0. WWE Cruiserweight Title: Buddy Murphy [c] vs. Cedric Alexander
Buddy and Cedric did that thing where they casually do amazing wrestling together. Cedric took a neck bump on a Buddy Meteora from the top, and his weirdo sell before Buddy setup the finish cracked me up. Good opener that would’ve come off better if there was more care put into this division. ***1/4
0. Guitar Ladder Match: Elias vs. Bobby Lashley w/ Lio Rush
This was a match where Lashley did his finisher to a ladder and that is very cool. Otherwise it wasn’t very good, though it had more scary ladder bumps than I expected. **
1. Mixed Match Challenge – Final: The Fabulous Truth (R-Truth & Carmella) vs. Mahalicia (Jinder Mahal & Alicia Fox) w/ The Singh Brothers
Mixed Match Challenge Season 2 ends at it begins, inoffensive but a blip on the radar of the history of professional wrestling. These folks did their spots and had a dance break. Respect to all involved. **
2. Triple Threat Tag Team Match – SmackDown Tag Team Title: The Bar [c] vs. The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) w/ Big E vs. The Usos
This felt like the season finale to these three teams leading SmackDown, though I’ve felt that way about several of the matches these guys have had over the last year. Regardless, it’s always awesome as everyone gets in their good shit and they can do cool tag wrestling sequences in their sleep. Nothing new really happened and the Triple Threat stipulation doesn’t lend itself to classic tag wrestling like a 2-on-2 does, but it was a good time. ***1/2
3. If Corbin Wins, He is GM of RAW and If Strowman Wins, Corbin is Stripped of Power – TLC Match: Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin
If anything, this little angle was an exploration of the sad state of the RAW babyface roster – Crews, Roode, Gable, and Balor surrounding Corbin to golf claps made me feel sad. At least the Corbin gimmick is done. Right? Right?
4. Tables Match: Natalya vs. Ruby Riott w/ Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan
This was no mere wrestling match; it was performance art in which for 15 minutes Natalie Neithart earned revenge for Ruby Riott mocking her recently deceased father by putting Riott through a table with a picture of Riott on it. This was too long and kind of messy – a tough sell. Plus Riott had trouble with those tables. At least Liv Morgan’s bump will live in infamy. *3/4
5. Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre
Very House Show-ey, or even worse – RAW Main Event-ey. Finn’s big bump they slo-mo replayed was awesome but this was the most competent disappointing match. **1/2
6. Chairs Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton
Rey’s boogie board tope with the chair was very nice but this was a victim of placement, as after a few cold matches, Randy Orton taking his time wasn’t exactly a remedy. These guys always work well together and pulled off some cool stuff, but it was surrounded by a silly gimmick and tired crowd. *1/2
7. RAW Women’s Title: Ronda Rousey [c] vs. Nia Jax w/ Tamina
Nia Jax works well with Asuka and Ronda Rousey – it is a physical law of the universe. Wrestling becomes real when they are struggling against each other, so real that an armbar that had to actually be real is the only thing that can finish Jax. PPV Ronda also threw out some crazy PPV stuff like a gorgeous crossbody to the floor and a step-up Superman punch. I am willing to publicly admit that I bought the Samoan drop near fall too. Heated, exciting – heck of a wrestling match. ***1/2
8. WWE Title: Daniel Bryan [c] vs. AJ Styles
It took balls to have these guys go 20+ at this point on a lengthy card, but these two all-time great pro wrestlers have the skill to not just deliver but transcend some early crowd restlessness and inch this towards classic territory.
This was sublime pro wrestling – heel Bryan is a trip to watch, one of the only guys in WWE lately that doesn’t feel like he’s just running through his shit but is actually building on his character as he wrestles. He was awesome here, whether he was running through sweet wrestling sequences or selling for AJ or just lurking around and applying holds. AJ’s nasty leg work and Bryan’s selling had the crowd going crazy for the potential of Bryan almost tapping out to a half crab of all things.
AJ meanwhile is AJ – aging Nakamura and Joe didn’t end up ideal opponents but here is Bryan to take advantage of his sills and make it so he has a few great matches to close up the year. Praise The Wrestling Gods for this wonderful bunch of wrestling. ****1/4
9. WWE Intercontinental Title: Seth Rollins [c] vs. Dean Ambrose
This stunk, at 20+ minutes it was way too long and never clicked. The people wanted The Man, they got Dean Ambrose applying chinlocks. Ambrose seems to have forgotten how to wrestle anything but the most basic dumb WWE match, while Rollins felt lost on how to ever fix it. They occasionally tried to make it feel like a long and epic fight, it ended up an overlong bore. *
10. Triple Threat TLC Match – SmackDown Women’s Title: Becky Lynch [c] vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
What a wild match, a perfect capper to a phenomenal year for women in WWE and especially for The Man, Becky Lynch. For the first time in a while, a TLC Match leaned into the chaos of the gimmick and the tables ladders and chairs felt less necessary gimmicks and more weapons used to hurt people. It didn’t hurt that there were chops and slaps being thrown in between that might’ve hurt just as bad. Also, KENDO STICKS!
Every shot felt extra snug and the big spots were nasty… the brutal kendo stick and chairshots, Charlotte taking all of Becky’s weight on the table legdrop before the table actually broke, the barricade not fully giving when Charlotte speared Asuka through it. Also, Becky is a superstar. These guys saved this show and then some. ****1/2
I think the lesson here is that WWE is in a rut and RAW really, really sucks. Regardless, Bryan vs. Styles and the TLC main event were excellent. But a rough show overall with a weird layout where everything felt way too long. 4/10
