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With the next and final event on WWE's pay-per-view calendar being TLC, several stipulation matches are expected to take place. The most notable one is the titular match -- Tables, Ladders, and Chairs. Once the most innovative and spot-filled match in all of WWE, the TLC match still feels pretty exciting.
The likes of The Dudley Boyz, The Hardy Boyz, and Edge & Christian popularized the concept, even before it was officially called TLC. Quite a few Superstars have come close to that high bar in recent years, with The Shield, AJ Styles, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Asuka all partaking in excellent TLC matches.
However, with a whole host of names competing in this match, there are bound to be a few surprises. Seeing these Superstars, some of whom are WWE Hall of Famers, in a TLC setting was surreal. These are Superstars one wouldn't typically associate the stipulation with.
Here are seven WWE Superstars you might not remember competed in a TLC Match, with three of them in the same match.
#7 Bray Wyatt (vs. Dean Ambrose at WWE TLC 2014)
There have been five TLC matches that ended in a pinfall, with possibly the weirdest one coming in 2014. The final pay-per-view match of that year saw Bray Wyatt take on Dean Ambrose.
While The Lunatic Fringe was known for taking risks, Wyatt does not feel like a Superstar who would participate in a TLC match.
It might be difficult to envision The Eater of Worlds climbing a ladder to retrieve something, but this TLC match did not feature that sight. Instead, it was just a heated battle between two big rivals. Some of the spots were great, but the finish was awful.
Ambrose tried to get a TV into the ring but forgot to unplug it. As a result, it exploded in his face and gave Wyatt an opening to pick up the victory. It was an extremely underwhelming ending not only to this match but to the show on its own.
TLC matches ending in pinfall do not generally work. However, it was the only such match Bray Wyatt has ever been a part of, and it is highly unlikely he'll be a part of a similar match, where he has to climb a ladder, anytime soon.
#6 Shawn Michaels, #5 Triple H, and #4 The Big Show (Tag Team TLC Match w/Chris Jericho at WWE TLC 2009)
The first-ever TLC pay-per-view was headlined by three Superstars competing in their only such match, and Chris Jericho. Y2J defended his WWE Tag Team Championship alongside The Big Show against DX, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels. While the match was good, it was indicative of the relatively non-athletic style of half of the competitors in this match.
It was strange to see Big Show compete in such a match, albeit with other stars around him. Meanwhile, quite surprisingly, this was Michaels' only TLC match. He has an incredible catalog of Ladder matches to his name, including ones against Razor Ramon and Chris Jericho.
Somehow, there was a shortage of ladders around the ring towards the end of the match, so DX had to be creative with the finish. Jericho was standing on Big Show's shoulders, trying to retrieve the titles, but ended up falling face-first into a table outside the ring from that height. That was gnarly, even for a TLC match.
There was half a ladder available, so Shawn Michaels climbed it with some support from Triple H to retrieve the Tag Team Championship. This match was solid and an excellent choice to be the main event of TLC 2009.
#3 Ric Flair (TLC Match vs. Edge on WWE RAW 16/1/2006)
At 56-years-old at the time, Ric Flair's performance in his TLC Match against WWE Champion Edge was remarkable. He put himself through a tremendous amount of pain, putting the Rated-R Superstar over as the biggest heel in the company. This came in the aftermath of Edge's Money in the Bank cash-in on John Cena and subsequent celebration with Lita.
With the match taking place in Flair's hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, and it being the blow-off to a personal feud, there seemed to be a genuine belief that the Nature Boy would pull it off and win his 17th world title. TLC was Edge's specialty, stacking the odds further against the veteran.
The match was brutal and inventive, featuring high drama, dangerous spots, and of course, some blood. Lita got involved as well, eventually turning the tide in Edge's favor. Flair put up an incredible fight, especially considering it was TLC, but it was not enough to bring home the belt.
While this was one of the many TLC matches that Edge won, the two-time WWE Hall of Famer did well to put his younger opponent over. However, Ric Flair was not the oldest Superstar to ever partake in a TLC match.
#2 Jerry Lawler (TLC Match vs. The Miz on WWE RAW 29/11/2010)
Just over ten years ago, to the day, Jerry 'The King' Lawler challenged for the WWE Championship in a TLC match on his 61st birthday. It came a week after The Miz cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Randy Orton to win the title on the King of the Ring episode of RAW in November 2010.
Lawler nearly became the WWE Champion in 2010, even coming inches away from retrieving the title during this match. However, some interference from Michael Cole cost the WWE Hall of Famer the match. This set up the long and frustrating angle between the two commentators that even led to a WrestleMania match.
That being said, Jerry Lawler's spirited performance was not half bad. He did well, but the match as a whole did not seem worthy of the TLC stipulation. The Miz was still finding his feet here, still years away from becoming a true star despite holding the WWE Championship.
With Ric Flair in 2006 and Jerry Lawler in 2010, there have been quite a few near-fairytale stories in TLC matches. Imagine if the 'King' had won, even if his reign lasted for a week.
#1 The Undertaker (TLC Match vs. Edge at WWE One Night Stand 2008)
He may be retired now, but The Undertaker has "left" WWE multiple times over the years. Whether it was through being buried alive, his part-time schedule, or a stipulation in a match, The Deadman had several farewells before his final one. Such an instance came in 2008, as he faced Edge in a TLC match at One Night Stand for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship where The Undertaker's career was also on the line.
At an intense point in their rivalry, The Undertaker and Edge wrestled for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. As mentioned earlier, the Rated-R Superstar is a TLC Match expert, while this was Taker's only such match.
This was pretty great match, with both Superstars pulling off their roles effectively. Edge had all the help he could get, with La Familia aiding him throughout. The Undertaker fought all of the interference off and almost overcame the heels, winning the world title and keeping his career alive in the process.
However, as The Undertaker was climbing up the ladder, Edge tipped it over and sent him crashing through a stack of tables at ringside in what was a sickening bump. Anyway, this was a great TLC Match and one of the Phenom's most underrated outings in his WWE career.
