13. Dolph Ziggler vs. Luke Harper - Ladder Match For Intercontinental Title (TLC)
In back-to-back months in 2014, the resurgent Dolph Ziggler did what he claimed so many times in promos that he was famous for doing: he stole the show. At TLC just a couple of weeks ago, Ziggler tore the house down in a Ladder match against Luke Harper, regaining the Intercontinental Championship that he'd lost to Harper during the build-up to the match in which he had stolen the show the month prior at Survivor Series. For any fan of the Show Off, it was a welcome sight. Frankly, it had once seemed that Ziggler's show-stealing moments were a thing of the past. Ziggler vs. Harper broke no new ground. The spots were not of the ilk that deserved praise for their wild creativity. What set it apart was something that may not have even been intentional, but was no less memorable...it was a truly brutal physical battle. If the spots lacked in innovation, then they certainly made up for it with just how legitimately painful that they looked. Harper nearly broke his arm on a dive through the ropes onto Ziggler and a ladder. Both men were cut up the hard way, as well. Nasty falls galore speckled throughout the match made theirs one of the most physically demanding one-on-one Ladder matches in recent memory.
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
