Every WWE TLC Pay-Per-View Main Event Ranked By Star Rating

Tables, ladders, and chairs. Three pretty standard household objects that we all have lying around somewhere. In fact, I’m sat on a chair at a table while typing these very words. I don’t have a ladder handy though… mainly because that would be a bit odd.

However, when these three objects end up in a WWE ring together, we get with something called a TLC match, in which chairs are used to bash each other, tables are used to lob each other through, and ladders are used to jump off and onto each other.

There have been a ton TLC matches altogether, and in 2009, WWE took it upon itself to turn the match into a pay-per-view gimmick, because we all love those, don’t we?! (No).

Nonetheless, there have now been 11 TLC pay-per-views in total, and with an 12th on its way December 20, we’re going to take a look at the main events from each year, and rank them in order of Dave Meltzer star rating. So if you have an issue with any of these, shout at him, not me.

Note: for matches that have the same star rating, they will be listed in chronological order.

Without further ado, leggo! That’s youth speak for “let’s go”. Possibly.

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11. Kabuki Warriors def. Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch – TLC Match – WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship (2019)

Where better to begin than with the most recent match on this list? The Kabuki Warriors, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch were perhaps the four best women’s wrestlers in WWE in 2019. Putting the four of them together in a main event TLC match should result in a classic, right? Well, not so much.

Unfortunately, the main event of TLC 2019 was a bit of a mess. Kairi Sane suffered a concussion during the match and things promptly fell apart. The rest of the battle couldn’t get back on track and while it wasn’t horrible it was still one of the worst TLC matches in the pay per view’s history.

Star rating: 2.25

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10. Randy Orton def. John Cena – TLC Match – WWE World Heavyweight Title (2013)

At TLC 2013, WWE Champion Randy Orton and World Heavyweight Champion John Cena fought in a TLC match to unify the two top titles and determine once and for all who was the real “face of the WWE” and “Champion of “Champions”.

The match was characterized through Orton’s use of handcuffs, which somewhat restricted what the two men could do. Cena was locked to the rope but eventually managed to yank the ropes from the cornerpost to free himself.

However, the flailing ropes behind him played to his disadvantage, as Orton pulled them and Cena subsequently fell through a table, allowing Orton to pull down the belts and be victorious.

Star rating: 3.25

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9. DX def. Jeri-Show (c) – TLC Tag Team Match – Unified Tag Team Titles (2009)

The main event of the first-ever WWE TLC pay-per-view pitted Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho and Big Show against one of, if not the, most popular teams in WWE history, D-Generation X, in a TLC tag match.

The match was booked by Jesse Ventura back in the good ol’ days of guest hosts of Raw, and despite a few spots that went somewhat amiss, namely Jericho failing to crash through a table, it was a fun match.

After HBK pulled down the belts crowning DX the new champs, Michael Cole sent the show off the air with: “We’ve got two words for ya, good night!” Ew.

Star rating: 3.50

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