TLC: The Aftermath

TLC: The Aftermath

by Theo Williams

There aren’t many things that I like about the City of Boston; the streets are skinny, the sports teams are all the equivalent of having that “punch me” face because you just don’t like them, and their accents are funny (Its CAR not Caaa). However, one area that I do give Boston fans credit for is for being a legit wrestling town. There are a lot of cities across America where the WWE has trouble drawing a decent crowd, and even when it draws, the crowd is disinterested, passive, lackluster and outright apathetic. There are certain cities, however, where it is passionate, loud, aggressive, and intense, and Boston is one of those cities. Much like Chicago, New York and of course the host of Raw last night, Philadelphia, Boston is a city very passionate about its wrestling, and if the fan base is displeased, they will let you know that as well. Boston, the home of John Cena, the very fanbase that has booed their own hometown hero because he had jumped the shark, began the main event with the conflicting chants of “WE WANT CENA!” and the obligatory “CENA SUCKS!”  By the end of the main event, it wasn’t Cena the Boston crowd was chanting for.

Sunday night, WWE’s version of a demolition derby, TLC (Tables, Ladders and Chairs) took place in front of a packed Boston Garden, and despite the lack of surprises as far as the finishes were concerned, the action in ring was definitely worth the price of admission (especially if you have the WWE Network, for only $9.99). Interest in the WWE has been waning lately for several reasons. Favoritism from upper management towards certain “types” of wrestlers, over others who are actually larger draws but aren’t Vince McMahon’s prototypical star has been an issue (see Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler), and also Chairman Vince McMahon has hired a bunch of (terrible) TV writers instead of wrestling bookers to write story lines, causing WWE programming to become dry and predictable.  Anyone above the age of 28 can remember the glory days of the Attitude Era, when on any given Monday night; you were bound to witness quality entertainment, watching some of the biggest stars that the world of Sports Entertainment has ever seen. However, getting your dose of WWE programming has become more of a burden than a pleasure as of late. Going in to the TLC pay per view, many had maligned the event to the point of some even forgetting there was an event at all. So, for me, it was a pleasant surprise to see some great in-ring action, which made me think it was 1998 all over again.

When it comes to professional wrestling there is a term called “selling”, which means when one wrestler appears to get attacked or hit, (s)he sells it by appearing hurt by the opposing maneuver. Selling is a necessary part of the wrestling business, in order to make it look real and believable to the viewer. Sometimes, when a wrestler doesn’t respect his opponent (for realsies), he won’t sell for them, making his opponent look weak in front of the audience. So, I’ve named this post after this concept: “I’m Selling” or “Not Selling” different matches that took place at Sunday night’s pay per view.

Not Selling:

These are the matches that I didn’t particularly care for. Be it because the story line going in was lackluster and the match itself simply didn’t stand out, or because the in ring action was disappointing. The following were the matches that I’m not selling for…

United States Champion Alberto Del Rio defeats Jack Swagger: I mean really, how many times can we see this? Yes, I get it, ADR is Mexican and Jack Swagger is the Real American, and one of ADR’s mainstays in getting heat (a term for when a performer does something to elicit a negative reaction from the crowd) is to dump on America, and I get it, we really don’t know what to do with Jack Swagger, but damn! How many times can these two square off? Neither one of them are amazing in ring performers, both are pretty bad on the microphone. I feel like this is McMahon’s version of Cowboys and Indians (flash back to the 1950’s), and frankly, I’m beyond tired of seeing these two against each other, and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone. The only thing that’s keeping ADR worthy of holding the United States Championship is the fact that he is in the League of Nations faction, which is headed by the reigning WWE World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus, along with the King of the Ring Bad News Barrett and Rusev. A team further fortified with its alliance with WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day, and backed by The Authority.

Rusev defeats Ryback: Or as I like to call it: American Meatball vs Bulgarian Meatball. I mean, who cares? Am I right? Lana, Rusev’s fiancé and manager, is the biggest draw and she’s not even in the match! Both superstars have lost a lot of steam as of late. Rusev lost a lot due to injuries and a bad storyline that broke him up from Lana for a pointless feud with Ziggler. Ryback’s slow decent has been hard to watch since he was in the WWE doghouse about two years ago. It wasn’t that long ago Ryback was an upper midcarder on the fast track to the main event, however after getting some backstage heat when he gave Dolph Ziggler a concussion from working too stiff, and then making fun of Lilian Garcia on live TV, rolling Ryback out there week after week, even force feeding him the Intercontinental Title, has been like watching someone beat a dead horse (Smarks, see what I did there?). Putting these two together is the television equivalent of having an Italian AND Swedish Meatball Sandwich. Too many meatballs, not enough bun…

The Wyatt Family defeats Team Extreme: Perhaps I’m still plagued with the memory of the old ECW when it was run by Paul E. Dangerously (Heyman) in the old ECW Arena, right here in Philly, but it’s hard for me to watch anyone from the old ECW under WWE rules and guidelines. The Dudley Boyz are the rare exception, but even they were only at their WWE best when squaring off against daredevils like Edge, Christian and the Hardy Boyz nearly 2 decades ago. The match itself wasn’t bad. Plenty of gratuitous tables being smashed, and kendo sticks being used, but a couple of miscues made the match look rather clunky. At the end of the day, it seems the only people Bray Wyatt can seem to get a PPV victory over is low mid card superstars or old fading talent, and for the “New Face of Fear”, I don’t think it looks good for the Wyatts or the WWE.

Dean Ambrose defeats Intercontinental Champion Keven Owens: I don’t have many complaints for this match. My only beef with this match is the fact that I think Kevin Owens didn’t really do much as Intercontinental Champion and I believe they took the belt off of him because the higher ups just have an ax to grind against K.O. (I stand with my fellow fatboy!) Also, if you look back at the match, when Dean Ambrose reverses K.O.’s Pop-up Powerbomb in to a pin for the final 3 count, technically, the ref shouldn’t have counted at all. Owens shoulders never actually were on the mat. Now, I’m not one of those smarks who call out every little miscue and botch that I see on WWE TV, but I thought this was pretty egregious considering the Intercontinental Championship was on the line.

Selling:

These are the matches that gave me a high level of entertainment, that I believe carried last night’s TLC Pay Per View:

Womens Champion Charlotte defeats Paige: Two words, Ric Flair.

Tag Team Champions The New Day Defeats The Usos and Lucha Dragons:  Now THIS is how you open a Pay Per View! Coming in to this match I had lofty expectations for this TLC match for the tag titles, seeing how you had 5 out of the 6 performers in the match considered to be high flyers with Big E being the only exception. The New Day is clearly the cream of the crop in the tag division and it was definitely evident in Boston last night. Xavier Woods and his trombone are arguably one of the top acts in the entire WWE. This match included all of the mayhem and action one would expect from a TLC match featuring these three teams, reaching a crescendo with Kalisto hitting Kofi Kingston with the Salida del Sol from the top of the ladder in the middle of the ring, snapping another ladder in half. The place went nuts! Eventually Xavier’s trombone interfered and the New Day retained their titles. Moments and matches like that remind me why I am a fan of the WWE.

World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus defeats Roman Reigns: From the beginning I had no doubt that Reigns would lose this match, however, if there was a way to get a win, without actually winning the match, I think Roman Reigns found it. I don’t think anyone had any high expectations for this match on paper with Sheamus, a champion that no one likes as champion, going against the WWE’s golden boy, Roman Reigns, much to the chagrin to the WWE Universe. Many people have a deep resentment against Reigns because they feel he was given his push to the top without having actually earned it. Reigns is the quintessential “Vince McMahon guy” given his massive physique, and the fact that he comes from one of the most powerful wrestling families the Anoi’I Family. Much like when a momma bear will shun its cub if a human touches them, it has become chic in the modern WWE for fans to boo any superstar who seems to have been handpicked for greatness by Vince McMahon. Despite the fact that this is how wrestling has operated for the entirety of its existence, social media and the internet has caused the death of kay fabe and has given fans the power (imagined or otherwise) to select who they want to be their champion. Boston, the home of John Cena, another one of Vinces handpicked guys who gets booed mercilessly at times, began the main event with the conflicting chants of “WE WANT CENA!” and the obligatory “CENA SUCKS!”  However, by the end of the main event, it wasn’t Cena the Boston crowd was chanting for, this time it was Reigns.

There were several high quality moments during the match, specifically when Sheamus used his signature White Noise to put Reigns through a table from off of the steel steps, and when Roman did a Samoan Drop from off the apron putting Sheamus through a ladder set up between the ring and the announce table. All of that left for a very solid main event for TLC, but it was the aftermath that made the match and quite possibly Roman Reigns career. After interference from the League of Nations, allowing Sheamus to climb the ladder to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Roman finally did something that WWE fans have been waiting for him to do. Drop the damn smile, snap out and wreck shop! By the time Roman was finished going ballistic on the League of Nations and specifically Sheamus with a steel chair, he turned his attentions to the COO, and master of the screw job, Triple H. After a barrage of chair shots, and a 20 yard full on sprint and spear in to Triple H’s solar plexus (One that Romans Special Teams Coach at Georgia Tech would’ve been proud of), the crowd broke out in to a “Thank You Roman!” chant. From my memory, that was the first time that a crowd was in full support of Roman, since just after Seth Rollins dismantled The Shield. It was the moment that we have been waiting for from the supposed “hot head”.  Boston isn’t an easy town to win over, so that overwhelmingly positive response speaks volumes on the impact of his actions following his WWE Would Championship loss. When we look back at Roman Reigns career, Sunday night just might be that signature moment that defines the rest of his career. If you’re still booing Roman after Sunday night, you just need to put your hate away and get over it. It’s his time.

Overall, I’m selling the Pay Per View. The mid card was a little slow at times with Meatball Subs and Cowboys and Indians taking up valuable moments of my life that I’ll never get back, but otherwise I felt it was a very solid event, with a handful of OMG Moments.

Raw in Philly, this will be good! Does anyone have any spare tickets you could lend me…?