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The upcoming TLC 2020 pay-per-view is shaping up to be a great one. The PPV is set to deliver some must-see encounters in the form of Roman Reigns vs Kevin Owens for the Tribal Chief's Universal title. Apart from this, a potential MOTY candidate for the WWE Championship between Drew Mcintyre vs AJ Styles under TLC rules has also been announced for the show.
On the other hand, a battle between Randy Orton and The Fiend has also been setup with the involvement of Alexa Bliss at ringside.
Considering we are just a few days away from the show, the time seems apt to go back and take a look at some of the matches at the pay-per-view which have flown under the radar and are not a part of the modern wrestling discourse.
These matches won quite a lot of accolades in the past, but with time, have been forgotten.
#5 Baron Corbin vs Kalisto (WWE TLC 2016)
While many do not expect Baron Corbin to deliver showstealing matches, the former US Champion is actually pretty adept at having exciting encounters with guys smaller in size than him. One of the prime examples of this was his chairs match against the Kalisto at TLC 2016.
The match was a brutal affair between the two with creative usage of the stipulation One iconic spot in the match was when Corbin smashed Kalisto into a pile of chairs, which the luchador had himself set-up, with his finisher, End of Days.
Even though most of the credit for the match's success can be attributed to Kalisto, Corbin himself worked like a monster in the bout, coming up as the eventual winner in the contest and showcasing a mean streak.
The reason why this match isn't as talked about as it should be is the prevalence of two modern classics on the same card in the form of The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler in a Ladder's match for the Intercontinental championship and AJ Styles vs Dean Ambrose for the WWE Championship under TLC rules.
#4 Edge vs Kane vs Rey Mysterio vs Alberto Del Rio (TLC 2010)
This was a time when the Smackdown brand was genuinely treading water in terms of having any distinct identity separate from that of the much-superior show Raw. An unmasked Kane being the champion with a string of forgettable title defenses was the reason why WWE creative decided to pair him with three of the best Superstars on the brand at this show. The resulting match was a cracking TLC encounter with just the kind of chaos multi-man matches can produce. All the four Superstars worked at a furious pace and ensured there wasn't any dull spot in the grueling encounter.
The most memorable moment in the whole contest was when Mysterio went for a double 619 on Edge and Del Rio. While he successfully executed the move on Del Rio, by the time he reached to another side of the ropes where Edge was present, the latter already had a chair in his hand and was able to thwart Mysterio's plan.
The result of this TLC contest fell in the favor of Edge who was able to pull down the title after a power struggle with Kane at the top of the ladder.
#3 Alexa Bliss vs Mickie James (TLC 2017)
While Mickie James is rightfully considered as one of the pioneers of women's wrestling who performed at a very high level of excellence, her return to RAW in 2017 is not very fondly looked upon even by her most ardent of fans. Her rivalry with Alexa Bliss had a little distasteful approach as the RAW Women's champion made jokes about James' age. The ensuing segments on the show didn't create enough hype for people to be excited about their upcoming match at TLC for Bliss' title. The stage was set for a match that would solely rely on the quality of the wrestling to stand apart.
However, contrary to the build-up, they ended up having quite a good bout at the TLC 2017 pay-per-view which was mostly elevated by the in-ring expertise of James and some strong heel work by Bliss.
The ending was quite a smart one by Bliss as she took quick advantage by smashing James into the turnbuckle when the former Women's Champion was distracted by the referee. Little Miss Bliss would then deliver a DDT to pick up the win.
The lack of proper buildup to the contest had undone the efforts of the women in the ring and the crowd was largely indifferent to the proceedings in the match. If the context and the story are ignored, the match certainly deserves a re-watch from the fans of both of these Superstars.
#2 CM Punk vs The Shield (TLC 2013)
When any 3-on-1 Handicap match is announced, the first thing that comes to a person's mind is that this isn't really going to be a great one by any stretch. Three men dominating the proceedings by wearing down their opponent doesn't sound that exciting. However, if the match has performers such as CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose then the results are going to be different.
While CM Punk was still quite popular among the fans, The Shield had just started taking over WWE. The match at TLC 2013 turned out to be a very good one with the crowd firmly behind CM Punk when he was being dominated and rightfully booing The Shield.
When the Voice Of The Voiceless made his eventual comeback and roared his way to victory, the crowd erupted in joy and elation. It was a classic babyface comeback after having the odds stacked against him.
The ending of the match was an absolutely thrilling one. Having injured his eye earlier on in the match Reigns, in an attempt to spear Punk to end the match, accidentally ended up putting down his own stablemate, Ambrose. This allowed Punk to toss The Big Dog out of the ring and pin the current AEW star for the win.
This a prime example of rewarding the viewer's investment into a match by basing the ending on something which happened earlier in the contest. A textbook-style professional wrestling match executed to perfection, this bout on the TLC 2013 card has been forgotten of late and definitely deserves a revisit.
#1 Christian vs Shelton Benjamin (TLC 2010)
Battling out in a ladder match for the now-defunct ECW championship at TLC 2010, this encounter between two of the most underrated performers in WWE history was a kind of match today's spot fests aspire to be.
Fought with searing intensity and unreal aggression, Christian and Shelton Benjamin weaved magic in a criminally-underrated affair which has now become forgotten. The match was full of brutal spots and the pain was clearly visible on both Superstars. While Christian emerged as the eventual winner, Benjamin received a lot of plaudits for his performance that night.
The most memorable moment of the bout was when Christian was left hanging at the top by holding the hook on which the title was attached. Benjamin sensing the chance to deliver a powerbomb, pulled Captain Charisma down and smashed him brutally into the ladder covering one side of the ring.
While it's a little disappointing that these two Superstars never reached the heights their talents deserved, a match like this is an example of why they would always be fondly remembered by the fans.
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