Welcome to the live coverage of TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs 2016 pay-per-view / WWE Network broadcast. The event is live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
KICKOFF MATCH
This was a 5-on-5 match (hey, Survivor Series was last month, but, whatever) featuring the team of Apollo Crews, American Alpha, and The Hype Bros vs Curt Hawkins, The Ascension, and The Vaudevillains. The faces picked up the win.
Renee Young and Booker T were joined by Peter Rosenberg during the Kickoff panel. Rosenberg is the co-host of Ebro in the Morning, a morning show on New York’s Hot 97, as well as the co-host of The Michael Kay Show, which airs on ESPN 98.7 FM. No Jerry Lawler.
HEATH SLATER AND RHYNO VS RANDY ORTON & BRAY WYATT (SMACKDOWN TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH)
Rhyno and Bray Wyatt start the match but Wyatt quickly tags in Orton and afterward Rhyno tags Slater who is on the receiving end of the usual “long” babyface beatdown during a tag team match. Slater tries a sunset flip from the apron but Orton beautifully turns it into a slam. Slater tags in Rhyno and goes to spear Orton on the outside but Luke Harper pushes him aside and takes the gore instead. As Rhyno gets back in the ring, Orton RKO’s him and pins him. 1, 2, 3 and new Smackdown Tag Team champions. This was quick. After the match, Wyatt and Orton place the Tag Team titles on Harper’s shoulders and they all pose together.
WWE Network commercial airs. Remember, you can subscribe at http://w-o.it/wwentwrk. Dean Ambrose is interviewed backstage regarding his title match later tonight. AJ Styles backstage interview follows.
NIKKI BELLA VS CARMELLA (NO DISQUALIFICATION MATCH)
New hair-do for Nikki Bella, black hair and in braids similar to how female UFC fighters do their hair for fights. Nikki goes for a power bomb outside but Carmella turns it into a headscissors to the steel steps. Not even the heavy make-up can cover Carmella’s shiner. Carmella kept working on Nikki’s leg and hit her with a few kendo stick shots. Action spills outside and Nikki Bella hits one stiff roundhouse kick from the security barricade that flattens Carmella. Carmella goes for Nikki but surprise, Nikki empties a fire extinguisher on her. She hits the Rack Attack 2.0 and pins Carmella for the victory.
After the match, Carmella spilled the beans on the Survivor Series attack and said that her Total Divas friend Natalya was the one who attacked her backstage.
Product placement segment with TLC sponsors Kay Jewelers as Natalya helps a WWE fan pick a ring for his girlfriend. Weird.
THE MIZ VS DOLPH ZIGGLER (LADDER MATCH FOR THE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE)
This is the last time the two will fight over the Intercontinental title. No rematches. The Miz started the match with the upper hand, getting the better of Ziggler as the two fought over the use of ladders. Ziggler regains control after hitting a DDT on the ladder and then delivers an elbow drop, using the ladder which was wedged on the middle ropes, using it as a springboard. Ziggler gets the tall ladder and goes first for the title but The Miz stops him. Ziggler tries again and could’ve gotten it as Miz was late, but he stalls and Miz pushes him off the ladder. The Miz traps Ziggler between the tall ladder and the turnbuckle and does his Daniel Bryan dropkicks to the corner, but the third one didn’t work as Ziggler throws the ladder at him. The Miz works on Ziggler’s left leg and then wraps his leg around the ladder and does the figure four leg lock. Pretty cool. Ziggler taps but there’s no submission. Ziggler goes for the superkick but he can’t with the injured leg and The Miz turns it into a Skull Crushing Finale on the ladder. The Miz goes for the title and Ziggler removes the ladder, leaving The Miz hanging by the title. He then hits him with the ladder and The Miz comes crushing down to the mat. Ziggler climbs up the ladder with one leg but The Miz recovers and catches him in a power bomb delivered on the ladder still wedged between the middle and top ropes. The Miz sets up another ladder and both climb opposing ladders, fighting at the top within an inch of getting the title. The Miz low blows Ziggler on the ladder, Dolph falls off and The Miz capture the belt, retaining the Intercontinental title.
After the match, The Miz taunts Daniel Bryan on the mic, and then makes out with Maryse. Maryse helps The Miz out of the ring and then kisses her at the top of the stage again.
Tribute to the Troops commercial airs. 14th annual show airs next week on USA Network.
BARON CORBIN VS KALISTO (CHAIRS MATCH)
Kalisto out first and throws half a dozen chairs in the ring already. Kalisto immediately goes on the offensive but Corbin no-sells him. Corbin chokes Kalisto outside the ring in front of a row filled with kids…not very TV PG! Corbin hits a jacknife power bomb and nearly pins Kalisto, who kicks out in the last second. Corbin sets six chairs up in the middle of the ring but ends up on the wrong end of it after Kalisto flies and sits on him, driving Corbin through the six chairs. Kalisto goes for a suicide dive but Corbin catches him and splats him to the floor. Corbin gets angry and slams all the chairs in the ring and then runs after Kalisto around the ring trying to hit him with a chair. Kalisto hits a hurricanrana off the barricade and throws a chair in Corbin’s face. Back in the ring, Corbin is down and Kalisto places a chair on him, goes on the top rope and hits a moonsault and a very close pin. Kalisto hits several chair shots on Corbin but then Corbin flattens Kalisto after he jumped from the top rope and got hit by a chair to the face. Corbin then hits the End of Days finisher on a pile of chairs for the pinfall.
After the match, Corbin hits out at the Smackdown commentary booth, especially at a scared Mauro Ranallo.
Natalya is interviewed backstage and quizzed over Carmella’s allegations. She called them “absurd” and asked why would she lie, Natalya fires back, “I don’t know, because she’s a liar!”
BECKY LYNCH VS ALEXA BLISS (TABLES MATCH FOR THE SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S TITLE)
There’s no pinfalls or submissions in this one, and the only way to win is by putting your opponent through a table. Becky immediately goes for the table but Alexa hides it back under the ring. Becky sets one up outside the ring and tries to suplex Alexa on it but Bliss blocks it and gets the advantage in this match. Bliss gets a table in the ring and puts Becky on it, goes on the top rope but Becky recovers and hits the ropes to drop Bliss. Becky tries to superplex her on the table but Bliss blocks the move. Bliss sets up the table in the corner but Becky recovers. Both nearly go through the table but hit the breaks before. Becky goes for the AA but Bliss, turns the table and then hits a DDT on the flattened table. Becky goes for her finisher but there are no submissions in this match. Becky places the table on the bottom ropes and puts Alexa on it. She goes on the top rope but Bliss throws her away. Remember the table outside from earlier? Well, it came to play as Bliss power bombs Becky through it, winning the Smackdown Women’s title.
After the match, Becky is interviewed and tells the interviewer that she doesn’t appreciate her shoving a mic in her face at this time.
The Kay Jewelers product placement returns as the guy who bought the ring with the help of Natalya earlier in the show proposes to his girlfriend in the middle of the ring in an empty arena. Uh oh! She said yes.
Plug for Saturday Night Live as John Cena hosts next week.
AJ STYLES VS DEAN AMBROSE (TLC MATCH FOR THE WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE)
This is the 19th TLC match in WWE history according to Mauro Ranallo’s stats. Ambrose throws a chair and places a ladder in the ring as soon as the bell rings. The action spills outside where all the tables, ladders, and chairs are nicely showcased in the entrance way. Ambrose puts a trash can over AJ’s head and punches him away all the way back to ringside. AJ regains control after dropkicking Ambrose who was coming off the barricade. His upper hand didn’t last long though as Ambrose uses a chair to get back in business. Dean tries to climb the ladder for the title but AJ recovers and throws him off, then bodyslams him on a ladder. AJ sets up four chairs in the ring and tries to suplex Dean through them but Ambrose blocks and reverses the move, throwing AJ instead. Ouch! Ambrose sets up a table in the corner but this time he eats it as he’s suplexed through it. Outside the ring, Ambrose places a ladder on the German announce table and puts AJ on the US announce table. Ambrose climbs up and hits an elbow drop on Styles, driving him through the table. Ambrose climbs a ladder in the middle of the ring and goes for the title but AJ recovers and hits a beautiful flying forearm to knock Ambrose off. At this point, the German and US announcers are calling the show standing up. Styles goes for a powerbomb but Ambrose turns it into a hurricanrana and sends Styles out of the ring. With Styles back up, he hits a moonsault-into-reverse-DDT on the outside, leaving Ambrose looking at the bright lights. He puts Ambrose on the table outside and AJ hits a picture perfect springboard 360 splash through a table. James Ellsworth walks out, with a neckbrace, and gets beat up by AJ Styles. Ambrose hits the Dirty Deeds on the ring steps and quickly goes inside to climb the ladder. James Ellsworth however had other plans and pushed the ladder sending Dean Ambrose through two tables outside. AJ Styles gets back in the ring, and with Ellsworth cheering him on, he climbs the ladder and gets the title for the win!
The pay-per-view ends with James Ellsworth celebrating in the middle of the entrance way as AJ Styles stands tall on the ladder with the WWE World Heavyweight title!
