The Top Ten TLC Matches in WWE History

#10 – CM Punk vs Ryback – Raw 1/7/13

This match was supposed to happen at TLC 2012 but CM Punk’s injury held it off for a few weeks. Ryback came out looking dominant but Punk used his speed and smarts to keep himself in the match. Punk takes two nasty spots, getting thrown onto a ladder on its side and getting tossed over the ropes through a table. Ryback looks like he has it won when the lights go out. They turn back on and The Shield have entered the ring. Ryback tries to fight them off but it becomes futile and they Triple Powerbomb him through a table on top of the steel steps on the outside. Punk takes his time, climbs the ladder and retains his title.

#9 – Edge & Christian vs The Hardy Boyz vs The Dudley Boyz – Wrestlemania X-7

This is probably higher for a lot of people but of the original four TLCs, I found this to be the weakest one. I would actually say that my favorite parts of this match are the run-ins from Rhyno, Lita and Spike Dudley. This match also has one of the most legendary spots of all time, when Edge speared Jeff Hardy who was hanging off the title belts. This was all still such a new concept too, which makes it even more insane. Edge & Christian manage to pull of yet another victory in this match.

#8 – Chris Jericho & Christian vs Bubba Ray & Spike Dudley vs Rob Van Dam & Jeff Hardy vs Kane – Raw 10/7/02

The fourth TLC match for the tag titles and it was absolute chaos from the opening bell to the end. Kane’s tag partner, The Hurricane, was jumped before the match which forced Kane to go in alone. This is one of those matches that’s just pure, mindless fun. There’s no big story to it or anything, just lots and lots of fun and crazy spots. When the dust clears, Kane manages to retain the tag titles for him and Hurricane on his own.

#7 – Edge vs The Undertaker – One Night Stand 2008

This was the fourth match in the fantastic Edge vs Undertaker feud, with the stipulation that if Undertaker loses, he’s gone. Edge and Taker beat the living hell out of each other, putting one another through tables, ladders and hitting each other with chairs. Hawkins & Ryder try to interfere and Undertaker dispatches of them. With help from Chavo Guerrero and Bam Neely, Edge gets bought enough time that he gets back into the match and shoves the Undertaker off the ladder, through a stack of tables outside the ring. Edge gets the victory and banishes Undertaker from WWE until Vickie Guerrero enacts her revenge a couple of months later. My only real issue with this match is that some of the spots were really overly set up. Both guys would have to go out of their way at times to set them up. But not a huge issue for me.

#6 – Edge & Christian vs The Hardy Boyz vs The Dudley Boyz vs Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit – Smackdown 5/24/01

The first ever TLC mach on free TV! Much like the original two, it featured the staples of the Attitude Era tag team wrestling, however this also featured the duo of Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit. After Chris Benoit goes through a table, he gets taken out of the match for rib injuries. Jericho has to battle alone as the chaos continues. Jeff Hardy once again has his insane ladder spot, leg dropping Bubba Ray Dudley through the announce table off of a ladder. Benoit gets back into the match but takes a con-chair-to to the ribs by Edge & Christian. After all the chaos, Benoit and Jericho manage to climb the ladders and retain their tag titles.

#5 – Edge vs John Cena – Unforgiven 2006

The culmination of a feud that began in January of 2006. Edge had stolen the title from Cena at Summerslam and changed the spinner title to the Rated R title. If Cena were to lose this match, he’d be banished from Raw and sent to Smackdown. Cena and Edge brutalize each other in this match with both men nearly winning the title multiple times. Lita gets involved in Edge’s favor as well. Edge nearly had it won but a chair shot from Lita sends Cena into the ladder which sends Edge over the ropes and through a table on the outside. Lita stalls enough for Edge to get back up and to the top of the ladder, only to get FU’d through two stacked tables in the ring off of it. Cena wins as Edge lies embedded into the mat.

#4 – Edge vs Ric Flair – Raw 1/6/06

Ric Flair is an absolute maniac for taking part in this match. The man takes the beating of a lifetime. We even get a glimpse of Charlotte 7 years before she was in WWE as Edge punches her bloodied father in front of her in the crowd. Flair keeps on fighting and fighting, doing his best to try to win the WWE title one last time. Ric sends Edge out of the ring through a table. As he climbs the ladder, Lita gets involved and distracts him long enough to get Edge back in the match. After a battle at the top of the ladder, Edge knocks off an exhausted Flair, getting the victory in an incredible match.

#3 – CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy – Summerslam 2009

Going into this match, CM Punk talked about how Jeff Hardy’s entire life revolved around him screwing things up for himself. He said that Jeff Hardy defeats Jeff Hardy more than others do. Jeff took risks all match and managed to inflict quite a bit of punishment on CM Punk. Jeff gets Punk onto the announce table and Swanton Bombs off a ladder onto him. Despite being the one doing the move, Punk manages to get up first as the paramedics try to help Jeff. Jeff struggles his way into the ring but Punk easily finishes him off and wins the title back. What I loved about this match was that the finish fit so well with the story at hand. Fun fact here is that CM Punk is the only wrestler that’s undefeated in TLC matches with more than one win. He’s 3-0. And Jeff Hardy is 0-5 in TLC matches in his career.

#2 – The Shield vs Ryback, Daniel Bryan & Kane – TLC 2012

Interestingly enough the only TLC match from a TLC I have on here. This was also the first TLC match to not be for a championship and didn’t require climbing the ladder for a victory. In The Shield’s first match, we got to see their divide and conquer strategy put to work as they proceeded to isolate Kane, Bryan and Ryback from each other. The good majority of this match is The Shield dominating while the good guys try to get back into it. Ryback and Rollins end up by the entrance ramp and Rollins is stuck up on the ladder with Ryback following him. Ryback tosses Rollins off the ladder through some tables. With Kane put through the barricade, Bryan is stuck in the ring with Reigns and Ambrose, who defeat him with a powerbomb through a table while Ryback struggles to get back to the ring.

#1 – Edge & Christian vs The Hardy Boyz vs The Dudley Boyz

The original TLC. I truly believe it still holds up as the best. All six of these men put safety to the side and show just how much they want those tag team titles. This match set the standard of what has followed in the past 16 years. Bubba Ray goes out of the ring through four tables, Matt Hardy goes out of the ring through two tables, Lita takes an insane spear by Edge right near a ladder and Jeff Hardy crashes and burns through two tables off a ladder. That’s just some of the insanity that happens in this match. And Edge & Christian get the victory, managing to stay relatively safe while the Dudleyz and Hardyz are all out cold.