WWE TLC live results: Kurt Angle returns to the ring, Styles vs. Balor
With a card that had to be revised due to a major shakeup in the days leading up to the show, WWE returns to pay-per-view as TLC takes place at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota tonight.
Both Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt had to be pulled from the PPV due to medical issues. In Reigns’ place, Kurt Angle will wrestle in a WWE ring for the first time in over a decade as he teams with Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose against The Miz, Cesaro, Sheamus, Braun Strowman & Kane in a tables, ladders, and chairs match.
Wyatt will be replaced by AJ Styles on the show, with Styles facing Finn Balor at the otherwise Raw-exclusive PPV. This will be the first time that Styles and Balor, both former leaders of the Bullet Club, have wrestled each other.
We’re looking for your thoughts on tonight’s show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to dave@wrestlingobserver.com
Also scheduled for tonight, Asuka will make her main roster debut against Emma, Alexa Bliss will defend her Raw Women’s Championship against Mickie James, Enzo Amore challenges Kalisto for the Cruiserweight title, and Rich Swann & Cedric Alexander team up to take on Jack Gallagher & Brian Kendrick.
On the pre-show, Sasha Banks faces Alicia Fox and Drew Gulak’s PowerPoint presentation continues. Our coverage begins with that before the main card starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
**********
Drew Gulak was told he was cut for time. He was just doing a promo for the TV crowd. He wants no more chanting, flying, flipping, coming off the top rope, chanting and then they went to a commercial while he complained that Elias has been given time on the PPV. They teased the idea of an Elias vs. Jason Jordan angle.
SASHA BANKS VS. ALICIA FOX
Banks won a standard match using the bank statement after Fox missed an ax kick. A few cool things, including Fox doing two great bridging Northern lights suplexes and a spinning backbreaker on the floor.
ASUKA VS. EMMA
A little longer than I expected for Asuka’s debut but of course she won with a high kick and the Asuka lock. The crowd seemed into her. It was definitely slower moving than her NXT matches. Emma got some good offesne with the biggest thing pulling her by the air off the apron and throwing Asuka to the floor.
Miz, Cesaro and Sheamus were backstage doing an interview. Sheamus said he wanted to Brogue kicked a gold medalist. Miz said Kurt Angle would never have stepped in for Sheamus and Cesaro. He said Kurt Angle only cares out himself and waited for the perfect moment to put himself in a main event against me. Miz was taunting Angle, said Angle thinks he’s a super hero but he’ll be meeting a monster among men. Strowman said told them to stay out of his way as he’s snuffing out Angle, Rollins and Ambrose. Kane showed up and confronted Strowman. Miz after tonight with Angle done and Ambrose & Rollins broken down they will rule raw. Kane said he’s turning the match into hell on Earth. The story here is Miz & Cesaro & Sheamus are together and the other two are for themselves.
Elias is out. Jason Jordan was throwing vegetabels adn bannana peels at him. So that’s a new program. And then the segment ended.
BRIAN KENDRICK & JACK GALLAGHER VS. CEDRIC ALEXANDER & RICH SWANN
Good match, best so far. Short but all action with some cool moves. Kendrick had the captain’s hook on Alexander, but Swann broke it up with a Phoenix splash. Swann gave Kendrick a spin kick and then Alexander pinned Kendrick after the Captain’s hook. The highlight was Alexander doing a running flip dive onto both Gallagher & Kendrick, and actually pretty much missed both and landed on his feet.
The whole show is being pushed around Kurt Angle’s return.
Alexa Bliss did an interview. She doesn’t know what biscuit butt means and she said she likes her butt and it’s cute. Mickie is just a mom, when I was young I idolized Mickie James, she’s gone toe to toe with Trish Stratus, Lita and Beth Phoenix. Bliss said James talks about her good old days but now it’s just old.
ALEXA BLISS VS. MICKIE JAMES FOR WOMEN’S TITLE
Bliss pulled James’ shoulder into the turnbuckles and hit the DDT for the pin. So far favorites are up 4-0 although these were pretty easy bouts to call. Bliss worked over the left shoulder during the match. Match told a story, there was a hot slapfest after kind of a slow open. The crowd disrespected them with a “We want tables” chant for no reason.
Charly Caruso interviewed. James. She said she’s proud of her perforrmance and said she gave her heart and soul and hoped she proved she was worthy of the title shot and it won’t be her last time getting a title shot and she’ll win the title again.
Rollins, Ambrose and Angle were backstage. Angle said he doesn’t know what he has left, but says he’ll give 100 percent. Rollins gave Kurt a Shield jacket. So he’ll be wearing the outfit and basically said Kurt was in The Shield. The crowd popped for this.
Elias is out again. Crowd booed him pretty heavy. Jordan threw lettuce at him again. He was pelting Elias with food. Weird that the heel commentator was backing Jordan (Graves) and Michael Cole was backing Elias.
Enzo’s voice is almost gone. He joked that he lost his voice. He said his voice is the only thing I’m losing. There are three types of people, people who make things happen like me, those who watch things happen like you fans who are losers, and the third type of person is the one who sits around and wonders what happened. He did the SAWFT deal with the fans.
KALISTO VS. ENZO AMORE FOR CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE
Amore regained the title with a thumb to the eye when Enzo pulled the apron drape into the ring and the ref tried to pull it out of the ring. Enzo used tthe Jordanzo for the pin. The fans cheered the title change. Nothing much to the match. Kalisto kept working for a Salida del Sol but never got it. Enzo did a cool flying DDT for a near fall. There was a very light “We Want Neville” chant.
Enzo said he wanted to thank himself and told the fans he’s giving them a no thank you.
DEMON FINN BALOR VS. A.J. STYLES
Really good match. Not close to a match of the year or anything but two great wrestlers both working hard. Balor won witht he Wooo dropkick and a killer coup de gras for the clean pin. They did the “too sweet” sign together after. Balor did a running flip dive. Styles tackled him over the German table. They did most of their regular stuff. Styles did a springboard Frankensteiner for a near fall. It was very professional in the sense everything was good, everything made sense. The crowd was very into it with “This is awesome chants” before the match even started..
JASON JORDAN VS. ELIAS
Elias was singing and said that he was having a match with Jordan.
The finish Jrodan reversed a suplex into an inside cradle. Samson kicked out before the three but his shoulder was actually down even though he kicked out. But they will play it up like Elias had his shoudler up for controversy to set up a rematch and probably a longer program. Jordan looked impressive here. They were put in the death spot on the show but the work was solid and people were okay with it.
The Survivor Series commercial is built around Raw vs. Smackdown matches.
The Miz said he had a surprise at the end and said they were going to treat the other team like garbage and send them to the dump.
KURT ANGLE & DEAN AMBROSE & SETH ROLLINS VS. BRAUN STROWMAN & KANE & THE MIZ & CESARO & SHEAMUS IN A TLC MATCH
Long crazy match which ended when Angle & Rollins & Ambrose gave Miz a triple power bomb and pinned him. The match told a ton of different stories. At first the faces had the edge with tons oof chair shots. Then Cesaro & Sheamus came back with chair shots. Rollins & Ambrose both came off high on ladders to splash Strowman & Kane both through two different announcers tables. Angle did a shine spot with Gemran suplexes on everyone until Strowman broke up an ankle lock and powerslammed Angle through a table. Angle was carried to the back to make it 5 on 2. Then Strowman and Kane argued and Strowman shove down Kane. Ambrose, who took a ton of punishment, was given a double crucifix bomb and bounced off the table that didn’t break. They set the table up in the corner and Strowman threw Ambrose through the table. Kane turne on Strowman and choke slammed himi through a gimmicked part of the stage. Kane pulled down chairs hanging from the ceiling and the chairs all fell on Strowman. This looks to be the Strowman face turn to feud with Kane. Kane choke slammed Ambrose & Rollins through a table. Ambrose landed badly again. Stormwn recovered and threw Miz iuto the wall. Strowman was beating on the heels until Kane put Strowman down. All the heels beat him down and threw him into the back of a garbage truck. In theory, Strowman was crushed into a million pieces in the garbage truck but he’ll be fine. The truck drove off and that was it for Strowman. Angle then came back out and destoryed Sheamus & Cesaro. Kane went to give Angle a tombsone piledriver but Rollins hit Kane with a chair to the back. Rollins & Amborse gave Kane a double tackle through the barricade. Miz hit the skull crushing finale on Angle, who kicked out. Angle got the ankle lock on Miz, but Miz kicked Angle out of the ring. Rollins gave Miz the knee, Ambrose gave him Dirty Deeds, Angle gave Miz the Angle slam and then they used the Shield triple power bomb on Miz for the pin.