7 WWE TLC 2020: Tables, Ladders & Chairs Impulse Reactions
6. Drew McIntyre (c) Vs. AJ Styles (Vs The Miz)
There'd been a lot to enjoy about the physical chemistry between Drew McIntyre and AJ Styles before the bell even rang for their Tables, Ladders and Chairs WWE Championship match. It only improved when they actually went to war.
A fight between the Champion's bad leg and the Challenger's violent ingenuity, this went at such a pace that the wrestlers did well to tell any story at all. As it was, Styles' efforts to use every weapon sequentially on McIntyre's weakened limb landed as hard as AJ himself whenever McIntyre rebounded with some inventive counter.
The whole thing was so remarkably fresh and suspenseful that it gave plenty of room for others to mix in. The myriad of other performers that featured in the build - Sheamus, Omos and Miz & Morrison - weren't needed to make it great, but added to the fun by the finish.
The Miz cashed in at a seemingly opportune moment, but Omos proved to be McIntyre's initial saviour, planting the fresh 'A Lister' through a ringside table. Some genuinely gripping drama followed, with several false grabs from all three eventually settling on the hobbled titleholder managing to bravely retain.
Like several of 'The Scottish Warrior's defences this year, there was just an awful lot to love. His appeal exists in spite of the formula it follows, and he deserves tremendous respect for that.