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The final WWE pay-per-view of 2020 is now in the rear-view mirror and it presented some of the best action of the year so far. TLC delivered the shocks and surprises that were expected given WWE's recent run of low ratings which included a Money in the Bank cash-in and the return of The Queen.
Charlotte Flair was not expected to make her return until the Women's Royal Rumble match in a month's time, but she returned as Asuka's partner at TLC and helped The Empress of Tomorrow to become a dual Champion.
The Miz cashed in his Money in the Bank contract in the opening match of the show and interestingly became a statistic that he won't want to brag about when he was unable to dethrone current WWE Champion Drew McIntyre.
It was a night full of statistics so here are just five of the best ones coming out of the show.
#5. The Miz becomes the fifth WWE star to lose his Money in the Bank cash-in
The Miz's cash-in came as such a surprise because it was a part of the opening match of the show and he turned an already tough match into a triple threat. The Miz had John Morrison in his corner until he was neutralized by Omos, which then left the star alone to battle the odds himself.
The Miz interestingly was unable to overcome such a threat and in the end, it was Drew McIntyre who walked out of TLC with the WWE Championship. This means that The Miz is the fifth star behind John Cena, Damien Sandow, Braun Strowman, and Baron Corbin to fail with his cash-in.
Miz has also made history as the first WWE Superstar to have both a successful and an unsuccessful cash-in.
#4. Randy Orton ended 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt's undefeated streak at WWE TLC
Last night's TLC pay-per-view was main evented by the first-ever Firefly Inferno match between Randy Orton and The Fiend which saw The Viper come out on top after he was able to set The Fiend alight.
It was noted that the winner of the match would be forced to set their opponent on fire and despite this being a match that saw The Fiend with the advantage, it was Orton who came out on top.
Interestingly, this win ended the longest winning streak in TLC history since Bray Wyatt was 5-0 at the event until Orton crossed his path. The Fiend's alter-ego had never lost a match at WWE's final pay-per-view of the year.
It's unclear what the future holds for The Fiend after he was completely set alight and left in the center of the ring last night. Could WWE be looking to reintroduce the character as a much darker entity? This may become clearer tonight on RAW.
#3. Charlotte becomes a Grand Slam Champion at WWE TLC
Charlotte Flair made her return to WWE last night at TLC as Asuka's surprise partner in the Women's Tag Team Championship match. Flair had been out of action since June after being attacked by Nia Jax and this was the perfect way to reintroduce the former Champion back into the mix.
Flair was also the one who secured the victory for her team at TLC when she hit Shayna Baszler with Natural Selection to become a Women's Tag Team Champion for the first time.
This also means that Charlotte Flair is now finally a Grand Slam Champion since she has been waiting to lift the final title on the list. The Queen is also the only female wrestler in the company to have lifted every currently active Women's Championship on the main roster, NXT, and the now-retired Divas Championship.
It appears that last night was the perfect place for Charlotte Flair to make her return to WWE since she has now made history in her own right, once again.
#2. The SmackDown Women's Championship was successfully defended for the first time at WWE TLC
Sasha Banks defended the SmackDown Women's Championship against Carmella last night at TLC and was interestingly able to come out on top, despite the odds being stacked against her.
Banks knew that she was up against both Carmella and Reginald, who was allowed to remain at ringside throughout the match even though he involved himself when Carmella was locked in the Bank Statement.
Despite the interference, Banks was able to take out Carmella's assistant on the outside before turning her attention to her challenger and once again locking in the Bank Statement when she reversed Carmella's own finisher attempt.
This is the first time the SmackDown Women's Championship has been successfully defended at TLC since, in the past, the title has been defended on two separate occasions and has been won by both Alexa Bliss and Asuka as part of the event.
The SmackDown Women's Championship was the only female title that had changed hands at the event until last night when the Women's Tag Team Championships were won by Asuka and Charlotte Flair.
#1. Asuka makes history at WWE TLC
Asuka was left without a partner to take on the Women's Tag Team Champions last night at TLC but The Empress of Tomorrow was able to pull a fantastic move when she recruited The Queen to step into Lana's place.
Charlotte Flair was perhaps the only female wrestler who could have stepped in at the last minute and been able to overcome the odds of Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax, who have been the most dominant force on RAW in recent months.
Asuka and Flair were able to claim the Women's Tag Team Championships last night at TLC and this not only finally made Charlotte Flair a Grand Slam Champion but allowed Asuka to become the first-ever three-time Women's Tag Team Champion.
It should also be noted that Asuka became the first female wrestler with the current Women's Tag Team Championships to win them with two different partners. Asuka's previous two wins had come alongside Kairi Sane, who left WWE earlier this year.
The only other female who has achieved such a feat was Velvet McIntyre back in 1984 when the Women's Tag Team Championships were very different belts in WWF.
