WWE TLC 2016: Power Ranking Every Match at PPV
WWE Tables, Ladders & Chairs 2016 delivered its fair share of thrills on Sunday night from two title changes and an entire night of exciting action and memorable moments.
As WWE's annual version of the demolition derby, it not only met but exceeded expectations in being among the best pay-per-views the company has produced all year.
The main event saw AJ Styles defend his WWE World Championship in a grueling TLC match against Dean Ambrose, and both athletes went above and beyond in an attempt to take home the title. It was only after James Ellsworth interfered and blindsided Ambrose that Styles was able to climb the ladder and reclaim his precious prize.
The ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship wasn't any less exciting, as The Miz and Dolph Ziggler pushed each other to their absolute limits. Although Ziggler came close to clinching the championship, Miz was ultimately successful in retaining his title.
Furthermore, new champions were crowned in Alexa Bliss and The Wyatt Family. The latter tandem took the SmackDown Tag Team Championship from Heath Slater and Rhyno, while Bliss beat Becky Lynch for her first SmackDown Women's Championship.
Each bout had something special to offer, making it an extremely entertaining evening on the whole. Here, we'll attempt to power rank every match on the card based on its overall impact, how well-wrestled it was and the story told, among other factors.
6. Nikki Bella vs. Carmella
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Since late August, Nikki Bella and Carmella had been embroiled in a heated rivalry that shook SmackDown's women's division to its very core.
Although Nikki beat Carmella in their initial outing at October's No Mercy event, the self-proclaimed Princess of Staten Island sought vengeance and continued to set her sights on Nikki.
This led to the two contesting a rare women's No Disqualification match at TLC, and they more than made the most of the stipulation. It was a highly physical affair, with both women battering each other with Kendo stick shots and even a fire extinguisher, which led to Nikki scoring the decisive victory.
Nikki and Carmella certainly put forth an intense effort, which resulted in a better bout than they had at No Mercy. However, perhaps the only thing working against them was how Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair had a very similar match in the main event of Raw last week, one clearly superior to this matchup.
Granted, it might have been the weakest match on the show, but that it isn't to say it wasn't good. In fact, it was likely the best singles match we have ever seen from Carmella, and likely the best from Nikki in at least a year or two.
They have had nothing short of a ruthless rivalry up to this point, so it was only fitting that their feud concluded in the manner it did. There was also a nice tease for Nikki's next program with Natalya.
5. Heath Slater and Rhyno vs. The Wyatt Family
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Fans didn't know who would be challenging for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship at TLC until Tuesday's episode of SmackDown. It was there that Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt beat American Alpha to become the new No. 1 contenders to Heath Slater and Rhyno's tag titles.
Thus, this match had the least amount of build coming into the event, especially when you consider most of the matches on the card featured feuds that have been running since after SummerSlam.
Despite that, there has been plenty of intrigue surrounding the storyline with Orton, Wyatt and Luke Harper.
Orton seemingly won over Wyatt once he sacrificed himself at Survivor Series, but Harper didn't appear to be convinced. He was ringside for this match and ended up saving Orton from a Gore from Rhyno on the outside, allowing Orton to capitalize and nail Rhyno with an RKO for the victory and the belts.
At only five minutes long, it's hard to call the contest a classic, but it was short, sweet and exactly what it needed to be. Everyone played their parts well, and most importantly, Orton and Wyatt's win was the right outcome.
Moreover, the matchup was perfectly positioned in the opening slot of the show. The crowd was engaged in the action, and the title change set the tone for the remainder of the evening.
4. Becky Lynch vs. Alexa Bliss
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Becky Lynch finally reached the pinnacle when she became the inaugural SmackDown Women's champion at Backlash in September, but it has been far from a smooth title reign for her. In addition to suffering an unknown injury, she has been the target of various verbal and physical attacks from Alexa Bliss for months.
When they first met for the title in early November, Bliss had a strong showing and only fell short of victory because her foot on the bottom rope wasn't caught by the referee. That earned her another opportunity at the belt at TLC, but this time, they would face off in a tables match.
The last women's tables match we had in WWE was also at TLC six years ago, when Natalya and Beth Phoenix beat Michelle McCool and Layla. This was an improvement over that, as Bliss and Lynch didn't look out of place in that environment whatsoever, and their excellent chemistry was on full display.
As good a match as it was, there were a few slow points early on, and the pacing felt off. Fans had lofty expectations for this bout with how fantastic the feud has been thus far, so it might not have been as breathtaking as fans originally hoped.
Nevertheless, Lynch winning the title was what needed to happen given all the great work she has put into making her character so compelling in recent months. For those disappointed by this match, Bliss and Lynch are bound to contest a rematch in the very near future.
3. Baron Corbin vs. Kalisto
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The infamous chairs match has been a staple of the TLC pay-per-view since its inception in 2009, and more often than not, the match has been a dud. Simply put, there isn't anything exciting about people restlessly beating each other with chairs.
To make matters worse, the feud between Baron Corbin and Kalisto hasn't been anything to write home about in the last month. They have crossed paths on countless occasions, but it might have been the least anticipated match on the card.
That said, Corbin and Kalisto surprised fans by producing a very fun match on Sunday. There were a handful of innovative spots, including Kalisto nailing Corbin with a seated senton on top of a line of chairs.
That wasn't enough to put away Corbin, who swatted Kalisto out of the air with a chair before promptly laying him out with an End of Days on a pile of chairs. It was a crazy conclusion to a match many thought would be a bore.
With that match, Corbin and Kalisto definitely proved that they are capable of having great matches in the right environment. It remains to be seen whether that will be the end of the feud or not, but it will be difficult for them to top that excellent effort.
2. The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler
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Needless to say, The Miz and Dolph Ziggler are no strangers to one another, having battled in no less than a dozen matches over the years. In recent months alone, their ruthless rivalry over the Intercontinental Championship has been a blast to watch, especially their entertaining matches on pay-per-view and SmackDown.
The stakes were (literally) higher in this match than any of their other encounters because of the ladder stipulation and the Intercontinental Championship being up for grabs. All of their previous wars for the belt were extraordinary, but this match was extra-enjoyable for the story they told, with Miz taking pleasure in punishing Ziggler.
Despite the adverse amount of pain he endured at the hands of the self-proclaimed Hollywood A-Lister, Ziggler was resilient in his quest to regain the gold. The fans rallied behind him as he climbed the ladder and approached the prestigious prize, but Miz was there every time to knock him right back down to the ground.
Although Maryse was present at ringside, she didn't factor into the finish of this match whatsoever, which said a lot about Miz's ability to win matches on his own. As usual, Miz taunted SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan by hitting Ziggler with his signature moves.
To top it all off, Miz cut a promo afterward bashing Bryan and the fans who doubted him, virtually saying that there wasn't anyone on the blue brand who could beat him. If there was any doubt how meaningful the intercontinental title has become, this match was pure proof that it is indeed a top priority once again.
1. AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose
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Since September, AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose had been at odds over the WWE World Championship, trading victories at Backlash, No Mercy and on SmackDown Live.
The feud lost some of its steam once James Ellsworth became the focal point of the program, but fans knew they would pull through with an epic Tables, Ladders & Chairs match at the namesake pay-per-view.
As seen on Sunday night, they definitely did not disappoint, going to great lengths to prove they were the very best the blue brand has to offer at the moment. Both Styles and Ambrose took wild risks, most of which will not be soon forgotten by fans.
From Ambrose planting a flying elbow off the top of a ladder onto Styles to The Phenomenal One delivering a 450 Splash through a table on Ambrose, the match had a number of highlights and was one of the best and most thrilling TLC matches in several years.
For the first time in a while on a WWE PPV, the main event was the best bout on the show, even with the predictable finish fans could see coming a mile away. That said, James Ellsworth needed to cost Ambrose the championship to ensure Styles retained his title.
That remarkable matchup capped off an exhilarating event for SmackDown, and while some matches were stronger than others, even the weakest match of the night could be considered solid. The Raw roster will surely have its work cut out for it come Roadblock: End of the Line, to say the least.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a Digital Journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
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