SEScoops

WWE TLC 2016 Reaction

tlc

Written by

Robert Lentini

in

Kickoff Show:

The Vaudevillians, The Ascension & Curt Hawkins vs American Alpha, Hype Bros & Apollo Crews

Crews and Hawkins started off the match. Crews dominated Hawkins and then tagged in Ryder. Viktor was then tagged in and he leveled Ryder with an elbow. Ryder hit a Neckbreaker on Viktor and then tagged in Mojo Rawley. Mojo and Konnor faced off in the ring. Mojo danced around the ring but ultimately was trapped in the wrong corner. Aiden English entered the match and was knocked out with a right hand from Rawley. American Alpha then got involved and cleaned house. Everyone just started throwing each other out of the ring until Apollo Crews was the last man standing.

A brawl then broke out between both teams. The Vaudevillians, The Ascension and Curt Hawkins were thrown out of the ring and the kickoff show went to a commercial break. When TLC returned, Hawkins hit a Suplex on Chad Gable. Hawkins then tagged in Viktor and he continued the assault on Gable. Konnor was tagged in and he applied a Chinlock to Gable. The crowd started to cheer for Gable as he battled out of the Chinlock. It didn’t work as Viktor and Konnor of The Ascension took turns beating down Gable.

Gable tried to tag out of the match but The Vaudevillians pulled everyone down from the apron. Aiden English then was tagged in and he attempted to keep Gable grounded. Simon Gotch accidentally ran into Viktor and knocked him off the apron. This allowed Gable to finally tag in Jason Jordan and he cleaned house. Apollo Crews Suplexed Hawkins to the outside of the ring onto the Hype Bros and The Ascension. Back in the ring, American Alpha hit the Grand Amplitude on Simon Gotch for the victory.

Winners: American Alpha, Hype Bros & Apollo Crews

Main Card:

Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: Heath Slater & Rhyno (c) vs Randy Orton & Bray Wyatt

Orton and Rhyno started out the match and Rhyno got the upper hand. Slater was then tagged in and Orton knocked him to the ring apron. Bray Wyatt then tripped up Slater and he fell to the outside of the ring. Orton then stomped on Slater and tagged in Bray Wyatt. Slater tried to tag in Rhyno but Wyatt prevented it. Wyatt threw Slater out of the ring and tagged in Orton. The beatdown continued as Orton connected with a Powerslam on Slater.

Wyatt entered the match and applied a Chinlock to Slater. Heath desperately tried to fight back and was able to make a diving tag to Rhyno. Immediately after the tag, Rhyno leveled Wyatt with a shoulder tackle off of the second turnbuckle. Rhyno went for a Spear on Orton outside the ring but Harper pushed Orton out of the way. Harper took the Spear but shortly after, Orton hit Rhyno with an RKO for the victory. Bray Wyatt did the spider walk to distract Rhyno and Orton used the distraction to hit the RKO. After the match, both Wyatt and Orton put their title belts on Harper’s shoulders. They then posed in the ring and the crowd loudly applauded them.

Winners & New Tag Team Champions: Randy Orton & Bray Wyatt

Reaction: It was definitely time to take the Tag Team titles off of Slater and Rhyno and there is no better team on Smackdown to give them to than Orton and Wyatt. The match itself was shorter than I expected but was still decent. The new Wyatt family may have posed together after the match but I still feel like it is only a matter of time before they all turn on each other.

No DQ Match: Carmella vs Nikki Bella

The match started off with Nikki Bella taking down Carmella and dragging her out of the ring. Carmella launched Nikki Bella into the stairs outside the ring. Nikki seemed to be favoring her leg and Carmella demanded the referee to count her out. Nikki beat the count but was immediately Suplexed into the ropes. Carmella followed it up with another Suplex into the ropes. Carmella hung Nikki upside down from the top turnbuckle and grabbed a kendo stick from under the ring. Carmella then taunted Nikki by doing the “you can’t see me” motion. Carmella then hit Nikki’s leg with the kendo stick several times.

Carmella applied the Code of Silence to Nikki in the center of the ring. Nikki grabbed the kendo stick and hit Carmella with it to break the hold. The action spilled outside of the ring and Nikki drove Carmella into the LED ring post. Nikki then hopped onto the barricade and leaped off of it and hit Carmella with a roundhouse kick. Back in the ring, Nikki hit Carmella a couple of times with the kendo stick. However, Carmella was able to stop the attack by kicking Nikki’s injured leg. Carmella went to drag Nikki Bella into the ring but Nikki sprayed her with a fire extinguisher. Nikki then sprayed Carmella with the extinguisher until it was empty. Nikki then hit the Rack Attack 2.0 for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Carmella grabbed a microphone and stated that she wasn’t the one that attacked Nikki Bella at Survivor Series. Carmella claimed that the person that attacked Nikki at Survivor Series was Natalya.

Reaction: I thought this match was solid and entertaining for what it was. If it does indeed turn out to be Natalya who attacked Nikki at Survivor Series that is kind of a bummer. I was hoping for it to be someone unexpected. Natalya was a pretty obvious choice given the fact that she wasn’t supposed to be a part of the Survivor Series match. The positive I can take from that is that hopefully the Carmella and Nikki feud is over. It had it’s entertaining moments but it is time to end it.

Winner: Nikki Bella


Daniel Bryan was interviewed backstage. Daniel admitted that he didn’t like The Miz and wouldn’t mind seeing Dolph Ziggler win the Intercontinental Championship tonight. The Miz then interrupted and stated that he wished he was facing Daniel Bryan tonight so that he could shove him off of 10 foot ladder. The Miz then sarcastically told Daniel Bryan to enjoy the match and walked away.

Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: The Miz (c) vs Dolph Ziggler

The match started out back and forth. The Miz launched Ziggler outside the ring and gained control of the match for a brief moment. Ziggler battled back but his momentum was cut short when he was hit with a boot to the face. There were dueling “let’s go Ziggler!” and “let’s go Miz” chants in the arena. Ziggler ran at The Miz but Miz dropped to the floor and tripped Ziggler up and he fell face first into a ladder. The Miz and Ziggler played tug of war with a ladder and Ziggler won. The Miz got pulled into the ring post and fell to the floor outside the ring.

Ziggler hit a Satellite DDT on The Miz onto a ladder outside the ring. Ziggler brought a ladder into the ring but The Miz leveled him with a Dropkick to the back. Miz then trapped Ziggler in the corner by placing the ladder in front of him. The Miz then connected with a Dropkick to the ladder that slammed into the ribs of Ziggler. Dolph battled back and hit a Springboard Elbow Drop off of the ladder that was propped up between the ropes. Ziggler then launced Miz into the ladder and went to the outside of the ring to get an additional ladder.

Ziggler set up the ladder and climbed to the top but The Miz dragged him back down to the mat. Dolph connected with a running Clothesline and tossed The Miz out of the ring. Dolph once again climbed to the top but The Miz pushed the ladder over and Ziggler bounced off of the top rope and fell to the mat. The Miz mocked Daniel Bryan by doing the “yes!” chant and followed it up with a couple of Dropkicks to Ziggler in the corner. The Miz went for a third Dropkick but Ziggler powered out of the corner and launched a ladder into the face of The Miz.

Dolph once again climbed to the top of the ladder. The Miz raced up the opposite side of the ladder and both men traded punches at the top as the title swung above them. Ziggler connected with a big right hand and The Miz fell to the mat. Ziggler reached for the title but The Miz grabbed his leg and slammed it into the ladder. Miz then stretched out Ziggler’s leg by tying it around the ladder. The Miz then slammed Ziggler knee first into the ladder and Dolph screamed in agony. The Miz continued to target the knee of Ziggler by slamming it into the ladder.

The Miz then trapped Ziggler’s knee in between the ladder and applied a Figure Four while Ziggler’s leg was trapped in the ladder. The Miz finally broke the hold and stomped on Ziggler’s knee one more time for good measure. The Miz then hit a Skull Crushing Finale on Ziggler who fell face first into the ladder. The Miz climbed to the top of the ladder but Ziggler pushed the ladder over. The Miz grabbed onto the hooks that suspend the title above the ring and was left hanging in the air. Ziggler then smashed the ladder into The Miz and he fell to the mat. The Miz then grabbed at his knee and rolled out of the ring in pain.

Ziggler tried to climb to the top of the ladder but it took him some time due to the attacks on his knee earlier in the match. This allowed The Miz enough time to knock Ziggler off of the ladder and Powerbomb him on top of the ladder that was propped up in between the ropes. The Miz hobbled around the ring and set up another ladder in the ring. On one leg, The Miz hopped up a couple of rungs of the ladder. Ziggler then got up and climbed the other using only his arms. Both men were at the top of the ladder and they traded punches. Ziggler connected with a headbutt on The Miz but he didn’t fall off the ladder. Ziggler connected with two more headbutts and The Miz fell to the mat. Ziggler tried to grab the title but The Miz climbed up and hit Dolph with a low blow. Ziggler then fell to the mat and The Miz grabbed the title for the win.

After the match, The Miz dedicated the win to Daniel Bryan. The Miz stated that Daniel Bryan motivated him to become the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time. The Miz then called everyone in the audience a loser and said that Dolph Ziggler should get a participation trophy. The Dallas crowd booed as The Miz and Maryse kissed in the ring.

Reaction: This was an excellent match and a fitting way to end one of the better feuds of the year. There was no goofy interference from the Spirit Squad or Maryse. The Miz won the match by a low-blow but that was perfectly legal in a ladder match. I’m glad that the Intercontinental Championship remains on the shoulder of The Miz. He has been nothing short of stellar since the brand split and is one of the main reasons I enjoy watching Smackdown more than Raw. The Miz mocks Daniel Bryan in every match and even cut a promo on him following tonight’s match. I don’t know where this is all heading but I’m intrigued. It will be difficult for any other match on the card to top this one and I’m looking forward to rewatching it in the future. There was a great blend of high spots and storytelling in this match. I thought both Ziggler and The Miz did a great job of slowing down the pace of the match and highlighting that they were injured. The Miz and Ziggler have had a few great matches this year but this one was my favorite. As always, that is just my opinion and I’m interested to read your thoughts on the match in the comments below.

Winner & Still Intercontinental Champion: The Miz

Chairs Match: Baron Corbin vs Kalisto

Kalisto started off the match by launching onto Corbin outside the ring. Corbin then spent the next several minutes beating the hell out of Kalisto. Corbin took off his shirt and tied it around Kalisto’s neck and whipped into a a group of chairs outside the ring. Kalisto finally fought back and connected with a seated Senton onto six chairs in the ring. Kalisto went for a pin but Corbin somehow was able to kick out. Kalisto went for a Suicide Dive onto Corbin outside the ring but Baron caught him and planted him with a massive Deep Six.

Corbin rolled Kalisto into the ring and went for a pinfall but Kalisto kicked out. This enraged Corbin and he got frustrated and punched Kalisto in the head several times. Corbin then angrily tossed several chairs into the center of the ring. Corbin then chased Kalisto around the outside of the ring with a chair. Corbin swung and missed several times with the chair as Kalisto ran for his life. Kalisto knocked the chair out of Corbin’s hands and hit a Hurricanrana off of the barricade.

Back in the ring, Kalisto hit a Moonsault onto Corbin while a chair was placed on top of him. Corbin somehow kicked out at two and Kalisto couldn’t believe it. Kalisto hit Corbin in the back a few times with the chair and then set up a bed of chairs in the ring. Kalisto climbed to the top rope and tried to jump onto Corbin but Baron smashed a chair into the head of Kalisto. Baron Corbin then hit the End of Days onto the bed of chairs in the ring for the victory.

Winner: Baron Corbin

Reaction: I had zero interest in this match and this feud. Having said that, Corbin and Kalisto put on a very good match. Baron Corbin needed this victory but Kalisto was competitive throughout the match. I’m hoping that this marks then of this feud. I think Corbin is ready to start pursuing a title on Smackdown.

Natalya was interviewed backstage. She denied Carmella’s claim that she was the one that attacked Nikki Bella at Survivor Series. Natalya then wished Becky Lynch luck in her Women’s Championship match against Alexa Bliss. Natalya stated that their was no better Superstar on Smackdown to represent the Women’s division than Becky Lynch.

Smackdown Women’s Championship Tables Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs Alexa Bliss

Becky and Alexa quickly brought the match outside of the ring and Becky got the upper hand. Lynch slammed Bliss into the barricade several times. Lynch went for a Powerbomb but Alexa hopped up on the ring apron and kicked Becky in the face. Back in the ring, Becky connected with a Suplex and climbed out of the ring to get a table. Lynch set up the table outside the and tried to Suplex Alexa onto it. Bliss fought back and slammed Lynch’s head into the top turnbuckle. Bliss then bit Becky’s hand and connected with a Double Knees onto the her back.

Bliss then stomped Becky’s head into the mat several times and got another table from under the ring. Becky tried to attack Alexa but Bliss blocked it and slammed Lynch’s head into the post. A bunch of people in the crowd started to chant “JBL!” for no reason. Back in the ring, Bliss and Lynch traded punches. Bliss then propped Becky up on the table and climbed to the top rope. Becky got off of the table and met Alexa on the top turnbuckle. Becky connected with a couple of punches and tried for a Superplex but Bliss blocked it.

Both Superstars got down from the turnbuckle and Alexa knocked Becky to the mat. Alexa then set up the table in the corner of the ring but this allowed time for Becky to get back up. Lynch connected with a series of Clothesline and for a Becksplex through the table but Alexa blocked it. Alexa then hit Double Knees to the ribs of Becky Lynch. Bliss continued the assault on Becky by connecting with a flurry of right hands while Becky laid on the mat. Lynch went to slam Bliss through the table but Alexa was able to flip over the table so she wouldn’t go through it. Alexa then hit a DDT on Becky onto the wood of the flipped over table.

Becky Lynch applied the Dis-Arm-Her on Alexa while her arm was caught in the legs of the table. Lynch then followed it up with a Pumphandle Slam. Lynch then set up a table between the bottom and the second rope. Becky then carried Alexa to the table and put her on top of it. Lynch then climbed to the top turnbuckle but Alexa kicked her in the face. Bliss then through Becky to the mat and followed it up with a Dropkick to the face. Lynch responded by slinging Alexa into the table propped up between the ropes. Alexa rolled to the outside of the ring and Becky followed her. Becky was on the ring apron and Alexa Bliss connected with a Powerbomb through the table outside of the ring.

After the match, Becky Lynch was interviewed on the entrance ramp. Becky Lynch stated that she was very disappointed in herself for losing the title.

Winner & New Smackdown Women’s Champion: Alexa Bliss

Reaction: This match started off very slow and was clunky at times. However, it picked up momentum and wound up being a decent match. The crowd seemed to be bored during the match and that resulted in some random chants. At no point did I find this match that boring and for the most part, I am never a fan of an audience trying to disrupt a show just for the hell of it. It wasn’t a majority of the crowd but it was enough to take away from the match and distract those that were trying to enjoy it. I’m all for voicing your opinion and booing the hell out of a performer that you do not enjoy. The days of the crowd reacting to Superstars the way the WWE wants them to are over. A lot of the crowd knows who the company is pushing and I understand the audience voicing their frustration with that. What I usually do not get is when members of an audience try to celebrate themselves by chanting irrelevant things. It is the equivalent of standing in a movie theater and shouting out other movie titles during a film you find boring.  I’m one of those people that can enjoy a professional wrestling match even if I am not that interested in the feud. A perfect example of that would be the chairs match between Baron Corbin and Kalisto earlier in the show.

All of that being said, I was looking forward to this match and I thought the Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch feud was very entertaining leading up to TLC. However, this match was a bit of a disappointment. It felt clumsy and directionless at times. There were a couple of good moments but Bliss and Lynch are capable of putting on a much better match than this one. Alexa Bliss becoming Smackdown Women’s Champion was a great choice because for the most part she has been very good since she came up from NXT. I’m interested to see where Becky Lynch goes from here. I don’t know if the WWE is considering turning her heel but I wouldn’t mind seeing that happen.

WWE World Championship TLC Match: AJ Styles (c) vs Dean Ambrose

Ambrose started out the match on the offensive. The match almost immediately went to the outside of the ring and Ambrose connected with a Suplex on the entrance ramp. Ambrose propped Styles up onto a table and climbed onto an absurdly tall ladder. Styles got off of the table and scampered into the crowd area. Ambrose chased after him and placed a trash can over the head of Styles. Ambrose then punched the trash can and Styles fell to the floor.

The action eventually returned to the outside of the ring and Styles hit a Clothesline on Ambrose who was leaning against the barricade. Styles went for another Clothesline but Ambrose avoided it and he slammed Styles crotch-first into the barricade. Ambrose then grabbed a chair and charged at Styles on the barricade. The chair bounced off of the shoulder of Styles and AJ fell to the mat. Ambrose then set up a ladder in the ring and tried to grab the title. Styles sprinted back in the ring and pushed Ambrose off of the ladder.

Ambrose catapulted Styles into a ladder on the ropes and AJ went flying out of the ring. Ambrose picked up the ladder and threw it onto Styles outside of the ring. Ambrose then set up a table in the ring but Styles came up behind him and hit him in the back with a chair. Styles then hit Ambrose in the ribs and the back with the chair. Styles then set up a chair and hit Ambrose with a Sidewalk Slam on top of it. Styles once again grabbed the chair and hit Ambrose a few more times with it.

Styles grabbed three more chairs from under the ring. AJ then set up four chairs in the ring and went for a Suplex but Ambrose blocked it. Ambrose reversed it and sent AJ flipping into the chairs in an awesome sequence. The crowd started to chant “holy s***!” and “this is awesome”! Ambrose connected with a Bodyslam on Styles that landed on the chair. Dean then brought a chair up to the second turnbuckle and landed an Elbow Drop with a chair on Styles.

Ambrose and Styles traded punches but AJ got the upper hand and Suplexed Dean through a table that was propped up in the corner of the ring. Styles connected with a Dropkick but Ambrose bounced off the ropes and launched into a Lunatic Lariat. Styles went for the Phenomenal Forearm but Ambrose blocked it. Ambrose then launched AJ out of the ring and Dean hung on the top rope with a sadistic grin on his face. Ambrose connected with a Suicide Dive and Styles bounced off of the announcer’s table. Ambrose then cleaned off the monitors of two of the announce tables ringside.

Ambrose set up a ladder on top of one of the announce tables and beatdown Styles on the other one. Ambrose then climbed up the ladder and hit a massive Elbow Drop onto Styles and both Superstars went smashing through the announce table. Dean was the first to his feet and he brought a ladder into the ring. Ambrose began to climb the ladder as the crowd cheered him on. AJ Styles somehow got up and hit a Phenomenal Forearm onto Ambrose who was halfway up the ladder.

Both men got back up and started to climb the ladder. They reached the top and began to trade punches. The punches lead to dueling headbutts and both Superstars fell to mat. Ambrose went for the Dirty Deeds but AJ blocked it and went for the Styles Clash. Ambrose blocked the Styles Clash and swung AJ into the ladder. Ambrose once again started to climb the ladder. Styles caught him and went to Powerbomb him into the ropes but Ambrose grabbed the rope and Styles fell out of the ring.

Styles got up onto the ring apron and Moonsaulted onto Ambrose and somehow converted it into a reverse DDT. Styles then placed Ambrose on top of a table and got back into the ring. Styles then hit an absolutely incredible Springboard 450 from the inside of the ring onto Ambrose outside of the ring. The crowd erupted into a “this is awesome!” chant. Styles got back into the ring and started to climb the ladder. James Ellsworth emerged from backstage and some of the crowd booed while the rest of the crowd chanted “Ellsworth”.

Styles attacked Ellsworth outside the ring. AJ went for the Styles Clash on Ellsworth on top of the stairs but Ambrose hit a Clothesline to stop it. Ambrose then hit the Dirty Deeds onto Styles on the steel steps. Ambrose then climbed the ladder but AJ somehow got back up and joined him at the top of the ladder. Ambrose punched Styles off of the ladder and he fell out of the ring. James Ellsworth then got into the ring and shoved the ladder and Ambrose went slamming through two tables outside the ring. Ellsworth then cheered AJ Styles on as he climbed the ladder and grabbed the title.

Winner & Still WWE World Champion: AJ Styles

Reaction: The ending of the match was a bit predictable but that doesn’t take away from how awesome this match was. This entire show was very good and there really wasn’t a bad match throughout the night. The Intercontinental Championship match was the match of the night in my opinion. However, the WWE World Championship match was outstanding as well. WWE TLC 2016 was one of the better shows of the year and it also featured two terrific matches. I will posting some more of my thoughts on my website here and you can check that out if you’d like.

What did you think of WWE TLC 2016? What was your favorite match of the night? Let us know in the comments below.

Comments

14 responses to “WWE TLC 2016 Reaction”

More posts