Sunday night, the WWE presented its fifth TLC pay-per-view, headlined by Randy Orton vs. John Cena for the Unified WWE and World Heavyweight Championships in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. We were promised the first clean finish to a PPV since the summer. Unlike in previous years, the other variations of the TLC - the ladder and tables matches, namely - were not co-features to the PPV's namesake. Instead, two handicap matches involving Daniel Bryan and CM Punk were the secondary attractions along with a hodgepodge of throw together mid-card bouts that included defenses of the Intercontinental, Tag Team, and Diva's Championships. Here are the 5 things most noteworthy occurrences:
5. AJ Lee Continues To Bring Back Respect To The Women's Division
Earlier this year at Payback, AJ not only won the Diva's Championship, but combined with Kaitlyn for arguably the best women's match in WWE since Trish Stratus vs. Mickie James at WrestleMania 22. For the last 182 days, she has provided the WWE with a champion that matters in a division that otherwise does not. Tonight continued the trend of rebuilding the credibility of the title. Natalya was the right opponent. There might be more charismatic options amongst the Total Divas crowd, but none of them have the grappling ability or the strength to put on the caliber of matches with AJ that Nattie can. AJ needs an opponent with some muscle mass to be able to catch her on when she does the bulk of her high spots. Nattie, Tamina, and Kaitlyn are probably the only women with enough experience to be able to have top quality matches with her. Rumors were abounding this weekend on the internet regarding AJ's involvement in a backstage squabble with an NBC personality at the WWE Tribute to the Troops. Though it may have been on purpose to set-up some sort of angle for next year's WrestleMania (you can never rule out such things at this time of the year), it also provided a backdrop that suggested a title change might be imminent in a WWE effort to remove the title from the source of a media black eye. Thus, the spot in the match when Nattie locked AJ in the Sharpshooter felt a little more like the end to the match than it might have otherwise. AJ's escape was a legitimate false finish. Nattie's subsequent counter of Lee's Black Widow (arm) submission was another near fall. Lee retaining was the right call and, though the match was not long enough to reach the standard set in Chicago earlier this year, it was another step toward respectability for a division that could constantly use another shot in the arm.
"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.
Earlier this year at Payback, AJ not only won the Diva's Championship, but combined with Kaitlyn for arguably the best women's match in WWE since Trish Stratus vs. Mickie James at WrestleMania 22. For the last 182 days, she has provided the WWE with a champion that matters in a division that otherwise does not. Tonight continued the trend of rebuilding the credibility of the title. Natalya was the right opponent. There might be more charismatic options amongst the Total Divas crowd, but none of them have the grappling ability or the strength to put on the caliber of matches with AJ that Nattie can. AJ needs an opponent with some muscle mass to be able to catch her on when she does the bulk of her high spots. Nattie, Tamina, and Kaitlyn are probably the only women with enough experience to be able to have top quality matches with her. Rumors were abounding this weekend on the internet regarding AJ's involvement in a backstage squabble with an NBC personality at the WWE Tribute to the Troops. Though it may have been on purpose to set-up some sort of angle for next year's WrestleMania (you can never rule out such things at this time of the year), it also provided a backdrop that suggested a title change might be imminent in a WWE effort to remove the title from the source of a media black eye. Thus, the spot in the match when Nattie locked AJ in the Sharpshooter felt a little more like the end to the match than it might have otherwise. AJ's escape was a legitimate false finish. Nattie's subsequent counter of Lee's Black Widow (arm) submission was another near fall. Lee retaining was the right call and, though the match was not long enough to reach the standard set in Chicago earlier this year, it was another step toward respectability for a division that could constantly use another shot in the arm.