WWE TLC 2017: AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose and Best Title Matches in PPV's History

WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs 2017 on Oct. 22 is shaping up to be a promising pay-per-view between The Shield reuniting in the main event and Asuka debuting, continuing the strong streak of excellent TLC events since its inception in 2009.

The annual pay-per-view has featured a number of monumental moments and matches, and the upcoming installment should be no exception. In fact, WWE TLC has hosted a handful of tremendous title matches that have stood the test of time and remain revered to this day.

Similar to Hell in a Cell, it isn't necessary for the Tables, Ladders and Chairs match to have its own spot on the calendar as it arguably waters down the once-occasional concept. But every installment to date has been nothing short of stellar. It also allows ruthless rivalries to be blown off in spectacular fashion in addition to kicking off fresh feuds for the remainder of the year.

While the TLC main event is typically the most anticipated match of the night, it isn't uncommon for instant classics to be contested on the undercard. With countless championships defended every year at TLC, the stakes are always high, and fans can count on the in-ring action to deliver.

Will any of the advertised matches for this year's show come close to topping these seven extraordinary bouts from WWE TLC's illustrious history?

Christian vs. Shelton Benjamin in an ECW Title Ladder Match (2009)

WWE's version of ECW tends to be frowned upon by fans because the brand wasn't nearly as "extreme" as the original incarnation of the promotion. While that argument is 100 percent legitimate, the stars of the show never failed to deliver when it mattered most, especially when the top title was up for grabs.

At TLC 2009, Christian and Shelton Benjamin had the honor of competing in the pay-per-view's first-ever match, and they made the most of the opportunity. The seasoned veterans would have produced a great match regardless, but it helped that they were surrounded by ladders and that both men had history in that type of matchup.

Christian's run as ECW champion in the latter half of 2009 could not be touched, as he elevated everyone he worked with. And his bout with Benjamin was another example of that. Not only did they brutalize each other with ladders, but they pulled everything out of their respective arsenals in an attempt to emerge victorious with the title in tow.

Although Benjamin came close to clinching the ECW Championship, it was Christian who persevered through the pain and maintained his possession of the prize. The Gold Standard unquestionably earned Christian's respect after what might have been the brand's last truly memorable match before it closed its doors in early 2010.

It was a sensational showing from two of WWE's most versatile performers and an exciting opener to the event, setting the bar for what else was to come later in the evening.

Kane vs. Edge vs. Mysterio vs. Del Rio in a World Title TLC Match (2010)

Upon returning to SmackDown in October 2010, Edge had one goal on his mind: become a 10-time world champion. He had been overlooked and underutilized for so long on Raw that it was time for him to reclaim top spot on the SmackDown roster, but Kane wasn't exactly an easy obstacle to overcome.

Edge's initial outing with Kane at Survivor Series ended in a draw, so the stakes were raised at TLC the following month, when they were scheduled to clash in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship. It likely would have been an entertaining outing with just their involvement, but adding Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio to the mix made things even more interesting.

For months, Mysterio and Del Rio traded victories in a series of solid matches. Their terrific chemistry enhanced what would become the Fatal 4-Way with Edge and Kane, as there never seemed to be a dull moment. The audience was engaged in the action the entire time.

Despite having the odds stacked against him, Kane did everything imaginable to retain his title, from creating carnage to laying out everyone and everything in sight. Before he could pull down the strap hanging high above the ring, however, he was thwarted by Edge and sent spiraling through a table at ringside.

It's well-documented that Edge was the master of the TLC match, so for him to claim his record-setting 10th world title in that type of matchup was fitting and made for a special moment.

CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. The Miz in a WWE Title TLC Match (2011)

Perhaps no performer contested more exceptional matches throughout 2011 than CM Punk, who was a permanent fixture in the WWE Championship picture for the better part of the year. He was able to knock off Alberto Del Rio for the belt at Survivor Series, but his biggest challenge was yet to come in the form of a TLC match against both Del Rio and The Miz.

As former WWE champions themselves, Del Rio and Miz were credible challengers, not to mention how they formed an alliance prior to the pay-per-view in an effort to take out Punk. Although that worked early on in the bout, The Voice of the Voiceless was able to foil their plan by battling back and remaining resilient.

The Baltimore crowd rallied behind Punk throughout the bout, and after all the awesomeness they had witnessed earlier in the evening between Zack Ryder becoming the United States champion and Daniel Bryan cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase, the faithful fans in Charm City were ready to witness another miracle take place.

At one point, Punk was handcuffed to the top turnbuckle and appeared to be down and out, but even then, he somehow managed to find a way to escape. Once he disposed of his adversaries (including Ricardo Rodriguez, who went flying through a table), Punk climbed the ladder and retrieved his title.

Above all else, this TLC match headlined the event that year, properly placing Punk in the spotlight—where he belonged.

Cody and Goldust vs. Mysterio and Show vs. Rybaxel vs. Real Americans (2013)

Credit: WWE.com

Tag team wrestling in WWE has had its fair share of peaks and valleys over the years, but the division was in an outstanding state in the final few months of 2013. That was when Cody Rhodes and Goldust had a stranglehold on the straps and produced remarkable matches with everyone they did battle with.

One of those excellent encounters occurred at TLC, when they defended the WWE Tag Team Championships in a Fatal 4-Way match against Rybaxel, The Real Americans and Big Show and Rey Mysterio. It was a rather random addition to an already stacked card, but it did give the Rhodes brothers the opportunity to once again prove themselves to be the best tag team champions WWE had seen in some time.

The elimination stipulation saw Rybaxel and The Real Americans get ousted early on so the remaining teams could create magic together. Mysterio and Show may not have been teaming for long, but they immediately jelled as partners and brought the fight to Cody and Goldust like no one else had before.

On countless occasions, it looked like Mysterio and Show were about to capture the belts, and there's a decent chance they would have if the Rhodes brothers hadn't been firing on all cylinders. The final stretch of the contest was simply fantastic, as the fans in attendance bought into each of the near-falls and roared when Cody and Goldust pulled out the hard-fought victory.

On a pay-per-view that featured John Cena vs. Randy Orton in a title unification main event, this tag team showcase was the highlight of the night.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Luke Harper in an Intercontinental Title Ladder Match (2014)

Credit: WWE.com

Luke Harper broke away from The Wyatt Family fairly abruptly in November 2014, and he didn't waste any time in showing the world what he was capable of on his own. In his first official match as a singles competitor on the last Raw before Survivor Series, he beat Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship.

Sadly, Harper will never be remembered as being one of the best IC champions of all time because he didn't do anything of note while in possession of the title. Instead, he lost the majority of his matches during his reign, and although he endured a defeat to Ziggler at TLC 2014, it was easily the greatest one-on-one outing of his career.

It's no secret Harper and Ziggler walked into their ladder match at the event wanting to prove a point based off the incredible lengths they went to in order to steal the show. Most ladder matches are spectacles and feature awe-inspiring maneuvers, but these two were almost reckless in battering each other with weapons and breaking their bodies in order to leave a lasting impression on fans.

To their credit, they succeeded in doing just that. What added to the electricity of the matchup was how the event emanated from Ziggler's hometown of Cleveland, so they were behind him every step of the way—both figuratively and literally—each time he attempted to ascend the ladder to retrieve the title dangling from high above.

When Ziggler was declared the victor, it was the definition of deserved after the war he went through with Harper to earn the championship.

New Day vs. The Usos vs. The Lucha Dragons in a Tag Titles Ladder Match (2015)

The fantastic feud The New Day and The Usos have had recently has brought tag team wrestling in WWE to new heights, but lest we forget they created history at 2015's TLC pay-per-view.

The Usos were fresh off their return to the ring at Survivor Series and were itching to get back in the WWE Tag Team Championships hunt, but The Lucha Dragons also had their sights set on the twin titles. Once New Day interrupted a No. 1 Contender's bout between the two tandems, it was decided that the belts would be defended in a Triple Threat Ladder match at TLC that December.

It had been many years since the last multi-team ladder match in WWE, so fans were excited to see what New Day, The Usos, and The Lucha Dragons would bring to the table. Sure enough, they blew the roof off TD Garden in Boston with their high-octane offense and breathtaking dives that had to be seen to be believed.

In the most memorable moment from the matchup, Kalisto hit his Salida del Sol finisher off the top of the ladder and through another ladder laying horizontally inside the ring. It wasn't enough to earn The Lucha Dragons the tag titles, but it did turn a few heads in the back and led to Kalisto's prominent singles push soon after.

As for the match itself, everyone involved played their part to perfection, including Xavier Woods, who tossed a trombone at Kalisto to cost The Lucha Dragons the win. New Day continued to reign as tag team champions over the next year, but no match they had in 2016 came close to topping this contest.

AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose in a TLC Match for the WWE Title (2016)

AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose had no fewer than a half-dozen matches against each other throughout 2016, but considering their contests were as entertaining as they were, it was impossible to complain.

Their rivalry reached its apex at TLC when they did battle in the match sharing the event's name with the WWE Championship on the line. Styles had done quite a bit during his rookie year in WWE, but Ambrose had much more experience in this environment than he did, effectively putting the champ at a distinct disadvantage.

Despite that, Styles didn't feel out of place whatsoever when surrounded by tables, ladders and chairs and instead used all of those weapons to lay a brutal beating on Ambrose. This included a scintillating 450 Splash through a table at ringside, though Ambrose retaliated with a flying elbow through a table later on.

Both men put forth an amazing effort, and it would have been remembered more fondly by fans had it not been for James Ellsworth's interference. He had played a significant role in their rivalry as Ambrose's ally, making it all the more surprising when he turned his back on The Lunatic Fringe in this championship contest to ensure he didn't win the title.

That shocking turn of events closed out the evening on a high note and, more importantly, kept the gold around the waist of The Face That Runs the Place for a little while longer. Thanks to Ambrose and Styles' phenomenal performances in this thrilling main event, it has cemented its spot toward the top of the list of the best bouts in TLC history.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.