DOLPH ZIGGLER vs. LUKE HARPER "LADDER MATCH": Well Ziggler is being pushed again. Weird how he had that "lost" year. I guess Vince and creative realized they need more top stars. The fans won't remember how we buried Ziggler for over a year after he won the title then lost it without being pinned. Whatever. Good match, albeit more hard to watch than entertaining. All of the bumps were painful looking. There was blood. Harper looked like he broke his arm. There weren't any major spots...just pain. **1/2 (out of ****)
MIZ & MIZDOW vs. THE USO'S: The Miz and his stunt double, Damien "Mizdow" Sandow, kept the titles because they lost by DQ. It's like no matter how hard the WWE tries to bury Sandow he keeps coming out on top (the crowd loves Mizdow). This was pure comedy. And pure filler. It's a little sad that the WWE has become a kid's comedy show whereas companies like New Japan put on pure wrestling shows and are superior. NXT had a special event four days before this ppv and every critic/fan online raved about it while they thought this ppv was so-so. NXT is more wrestling based. The "skits" and comedy aren't prominent. I think a healthy mix "for everyone" is good...but it really seems like the WWE these days is 90% a kaleidoscopic carnival. 1/2*
BIG SHOW vs. ERICK ROWAN "STAIRS MATCH": So this match made them change the name of this ppv from TLC to TLC&S. Yawn. They should not have split up the great tag team of Harper and Rowan because they had a great tag team and now they have two dull single wrestlers. And why, honestly, is The Big Show not retired? 1/2*
JOHN CENA vs. SETH ROLLINS "TABLES MATCH": I've always hated tables matches because only one table will be broken. I want to see a hundred tables broken. Well in this match everyone circumnavigated the rules so that a plethora of tables were indeed smashed. Cena put Rollins through a table when the ref was knocked out so it didn't count. Both guys fell through two tables at ringside at the same time so it didn't count. Roman Reigns later came out to spear The Big Show through a table. And finally, Cena put Rollins through a table to win. So it was wild, fairly entertaining. And, honestly, this should've been the main event. **1/2
NIKKI BELLA vs. A.J. LEE: Ah...the illustrious women's division. Why do they bother? 1/2*
RYBACK vs. KANE "CHAIRS MATCH": This was actually worse than the women's match. Nikki is at least eye candy. AJ is a decent wrestler stuck in a mediocre creative division. But Ryback and Kane have pretty much nothing to work with. They're awful and have always been. -No Stars-
RUSEV vs. JACK SWAGGER: Short. Bad. They're pushing the hell out of Rusev and I can't figure out why. He's not entertaining out of or in the ring. He's like a bygone villain of 1987's WWE. Wake up, Vince. 1/2*
DEAN AMBROSE vs. BRAY WYATT "TLC MATCH": Good match with a weird, awful end. Ambrose ended up leaping off a ladder through Wyatt on a table then did it again with a bigger ladder then did it again with a bigger ladder and the Spanish announce table. But the end...my God the end. Was that how it was supposed to end? If so...who actually thought that would be a compelling end to a ppv? So Ambrose pulls in a TV to the ring but it was still plugged in. So when Ambrose pulled it to get the cords loose the thing exploded in a hail of sparks. Ambrose, blind. Wyatt gets up and finishes him and wins. Huh. So Dean causes himself to lose. Why not have Wyatt hit Ambrose with the TV and it explodes? Cool ending! But no. Super lame finish. Good match up to that. **1/2
