This week in WWE history: Asuka makes history, Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins make a huge splash (December 16-December 22)
WWE has had a big month for what is typically a quiet month. On top of RAW and SmackDown each week, the Sports Entertainment juggernaut presented Saturday Night's Main Event on December 14. The show was a major success and, frankly, a great trip down memory lane, mixed with an entertaining modern product.
However, the holiday season is here, and things are slowing down. Much of the remaining episodes of RAW, SmackDown, and NXT have been pre-taped, and things won't truly pick up again until January.
In the meantime, many fans may want to dig into World Wrestling Entertainment's history. If you're one of those fans looking for a way to pass the time, you're lucky.
This article will take a look at four big shows that took place in December in the past, featuring some of the most noteworthy matches from 2007 to 2018. This includes The Undertaker in a world title match and the first-ever Women's TLC Match.
Below are major matches, moments, and events from this week in WWE history:
#4. Edge, Batista, and The Undertaker clashed at Armageddon on December 16, 2007
The first entry on this week's list is from December 16, 2007. WWE held the Armageddon PLE, which took place live from the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in front of around 12,500 fans.
Eight matches were booked as part of the main card, including Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton, Beth Phoenix vs. Mickie James, and Jeff Hardy vs. Triple H. The main event featured three of WWE's biggest names.
The Undertaker, Batista, and Adam Copeland (FKA Edge) locked horns in a Triple Threat Match for The Animal's World Heavyweight Title. The erstwhile Edge won in 13 minutes, thanks to the debuting "Edgeheads," who were later known as Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder (Matt Cardona), causing a distraction. It was an extremely unique and fun finish.
#3. The Shield made its in-ring debut at TLC on December 16, 2012
The next entry on this week's list is from the 2012 TLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs PLE, which emanated from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on December 16 that year.
Around 15,700 fans were in attendance for an eight-match main event card, which was headlined by Nic Nemeth (FKA Dolph Ziggler) and John Cena. They battled in a Ladder Match for the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank contract. However, the most memorable match was placed fourth on the main card. It was also undoubtedly the best.
The Shield's Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose (Jon Moxley in AEW) made a massive splash in their debut match on the main roster. The trio defeated Kane, Daniel Bryan (FKA Bryan Danielson), and Ryback in a chaotic Six-Man Tag Team TLC Match. The match went for just over 22 minutes in total, with a double Powerbomb through a table ending The American Dragon's hopes for a win.
#2. Finn Balor and Samoa Joe headlined NXT TakeOver: London on December 16, 2015
WWE NXT has been around for around 15 years now, but it truly began taking off over a decade ago. The erstwhile black and gold brand hosted NXT TakeOver: London on December 16, 2015, live from The SSE Arena in London, England.
This was the first-ever TakeOver event to be held in England, and over 10,000 WWE fans attended the show. Several stars, such as Asuka, Baron Corbin, Bayley, Emma, and Nia Jax, were in action. The card was stacked, at least, in retrospect.
The main event saw then-NXT Champion Finn Balor defend his belt against Samoa Joe. With a unique Jack The Ripper-style look, Balor defeated the former TNA World Champion in just over 18 minutes in what was an incredibly fun match.
#1. The first-ever Women's TLC Triple Threat Match took place at WWE TLC on December 16, 2018
The last entry is the second TLC show to make the list. The 10th annual WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs took place at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, on December 16, 2018. 13,108 fans were in attendance for the event.
This big premium live event featured an exhausting nine matches on the main card, arguably far too many for a standard special event. Stars such as Seth Rollins, Jon Moxley (FKA Dean Ambrose), AJ Styles, and Randy Orton are some of the names who wrestled at the event.
The main event was the historic first-ever Women's Triple Threat TLC Match. Future Hall of Famers Asuka, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch battled in the last match of the night for nearly 22 minutes. In the end, the animosity between The Queen and The Man led to The Empress of Tomorrow emerging victorious and winning the coveted SmackDown Women's Championship. It was an awesome match.