The last WWE show of 2020 was certainly one to talk about, and whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing, there isn’t much more to ask of a wrestling show than that. This show had plenty of action, and I liked that the Thunderdome was in the baseball stadium, and maybe there’ll be fans back in 2021. Here’s my review for WWE TLC 2020.
Preshow: 8 Man Tag Team Match: Daniel Bryan, Otis, Big E and Chad Gable def. Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn, King Corbin, Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro
Nothing like a random 8 man tag match that has some of the best wrestlers in the world to get us hyped for TLC. And it looks like two thirds of the Forgotten Sons are now Baron Corbin’s lackeys. I thought they got released, but the more you know. Chad Gable starts out against Sami Zayn, and then both men immediately tag in Baron Corbin and Big E. E and Corbin lock horns and push Corbin in the corner and got levelled with a clothesline. E tags in Chad Gable and then Cesaro gets in the match. Gable uses some of his olympian athleticism to get the better of Cesaro and tags in the American Dragon. Bryan picks up the pace against Cesaro, but the Swiss Cyborg countered the Yes kicks and overpowers Bryan. Cesaro tags in former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, then Nakamura tagged in Sami Zayn as the heels work Bryan over. Sami goads Big E, and after Bryan gets knocked off the top rope, Big E chases after Sami only to eat an uppercut from Cesaro. Bryan made a hot tag to Otis, who makes short work of Shinsuke Nakamura. Otis hit the caterpillar, tagged in Chad Gable, but Nakamura tagged in Cesaro and hit a gutwrench-Kinshasa double team, but Otis broke up the pin. Corbin hit a huge spinebuster, Bryan hit Corbin with the knee only to eat an uppercut. Sami tries to pick up the bones, Gable makes the tag to Big E, and E hit the Big Ending to pick up the win for his team.
Tables, Ladders, & Chairs Match for the WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre (c) def. AJ Styles and The Miz to retain the WWE Championship
Gosh, the WWE Championship never main-events pay per views anymore. In both of Drew’s title runs, he’s only main evented two pay per views. AJ goes right after Drew’s leg and takes the aggression to Drew early. Drew threw the challenger around and lit AJ up with chops. Styles gets chucked around while Omos is just sitting around outside. McIntyre clubbed AJ off of the top turnbuckle and threw the phenomenal one into the announce table. Drew grabs some furniture, and slams AJ into the barricade and a row of chairs. Drew stares a hole into Omos before going right back to his domination. Drew grabbed a ladder and set it up in the center of the ring, only to get smacked from behind with a chair. Styles propped the chair in the turnbuckle, and Drew launched AJ into the ladder, AJ springs onto it, and got flung into the chair, but AJ managed to get right back into control after targeting Drew’s leg. After dropping the ladder onto Drew, AJ went for the clash onto the ladder, only for Drew to counter with a Future Shock DDT. Styles locked in the calf crusher using the ladder, and Styles targets Drew’s leg with the chair., locking in the calf crusher with Drew’s leg folded in the chair, and Drew broke out of it by bashing AJ’s head onto the ladder. AJ bashes Drew with the ladder and lays Drew out on a table but McIntyre sprang up and threw a chair at AJ. Drew grabbed a table, and AJ once again took Drew out with a drop toe-hold onto the ladder. Styles got thrown into a ladder after Drew countered a Phenomenal Forearm attempt. Styles hit the Phenomenal Forearm and set up the ladder. As AJ makes the climb, Drew gorilla presses Styles through a table on the outside of the ring, and now it’s Drew’s turn to make the climb. Here comes The Miz with JoMo in tow, powerbombs Drew off the ladder through a table and Miz cashes in his money in the bank briefcase. Miz arrogantly climbs the ladder, only to get grabbed by Omos like a baby throwing a tantrum, gets dunked through a table.JoMo hits Omos with a chair that broke on impact, and Morrison grabs another chair whie cowering in fear. Styles and McIntyre start to stir while Miz is incapacitated. Drew and AJ make a mad dash up the ladder, then Miz shows up with a ladder of his own. Drew fights off AJ and Miz to retain the WWE Championship.
Smackdown Women’s Championship Match: Sasha Banks (c) def. Carmella to retain
Carmella’s entrance is….. well, it’s something. At least she isn’t moonwalking anymore, and she has her own personal sommelier. The Smackdown Women’s Champion and one of the co-stars of the Mandalorian wastes no time making her way to the ring. Carmella immediately tucks her tail and runs out of the ring to adjust her gear, and Sasha starts the aggression early. Carmella takes control with a cheap shot to the back. Sasha chucks Mella to the outside of the ring only to get caught by her sommelier, Reginald. Sasha hits a meteora early and got slammed on the apron. Sasha takes control with a backbreaker and hit the three amigos and a Frog Splash for a nearfall. Mella hit a bunch of elbows and it looked like she botched the X Factor and continued her assault on the champion, hitting a superkick right in the temple. Sasha rolled through a hurricanrana and had a quick exchange of pins before Carmella locked in the Code of Silence. Sasha rolled through and Carmella locked in a double chickenwing. Sasha escaped by countering into a pin, then Sasha locked in the bank Statement yet again, only for Reginald to drag Mella out. After hitting a meteora onto Reginald, Carmella hit multiple superkicks only for Banks to kick out. Carmella went for the X Factor, Sasha countered and Carmella tapped out.
Raw Tag Team Championship Match: The Hurt Business def. The New Day (c) to become the new Raw Tag Team Champions
Kofi hit a superkick right away and tagged in Xavier Woods hits a top rope legdrop for a nearfall while MVP is livid at ringside. New Day continues to pick up the frantic pace, then Alexander finally tags out to Shelton Benjamin, who uses his power to take things down a notch for the hurt business. Kofi hits a top rope stomp for a nearfall while Xavier and Alexander fight on the outside. Woods hits a tornado DDT for a nearfall, but Benjamin takes control with a knee strike. Cedric continues the aggression on Xavier with some rest holds and a stiff shot. Woods makes the tag to Kofi and Shelton got the tag and Kofi comes in like a house of fire. Shelton caught Kofi in midair to counter the boom drop, escaped an electric chair, then hit Cedric with the SOS. After a series of reversals, Alexander hit a brainbuster but Woods broke it up. Shelton got the tag, Kofi countered the Angle Slam, and Benjamin hit a top rope superplex. Cedric hit the Lumbar Check and the Hurt Business are the new tag champs.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match:Raw Women’s Champion Asuka & Charlotte Flair def. Jax N Spades (c) to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions
I mean, it makes kayfabe sense that Charlotte would be Asuka’s partner because Nia wrote her off TV. Shayna and Asuka start out the match and Asuka hits some strikes and locks in the armbar. Shayna escaped and missed the arm stomp. Asuka tagged in the 10x Women’s Champion and she goes right after Shayna and Nia. Shayna tagged in Nia Jax and Flair locked in a side headlock and tagged Asuka back in. Nia takes control of Asuka and tags in the former 2x NXT Women’s Champion and she stomps away on Asuka’s arm. Asuka almost got a rollup in and got levelled with a clothesline. Jax got the tag and continued to target Asuka’s shoulder. Asuka takes the fight back to Jax, with some strikes and Asuka made the hot tag to Charlotte. She comes in and lights up Nia while her pops watches backstage, and single handedly demolishes the tag champs. Charlotte hit the big boot for a nearfall and hit a huge moonsault on the outside. Charlotte went for the Figure Eight, Nia shoved Charlotte into the corner, blind tag made as Nia hit the Samoan Drop. Asuka hit a missile dropkick, shayna locked in the clutch on FLair, Charlotte manages to lock in the Figure Eight but Nia broke it up. Baszler locked in the clutch, Charlotte escaped and hit Natural Selection for the win.
Tables, Ladders, & Chairs Match for the WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) def. Kevin Owens to retain the Universal Championship
Kevin Owens attacked Roman Reigns right out the gate and hit a cannonball in the corner and on the outside, and hit a splash from the apron. Owens grabbed a ladder from the outside and hit Jey Uso with a superkick and takes out the samoan dynasty with a chair, even pillmanizing Jey Uso’s ankle. Roman hit a driveby as Jey Uso is carried off to the back. Reigns destroys Kevin Owens with the steps, and destroys him even more with a step ladder. Reigns grabs a couple of chairs and wears them out on Kevin Owens. Owens dodge a Samoan Drop, but got back dropped onto a couple of set up chairs. Roman said that he’s going to torture Kevin Owens, then begins the climb. Only for Kevin Owens to come in and whack Roman with a chair. Owens hits Reigns with a fisherman suplex onto a chair, and Owens climbs up the ladder. Jus as Owens was about to become the Universal Champion, Jey Uso came down to the ring and Reigns hits a superman punch while Jey gets a table from the outside of the ring. Owens fights back against Roman and Jey, dropping the champ with a stunner while Paul Heyman looks concerned on the outside. Jey and Owens continue to fight on the outside, and KO pop-up powerbombs Jey Uso through the announce table and buries him under the wreckage. Owens climbs up the ladder, only for Roman Reigns to meet him up there. Both men exchange rights, Roman rakes KO’s eyes and powerbombs Roman on a ladder, not a spinebuster through a table. Thanks for that goof Maggle Cole. Roman slams Owens onto the ladder again while Roman has a look of unbridled rage then chokeslams Owens on through a table on the outside. Reigns checks on Jey Uso, freeing him from the wreckage and throwing an office chair at Owens before continuing his assault. Roman puts Owens through another table and Reigns slowly meanders his way back into the ring and climbs up the ladder. Kevin Owens grabs Roman’s leg, then Roman climbs down the ladder, then Owens has one last slap of defiance before Roman spears Kevin Owens through a third table. Owens goaded Reigns and dodged a spear through the barricade, and Owens crawled up the ladder. ROman gets back in the ring, dragging Kevin off the ladder, Owens hits a couple of superkicks, and pop-up powerbombs Reigns through a table. Kev-Kev once again makes the climb, only for Jey Uso to meet him at the top. Owens drops Jey with a stunner and once again climbs to the top of the ladder. Roman punched Owens in the coconuts, choked the challenger out and retains the title.
Firefly Inferno Match: Firefly Inferno Match: Randy Orton def. ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt
After a fun video package, we get a unique twist on an inferno match. Honestly, I thought it would be something like the firefly funhouse match but it was certainly a match to remember. The Fiend sits in the corner staring into the soul of Randy Orton as Orton looks on in bewilderment and fear. Orton hits Wyatt with a right hand, then the Fiend laughs it off. Orton kicks Wyatt in the gut and Wyatt again laughs it off. Orton went for an RKO early and The Fiend went right after Randy Orton. The Fiend went for Sister Abigail, Orton countered and hit a standing dropkick. The Fiend punched Orton in the throat and continued his onslaught. Orton fights out of Sister Abigail again, hits a backbreaker but The Fiend went right back up. The Fiend finally hit Sister Abigail, raised his arms up and ignited the Thunderdome in flames. The action goes to the outside, with Wyatt trying to rip Orton’s eye out and tried to light Orton on fire. Wyatt levelled Orton with a clothesline and the flames spiked. The Fiend whipped Orton with a leather strap, lit a second strap on fire and missed. The Fiend sends Orton into the ring post and now The Fiend has a pickaxe and missed when he tried to hit Orton with it like a demonic prospector. Wyatt grabbed a rocking chair, caused it in gasoline and tried to light Orton on fire again. Wyatt sits Orton in the rocking chair, and Orton managed to escape being lit on fire. Orton hit Wyatt with an axe handle, The Fiend got right back up and hit Wyatt with a the steps a bunch of times. Then Randy’s next toy is a chain, which he wrapped around his fist and tried to push The Fiend into the flames. Wyatt hit a uranagi and did the neck snapping spot. The Fiend lights the axe handle on fire and whiffed on the swing. Orton hit the draping DDT off the apron and the RKO got countered with the mandible claw. Orton shoves The Fiend into the flames, then The Fiend gets laid out with an RKO while he’s on fire. Then the ‘I’m going to kill you’ part of his brain switched on, and Orgon grabbed the gascan. Then he poured the gasoline on the prone body of The Fiend and set him on fire. I know that fans are going to say that it was pretty stupid, but hoenstly The Fiend bieng set on fire was one of the coolest visuals that happened this year. I don’t know where this feud goes next or if this was the death of the Fiend, but I’m intrigued to see the next chapter in this feud.
Match of the Night: Roman vs Owens
Wow. The action in this match was 100 mph from bell to bell. There were moments in this match where we believed that Kevin Owens could pull off the upset of the century and win the Universal Championship even when we knew that Roman was going to win. Once again, since returning at SummerSlam Roman Reigns has been part of the best match of the night.
Overall Review
On the preshow we got to have an interview with MVP and a cameo from Miz and JoMo before transitioning to our first piece of action, an 8 man tag. It was a decent match and E picked up the win for his team, furthering his singles push and hopefully, a run as IC champion in the near future.Our first match of the main show proper is the WWE Championship match between AJ Styles, Drew McIntyre and a cashing in Miz. I wish that Miz would’ve had a successful cash in because The Miz is really great, and I’m glad we got to see Omos do something besides sit there and scowl. It was a hell of a TLC match and was a great way to start off the show. Then we cut to an interview between Kayla Braxton and the special counsel Paul Heyman before the next match for the Smackdown Women’s title. It was a solid match and Carmella looked strong in defeat. Then we got a good comedy segment between Asuka and Billie Kay and a backstage interview segment between Charly Caruso and the New Day before their tag team title match against the Hurt Business. It was another solid match and in what should’ve happened a long time ago, The Hurt Business add more gold. After an advert for the slammy’s this wednesday, Sami Zayn berates Kayla Braxton with some leaked audio. In the women’s tag title match, Charlotte is back and won the tag belts and I get it. A lot of people don’t like Charlotte Flair because she’s the female SuperCena doing the fusion dance with babyface Roman Reigns in terms of being the top star, but she’s the greatest female superstar of all time. She’s been hugely missed on WWE TV and she’s a welcome addition back to the dwindling Raw women’s division.Then came an advert that saw Drew McIntyre and various other WWE Superstars kick the crap out of 2020 after he cut a pretty hilarious promo. Then Sami Zayn confronted R Truth and Big E about the audio leak. I didn’t expect this match to be the semi main event, but the Universal Championship TLC match was still fantastic. Great action and tons of carnage and Kevin Owens was put over strong in defeat. Kevin Owens refused to die and it took everything Roman had to retain. The main event was the firefly inferno match and honestly, it wasn’t terrible from an in-ring perspective. The spots with the fire were cool and the weapons were awesome. And yeah, the visual of The Fiend being on fire is one of the coolest things we’ve seen in wrestling this year. I guess WWE took things a bit too literally when the USA network wanted more adult and darker content. Now it’s time for me to rate the show. On a scale of 1-10, I’ll rate this show at an 8. From an in ring aspect, it wasn’t that bad of a show. In fact, it was one of the stronger shows of the year and it had tons of great weapon spots. Merry early Christmas everyone, I hope y’all have a great end to the year and a great start to the next.
Breaking It Down With DKown 