WWE TLC 2011 Review

So tonights PPV left me with mixed emotions but more on that later for now...


ITS SHOWTIME!


Match 1:: US Championship:  Dolph Ziggler(c) vs. Zack Ryder

• I know everyone wanted Zack to win this tonight but I personally felt they were just getting into the groove of what would have been an awesome storyline and match for Mania.  Possibly dangled the belt from a ladder so Dolph could bump around HBK-like and give possibly the performance of his career...but what the fuck do I know. 
• They continue their great job of resurrecting the US title and really making it seem like a belt that someone would feel honored to hold again.  Cheers and a couple rounds of Long Island Iced Teas to Zack Ryder for this.  Though Dolph has been no slouch, the people want Ryder and they got it tonight.

Winner and NEW United States Champion: Zack Ryder

Match Rating:  ***3/4

Match Highlights:

• Sick ass super Hurricanrana (HurricanRYDER?) by Zack Ryder.
• Dolph...well being Dolph and selling like a maniac.
• Awesome moment with Zack's (HILARIOUS) Dad going ape-shit!!

Match 2:: Impromptu tag titles match: Air Boom (c) vs.Primo & Epico (Los Guerreros Jr?)

• A solid filler match that was everything you would expect it to be.  Just happy to see REAL (well kinda) tag teams again!

Winner and STILL Tag Team Champions: Air Boom.

Match Rating: ***1/4

After some pointless Hornswoggle (or hoodswoggle as his slightly racist stereotype suggests) and Teddy Long segment, we continue to our next match...


Match 3:: Tables Match: Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett

• Not quite the match (and if you ask my cousin Jay, DEF not the finish) everyone was hoping for. Still, looking forward to seeing where the Barrett Barrage will go from here.

Winner: Randy Orton via. a SICK RKO thru a Table.

Match Rating: ***

Even the Viper looks disappointed...

Match 4:: Divas Championship Match: Kelly Kelly vs. Beth Phoenix (c)

• Good match! Which surprised a lot of people not me...did I mention I love Beth Phoenix??  I know everyone wants her to face new opponents but I could care less...I'm just glad shes getting the push I've been wanting for her since 2009...a push no one appears to be able to stop....

...unless...

hmmm....


Winner and STLL Divas Champion: Beth Phoenix!

Match Rating: **3/4


Match Highlights:

• Kelly's surprising reverse of the Glam slam into a victory roll.
• Beth with an EVEN BETTER reverse of a Kelly Kelly hurricanrana into an ALLEY-OOP!!!

Pinup SEXY

Match 5:: Sledgehammer ladder match: Triple H vs. Kevin Nash

• Triple H loves to tell a story (and all his haters hate to see them) and I love it! Classic Triple H "Kevin Im gonna end you, JUST DIE KEVIN!!! HUMUMUMMUMUMUMUMUMUMUMBLUBUBUBUBUBUBPLLPLPLP" that we all know and love with a bit of the classic attitude era post match beatdown at the end.

Match Rating: *1/2

Match Highlights:

• Watch everything at the end.

Still the GAME-MAH!

Sheamus then comes out and faces Jack Swagger in a match I'm not even going to rate because it was a total squash and a waste of time.


Match 6:: World Heavyweight Championship Chairs Match: Mark Henry vs. The Big Show

• This one pissed me off because I was really into Mark Henry's Rick-Ross/Goldberg hybrid unstoppable monster thing he had going and was a BIG fan of him as champion but oh well...

Big SLOW wins...


no wait...


whos that??...


DANIEL FUCKING HERE TO SAVE THE DAY BRYAN!!!!!!


HE CASHED IN!!!! HOLY SHIT!!!! NEW (again) WORLD CHAMPION DANIEL BRYAN

YEAAHHHHHHH (well for Bryan and a big FUCK YOU for whoever fucked up Henry's momentum)....

No match rating for the BULLSHIT that happened before Bryans win...

Match 7:: Intercontinental Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs Booker T

• Solid fun match with the further progression of Cody's heel character (which is REALLY growing on me).  Cody assaulted Booker on two occasions prior to this match, so he has the easy advantage here.
• Cool ending sequence with a sick series of counters leading to a nasty knee by Cody Rhodes.

Winner and STILL Intercontinental Champion: Cody Rhodes.

Match Rating: ***

All together now...MWAHA AHAHAHA AHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!!!!!

**MAIN EVENT**

Match 8::WWE Championship Triple Threat  TLC match: CM Punk(c) vs. Alberto del Rio vs. The Miz

• Some nice (and smart) heel work by Del Rio and Miz teaming up like they have been these past weeks.  CM Punk is the man right now and he should be hard to beat one-on-one and the solid booking of this match keeps his momentum going strong. 
• The match is the spot-fest you would want from a TLC match with enough storytelling to give Bret Hart a stiffy all the way in Canada. 
• Nice scare for the ending segments with Punk being handcuffed to a ladder by Ricardo (slick move and even slicker hair) Rodriguez and then re-cuffed(lol sounds funny) by the Miz to THE DREADED MIDDLE ROPE.
• Long story short, good main event with memorable bumps and a nice finish with Punk escaping the cuffs by first kicking the shit out of a ladder and the 2nd time by taking the rope off.

Winner and STILL WWE Champion: CM Punk!!!! Cuffs and all!!

Clobbering time indeed...

Match Rating: ****1/4


Match Higlights:

• Miz hitting a 'HOLY SHIT' worthy back drop on Punk through a chair.
• Ricardo Rodriguez taking a sick bump off a ladder through a table (should be an xbox live achievement)

Final thoughts:

Some really good matches and some great moments, but nothing really special here.  The end of Henry's reign is a sad day for me but Daniel Bryan's is enough to help me get over it.  The main event delivered and Zack Ryder finally winning the US title is awesome although it would have been more awesome if he did it at the show of shows.  Shocking night to say the least with the biggest shocker being that (a healthy) John Cena missed his first PPV in almost a decade.  Very interested in seeing where this is going as they are obviously selling the fact that Kane is back...and he is very pissed off.



Overall PPV Score: 7.0 (solid but I'd wait for the DVD).


Match of the night: CM Punk vs Alberto de Rio vs. The Miz
Performer of the night: Dolph Ziggler
Moment of the night: The Ryder/Bryan title wins
Promo of the night: Nothing too special here.
Surprise of the night: No John Cena =0



Let me know what you liked/disliked about the PPV


until next time...



-9