WWE TLC Review - December 16, 2018

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

WWE Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy def. Cedric Alexander (Kickoff Match)

The last two matches these two had against each other were way better than this. That isn't to say it was bad by any means, because it was still very fun while it lasted, but they could have used more time and it was clear they weren't allowed to go all out. Hey, at least they technically made the pay-per-view, even if it was on the Kickoff show. Murphy winning was the right call since he's just getting started as champion, though it leaves me wondering what the future holds for Alexander and if he's Raw or SmackDown Live bound.

Elias def. Bobby Lashley in a Ladder Match (Kickoff Match)

I haven't particularly cared about this feud much at all, but it was weird for this to be bumped to the Kickoff show over the Mixed Match Challenge finals. Then again, this wasn't anything special whatsoever and easily among the least memorable Ladder matches I've seen in some time. The effort was there, though. I liked that Elias picked up the victory, but how much does it mean when he was attacked immediately afterward by Lashley and Lio Rush? By the way, they must have changed the rules for this at the last minute, because I was under the impression that you could pull the guitar down and use it to your advantage, but apparently it was over once Elias grabbed possession of it.

R-Truth and Carmella def. Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox to Win the Mixed Match Challenge

I'm shocked this made the main show considering how few fans have actually followed the Mixed Match Challenge this season, not to mention it looked like it belonged on Main Event on paper. To their credit, it wasn't completely atrocious, and it probably helped that this kicked off the night so it was gotten out of the way early on. The crowd was into some of the stuff they did, and above all else, it was kept relatively short and sweet. Truth and Carmella entering at No. 30 in their respective Royal Rumble matches is a joke, but perhaps an angle between now and then will change that.

SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bar def. The New Day and The Usos in a Triple threat Match

The build to this bout was so lackluster that it was difficult to get excited over the idea of another tag team title reign for either The Usos or New Day. Thankfully, Sheamus and Cesaro retained the titles, but I honestly have no idea who's left to challenge them on the SmackDown side. At any rate, this was every bit as entertaining as I expected it to be, but it wasn't a show-stealer or anything.

Braun Strowman def. Baron Corbin in a TLC Match (Strowman Earns Universal Championship Match at Royal Rumble; Corbin is Fired as Acting Raw General Manager)

Strowman vs. Corbin never at any point intrigued me on paper, so I'm glad WWE went this route instead by having it be more of an angle than a true match. Strowman wasn't cleared to compete anyway, so it was the perfect opportunity for all the babyfaces he's wronged in recent months to give him his comeuppance. The crowd ate it up and it was a satisfying end to what has been a reign of terror from Corbin as the head honcho on Raw. I would be more than happy with no replacement being named for Corbin and WWE not appointing any authority figures. They just seem to be more of a hindrance than a help.

Natalya def. Ruby Riott in a Tables Match

Needless to say, this feud has been abysmal over the past month, but I applaud the women for their efforts here and trying to have the best match possible. It wasn't nearly as lifeless as I thought it would be and Liv Morgan's table bump was super impressive. Natayla scored the feel-good victory, but this basically solidified The Riott Squad as a bunch of losers since they couldn't win even when there weren't any disqualifications and they had the numbers advantage.

Finn Balor def. Drew McIntyre

There were rumblings over the weekend that Balor was still sick and he had to be pulled from the show. Well, I guess not. You couldn't tell that there was anything wrong with him, and this was a very well-wrestled match. I could have done without the interference from Dolph Ziggler toward the end, mind you, but it made sense from a storyline standpoint and it protected McIntyre in defeat. I assume McIntyre will be the last man standing in this three-way feud when all is said and done.

Rey Mysterio def. Randy Orton in a Chairs Match

The Chairs matches have almost always been the weakest part of the TLC pay-per-view over the years, just because it's a silly stipulation with little drama behind it. Thankfully, Mysterio and Orton made the most of the situation and still managed to produce a nice little match. Mysterio's clean victory was a slight surprise, but that doesn't necessarily mean the feud is over. Expect Orton to retaliate sooner rather than later.

Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey def. Nia Jax

Despite their Money in the Bank match exceeding expectations, I had little faith lightning would strike twice with Rousey and Jax. Sure enough, for some strange reason, they have chemistry together and they once again delivered here. Jax is simply a poor professional wrestler, but admittedly, she held her own and Rousey did the rest. Rousey retaining her title was the only outcome that made sense, so fingers crossed we can finally move on from Jax as a championship challenger.

WWE Champion Daniel Bryan def. AJ Styles

The last two WWE Championship clashes between Bryan and Styles were excellent yet felt like they were missing something, This, on the other hand, was exactly what I was hoping for from them and then some. This was absolutely outstanding. Everything about it from the storytelling to the nearfalls to the consistent action was wonderful and both guys played their parts to perfection. Bryan winning clean was refreshing as well, though I'd love for more matches between them. It's interesting that Styles' best pay-per-view match all year came when he was challenging, not defending, the WWE title.

Dean Ambrose def. Seth Rollins to Win the Intercontinental Championship

Coming off an instant classic from Styles and Bryan, I was wildly underwhelmed by this outing. This was a hot feud at one point, and although it has tampered off a bit lately, there was no reason for this to be laid out like an ordinary wrestling match. It didn't pick up until the final stretch or so, but by that point, it was too late. Ambrose capturing the championship was what needed to happen, but the "This is boring" chants should serve as a wake-up call that this program needs an overhaul of some sort. I never thought a matchup involving Rollins would be such a letdown.

Asuka def. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair in a Triple Threat TLC Match to win the SmackDown Women's Championship

It would have been illogical to go with any other match in the main event slot, so I'm glad WWE did the right thing by having the SmackDown Live ladies close out the night. Of course, they did not disappoint as this was a tremendous TLC matchup. Asuka, Lynch and Flair gave it their all, they had the crowd invested from start to finish, and there never seemed to be a dull moment. Rousey costing Lynch and Flair the victory should set them up for a three-way feud heading into Royal Rumble/WrestleMania season, while Asuka is officially back on track following a less-than-stellar 2018.

Overall Show

All things considered, this was a marginally above-average event, and significantly better than most of WWE's pay-per-views this year. It was worth watching for the main event and Bryan vs. Styles alone, though there were a handful of other terrific matches as well. Plus, two titles changed hands and Corbin was fired from his position as acting Raw general manager, so it was a newsworthy night, if nothing else. The four hours definitely dragged and WWE needs to do a better job of not loading up these lineups with more than 10 matches. Aside from that, it was cool that WWE ended 2018 with a bang and not a whimper.