WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event series
Professional wrestling pay-per-view event series
WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs
was a
professional wrestling
event
produced by
WWE
, a Connecticut-based
promotion
. It was broadcast
live
and available only through
pay-per-view
(PPV) and the
WWE Network
. The event was established in 2009, replacing
Armageddon
in the December slot of WWE's pay-per-view calendar. In 2017, the event was moved to October, but returned to December in 2018. An event was scheduled for 2021, but it was canceled in favor of a
New Year's Day
event called
Day 1
. The concept of the TLC event was based on the primary matches of the card each containing a stipulation using
tables
,
ladders
, and/or
chairs
as legal weapons, with the main event generally contested as a
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
.
The event was established during the first
WWE brand extension
, and the inaugural event featured wrestlers from the
Raw
,
SmackDown
, and
ECW
brands. Following ECW's disbandment in 2010, the
2010 TLC event
only featured Raw and SmackDown before the first brand extension ended in August 2011. The brand split was reinstated in 2016, and TLC that year was exclusively a SmackDown-branded event. In 2017, it was held exclusively for Raw. Following
WrestleMania 34
in 2018, brand-exclusive pay-per-views were discontinued, thus the
2018 event
featured the Raw, SmackDown, and
205 Live
brands, while the final two events only featured Raw and SmackDown.
The
2013 TLC event
was notable as it saw the unification of the
WWE Championship
and
World Heavyweight Championship
, where
Randy Orton
defeated
John Cena
in a TLC match to unify the titles as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship; the unified title continued the lineage of the WWE Championship, and following the
2016 event
, the title reverted to the shortened name. The 2018 event saw the first-ever women's
three-way
TLC match, which was also the first time that the
SmackDown Women's Championship
was defended in the main event match of a PPV, while the
2019 event
saw the first women's tag team TLC match, which was also the first time that the
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship
was defended in the main event match of a PPV.
History
[
edit
]
From 1999 to 2008 (except in 2001),
World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE, which became an
orphaned initialism
in 2011)
[1]
ran a
pay-per-view
(PPV) event titled
Armageddon
, and it was held in December. In 2009, the company decided to replace Armageddon with a new PPV. In August that year, WWE ran a poll on their website to allow fans to vote on the concept of this PPV, with the choices being an event themed around
street fight
main events, an event featuring a
single-elimination tournament
, and an event featuring matches that contained stipulations using
tables
,
ladders
, and/or
chairs
as legal weapons with the main event being a
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (TLC) match
.
[2]
The concept of a TLC-themed event was chosen and the event was aptly named TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. The
first event
was then held on December 13, 2009, in
San Antonio, Texas
at the
AT&T Center
.
[3]
A
second event
was held the following year, thus establishing TLC as an annual event for the promotion.
[4]
In 2014, WWE launched their online streaming service, the
WWE Network
, and in addition to traditional PPV, these events also began to air on the streaming service. The
2014 event
was in turn the first TLC to air on the WWE Network. The 2014 event also had an alternative title of "Tables, Ladders, Chairs... and Stairs" as the event contained a Steel Stairs match in addition to the event's themed matches.
[5]
In 2017, the event was moved to the October slot of WWE's PPV calendar,
[6]
however, it returned to December in 2018 due to the cancellation of that year's
Clash of Champions
event.
[7]
As a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic
that began affecting the industry in March 2020, WWE had to hold its events
behind closed doors
. The
2020 event
was in turn held in WWE's
bio-secure bubble
called the
WWE ThunderDome
, hosted at
Tropicana Field
in
St. Petersburg, Florida
. Subsequently, it was the first WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network event presented from the ThunderDome at Tropicana Field, as the ThunderDome was previously hosted at the
Amway Center
in
Orlando, Florida
.
[8]
[9]
The 2021 TLC was canceled due to the scheduling of an event titled
Day 1
that took place on January 1, 2022. Wrestling journalist
Dave Meltzer
reported that TLC, which was scheduled for December 19, 2021, was canceled to allow WWE to focus on Day 1 after November's
Survivor Series
. There would have also only been two weeks between TLC and Day 1, followed by the
Royal Rumble
in late January.
[10]
In October 2021, WWE revealed their PPV calendar for 2022 and TLC was not included, thus TLC was discontinued.
[11]
To coincide with the
WWE brand extension
, in which the company divided its roster into brands where wrestlers exclusively performed,
[12]
the inaugural event featured wrestlers from the
Raw
,
SmackDown
, and
ECW
brands.
[3]
It would be the only TLC event to feature the ECW brand as that brand was disbanded in February 2010.
[13]
The
2010 event
would be the last held under the first brand extension, as in August 2011, the first brand extension was dissolved. In mid-2016, the brand split was reintroduced, and the
2016 event
was held exclusively for wrestlers from the SmackDown brand,
[14]
while the
2017 event
was in turn held exclusively for Raw.
[6]
Following
WrestleMania 34
in 2018, brand-exclusive PPVs were discontinued,
[15]
thus the
2018 event
featured Raw, SmackDown, and
205 Live
,
[16]
while the final two events featured only Raw and SmackDown after 205 Live merged under
NXT
in September 2019.
[17]
[18]
Concept
[
edit
]
The concept of this pay-per-view was that the main event matches were generally contested as a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, while the undercard matches would typically feature
tables matches
,
ladder matches
, and
chairs matches
. At the 2010 event, every match except one involved tables, ladders, or chairs. The 2014 event also included a steel stairs match, where the steel stairs could be used as a legal weapon.
In a tables match, the only way to win is for a wrestler to put their opponent through a table. In a ladder match, the only way to win is to climb a ladder and retrieve an item hanging above the center of the ring (for example, a
championship belt
). In a chairs match, only chairs can be used as legal weapons, but the only way to win is by pinfall or submission in the ring. In a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, all three are allowed to be used as legal weapons and there are no count-outs, but it has a couple of ways to win depending on if it is a championship match or not. In a non-title TLC match, the only way of winning is by pinfall or submission, while in a championship TLC match, the only way to win is the same as a regular ladder match.
Notable TLC matches
[
edit
]
With the event's TLC theme, some of the TLC matches over the event's history were notable for the company as a whole. Following the dissolution of the first brand extension in August 2011, the company no longer had a need for two
world championships
. After two years, this matter would be settled at the
2013 TLC event
. In the main event, reigning
WWE Champion
Randy Orton
faced reigning
World Heavyweight Champion
John Cena
in a
title unification
match that was contested as a TLC match. Orton would defeat Cena to unify the titles as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, which continued the lineage of the WWE Championship while the World Heavyweight Championship was retired;
[19]
immediately after the 2016 TLC event, the title reverted to being called WWE Championship.
[20]
In the midst of WWE's "
Women's Evolution
", which began in 2016 and saw female performers begin to be treated on an equal level as the men, the 2018 event saw the first-ever women's
three-way
TLC match, which was the first time that the
SmackDown Women's Championship
was defended in the main event of a PPV.
[16]
This was followed up at the
2019 event
, which saw the first women's tag team TLC match, which was also the first time that the
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship
was defended in the main event match of a PPV.
[17]
Events
[
edit
]
|
Raw-branded event
|
|
SmackDown-branded event
|
#
|
Event
|
Date
|
City
|
Venue
|
Main Event
|
Ref.
|
1
|
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2009)
|
December 13, 2009
|
San Antonio
,
Texas
|
AT&T Center
|
Jeri-Show
(
Big Show
and
Chris Jericho
) (c) vs.
D-Generation X
(
Shawn Michaels
and
Triple H
) in a
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
for the
Unified WWE Tag Team Championship
|
[3]
|
2
|
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2010)
|
December 19, 2010
|
Houston
,
Texas
|
Toyota Center
|
John Cena
vs.
Wade Barrett
in a
Chairs match
|
[4]
|
3
|
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2011)
|
December 18, 2011
|
Baltimore
,
Maryland
|
1st Mariner Arena
|
CM Punk
(c) vs.
Alberto Del Rio
vs.
The Miz
in a
Triple Threat
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
for the
WWE Championship
|
[21]
|
4
|
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2012)
|
December 16, 2012
|
Brooklyn
,
New York
|
Barclays Center
|
Dolph Ziggler
(contract holder) vs.
John Cena
in a
Ladder match
for Ziggler's
World Heavyweight Championship
Money in the Bank contract
|
[22]
|
5
|
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2013)
|
December 15, 2013
|
Houston, Texas
|
Toyota Center
|
Randy Orton
(WWE Champion) vs.
John Cena
(World Heavyweight Champion) in a
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
to
unify
the
WWE Championship
and the
World Heavyweight Championship
as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
|
[23]
|
6
|
TLC: Tables, Ladders, Chairs... and Stairs (2014)
|
December 14, 2014
|
Cleveland
,
Ohio
|
Quicken Loans Arena
|
Bray Wyatt
vs.
Dean Ambrose
in a
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
|
[5]
[24]
|
7
|
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2015)
|
December 13, 2015
|
Boston
,
Massachusetts
|
TD Garden
|
Sheamus
(c) vs.
Roman Reigns
in a
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
for the
WWE World Heavyweight Championship
|
[25]
|
8
|
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2016)
|
December 4, 2016
|
Dallas
,
Texas
|
American Airlines Center
|
AJ Styles
(c) vs.
Dean Ambrose
in a
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
for the
WWE World Championship
|
[14]
|
9
|
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2017)
|
October 22, 2017
|
Minneapolis
,
Minnesota
|
Target Center
|
Dean Ambrose
,
Kurt Angle
, and
Seth Rollins
vs.
Braun Strowman
,
Cesaro
,
Kane
,
Sheamus
, and
The Miz
in a
5-on-3 handicap
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
|
[6]
[26]
[27]
|
10
|
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2018)
|
December 16, 2018
|
San Jose
,
California
|
SAP Center
|
Becky Lynch
(c) vs.
Asuka
vs.
Charlotte Flair
in a
Triple Threat
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
for the
WWE SmackDown Women's Championship
|
[16]
[28]
[29]
[30]
|
11
|
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2019)
|
December 15, 2019
|
Minneapolis
,
Minnesota
|
Target Center
|
The Kabuki Warriors
(
Asuka
and
Kairi Sane
) (c) vs.
Becky Lynch
and
Charlotte Flair
in a
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
for the
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship
|
[17]
[31]
[32]
|
12
|
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2020)
|
December 20, 2020
|
St. Petersburg, Florida
|
WWE ThunderDome
at
Tropicana Field
|
"The Fiend" Bray Wyatt
vs.
Randy Orton
in a
Firefly Inferno match
|
[18]
|
(c) ? refers to the champion(s) heading into the match
|
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Sacco, Justine; Weitz, Michael (April 7, 2011).
"The New WWE"
(Press release).
Connecticut
:
WWE
. Retrieved
November 25,
2021
.
- ^
"WWE issues a new online fan survey"
. WrestleView. August 25, 2009
. Retrieved
October 13,
2009
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Preview:Unified Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho & Big Show vs. D-Generation X (Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match)"
. WWE
. Retrieved
November 24,
2009
.
- ^
a
b
"WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs"
.
Toyota Center
. Archived from
the original
on September 26, 2010
. Retrieved
October 15,
2010
.
- ^
a
b
"WWE PPVs Caldwell's WWE TLC PPV Report 12/14: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of Cena vs. Rollins, Roman Reigns involved, Ambrose vs. Wyatt, set-up for the Royal Rumble, more"
.
Pro Wrestling Torch
. Retrieved
December 15,
2014
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Get WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs 2017 tickets now"
. WWE. June 23, 2017
. Retrieved
October 2,
2017
.
- ^
Powell, Jason (February 17, 2018).
"Major WWE pay-per-view shakeup, all co-branded events, two events dropped"
.
Pro Wrestling Dot Net
. Retrieved
February 17,
2018
.
- ^
"WWE ThunderDome will head to Tampa Bay's Tropicana Field beginning Friday, Dec. 11"
.
WWE
. November 19, 2020
. Retrieved
November 19,
2020
.
- ^
Lambert, Jeremy (November 19, 2020).
"WWE ThunderDome Moving To Tropicana Field On December 11"
.
Fightful
. Retrieved
November 19,
2020
.
- ^
Casey, Connor (October 14, 2021).
"WWE Has Reportedly Canceled the TLC 2021 Pay-Per-View"
.
ComicBook.com
. Retrieved
October 15,
2021
.
- ^
WWE.com Staff (October 25, 2021).
"WWE unveils 2022 pay-per-view schedule"
.
WWE
. Retrieved
October 27,
2021
.
- ^
"WWE Entertainment To Make Raw and SmackDown Distinct Television Brands"
.
WWE
. March 27, 2002. Archived from
the original
on October 17, 2014
. Retrieved
August 3,
2010
.
- ^
Caldwell, James (February 4, 2010).
"Caldwell's WWE Superstar TV Report 2/4: Complete coverage of Team Morrison vs. Team McIntyre six-man tag, awesome Bourne vs. Carlito match"
.
Pro Wrestling Torch
. Retrieved
February 5,
2010
.
- ^
a
b
"Get WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs ticket this Saturday"
. WWE
. Retrieved
September 26,
2016
.
- ^
WWE.com Staff (February 17, 2018).
"WWE pay-per-views just got bigger for 2018!"
.
WWE
.com
. Retrieved
February 19,
2018
.
- ^
a
b
c
Powell, Jason (December 16, 2018).
"Powell's WWE TLC live review: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs Asuka in a TLC match for the Smackdown Women's Championship, Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles for the WWE Championship, Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose for the IC Title"
.
Pro Wrestling Dot Net
. Retrieved
December 16,
2018
.
- ^
a
b
c
Lambert, Jeremy (October 1, 2019).
"WWE Tables, Ladders, & Chairs Scheduled For December 15 In Minnesota"
.
Fightful
. Retrieved
October 2,
2019
.
- ^
a
b
Johnson, Mike (September 1, 2020).
"LESNAR STORY GOES MAINSTREAM, WWE PPV SCHEDULE UPDATE"
.
PWInsider
. Retrieved
September 10,
2020
.
- ^
Clapp, John (November 25, 2013).
"World Heavyweight Champion John Cena vs. WWE Champion Randy Orton (Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match)"
.
WWE
. Retrieved
December 3,
2013
.
- ^
"WWE Championship"
.
WWE
. Archived from
the original
on December 14, 2016
. Retrieved
December 13,
2016
.
- ^
Cutting, Devin.
"WWE PPV Moved"
. Gerweck.net. Archived from
the original
on August 24, 2011
. Retrieved
June 24,
2011
.
- ^
Caldwell, James (December 16, 2012).
"CALDWELL'S WWE TLC PPV RESULTS 12/16: Complete 'virtual-time' coverage of final 2012 PPV - Cena vs. Ziggler main event, Shield makes a statement"
.
pwtorch.com
. Retrieved
November 26,
2015
.
- ^
Cutting, Devin (January 11, 2013).
"COMPLETE DETAILS AND LOCATIONS ON ALL 2013 WWE PPV EVENTS"
. PWInsider
. Retrieved
January 11,
2013
.
- ^
"Updated Confirmed WWE PPV Dates And Locations Through WrestleMania 31"
. wrestlinginc.com. April 30, 2014
. Retrieved
July 31,
2014
.
- ^
Caldwell, James (December 14, 2015).
"12/13 WWE TLC PPV RESULTS ? Caldwell's Complete Real-Time Report"
. Pro Wrestling Torch
. Retrieved
December 14,
2015
.
- ^
Target Center [@TargetCenterMN] (June 19, 2017).
"Just announced: @WWE TLC PAY-PER-VIEW on Sun, Oct 22! 1st PPV in the Twin Cities in 2+ years! On sale Fri at 10am.…"
(
Tweet
) – via
Twitter
.
- ^
Johnson, Mike (June 19, 2017).
"WWE TLC 2017 PPV NEWS, CENA HEADING TO BATTLEGROUND, FORMER UFC FIGHTING IN MAE YOUNG CLASSIC? AND MORE WWE NEWS"
. PWInsider
. Retrieved
June 20,
2017
.
- ^
"WWE TLC PPV UPDATE"
. Retrieved
September 16,
2023
.
- ^
"WWE changes up PPV schedule for remainder of 2018"
. July 10, 2018.
- ^
Fuentes, Jon (September 11, 2018).
"TLC PPV Location Announced, Interesting Venues Considered For WM 35 Week"
.
Sescoops
.
- ^
"WWE schedule, list of PPVs for 2019: Money in the Bank, Backlash date, location"
.
- ^
Center, Target.
"WWE Present Tables, Ladders & Chairs | Target Center"
.
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
History
| |
---|
Programming
| |
---|
Home bases
| |
---|
Personnel
| |
---|
Notable rivalries
and matches
| |
---|
Affiliated properties
| |
---|
Defunct businesses
| |
---|
Notable acquisitions
| |
---|
Investments
| |
---|
Related companies
| |
---|
Partnerships
| |
---|
Championships
| |
---|
Accomplishments
| |
---|
Brand extension
| |
---|
International
| |
---|
Miscellaneous
| |
---|
|
---|
TLC
| |
---|
Current
|
- Royal Rumble
(1988?present)
- Vengeance
(2001?2007, 2011, 2021?present)
- Elimination Chamber
(2010?2015, 2017?present)
- NXT Stand & Deliver
(2021?present)
- WrestleMania
(1985?present)
- Backlash
(1999?2009, 2016?2018, 2020?present)
- King of the Ring
(1993?2002, 2015, 2024?present)
- Battleground
(2013?2017, 2023?present)
- Clash at the Castle
(2022, 2024?present)
- Money in the Bank
(2010?present)
- Heatwave
(2024?present)
- SummerSlam
(1988?present)
- Bash in Berlin
(2024)
- No Mercy
(1999?2008, 2016?2017, 2023?present)
- Crown Jewel
(2018?2019, 2021?present)
- Survivor Series
(1987?present)
- NXT Deadline
(2022?present)
|
---|
Former
|
- The Wrestling Classic
(1985)
- No Holds Barred
(1989)
- This Tuesday in Texas
(1991)
- One Night Only
(1997)
- Capital Carnage
(1998)
- Over the Edge
(1998?1999)
- Fully Loaded
(1998?2000)
- Invasion
(2001)
- Rebellion
(1999?2002)
- Insurrextion
(2000?2003)
- Bad Blood
(1997, 2003?2004)
- December to Dismember
(2006)
- New Year's Revolution
(2005?2007)
- One Night Stand
(2005?2008)
- Unforgiven
(1998?2008)
- Taboo Tuesday/Cyber Sunday
(2004?2008)
- Armageddon
(1999?2000, 2002?2008)
- Judgment Day
(1998, 2000?2009)
- Breaking Point
(2009)
- Bragging Rights
(2009?2010)
- Capitol Punishment
(2011)
- Over the Limit
(2010?2012)
- No Way Out
(1998, 2000?2009, 2012)
- NXT Arrival
(2014)
- Fatal 4-Way
(2010, 2014)
- The Beast in the East
(2015)
- Live from Madison Square Garden
(2015)
- Cruiserweight Classic Finale
(2016)
- Roadblock
(2016)
- United Kingdom Championship Special
(2017)
- Great Balls of Fire
(2017)
- Mae Young Classic
(2017?2018)
- Greatest Royal Rumble
(2018)
- United Kingdom Championship Tournament
(2017?2018)
- Evolution
(2018)
- Halftime Heat
(2019)
- The Shield's Final Chapter
(2019)
- Stomping Grounds
(2019)
- Evolve's 10th Anniversary Celebration
(2019)
- Smackville
(2019)
- Starrcade
(2017?2019)
- NXT UK TakeOver
(2019?2020)
- Super ShowDown
(2018?2020)
- Clash of Champions
(2016?2017, 2019?2020)
- TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs
(2009?2020)
- Superstar Spectacle
(2021)
- NXT TakeOver
(2014?2021)
- NXT WarGames
(2017?2021)
- Day 1
(2022)
- In Your House
(1995?1999, 2020?2022)
- Hell in a Cell
(2009?2022)
- Worlds Collide
(2019?2020, 2022)
- Extreme Rules
(2009?2022)
- Halloween Havoc
(2022)
- Night of Champions
(2008?2015, 2023)
- The Great American Bash
(2004?2009, 2023)
- Payback
(2013?2017, 2020, 2023)
- Fastlane
(2015?2019, 2021, 2023)
|
---|