12 WWE TLC 2018 Impulse Reactions
10. Mixed Blessings
Good, this.
Alright. "Good", this.
The second series of the once-enjoyable Mixed Match Challenge was a convoluted and calamitous affair. Barely any sides made it all the way through the tournament unscathed other than the two pairings here, and a seemingly endless round robin format introduced the dreaded 50/50 mentality into what had previously housed some single elimination spice.
Even stakes only seemed to be driven through the heart of the event rather than bolster it. Either through wonky scripting or inelegant improvisation, the wrestlers seemed genuinely more excited to get a holiday - and that's a shoot, brother - than the #30 spots in 2019's Royal Rumble. Even in the "comedy" payoff to this storyline, Carmella breezed passed the January golden ticket to get to the real result.
As usual, R-Truth being the thickest character on television again became a vision of WWE's subverted self-abuse. Scripted as the worst possible decision, his choice of Stamford, Connecticut's company headquarters was part-lazy punchline part-satirical self-flagellation.
It must be Baron Corbin's fault.