WWE TLC 2016 Review: Top Highlights and Low Points
WWE affectionately refers to the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view as its version of a demolition derby, but did the 2016 edition turn out to be a total wreck, or was it one of the better shows of the year?
Every championship on SmackDown was defended, and not only were all three of those titular weapons showcased, but the first-ever women's No Disqualification Match was also on the card.
Still, most of the matches had been done numerous times before, which meant this event had all the makings to give off a vibe that it could be skipped.
Now that the results are in and the pay-per-view has ended, how did things turn out?
Were there more positives or negatives? What segments fell under the pros and the cons?
Let's look back on what happened at TLC 2016 and single out the biggest highlights and low points of the evening, presented in order of appearance.
Highlight: New SmackDown Tag Team Champions
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While the match itself felt quick, that's the most believable way things could have gone down.
Considering their history, how could Heath Slater and Rhyno put up much of a fight against Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton?
On one side, there's a jobber and an ECW relic. Their opponents are main event Superstars, and one has 12 world titles to his name and is guaranteed to be in the Hall of Fame down the line.
Adding the outside presence of Luke Harper sealed the deal even more, so by having him take Rhyno's Gore instead of either Orton or Wyatt, the biggest weapon on the champions' side was neutralized.
The Wyatt Family is the biggest stable on the SmackDown brand, so giving it the tag team titles is the right move because it will give the belts a bigger share of the spotlight.
Where things go from here is also more interesting than ever, as Orton's devotion to Wyatt has become more solidified over time.
Will this be a short-lived title reign that a team like American Alpha disrupts within the next month or so, or will this be the beginning of a long path of destruction going on well into 2017?
Slater and Rhyno ran their course, and after this title change, the tag team division will be rejuvenated with a shot of adrenaline in the arm.
Low Point: Nikki Bella Defeats Carmella
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In a way, it makes sense for Nikki Bella to get some semblance of revenge against Carmella, who started the fight between the two to begin with, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not too helpful for the overall roster.
Carmella is in a position where she needs to start building up a more credible edge, while Bella already has a strong history behind her.
Even without the championship around her waist, Bella is one of the top two women on SmackDown, whereas Carmella is new and has yet to score a decent victory, get an impressive win or do anything noteworthy.
Bella won this match in a lackluster way by just using a fire extinguisher—which is hardly the most exciting thing in the world to begin with and also something that doesn't seem devastating enough to cause Carmella to be totally incapacitated.
She looks weaker for being pinned after that, and in the end, it was for nothing because she cut a promo immediately after the match ended, saying Natalya was the one who attacked Bella at Survivor Series.
If this is transitioning to a feud between Bella and Natalya, why not just have Natalya attack The Fearless One and cost her the match, allowing Carmella to score a victory over the bigger star?
That way, everybody wins, as Natalya actually looks threatening instead of just being referred to in a promo, Carmella gets a step up in credibility and Bella has the motivation to go after a new enemy.
This was executed poorly on all fronts, and it's disappointing to see such a missed opportunity.
Highlight: Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match
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After the series they've had in this feud, was it any surprise that The Miz and Dolph Ziggler had one of the better matches of the night?
These two work so well together and have continuously kept this program's fire burning well after most other feuds would have become boring to watch, as it's been going on for many months at this point.
Admittedly, this isn't going to go down as one of the best ladder matches in WWE history, but it doesn't have to compare to the greats to be a highlight for this particular event.
As far as storytelling goes, the end of the match made perfect sense, too.
Having The Miz only be victorious after a low blow speaks to his character. They're evenly matched, but he's a jerk, and their animosity toward each other is at a level where he'll both figuratively and literally go that low to be able to win.
The Miz is one of the hottest heels in WWE, and his post-match promo showed that as well, as he rubbed the victory in by calling out Daniel Bryan and saying his lack of support motivated him to be the best.
It's a shame to see this feud end, but at least it went out with a bang.
Low Point: Kalisto vs. Baron Corbin
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To say this feud has any real momentum behind it is being generous, as it's essentially consisted of Baron Corbin picking on Kalisto a handful of times.
When Kalisto was injured, this should have been put on the back burner until both men could get enough notoriety to the point where people would care about seeing them fight each other.
Without having a decent program to start from, Kalisto and Corbin had to rely on the gimmick to help add some interest to the fight, but chairs matches have always been flawed in this current WWE era.
Since WWE no longer lets Superstars use chairs in a multitude of different ways, it limits the options of the fun they can do in these matches.
Every chairs match has consisted of the same basic spots where people only attack their opponents' backs and stomachs, kick chairs around ringside, set up a bunch in the center of the ring and slam the other guy down on top of an assortment or pile.
Just as the SmackDown Tag Team Championship match was booked as a squash, this should have been on the same page.
The underdog story only means something when the little guy conquers someone who is in a much more imposing position than a guy like Corbin has yet to earn. Since winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, he's accomplished nothing of value.
This should have been an easy victory for Corbin, or it shouldn't have happened at all. If we're supposed to take him anywhere near as seriously as someone like Braun Strowman, he needs to be booked as someone who doesn't struggle against an opponent half his size.
In the end, its most effective purpose for being on this card was to be a bathroom break.
Highlight: Alexa Bliss Wins SmackDown Women's Championship
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For over a year, the Women's Revolution was spoken of as being a real thing despite nothing getting accomplished, but over the past few months, some true leaps and bounds have happened.
Actions speak louder than words, and with the way the women on Raw and SmackDown have been treated since the brand split, it finally seems like a legitimate transition, so matches like this one between Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss are important.
Not only did Bliss and Lynch have a solid match in general, but this segment was also upgraded with the title change.
Since moving up to the main roster, Bliss went from a rookie to the most established heel in the brand's women's division by far, and she deserves a run with the championship.
Just as the SmackDown Tag Team Championship change can lead to more interesting matches going forward, having a new top woman on the brand will freshen things up, too.
This should provide a fun transition over the next few months until Bella is ready to take the title away, possibly around WrestleMania.
In the meantime, Bliss has been cutting great promos and putting on good performances in the ring, so despite the loss of a great champion in Lynch, the title is still in capable hands.
Highlight: WWE World Championship TLC Match
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The main event of every pay-per-view should hold the most potential for being the best match of the night, and this TLC match for the WWE World Championship hit the mark.
Dean Ambrose's strengths revolve around hardcore-style matches, and so far this year, AJ Styles has proved he can adapt to anything, so for these two to be in that environment was a recipe for success.
This had the best spots of the night, along with one of the most interesting storyline swerves, as James Ellsworth turned heel and aided Styles rather than Ambrose.
Although it's disappointing not to see an appearance by The Undertaker, that wasn't advertised ahead of time—just speculated—so it can't be chalked up as a flaw on WWE's part.
We'll see the transition to a Styles vs. Undertaker feud start on the next episode of SmackDown, but fans will now also be interested to see how things pan out between Ambrose and Ellsworth.
All in all, this was a great way to finish the show, as the right person won, it was an interesting way to finish the fight and the match itself delivered from start to finish.
What do you think were the best and worst parts of TLC 2016? Be sure to let us know what's on your mind by leaving your comments below!
Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.
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