WWE TLC 2015: Most Controversial Moments in PPV's History
WWE's Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view may be devoted to thrilling gimmick matches that put the safety of the WWE Superstars at risk but has also seen its fair share of controversy since its inception in 2009.
Over the course of six years, fans have witnessed Superstars lose championship gold by falling through tables, cashing in Money in the Bank briefcases and catching it as it fell from the sky.
They have watched as one of the most popular women in the sport betrayed her latest love interest in a high-profile main event. One night, in 2013, they even saw one of the most decorated stars of his generation inexplicably beat The Shield in a 3-on-1 Handicap match.
With the current state of WWE Creative in limbo, unsatisfactory television ratings and illogical storytelling dominating the landscape of Vince McMahon's promotion, the odds that the writers will try to make up for lackluster angles by booking some sort of controversy will be high in Boston on December 13 at TLC 2015.
Prepare for the upcoming event by reliving these five most controversial moments from TLCs gone by, ranked according to their overall importance to the legacy of the event, while also taking into consideration real controversy versus scripted.
5. A Raining Championship for the Reigning Champion (2010)
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The opening contest of TLC 2010 pitted Kofi Kingston, Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler against each other in a ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
The three stars had been intermingled in a rivalry over the midcard title, wrestling countless matches against each other on Monday Night Raw in the weeks and months ahead of their pay-per-view showdown. With the gold on the line, expectations were high for a death-defying display from all involved.
While fans were treated to a quality, energetic opener, the ending was not without controversy.
Kingston and Swagger climbed the ladder simultaneously and reached for the title. As they did so, the belt fell to the ground below, where Ziggler scooped it up and successfully retained.
It was a clever twist on the tired ladder match gimmick, one that helped add further heel heat to Ziggler, who was blossoming into one of the truly great workers on the roster by that point.
4. Daniel Bryan Cashes In (2011)
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The rivalry between The Big Show and Mark Henry in the fall of 2011 culminated in December at TLC, where the behemoths clashed in a Chairs match.
Despite an injury, Henry fought through the pain and turned in a valiant effort, only to lose the world heavyweight title title he worked so hard to win following a chokeslam onto a chair. After the match, a frustrated and vindictive Henry delivered a DDT to his opponent, leaving the new champion unconscious.
Suddenly, Daniel Bryan's music played. Bryan rushed to the ring and successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase.
While an underdog babyface, the manner in which he became the new world champion was cowardly, to say the least, and making the Aberdeen, Washington, native a wildly entertaining heel on the SmackDown brand.
3. A Wicked Betrayal (2012)
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Much was made of the blossoming relationship between John Cena and AJ Lee ahead of the December 2012 TLC pay-per-view. So much hatred existed between Lee and Vickie Guerrero that the former Raw general manager was hellbent on ruining her career by revealing the unsavory activities of the petite New Jersey native and wrestling's biggest star.
This led to natural conflict between Cena and Dolph Ziggler, Guerrero's boy toy. At that year's Tables, Ladders & Chairs-themed event, the two Superstars would battle in a ladder match for The Showoff's Money in the Bank briefcase.
Late in the bout, AJ hit the ring and tackled Guerrero, preventing her from interfering any further. From there, she tipped over the ladder that her on-screen boyfriend was standing on, eliciting a huge pop from fans and a look of shock on the faces of those who bought into the goody-two-shoes pairing of Cena and Lee.
Ziggler would climb the ladder, retrieve his briefcase and leave with an upgrade in female companionship—even if referring to her as "unstable" would be an understatement of epic proportions.
2. CM Punk Defeats The Shield...By Himself (2013)
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The Shield was once a dominant force, laying waste to the most recognizable stars in the history of professional wrestling. The Undertaker, Kane, John Cena, The Rock...all fell at the hands of the Hounds of Justice, as Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns established themselves as the future of professional wrestling.
But something funny happened in December 2013.
After a year of running through the roster, The Shield engaged former associate CM Punk in a rivalry that put The Straight Edge Savior at a numbers disadvantage. At TLC, Punk would battle The Shield in a 3-on-1 Handicap match.
Common sense said Punk would put up a strong fight but fall at the hands of the same triple powerbomb that had felled so many others.
Instead, WWE Creative booked a finish with the same ridiculous heel miscommunication spot it has utilized countless times before, and Punk won, further killing the heat of his opponents and adding to WWE's reputation for booking its babyfaces strong at the expense of its heels.
1. A Fall from Grace and a Fallen Champion (2009)
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One of the biggest stories heading into the 2009 TLC pay-per-view was the sudden and unexpected rise of Sheamus. A former standout on the ECW brand, he arrived on Raw and wasted no time becoming the top contender to John Cena's WWE Championship.
At the December event, he would challenge for wrestling's top prize in a Tables match...and win it in the most controversial of fashions.
As he and Cena fought atop the turnbuckle, both men fell off the top rope, Sheamus splattering on the outside and the champion plummeting through a table. The title was awarded to Sheamus, despite the fact that he really had no hand in winning the match.
It was a controversial way to book someone's title victory, especially when all signs seemed to point to Sheamus' being one of the future faces of the company.
The Celtic Warrior's first run with the title would become a failure on every level, the performer unready for that spot on the card, while the booking behind his run was lackluster, to say the least.
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