WWE TLC: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
While TLC may not go down as the best pay-per-view of the year, the event undoubtedly had at least a little something for everyone. With a whopping ten matches, the WWE pay-per-view was heavy on gimmick bouts and while that concept has the tendency to quickly get stale, TLC will ultimately be remembered as the host of one of the greatest matches in women's wrestling history.
Asuka, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch came together for the first ever Women's Triple Threat TLC Match, which far exceeded expectations and left wrestling fans in complete and utter awe.
There were some of wrestling's biggest Superstars: Ronda Rousey was successful in her RAW Women's Championship defence and the new environmentally friendly WWE Champion Daniel Bryan, put on a fantastic bout against AJ Styles.
There were surprising championship changes (Asuka and Dean Ambrose) and rekindled feuds (Becky Lynch vs Charlotte vs Ronda Rousey). Even worlds collided as SmackDown vs RAW feuds were rekindled. Perhaps most interestingly, the path forward toward WWE's biggest pay-per-views, Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, began to materialize.
So, sit back, relax, and strap it down as we take you through the best, worst, and downright ugliest WWE TLC moments with a special edition of The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly.
The Good - Natalya Gets Redemption
The wrestling world was saddened and shocked by the passing of one of the most beloved performers in tag team wrestling history when Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart passed away this past August. As much as we all mourned The Anvil's passing, our tears failed in comparison to Natalya Neidhart's, who displayed the love she had for her father and her grief on the Total Divas Season Eight Finale. Natalya clearly adored her father and as that became visibly evident, our collective hearts broke along with her's.
While Stephanie McMahon and Natalya's WWE family would come to mourn Jim Neidhart's passing at Natalya's side, the company usually doesn't let a lucrative opportunity slip their grasp. With the wound of Neidhart's passing still very much fresh, the WWE chose to capitalize on his untimely death with a questionable angle between Natalya and the Riott Squad.
Ruby Riott, the trio's evil leader, disrespected the Neidhart Family. She mocked Natalya and tore up the glasses Jim Neidhart famously wore as one half of the legendary Hart Foundation tag team. Of course, this drew Natalya's ire and the feud between her and the unscrupulous Riott Squad only intensified from there leading up to a Tables Match at TLC.
The match was particularly difficult to predict. Natalya, ever the professional, has made a career at putting talent over, but would the WWE really allow the Riott Squad to get away with disrespecting one of its own and in such brash unapologetic fashion?
Natalya would enter the Tables Match wearing her late father's famous jacket in tribute, and she wouldn't look back. It was clear: from beginning to end, this one was for Jim Neidhart. The Calgary native would proceed to put each member of The Riott Squad through a table one by one by one.
In particularly satisfying fashion, Ruby Riott was put through a table after she taunted Natalya with the following, "He's [Jim Neidhart] ashamed of you Natty." Natalya eventually responded with choice words of her own, "You want to mess with my family, b*tch?" She then viciously put Riott where she belonged to taste victory and sweet sweet redemption.
As she pointed to the sky in tribute, it was difficult not to shed a tear and maybe even say a prayer for big Jim and the Neidhart family.
Long-time friend Beth Phoenix summed it up best with the following tweet: