The Case
For the first time, WWE designs a pay-per-view surrounding the most dangerous
weapons in wrestling entertainment: tables, ladders, and chairs. This is WWE:
TLC 2009, and here is what that show has to offer:
• Christian vs. Shelton Benjamin in a Ladder Match for the ECW
Championship
Having these two guys open this hardcore pay-per-view was a
smart move by the WWE, primarily because they go right at it and end up offering
their fans a very solid ladder match. The title is hanging high above the ring,
and the only way to win the match is to get on a ladder and grab it. The action
starts off really fast, slowing down in the middle but picking up some pace in
the end. This opening battle runs for 18 minutes, but, to tell the truth, it's
always amusing to watch these two athletes pushing each other into and off a
bunch of ladders, even if their coordination is a little off at times. All in
all, a good start for this PPV.
• John Morrison vs. Drew. McIntyre in an Intercontinental
Championship Match
No ladders, tables, or chairs in this match, but that
doesn't mean it's a bore. On the contrary, Morrison and McIntyre pull off a
variety of impressive high-risk maneuvers in this 11-minute fight, and I would
be lying if I said it's unbearable to watch them do their thing. They keep the
wrestling action inside the ring moving at a decent pace. Even though the finale
disappoints, this certainly qualifies as an okay title match. Nothing too
impressive, though.
• Mickie James vs. Michelle McCool in a Women's Championship
Match
The WWE divas are up next, but the show they put on is slow-paced
and disappointing. Mickie James delivers some good moves here and there, but
McCool lacks energy and creativity. This could have been a better battle with
maybe more divas involved in the competition, but what we get to watch here
falls flat.
• John Cena vs. Sheamus in a Tables Match for the WWE
Championship
The only way to win this matchup is to put your opponent
through a table. Sounds entertaining, sure, but as it turns out, the battle
between Cena and Sheamus isn't as intriguing as you may expect. In fact, it's a
slow match without many surprises or hardcore wrestling action. The first half
drags on as both athletes take it around the arena, and after they get back into
the ring, things only improve a tad. I would have liked to see more tables in
this one, but you can't always win. Technically, this is a solid match, but
creativity is missing yet again. Too bad.
• Undertaker vs. Batista in a Chair Match for the World
Heavyweight Championship
Here's another solid match that's well
coordinated and more or less intense in terms of entertainment. Both wrestlers
know what they're doing and use their skills appropriately, giving fans an
overall simple, yet clean, chair match. WWE show writers messed up big time when
it comes to the ending of this title match, but by now, I'm used to these
unnecessary surprises.
• Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton
I always enjoy watching
Kofi Kingston bring tons of energy and fast pace into the ring, and his
13-minute match against Randy Orton works for the most part. They both take the
action outside the ring a couple of times, but they do make up for these slower
moments with some cool, edgy moves inside the ring. Again, this is not a
classic, but it delivers as a matchup preceding the big main event. Let's see
what that one is all about.
• DX vs. Big Show and Chris Jericho in a Tables, Ladders &
Chairs Match for the Unified Tag Team Championship
Once again, the titles
are hanging up high above the ring, but this time, the competitors in this match
have tables, chairs, and ladders at their disposal. It's pretty safe to say that
a matchup like this one involving DX can't really go that wrong, and, truth be
told, this is undoubtedly the most entertaining battle of this event. DX and
their opponents pull off some insane stunts, and slams, dives, and powerful
maneuvers are abundant. Clocking in at 22 minutes, this is a great finish to a
rather solid pay-per-view.
As every other WWE PPV, WWE: TLC 2009 is presented in full frame on
DVD, and the picture quality does the job. The same goes for the audio transfer.
Special features are scarce, and the only extra you'll find on this disc is a
two-minute post-show segment capturing DX's reactions to the main event. That's
it.
WWE: TLC 2009 boasts a series of solid matches, but I wouldn't call
it a brilliant pay-per-view. Bad decisions by WWE's head writers mess up some of
these matches, but viewers still get some decent wrestling action.
