Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match: A History Of Carnage

The WWE treats their fans to some of the most extreme matches possible. This Sunday at One Night Stand, we will see the return of one of those matches.

With a combination of the brutality of weapons, and the high risk of high altitude, we know we’re in for something special. This Sunday the vacated WWE World Heavyweight Championship will be on the line when The Undertaker faces Edge…in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match!

Oh yes, fans hear T.L.C., and know that it could possibly be the match of the night. In the history of WWE, this Sunday will only be the seventh T.L.C match.

Introduced by Commissioner Mick Foley, he scheduled this never before seen match for Summerslam of 2000. The WWE Tag Team Titles would hang in the balance. After a lengthy feud, Foley knew that this match would finally settle things.

It combined three elements: the Dudley’s tables, the Hardy Boy’s ladders, and Edge & Christian’s chairs! And hanging over their heads was their goal...the WWE Tag Team Titles. All three teams had their specialty weapons in their match, and they put on one heck of a show.

After one of the most memorable matches in Summerslam history, Edge & Christian walked out of the first ever T.L.C. match as the WWE Tag Team Champions.

We would not see T.L.C. again until Wrestlemania X-Seven, in April of 2001. And who would be competing in T.L.C. II? Why not a rematch from Summerslam?

The Dudleys, The Hardys, and Edge & Christian went to battle again for the WWE Tag Team Championships. Just like in its debut, T.L.C. II stole the show. But in the end, Edge & Christian walked out again as the WWE Tag Team Champions.  

Through the year, we saw more T.L.C. matches. Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit won their match on the first ever T.L.C. on free TV. On Smackdown (May of 2001), they retained the WWE Tag Team Titles against the three original teams who’ve already competed in this type of match.  

Kane and “The Hurricane” competed and won on RAW (October of 2002) in the fourth T.L.C. match.

We would not see another T.L.C. match until January of 2006. But this time, for the first time ever, the WWE Championship would be on the line. In its fifth match, it featured the WWE Champion Edge, who walked in the most experience in competitor in T.L.C history, going up against “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair.

As a WWE fan, I was very surprised to see Ric Flair do as well as he did in this type of match. He took some serious bumps. But in the end, the “Rated R Superstar” retained the WWE Championship. Despite the loss, Flair was given a standing ovation for his effort.

The last T.L.C. took place at Unforgiven, in September of 2006. In front of his home crowd of Toronto, Ontario, the WWE Champion Edge was facing the former Champ John Cena. Despite home field advantage, “The Rated R” era was over for the time being as John Cena won back the WWE Championship.

And now, in just a few days from now, we will witness another chapter. No doubt coming into One Night Stand, Edge has the overwhelming advantage. This will be Edge’s sixth T.L.C. bout.

Let’s not forget there’s more than the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line. If The Undertaker were to lose, by order of General Manager Vickie Guerrero: “The Undertaker will be banished from the WWE.”

We know the history of carnage in this type of match, we know the history between The Undertaker and Edge, and we know what’s at stake. This will no doubt be one of the most memorable Tables, Ladders and Chairs matches to date.

Tune in to One Night Stand this Sunday for this historic match.