WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders And Chairs 2009 ReviewsWWE TLC: Tables, Ladders And Chairs 2009
The options are endless – Drop a “Swanton Bomb” on your opponent from atop a twenty two foot ladder or simply smash his face in with a folding chair. Some of the most exciting and death-defying moments in the history of the WWE have come in TLC matches. Now for the first time ever, it’s a WWE pay-per-view event! The stars of Raw, SmackDown, and ECW will compete at WWE TLC, and this DVD will collect all the matches from this spectacular event.
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(out of 9 reviews)
Review by D.P. for WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders And Chairs 2009
Rating:
Ladder Match: ECW Champion Christian vs. Shelton Benjamin – With the ECW brand being lost in the shuffle for the past couple of PPV’s (which Christian openily admitted weeks earlier), they came back with a bang here with the two men who have their own highlight reels when it comes to ladder matches. Michael Cole described this match just right in the end when he called it a “thriller” because you just had so many moments such as various moves done off the ladder (flying clothesline, powerslam, scorpion deathdrop) and done onto the ladder (frog splash) and one moment where Shelton showed heavy strength by catching Christian off the ladder into a powerbomb onto another one. The only thing I can really say that was negative here was when Christian got busted open at one point & the match was stopped so the EMT can attend to it leading the crowd to chant “WE WANT BLOOD.” Despite that one negative, they did what they acomplished to do & that’s steal the show.
Intercontinental Champion John Morrison vs. Drew McIntyre – This was a different type of match than the previous match as this was more of a normal wrestling match with Drew using a more matbased offense as opposed to how Morrison uses a more diverse combination style. It was hard to follow up the previous match as the crowd was mostly dead for this match as it started off real show but picked up the pase overtime as these two young guys put together a good above average contest.
Womens Champion Michelle McCool vs. Mickie James – Before I get started, someone tell Michelle to leave “boxer” attire with the rest of Marc Mero’s leftovers? Just based off the buildup they had for weeks with all the “Piggy James” comments, this match played out exactly how it should have in the beginning as it was real intense to the point where the opening moments had a tieup the went all the way out of the ring with both heavily starting each other down. However from there, they didn’t keep it going throughout the match as it was just a good average divas contest with Layla coming into play on the outside. Instead of this coming off as a relevant match on the card with all the buildup it had, it just came off mostly as a filler but it was one of Mickie’s better matches this year compared to the others where she just seemed to keep having an offnight.
Tables Match: WWE Champion John Cena vs. Sheamus – Unless you’ve been heavily paying attention to ECW & RAW for the past few months, your going to say “Who The Hell Is Sheamus?” Well, he’s a new face in the heavyweight division known as the “Celtic Warrior” (complete with his own press in Irish newspapers) & was put in the right position for his first major PPV match against Cena in a tables match as it’s been proven that Cena’s best performances are in these types of “No Rules” matches. They had a good brawl that had the usual moments you would expect but one key thing to pay attention to in this match is the commentary because eventhough people didn’t like the ending, it was referenced early in the match and it was a good way to keep both men strong afterwards.
Chairs Match: World Champion Undertaker vs. Batista – Please someone correct me if I wrong but this is the first time I’ve ever heard of a “chairs match” but this is just a normal match with the stipulation that chairs were legal to use & that point was hammered home in the opening moments as Batista went for the chairs right away. Eventhough chairs were legal, they didn’t heavily base the match around that but I’ll say that this match was a step down from their previous series of matches back in 2007-2008 as it just seemed like they didn’t pick up the pase at all during the match and the ending was really just out of left field. Good match but it didn’t match the standards set by their previous matches as this was missing that “it” factor for me.
Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton – After months of having the “rinse, wash, repeat” formula of having Kofi defend his title in multiman matches before finally dropping the Jamacian character & getting more serious, this was Kofi’s “breakout” match here as he was more aggressive than we’ve seen before with using high impact moves at various times before Orton hit a dropkick on Kofi’s ribs in midair after Kofi jumped off the top rope onto the outside. Orton continued his “Viper” character by heavily focusing on his ribs while Kofi kept fighting back. Very competitve match between both men in a type of match that had both men leaving strong with great selling by Kofi throughout the match on both his ribs & his arm after blocking Orton’s punt.
TLC Match: Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & Big Show vs. D-Generation X – DX was out to gain their first set of tag team championship (eventhough technically the New Age Outlaws were tag team champions as members of DX a decade ago). This started out as you would expect with an all-out brawl on the from the ring to the floor all the way to the arm with dueling chair being used. This match had it’s various moments with Big Show actually being the M.V.P. of the match like how Triple H was sprawled across a ladder in the corner only for HBK to the thrown against him & be squished by Show, Big Show punched through a chair into Triple H’s face, the power of Show destroying more than one ladder with his bare hands, and the comedic ending with Jericho & Show working together to grab the belts only for that to backfire in a nasty way for Jericho as he took the worst fall than anyone else the entire night. If your expecting the heavy “spotfest” that you’ve gotten from TLC/Ladder matches in the past that you won’t get it here but this was still a good contest with plenty of moments to not leave you disappointed.
Overall I have to say out of the three new “themed” PPV’s WWE has done this year (submissions at Breaking Point, Hell In A Cell) that this was my favorite one as it wasn’t a classic but come off like everyone stepped their game up & had a good mix of inring action (wrestling & hardcore) along with establishing new stars in the process so this is one PPV I would recommend checking.
Review by Ole Miss Rebel for WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders And Chairs 2009
Rating:
WWE’s December pay-per-view, TLC 2009, does not quite deliver the way I hoped it would. It seemed as though the potential for what could have been, was much greater than the finished product.
ECW Title
Ladder Match
Christian vs Shelton Benjamin
What was probably the best choice for an opener, still did not shape up to be a great opener. The crowd does not seem to be into this match at all, which does not help it. The match drags from spot to spot with alot of filler in between. The spots are range from decent to good. Christian gets busted open about half way through which really kills the crowd and momentum. A very strong spot at the end does not make up for the half decent match though. 6/10
Intercontinental Title
Drew McIntyre vs John Morrison
There’s not a whole lot going on in this match. McIntyre’s offense drags, while Morrison comes up with good combinations of offense occasionally. At 10 minutes, this one could have been shorter. 4.5/10
Women’s Championship
Michelle McCool vs Mickie James
The same as any other women’s match you’ve seen on Raw.
WWE Championship
Tables Match
John Cena vs Sheamus
Sheamus’s first big dance turned out to be an okay one. A good way to describe this match would be to coin it as “a light-brawl”. The fight up the ramp and back, outside the ring and back, and trade some pretty good offense inside the ring. None of it gets too intense though (hence the term “light”). The ending is somewhat abrupt and anticlimactic, which hurts it. Crowd seems stunned. 6.5/10
World Heavyweight Title
Chair Match
Undertaker vs Batista
This one was really disappointing. We have seen these two put on classics (Wrestlemania 23) and we have seen them try to match it with good matches (Cyber Sunday 2007) and we have seen them offer up something different, but great (Survivor Series 2007). To be honest, I had high hopes. I was expecting something between their Wrestlemania ecounter and their Hell in a Cell at Survivor Series. What we got was not a dud, but it was close. They can’t seem to find their groove as this one drags on for 14 minutes. The chair comes into play some, but nothing worth noting or even really remembering. 5/10
Randy Orton vs Kofi Kingston
This match I really enjoyed. I did not think I would either. Orton and Kofi trade very good offenses between each other. The match has small moments of down time as Orton does hit “viper” gimmick, but it did not really hurt the match at all. It was very entertaining and probably had the best psychology/story telling of any match this night. 7.5/10
Tag Titles
TLC Match
Jerishow vs DX
When you think TLC main event at a pay-per-view titled TLC, you think big spots, hard action, and a great match. This just did not deliver. The end result it simply “okay”. There are no big spots at all within the match. The crowd was definitely way into this match though. There are some okay moments with all three weapons, but nothing worth phoning home about. All four men were talented enough to keep you into the match, but I won’t remember it forever. 6.5/10
Review by J. Perez for WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders And Chairs 2009
Rating:
Wrestling-wise,it was good but story-wise,not so great.The best matches on the card were the Intercontinetal,ECW and the Tag Team championship matches despite the fact that Big Show was in that match.The wrestling and the storytelling in the World’s and WWE championship matches were weak due mainly to the gimmick stipulations.The shock endings and title changes were the highlight of the card,story-wise.I give this event a 7 out of 10.
Review by R. Marsiglia for WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders And Chairs 2009
Rating:
This was a good pay per view effort from WWE. There was not a single bad match on the show, and the booking had some twists and turns that one normally would not expect from wwe. Nothing on this show really blew me away, but there was nothing to complain about either. The only thing that hurt this show was the crowd, because they were absolutely dead for much of this show, even in the big main event matches, but you can’t blame the performers for that. Matches are rated out of 5 stars (*****).
1. ECW Championship Ladder Match
Christian (C) vs. Shelton Benjamin
This was a really good opener. Crowd was pretty quiet but they did manage to pop for the big dangerous spots, of which there were plenty. Christian got busted open hardway by a ladder and had to be stitched up during the match. Shelton was his usual death defying self here, he really shines in these types of matches, as does Christian. Very good match, wound up being the best match on the show, in my opinion. ***3/4
2. Intercontinental Title Match
John Morrison (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
Pretty good match. The crowd didn’t care one iota but they had a better than average match. Worth a look. **1/2
3. Women’s Title Match
Michelle McCool (c) vs. Mickie James
Better than most women’s matches, but that is expected because these two are probably the best female workers wwe has. There were some good near falls, and the crowd was actually getting into it by the end. In the end this was really just filler, but at least it was decent filler. **1/2
4. WWE Championship Tables Match
John Cena (c) vs. Sheamus
Having this match take place on this spot in the card made the outcome somewhat predictable. That being said, they had a much better match than I expected and I thought Sheamus did a really good job as a heel. Crowd was into this match more than anything else on the show. Both guys worked hard and they had a good title match, one of many title changes on the show. At least they’re finally following through on somebody’s push. ***
5. World Heavyweight Championship Chairs Match
Undertaker (c) vs. Batista
All this was was a chairs are legal match. You could hear crickets chirping during this match, the crowd was so quiet, which really hurt the match. To be honest, this was pretty slow going until the end, but they had some good near falls. Batista won the title after a low blow and a chair shot, but Teddy Long came out and reversed the decision, and Undertaker quickly won with a chair shot and a Tombstone. Finish hurt the match a little, but the match was nothing special either way. **1/4
6. Randy Orton vs. Kofi Kingston
Kofi was super over after this program initially began, but they have done such a bad job with it from that point on that he was seen as just another guy here by the crowd. It didn’t help matters that Orton won relatively clean. Match was pretty good but nothing special, I wouldn’t go out of my way to see it. **1/2
7. Unified Tag Team Championship Tables Ladders and Chairs Match
Big Show (c) and Chris Jericho (c) vs. Shawn Michaels and Triple H
Very long match, and the crowd had no sustained heat throughout, which was odd considering how over these two teams are. That being said, this was a very good main event with a clever finish. There were the usual tag team ladder match spots, but they also did some innovative stuff as well, not to mention dangerous. Good finish to the show, and at least the crowd was sent home happy. ***1/2
This wasn’t a great show, but there were no bad matches whatsoever. I don’t necessarily recommend purchasing this on dvd, but I do suggest renting it, because the show as a whole was quite enjoyable with some high quality wrestling.
Review by R.A. McKenzie for WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders And Chairs 2009
Rating:
I’m gonna sound like a jackass on this one, so here goes.
WWE’s “TLC” PPV is likely going to be a favorite from 2009. Sadly, it isn’t one of mine. I say this because I like to read other people’s reactions before I write my own reviews, just so that I can better understand (or criticize) what I’ve watched.
“TLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs” has received a positive response from the websites I like to visit. As for me, I enjoyed the event for the most part, but I’d be dishonest if I gave it a whole-hearted recommendation.
Please excuse me if I get defensive while I type this:
1) Ladder Match – ECW Championship
Shelton Benjamin v. Christian (champion)
—These two literally claimed on TV that they were going to steal the show. Well, judging by the crowd, they didn’t even come close. The pace didn’t keep up, with high spots being telegraphed. You could see these guys talking way too much! My favorite Ladder Matches feel natural, and flow at a smooth pace. But this one barely sustained any momentum; they even stopped the match because Christian cut himself! To be fair, most Ladder Matches end on a weak note, whereas the best spot of this match was the final one. Overall, I commend these two guys for their risky moves, but Christian & Shelton Benjamin are capable of so much more than this. The Tuesday night show has been in trouble for quite some time, and I’m afraid this wasn’t enough to give the SyFy program a much-needed boost.
“6.0 / 10″
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2) Intercontinental Championship
Drew McIntyre v. John Morrison (champion)
—I lost interest in McIntyre after his initial push a few years ago suddenly stopped. A friend of mine promised, “He’s gonna impress you. Give him time.” Boy, it feels good to be wrong. These guys worked quite well together. Morrison has successfully found how his character can be both a cocky villain or a confident good guy. And McIntyre is capable of bright future. This match was somewhat traditional, as Drew keeps the upper hand, only to have Morrison come back with a flurry of hot offense. But the two wrestlers kept putting neat touches on their contest. Drew has a smerk that makes you love to hate him. Most newcomers oversell their beatings or overdominate their opponents. But McIntyre has just the right balance; it’s fun to see him get hurt, and interesting to see him control the match. Morrison’s risky athleticism was crisp for the most part too. The finish was a tad weak, but it didn’t bother me as much as it could’ve. This isn’t a Match-of-the-Year candidate, but it’s a promising sign of things to come.
“7.0 / 10″
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3) Women’s Championship
Mickie James v. Michelle McCool (champion – w/ Layla)
—”RAW” may bring the ratings, but “SmackDown” has go the ladies. Matt Striker might’ve been premature when he guaranteed that McCool would be in the Hall of Fame, but his praise is well-founded. Michelle McCool is my favorite Diva in quite some time, ever since Mickie James’ successful run back in 2006. How ironic, right? These two had a decent match together, better than most of Mickie James’ outings this year. Even Layla’s role in the match was pretty well done, making this probably her best stuff to date (strange compliment, I know). Like most women’s matches this year, the crowd wasn’t into it. They were so dead that they didn’t react to a super-obvious botch, followed by a very vicious by Michelle. I guess this one worked well enough, but I expected more from these two ladies.
“6.0 / 10″
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4) Tables Match – WWE Championship
Sheamus v. John Cena (champion)
—Well…THAT was a surprise. Drew McIntyre and Sheamus have received criticism for their pushes. I can buy McIntyre as a future talent; Sheamus’ character really bores me. However, his physical presence is all you really need in a match like this. To my delight, Cena & Sheamus pulled it off very well. The two of them had a very exciting slugfest. Their brawl in the crowd was more fun than audience brawls usually are. The Tables weren’t used much, but I kinda liked the minial usage. The final spot is what brings my score down a bit. It took too darn long to set up, and if it weren’t for Jerry Lawler’s second-guessing of the decision, I’d have thought it was done wrong. I’m still not buying Sheamus as the WWE champion. But as a physical performer, I’ll spend my money to watch a few more scuffles with Cena.
“7.5 / 10″
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5) Chairs Match – World Heavyweight Championship
Batista v. The Undertaker (champion)
—The new evil Batista works, and WWE is wise to let him run with this direction. And even though I believe Taker’s days are numbered, he’s still a fighting champion. The Chairs weren’t used all that much, but to expect a huge Chair-fest was kinda silly anyway. We wanted to see Taker & Batista mix it up just like they did in 2007, right?……or did we? Frankly, as decent as this showdown was, there was very little that was unique about it. I’ve seen these spots & exchanges too many times between these men; it wasn’t supposed to be a throwback. And the finish was stupid. STUPID STUPID STUPID. There was no logical reason for Teddy Long to restart the match, other than the kids in the audience were still crushed that their hero Cena had lost his spinner belt.
“6.5 / 10″
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6) Randy Orton v. Kofi Kingston
—I believe this was the true test of whether Kingston was going to be main event material. I also believe, sadly, that we’re gonna have to wait a bit longer for him to get there. This straight-up one-on-one affair did little for either man, except maybe that Orton got a clean pinfall victory. Kofi just didn’t get enough chances to explode with his unique offense. And Orton’s slow pace works, as long as you are invested in the hero’s struggle to come back. But this contest didn’t flow very well. Like the ECW Title Ladder Match, it had its moments, but not a compelling story or progression. Kofi Kingston will one day be one of WWE’s biggest stars, but tonight won’t do much to convince the skeptics.
“6.5 / 10″
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7) TLC Match – Unified Tag Team Championships
D-Generation X v. Chris Jericho & Big Show (champions)
—While Jeri-Show & DX put on a good main event, this one didn’t really get as crazy as it should’ve. I don’t expect the Attiude-Era spotfests, but these four guys didn’t use the TLC stipulations enough. I suppose that’s because to these veterans, “Less Is More”. In that sense, the match worked. There were no crazy falls from the Ladders, but there was enough suspense every time someone started to climb them. The Chairs didn’t bust anybody open, but there were some unique moments, like when HBK and Y2J had a duel. And the Tables……well, one spot was weaksauce, and the final one was worse on Jericho’s body then it should’ve because it was botched. I wish we got to see something more than an entertaining brawl between these two teams, and got to see more of a TLC Match. But as it is, DX & Jeri-Show brought the PPV to a satisfying close.
“7.0 / 10″
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“TLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs” does not have a single bad match on its card. But it doesn’t have any great matches, either. It’s just a 3-hour presentation of watchable content that rarely got my hardcore fan juices flowing. I guess I thought all 7 of these matches could’ve been special, and none them came even close. Plus, I think people hoping to see some good TLC action are gonna be disappointed.
By all means give this one a watch. But I think I’d be disappoint even if I only paid DVD dollars. Imagine how a PPV purchase must’ve felt.