WWE TLC 2011: Vince McMahon Must Push High Flyers for Gimmick PPVs to Succeed

Generally speaking, gimmick pay-per-views have been a failed experiment by the WWE. One way in which that can be changed, however, is if high-flying superstars were pushed to a greater extent.

One of the few gimmick pay-per-views that has proven successful over the past couple years is Money in the Bank. While a lot of the success this year surrounded the epic encounter between CM Punk and John Cena, the ladder matches themselves are almost always great.

The biggest reason for that, in my mind, is the utilization of high flyers. While the WWE doesn't have as large of a cruiserweight roster as it once did, the likes of Evan Bourne, Kofi Kingston, Justin Gabriel, Hunico and Sin Cara (when healthy) can all excel in gimmick matches. In fact, Bourne had one of the spots of the year with his Shooting Star Press off a ladder at Money in the Bank.

All it takes is a quick glance at the TLC card and it is very obvious that the gimmick matches aren't being properly utilized. Rather than using the types of wrestlers that are capable of making those matches exciting, we're getting Triple H vs. Kevin Nash in a sledgehammer ladder match.

That isn't to say that every ladder match or TLC match has to have some sort of high flyer in it, but it enhances the experience. One way in which the creative team could have easily improved the card was by adding a ladder match for the tag team championships between Air Boom and the team of Primo and Epico.

While I realize that Primo and Epico may not carry much weight in terms of name recognition, a good ladder-match performance could have easily got them over with the crowd on some level. The two teams have already begun feuding, so there's no reason why this particular match couldn't have happened, either.

Not only would it have allowed another title to be defended—which fans are usually very supportive of—but it also would have got four great athletes involved in an exciting match.

While Triple H vs. Nash has great star power, it likely wouldn't hold a candle to that tag-team match in terms of quality.

One of the biggest reasons for WCW's ascent in 1996, along with the formation of the nWo, was cruiserweight wrestling. The likes of Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, Juventud Guerrera and so many more put on exciting matches that couldn't really be seen elsewhere in the United States at the time.

The WWE may be complacent since it has no true competition, but the utilization of its smaller and lighter wrestlers would make for some interesting and varied matches. I realize that many of the WWE's high flyers are lacking in terms of charisma and mic work, but that didn't matter in WCW.

Sin Cara got over with the fans almost immediately and he has yet to say a word. The wrestling ability alone would speak for them and I have to believe that the fans would love it. TLC looks to have a solid card in place, but it could have been much better with use of some high flyers.