WWE TLC 2014 Results: Breaking Down Biggest Missed Opportunities
Last Sunday’s TLC pay-per-view received mixed reviews but delivered on the key matches, most notably Dolph Ziggler vs. Luke Harper and Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt. There were, however, a few missed opportunities at the event that may (or may not) have added to the show’s success. Here, we take a look at five missed opportunities from TLC 2014.
Troll Dolph Ziggler Fans
1 of 5
The show opened with home-grown fan favorite Dolph Ziggler emerging to a roaring reception. Cleveland’s very own went on to win an enthralling contest much to the pleasure of a packed-out Quicken Loans Arena. It’s harsh to bemoan this excellent match, but what could have happened had Ziggler lost?
With Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt the final fixture on the card, the opening match offered the perfect opportunity for Bray to generate heat by interfering to help his ex-family member Luke Harper to the win. This would have given the audience a clear favourite for the grand finale and would be one of WWE’s finest trolls to date on Ziggler’s dedicated fanbase.
Push Erick Rowan
2 of 5
Many would agree that Erick Rowan is the weakest of the original Wyatt family in terms of charisma, character development and possibly in-ring ability. With Bray Wyatt facing the likes of John Cena and Dean Ambrose, and Luke Harper having captured the Intercontinental title, Rowan has struggled to keep up.
Is he a comedy character or a powerful brute? Is he a genius or a simpleton? Rowan’s confused direction points to an uncertain future.
Taking on a veteran who’s made more turns than a steering wheel presented a great opportunity for Rowan to take a solid win and begin to gain some credibility as a main event contender after a disappointing outing for Team Cena at Survivor Series.
Instead, Big Show picked up a victory that will do little to benefit his character. Michael Cole did his best to make Rowan seem strong in the loss by claiming Big Show’s use of the stairs for the pin (applying no pressure to the shoulders, but let’s ignore that) was indicative of the fact he felt threatened. Given that it was a stairs match it’s hard to agree, so this felt like the beginning of the end for Rowan.
Have Brock Lesnar Make an Appearance
3 of 5
With John Cena’s No. 1 contender shot at stake, his tables match against Seth Rollins was widely tipped to appear last on the card, but its midway slot fared better overall. Both superstars delivered, and the return of Roman Reigns was a welcome addition to the climax, but there is one other star whose interference may have added not just to this match but to the upcoming Royal Rumble PPV in January.
Brock Lesnar has been nonexistent in the WWE recently, leaving his silver-tongued wingman Paul Heyman to allude to his presence. After Cena put Rollins through a table without the official seeing it, he effectively earned his third shot at the champion.
Having Lesnar interrupt to attack J&J Security and secure a Cena win would have been a statement of intent from the Beast Incarnate to declare that he isn’t afraid of Cena, particularly after the debatable finale to their last title match when it seemed Lesnar was perhaps down for the three-count before Rollins interrupted. This would not only get the ball rolling for the next main event, but the unexpected appearance of Lesnar would make events where he isn’t necessarily advertised essential viewing.
It’s worth noting that Lesnar did make a surprise appearance on Raw the following night, so a tip of the hat to WWE Creative for that touch.
End Rusev’s Streak
4 of 5
Russia vs. USA part 3,096 took place at TLC, and as one would expect, Russia emerged victorious once again. With WrestleMania now just a few months away, the chances of Alexander Rusev being defeated before March 29th are getting slimmer by the minute, and this was perhaps the last plausible time when Rusev could have lost before the showcase event takes place.
The tiresome Russophillic gimmick is intrinsically linked to Rusev’s undefeated streak, and it seems destined to end at WrestleMania as a Superstar representing America triumphs over the enemy.
Once the streak ends, Rusev runs the risk of falling into the midcard obscurity that has haunted other stars that began with a gimmick, so a loss now may have benefited his career later. Instead, Jack Swagger provided the usual valiant struggle before inevitably submitting to the Bulgarian—sorry, Russian—brute and adding another notch to his increasingly decorated belt.
Introduce a New Wyatt Family Member
5 of 5
Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt lived up to its billing, with the Lunatic Fringe doing his best Jeff Hardy impression as Wyatt played the underappreciated role of inanimate object.
The two gave it their all, and the fans walked away largely happy bar some scepticism regarding the exploding monitor at the end. The match worked perfectly well, but the two scream unpredictability, and perhaps this would have been a good time to debut a new Wyatt family member.
Wyatt and his family members first came to Raw with promises to save the misled masses and convert them to their cult. Thus far, Bray Wyatt has failed to deliver, with everybody either resisting or, in the case of Daniel Bryan, duping the Wyatts.
It is getting to the point now where Bray Wyatt must either successfully sign up a Superstar or move away from the idea, and the lack of rules and high level of unpredictability of this head-to-head could have proved a shrewd place for Wyatt to introduce a new family member. Regardless, it was a successful bout and surely just the beginning of this rivalry.
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