shawn Michaels on the network!
Winner: Sheamus
Match Rating: 6.5/10