Review for WWE TLC 2014

WWE with TLC proved that a themed PPV is not something that should be encouraged. It is true that many of the matches on this event are good, I would even say most are impressive, but the reliance on a stipulation makes the whole event a little flat. Across the eight matches I would say none of them are unwatchable, but that is not to say you would want to watch them again.

Dolph Ziggler against Luke Harper in a Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship has all the makings for a classic ladder match. Ziggler has really improved and I thought Harper was fantastic in this match too. The Usos against The Miz and Damien Mizdow for the Tag Belts was fine, though the more I watch of Miz/Mizdow the less funny I find it. However, there was some great moments in this match and shows just why The Usos are considered the greatest tag team in the WWE at the moment.

Big Show against Erick Rowan in a Stairs match was fine, though 'Stairs?' Really? I understand it, but that's not to say it made for a good idea. This was just a lumbering match, which should have been better. The same could also be said of John Cena against Seth Rollins in a Tables match. This was given the right amount of time to mean something, but ultimately: It didn't mean anything at all. If I'm honest, I am also getting sick of the J&J Security deal and this is almost like a throwback to Mr McMahon and his Stooges.

Nikki Bella against AJ for the Divas Championship exists. That's really all you need to know. Nikki, AJ and Brie at ringside all look amazing as always, just a shame the match was nothing much. Neither was Kane against Ryback in a Chairs match, which, like the Stairs match was a lumbering match, but Ryback and Kane worked well together and it at least had some good moments in it.

Rusev against Jack Swagger for the US Championship (Yes, that's all the belts represented apart from the WWE Championship?) was fine and at least they have toned down the Russian vitriol. My issue with this match is that it simply wasn't given enough time to mean anything and made Swagger look useless.

Finally in a great TLC match we had Bray Wyatt against Dean Ambrose. This match was all kinds of awesome. Even if you forget the mistake with the monitor almost killing Ambrose, this was a match filled with exciting and memorable moments and certainly a perfect way to end the PPV.

TLC 2014, like all of the WWE 'themed' PPVs is crippled by relying on the stipulation. They need to be dictated by the story, not the other way round. I do hope (as with the change of the Elimination Chamber PPV) that they are going to phase these out more as apart from Royal Rumble and Money in the Bank, they do not help the PPV at all. This PPV wasn't awful, most was watchable and only a few moments and matches made we want to fast-forward, but it is certainly not one that you will watch again and again.