TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs (2012)

Background

The professional wrestling matches at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs featured professional wrestlers performing as characters in scripted events pre-determined by the hosting promotion, WWE. Storylines between the characters played out on WWE's primary television programs, Raw and SmackDown.

Having been denied the title at Hell in the Cell by 'rogue official' Brad Maddox, Ryback along with John Cena competed in a triple threat match for CM Punk's WWE Championship at Survivor Series. However, Punk retained the title again when the debuting trio of Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns interfered and powerbombed Ryback through a table as he was closing in on victory. The trio followed this up by putting Ryback through a table once again. The next night on Raw, and, calling themselves The Shield, continued to attack a myriad of superstars over the following weeks including repeated assaults on the WWE Tag Team Champions, Team Hell No (Kane and Daniel Bryan), who vowed to put aside the personal differences which had marred their title reign and become united as a result. Having been denied the chance to win the title at Survivor Series, Ryback was given another title shot in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match against Punk. However, the next week during a brawl involving The Shield, Team Hell No and The Miz, Ryback assaulted Punk with a chair and a ladder before powerbombing him through a table. The next day, Punk underwent surgery for a (legit) knee injury, and so was removed from the card. Instead, Ryback would team with Team Hell No against Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns in a Six-Man Tag Team TLC match. This match (which was announced via a press release by WWE chairman Vince McMahon) differed from standard TLC matches as it would be decided by pinfall or submission. However, the original TLC match between CM Punk and Ryback was rescheduled to occur on the Raw of 2013.

On October 28, 2012, at Hell in a Cell, Big Show won the World Heavyweight Championship after defeating Sheamus. The conflict between both men intensified after the match, leading to Big Show's attack on Sheamus and William Regal while the two were visiting an English pub during WWE's European tour. Another fight broke out between the two of them in a parking lot during the November 16 episode of SmackDown. The conflict reached its worst during their Survivor Series rematch fight: the Big Show used a referee to shield himself from the Brogue Kick and managed to deliver a knockout punch (WMD) while Sheamus was checking on the downed referee. This foul play ultimately caused the Big Show to be disqualified from the match, thus retaining his title. Shortly after failing to regain the title, Sheamus attacked Big Show with a steel chair while the Big Show pleaded for a cessation of the attacks. Sheamus relented, but followed up the beating by performing his finishing move, the Brogue Kick, on the Big Show. Therefore, the 2012 chairs match between Big Show and Sheamus was first announced on the November 23 episode of SmackDown by General Manager Booker T. TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs events have been an emotional point for Big Show as he both gained and then lost his title during the last event held in 2011 in a record of 45 seconds, as a result of Daniel Bryan cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase after Mark Henry knocked out Show post-match.

Leading up to Survivor Series, Wade Barrett replaced The Miz as the final entrant of Team Ziggler, matching up with Kofi Kingston. During the Survivor Series tag team match between Team Foley and Team Ziggler, Barrett managed to pin Kingston and eliminate him. On the November 19 episode of Raw, Barrett defeated Kingston in a non-title match. During the November 26 edition of Raw, Barrett was granted a match to vie for the Intercontinental Championship title at the TLC event.

Since October 2012, John Cena was accused of having an inappropriate romantic relationship with AJ Lee during the latter's time as Raw general manager, which newly appointed Raw managing supervisor Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler were trying to prove, beginning a feud between Cena and Ziggler. During the December 3rd episode of Raw, Guerrero (after being coaxed by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon) made a ladder match between Cena and Ziggler for Ziggler's Money in the Bank World Heavyweight Championship contract at the TLC PPV. It marked the second time Ziggler would defend his contract.

Antonio Cesaro was feuding with R-Truth heading into the pay-per-view after R-Truth unsuccessfully challenged him for the United States Championship at Survivor Series. The weeks building up included them facing off in a Six Man Tag Team Match and with Cesaro mocking America on the episode of SmackDown before the show. R-Truth suffered a small knee injury but competed anyway.

Event

In an untelevised match, a "Santa's Little Helpers" battle royal for the #1 contendership to the Divas Championship between Alicia Fox, Aksana, Naomi, Cameron, Tamina Snuka, Kaitlyn, Layla, Natalya, and Rosa Mendes took place. Naomi won the match after last eliminating Kaitlyn. The WWE also offered a tribute to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting just prior to the start of the show. The audience was prompted to rise as the bell was tolled 26 times in a gesture of respect to the 26 victims of the tragedy, their families, and everyone affected by the events.

Preliminary matches

The first match was a tables match to determine the #1 contenders for the Tag Team Championship between Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes) and Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara. In the end, Sin Cara attempted a springboard but Rhodes pushed Sin Cara in mid-air, knocking him through a table on the floor, meaning that Rhodes and Sandow won the match.

Next was the United States Championship match between Antonio Cesaro and R-Truth. Cesaro performed a Neutralizer on R-Truth to retain the title.

The third match was for the WWE Intercontinental Championship between Kofi Kingston and Wade Barrett. In the end, Barrett attempted a Bull Hammer on Kingston but Kingston ducked and performed Trouble in Paradise on Barrett to retain the title.

Main event matches

In the first main event, The Shield faced WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No (Kane and Daniel Bryan) and Ryback in a 6-Man Tables, Ladders and Chairs Tag-Team Match. The Shield dominated the early part of the match, isolating one member of the other team and Triple Powerbombed Ryback through a broadcast table. Ambrose and Rollins a double Superplexed Bryan through a table, which was positioned on the top rope, and tried the same move on Kane, who countered. Reigns Speared Kane through the barricade and The Shield buried Kane underneath rubble from the broadcast table and barricade, taking him out of the match. Bryan applied the Yes Lock on each member of The Shield but each member broke the hold. Ryback recovered, dominated The Shield and executed Shell Shocked on Ambrose but Rollins and Reigns broke up the pin. As The Shield fought with Ryback on the entrance ramp, Ryback threw Rollins off a ladder through two tables. Back in the ring, Reigns and Ambrose performed an aided Powerbomb through a table on Bryan to win.

The next match was the WWE Divas Championship match between Eve Torres and Naomi. Eve executed a Heart Breaker on Naomi to win the match.

The chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship between Big Show and Sheamus followed. Sheamus performed a diving Shoulder Block with a chair on Big Show and attempted the same move but Big Show countered with a spear. Show attacked Sheamus with a chair and performed a Chokeslam on Sheamus for a near-fall. Showattempted a chokeslam through two chairs on Sheamus but Sheamus countered with White Noise through the chairs for a near-fall. Sheamus attempted the Brogue Kick but missed and Big Show executed the Knockout Punch for a near-fall. Big Show hit Sheamus with a large chair to retain the title.

Next was an unannounced six-man tag team match between the team of The Miz, Alberto Del Rio and The Brooklyn Brawler against the 3MB. The Miz delivered the Skull Crushing Finale on Jinder Mahal and tagged in The Brooklyn Brawler. The Brooklyn Brawler forced Mahal to submit to the Boston Crab for the win.

In the main event Dolph Ziggler defended his World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank contract against John Cena. Ziggler applied a Sleeper Hold atop a ladder on Cena, causing Cena and Ziggler to fall off the ladder through a table. Cena applied the STF, causing Ziggler to pass out. Cena attempted an Attitude Adjustment on Ziggler but Ziggler countered into a Zig Zag. Cena performed a Hurricanrana on Ziggler, sending Ziggler through a table. Cena executed an Attitude Adjustment on Ziggler, causing Ziggler to roll out of the ring. Vickie Guerrero tried to interfere but AJ stopped her and performed the Five Knuckle Shuffle on Guerrero. Cena climbed the ladder but AJ pushed it over, allowing Ziggler to Superkick Cena. Ziggler retrieved the briefcase to win the match.

Aftermath

The big stories out of this show were the face turn by Alberto Del Rio and the heel turn by AJ Lee. On the New Year's Eve episode of Raw, the champions were allowed to pick their opponents to defend their titles against. Big Show challenged Del Rio's ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez, and brutally assaulted him until Del Rio came to Rodriguez's rescue. This caused Del Rio to turn face and winning the World Heavyweight Championship from Big Show in a Last Man Standing match on the January 11 showing of SmackDown. AJ said that she felt that Cena had betrayed her when he told her not to attend his matches, and she turned heel and became the in-story girlfriend of Ziggler.

Ryback ended up getting his title rematch against Punk on the first Raw episode of 2013 in a TLC match, but again failed to capture it due to interference by The Shield. The Rock went on to defeat Punk and end his reign at 434 days at the Royal Rumble.

Kaitlyn received two more opportunities at the Divas Championship, defeating Eve via DQ and countout each time. Kaitlyn finally defeated Eve to capture the Divas Championship on the 20th Anniversary edition of Raw on January 14, 2013 in Kaitlyn's hometown of Houston. Eve quit WWE in an exclusive segment after losing the title.

The 6-man Tag team TLC match between The Shield, Team Hell No and Ryback, received the highest rating of the event by Dave Meltzer, with 4.5 stars out of 5.