Can you believe the 2010s have finally come to a close? It seriously feels like yesterday that we were all getting ready for WrestleMania XXVI. Fast forward to now and we are getting ready for WrestleMania 36 with some new faces and some old faces being front and center in the WWE realm. There's been so many Superstars who have taken the decade by storm so compiling a top 5 list was a very difficult task. Nonetheless, here is my list and why I believe these stars were the five best...
5. Randy Orton
The most underrated characteristic a wrestler can have is consistency. A consistency to show up, perform and always put on a damn good show at that. As a matter of fact, Randy Orton has done that at nearly a main event level since the start of 2010. Of this list, Orton is the only wrestler to have started as a top name from 2010 and finish as a top name here in 2019. Whether Orton was competing as a babyface or a heel, the audience was simply invested in what he was doing. His best work was arguably in 2011 where he had some of his best matches against the likes of Christian and Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship. From multiple world championship wins, to winning his second Royal Rumble and to even winning a Money in the Bank Ladder Match, his resume more than speaks for itself.
4. John Cena
This is where the list begins to get really controversial. I really wanted to rank John Cena higher than this position but I think with the next three guys you will see on this list, this is ultimately the right spot for him. Like Orton, Cena began the decade as a marquee name in the business. But unlike Orton, Cena did not finish off the decade on top as he would only make sporadic appearances in the company starting in about 2017 or so in order to focus on other ventures. Regardless, his catalog of accomplishments and amazing matches during this time frame cannot be overlooked. Put aside the fact that the man won tons of championships and events and just look at the quality and quantity of matches the man had. Say what you want about the man, but his matches against guys like CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, AJ Styles and Seth Rollins speak for itself. When all is said and done, we will have to seriously consider John Cena as the greatest of all time.
3. Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns first appeared on WWE television in late 2012 as a member of The Shield. The trio of Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose ran rampant through the company before breaking up in 2014. It was no secret at the time, Reigns was picked to be the golden boy of the group and the company looked to make him the new face of the WWE as John Cena began to step away from the limelight. Although it was Rollins to be the first member of The Shield to become a world champion, it was arguably Reigns who was the first member to truly make their mark on the main event scene. A 2015 Royal Rumble victory propelled Reigns into three straight WrestleMania main events along with multiple world championships and multiple amazing matches. Reigns does not carry a long of a catalog as both Orton or Cena but certainly carries an incredible one that makes up for those missing years in the beginning of the decade. He became the face of the WWE for damn good reason.
2. Daniel Bryan
Of all the wrestlers on this list, I don't think anyone has a more inspiring or more wild one than that of Daniel Bryan. Bryan began the decade on the original NXT show before legitimately getting fired from the company. Upon return, Bryan willed his way to the main event scene and eventually forced the WWE to have him main event an incredible WrestleMania XXX. The "YES" movement became worldwide and his career had finally reached its peak... until he was forced to retire in early 2016. A sad and abrupt end to an amazing career left so many hearts broken until Bryan was eventually medically cleared to wrestle again in 2018. Bryan continued to reinvent himself as he became an environmental-obsessed heel in late 2018 where he would eventually win the WWE Championship against AJ Styles. Charisma, popularity, in-ring abilities and the power to reinvent himself when needed is what helped put Bryan on this list.
1. Brock Lesnar
Love it or absolutely hate it, Brock Lesnar is the WWE Superstar of the decade and in my opinion... it's not even close. The thought of Lesnar returning to the WWE after his departure in 2004 seemed like a dream that would never happen. However, Lesnar eventually left the UFC in 2011 before returning to the WWE in 2012 and immediately making an impact with an F5 to John Cena on the Raw after WrestleMania in Miami that left the crowd in complete disbelief. Lesnar was different this time around, he was a legitimate monster and the people treated him as such. His star soared highest in 2014 when at WrestleMania XXX, he broke The Streak in what can be seen as the most memorable and infamous WrestleMania moment ever. Soon after, he demolished John Cena to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and really... never looked back. He became the longest reigning world champion in the history of the company to go along with so many main event victories and above all, becoming the most controversial and most talk about figure in the company's history. You can call him boring and you can call him whatever the damn hell you please, but you have to respect the legitimacy he brought to the business this decade to go along with some of the most shocking and memorable moments in the history of professional wrestling.
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Sunday, December 8, 2019
WWE TLC 2015 Review
WWE TLC 2015
December 13, 2015
Boston, Massachusetts
The final PPV event of 2015 sees Roman Reigns try to regain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Sheamus in a TLC Match. Is Reigns up to the challenge or will Sheamus escape Boston with another big PPV victory?
Match 1: WWE Tag Team Championship - Ladder Match - The New Day (c) vs. The Lucha Dragons vs. The Usos
What a way to open up the night with a wild Ladder Match with three of the hottest tag teams in the company. The New Day working as heels was an amazing act, would love for them to go back to heels one day. Big E and Kofi Kingston represent The New Day for the match with Xavier Woods being on commentary and getting his hand prints on the match later on. This was certainly one of the more overlooked matches of the year with all teams giving it their all throughout the match with some innovative spots that had the crowd rocking to start the show. Highlight of the match was Kalisto delivering a Selena del Sol off the top of a ladder and driving one of The Usos through another ladder set up in the ring. Crazy spot. Unfortunately for him and Sin Cara, Woods would involve himself in the match by tossing his trombone to Kalisto which allowed Kingston to toss Kalisto off the ladder and grab the belts to win the match. Wow, what a match. Super overlooked match that everyone needs to check out!
Winners: The New Day
Rating: ****1/2
Match 2: Rusev vs. Ryback
What an odd match to follow up with. Nothing screams 2015 like Rusev vs. Ryback on a PPV. Pretty standard match here with Lana watching closely in the background as she cheers on her man. Crowd was pretty taken out of the fun for the match here and could not care less for what was happening. With Lana pretending that Ryback ran her over outside the ring, Rusev would later take advantage and lock in his Accolade submission to secure the win. Take it or leave it. At this point, Ryback's run in the WWE has come to a screeching halt.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: *1/4
Match 3: WWE United States Championship - Chairs Match - Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Jack Swagger
With Alberto Del Rio turning on his manager in Zeb Culter, Jack Swagger looks to fight in his defense against Del Rio for the United States Championship... in a Chairs Match. Always thought that this was one of the WWE's oddest stipulations but in this case, the two here made the match work. Del Rio was great in making those chair shots look nasty and meaningful throughout the match and coming off as a nasty heel that he is. Great ending to the match here with Del Rio stomping Swagger through his chest from the top rope on to a pool of steel chairs to seal the deal. Del Rio did a great job of selling the ankle injury after the match when Swagger locked in a Patriot Lock with a chair earlier on. Good middle of the card match here.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Rating: **1/2
Match 4: Elimination Tables Match - The Wyatt Family vs. The Dudley Boyz, Rhyno & Tommy Dreamer
Here it is, the match you have all been waiting for as The Wyatt Family goes against some ECW Originals in a Tables Match. Keep in mind that the year here is still 2015. Wild. This match was exactly what you would expect, all eight guys beating the crap out of each other as the fans wondered what exactly they paid for. Lots of messy spots here with Braun Strowman eventually saving the day for The Wyatt Family by slamming Bubba Ray Dudley through a table before Bubba could drive Bray Wyatt through a table. If you like mindless table spots, this is for you. If not, pass on this. The real saving grace here was giving The Wyatt Family a win on PPV.
Winners: The Wyatt Family
Rating: *1/2
Match 5: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Kevin Owens (c) vs. Dean Ambrose
Any time you put these two against each other in a ring, sign my ass up. With the roster being so limited at the time due to injuries, this is basically the second main event match of the night and it's for Kevin Owens' Intercontinental Championship. As you would expect, fun match here with both guys beating the living daylights out of each other as the crowd ate up every minute of it. Even after hitting a Dirty Deeds DDT onto Owens, Ambrose was still unable to secure the win. However, it all set up for a sweet finish that saw Ambrose counter a Pop Up Powerbomb attempt from Owens into a pin to score the big win. Afterwards, Ambrose celebrates the win with the crowd as the new Intercontinental Champion. Great Match.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
Rating: ***1/2
Match 6: WWE Divas Championship - Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Paige
It's interesting to look back at how much Charlotte Flair has evolved these past years and has really come onto her own. It felt like she was rushed to the main event scene here in 2015 and was essentially just a carbon copy of her dad. Her taunts, actions and moves all felt so forced and as if her persona was strictly just to be Ric Flair's daughter. That case was on full display here in her match against Paige. The action itself was decent but nowhere near as good as what she has become now in 2019. A little bit of a sluggish finish here with Ric helping Charlotte get her leg under a rope for a pin before Charlotte was able to drive Paige into an exposed turnbuckle... right in front of the referee. Charlotte scores the win and retains the belt in another successful PPV match.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Rating: **1/2
Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - TLC Match - Sheamus (c) vs. Roman Reigns
The fans are already booing the match before it even begins, pro wrestling fans are the absolute worst. This match tends to be one of the more forgotten TLC matches and it's a shame because these two delivered when they really needed to. This was just a good ol' fashioned spot fest above all, table spots galore and it was just downright fun to watch it all go down. I think we all tend to be so damn technical in the way we match pro wrestling that we forget what it's supposed to at its core: fun. Tons of drama throughout the match with some really innovative spots that eventually kept the crowd from booing. One of the coolest spots saw Roman Reigns hit a Superman Punch on Sheamus off the ladder and through a table set up nearby. However, Alberto Del Rio and Rusev hit the ring to prevent Reigns from grabbing the belt. Eventually, Sheamus would hit Reigns with a Brogue Kick and grab the belt for the win. Fantastic main event, Reigns would go on to defeat Sheamus for the belt the next night on Monday Night Raw for those keeping score. After the match here, Reigns took out the three guys from League of Nations before Triple H came out to try and stop the mess. However, Reigns ended up beating the living daylights out of The Game for his troubles. Great way to send the fans home happy along with setting up the main event for WrestleMania.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ****1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Even with a couple weak matches on the card, the show still had a nice fluidity to it and the main matches really delivered. The opening contest and the main event match were both fantastic efforts and a nice way to close out the year with a banging PPV leading into the final weeks of 2015. The seeds for WrestleMania have officially been planted.
Rating: 7.75/10
December 13, 2015
Boston, Massachusetts
The final PPV event of 2015 sees Roman Reigns try to regain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Sheamus in a TLC Match. Is Reigns up to the challenge or will Sheamus escape Boston with another big PPV victory?
Match 1: WWE Tag Team Championship - Ladder Match - The New Day (c) vs. The Lucha Dragons vs. The Usos
What a way to open up the night with a wild Ladder Match with three of the hottest tag teams in the company. The New Day working as heels was an amazing act, would love for them to go back to heels one day. Big E and Kofi Kingston represent The New Day for the match with Xavier Woods being on commentary and getting his hand prints on the match later on. This was certainly one of the more overlooked matches of the year with all teams giving it their all throughout the match with some innovative spots that had the crowd rocking to start the show. Highlight of the match was Kalisto delivering a Selena del Sol off the top of a ladder and driving one of The Usos through another ladder set up in the ring. Crazy spot. Unfortunately for him and Sin Cara, Woods would involve himself in the match by tossing his trombone to Kalisto which allowed Kingston to toss Kalisto off the ladder and grab the belts to win the match. Wow, what a match. Super overlooked match that everyone needs to check out!
Winners: The New Day
Rating: ****1/2
Match 2: Rusev vs. Ryback
What an odd match to follow up with. Nothing screams 2015 like Rusev vs. Ryback on a PPV. Pretty standard match here with Lana watching closely in the background as she cheers on her man. Crowd was pretty taken out of the fun for the match here and could not care less for what was happening. With Lana pretending that Ryback ran her over outside the ring, Rusev would later take advantage and lock in his Accolade submission to secure the win. Take it or leave it. At this point, Ryback's run in the WWE has come to a screeching halt.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: *1/4
Match 3: WWE United States Championship - Chairs Match - Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Jack Swagger
With Alberto Del Rio turning on his manager in Zeb Culter, Jack Swagger looks to fight in his defense against Del Rio for the United States Championship... in a Chairs Match. Always thought that this was one of the WWE's oddest stipulations but in this case, the two here made the match work. Del Rio was great in making those chair shots look nasty and meaningful throughout the match and coming off as a nasty heel that he is. Great ending to the match here with Del Rio stomping Swagger through his chest from the top rope on to a pool of steel chairs to seal the deal. Del Rio did a great job of selling the ankle injury after the match when Swagger locked in a Patriot Lock with a chair earlier on. Good middle of the card match here.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Rating: **1/2
Match 4: Elimination Tables Match - The Wyatt Family vs. The Dudley Boyz, Rhyno & Tommy Dreamer
Here it is, the match you have all been waiting for as The Wyatt Family goes against some ECW Originals in a Tables Match. Keep in mind that the year here is still 2015. Wild. This match was exactly what you would expect, all eight guys beating the crap out of each other as the fans wondered what exactly they paid for. Lots of messy spots here with Braun Strowman eventually saving the day for The Wyatt Family by slamming Bubba Ray Dudley through a table before Bubba could drive Bray Wyatt through a table. If you like mindless table spots, this is for you. If not, pass on this. The real saving grace here was giving The Wyatt Family a win on PPV.
Winners: The Wyatt Family
Rating: *1/2
Match 5: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Kevin Owens (c) vs. Dean Ambrose
Any time you put these two against each other in a ring, sign my ass up. With the roster being so limited at the time due to injuries, this is basically the second main event match of the night and it's for Kevin Owens' Intercontinental Championship. As you would expect, fun match here with both guys beating the living daylights out of each other as the crowd ate up every minute of it. Even after hitting a Dirty Deeds DDT onto Owens, Ambrose was still unable to secure the win. However, it all set up for a sweet finish that saw Ambrose counter a Pop Up Powerbomb attempt from Owens into a pin to score the big win. Afterwards, Ambrose celebrates the win with the crowd as the new Intercontinental Champion. Great Match.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
Rating: ***1/2
Match 6: WWE Divas Championship - Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Paige
It's interesting to look back at how much Charlotte Flair has evolved these past years and has really come onto her own. It felt like she was rushed to the main event scene here in 2015 and was essentially just a carbon copy of her dad. Her taunts, actions and moves all felt so forced and as if her persona was strictly just to be Ric Flair's daughter. That case was on full display here in her match against Paige. The action itself was decent but nowhere near as good as what she has become now in 2019. A little bit of a sluggish finish here with Ric helping Charlotte get her leg under a rope for a pin before Charlotte was able to drive Paige into an exposed turnbuckle... right in front of the referee. Charlotte scores the win and retains the belt in another successful PPV match.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Rating: **1/2
Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - TLC Match - Sheamus (c) vs. Roman Reigns
The fans are already booing the match before it even begins, pro wrestling fans are the absolute worst. This match tends to be one of the more forgotten TLC matches and it's a shame because these two delivered when they really needed to. This was just a good ol' fashioned spot fest above all, table spots galore and it was just downright fun to watch it all go down. I think we all tend to be so damn technical in the way we match pro wrestling that we forget what it's supposed to at its core: fun. Tons of drama throughout the match with some really innovative spots that eventually kept the crowd from booing. One of the coolest spots saw Roman Reigns hit a Superman Punch on Sheamus off the ladder and through a table set up nearby. However, Alberto Del Rio and Rusev hit the ring to prevent Reigns from grabbing the belt. Eventually, Sheamus would hit Reigns with a Brogue Kick and grab the belt for the win. Fantastic main event, Reigns would go on to defeat Sheamus for the belt the next night on Monday Night Raw for those keeping score. After the match here, Reigns took out the three guys from League of Nations before Triple H came out to try and stop the mess. However, Reigns ended up beating the living daylights out of The Game for his troubles. Great way to send the fans home happy along with setting up the main event for WrestleMania.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ****1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Even with a couple weak matches on the card, the show still had a nice fluidity to it and the main matches really delivered. The opening contest and the main event match were both fantastic efforts and a nice way to close out the year with a banging PPV leading into the final weeks of 2015. The seeds for WrestleMania have officially been planted.
Rating: 7.75/10
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