10 WWE TLC 2017 Impulse Reactions

2. Solid Gold

Finn Balor AJ Styles
WWE.com

The heroic return of Kurt Angle to the fray after Braun Strowman had delivered his powerslam through a table on the Raw General Manager (but crucially after the 'Monster Among Men' had been taken out of commission) was perhaps the highlight of the entire chaotic main event.

Angle had only looked a step slower than his younger contemporaries during the early portion of the match, but his late comeback didn't just service those desperate to sing him down to the ring one more time, it also showed how beholden the Olympic Gold Medallist still is to his illustrious 'Three Is'.

Having showed integrity by even agreeing to step between the ropes at such late notice, and intelligence in working alongside Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins exactly as instructed early on, he bristled with intensity after punctuating his attack on the bar with a fabulous Olympic Slam on Cesaro through a table. Emerging from the carnage as if he were an action hero ready for his final battle, Kurt's performance was a magnificent final foreshadow of the doom that eventually befell flustered heel squad leader The Miz.

It capped off an exceptional night for one of the greatest to ever run the ropes, and seems to ensure that a WrestleMania match (at very least) wouldn't be half as out of the question as most company insiders may have initially felt.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett