My WWE TLC 2012 Recap

My insane spot of the night, Rollins crashing into the tables behind. Photo credit: WWE.com

Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes) defeated Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara in a Tables Match to become number one contenders to the Tag Team Title. Good choice to start the show with here, a solid match with a decent amount of weapon use but not too much to make it overkill and wear off the effect of it.

While it maybe wasn't as exciting as I thought it'd be, the action was consistent throughout and I can't fault the efforts of any of the four wrestlers. They managed to keep things interesting with just use of the tables too. For the finish Rhodes ran in and pushed Sin Cara from the top rope as he was about to spring off at Sandow, causing him to fall back into one of the two tables left behind at ringside.

Antonio Cesaro (c) bested R-Truth to retain the United States Championship in an enjoyable enough contest, if a bit pedestrian. In their best match to date both men worked well together, although it wasn't anything that out of this world. Afterwards Cesaro turned the tables on the fans in Brooklyn by claiming that by booing him as US Champion, they're booing their own country. He has really brought that title back to relevance. 

The Miz brought out 3MB (Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre) as his guests on 'Miz TV'. After Miz mocked the fairly amusing trio, 3MB announced that they would finally be performing their debut song live at the Slammy Awards on Monday night. They then made their way to the Spanish announce desk, taking offense at them for not speaking English.

Ricardo Rodriguez then came out to the commentators aid, but unfortunately for him began getting beaten up by the band. This cued Alberto Del Rio to race out to protect his personal ring announcer, which again led to him getting beaten on by the trio, until Miz decided to lend a hand when Slater pushed him aside. After chucking them out of the ring, 3MB challenged Del Rio and Miz to find a third man to face them in a six-man tag match that night. Miz and Del Rio accepted. The fans also chanted for Ryder to be that third man later on. The reception for the possible face turn for Del Rio was positive, and he certainly needs a big shake up with his stale persona. It's good to see 3MB getting some time on PPV too, they've been fading a bit as of late. 

Kofi Kingston (c) defeated Wade Barrett to retain the Intercontinental Title in a largely stellar bout. Both men worked hard here and provided an engaging match up once it got going in the second half, with Barrett particularly impressing with an above average performance for him. The bout also contained impressive maneuvers and nice near falls. 

WWE Champion CM Punk addressed all the fans from his own personal sky box in the arena, where he spoke of his disgust for Brooklyn and its inhabitants. He went on to also claim that TLC was his environment and that had he been competing he would have easily defeated Ryback.

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) beat Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) and Ryback in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match. And what an awesome match this was. From the opening bell the action came thick and fast, with every weapon utilised well and the excitement coming at you with terrific spot after terrific spot. Every man delivered here, even Reigns who I wasn't too convinced with from what I've seen of him so far. But the most insane moment went to Rollins who was thrown from the tope of a huge ladder by Ryback onto some stacked tables behind. The winning pin came after Ambrose and Reigns powerbombed Bryan through a table in the ring. Very satisfying match, great stuff.

Eve (c) bested Naomi to retain the Divas Championship in a forgettable and pretty worthless match up. Naomi showed off some of her athletic skills but there was no substance behind it and she looked quite uncomfortable and nervous when actually wrestling. So the Divas division is poorer than it's ever been and what do they do to improve it? Nothing. They just make it worse by throwing in an opponent for Eve to easily defeat for no good reason. At least if they'd had Natalya or Tamina face Eve it would've been a half decent outing.

Big Show (c) defeated Sheamus to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in a Chairs Match. And yet again these two delivered on PPV with a solid back and fourth battle. Although maybe not as exciting as their last match up it was still solid throughout, and a high note to end their feud on if it is now over.

For the finish Show brought out a huge steel chair and walloped 'The Great White' on the back with it for the one-two-three. I'm glad to also see a clean win here for the giant, just gives the champion and the title itself more worth. My only issue was the fact that this wasn't the main event. It's the only World Title match on the card, it should without a doubt be the main event of the show, and you can't argue that it didn't deserve that slot. I was also personally hoping for Ziggler to cash in here and then have to (and successfully) defend the World Championship in the main event against Cena, that would've made sense.

The Miz, Alberto Del Rio and The Brooklyn Brawler beat 3MB (Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre) in a mostly drab six-man tag bout. Just before the match Miz announced Brooklyn Brawler as their third man, which received a fair response from the crowd, although I'm certain Ryder would've been a more popular (and smarter) choice. It was just all very average really, nothing that engaging or exceptional to take away from it. 

Dolph Ziggler defeated John Cena to retain his MITB contract in a Ladder Match, and a disappointing main event. Now don't get me wrong it wasn't a bad match, I was just personally expecting a lot more from this one. I thought this was going to be the match of the night, but I just didn't find myself getting as excited or engaged by it as the great TLC match from earlier. Both men put in worthy efforts so I feel a bit guilty for slating it a bit, it was enjoyable and is worth a watch, just don't expect a classic ladder match. 

For the finish Vickie Guerrero came down to the ring to halt Cena from getting up onto a ladder, this cued nemesis AJ Lee to then take out Vickie by imitating Cena's usual routine, awfully, I mean it was cringe-worthingly bad, and send her on her way. But as Cena then went to grab the briefcase AJ pushed the ladder over which allowed Dolph to superkick Cena and grab his MITB briefcase back. If I'm honest, I'm not even that interested in AJ's reason she'll come up with tomorrow night for doing this, I would've rather seen another wrestler that could gain something here screw Cena over myself.

Overall TLC was a pretty enjoyable event for the most part. With all the weapons-related match ups providing good entertainment, especially the terrific TLC match itself. The Divas contest just felt like a waste of time and did absolutely no favours for the division. The US and IC Title clashes were decent enough, with the Kofi versus Barrett encounter edging it. 

My WWE TLC 2012 Predictions

Photo credit: WWE.com

Pre show Divas Battle Royale - Layla versus Kaitlyn versus Alicia Fox versus Natalya versus Tamina Snuka versus Aksana versus Rosa Mendes versus Cameron versus Naomi:

Expecting the usual forgettable battle royale here, but with the current crop of Divas, so even more forgettable, and possibly uncomfortable to watch. The only thing eventful I could see happening here is if there's a surprise entrant (AJ?) turning up, otherwise Kaitlyn's the only one I really see winning it with her current run. 

Winner: Kaitlyn

#1 Contendership Tables Match - Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) versus Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara:

My guess for opener of the night, with a solid tables match to get the crowd going. I'm expecting good things here, and possibly a horribly entertaining botch from Mr. Cara at some point. While there has been no actual build up between the two teams leading into the event I'm looking forward to it, with four guys (especially Rhodes and Mysterio) that should put on good displays here and work an exciting tag match. Team Rhodes Scholars are the obvious choice to win and face Team Hell No next month at Royal Rumble for me. 

Winners: Team Rhodes Scholars

Intercontinental Championship Match - Kofi Kingston (c) versus Wade Barrett:

Should be a worthy enough contest over the title, with Kofi's recent good form and hopefully some hard work from Barrett (not having a go, his matches just don't always deliver with excitement). The result was tricky for me to predict, but I'm going with Kofi to retain. To be honest there's no particularly reason I just see that as most likely.

Winner: Kofi Kingston

United States Championship Match - Antonio Cesaro (c) versus R-Truth:

Again should be a decent title clash, but going by their recent outings I'm not expecting anything that spectacular. I'm hoping, and think that Cesaro will retain here. He's been on great form lately and deserves to move beyond the frankly quite stale R-Truth now. 

Winner: Antonio Cesaro

Money in the Bank Ladder Match - Dolph Ziggler versus John Cena:

I'm quite optimistic for this one, and I can see both men delivering the goods on the night. To be fair to Cena he has had a good track record with ladder matches in the past, and I expect something typically "Holy sh*t!" from the 'Show Off'. Ziggler needs to retain the contract here on PPV after loosing to Cena over the last few weeks, although I can no way see him winning fairly. Never. Someone is going to aid Dolph. The Shield? The possibly returning Mark Henry? I'm not too sure, but someone. 

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

World Heavyweight Championship Chairs Match - The Big Show (c) versus Sheamus:

Again I'm quite looking forward to this bout, with both men delivering surprisingly entertaining matches on the last two pay-per-views. This feud has far exceeded what I expected it to be, and Big Show has been a great heel for me. In fact I can't remember him being on better form. Quite a lot of fans have speculated that Ziggler will cash in here to mirror last year when Daniel Bryan memorably cashed in to become World Champion at the same event. I can't see it myself, or I possibly think that Ziggler will attempt to but once again be thwarted somehow. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait for Dolph to finally do it, I just don't see it happening here but at WrestleMania next year to really make a statement. What better stage for 'The Show Off'? Oh, and Show to win via dubious circumstances once again.

Winner: Big Show

Tables, Ladders and Chairs Tag Team Match - Ryback and Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) versus The Shield (Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose): 

Ah the main event, and an interesting one for sure. Shield have to be victorious here, have to. It would seriously cut their momentum short if they were defeated here I reckon. I can see a new member possibly joining them tonight too, maybe Brad Maddox? I can see Shield someone preventing Ryback from coming out straight away, beating on Bryan and Kane and then taking on the wrath of their hungry nemesis. Then again I could see this as a simple back and fourth encounter, who knows? This one is really an open book. Plus we have WWE Champion CM Punk at ringside, so he'll be playing a part here somehow. 

Winners: The Shield

My WWE SmackDown, 14th December 2012 Recap

Big Show beat R-Truth in a largely drab match up. The bout didn't really get interesting until the final few minutes, and it wasn't a great effort by either man. During the match Sheamus pushed over Antonio Cesaro (they both provided guest commentary) as he was about to strike Truth, so after the bell rang Cesaro barged the Irishman into Show, causing the World Champion to complain to Booker T backstage that Sheamus had broken the no contact clause of their TLC contract. But the GM was having none of it and accused Show of being scared of 'The Great White'.

Damien Sandow announced that he was ending his search for an apprentice since his friend Cody Rhodes was back from injury, then reintroduced his Team Rhodes Scholars partner. I'm quite disappointed, I really enjoyed his apprentice search segments. The Usos then interrupted Rhodes speech for their upcoming tag bout.

Team Rhodes Scholars defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso in a fair tag team contest. The wrestling was solid throughout, there was just a lack of genuine interest in the match.

Big Show enlisted the legal advice of David Otunga and came to the ring to dispute Booker's decision in not cancelling the World Title match this Sunday, with Otunga threatening to take it to the WWE Board of Directors. Booker soon came out and told them to go right ahead and waste the Board of Director's time with the issue. Sheamus also stormed on out to the ring with a steel chair in hand and was ready to strike a startled Big Show, who suddenly decided to then change his mind and take back his charges. A happy Sheamus then decided to Brogue Kick Otunga for good measure. 

Backstage we witnessed The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) take out Randy Orton before a scheduled interview. I guess this gives them an excuse for Orton to be off the TLC card.

Kaitlyn bested Aksana in a forgettable and mediocre bout. The crowd were indifferent to it, as were the commentary team of JBL and Josh Matthews as they bickered throughout the match.

The Miz introduced his guests for the latest installment of 'Miz TV', Team Hell No, with both Kane and Daniel Bryan promising to deliver retribution in their TLC match against The Shield this Sunday. The duo wer then interrupted by another message from The Shield on the big screen. Once again Ambrose and Rollins delivered well here, but Reigns still seems a bit stiff. Kane eventually challenged the trio to come to the ring right there and then, so they accepted, but as they made their way down Ryback appeared, which scared them off.

Tyson Kidd, Just Gabriel, Hornswaggle and The Great Khali beat Epico, Primo, Titus O'Neil and Darren Young in a pedestrian eight-man tag match. Kidd, Epico and Primo were about the only decent performers in the ring here, with some worthless comedy sequences involving Hornswaggle and awful action as usual from Khali. Afterwards the victors managed to clear the ring of their opponents. 

Kofi Kingston defeated Alberto Del Rio in a solid encounter. Both men gave worthy displays here and worked hard to provide a very enjoyable bout, pulling out moves you don't tend to see often from them too. It was the best match of the night, although that wasn't that hard an achievement. Afterwards Wade Barrett attempted to clothesline Kofi, but the IC Champion instead ducked and applied a Trouble in Paradise to his TLC opponent. 

Antonio Cesaro won via count out versus Sheamus in a fair main event. The match itself had been a fun watch for the most part, much like the last time they fought it contained solid action and nice exchanges. The only downside was the contest being cut short when Big Show beat down Sheamus' good friend William Regal with a chair on the stage, causing 'The Great White' to leave the ring to check on him and be counted out.

Just before this they repeated the whole of Sheamus' match with Ziggler from this weeks Raw. Don't get me wrong, it was an entertaining match, but why not instead give Sheamus and Cesaro more deserved time and have Show beat down Regal later on? Strange.

Overall it was a pretty lacklustre show, which is extremely poor considering you're heading into a PPV two days later. The only matches worth noting are Kingston vs Del Rio and Team Rhodes Scholars vs The Usos, apart from them, the very end and the 'Miz TV' segment it was a very forgettable broadcast. I feel like I've been saying that far too much about the blue brand lately.

My WWE Raw, 10th December 2012 Recap

Ryback launches a ladder at The Shield in the spot of the night. Photo credit: WWE.com

Dolph Ziggler kicked off the show on top of a ladder where he rightfully berated Cena for being given title shot after title shot by McMahon even though he lost when he cashed in his MITB contract. He also bragged that it didn't matter since he'll retain his contract at TLC anyway. Sheamus then joined 'The Show Off' and made a lame joke about his height, then claimed that himself and Cena will win their respective bouts on Sunday which will lead to a World Title clash between them. 

World Champion Big Show then called both men "Delusional" for thinking that they could beat him. Sheamus then decided to take his frustration for Show out on Ziggler instead, since he signed a no contact clause contract with him, and pushed Dolph off of the ladder, which seemed like a needless risk to me. It was an okay start to the show, nothing that special. My only issue with Ziggler having to defend his MITB contract against Cena is that surely in that position he would attempt to cash it in beforehand so he didn't have to defend it, right? 

For the second week in a row Vince McMahon convinced Vickie Guerrero to book a few matches for the show, which included Ziggler versus Sheamus and herself versus AJ Lee, which went down very well. The segment was better than last weeks between the two, but still not great.

R-Truth beat Wade Barrett in an average match up. Unfortunately the two weren't allocated enough time to really get going, which seemed odd considering the bookers should be really be trying to hype the US and Intercontinental Championship bouts at TLC all they can. Truth grabbed the one-two-three with a quick roll up. Kingston then applied a top rope cross body to Barrett afterwards for good measure.

Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) bested Jimmy & Jey Uso, the Prime Time Players (Titus O'Neil & Darren Young) and Epic & Primo in a four-way elimination tag match. On the whole it was a fun watch, with worthy efforts especially from both Usos and Team Rhodes Scholars. It's good to see that WWE are still getting behind their tag division, I hope it continues. Amusingly the fans began chanting "Cody's moustache" during the bout, Cody's new facial hair does look pretty daft, and hasn't Movember passed? 

Eve defeated Alicia Fox in a passable Divas contest. Alicia looked decent here, and by that I mean she provided something a bit different from most other female performers in the company with her athleticism. Afterwards Eve quite funnily posed in the ring with the beaten Fox as a ringside photographer snapped a few shots. 

WWE Champion CM Punk came out on crutches due to his recent leg surgery and confirmed that it was all very real and in no way a hoax to get out of defending his title. Paul Heyman also grabbed the mic and compared Punk to The Rock, who he accused of just using a stunt double and staying in his trailer on a movie set rather than getting stuck into the real action like Punk. So the trash talking has begun, this feud should be something very special. CM Punk then announced that he will be present at the TLC pay-per-view to watch The Shield take out Ryback. As usual it was great work from both men.

Sheamus won via disqualification versus Dolph Ziggler in an exciting bout. Both men, who have been on terrific form this year, provided a solid back and fourth match up. Oddly for the first half it was as if Sheamus was the heel and Ziggler the face as Dolph had to fight back 'The Great White' as he aimed for his injured leg, but the roles reversed back later on. The DQ came after Ziggler struck Sheamus with a steel chair, but the Irishman then countered 'The Show Off' as he Brogue Kicked the chair out of Ziggler's hands and scared him off.

Alberto Del Rio bested Zack Ryder in a decent enough outing. Neither man was outstanding here, but they gave an enjoyable bout for the most part. The crowd of Ryder's home state of New York also helped provide a good atmosphere by firmly getting behind the Internet Champion.

Vickie Guerrero beat AJ Lee in a worthless match up. As both women waited for a referee, Brad Maddox came on out in a referee attire and aided Vickie in the win by refusing to count AJ's pinfall attempt.

Why on earth would Maddox help out the woman that put him against Randy Orton last week and not the one that gave him a job on Raw in the first place? It makes absolutely no sense, it's like something Vince Russo would've put together. And the match itself was just plain bad, is this WWE's idea of helping to improve their poor ratings as of late?   Afterwards AJ went on a rampage as she tore through some of the set around the ring and backstage until John Cena calmed her down.

Antonio Cesaro defeated Kofi Kingston in a solid and eventful contest. The fist half was decent enough, but it was the second half where it really picked up as both men began putting together some great sequences and got the previously indifferent crowd into the match. Cesaro will be a future big name in the company.

The Miz presented an entertaining 'Miz TV' with guests Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes, where he (along with the fans) mocked Cody's 'tache, claiming that it'd maybe rubbed off of Sandow's beard. He also tried to drive a wedge between the two, but failed as they had enough and left. All three men were on good form, especially Cody who's cheesy expressions and enthusiastic delivery of his lines were tremendous.   

Big Show versus John Cena ended as a no contest after The Shield ran and began attacking Cena. The main event had ranged from pretty drab to fair once it got going and began picking up some pace. To be fair it was better than I'd expected, so I'll take that.

Team Hell No and Sheamus (who was accidentally given the Ryback graphics for his entrance, oops) also raced in afterwards to get some retribution on Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns and Ziggler, but this didn't last too long as Show decided to also make his way back to help take out Cena. Ryback then predictably came out threw a ladder at The Shield trio from the outside of the ring, which looked very effective actually. Everyone was brawling in and around the ring as the show went off the air.

Overall it was an enjoyable Raw for the most part, with the exception of the awful Vickie vs AJ match and Barrett vs Truth bout, which should've had more time. Other than that most of the show was a fun watch, with my main highlights being the 'Miz TV' segment, Cesaro vs Kingston, Punk and Heyman promo and the great Ziggler vs Sheamus contest. 

My WWE SmackDown, 7th December 2012 Recap

SmackDown GM Booker T announced that due to the aggressive nature of Big Show and Sheamus' feud he has placed a no contact rule in their World Championship match contract for TLC. He then brought out both Big Show and Sheamus to sign their contracts for next Sunday's clash. Show warned Sheamus that the Chairs match was going to be the worst thing to ever happen to him, and promised that it will "change you forever."

After some more heated exchanges Big Show threw the table into Sheamus and quickly signed the contract, preventing 'The Great White' from touching him. Amusingly Show then did a little attempt at an Irish jig in delight at his sneaky tactic. Booker T then calmed Sheamus down by booking him in a match with Del Rio later on, and Big Show against Daniel Bryan next. It was an enjoyable segment to start the show. This feud has pleasantly surprised me a great deal, I can't remember the last time Show was this entertaining.  

Big Show defeated Daniel Bryan in a mostly solid match up. As usual these two worked well together and put in fine displays, the bout peaked towards the end as Bryan started to mount a comeback. Unfortunately the comeback was short lived as The Shield made their way down to the ring, distracting Bryan and allowing Show to choke slam him from the top rope for the one-two-three.

Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns then predictably began taking out Bryan after Big Show had left. Kane then made his way out shortly to help out his tag partner, but once again the trio managed to overpower him and eventually powerbombed 'The Big Red Monster' through the announce desk. It made a nice change seeing The Shield on the blue brand too, and I'm personally looking forward to their six-man TLC match against Ryback and Team Hell No next Sunday.

Damien Sandow once again challenged a member of the audience to three questions, and if answered correctly (which they were not on this occasion) then said fan would become his apprentice. As standard Sandow was amusing and charismatic in the challenge, which I look forward to every week now. The Miz then joined Sandow and mocked the 'Intellectual Saviour of the masses', leaving him speechless. Miz is continuing to be a successful face so far.

3MB (Drew McIntyre, Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal) beat Jimmy & Jay Uso and Brodus Clay in an unremarkable tag bout. For the most part it was pretty run of the mill really, until the final minute when one of the Usos went flying to the outside. McIntyre then scored the win after applying a Future Shock DDT. 

Randy Orton bested Wade Barrett in a decent encounter. Although they've had better match ups it still contained good action, and I can't fault their efforts here. As I've said before I feel a heel turn for Orton is really needed for his growingly stale persona as of late, and I'm sure many fans out there feel the same.

The Great Khali and Hornswaggle beat Epico and Primo in a poor comedy tag match. For me personally these matches and segments involving Khali and Hornswaggle provide no form of entertainment, and are taking away time from real potential talent. The underutilised talents of Epico and Primo deserve better than this kind of treatment too.

Antonio Cesaro as standard ran down America in the ring, this time mocking an image of Dusty Rhodes back in his prime. Future challenger to his title R-Truth then interrupted him and gave a speech on how he was proud of all the hard working people of the US, his promo wasn't anything special but the patriotic pandering pleased the crowd. In retaliation Cesaro called Truth "delusional" for thinking that he'll defeat him for the US Championship at TLC. This then resulted in Truth beating on Cesaro and chasing him away.

Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio in a very enjoyable main event. Both men put in worthy efforts and provided a match that exceeded my expectations and was plenty of fun to watch, which is the main thing right? Del Rio even pulled out a couple of nicely executed moonsaults for good measure, CM Punk should take note. During the bout Big Show made his way out and then afterwards attempted to bait 'The Great White' into striking him, but Sheamus wasn't to be fooled as he instead threw Ricardo Rodriguez into Show's crotch, thereby not breaking the conditions of the no contact clause. Big Show's grimacing face was great.

Overall I found it to be an enjoyable and largely solid show, with the main event, Sandow challenge and Big Show vs Bryan bout being the highlights. Unfortunately the Khali & Hornswaggle versus Epico & Primo match, which was a waste of time, and the 3MB tag match which was pretty forgettable, let the show down a bit. Otherwise I liked it, and am still enjoying the Big Show and Sheamus feud.

My WWE Raw, 3rd December 2012 Recap

Ryback finally gets some payback on Punk. Photo credit: WWE.com

The ever popular Team Hell No came to the ring and challenged The Shield, who were looking on safely from a box in the arena, to come down to the ring for some retribution after their attack on them from last week. Of course Ambrose, Reigns and Rollins remained where they were.

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan & Kane) defeated the Prime Time Players (Darren Young & Titus O'Neil) in a fair match up. The action was solid and enjoyable enough, but nothing outstanding. Throughout the bout the three members of The Shield slowly made their way through the crowd and once the bell had rung then ran in and took out both Bryan and Kane. It was a nice touch having the impending attack slowly build up to create a little tension, but one big flaw for me was the lack of security, why weren't there any there to at least attempt to apprehend the trio? Otherwise it was an exciting start to the show.

In an awful cut we then went straight from that assault on the Tag Team Champions to Sheamus and John Cena joking about backstage (I use the term 'joking' lightly as it's rare anything Cena says is actually humorous to anyone over the age of five). Why couldn't they have left this segment for a little later? It watered down the effects of the previous attack. 

AJ Lee bested Tamina in a passable Divas bout, for todays standards anyway. As expected the powerful Tamina dominated AJ for the most part, with AJ gaining the win with a quick roll up as her opponent was about to go for the Superfly Splash. It wasn't anything that memorable but it at least gave us something a little different from the female performers.  

Paul Heyman, accompanying WWE Champion CM Punk, explained that while he felt that the newly released WWE Encyclopedia didn't have enough information on his client, it did however reveal that after tonight he will have overtaken John Cena's 380-day title reign to become the longest reigning WWE Champion of the modern era. A huge statistic. CM Punk then as standard complained about the poor treatment he's receiving by having to defend his strap against Ryback once again at TLC.

He also went to claim that he was the sole reason people tuned into every "dismal three hour Monday night Raws" which is actually not far from the truth at all, without him Raw would be far, far poorer right now. He then went on to call himself the "hottest thing in WWE" right now, which again was a very honest statement from the champ.

The Miz decided to then join both men and called Punk a liar for denying his involvement with Brad Maddox and The Shield, and challenged him to come on 'Miz TV' and take a lie detector test. After some convincing Punk agreed to do the test, stating that afterwards everyone will have to admit how good he is. It was as usual with Punk and Heyman a brilliant segment, and Miz was also on very good form on the mic. 

John Cena and Sheamus beat Dolph Ziggler and Big Show in a mixed bag of a tag team contest. The efforts of Ziggler and Sheamus can't be faulted, and even Show when he was taking on the Irishman in the best part of the match, unfortunately Cena's time in the ring let it down and was just pretty drab with his usual stale routine. Cena for the second week in a row pinned Dolph for the victory.

Why did they even bother having Ziggler win the MITB contract? They don't seem to have any real motivation to actually push the guy. Even after tackling Cena through the bathroom cubicle two weeks ago, we had Cena return the very next week ready for action. They could have at least kept him off TV for a little while to sell it some more and have Dolph brag about taking him out and get a few wins under his belt leading to Cena's return. It would've done far more for him I reckon.

Damien Sandow just like on last weeks SmackDown challenged a member of the audience to answer three questions, and if all are answered correctly then they would become his apprentice. And once again the third question stumped the fan and they failed the challenge. It was another amusing segment with the charismatic Sandow, and quickly becoming a highlight for me. Santino Marella then joined the 'Intellectual saviour of the masses' and mocked him before receiving a punch in the face for doing so.

Damien Sandow defeated Santino Marella in a rather pedestrian match up. Santino performed his signature comedy routine while Sandow gave a fair display. More of a filler match.

Brad Maddox convinced Vickie Guerrero backstage to give him another chance at earning a WWE contract by competing in a match against an unknown opponent. Maddox showed some character here with his smug attitude.

Alberto Del Rio bested Sin Cara in an enjoyable outing. Both men gave good displays here, with exciting lucha action executed nicely (for the most part). When Sin Cara is put in the ring with someone he's compatible with then he can provide entertaining wrestling.

Vince McMahon convinced Vickie Guerrero to book Cena versus Ziggler at TLC in a Ladder match, with Dolph's MITB contract on the line. He also convinced her to put Paul Heyman in a match with Ryback next week if CM Punk fails his lie detector test later on. It was a poor segment, and just felt awkward.

Randy Orton beat Brad Maddox in a brief squash match. So much for Maddox's latest attempt to earn a contract. Afterwards The Shield revealed their latest victim as Orton as they took him out and applied their signature three-man powerbomb.

Antonio Cesaro (c) defeated Kofi Kingston, R-Truth and Wade Barrett to retain the United States Championship in a Fatal Four Way match. After an awkward a fairly sloppy start the bout started to pick up in quality and all four men delivered a fun title contest. The excitement peaked at the end where everyone came close to winning the strap, but Cesaro managed to apply the Neutralizer to Kofi for the one-two-three. 

As CM Punk was being set up for his lie detector test on 'Miz TV' him and Miz amusingly started bickering, which included Punk telling Miz to go "back to wrestling school, jerk." As Punk answered a few basic questions, including one where Miz brought up the fact that he main evented WrestleMania XXVII which got the champ a bit upset, he was finally asked if he was involved with The Shield and Brad Maddox. CM Punk stalled, and then The Shield ran in and took out Miz and all the equipment and set.

Daniel Bryan and Kane then decided to get some payback and with the aid of Ryback managed to scare off  Ambrose, Reigns and Rollins. A cocky Punk then kicked Miz out of the ring and turned to face his TLC foe Ryback, who then struck the World Champion with a ladder and chair, then put him through a table. For the first time in a little while Ryback ended on top.

Overall Raw ranged from mediocre to quite entertaining, with CM Punk and Heyman's promo with Miz, the Fatal Four Way, Del Rio vs Sin Cara bout and Damian Sandow's segment being the highlights. Unfortunately the McMahon and Vickie Guerrero part was really quite bad, and most match ups were fairly unmemorable and average. Fortunately we didn't have to endure any more of the tedious AJ/Cena scandal nonsense, so that's one plus I guess. 

My WWE SmackDown, 30th November 2012 Recap

John Cena kicked off the show by explaining that he was make a rare appearance on the blue brand because he wanted to see his current foe Ziggler take on Sheamus up close. Alberto Del Rio then joined him and warned Cena that he was on his show. After some more bragging Del Rio inevitably landed himself in a match with Cena right there and then. It wasn't a great segment to start the show, but could've been worse. 

John Cena defeated Alberto Del Rio in a bout that ranged from average to decent enough. For the most part it was pretty pedestrian, with the usual Cena routine of rising from a state of almost out to suddenly full of life to thwart Del Rio, who fortunately managed to save it a bit with a worthy display. But on the whole it was pretty forgettable. Afterwards Ziggler decided to show up and clobbered Cena with his MITB briefcase from behind. 

The Great Khali beat David Otunga in a nothing squash match. It was honestly a waste of time.

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) and Kofi Kingston defeated The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) and Wade Barrett in a decent six-man tag contest. From start to finish the action was solid, and most importantly it was a fun watch. Kane and Bryan seem to also be on the same side now after their attack from The Shield on this Monday's Raw.

Damien Sandow announced that after failing to impart his wisdom onto the WWE fan base, he was now going to instead pick out members of the crowd and teach them individually. So he asked a fan in attendance three questions, and if answered correctly (which they weren't) then the person in question would become Sandow's apprentice. It was an amusing segment, Sandow as usual oozed charisma and humour on the mic. I wouldn't object to this becoming a regular occurrence. 

Damien Sandow bested Tyson Kidd in a brief but enjoyable enough outing. Both men gave solid displays. Nothing to complain about here really, except more time would've been nice.

3MB (Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal) beat Jimmy & Jay Uso in a fair tag contest. A watchable match but pretty pedestrian, Mahal edged it as the best performer.

Sheamus won via DQ versus Dolph Ziggler in a solid main event, which is hardly a surprise with both men being on very good form at the moment. While I feel they could work even better together, I feel petty typing it as it was an enjoyable match and a worthy main event. The DQ came when Big Show intervened and began attacking his TLC opponent Sheamus, but this was short lived as Cena came to the Irishman's aid and helped get rid of both Show and Ziggler. This will presumably set up a tag team match involving the four, which should be decent. 

It was an enjoyable enough SmackDown on the whole. There were a few duds here and there (Khali's match was a waste of time, Cena versus Del Rio and the 3MB bouts weren't anything that special). But the six-man tag contest, Sandow versus Kidd encounter and the main event were all a fun watch. Speaking of Sandow, his new segment was also very amusing and I'm always happy to see him on the mic, I hope it sticks around. 

My WWE Raw, 26th November 2012 Recap

The (newly-named) Shield take out one of their latest victims. Photo credit: WWE.com 

Ryback defeated Titus O'Neil in an average match up, although that was more than I was expecting. Surprisingly to me O'Neil was made to look fairly competitive here, which should minimise the damage done to him a bit.

Afterwards Ryback refused to leave the ring until CM Punk or his three attackers last week and at Survivor Series come out. But of course they didn't, instead Vickie Guerrero sent out a security team to subdue him, which failed. After pleading with him Ryback told Vickie to "Shut up!" (which went down well) and demanded a TLC match with Punk at the same-titled PPV next month. She agreed to his terms. I'm glad we're having Ryback talking more, it's finally advancing his character a bit.

Alberto Del Rio beat The Great Khali in a mediocre bout. Del Rio gave a fair effort here, considering the limitations of his opponent. Once again in a Khali match there was a Hornswaggle related distraction at ringside, which this time led to Del Rio locking on an armbreaker for the submission victory.

We were shown a pre-taped interview conducted by Michael Cole with Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, where it was revealed that they were not working with CM Punk and that they'd attacked Ryback because they felt it was wrong that it was the most popular wrestlers getting title opportunities, wrestlers like Cena and Ryback who'd already had a shot at Punk's strap and lost previously.

Ambrose also went on to claim that they weren't like NWO or Nexus, that they stood for principals and honour where it no longer exists, and announced themselves as 'The Shield'. It was an intriguing segment, that actually felt a bit different from most we've received from factions in the past, with Ambrose's work being the highlight. If booked right this trio could really be something special I reckon, and something refreshingly different in todays pro wrestling.     

Tamina bested Alicia Fox in a rather forgettable and pedestrian contest. Looks like Tamina is the latest female performer to get a push in the divas division, wonder how long it will actually last though.

As John Cena began describing his kiss with AJ last week, Vickie Guerrero interrupted him and claimed that his relationship will eventually implode with AJ, just like it has with every other man she's been with in WWE. Of course AJ Lee herself had enough of this and thanked Vickie for getting her fired as Raw GM, because now she was free to date whomever she pleased without scrutiny. Dolph Ziggler also showed up and theorised that when AJ kissed Cena last week, she was thinking of him instead "the entire time." To settle things Vickie then booked a match between Cena and 'The Show Off' for that night. As usual with this storyline it was a pretty weak segment, thankfully Ziggler's charisma and mic skills helped salvage it a bit.

Kofi Kingston defeated Tensai in a fair match up. While it wasn't anything that inspiring both men put in good displays, with Tensai actually having one of his finest singles match since returning to the company.

After loosing out to Kane in an online poll to determine who will face CM Punk later on, the always entertaining Daniel Bryan was informed that he would still be in action but against Rey Mysterio instead. 

Rey Mysterio defeated Daniel Bryan in an exciting contest, and match of the night. Now this is a bout I've wanted to see for a long while, and it didn't disappoint. Both men were technically solid in the ring and kept the action fast and smooth throughout. I presume this was also another step in setting up a tag team title match between Team Hell No and the combo of Mysterio and Sin Cara for TLC.

John Cena beat Dolph Ziggler in a decent bout. Not either man's finest but it was still a fun outing to watch. For the finish Cena had to leave the ring due to his knee injury playing up, this cued AJ to run down and stop Ziggler from undoing a turnbuckle pad, which led to Cena applying an Attitude Adjustment for the one-two-three. Afterwards AJ and Cena once again shared a snog.

I really feel that a Ziggler win here, no matter how cheap, would've made far more sense and not just because I prefer him. Considering his recent successful run they could've kept that going, and a heel-like victory would've given them an excuse to have a rematch (perhaps a table match) at TLC. A loss here really wouldn't have damaged Cena much would it? I'm hoping that they still have another match at TLC and that Ziggler is somehow victorious. 

Sheamus defeated Antonio Cesaro via count out after applying a Brogue Kick and sending the Swiss out of the ring. The match itself had a solid enough second half, but fairly drab first. Once it going and the quality and excitement picked up the two had some nice exchanges in the close fought battle. The fact that Sheamus didn't pin Cesaro was also a very good sign for the US Champion, he must have some important names in the back predicting big things for him.  

Afterwards Big Show came out with a steel chair in hand, but as he went to then walk off 'The Great White' called him back and warned him that he will truly see the barbaric side of him come TLC in their chairs match. The World Champion retorted by breaking apart the chair in hand. This wasn't one of their strongest promos with each other.

Damien Sandow bested Zack Ryder in a passable outing. The action was fairly average for the most part (which was expected really) but it wasn't a bad display by either man. Ryder was also sporting new trunks and knee pads with his own take on the Ghostbusters logo, as a huge fan as a kid I can appreciate the design. 

CM Punk defeated Kane in a worthy enough effort by both wrestlers. The match wasn't anything special, but there was also no aspect of it that I can call bad to be honest. It was just quite uninspiring for the most part until the end for me. For the finish The Shield made their way down to the ring, distracting Kane and allowing Punk to apply a GTS for the win. The trio then took out Kane, along with Daniel Bryan who came to his aid. Finally Ryback also appeared and almost had the upper hand until the WWE Champion began brawling on him, allowing The Shield to powerbomb the number one contender in the ring. Not a bad end to the show, if maybe too familiar to the last couple of weeks with Survivor Series and Raw.

Overall it was a decent enough Raw, with a good second half managing to salvage it from a woeful start. Mysterio versus Bryan and The Shield interview were the highlights for myself, with most other match ups (bar the divas contest, Del Rio Khali match and Ryback versus O'Neil bout) were also all passable outings. The low point was once again the tedious AJ Lee/Cena/Vickie/Ziggler storyline, Dolph did what he could but even he couldn't save the drab segment.  

My WWE SmackDown, 23rd November 2012 Recap

The Miz called out his guest for the latest 'Miz TV' John Cena, and asked him what the situation was now between himself and AJ Lee after their kiss on Raw this week. So Cena claimed that it was just to stop the controversy between them, but also admitted that it was a pretty enjoyable snog. AJ Lee herself then joined them, and was subjected to a bit of harmless teasing from Miz.  

Dolph Ziggler also then came out and warned Cena that AJ had caused him nothing but trouble and wasn't worth it. Vickie Guerrero decided to also get in a few jibes at Cena and AJ' expense. But of course Cena got in the last words as he claimed that while Vickie likes to eat nuts, Dolph still needs to find his. It was an okay segment to start the show, and probably the best 'Miz TV' we've had so far. 

Ryback beat Darren Young in a passable squash match. Afterwards Young's tag partner Titus O'Neil asked what was wrong with Ryback, and received a Shell Shock for asking.

R-Truth defeated Antonio Cesaro in a decent enough, if a bit of a brief contest. Although it wasn't as strong as their outing at Survivor Series, you can't fault either man's efforts here. I guess their building to one more title clash between them, where I'm hoping Cesaro retains and then moves onto bigger competition.

Backstage GM Booker T informed Sheamus that after his recent aggressive attacks towards Big Show he was not to compete on the show that night, but was free to watch from his box in the arena. He also announced that it would predictably be Sheamus versus Show in a Chairs match at TLC over the World Title.

Alberto Del Rio bested Sin Cara in a worthy display from both wrestlers. As one of the few men Sin Cara is actually compatible with in the company, him and Del Rio do tend to put on fair match ups. 

Backstage a grumpy Kane admitted that he was upset that Daniel Bryan hadn't invited him round for thanksgiving. So to make amends Bryan agreed to invite him to Christmas if they win their match that night, so Kane agreed, but only if if he could "beat up Santa." As usual it was an amusingly silly segment between the endearing duo. 

Big Show beat Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) in a mixed bag of a Handicap match. The first third with Show dominating Bryan was dull, but fortunately the second half picked up and we got some solid action. The finish came when Kane stormed off and left Bryan after he'd once again tagged himself in, leaving his tag partner to be chokeslammed and pinned by the World Title holder. Afterwards Kane went back and began tangling with Show, with Bryan aiding 'The Big Red Monster' and causing Show to exit the ring after a big boot.

Big Show then grabbed a mic and reminded Sheamus that at TLC, this time he'll also have a chance to attack with a steel chair in hand. 'The Great White' seemed to be raring to go up in the box.

Kofi Kingston (c) defeated Damien Sandow to retain the Intercontinental Championship in a fair title contest. Both men gave above average displays, but the whole bout just felt rather uninspiring. And I'm still a little confused as to what Sandow had done to earn a IC Title shot. Afterwards Wade Barett (who'd provided guest commentary) warned Kingston with a cliche challenger promo that when he defends the strap against him then he won't be successful. 

Dolph Ziggler beat Randy Orton in a solid main event. As is standard with these two they put on an enjoyable enough bout with smooth action. My only gripe (and really I should just be grateful enough that Ziggler won at all) is that Dolph still wasn't allowed to defeat Orton cleanly and instead won with a cheap roll up pin. But like I said I should be grateful that he rightfully beat Orton here at all, he needed the win to keep his current momentum going after a very good week for 'The Show Off'.  

Afterwards Ricardo Rodriguez raced in and was quickly RKO'd by 'The Viper', which startled Del Rio who decided to leave Orton for now and left. I was hoping this tedious feud of theirs was over now, Orton deserves (and needs) fresh opposition to hopefully revive him a bit. Cena also caught Ziggler with an awkwardly applied STF on the stage. 

Overall it was a mostly enjoyable show, with most matches providing decent action and at the least still passable. No storylines may have progressed massively but they progressed nicely nonetheless, and logically at that. I also feel that having no Diva-related segments or matches didn't really harm the show either. So for me it was a pretty successful SmackDown.

News regarding the Money in the Bank ladder match

Source: F4WOnline.com

It's being reported that WWE may be dropping their Money In The Bank pay-per-view event this July and replacing it with their Tables, Ladders and Chairs PPV, which usually takes place in December. As for the MITB, WWE is considering bringing it back as a WrestleMania exclusive match once again.

I'm personally more than happy that they shifted the MITB match away from WrestleMania and gave it it's own pay-per-view. For the last couple of years it's been one of the few match themed PPV's that's actually worked for me and pulled off an entertaining show. 

My WWE TLC 2011 Recap

Zach Ryder defeated Dolph Ziggler (c) to win the United States championship in an exciting and genuinely feel good opener to the pay-per-view. The bout itself kicked off with a faster pace but slowed down during the middle when Ziggler took control, applying some impressive maneuvers to the 'Long Island Iced Z', including an Angle slam and a set of ten elbow drops in a row. Ryder inevitably made a valiant comeback towards the end, which included a nice hurricanrana from the top rope and a lot of intense near falls for both men. But all during this you just couldn't help but believe that this was Ryder's night, his moment, his well-deserved first ever singles title. And it was. All his hard work this year, from being a regular on Superstars (which is never good security for your job in WWE) to becoming a Raw regular who gets a huge reaction every single broadcast, even when he's not there. The finish came when Ryder executed the Rough Ryder and got the one-two-three on Ziggler.

The crowd were obviously firmly behing Ryder during the match and genuinely happy for him after. I can't honestly remember the last title win that felt this good in the company, I mean a genuinely feel good title win. It was a satisfying, if predictable, victory anyhow. WWWYKI.

Backstage while Booker T was talking to Alicia Fox, Cody Rhodes once again attacked him from behind.

Air Boom (c) defeated Primo and Epico to retain their WWE Tag Team titles. The tag bout was even and picked up with the excitement towards the end when Kofi Kingston was tagged in with crisp high flying moves from him and Bourne. Kingston grabbed the win after a Trouble in Paradise to Primo. Maybe not the best match involving Air Boom but it was decent and I certainly wouldn't mind seeing both teams tangle again in the future, which I'm sure they will. 

Randy Orton defeated Wade Barrett in an enjoyable and well paced tables bout. Both men went back and fourth with some nicely executed sequences, especially one on the outside of the ropes as each man threatened to put the other through a table on the outside until Orton turned it to his advantage as he performed his signature hangman DDT into the ring. Orton won after RKOing Barrett through a table in the ring as Wade came flying down with an elbow drop for an effective finish. Although Orton won Barrett certainly looked his equal and had a lot of offence, he didn't come out of it damaged in my opinion and the 'Barrett Barrage' should continue.

Beth Phoenix (c) defeated Kelly Kelly to retain her Divas championship. The match was actually fairly decent considering it involved Kelly, and wasn't kept too long which suits their match ups more effectively. The crowd were indifferent throughout most of it, perhaps like me they were also tired of seeing these two tussle over the title once again on pay-per-view. They really need to give Phoenix some new competition that she deserves, like Natalya who's face turn is surely impending.  

As Booker made his way out to face Rhodes, he was once again attacked from behind by the Intercontinental champion. I feel this was a bit overkill having two attacks in one night. What was the point in having Rhodes attack Booker earlier if he was just going to take him out before their match then? Strange booking.

Triple H defeated Kevin Nash in the Sledgehammer on a ladder match. The actual bout was pretty intense with a predictably slow pace. For the most part it was quite average for a ladder match, with the crowd for a second match in a row quite indifferent and quiet for the majority of it. Although I'll give Nash credit, he took more bumps then I was expecting him to in the shape he's in. For the finish Triple H struck Nash with the sledgehammer (which was still hung up) at the top of the ladder, sending him crashing into a table. Trips then Pedigreed Nash and approached him with the sledgehammer slowly. Nash pleaded with 'The Game' by signalling the old Kliq sign, but he wasn't having any of it and he mercifully cracked Nash with the weapon and got the one-two-three.     

Sheamus defeated Jack Swagger in a decent enough bout. Swagger was once again booked to look competitive against one of SmackDown's top faces, just like he had been against Big Show on last weeks SmackDown. Although he gained another loss things seem to be looking a bit more positive for the 'All American American' lately. 

Big Show defeated Mark Henry (c) to win the World Heavyweight title in a Chairs match. The actual bout was average and thankfully kept quite short. Big Show got the pinfall victory after applying a WMD to Mark Henry. After the match Henry knocked Show in the leg with a chair and then DDT'd him onto a pile of steel chairs that had been left in the ring.

And as if cued by chants of "Daniel Bryan" from the crowd in attendance, the 'American Dragon' raced out and cashed in his Money In The Bank contract and pinned Big Show to win his first ever World title in WWE. It was once again another well received and feel good title win on the pay-per-view. No one has deserved to win a World title for the first time this year more then that man Daniel Bryan (I still count the ROH title as a World championship but you get what I mean.) If I were booking this, I'd use Bryan cashing in on Big Show as an excuse to turn him heel and go on to WrestleMania to face a major face for the title.

Cody Rhodes defeated Booker T in an average match up. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad and I did enjoy parts of it, but it didn't really live up to what I'd hoped it would. I wasn't expecting a classic by any means but with Booker's return to action and Cody's great form as of late I was expecting a solid and exciting bout between the two. Unfortunately it didn't quite get up to that standard for me, which is a shame. Although I still have belief in the feud, and they're definitely capable of putting on a better match together I believe.

CM Punk (c) defeated The Miz and Alberto Del Rio to retain his WWE Championship in a triple threat TLC match. The actual match up was a worthy and exciting main event to the pay-per-view. Each man was on form and gave a great effort, even Ricordo Rodriguez who fell from a ladder inside the ring straight through a table on the outside. At one point when Punk was handcuffed ( the handcuffs which Rodriguez had brought into the fray earlier on in the match) to the corner turnbuckle I was expecting R-Truth to possibly return and take out Miz. But fortunately they didn't go down that route as it would have tarnished the match a bit I reckon and distracted fans from the three main competitors here, and Miz's current reputation of taking out these wrestlers. My only complaint about the match is that you never really believed that Punk wasn't going to retain here. The Miz and Del Rio weren't built up well enough before the pay-per-view, you just couldn't see them toppling the current champ.     

It made perfect sense that Punk won. He's the man on fire in the company right now and as he's promised before, he wants to make the championship interesting once again. Which I believe he's succeeding in. They should keep this title run going all the way to Mania in my opinion and give him a major wrestler to take on on the big stage. A major marquee match up that he deserves, can you give me a  "hell yeah" to that?   

My SmackDown, December 9th Recap

SmackDown opened up to news that on his way out to the announce table, Booker T had been attacked from behind by Cody Rhodes. We also had the return of Lilian Garcia as a full time ring announcer, which was a pleasant surprise. But as she began talking Rhodes (who had stuck around) interrupted her, explaining how he enjoyed the symmetry of the departure of one announcer and the return of another. He also announced that he would be taking over Booker T's position as announcer for the night.
Wade Barrett defeated Ezekiel Jackson in the Beat The Clock Challenge for a time of 7:53. The challenge was between Barrett and Randy Orton and whoever got the quickest time would be able to choose the stipulation for their bout at the TLC pay-per-view. The actual match itself was average really.
Barrett grabbed a mic afterwards and bragged some more about his wins over Orton. Wade also claimed that he had the psychologically advantage over 'The Viper' "Randy, there's only one voice in your head right now. Mine."
Josh Matthews then conducted an interview with Daniel Bryan regarding his loss to Mark Henry last week. Bryan began to explain his disappointment at letting people down until his long time adversary Michael Cole interrupted him. As the argument began to get more and more heated Bryan approached the announce desk and threatened to make Cole "tap out," until Rhodes raced to Cole's aid and knocked over the MITB holder. He continued the assault until WWE official escorted him away. 
Zach Ryder defeated Heath Slater in a brief but not bad match. It wasn't a classic but it did the job in helping build up Ryder so it was a success. 
Ted DiBiase defeated Jinder Mahal in a decent bout. Both guys are looking solid enough in the ring, now they just need to actually move on to some fresh new opponents to get them interesting once again.
Big Show spoke about the last time he won a World title when he beat Brock Lesnar nine years ago at Madison Square Garden. He also spoke about the carnage that will ensue in his match with Mark Henry at TLC and threatened that the doors to Henry's 'Hall of Pain' are "gonna get slammed closed!" Mark Henry predictably joined Show and asked as a courtesy that he not touch him as he's injured while he was in the ring, Show agreed. He began to talk about their match at TLC and in a preposterous statement claimed "We're gonna have a fight that people are gonna be talking about for decades!" Hm, possibly for how dull or bad it will be. As they were almost done and after they grudgingly shook hands after Henry said "lets let bygones be bygones. Let the best man win," Henry sucker punched Big Show. But Show turned it around and began to beat down the World champion to the outside of the ring and continued the assault with a steel chair.   
Sheamus defeated David Otunga in an average match. Otunga's offence was limited, which is a wise move with his limited ability in the ring. Sheamus got the one-two-three after a Brogue kick.
Daniel Bryan versus Cody Rhodes ended as a no contest after Booker T raced in and began attacking Rhodes. The actual bout before then was a solid encounter between the two wrestlers. 
Randy Orton defeated Dolph Ziggler in an exciting and intense main event. Ziggler has really hit some superb form as of late and Orton has been on great form all year as far as I'm concerned. The finish came when Orton managed to just about avoid being counted out after an attack from behind by Wade Barrett, and then quickly hit Ziggler with an RKO to beat Barrett's time by two seconds.
After the match Barrett again attacked Orton from behind and suggested helping him out in choosing a stipulation for their match at TLC. But as Barrett was about to Wasteland Orton through a table Randy wriggled out and Wade ran off after an attempt by Orton to put him through the table instead. Orton realised that his previous opponent Ziggler was still nearby and instead powerbombed him through the table with Barrett looking on.