WWE TLC 2016: Power Ranking the Best Cards in PPV's History

WWE introduced many new pay-per-views in 2009, particularly driven by gimmicks. While many fell short of expectations, TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs has been a success story for WWE since its inception. A high-octane finish to each year, on this one night, WWE promises tables, ladders and chairs in spades.

Over the years, this has been a night when WWE shows its hand for WrestleMania season, ending feuds in impressive fashion while crowning certain stars for future success. Equally, the night has allowed some stars, particularly those willing to take risks, to steal the show and become major factors on the road to WrestleMania.

The show has included many memorable ladder matches, as well as star-making performances from the likes of Sheamus, Luke Harper and Kalisto. It has, though, also been a show defined by experimental mistakes, including most chairs matches and the infamous stairs match. Still, as a whole, WWE TLC has been a consistent product.

The following is a ranking of every card in TLC history, focusing on the quality of matches and the performances of the talents involved. While every card has been at least solid, this ranking outlines what made each better or worse than the others.

7. TLC 2014

Credit: WWE.com

Best Matches: Luke Harper vs. Dolph Ziggler (Intercontinental Championship ladder match), Bray Wyatt vs. Dean Ambrose (TLC match), John Cena vs. Seth Rollins (tables match).

Most Memorable Moment: Ambrose seemed poised for victory before a TV monitor exploded in his face.

Defining Success of the Card

There may not have been two men in WWE more in the zone at this point than Dolph Ziggler and Luke Harper, who put on a brutal brawl. This ladder match was sometimes hard to watch, with the two putting their bodies on the line in ways they shouldn't have. It looked like Harper may have broken his arm on a suicide dive into a ladder.

That brutality translated to the rest of the card, particularly the other two major matches. The spots were plentiful, especially in the main event between Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt. Ambrose's diving elbows off ladders onto Wyatt were defining parts of the show and helped highlight the end of a solid feud.

Defining Failures of the Card

Everything on the night felt either superfluous or overbooked. The solid match between John Cena and Seth Rollins unfortunately shifted when Big Show and Roman Reigns got involved in a side brawl. While Ambrose and Wyatt had a fun, brutal bout, the odd finish was both memorable and messy.

The rest of the card was particularly problematic, as it barely made an impact. Ryback vs. Kane in a chairs match only looked good in comparison to the embarrassing idea that was the stairs match between Big Show and Erick Rowan. This show just moved along without making an impression.

6. TLC 2011

Best Matches: CM Punk vs. The Miz vs. Alberto Del Rio (WWE Championship TLC Match), Dolph Ziggler vs. Zack Ryder (United States Championship), Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett (tables match).

Most Memorable Moment: Ryder completed his rise by defeating Ziggler to become a singles champion in WWE for the first time.

Defining Success of the Card

This was a night of moments, as Daniel Bryan and Zack Ryder reached new heights. Bryan became world heavyweight champion and celebrated the hardly earned victory over Big Show with his first-ever "yes" chant. Ryder, meanwhile, defeated one of his good friends to capture his first singles gold and reach arguably the highest point of his career.

The main event was the highlight of the night, as CM Punk, The Miz and Alberto Del Rio put on a show that included brutal finishers that used the ladders for impact. The heel duo worked well with Punk and made certain it was hard to tell throughout who would win this showcase of three of the best workers in WWE at the time.

Defining Failures of the Card

This was a 10-match (though with a quick Money in the Bank cash-in thrown in) card that only had one top-quality contest. Even the better undercard matches did not stand out, feeling more like a build-up of moments than genuine technical bouts. The show also made poor use of its stipulations throughout.

While many longtime fans may not recall that Cody Rhodes vs. Booker T and Jack Swagger vs. Sheamus happened on this card, it is hard to forget the abomination that was the sledgehammer ladder match between Triple H and Kevin Nash, with the latter so out of shape that he should not have even been inside a ring, let alone competing.

5. TLC 2013

Credit: WWE.com

Best Matches: Randy Orton vs. John Cena (WWE World Heavyweight Championship unification TLC match), Cody Rhodes and Goldust vs. The Real Americans vs. Big Show and Rey Mysterio vs. Ryback and Curtis Axel (WWE Tag Team Championship), CM Punk vs. The Shield.

Most Memorable Moment: Orton handcuffed Cena to the bottom rope, forcing him to unhook the entire rope to escape.

Defining Success of the Card

It is possible WWE has gone to the Orton vs. Cena well one too many times for two men who do not have the greatest chemistry, but they both bring their best to the clashes. Their TLC title-unification match was proof that the company was ready to change up the formula but that it also wanted to do so with its most reliable performers.

In a time when tag team champions Rhodes and Goldust were putting on quality bouts every chance they could, the tag team division thrived in a way it hadn't for years. The Fatal 4-Way elimination match for the tag titles was an exciting showcase of what teams could do when quality talent got time.

Defining Failures of the Card

The card was poorly conceived from the start, with two three-on-one handicap matches highlighting the event. While Punk vs. The Shield was good, it was a rare situation in which the talents involved did the most they could with the situation. Similarly, The Wyatt Family vs. Daniel Bryan was not horrible, but it just could not make the real impact a top match on the card should.

Much of the undercard was a collection of sub-10-minute bouts that hardly mattered. With no title changes beyond the unification and no strong contests beyond the Fatal 4-Way, there was just not enough to prop up the show as a whole.

4. TLC 2015

Credit: WWE.com

Best Matches: The New Day vs. The Usos vs. The Lucha Dragons (WWE Tag Team Championship ladder match), Sheamus vs. Roman Reigns (WWE World Heavyweight Championship TLC match), Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose (Intercontinental Championship).

Most Memorable Moment: After being screwed again by The Authority, Reigns lost it and assaulted Triple H, ending with a Spear after running down the ramp.

Defining Success of the Card

This card was simply solid all around. With no strict duds, the event stood up from start to finish with some strong bouts. The ladder match for the tag team titles was particularly memorable, as it helped solidify the reign of The New Day and make a star of Kalisto, who pulled off some truly remarkable spots, including a Salida del Sol off a ladder and through a ladder.

The main event also made its mark, showing off what can come of TLC contests. Sheamus and Reigns went all-out in an affair that led to many broken tables, with the only fault being an ending that saw too many people get involved. The aftermath was the highlight of the night and a showing of the vicious side to Reigns that is too infrequently seen.

Defining Failures of the Card

While the card was solid, even the best matches did not stand out. The undercard was incredibly forgettable, with many matches simply feeling unnecessary. The card looks odd on reflection, particularly because it included an elimination tables match between The Wyatt Family and a bunch of ECW legends.

3. TLC 2009

Best Matches: Christian vs. Shelton Benjamin (ECW Heavyweight Championship ladder match), Jeri-Show vs. D-Generation X (WWE Tag Team Championship TLC match), John Cena vs. Sheamus (WWE Championship tables match).

Most Memorable Moment: Sheamus defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship after a mere five months on the main roster.

Defining Success of the Card

You rarely will find a card more complete than this for a smaller pay-per-view. As the inaugural edition, WWE went all-out with the show, giving each major stipulation to the biggest matches. Christian vs. Shelton Benjamin in a ladder match was destined to be great, and it was every bit a spectacle, even though the stoppage when Christian was busted open diminished the pacing.

The TLC main event between four of the best veterans in the business was always going to be great, with Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho and Big Show going out of their ways to innovate. The PPV even had many surprises, particularly Sheamus becoming a star by defeating Cena for the WWE Championship.

Defining Failures of the Card

The undercard matches felt completely below the level of the rest of the card, including an early-portion lull when Michelle McCool faced Mickie James and John Morrison battled against Drew McIntyre. There were also several points in the show when it felt like talents could have done more, particularly when Batista and The Undertaker fought in a chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship.

2. TLC 2010

Best Matches: John Morrison vs. King Sheamus (ladder match), Kane vs. Edge vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio (World Heavyweight Championship TLC match), John Cena vs. Wade Barrett (chairs match).

Most Memorable Moment: Cena buried Barrett in steel chairs on the stage.

Defining Success of the Card

An underrated contest, this show was stolen by Morrison and Sheamus, who added a new layer to the ladder match with a psychological and technical contest. The two told a strong story, with Sheamus placing a bull's-eye on Morrison's knee to make sure he could not climb. While some of the night's other matches were good, nothing topped this No. 1 contender's bout.

The battle for the World Heavyweight Championship was not as slick, but it was a fun ride, as all the veterans involved made sure to get in huge spots. Wade Barrett had one of the best matches of his career against Cena, as the two finally put an end to their rivalry in one of the rare quality chair matches.

Defining Failures of the Card

Beyond The Nexus vs. Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov, which was a fast dud, this card was excellent throughout. The only real gripe was that this show ended The Nexus, one of WWE's biggest successes during this time, with a whimper, making the whole group look bad rather than strong in defeat.

1. TLC 2012

Credit: WWE.com

Best Matches: The Shield vs. Team Hell No and Ryback (TLC match), Dolph Ziggler vs. John Cena (ladder match), Big Show vs. Sheamus (World Heavyweight Championship chairs match).

Most Memorable Moment: Seth Rollins was sent falling off a ladder through three tables near the stage.

Defining Success of the Card

This show had two fantastic matches, particularly a contest that was nearly Match of the Year, with The Shield members making their in-ring debuts in a vicious and wild six-man TLC match. It was the rare case of WWE feeling so comfortable in young talents that it let them immediately go big, and The Shield went on to live up to the standard set by this match.

Meanwhile, Cena vs. Ziggler was a showcase of the strong chemistry between the two competitors, who made the most of the ladder stipulation. In fact, they basically turned this into a TLC match with how many different weapons they used in a compelling clash of styles, even with an odd finish that never quite paid off.

Defining Failures of the Card

The whole main card was strong, though there were some forgettable undercard clashes. The 3MB vs. Alberto Del Rio, The Miz and Brooklyn Brawler match was a particular dud that defined best how WWE then seemed uncertain of how to fill an entire three-hour event with content.