TLC 2017 was a very weird
pay-per-view. Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt were both absent because of medical
issues. Their replacements (Kurt Angle and AJ Styles) featured in the best two
matches of the night. The main event justified the handicap and TLC rules, but
the undercard had no such additions. A disappointing choice because a few extra
gimmicks would’ve livened up the weaker bouts considerably.
Asuka defeated Emma in her
main roster debut. They worked well together and showcased Asuka’s impressive
moves. Generally, Emma was a good first opponent and no slouch in the ring.
Asuka should keep on winning and hopefully earn a title shot before
WrestleMania.
The cruiserweight tag team match
was fun and fast paced with plenty of high-flying action. All the wrestlers involved
made the most of their eight minutes. Cedric Alexander won with the Lumbar
Check and looks likely to be a future contender.
Alexa Bliss retained her Raw
Women’s Championship against Mickie James in an above-average contest. In the
build-up, Alexa (26) made age related jokes about James (38). Their story didn’t
have a happy ending, so someone else will have to give ‘Little Miss Bliss’ her comeuppance.
Mickie’s post-match promo added some extra realism.
Enzo Amore defeated Kalisto
and regained the Cruiserweight Championship in a sloppy, but passable title
change. Since Neville’s contractual disputes, the dip in quality has been noticeable
and this new direction will require some adjustment.
AJ Styles and Finn Bálor wrestled
for 18 minutes, but the time never dragged. This was a very good match and both
men showed respect after the bell. Styles was protected in defeat because he
was travelling from South America at short notice. They didn’t use their entire
repertoire; a rematch another day with Styles at 100% and a title on the line
would be even better.
After two peculiar segments (involving
music, fruit and vegetables), Jason Jordan got a much-needed PPV win, beating
Elias with a roll up. ‘The Drifter’ had one shoulder off the canvas, so their
feud will probably continue.
Finally the main event had
lots of standout moments. Kane and Braun Strowman had a falling out, which
ended with Braun being thrown in a bin lorry. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins
performed ladder dives.
Best of all was the return of
Kurt Angle, who entered through the crowd with his teammates and wore a Shield vest.
He was slammed through a table by Braun and taken backstage, but later returned
triumphantly with entrance music. The concluding minutes provided an old-school
feel-good ending, the type of which I haven’t felt in quite some time. Angle at
48, may be slowing down but still oozes veteran cool. Is it greedy to hope for
one more WrestleMania match before he calls time on his legendary career?
Thanks for reading,
Philip.
