![]() ![]() ![]() On January 8, at the New Year's Revolution pay-per-view, Edge cashed in Money in the Bank and won his first WWE Championship. The year 2006 will forever be linked with the rise of the Rated R Superstar, Edge, to the main event and his subsequent star-making feud with John Cena. It was a crowning achievement for Punk and the first successful pay-per-view title defense in what became a 434-day title reign. Punk, not ready to hand over his title to either of his opponents so easily, tore apart the turnbuckle and escaped his predicament.Īll three men fought atop the ladder, and after some brilliant exchanges that saw Punk and Miz knock each other to the mat, the champion delivered GTS to his rival, climbed back up the ladder and retrieved his title. With each rung they climbed, the champion's reign came closer and closer to its end. Late in the match, Miz handcuffed Punk to the middle rope, forcing him to watch as he and Del Rio scaled the ladder. The introduction of handcuffs seemed to be a bit much considering the weapons surrounding the ring, but they ultimately played a major role in the tremendous drama that accompanied the finish. The Miz, for all the negativity that follows him, was outstanding here as he stole the spotlight from Del Rio and was easily the most hated wrestler in the match. He did his job perfectly and the crowd was into everything he did. As the babyface and champion, he was responsible for driving the emotion of the match. Punk was the glue that held the match together. His image was all over the promotional materials, and the main event of the evening featured the Second City Saint defending his title against Alberto Del Rio and The Miz in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match. The 2011 TLC pay-per-view was WWE champion CM Punk's first chance to truly carry a major World Wrestling Entertainment production on his own, without the safety net of John Cena to fall back on. He also proved that, while he may not be able to deliver the standard great matches he did for so much of his legendary career, he still had the tools to deliver a bloody brawl, something that came in handy later in the year when he feuded with hardcore legend Mick Foley. The future Hall of Famer, called "past his prime" by many, showed great heart, determination and passion for the spot by enduring the physical punishment he did for the sake of entertaining the masses. Like he did in so many of his legendary TLC matches, Edge left with the gold around his waist, but it was Flair who left a lasting impression. The Figure Four she found herself on the receiving end of popped the crowd and allowed Edge to recover from the aforementioned table bump. ![]() Lita's involvement late in the match was really good and was completely in line with her character. He did just that, taking a great deal of punishment, including a superplex from the top of a ladder that was uncomfortable to watch, at the hands of the WWE champion.Įdge's backward bump off a ladder and through a table at ringside was dangerous and probably unnecessary given how brutal the match was without the huge spots. The then 56-year-old Flair was competing in the match type for the first time in his illustrious career and was clearly motivated to leave a lasting impression. The sight of a bloodied Ric Flair unleashing his fury on Edge is one of the seminal moments in TLC match history. The match itself has no real historical significance outside of the title change, but it did prove that a TLC match can minimize the insane bumps and still be an effective, show-stealing contest. The Last Ride powerbomb from Undertaker to Edge and through two stacked tables was phenomenal, and the big bump by Undertaker through the two rows of stacked tables was the match's most memorable spot.Įdge regained the title while Undertaker took a two-month break before returning at SummerSlam and defeating the Rated R Superstar in a Hell in a Cell match. Interference from Chavo Guerrero, Bam Neeley, Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins added to the story surrounding the match, and the dangerous table bumps by Ryder and Hawkins popped the crowd and added to the chaotic finish. As a result, the match was a smarter, more story-centric one. The in-ring veterans developed a very smart match that limited the amount of pain and punishment their bodies endured by limiting the amount of big bumps they took. The Undertaker is one of the last Superstars one would associate with a TLC match, but in June of 2008, he and Edge clashed in the bout with the vacant World Heavyweight Championship hanging overhead. ![]()
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