Lets go over WWE’s TLC 2010 PPV to begin with. If you want full coverage, click here, 10 Thoughts are here and the Mango Podcast is here.
Dolph Ziggler defeated Kofi Kingston and Jack Swagger in a ladder match (** 1/2).
The low rating is through no fault of the performers, well, besides Swagger, but mostly due to the time given. Ziggler has become really crisp and is a quite good cowardly heel… a better worker but worse character than Miz and Del Rio. Everyone but me also seems to have soured on Kofi Kingston. I still think he’s a very fun, exciting worker with great timing on his flashy spots and better mic work. Finally, we have Swagger, who everyone but me loves. He doesn’t sell or time things well, but is physically impressive. They mixed well with fun spots, but at only 9-minutes, that’s all they had time for.
Beth Phoenix and Natalya defeat Layla El and Michelle McCool in a Tables Match (****)
This is the best divas match of the year and one of the better I’ve ever seen in WWE history. Beth and Natalya were great as dominant faces, kicking ass and doing so creatively. Eventually, LayCool targeted Beth extremely well, with a sick bump allowing for a believable heat segment. Finally, the comeback featured more really cool spots as Phoenix tried to stay upright long enough to keep the heat off of Natalya, who was barely managing to hold her own. The double sharpshooter and cool splash through the table finish really put this over the top. Excellent work from all involved, though I hope this is the cap to the entire LayCool era- all of their feuds are done and they need to break up.
Santino and Koslov defeat Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel by Disqualification thanks to Nexus interference *). The faces are beat down post-match.
Gabriel is truly excellent and hopefully will be pushed, but the rest of this was just a mess. Santino may be funny with Vlad (I don’t think so, but to each their own), but in a comedy duo like this, to hold the tag belts, one of them needs to be able to work. Neither can, at all.
John Morrison defeated Sheamus in a ladder match to become #1 Contender (**** 1/4).
This was absolutely excellent and my favorite match in the career of both men (Morrison vs. Rey is close). Early on, Sheamus tried his usual dominance with the power game, but it was less effective than usual because the mobile Morrison had great agility and the ladders to help him utilize it. Sheamus, seeing the problem, decided to assault Morrison’s knees. That slowed Morrison for a control period, and at the comeback, he didn’t suddenly feel better and had a lot of trouble keeping up with Sheamus. The big spot of the dive through the ladder between the ring and announce table was the tide turner needed, and the final blow, the kick on the ladder made his victory seem especially hard fought. This was the star-making performance I wasn’t sure Morrison had in him and I hope they do Morrison vs. Miz at the Rumble, even though I’m expecting it on Raw.
Miz defeats Randy Orton with Awesome Cheating (***).
The rating here is almost entirely for the finish. Miz and Orton had a decent match, with plenty of Alex Riley offering Miz the ability to keep up with the superior Orton. Eventually, Orton, during a ref bump, put Riley through a table. That gave Miz the opening for the SCF, then he put Orton on the broken table and woke the referee. The ref gave Miz the match, but upon seeing the replay, restarted the match. Orton was pissed and came back immediately, but when he tried to get in the ring, Miz threw Riley into Orton and he fell through a table. This was fantastic. It doesn’t make the Miz look strong, but that’s the point. It also, by beating Orton twice, doesn’t make it look fluky. Miz is apparently a mastermind able to sneak out wins time after time, regardless of the situation. It’s almost like a far, far superior Honky Tonk Man. Orton, meanwhile, comes off as slighted and can be outraged and demand a rematch.
Edge won a TLC Match against Rey Mysterio, Alberto Del Rio, and Kane to win the World Title (Dud).
I’m happy this only took one spot on the card, not two. As viable workers, Rey, Kane and even Edge seem to be running out of gas, while Del Rio is better, he’s not really carrying anyone. This was contrived and slow and boring. Hopefully we move to Edge vs. Del Rio now and get Kane out of the top main event picture.
John Cena defeats Wade Barrett (*** 1/2).
The first half of this was a weak rip off of an Attitude era brawl, but once they got going after that, back in the ring, the match became truly excellent. Barrett was desperately trying to outdo Cena, while Cena, finally in a fair fight, seemed to revel in the competition, finally getting his revenge on Wade. It was great to see Barrett look so good in the ring and better to see Cena lead him there.
So, where do we go from here with John Cena and Nexus?
Cena and Nexus have logically blown off their feud for now, but there’s also no reason for Nexus, whom Cena said he’d leave alone were he re-hired, to leave Cena be. Logically, the Royal Rumble provides the perfect transition, then. David Otunga, who was not mentioned at all on the PPV, has a legitimate gripe with Barrett and Nexus now. He could try and turn some of the group face or just help Cena himself when the group goes after him. This, especially in the Rumble, would allow a Nexus Civil War to take place for several months and Cena to move on to different feuds for Wrestlemania. After ‘Mania, when Nexus is re-united, likely under Wade Barrett, they can come after Cena again, this time with him having the WWE Title to finally put Wade over the hump and become champion.
How will Cena get the belt? His money feud has always been with the Miz. Miz has made much of his name on badmouthing Cena and saying he wants Cena at Wrestlemania. He has done this just as Cena once did with Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle. With Miz now ready and a full main event heel, Cena can win the Rumble and go after Miz. Miz, meanwhile, can regularly defend on Raw, sneaking away with the title to build three months worth of heat. He should be successful enough given how behind him WWE is and, moreover, cast genuine doubt as to whom will win at Wrestlemania in the match with Cena.
Agree? Disagree? Other Options? Let me know in the comments below!
