100 Greatest WWE WrestleMania Moments
19. TLC II Raises The Bar Further (WrestleMania X-Seven)
WrestleMania X's first pay-per-view ladder match between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon seemed archaic next to wild bump-fests like No Mercy 1999's affair pitting Edge and Christian vs. The Hardys or SummerSlam 2000's first TLC that chucked The Dudley Boyz into the mix. Those tag-teams upped the ante big style, and they followed trends set by Mick Foley's Hell In A Cell scrapes by taking major risks aplenty.
Those painful falls would result in injuries and strip time from careers later on, but the six men involved would tell you they were worth it to achieve wrestling immortality. Heading into 'Mania X-Seven, fans were split on whether or not Edge, Christian, Matt, Jeff, Bubba Ray and D-Von could top their original with an action-packed TLC sequel.
This just in: They did it. Christ knows how, but they did it.
Go back and watch 'Mania X-Seven today, then rewind on the opening bit of the bout a time or two. You'll rarely feel anticipation like there was in Houston. Ringsiders were practically salivating over the thought of a car crash stunt show that'd make an already dazzling card even brighter. Few ladder matches now are considered surefire timeless classics before they happen, but things were different in 2001.
Viewers hadn't become burnt out on the same old spots. Seeing this trio of hungry young tag-teams risk it all and put their bodies on the line just to improve on SummerSlam's first TLC? Breathtaking. Then, one spot in particular came along to etch its place in the annals of time as one of WWE's most replayed moves.