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Follow @TheDocLOP QUESTION OF THE DAY: How interested would you be in a Roman Reigns vs. Triple H match at WrestleMania? TLC has quietly emerged as one of my favorite PPVs of the year since its inception six years ago. Expectations are perennially low, but the quality has very often exceeded them. I thought 2015 was one of the best editions. Not a bad match on the card and some noteworthy happenings. The triple threat Ladder match was outstanding. I noted on Twitter last night that no gimmick match in WWE provides a better outlet for creativity. After so many Ladder matches over the years, a stunt brawl-iteration has to feature spot ingenuity to succeed at the highest level possible. It’s an exercise in getting noticed essentially. Aiding in that process is the addition of new superstars who have not regularly (if ever) competed in Ladder matches. For instance, someone like Kalisto, with his high-flying repertoire, is a perfect fit and was the star of the match. The Solina Del Sol off the top of one ladder and through another was the kind of spot that could wind up replayed for years to come. The Usos and New Day were willing and able dance partners for the Lucha Dragons. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen such a good version of this style of Ladder match, highlighting why six is such a good number for stunt brawls; it’s just enough people to keep the visual assault on the senses going until the end but not too many to overly distract from each individual spot. On a side note, Kingston, Woods, and Big E are firing on all cylinders right now and the tag team division is being elevated with their ascension. As we prepare for WrestleMania season, I hope plans are being made to utilize the New Day. (**** ¼) I have concluded that the Tables match, reflecting back on its history, is best served in a two-on-two situation. The original WWE Tables match at Royal Rumble 2000 remains atop the “greatest of” list, in part, because it was the perfect blend of action, creativity, and psychology. Comparing it to food, the Dudleys vs. Hardys was the equivalent of a Ruth’s Chris steak. One-on-one works just fine and can in certain cases be really good (like Cena vs. Rollins last year and Sheamus vs. Cena in ’09), but it’s hit or miss – like getting a Ruth’s Chris caliber steak at Outback (possible but far less likely). The Tables match is just better suited for tag teams. Let’s face it: psychology is the distant third element in an environment built for action and creativity. However, once you get beyond three-on-three, as was the case in last night’s Wyatt Family vs. ECW Originals match, it gets a little overcrowded. Saturday night, I just wanted a steak, so I threw one in the oven’s broiler unseasoned and just slathered it in A1 when it was done. The purpose was clear: I wanted beef. The Wyatts getting a dominant win was the whole point of the match last night, so mission accomplished on that front, but the quality of the match suffered from too many ingredients. Ryback and Rusev had the unenviable task of trying to follow the opener, but had a pretty good match that kept the crowd reasonably engaged. It’s fascinating to look at Rusev a year ago vs. Rusev today. I am quite curious to see if he can avoid becoming “just another guy,” as he’s flirting with it right now. He’s very talented, so I’m hopeful. Ryback has grown on me over the last 13 months. For a fairly lengthy stretch earlier in the decade, the mid-card was missing a popular mid-card babyface that could work matches like this one. Ryback has filled that void nicely. Add to the list of unenviable tasks the responsibility of working a Chairs match. It’s a gimmick that can work, even if it’s a bit strange given that chairs are so frequently used in matches throughout the rest of the year. When I saw Alberto Del Rio was involved in this year’s attempt, I felt confident that he would figure it out. How do you creatively employ a chair? Watch this match again to find out. It was as good an example as there’s been. Swagger and Del Rio had one of the better of the six in TLC lore. I’m not sure that anyone will ever be able to light the world on fire in a Chairs match, but the former WrestleMania opponents further proved that having a good match largely based on finding new ways to use a commonly used foreign object is absolutely possible. (***) Finally, WWE realized that it was also possible to bring an NXT Diva to the main roster with her developmental character intact, even if it was in arrears. Charlotte is not an “aw shucks” babyface. Why anyone in WWE is asked to play that role in 2015 is beyond me; it’s so inauthentic that it makes my blood boil to see someone paraded out there smiling like a doofus. At TLC, Charlotte was in her comfort zone and the match quality was enhanced by it. Nevertheless, these WWE Divas matches continue to pale in comparison to the NXT Women’s matches. Why? I’ve not pinpointed any one particular thing. I believe it’s probably like every other problem – the result of multiple causes. The primary diagnosis may well be overcomplication. For example, Ric Flair’s presence. In WWE world, having Naitch out there with his daughter makes sense. In my mind, it convolutes the situation and slightly reduces the ability of Charlotte and Paige to get themselves and their match over. Little things matter a lot to me. Unlike a month ago, I can now say that I feel like they’re on the right track. Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens was on track to being a great match before it ended with the Lunatic Fringe winning the IC Championship before the 10-minute mark. It was still a heck of a match, but I am again left wanting after watching these two work a PPV match. I look forward to seeing them in a feature length match, as they have the kind of chemistry that suggests the equation of Ambrose + Owens may equal Match of the Year candidate. As for what we got, I was impressed by the action; neither of these guys seems to have an off night. It’s either good or it’s great. The reaction by Ambrose to winning the title looked genuine and I resonated with it, as did the Boston audience apparently. Both of these guys are in intriguing positions entering year end and the start of WrestleMania season. (***) Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus was a very good match. That might have gotten lost on some people for a couple of reasons. The first is that the crowd diverted fan attention away from what was happening in the ring with its antics. I’ve talked on my podcast about the role of the fan and what is and isn’t appropriate. I think it’s a big “FU” to the wrestlers when you chant for someone uninvolved during a match. Reigns has worked really hard this year and has improved a lot. Sheamus is one of the better performers in WWE. They aren’t the problem; WWE booking is the core issue. I don’t think that the way to get your point across about your distaste for a product is chanting “We Want Cena” or “We Miss Rollins.” That’s extremely disrespectful to Reigns and Sheamus, who were out there working their butts off to have a good PPV main-event. The second is that having a story-driven, one-on-one Ladder match on the same night as a stunt brawl Ladder match with six wrestlers involved is tough because one is clearly more exciting than the other. The reduction down to two participants limits the amount of action and increases the psychological demand. Overall, I thought Reigns and Sheamus did well to overcome the early crowd distractions and have the people into the match by its finish, as well as do enough through tables or off of ladders that it could not be said later on that they didn’t work just as hard as the Tag Team Championship match combatants (*** ¾). Had the night ended with Sheamus and the League of Nations on top, then it would’ve been a little disappointing. As fans, we want it acknowledged that our apathy – no matter how we choose to show it – is not going unnoticed. I do not want my words in the above paragraph to be misconstrued. I think Reigns is a lousy whitemeat babyface; I think everyone is a lousy whitemeat babyface because whitemeat babyfaces are too one-dimensional, in my opinion, for the modern product. I’ve been poo-pooing Reigns as a character for 15 months, while acknowledging how good he has become in between the ropes. I know a lot of people are at the very least annoyed by Reigns being pushed to the top with such an “aw shucks” persona and that some people are outright turned away by it. So, I loved seeing WWE allow Reigns to be a bad ass to close TLC last night. It was cathartic to see not only Reigns annihilate Sheamus and Triple H, but also to see the Roman Reigns character act like he genuinely gave a crap about something…and to the point where that same crowd that was ignoring his existence 25-minutes prior started a “Thank you Roman” chant. The problem with the “aw shucks” babyface is that it acts like we’re all just here to have fun. That may be the corporate line, but that can never be a character’s motivation. For Reigns to snap so believably finally offered to us from him some legitimate emotion.
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