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WWE closed out the 2020 pay-per-view calendar on Sunday night with the annual TLC event. It has been in existence since 2009, but WWE TLC 2020 will go down as one of the more unique shows in its history.
In addition to a pair of Tables, Ladders and Chairs matches, the show also featured a Money In The Bank cash-in, a long-awaited return and a title change.
But the ending of WWE TLC 2020 will likely be the portion of the show that fans will remember for a long time.
With a great night of action, WWE TLC had a number of major moments. It advanced several feuds that should carry into the new year. Here are five big takeaways from WWE TLC 2020.
#5 The Hurt Business finally wins tag team gold at WWE TLC
The New Day arrived on RAW as part of the WWE Draft. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods have been locked in a feud with The Hurt Business for most of their time on the red brand.
Before Sunday's show, Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander had several unsuccessful opportunities to dethrone Kingston and Woods for their RAW Tag Team Championships in recent weeks. The challengers finally took the titles at WWE TLC.
The finish of the match saw Alexander tag himself in to pin Kingston after he hit the Lumbar Check. Benjamin seemingly had the match under control at the time, but Alexander wanted the win for himself.
Benjamin seemed upset with the blind tag when it happened, but the incident was quickly forgotten when Alexander secured the three count.
WWE United States Champion Bobby Lashley then came out to pose alongside his Hurt Business stablemates. The group now holds the majority of the gold that the RAW brand has to offer.
The win marks Alexander's first run as a tag team titleholder in WWE. Benjamin has held that honor twice before (with Charlie Haas). But his last reign was in 2003.
This victory for The Hurt Business gives the RAW tag team division a new dynamic, as a heel team now holds the belts. It is inevitable that The New Day will come looking to regain their titles sooner rather than later.
It is fair to say that the RAW tag team scene doesn't have a lot of depth right now. So it's quite likely the feud between The New Day and The Hurt Business will continue.
Thankfully, the teams have excellent chemistry with one another, so many fans are already looking to their next match.
#4 Roman Reigns is still unstoppable after WWE TLC
In the build up to WWE TLC, Kevin Owens produced some of the best promo work of his entire career.
Owens' segments alongside Paul Heyman on the SmackDown post-show, Talking Smack have been exceptional. The pair's interactions have helped tell the story of Owen's desire to be a consistent top-tier Superstar for WWE.
"KO" last held the Universal Championship in 2017, but he tried to dethrone current champion Roman Reigns at WWE TLC.
Owens' intensity on the microphone carried over into the match itself, as he attacked Reigns from the crowd before the start of their Tables, Ladders and Chairs bout.
Reigns' cousin, Jey Uso got involved in the match early and often, so Owens to had battle against the odds throughout the contest.
Owens had his chance to secure the victory, though, when he hit Reigns with a Pop-Up Powerbomb through a table. Unfortunately for Owens, Uso prevented him from climbing the ladder and retrieving the title.
This distraction eventually allowed Reigns to recover. He hit a low blow on Owens before the challenger could grab the championship. Reigns then took Owens out with a guillotine choke on the ladder. Finally, the champion had all the time he needed to unhook the title to win the match.
The nature of the finish means that Owens has a strong argument for a rematch following WWE TLC. That opportunity could come at next month's WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
The feud between Owens and Reigns made for quality viewing prior to WWE TLC, and it should absolutely continue.
#3 Charlotte Flair returned at WWE TLC, and she's a champion once again
Charlotte Flair had been absent from WWE programming since June, when she was taken out of action by Nia Jax. But "The Queen" returned at WWE TLC to team with Asuka and challenge for the Women's Tag Team Championship.
Asuka found herself without a partner after the champions, Jax and Shayna Baszler took out her original teammate, Lana, on WWE RAW last week.
Not only did Flair come to Asuka's aid, but she also won the match for her team at WWE TLC. Flair's Tag Team Championship win means that she is now a Grand Slam Champion in WWE.
A feud with Jax is the logical next step for Flair. It is unlikely that fans will see one of the top women's Superstars in WWE history remain in the tag team division for too long, particularly with WrestleMania season just around the corner.
Of course, the unfortunate Lana still has her own issues to settle with Jax and Baszler. Having been denied an opportunity to compete at WWE TLC, "The Ravishing Russian" will surely seek revenge sooner rather than later.
#2 Drew McIntyre defied the odds to retain the WWE Championship at WWE TLC
The pay-pay-view portion of WWE TLC 2020 opened with Drew McIntyre taking on AJ Styles in the first Tables, Ladders and Chairs match of the evening.
But the one-on-one WWE Championship match would eventually become a Triple Threat bout when The Miz cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase in the middle of the conest.
The Miz made his entrance while both McIntyre and Styles were down. He clearly felt that he could climb the ladder and steal the title.
Enter Styles' massive associate, Omos. The imposing Superstar made his way into the ring and swiftly took The Miz off the ladder. He then slammed Mr. Money in the Bank through a table at ringside.
Ultimately, McIntyre went on to retain his title, and he will likely enter the new year as the WWE Champion.
After its latest failure, the Money In The Bank briefcase is a concept that desperately needs some changes.
Braun Strowman failed to win a title after he won the briefcase in 2018. Likewise, Otis never received a title opportunity after he won the match this year. Instead, he lost the briefcase to The Miz. His unsuccessful cash-in at WWE TLC 2020 is another blow to the credibility of the famed contract.
#1 Randy Orton burns The Fiend alive at WWE TLC
Over the years, WWE pay-per-view events have seen their fair share of shocking conclusions. A man seemingly being burned alive is something that has never been witnessed before, though. At least, that is, until WWE TLC 2020.
The pay-per-view was headlined by Randy Orton facing The Fiend in the first-ever Firefly Inferno match. Now, WWE has promoted several Inferno matches in the past, where the object of the bout is to set your opponent on fire.
Typically, these contests have ended with one participant having a single part of their body set ablaze before they quickly disappear from view.
At WWE TLC, though, Orton looked to put a permanent end to his long-standing rivalry with Bray Wyatt and his alter ego. He doused The Fiend in lighter fluid and set his entire body on fire to end the show.
Given the unique nature of The Fiend's character, it seems unlikely that this is WWE's way of killing off the gimmick. Despite Orton's extreme efforts, it appears that his feud with Wyatt will continue.
Following the end of WWE TLC, Wyatt sent out a tweet apparently "thanking" Orton for his actions, featuring the image of a cocoon.
Fans will likely see Wyatt back on WWE television soon. Until then, the visual of the WWE ThunderDome burning alongside the flaming body of The Fiend was one that will not be forgotten in a hurry.
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