SummerSlam 2000 was where the very first TLC match ever took place and it featured the recognised pioneers of the match: The Hardy Boyz, Edge & Christian, and The Dudley Boyz. While it may not have been quite as earth-shattering as the sequel at WrestleMania X-Seven, there was no doubt this match changed WWE moving forward.
There are too many spots to list here, but one of the more extreme moments came when Bubba Ray Dudley was atop a ladder in the center of the ring towards the end of the match. Edge and Christian had other plans than letting Bubba win, so they acted.
Combined, they pushed the ladder over, sending Bubba crashing through not one, not two, but four tables set up outside the ring, two on top of two. What’s better than going through two tables? Going through four tables!
6. WeeLC Steals The Show. No, Seriously. (Extreme Rules 2014)
This was a match that people scoffed at when first presented with it. WWE didn’t exactly help themselves either. El Torito and Hornswoggle were in the midst of a…feud? Sort of? Their respective teammates were also getting caught up in the rivalry, that being Los Matadores and 3MB.
They decided that this hot blood feud could only be settled in a…WeeLC match. Yep. D’you get it? Because…they’re small. They even had a special commentary team and specially made smaller-sized weapons for them to use. It was terrible.
Except for the fact that it wasn’t. This was genuinely one of the matches of the night, and it was on the pre-show. We saw future NXT Champion Drew McIntyre attempt a tope con hilo over the top rope, and all he landed on was a table. Ow.
Future WWE Champion Jinder Mahal got caught up in the action too, being lifted up by Los Matadores, before El Torito leaped from a small ladder, sending all four of them crashing down through tables with ladders laid on top of them. Really, really, so much ow.
5. “OK I’m Ready For My Trust Fall Jeff…Jeff?” (SummerSlam 2000)
Back again at SummerSlam 2000 in the first ever TLC match. This time, it’s a Dudley Boy giving the punishment. Matt Hardy was innocently climbing a ladder in the middle of the ring, minding his business, before big bad bully D-Von Dudley came over and spoiled his afternoon.
He pushed the ladder over, sending Hardy through two tables set up outside the ring. We’ve seen people thrown through two tables, we’ve seen people slammed through two tables, we’ve seen people fall through four tables, so what makes this one so special?
D-Von didn’t push the ladder sideways, he lifted one end of the ladder, sending Hardy backwards, towards the fans, and more importantly, the barricade. Hardy didn’t even flinch, completely trust falling backwards and accepting his punishment. It was such a smooth landing, directly on the two tables set up, but man, another foot backwards and this would have been a very different story.
4. TLC III: The 3D Experience (SmackDown, May 24, 2001)
It’s not very often you get TLC matches that aren’t on PPVs, but WWE made an exception on the May 24, 2001 episode of SmackDown. This was TLC III, a Fatal 4-Way TLC match between the original trio of The Hardy Boyz, The Dudley Boyz and Edge & Christian, but with the addition of the Tag Team Champions, Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho.
While this may have been the weakest match of the trilogy, that’s not to say it was a bad match by any means. It still had plenty of high spots, plenty of drama and thrills. One such spot came when Christian was dueling with D-Von Dudley in the corner of the ring atop a ladder.
D-Von, at the bottom of the ladder, grabbed Christian’s legs, and threw him backwards in a flapjack position. You know what comes next. There was a table set up in the middle of the ring, and Bubba caught the flying Christian to nail him with a 3D through the table. A Super 3D if you will.
mailing list