100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)
74. The Shield vs. Daniel Bryan, Kane & Ryback (TLC 2012)
Some of the best WWE matches sneak up on you. That's precisely what happened at TLC 2012 when The Shield trio Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins brawled with Kane, Daniel Bryan and Ryback in a three vs. three encounter that encapsulated every gimmick in the pay-per-view's name. Oh yes, this six man TLC encounter was special, and few saw it coming.
The babyface team instantly attacked The Shield during their entrance, and the fight was on. What resulted was a 'greatest hits' package of TLC spots, including Rollins being sent tumbling through four tables courtesy of Ryback shoving him off a ladder. This was The Shield's first televised match as a collective, and it was a bloody great one. There had to be high fives all round backstage once this was all said and done.
Rollins, Ambrose and Reigns made for some team. Being fair, and rather surprisingly, so did Team Hell No aligning with Ryback. He was booked to look really strong and dominant, perhaps even more so than Kane. On the other side, The Shield showed teamwork and an already-established ability to use the numbers game to their advantage.
Isolating one worker and powerbombing him through a table became their calling card.
The live crowd came to life once things got going. Admittedly, TLC 2012 was a bit of a lacklustre card overall, so the show really needed something so hot to make it worthwhile. It's a good job The Shield felt fresh, Team Hell No were over and Ryback was feeling it on the night then, eh?