7. The Shield vs. Team Hell No & Ryback (TLC 2012)
Next Sunday's TLC match will be the second in history to hang nothing above the ring. The first to merely feature an excuse to beat up an opponent with tables, ladders, and chairs was two years ago. And it was awesome... Recently, Seth Rollins was a guest on Chris Jericho's podcast, during which he recounted the early days of his time as the architect of the Shield. At TLC 2012, none of the three had ever wrestled an official WWE match, having made their debut just a month prior at Survivor Series. Team Hell No and Ryback were the popular talents chosen to be the first official bone thrown to the Hounds of Justice. Think of the Attitude Era main-event style when trying to picture this type of TLC. They battled all over the place, Rollins showed his propensity for bumping, Reigns was impressive as an intensely-driven force of nature, and Ambrose displayed the early signs of his strangely endearing wild man self. As Rollins mentioned on Talk is Jericho, they all clicked with Daniel Bryan, who largely carried the match amidst the inexperienced and the Ryback. All in all, it was a unique take on the concept; a breath of fresh air, frankly. Watching 2012 veteran, Ambrose, and Bray Wyatt attempt to best the original will be quite interesting.
"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.
