Another week in WWE, and another chance for the corporation to tee up its latest pay-per-view in the most manic of fashion.
Not only did Cyber Monday return to Raw to establish the TLC card, but we were also treated to a WWE Main Event that gave some of the middle-of-the-ground wrestlers among the stable the chance to shine.
By far the highlight of Raw was its opening salvo which saw a procession of TLC headliners take to the ring and square off and showcase their talents with the utensils which make the pay-per-view one of the most anticipated in the calendar year.
Kane repeatedly fired chair shots at Ryback ahead of their chairs match, Dolph Ziggler’s use of a ladder backfired and it all ended with John Cena being put through a table by Seth Rollins and his ‘mall cop’ associates. We were also told that Cena would lose his No. 1 contender status if he loses to Rollins at TLC, adding some much needed spice to their matchup.
The night’s showpiece saw Luke Harper join forces with Kane and Rollins in a three-way tag against Cena, Ziggler and Ryback – which ended with the team of faces earning victory to reclaim some of the momentum lost in the opening exchange.
Elsewhere, one match shaping up to be a classic in Cleveland on December 14 is Dean Ambrose vs Bray Wyatt in the title match of the evening. The animosity, intensity and brutality that the former partners are showing could make for one of the most exciting matches in 2014.
This spilled over into Raw with the pair putting on one of the most convincing displays of out-and-out hatred seen in the franchise for some time.
As for Main Event, the Bunny nonsense continued amid a show that, although an excellent idea in principle, lacked the punch necessary to give its combatants a more serious run at the upper echelons of its cards.
The standout match was Jimmy Uso vs The Miz, who carried on their battle for tag-team glory with the verve and vigour needed to return the tag-team division to its former heights among WWE shows.
MOVE OF THE WEEK
Seth Rollins’ powerbomb – Reliving the success of The Shield, Rollins and his latest strong arms heaved Cena into the air to deliver a three-man powerbomb through a table. The pair face off in a tables match in two weeks’ time.
TWEETS OF THE WEEK
The right combination of patience and guts can be a very powerful ally in any situation
— John Cena (@JohnCena) December 1, 2014
No better way to grab the brass ring then to take out the so-called last guy to do just that. #WWETLC #TablesMatch How’s that for ambition?
— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) December 2, 2014
well you can do what you want to us, but were not going to sit here & listen to you bad mouth the United States of America
— Dolph Ziggler (@HEELZiggler) December 2, 2014