10 WWE PPVs John Cena Main-Evented (But Shouldn't Have)
6. TLC 2012 (Vs. Dolph Ziggler)
John Cena had a nasty habit of main-eventing shows he really shouldn't have in 2012. This one at TLC, where he fought Dolph Ziggler in a ladder match for Ziggler's Money in the Bank briefcase, was probably the least egregious, but it still wasn't all that justified.
True, during this time, WWE Champion CM Punk was nursing an ankle injury, so there was no clear choice for a main event. The TLC match from this show was a six-man brawl between Ryback, Team Hell No, and the recently-debuted Shield. WWE probably weren't comfortable with giving the main event slot to such untested performers right away. Meanwhile, the World Heavyweight Championship match saw Big Show fight Sheamus in a chairs match. That likely wouldn't have been the best choice either.
However, Cena and Ziggler's feud was complete filler, and totally not main event material. The match was haphazardly thrown together and involved soap opera nonsense between Cena, AJ Lee, Vickie Guerrero, Vince, and Ziggler playing a distant fifth fiddle. Ziggler and Cena ended up having an entertaining match, but ultimately, it was capped off with AJ turning on Cena and aligning with Ziggler. It didn't feel like a momentous occasion, but rather, just more silliness.
Maybe the TLC brawl or chairs match wouldn't have been better fit in the main event, but they would have been way less ridiculous.