Recap and Review of WWE TLC 2019
The annual T.L.C. pay-per-view has been the final WWE show of the year for nearly a decade. Going into this years T.L.C. I felt like everything was put together last minute and there was very little buildup. I had very strong reservations about tonight but before I begin with those thoughts, here are the results of Tables, Ladders and Chairs:
-Kickoff Show: Humberto Carrillo defeated Andrade
-The New Day defeated The Revival in a Ladder Match to retain the WWE Smackdown Championships
-Aleister Black defeated Buddy Murphy
-The Viking Raiders and The O.C. ended in a Double Count-Out
-Baron Corbin defeated Roman Reigns in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match
-Bray Wyatt defeated The Miz
-Bobby Lashley defeated Rusev in a Tables Match
-The Kabuki Warrior defeated Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch in a TLC Match to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships
The opening match of the night was the ladder match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships between The New Day and The Revival. I was very hesitant about this match because Kofi Kingston was the only high-flyer in the match. Both teams got very creative with the ladders and they both took an absolute beating in the match. The match really could have gone either way, but it’s good to see Kofi Kingston go out of 2019 as a champion after the incredible year he had. There were no singles titles on the line on the show so the only singles match that my interest was Aleister Black versus Buddy Murphy. These two are both incredible performers and I was hoping they would cross paths at some point. I am so glad they crossed paths because it was one of the pay-per-view matches of the year. I hope to see more of Aleister Black and Buddy Murphy in 2020.
Earlier in the week, the War Raiders issued an open challenge for the Raw Tag Team Championships and The O.C. accepted. Since their arrival on Raw, the Viking Raiders only loss has been to Anderson and Gallows. It only made sense that they would be the ones to accept the challenge. Unfortunately, this was not one of their better matches because it ended in a no contest. If you’re interested in truly seeing these two teams showcased then look up their matches from New Japan Pro Wrestling. Another match that was disappointing was King Corbin and Roman Reigns. I have never understood the need for a T.L.C. match in a non-title match. I personally think it devalues the match. It would have been just as good of a match if it wasn’t a T.L.C. match. If I don’t see Corbin versus Reigns anytime soon, I will be happy with it. It’s time for both men to move on to something new.
I am not sure why you would book the WWE Universal Champion in a match and have it be a non-title match. I know they are trying to tell a story with Bray Wyatt, The Miz and Daniel Bryan but at least have the title on the line to give the story even more meaning. Even though the title was not on the line, I was very entertained by this completely different side of Bray Wyatt. The match was very awkward and ended in that fashion, but the aftermath was even more intriguing. Before Wyatt could dismantle The Miz, a familiar face returned in Daniel Bryan. The Yes Movement seems to be in full force and Bryan has his “American Dragon” look back. This is setting up for an incredible feud between Wyatt and Bryan heading into Wrestlemania season. The show went from exciting to a match that no one seemed to care about. The feud between Lashley and Rusev over Lana has been less than epic or thrilling. Had this been in the Attitude Era, it might have been the best feud around. Unfortunately, it’s hard to convince the crowd that a feud like this is even close to being real. Like Corbin and Reigns, I hope these two go their separate ways and start something new.
The Main Event was for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. The Kabuki Warriors defended against Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch. I understand wanting the women to have the same type of matches as the men, but if you can’t deliver than don’t put them in that position. The match came off very sloppy and rushed. At this point, I think the Women’s Tag Team Titles need to be scrapped or sent to NXT. Nothing epic has happened with those titles. For being the last pay-per-view of the decade, it was very underwhelming with exception of two things. Black and Murphy without a doubt had the match of the night and Daniel Bryan returning to old form was a great moment. WWE TLC gets a 6 out of 10 due to not having any singles title matches on the show, nothing unpredictable and nothing epic happening. I hope with the Royal Rumble being over a month away they can start to build towards some significant stories and bring some interest headed into Wrestlemania season. Lets hope 2020 starts off better than 2019 ended.
