WWE TLC 2014 Review: Biggest Stars of the Night

Since the WWE Universe is raining support down on the NXT roster, the 2014 WWE Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view presented a chance for the main roster to step up and prove its dominance.

The card was packed with a wide range of talent that has either been in the main event for years or is scratching and clawing to get to that top spot.

So who were the standouts of the evening that made a name for themselves and will be talked about come the next edition of Monday Night Raw?

When you factor in that there was no shortage of tools to achieve greatness, become victorious and make a statement, there are no excuses if people couldn't find a way to step up.

It's time to break down the biggest stars of the night for Tables, Ladders, Chairs and Stairs 2014.

4. Roman Reigns

Credit: WWE.com

Roman Reigns did more in his quick appearance at this event than most people did who were involved in long, painful matches.

Whether that is a testament to how important Reigns is to the roster or how uneventful everything else was on this card is up to your judgment.

However, what is the likelihood that Reigns is going to be a more talked-about topic over the next few days than Ryback, Kane, The Usos, Nikki Bella and others?

One quick hop over the barricade, two Superman Punches and a spear later and Reigns has positioned himself as the definite favorite to win the Royal Rumble.

3. Dolph Ziggler

Credit: WWE.com

The Showoff is in the midst of a resurgence to his career, and it's nice to see WWE sticking to it instead of bailing out.

Too often in WWE, when someone looks to be receiving a push, they end up being jobbed out left and right very quickly after their big win.

Survivor Series could only have started something big for Ziggler if WWE didn't backtrack here at TLC and make it all amount to nothing.

Your mileage may vary on whether or not Ziggler made good on his promise to have the best performance of his career in this Ladder match, but it's undeniable that he is continuing his hot streak.

Winning the Intercontinental Championship is a huge deal any day of the week, but it's made even more important when someone regains it from someone whom most people could have assumed would hold on to it.

Not only does the title itself look to be in safe hands, but with his victory at this event, Ziggler has more firmly etched his name onto list of important people on the roster.

2. Dean Ambrose

Credit: WWE.com

Did Dean Ambrose lose his match Sunday night? Yes.

Did he pull off the most amazing stunts that have ever been seen in WWE TLC history? No, not really.

But does that matter when you can tell that people are going to care more about seeing Ambrose on Raw than the majority of the people who did win their match?

Ambrose is one of the hottest stars in the company right now, and his performance in this match is going to be heralded as a highlight for sure.

He certainly didn't run the risk of losing any supporters as opposed to gaining some new followers for what he did.

His loss was done in a way that protected him so that he still looks like one of the top stars and above Bray Wyatt on the hierarchy.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that Ambrose is going anywhere anytime soon; he's in the main event to stay.

1. John Cena

Credit: WWE.com

The trend continues of having John Cena on this list of biggest stars of the night, as it is nearly impossible for WWE to go a pay-per-view without putting a lot of the spotlight on him.

At this event, Cena went full-on Superman mode by doing something that the WWE Universe has seen many, many times.

Not only did he win his match, but he did it despite being outnumbered by two extra men.

Furthermore, his spot as the No. 1 contender to the world title was on the line, and now that Cena has retained that spot, he has re-earned a shot at the Royal Rumble.

Obviously, Cena's title match against Brock Lesnar is going to be one of the points that WWE promotes ad nauseam for the next six weeks, so if you're not too thrilled that Cena is being considered a top star for TLC, you should probably avoid Raw for a while.

Who do you think should round out the top five biggest stars of the night?

On the opposite side of things, who were the biggest losers out of TLC?

Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Anthony Mango is the owner-operator of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment as well as the host of its podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.