WWE TLC 2015 Matches: Best Finishes for Each Match on the Card
When WWE Creative is in a slump like it is now, with television ratings tanking and general apathy toward the product from even the most passionate of fans, the power of a finish is never more apparent.
Sunday night, WWE rolls into Boston for its annual TLC pay-per-view, desperate to get Roman Reigns over as its franchise star while simultaneously building Sheamus as a legitimate heel who can carry television in the lead-up to WrestleMania.
To do so, the company has booked a Tables, Ladders & Chairs match that figures to feature interference from The League of Nations, Dean Ambrose and The Usos, not to mention all of the wild and chaotic action typical of that bout.
The way that contest wraps up will have long-reaching effects on WWE programming.
That is not to mention the finish in every other match on the card.
The company is reaching the most pivotal time of its calendar, with the foundation being laid for WrestleMania main events. Thus, the finish of every one of Sunday's matches is exponentially more important. With one misstep, the entire planning process could blow up in Creative's face.
So what are the best finishes for the show and why?
Let's take a look.
Ryback vs. Rusev
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The rivalry between Ryback and Rusev began innocently enough when The Big Guy sent the Bulgarian Brute crashing into the ring steps, propelling them back into the hip of Lana. From there, the former United States champion vowed to take out his fury on Ryback, only to battle to a double count-out against The Big Guy and then hide behind a woman rather than confront him.
With Rusev serving as one-quarter of The League of Nations, it is imperative that he pick up a quality victory that both restores some of his long-lost credibility and puts heat on him going forward.
Ryback, as he has done countless times over the course of his career, will rebound because of his connection with the fans. Though he too could use a signature win, this is one case where building the heel is more important.
Best Finish
Lana has factored into every finish between these two thus far, but that should not be the case Sunday. This match should be about re-establishing the danger that accompanied Rusev not all that long ago. To do that, a clean victory is necessary.
After an eight-minute bout, the majority of which sees Rusev working the back of his opponent, Ryback tries to get his rival up for Shell Shocked, but his back gives out. A running superkick softens him up, and The Accolade finishes things off, without Ryback ever giving up or submitting.
Instead, he shows true grit and toughness by passing out from the pain.
Rusev looks strong in victory, Ryback pulls the "never give up" nonsense that WWE loves from its babyfaces, and everyone benefits.
Divas Championship Match: Charlotte vs. Paige
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Is there any story in WWE right now more inconsistent than the one involving Charlotte and Paige?
First, Paige turned on her Team PCB sisters, becoming a heel.
Or so we thought.
Charlotte became closer with her father, who began accompanying her to the ring. In turn, she adopted his heel mannerisms and penchant for cheating, thus alienating her best friend, Becky Lynch. Charlotte's new attitude suggests it is she who is heel in this ordeal.
Factor in the presence of the aforementioned Lynch in the story and the fans' desire to cheer the Anti-Diva Paige and you have a mangled and muddled mess of a program that figures only to be getting started.
Thus, what occurs Sunday night will be important in terms of advancing the story and convincing fans to care about everyone involved.
Best Finish
With Ric Flair at ringside for his daughter's title defense, he figures to be a major factor in the outcome of the match. Considering WWE Creative's sudden desire to turn Charlotte heel, it makes sense that The Nature Boy would be involved in some form or fashion, really establishing his baby girl as the lead villainess in the division.
As Paige sets up the Ram-Paige, Flair gets on the apron to try to generate a distraction. Instead, he winds up eating another huge slap to the face, selling it as only he can. This allows Charlotte to score the win off a cheap rollup.
After the match, the champion catches an enraged Paige with a shot to the face with the title belt and applies the Figure Eight, drawing out Lynch, who questions her friend's change in attitude. Flair interjects himself, yelling at the Irishwoman.
Charlotte blasts her with a cheap boot to the face and leaves her now former best friend Lynch and Paige lying, leaving with her daddy and the Divas title to a chorus of boos, as suddenly the most over heel in the division.
Tables Match: Team Dudley vs. The Wyatt Family
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After wrapping up a feud with The New Day in which they were beaten and outsmarted, it appeared as though The Dudley Boyz would slink into the midcard, working to get younger talent over while providing the company with a little bit of star power.
Enter The Wyatt Family and a feud that no one could have seen coming.
Overwhelmed by numbers and left lying by the massive Braun Strowman numerous times, Bubba Ray and D-Von recruited former ECW mates Tommy Dreamer and Rhyno as backup. Though things still have not gone their way completely, they enter Boston for a Tables match against Bray Wyatt and his merry band of heavyweights in one of the higher-profile matches on the TLC card.
The question is, does WWE sacrifice the ECW Originals this early in their reunion, or does it risk killing off The Wyatt Family for good by booking them to put over guys well past their primes?
Best Finish
One of the signature moments of the feud was Bray Wyatt's absolute dismantling of D-Von Dudley on the December 3 episode of SmackDown in what was essentially a one-sided squash.
That is exactly what this one should be, just on a grander scale.
The Wyatt Family should pick off each member of the opposition, one at a time, and eliminate them. Bubba Ray should be the sole remnant of Team Dudley, and it would not be a bad thing to show some of that rebellious and defiant New York attitude en route to his defeat.
But make no mistake about it: This should be a quality win for the heels, one that reaffirms them as the dangerous faction they should be. And, in a no-brainer, it should be Bray who shines brightest in victory as he puts Bubba Ray through the final table.
Chairs Match for the U.S. Championship: Jack Swagger vs. Alberto Del Rio
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It feels like Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio have been feuding for centuries, but in reality, their issues date back to 2013, when the roles were reversed and Swagger was the antagonist to Del Rio's protagonist.
A feud whose latest chapter began over Zeb Colter's alliance with the recently returned Del Rio, it has taken a bit of a backseat to the U.S. champion's role in The League of Nations, which has given the two Superstars little time to work together and build any real heat for their bout.
It does not help that the fanbase does not buy Swagger as a real threat, and how could it? The guy has been M.I.A. from television for months, directionless and left wallowing in the midcard while waiting for Colter to get back.
When his mouthpiece does return, he is saddled with Del Rio in a nonsensical and illogical pairing that never really was explained.
Swagger earned some heat from bashing Del Rio with a chair this past week, but something tells this writer that was more the result of the weapon being over, not the Perry, Oklahoma, native.
This will be a match, wrestled by two competent pros, that fans stop caring about the minute a chair is not at play. And that is an indictment on the Creative team more than anything.
Best Finish
Del Rio traps Swagger's arm in a steel chair and applies the cross armbreaker, forcing a submission out of his challenger.
And no, Colter does not make an appearance, nor is there some sort of swerve based on Monday's split between him and Del Rio.
Ladder Match for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Lucha Dragons vs. The Usos vs. New Day
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The Ladder match for the WWE Tag Team Championships not only has some solid booking behind it, but it also has the potential to steal the show Sunday night, right out from underneath the bouts touted as main events.
The New Day has been a thorn in the side of The Usos for weeks, regularly interjecting itself in the twins' ongoing saga with The League of Nations and playing spoilers for their alliance with Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose.
The New Day has also ruled over the tag division with ridiculousness and unicorn horns, beating quality competition and, more importantly, doing it fair and square.
The winning ways were halted on the December 10 episode of SmackDown, though, when The Lucha Dragons upset the team in non-title action, creating questions about Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston and Big E's ability to successfully defend their gold.
The biggest question that must be asked is whether The Usos and Lucha Dragons can realistically maintain the momentum The New Day has built for itself and the tag division in recent months.
If management believes that to be the case, then it would not be a surprise to see the WWE a title change Sunday night.
But that does not mean they should.
Best Finish
The League of Nations should play a role in the outcome of this match, especially since they, The New Day and The Usos have been intertwined for the last month. Interference from King Barrett and Rusev effectively takes The Usos out of the equation and allows the match to become one team against the other.
At a numbers disadvantage, and with Xavier Woods' trusty trombone at his disposal, The Lucha Dragons succumb to a shot from the instrument as New Day successfully retain the title.
Intercontinental Championship Match: Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens
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The rivalry between Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens has been essentially nonexistent leading into TLC. The only bit of heat put on their intercontinental title match came from childish hijinks involving Coca-Cola and popcorn.
An illness endured by Owens, which kept him out of action and off television for a week, did not help matters, but WWE Creative has not been responsible for much anticipation or excitement as it is.
The two clashed at Survivor Series, in a match won by Ambrose, and then had their rivalry officially begin when The Lunatic Fringe won a No. 1 contender's match against Dolph Ziggler and Tyler Breeze. Other than that, and the aforementioned soda nonsense, there has been no real depth to their story.
In many ways, it is a feud that exists only to give wildly talented stars something to do at a time when WWE Creative has not been bothered to do it on its own.
Best Finish
Neither guy can really afford a clean loss at this point, so a disqualification or count-out is the best way to go here.
Considering that he has been humiliated and out-thought to this point, Owens needs desperately to look strong here, so why not channel the embarrassment he endured at the hands of Ambrose and have him beat the ever-loving hell out of his rival, leaving him lying in a heap to close out the segment?
It would re-establish Owens as a dangerous competitor while simultaneously awakening in Ambrose the need to become more serious than he has been of late.
A rivalry that is different from the other one-dimensional, kid-friendly nonsense on the show is just waiting to be unleashed on an unsuspecting WWE Universe, and these two can provide it. They just have to be given the chance.
Tables, Ladders & Chairs WWE Title Match: Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus
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The WWE World Heavyweight Championship is up for grabs Sunday in what is the coldest main event rivalry that fans have seen in quite some time.
Roman Reigns has had his main event push bastardized by WWE Creative, who has exhibited complete incompetency when it comes to getting a babyface over, scripting lines including tater tot jokes for a guy who should be an unstoppable badass.
Then there is Sheamus, who was a joke before he became the top dog in WWE and has only endured more questionable booking since. He has been beaten down, pinned countless times and is now supposed to be a heel champion that fans take seriously heading into this year's TLC pay-per-view.
It has not happened, and despite the solid performances of both men between the ropes, neither has gotten over to the extent that management can possibly be happy.
With that backstory, the contest suddenly becomes more important for both performers.
A great showing from the Superstars could erase a month's worth of shoddy storytelling. It could re-energize the product and convince fans that maybe the two competitors are not so bad.
A mediocre performance, though, would doom both men and lead to a much more apathetic approach to WWE.
Best Finish
Reigns has gotten the best of Sheamus on every occasion to this point, so it is clearly The Celtic Warrior's turn to go over. The only way to do that is through chicanery—a messy and possibly overbooked finish involving The League of Nations.
Reigns overcoming the odds will not suffice. Interference from Del Rio, Barrett and Rusev should prove his downfall, just as he is about to win the title, as to create further sympathy from fans and frustration on his part.
Sheamus standing tall, surrounded by his mates and with the title in his grasp, is the perfect way to end the show.
But please, for the love of all things great and grand, leave The Authority out of it. The League of Nations must get over on its own, and this is the perfect way to do it.
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