[intro music playing]
[suspenseful music playing]
[Becky] As another year comes to an end,
you have to wonder,
did you make your mark?
You have any unsettled business?
Well, we do.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Dean] Shield made me weak,
you made me weak.
You will lose control of yourself
and most importantly, you will lose control
of the Intercontinental Championship.
[suspenseful music playing]
A true champion stands guard at the top of the mountain,
ready to throw down anyone
who dares to approach back down to the bottom.
You have to be the best in the world on your worst day.
[Nia] I don't think Ronda has faced her worst day yet,
but she will when she faces me.
[Ronda] I refuse to step aside.
[Daniel] Fight for your dreams
and your dreams will fight for you.
The old Daniel Bryan is dead.
And all that's left
is the new Daniel Bryan,
the champion.
I know what it's like to want something so bad,
you'll do anything to get it.
So, Daniel, don't forget the WWE Championship
belongs to me.
[Michael] The first ever Women's Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match.
Flair, Lynch, and Asuka for the title.
[Becky] Tonight, we make our mark and settle all business.
[Baron] I'm gonna beat Braun Strowman by forfeit.
I will be permanent general manager.
-["Body Talks" playing] -♪ You can be cool ♪
[Becky] And all its gonna take
is a little TLC.
♪ Ooh, ooh ♪
[Michael] Anything goes.
Welcome, everybody, to Tables, Ladders, and Chairs.
♪ Ooh, ooh ♪
♪ Your body talks ♪
[narrator] And now, Kay Jewelers
and Mattel present WWE
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs.
-["Body Talks" playing] -[crowd cheering]
♪ Say what you want Say what you like ♪
♪ 'Cause, ooh, your body talks Your body talks ♪
[Michael] Welcome to the final WWE pay-per-view of 2018.
It's our version of Human Demolition Derby.
You are looking live at the sold-out SAP Center in San Jose, California,
13,408 WWE fans on hand
for Tables, Ladders, and Chairs WWE TLC.
-["Fabulous" playing] -[singer] ♪ F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S ♪
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And we wanna thank all of you joining us, not only on pay-per-view
in the WWE Network, but on Facebook Watch,
home of the Mixed Match Challenge.
For the first time ever, a pay-per-view match live on Facebook Watch.
-["What's Up" playing] -[crowd cheering]
Y'all know what time it is.
TLC, let's crank it up.
Yeah, here we go.
♪ People over there, what's up? ♪
♪ You feel me, say what's up ♪
-♪ What's up? ♪ -[Carmella] ♪ What's up? ♪
-[R-Truth] ♪ What's up? ♪ -[Carmella] ♪ What's up? ♪
-[R-Truth] ♪ What's up? ♪ -♪ What's up? ♪
-♪ What's up? ♪
♪ Now, you can get with this Or you can get with that ♪
♪ You better get with this 'Cause this is where it's at ♪
-♪ What's up? ♪ -♪ What's up? ♪
♪ Now can't nobody else Walk like we walk ♪
♪ Can't nobody else talk like we talk ♪
♪ Can't nobody else keep this rhyme ♪
-♪ She's too fabulous ♪ -♪ The Truth don't lie ♪
♪ Hey, I'm a legend surviving this game ♪
♪ And I can do the walk And do the damn thing ♪
♪ Lodi Dodi, we like to party ♪
♪ Truth be told ♪
♪ We be kicking like karate ♪
♪ Now, hold up, I'mma load up ♪
♪ This spot now blown up 'Cause all y'all showed up ♪
♪ The grand finale just begun ♪
♪ This is the Grand slam This is the home run ♪
♪ Over there, what's up? ♪
♪ You feel me, say what's up ♪
-♪ What's up? ♪ -♪ What's up? ♪
-[Carmella] ♪ What's up? ♪
-[R-Truth] ♪ What's up? ♪ -♪ What's up? ♪
-♪ What's up? ♪
[crowd cheering]
San Jose, make some noise.
[crowd cheering]
What's up?
["Party On" playing]
-[Michael] So this… -[Renee] What a way to get us started.
[Michael] …the finals of the Mixed Match Challenge.
Not only Carmella and R-Truth who shocked the world last week
by knocking off last season's winning team of Miz and Asuka,
but Vic Joseph, Alicia Fox, and Jinder Mahal
didn't win a match all year until the closing weeks.
[Vic] All it mattered was it got hot at the right time,
both these teams won their way into the final week of the regular season.
Both won their playoff matches and are here tonight.
[bell ringing]
[Hamilton] The following is the finals
of the Mixed Match Challenge.
The winners of this match will receive the coveted 30th entry
into their respective Royal Rumble matches,
and an all-expense paid vacation
to anywhere in the world.
-["Sher" playing] -[singer singing in foreign language]
[Hamilton] Introducing, accompanied to the ring by The Singh Brothers,
the team of Alicia Fox and Jinder Mahal.
[Michael] So again, ladies and gentlemen,
the winning team not only gets an all-expense paid vacation
but they get the coveted spots
in the number 30 in their respective Royal Rumble matches.
I know. I talked to Alicia Fox earlier, this means so much to her.
It's something that she feels is necessary to add on to her resume.
And on top of that, they get the best odds
when they enter the Royal Rumble match in their respective matches in number 30,
the best odds to go on and headline WrestleMania.
[Michael] Yeah. The round-robin tournament culminates tonight,
with the winning team from SmackDown, R-Truth and Carmella.
-The winning team… -[bell ringing]
[Michael] …from Monday Night Raw, Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox.
Of course, Vic, the rules,
men have to battle men, women must battle women.
[crowd chatter]
[Vic] And the Modern Day Maharaja, the former WWE Champion,
starting things off with R-Truth,
and it is important to know that all four of these superstars
have held gold in the WWE, none have ever won the Royal Rumble.
[Michael] You know, one of the interesting things about Mixed Match Challenge
on Facebook Watch this year is the unique comments section
where WWE fans have been engaged
into the conversation throughout the match already,
very vocal tonight on the comments section.
-[Renee] Anything good? -[Michael] Yeah.
Jinder Mahal and captain, uh, Foxy,
they don't stand a chance, from one WWE fan.
The other, "he Truth is here, 'Mella is Money,'
this is their time."
[Renee] I actually talked to Carmella earlier today,
asked what their success was all about.
She just said, "We're the tag team that you never knew you needed.
Just works."
[Vic] Oh, Jinder Mahal using his shanti here in San Jose.
Nice reversal of R-Truth and Truth leaves his feet,
into the cover to win Mixed Match Challenge,
and Jinder Mahal kicking out at two.
But now, Truth again trying to get Mahal down,
backslide shoulders down, and another near-fall.
[Renee] What a huge opportunity for R-Truth.
He's already said he's a walking living legend.
[Vic] Truth from behind, shoulders down,
another kickout by Mahal.
And Jinder Mahal looks like he's seen a ghost.
-R-Truth is on the fight. -[Michael] Tag.
[Vic] And with that tag, in comes Carmella along with Alicia Fox.
-[Renee] The captain. -I got this.
-I got this. I got this. -You better have this, Foxy.
-[man 1] What are you going for? -[man 2] You're the captain.
[Vic] And we have seen Alicia Fox say she is the captain of this team.
[Michael] Well, Jinder Mahal not too happy that he was tagged out of this match.
[Renee] Oh.
[Michael] Oh, look at this.
Truth and Carmella with the double hip toss.
[Vic] And R-Truth and Carmella are on the same page here tonight.
[Renee] Without doubt, I mean, Truth and Carmella--
[Michael] Wait a minute, Renee.
[Renee] We're getting seven-second dance break.
-[crowd cheering] Yes! Yes! Yes! -[Renee] Yes!
-["Make It Super Loud" playing] -♪ We them rebels everybody ♪
-[Renee] Break it down. -♪ Wanna talk about ♪
-[Renee] Hey. -[Michael] Oh, and The Singh Brothers.
Well, listen, The Singh Brothers did say,
"We can out-dance Carmella, R-Truth any day of the week, twice on Sunday."
[Renee] Okay. Look at Truth all going down.
[Michael] Now R-Truth ending the dance break.
[Renee] It turned into a dance battle.
[Michael] Of not one, but both Singh Brothers.
[Renee] Bless their hearts. They really tried.
[Vic] Guys, there's a lot on the line here,
the all-expense paid vacation, the 30th entry
in the respective Royal Rumble matches,
as now Alicia Fox turning…
-[Michael] Oh. -[Vic] …tables on Carmella.
[Michael] Swinging neckbreaker from Foxy.
[Vic] Into the cover goes Foxy, hooks the leg,
and Carmella able to kick out at two.
[Renee] Alicia Fox, like I said, she's using her veteran status here
and she's willing to share that success with Jinder and The Singhs.
[Michael] Alicia and, uh, Jinder, uh, defeating Bayley and Apollo
last week to advance to the finals here tonight.
[Vic] Guys, this is what we have been waiting for, this match, this moment,
season two began back on September 18th,
all to get to tonight.
As Carmella creates a little separation,
-and Carmella-- -[Michael] Oh.
[Vic] The Mella-Go-Round taking out Alicia Fox.
-[Michael] The what? -[Vic] The Mella-Go-Round.
-[Michael] Interesting. -[Vic] Has now Carmella,
shoulders down and Carmella raining down fists.
You know, Carmella wants that 30th spot,
she wants to regain… Oh.
…the SmackDown Live Women's title.
[Renee] Carmella is certainly an opportunist, uh, opportunist
and right now, she's gonna have to find a way here against Alicia Fox.
[Vic] And nice Northern Lights suplex with a bridge, is it enough,
and Carmella just getting her shoulder up.
[Michael] And you know, throughout the season, uh, the Mixed Match Challenge
changed its complexion because there were various injuries,
teams had to be, uh, you know, put together on the fly.
However, these two teams have stayed together
throughout the entire tournament,
hence the reason, I believe, they're in the finals.
[Renee] We really could see the chemistry between both these two teams.
[Vic] And again, it took both teams quite a while to jell,
as you mentioned right before the matchup,
taking it all the way to the final week to get in
but nonetheless that being into the tournament.
They're both here in the finals.
Both teams one win away
from being Mixed Match Season Two Champions.
As Carmella reaching out, makes the tag, in comes R-Truth
and in comes the Modern Day Maharaja.
And Truth goes up and takes down Jinder Mahal.
[Michael] What an athlete R-Truth is.
[Renee] This man does not age, it's unbelievable.
-[Michael] Oh. -[Vic] Look at Truth.
[Michael] Heel kick right to the face.
-[crowd cheering] -[R-Truth] What's up?
-[crowd chanting] What's up? -[Renee] Never stops.
[Michael] Oh, he loves that fun, doesn't he?
[Vic] R-Truth getting distracted for the moment,
turns around, and Jinder Mahal taking advantage.
Oh, tag was made.
R-Truth doesn't realize it
after taking out Mahal.
Alicia Fox is legal, which means Carmella is legal.
-Get me my hat. -[man] I'll get it.
[Michael] Oh, getting her hat.
[Renee] As a captain, that thing costs like five G's.
Now, let me explain something to you, son.
Put your hat on.
-I'm the captain. -Whoa, whoa, whoa.
[Danilo] Hey, you can't touch that.
[crowd cheering]
Shanti.
[Vic] Oh, and Alicia Fox--
[Michael] Oh, went for the scissor kick and--
[Vic] Oh, got caught.
[Michael] Carmella with a superkick.
Carmella into the cover to win Mixed Match Challenge,
and Jinder Mahal at the last moment.
[Renee] Jinder wants that number 30 spot in Royal Rumble so bad he can taste it.
[Vic] Mahal over the top rope.
[Michael] I think he did his best for Royal Rumble impersonation
going over the top rope.
[Vic] And R-Truth taking out two.
Oh, another superkick by Carmella.
Alicia Fox from behind.
Carmella able to sidestep for the moment.
Now, Alicia Fox into the cover,
checking out and-- Oh, the Code of Silence.
-[Michael] Submission move. -[Vic] The Code of Silence.
-[bell ringing] -[Michael] Alicia taps.
[Vic] Fox taps out.
Carmella and R-Truth, Mixed Match Challenge Champions.
[Hamilton] Here are your winners by submission,
the team of R-Truth and Carmella.
[Michael] I can't believe it.
Carmella and R-Truth will enter
their respective Royal Rumble matches at number 30.
What a huge advantage.
[Renee] Cole, you better believe it.
Listen, I feel like I called this from the beginning,
I've been on board for Truth and Carmella and now…
-[Michael] Oh, my Lord. -[Renee] …they take it all. They win it.
[Michael] Nonetheless, what a victory.
And let's not forget the all-expense paid vacation
to anywhere in the world.
But let's go back to the action.
It was right here.
Carmella able to get out of the pinning predicament
-right into the Code of Silence… -[bell ringing]
[Michael] …and quickly Alicia Fox had no choice but to tap out.
[Renee] Code of silence to lock, got that incredible victory.
Unbelievable. Congratulations, Truth and Mella.
R-Truth and Carmella, congratulations.
Thank you. Whoa.
Now, how do you feel about your entry
in your respective Royal Rumble matches?
-Yes. Yes. -And…
where are you taking your vacation?
Okay. So I must admit it feels
F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S.
Yes, it does. It does.
-And, uh… -It does feel fabulous.
It feels fabulous, not only do we each get to be the last entrant
in this year's Royal Rumble match,
and when you use that opportunity to go to WrestleMania.
But before we head to the grandest stage of all,
we have another trip.
I'm so excited.
[JoJo] Well, speaking of, as you know,
earlier tonight, each team was instructed to submit their destination.
Wait, what? Where's--
Oh, don't worry about that. I took care of that for us.
I already submitted for us.
Yes, sir.
Okay. So, where are we going?
We're going to Barcelona?
No, think bigger.
Okay. Um, Rome?
No. You got to think tropical. Think like exotic.
Rio de Janeiro? We're going to Paris? Where are we going?
-[JoJo] Well-- -Listen.
You got to think cultural epic-center.
Oh, my gosh, I'm so excited!
R-Truth, you and Carmella
won Mixed Match Challenge.
Right.
So, where are you going on your all-expenses paid vacation?
We are going to
WWE headquarters
in Stamford, Connecticut.
-Yeah. -[crowd cheering]
[R-Truth] Yeah.
Oh, yeah.
We are going.
-We are going… -["Fabulous" playing]
[Michael] Well, congratulations to R-Truth and Carmella.
[Vic] Carmella didn't seem too impressed.
[Renee] But Stamford Mall is lovely.
[Michael] Winner of, uh, Season 2 of the Mixed Match Challenge.
For those of you watching on Facebook Watch,
we thank you for joining us
to watch the rest of WWE TLC 2018
on the WWE Network,
sign up now at wwenetwork.com,
because TLC is free for new subscribers.
♪ And designer brands Got a necklace so big ♪
[Michael] Carmella, I think you'll like Connecticut.
♪ Everybody knows That I'm fabulous ♪
♪ And I'm the baddest chick Around try to step to ♪
[suspenseful music playing]
-[Ross] Stone Cold. -[Michael] John Cena. Randy Orton.
Asuka is going to WrestleMania.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Big E] Oh, San Jose,
don't you dare be sour.
Clap for your world-famous five-time champs
and feel the power.
♪ It's a new day, yes it is! ♪
["New Day, New Way" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Tom] And we kick things off in SmackDown Live
with The New Day
ready to compete for the tag team titles.
[bell ringing]
[Hamilton] The following contest scheduled for one fall
is a Triple Threat match
for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship.
Introducing the challengers, first, The New Day.
[Tom] One of the five-timers club, The New Day
looking to win their sixth tag team title here tonight
at the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs pay-per-view.
Representing SmackDown Live, I'm Tom Phillips along with Corey Graves
and Byron Saxton under the weather, he'll be with us later in the week,
from our regular pay-per-view Kickoff panels.
It's David Otunga, the former WWE Tag Team Champion.
Figured I'd spruce things up for you guys tonight.
I got to say it's really nice to have somebody act like an adult
when The New Day come to the ring.
[David laughs]
["Done With That" playing]
♪ Down since, day one ♪
[Hamilton] Next at a combined weight of 479 pounds,
Jimmy and Jey,
The Usos.
[Tom] Well, we are in San Jose tonight,
not far from The Usos' hometown in the Bay Area.
In fact earlier today, Jimmy and Jey met up with Earl Mitchell
of the San Francisco 49ers
who sported Special Connor's Cure design on his cleats
as part of the #mycausemycleats campaign,
very cool moment for The Usos.
[Graves] The entire Bay Area has become The Uso penitentiary
and it could be argued that Jimmy and Jey
has as much of a home field advantage tonight as anybody.
[Tom] David, you said it on the Kickoff Show,
you believe that the three teams represented here in competition
are the three best tag teams of the modern era.
[David] Oh, most definitely. I mean, just think of the epic battles
The Usos have had just with The New Day.
And now throw The Bar in the mix too.
[Graves] You're absolutely right, these are three teams
that have completely changed the landscape of the tag team division on SmackDown Liv,
made the tag team titles so highly coveted.
["Hellfire" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Hamilton] And introducing the SmackDown Tag Team Champions,
Sheamus and Cesaro.
[Graves] The Swiss Cyborg and Ice, Ice Sheamy.
I have a feeling The Bar are not leaving San Jose
without their coveted tag team titles.
[Tom] Yeah. David, did you catch the rap battle this past Tuesday night?
[David] I did. It reminded me of Kanye West on Twitter
-arguing with himself. -[Tom laughs]
Well, we are being seen around the world streaming live on the WWE Network.
And joining us here at ringside, our Spanish announce team,
Marcelo Rodriguez and Carlos Cabrera.
[speaking Spanish]
["Hellfire" continues]
[Tom] And, of course, our German announce team,
Calvin Knie and Carsten Schaefer.
[speaking German]
[Tom] I'll check in with more of our International announce teams
later on Raw and SmackDown on broadcast
both in 25 languages worldwide.
[Graves] And Cesaro speaks all of them.
-[David] Yes, he does. -[Tom] So here we go.
The Bar set to defend the SmackDown tag team titles
in a Triple Threat against The Usos and The New Day.
Here's how this is gonna work.
Only two superstars will be in the ring at any given time
who have to tag in and out to be the legal competitor in the match.
First team to gain pinfall or submission will be the winner.
[Graves] Oh, and that particular set of rules
actually puts the reigning Tag Team Champions
at a severe disadvantage.
Sheamus and Cesaro don't even have to be pinned or submit
to lose their tag team titles.
[crowd chatter]
-[bell ringing] -[Tom] Well, there's the bell.
Looks like it's gonna be Kofi Kingston who will start things off against Sheamus,
one-half of the SmackDown Tag Team Champions
#tagteamtitles.
[Graves] What a curious decision to omit Big E
from this match for The New Day,
you feel you want the power game matchup with Sheamus and Cesaro.
[David] Yes, especially since this is Sheamus' best physical shape ever.
[Graves] Celtic Warrior workouts.
[Tom] And David, you've been in the ring with Sheamus before.
What does this generation of The Celtic Warrior mean
now that he's in tag team competition with Cesaro?
[David] Well, I mean, he's leaner and faster,
hasn't lost an ounce of strength.
This is the most dangerous Sheamus yet.
[Tom] On the same side, Kofi Kingston holds the record
for the most accumulated days
as a Tag Team Champion in WWE history.
He's held eight tag team titles in his career,
five of which with The New Day.
Now Kofi trying to slow down Sheamus here early on.
Graves, who do you give the advantage to, athletically,
in a Triple Threat match like this?
[Graves] It's really hard to tell.
I mean, Kofi Kingston arguably one of the greatest athletes in all of WWE.
-There's pretty much nothing he can't do. -[Tom] On the cover, kickout.
[Graves] But if you talk about the power game,
you have to give the nod to Sheamus and Cesaro.
[David] Cesaro was one of the most pound-for-pound
strongest superstars on the roster as well.
[Tom] David, it was a couple of weeks ago concerning that the Tag Team Champions
ejected the Big Show from the ranks
mostly because Cesaro ticked off the Big Show
and Big Show knocked him out in the locker room area.
What do you make of that?
[David] I don't think that was a wise decision.
They brought in the Big Show to help them.
[Graves] Oh, check out the power of Sheamus and the agility of Kofi.
[Tom] Oh, great dropkick by Kingston,
looking for a cover to win the titles and a kickout.
And the Big Show is certainly the X-factor
that helped The Bar win their fifth tag team title
on the thousandth episode of SmackDown.
Big splash by Kofi, and Xavier Woods with the elbow drop.
Legal against Sheamus. Cover. Cesaro broke it up.
And Graves, that's a dangerous thing right now for The Usos here.
[Graves] You're right. Jimmy and Jey don't have to tag--
-to be tagged into this matchup. -[Tom] Oh.
[Graves] They can lose their opportunity, but look at this.
[Tom] Throwing hands here with The New Day.
I don't think they quite care about the tags at this moment.
The official's gonna have a hard time keeping this one in control.
Jey Uso in the ring.
Oh, look out below.
-[Graves] Oh. -[Tom] Oh.
Cesaro clocked him with an uppercut.
Oh, and now Woods.
[Graves] Cesaro's uppercut was a thing of beauty.
It's Swiss anti-missile defense. Here you go.
[Tom] Uh-oh. Woods caught in the Irish Curse backbreaker.
Cover to retain the titles and a kickout.
[David] That's one way to counter athleticism.
-[Graves] Yeah. Oh. -[David] Brute force.
[Tom] It's exactly what Sheamus brings to the table.
It's what made Cesaro and Sheamus-- oh, such a formidable team.
[Graves] Vicious crossfaces from The Celtic Warrior now.
[Tom] Oh, with the official dealing with Sheamus,
Cesaro takes advantage.
[Graves] And what we just saw there is why I think Sheamus and Cesaro retain.
-[Tom] Tag. -[Graves] We know The Usos and New Day
have a healthy respect for one another.
Sheamus and Cesaro are here to win at any cost.
[Tom] Right to the gut.
Here's the cover from Cesaro and a kickout.
Take a look back in this earlier on.
-Jey Uso was on a roll and then-- Oh. -[Graves] Look at the incredible speed
and leaping ability of Cesaro.
Almost took Uso's head clean off with an uppercut.
[Tom] And David, how do you like the tactics here?
The Usos haven't had one opportunity to tag into this match.
[David] Well, I mean I think that's kind of a smart strategy, though.
They can buy their time, rest up, get in, and pick the bones.
[Tom] Well, at the same time, you wanna be able to tag in.
The tag made there by Sheamus.
So you can get an opportunity at a pinfall or submission.
Decision has to happen inside the ring. Oh.
-We are The Bar. -[Tom] Now Woods driven down
and The Bar doing what they do best.
[Graves] Dave, I know you haven't been here to commentary table for a while
but if you can't, don't get into the ring, you can't win the match.
[David] They'll get in when they need to, trust me, I know The Usos.
You know I know their father, right?
[Tom] Oh, I'd forgotten about that. Yeah.
You only mention that every other time we're on commentary.
And Sheamus in complete control here of Xavier Woods.
And, you know, David, you talked about the long history
between The New Day and The Usos.
How about The Bar and The New Day?
Remember, it was The Bar who ended the historic
483-day tag team title reign of The New Day.
[David] Yeah, I mean that goes right back to their brute strength.
The Bar, they know how to wear you down.
That is how you counteract the athleticism of The New Day.
[Graves] That's exactly what Sheamus is doing right now,
that vise-like headlock on Woods.
[Tom] Oh.
Sheamus, again the power.
Now the tag made to "The Swiss Superman" Cesaro.
Great double teamwork. Hook to the leg.
Woods able to kick out at two.
[Graves] I'm loving the frequency of tags between Sheamus and Cesaro.
Always keep the fresher man in, not allowing Woods to tag out.
[Tom] And Graves, are The Usos powerless here?
I mean, you see Jimmy Uso-- oh, multiple times
trying to hop into the ring here, it's tough.
[Graves] Within the parameters of the rules,
yeah, Jimmy and Jey are in a bad spot right now.
[David] It's a great strategy on the part of The Bar, too.
Just keep Woods in, they could win this without The Usos even getting in.
[Tom] Cesaro's done a great job here of slowing down The New Day.
Jimmy and Jey, you could see the frustration here
as this match continues.
[Graves] You have to imagine, Dave,
the double strategy on behalf of Sheamus and Cesaro,
keep one opponent in, don't allow the tags to be made.
[Tom] Oh, look at Woods, got an elbow there to Sheamus,
wants the Honor Roll and it connects.
Big opportunity here for Woods to get to Kofi.
-[David] There's an opening. -[Graves] And Sheamus and Cesaro
have effectively made this a standard tag team match
-by excluding The Usos at every turn. -[Tom] Hey, hey.
[Graves] Smart move by The Celtic Warrior.
[Tom] I believe Sheamus made a tag and took The Usos out of the equation
and Woods still can't make a tag.
This is great action by The Bar.
Put him down.
[Tom] And now Sheamus gonna wear down Xavier Woods
on the top turnbuckle.
[crowd jeering]
[Graves] You see a satisfied grin on the face of Sheamus right now.
What on earth is The Celtic Warrior thinking?
[Tom] Two hundred and seventy-five pounds up on the top rope here.
Woods trying to battle his way--
[Graves] Oh, no, no.
Sheamus will be rapping an octave higher tomorrow.
[Tom] Oh.
And Woods off of the turnbuckle with the dropkick.
Kofi Kingston desperately wants into this matchup.
Tag made and Cesaro and Woods dives, here comes Kingston.
[Graves] Kofi soaring through the sky with the greatest of ease,
all over Cesaro right now.
[Tom] Quick dropkick by Kingston.
The speed lineup of The New Day in effect here tonight.
[crowd cheering]
-New Day. -[crowd] New Day.
[Tom] The New Day Boom Drop.
[crowd cheering]
[Tom] And Kofi says it's closing time.
Can Cesaro get back in this?
Kofi's got a big target on him.
Oh, wait a minute, went for Trouble in Paradise,
caught by Cesaro.
[Graves] Nothing fancy there, was chucked into the turnbuckle.
[Tom] And wait a minute. A tag was made by one-half of The Usos.
[Graves] Jimmy Uso tagged himself in. He's now a legal competitor.
[Tom] That was the opening The Usos needed
and now Kofi is not legal,
but he's still active.
-[Graves] Oh, wait a minute. -[Tom] Wow.
Caught up by Cesaro.
[Graves] What power from The Swiss Cyborg.
[Tom] Oh, my God.
-[Graves] Check this out. -[Tom] Oh, man.
Crossbody out in the air.
Cover-- oh, broken up.
And now Cesaro-- oh, boom, right to the side of the face.
Wait a minute, wait a minute, Kofi, Kofi the cover and a kickout.
Now Jimmy into the corner, tag made by Jey.
I don't know if Kofi saw the tag.
Oh, right to the face.
[David] Well, he saw that.
[Tom] Oh, down goes Kofi in a heap.
Woods eats one.
Down goes Sheamy.
[Graves] Superkicking everything.
[Tom] How about another?
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] It's chow time in the penitentiary.
[Tom] Stand up, Bay Area, for Jimmy and Jey.
Oh, the Pop-up Samoan Drop.
Cover to win the titles and Woods breaks it up.
And now it's an all-out fistfight here middle of the ring.
Uso and Woods falling outside the ring.
[Graves] Jey Uso now climbing all the way to the top rope.
Kofi in a bad situation.
[Tom] Wait a minute. Oh, and a splash.
[Graves] But Cesaro made the tag.
[Tom] Yeah, Cesaro is now legal.
[Graves] Oh.
[Tom] There goes Uso. Cover on Kingston.
Oh, and a kickout by Kofi.
[Graves] Smart strategy by Cesaro.
Almost able to pick up the victory
off the heavy lifting done by Uso.
The Swiss Cyborg now trying to strategize his next move.
[Big E] Kofi, let's move. Move, Kofi. Kofi, move.
[Tom] This is how chaotic these Triple Threat matches can be.
Wait a minute now, Cesaro, Cesaro picks the leg,
going swinging here in San Jose.
[Big E] Move.
Move, Kofi.
[Tom] Kofi is in a lot of trouble.
I think we're at ten, Graves.
[Graves] I ran out of fingers.
[Tom laughs] And now stepping through for the Sharpshooter,
Kofi Kingston caught in the Sharpshooter of Cesaro.
[Graves] Look at the torque on the spine of Kingston.
-Cesaro. -[screaming]
[Tom] Kofi, look at him, screaming out in pain.
He's got to make it to the rope to break up the submission.
Don't do it. Don't do it.
No. Move, Kofi.
[Graves] Big E trying to shout some encouragement to Kofi.
[Tom] Hour of positivity. Wait a minute.
Woods-- oh, face-first into the canvas.
[Tom] Woods bailed out his buddy, and a popped knee.
Sheamus made the tag to Cesaro, the official designated.
And now it's Sheamus laying one against Kingston.
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] We could be moments away from a Brogue Kick to close the door.
[Big E] Kofi, move.
[Graves] Kofi is still obviously disoriented from the swing
and the Sharpshooter.
[Tom] Heads up, fella. Oh, went for the Brogue Kick.
Kofi Kingston trying to turn it around, cover, kick out.
[crowd chattering]
[Tom] And now Sheamus--
oh, the double stomp right to the chest.
Big opportunity. Tag to Xavier Woods…
[crowd chattering]
[Tom] …two-on-one opportunity here for The New Day.
Trouble in Paradise!
Wait a minute, look how far away Sheamus is.
-[David] He's far. -[Graves] There's no way.
[Tom] Oh, the elbow drop, Woods, cover--
oh, and broken up at the last second.
[crowd applauding]
[Tom] Jey Uso and Cesaro saving the matchup for their teams.
[Graves] We've seen sequences that would've--
would have ended a standard tag team matchup
on more than one occasion here tonight.
This being no different.
Woods, three quarters of the way across the ring.
Driving an elbow to the heart of the Celtic Warrior.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting]
[Tom] Oh, and a big uppercut by Cesaro,
as all these superstars trying to get back up to their feet.
-Jimmy Uso caught in a pop-up uppercut. -[Graves] Good night.
[Tom] Now, Cesaro, he's trying to get Sheamus stirring,
and now he's outside the ring.
[crowd chattering]
[Tom] Now Kofi Kingston measuring the carnage on the outside.
Can he take advantage for his team?
[crowd chattering]
[Tom] Oh, Kofi! Oh.
[Graves laughs] Good Lord.
Kingston sacrificing his own safety to take everybody out.
[Big E] Come on!
[Tom] And meanwhile, it's Woods and Sheamus
left here in the ring.
Now, Woods trying to battle off Sheamus.
Oh! Boot right to the side of the face.
[Graves] Celtic Warrior on spaghetti legs now,
a big opportunity for Woods, but Cesaro on the outside.
[Tom] Oh! Cesaro slowed down Woods for the moment.
[Graves] And that's-- Brogue Kick.
-[Big E] No, no, no. -[Tom] A huge Brogue Kick
-and The Bar retains at TLC. -[bell ringing]
["Hellfire" playing]
[Hamilton] Here are your winners,
and still the SmackDown Tag Team Champions,
Sheamus and Cesaro.
[Graves] That was a hell of a match.
Congratulations to Sheamus and Cesaro for retaining.
And you've got to give plenty of respect to The Usos and The New Day
who brought it as always.
[Tom] Otunga, you spoke so highly of these three teams coming into this matchup,
they did not disappoint.
[David] They did not disappoint at all. I think the strategy was great, too.
The Bar kept The Usos out for the most of the time.
[Tom] Take a look back here down the stretch,
and this was superkicks aplenty, bam.
The Usos going on an absolute tear in the middle of this Triple Threat.
[Graves] It was moving. It got superkicked.
Jimmy and Jey flattening everybody,
and then Kofi taking to the skies.
-Don't look. -[Tom laughs]
[Graves] Almost looks peaceful in slow motion.
[Tom laughs] Kofi wipes out everybody at ringside.
But back inside, Cesaro had slowed up Woods and then, boom!
The Brogue Kick eliminated Xavier.
[Graves] All it took was Cesaro to slow
-the forward momentum of Woods… -[bell ringing]
[Graves] …just long enough for the Celtic Warrior
to regain his bearings, deliver a lights out Brogue Kick,
and The Bar are still your SmackDown Tag Team Champions.
["Hellfire" continues]
[crowd cheering]
[narrator] This holiday season, give the unexpected.
["Sky's the Limit" playing]
[narrator] Break through the holidays
and get all the gear you want
at wweshop.com.
♪ Had a dream ♪
[narrator] Find what fits you.
♪ Now there's nothing Dragging down me, yeah ♪
[narrator] Tomorrow night,
The Boss is back.
[Graves] No way.
["No Chance in Hell" playing]
[Graves] He's here.
[narrator] Mr. McMahon returns to Raw to shake things up.
Raw, live tomorrow night 8/7 Central only on USA.
And we're here for Monday Night Raw.
One of the reasons that acting--
that the chairman-- I'm all tied up because Mr. McMahon's coming back…
-We're all flustered about it. -…to Monday Night Raw.
One of the reasons he's coming tomorrow night is because the performance
of our acting general manager, Baron Corbin.
He has been playing all these personal vendettas with people in the locker room.
Yeah. And it's about time that somebody, and the chairman, of course,
being the perfect man to do that, come out here and get this all back on--
-How do you not know… -Get the ship righted.
…that Mr. McMahon is gonna be here on Monday Night Raw
to shake Baron Corbin's hand and congratulate him
-as the new permanent general manager… -No.
-…of Monday Night Raw? -Let's use this…
-Hard pass. -…as an example.
This was a match a few weeks ago.
It was Braun Strowman involved in this Elimination match
and he was about to eliminate Corbin when Corbin's teammates,
-McIntyre and Lashley, got involved… -[bell ringing]
[Michael] …and this was a complete beat down.
[Graves] A brutal three-on-one assault.
Strowman suffered a Spear from Lashley,
and attacks with steel chairs, the steel stairs,
and this was the icing on the cake for Corbin and his crew.
[Michael] And now Corbin with the steel steps in hand,
and look what he does to the elbow of Braun Strowman.
Shattering Braun Strowman's elbow
to the point where The Monster Among Men needed surgery,
as Corbin and his cronies celebrated.
And there's Heath Slater,
another victim of these personal vendettas by Baron Corbin.
-[Graves] Victim? -[Michael] Corbin put Slater and Rhyno,
best friends, together in a match.
Slater won. Rhyno was fired. And Slater now is an official.
[Graves] Heath Slater got a new lease on life.
-[bell ringing] -The following contest
is a Tables, Ladders, & Chairs match.
[crowd cheering]
[JoJo] If Braun Strowman wins,
he will receive a Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar
at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
If Baron Corbin wins,
he becomes the permanent general manager of Monday Night Raw.
-[crowd booing] -[JoJo] But if Baron Corbin loses,
he will be removed from power on Raw.
[crowd cheering]
["I Bring Darkness" playing]
[Michael] And here comes the general manager-elect, Baron Corbin.
And did you guys get a load of the--
what happened during the Kickoff Show
when Corbin was in his office with JoJo after her practice?
[JoJo] Making his way to the ring, from Kansas City,
weighing in at 285 pounds,
general manager-elect, Baron Corbin.
[Michael] Having her practice not only that,
but the way that she was going to announce Corbin the victor
when he wins via forfeit.
[Renee] First of all, JoJo has perfect enunciation.
She does not need to practice up.
Which is just another reason Baron Corbin's on his high horse,
the man needs to take a seat.
[Graves] It's called being thorough, Renee.
Baron Corbin wants to make sure
his big night goes absolutely flawlessly.
[Michael] The bottom line, this guy is a joke.
This guy has ruined Monday Night Raw.
-[Graves] A joke? -[Michael] Rewarding his--
rewarding his friends not on merit.
He thinks everything's a joke.
Monday Night Raw is a 25-year-old television institution
and this guy really thinks he's gonna get a raise tomorrow
unless Mr. McMahon shows up.
[Graves] How biased can you possibly be, Cole?
I, for one, have enjoyed working with you, but after that little tirade,
I assure you tomorrow night's gonna be your last.
[Renee] Graves, numbers don't lie. These are facts.
Baron Corbin has singlehandedly taken down Monday Night Raw.
-[Graves] You are an absolutely homer… -[Renee] The travesty.
[Graves] …and a suck up.
[crowd booing]
[crowd chanting] Corbin sucks! Corbin sucks! Corbin sucks!
Thank you for that warm welcome.
I appreciate it.
[crowd booing]
Okay. Okay. I understand your dismay.
I understand that there's been a few complaints
about my performance as general manager-elect.
[crowd booing]
I know. I know. I take-- I take these very serious.
They do not fall on deaf ears,
I listen to every single one of you,
and I respect what you think.
So, here's what I have to say.
[crowd chattering]
Too bad.
Get used to it.
After this referee counts to ten,
Braun Strowman loses by forfeit
and I am your new permanent general manager.
-[crowd booing] -[chuckles]
Let's stop wasting time.
Let's ring that bell.
-[bell ringing] -[Graves] We are ten short seconds away
from having an entire new era ushered into Monday Night Raw.
-I could not be more excited. -[Renee] Great coordination.
[crowd chattering]
[Michael] And how humiliating this must be for Heath Slater after--
[Graves] Why? When's the last time Heath Slater was on pay-per-view, Cole?
This is great. This is the best thing that ever happened to Heath Slater.
What do you think Braun Strowman's thinking right now?
[Renee] Heath Slater's getting dragged through the mud with--
along with this whole shenanigans that Baron Corbin's doing.
What is this showcasing he's doing right now?
It's embarrassing.
[Graves] He's counting alongside the referee.
[Renee] Yeah. I think Heath has got it.
["I Am Stronger" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Wait a minute.
[Graves] Strowman can't be here.
[Michael] Oh, he's here.
The Monster Among Men is here.
[Renee] He's got one arm, but he is present.
[Michael] Strowman sent out a foreboding tweet earlier this week
that said "Eye for an eye,
the monster is coming #ticktock."
[Graves] Oh, listen, Braun Strowman is tough,
but there's no way he's gonna win a match
against a 100% Baron Corbin.
[Renee] Well, without Corbin's lackeys out here, he just might.
This is The Monster Among Men, he can give a hand.
[Graves] This is a terrible career move on Braun Strowman's part.
He's gonna get himself even more hurt.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] What an ovation for Braun Strowman.
["I Am Stronger" continues]
[crowd chattering]
[Graves] Maybe Strowman just wanted to forfeit in person.
Let's go. Put your arms on me.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting]
He can't do anything.
What are you gonna do? Use your sling?
-[Braun] What am I gonna do? -What are you gonna do here?
While you were out here flapping your gums,
you forgot to mention something very important, Corbin.
What's that, huh?
You are not medically cleared.
You forgot that in a TLC match,
there are no disqualifications.
[crowd cheering]
Therefore, let's say,
if somebody wanted to help me…
[crowd cheering]
…you know, like somebody that's sick and tired
of dealing with a crappy general manager.
[crowd cheering]
-And it would be perfectly legal. -Who's gonna come out?
[crowd cheering]
Hey man.
-[Renee] Apollo Crews. -[Michael] Apollo Crews.
[Graves] Apollo Crews with a steel chair.
[Renee] Here's a man looking for an opportunity.
[Michael] Yeah. He was also a man who was wronged and shamed by Corbin.
[Braun] You've pissed off so many people.
[crowd chattering]
[Braun] You've made your bed.
[Michael] And here's Strowman…
[Braun] Time for you to lay in it.
[Michael] …as he glances over now in front of us,
the Tag Team Champs, Roode and Gable.
[Graves] What are they mad about?
Corbin gave them the opportunity to become champions.
[Renee] They were just good enough to pull it off.
[Michael] After they were beat down by the AOP
on a number of occasions at Corbin's behest?
[Renee] Revenge rears its ugly head, Corbin.
[Graves] This is completely unfair to the general manager-elect.
[Renee] Too bad he's got no more friends.
He abolished everybody on Monday Night Raw.
[Michael] Uh-oh. Look who's here.
The man who's been the rebel,
Finn Bálor, to Corbin's authoritarian regime.
I didn't do anything to you.
[Graves] It's obvious. None of these guys wanna be on the right side of history.
[crowd cheering]
[Renee] You wanna be on the right side of Raw,
making its moves again without Corbin.
[crowd chattering]
[Graves] This is completely unfair. This is gonna be a slaughter.
Get them out.
[Renee] Something kind of like what happened--
Come on. Let's go. I wanna know--
[crowd chanting] We want tables!
What are you doing?
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] Is Slater nuts?
He could kiss his career goodbye.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Oh, Slater with the right.
Remember, no disqualifications.
[crowd chattering]
[Michael] Baron Corbin surrounded.
[Graves] This is gonna be a massacre.
[Graves] I feel terrible. I feel so sorry for Baron Corbin.
[Michael] I don't, he deserves every bit of this.
Every one of these men Baron Corbin wronged.
[Renee] Take your best shot, boys.
[Michael] And The Monster Among Men directing traffic.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] As Corbin is driven out of the ring.
[crowd chattering]
[Graves] This is completely unfair.
[Renee] Retribution.
[Graves] Baron Corbin wasn't even prepared to compete tonight.
Go back.
[Graves] He was expecting a forfeit.
[Michael] Well, Baron Corbin doesn't want anything to do with this.
[crowd chattering]
[Gable] Where are you going, Corbin?
["Medal" playing]
[crowd cheering]
-[Graves] No. -[Michael] Oh, yeah.
[crowd chanting] You suck!
You suck! You suck!
[Michael] Baron Corbin took this man's job as general manager,
Kurt Angle.
Corbin talked Stephanie McMahon in sending Angle on a permanent vacation.
[crowd chanting] You suck!
[crowd cheering]
[Renee] Oh.
[Graves] Put that chair down, Kurt!
["Medal" continues]
[Michael] Corbin put Angle in that match with Drew McIntyre
a number of weeks ago.
And now Kurt Angle gonna take out his anger and frustration
on Baron Corbin, driving him back to the ring.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chattering]
[Michael] Bobby Roode and Chad Gable take out Corbin.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Look at Apollo Crews
standing up for Monday night!
[Renee] These guys are finally getting to do what they do best, shine.
[Michael] And Kurt Angle,
he has been waiting a long time to do this.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] The Angle Slam!
[crowd chattering]
[Michael] Finn Bálor with a Coup de Grâce.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Look at Slater.
[Graves] This is a miscarriage of justice.
[Michael] Slater's put the official's shirt back on.
[Renee] Walking the lines, still hired.
[Graves] Not for long, he won't be.
You know what to do, baby.
You know what to do.
[Michael] And Strowman into the cover,
-Slater's gonna count. -[crowd] One, two, three.
-[Michael] Strowman wins! -[bell ringing]
-[crowd cheering] -Justice served!
[JoJo] The loser of this match is Baron Corbin.
Therefore, he is no longer the general manager of Raw.
[crowd cheering]
[Renee] What an ovation.
[JoJo] Here is your winner,
Braun Strowman.
[Michael] That had to feel good
for every one of those Raw superstars for the entire Raw locker room
and, of course, for Braun Strowman.
So Corbin's out of power
and what does Braun Strowman get?
Braun Strowman has the Universal Championship opportunity
at the Royal Rumble at the end of January
against "The Beast" Brock Lesnar with this victory tonight.
[Graves] I can't believe how elated you are, Michael Cole.
Baron Corbin just lost his position.
How can you celebrate in a time like this?
[Michael] Mr. McMahon's coming to Raw tomorrow night.
He's gonna shake things up and we just started here tonight
-Justice served! -[Michael] at TLC.
[Graves] Yeah, and Mr. McMahon could reverse this decision.
I-- I'm waiting to see.
[Renee] Mr. McMahon's a very smart man. There's no way he's doing that.
[Graves] Okay. Mr. McMahon is not gonna let the inmates
run the asylum.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[Michael] Braun Strowman with the win.
Corbin's out of power. It's celebration time on Monday night!
[Graves] This is a travesty.
["I Am Stronger" playing]
[crowd cheering]
♪ You could be cool You could be shy ♪
♪ Say what you want ♪
[Michael] TLC, Tables, Ladders & Chairs is live tonight
in Silicon Valley, San Jose, California.
We are sold out at the SCP Center.
And there is news already.
We're gonna have a new leader of Monday Night Raw
because Baron Corbin is now out of power.
-I don't like how this-- -This is brilliant.
-No, it's not brilliant, Renee. -Brilliant.
It's not okay. We don't have anyone leading the ship on Monday nights.
Well, I do wanna switch gears and talk about a story
that has become very personal.
Ruby Riott believes that Natalya is spoiled,
that she's privileged, and she's entitled.
And the reason she feels that is because Natalya was brought up
in the Hart Family because of the relationship
with Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart, her late father, had with the Harts.
Ruby Riott said her team has scratched and clawed their way
to get there where they were today.
So, this led to this big personal battle that really started last month.
I wanna take you back to this tag team match.
Natalya was closing in on the victory
when Ruby Riott would grab at ringside.
Sunglasses that Natalya's dad, Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart, once wore.
[Graves] Ruby Riott would desecrate
the Anvil's sunglasses in front of Natalya.
And understandably,
Natalya was visibly shaking, brought to the point of tears.
I think the mind games went a little bit too far in Ruby Riott's case this time.
[crowd booing]
[Michael] Natalya has gone through a rough number of months
with her dad passing away and then having to go through this.
[bell ringing]
The following contest is a Tables match.
[crowd cheering]
In this match, there are no pinfalls,
no submissions, no count-outs, and no disqualifications.
The only way to win is to put your opponent through a table.
["New Foundation" playing]
[JoJo] Introducing first from Calgary, Alberta, Canada,
Natalya.
[Michael] Natalya has been looking forward to this match for weeks.
[Renee] Yeah. Natalya said she's never been more ready.
I can't wait what-- to see what we get from Natalya Neidhart tonight.
She's been fired up.
["New Foundation" continues]
[Michael] Loves to hand out those cat ears,
polishing the table for Ruby Riott here tonight.
WWE TLC is presented by Kay Jewelers
for all the moments, for love, forever.
And by Mattel's WWE best of Attitude Era figures
available now at Amazon.
[Renee] And she said "The Harts are badass
as you're going through a table, Ruby Riott,
and my family will live on forever in WWE."
[Michael] You know what? This event back in 2010,
Natalya was in a Tables match teaming with Beth Phoenix against LayCool.
[Renee] Experience the other side here tonight.
["We Riot" playing]
[JoJo] Her opponent, accompanied by Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan,
representing the Riott squad, Ruby Riott.
[Michael] Renee, these three are just mean.
There's no way-- no other way to describe it.
[Renee] You're absolutely right. I mean, they're looking for mayhem.
They've got that punk rock attitude.
They stick together like a band of sisters, and…
[Michael] Oh, look and you notice the table
that they're carrying to the ring,
there's a-- there is a decal of Natalya's father,
Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart on that table.
Ruby and the Riott Squad vowed to put Natalya through the table here tonight.
This is absolute disrespect, Corey. Even you have to agree with that.
[Graves] I actually do agree with that. I think it is a little bit too far
to bring Natalya's late father into the mix
to gain some sort of mental advantage.
But at the end of the day, the Riott Squad aren't here to take a spot.
They're here to take over the women's division.
[Michael] So again, you win this matchup
-when you put your opponent… -[bell ringing]
[Michael] …through a table.
[Renee] I'm hoping that Natalya's able to channel
this unfortunate energy she's had come her way,
and make Ruby Riott pay for everything she's done.
[Michael] And again, Ruby mocking Natalya.
Ruby now from behind.
[Graves] Ruby Riott feels absolutely no remorse for what she's done.
She feels like this is a necessary evil to gain a mental advantage over Natalya.
[Michael] Oh, and as I mentioned before, Corey,
she believes that she's had to fight her way to get to this place
here in WWE.
[Graves] It's not just a belief, though. Whoa. Look out.
[Michael] Oh, look at Natalya now.
Gonna have to deal with not only Ruby Riott,
but Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan at ringside.
[Renee] Anyone who thinks that nobody else here
has had to fight for their position's dead wrong.
-Stop! -[Renee] Natalya's had to work.
[Graves] Liv Morgan on the outside.
[Darrick] Come on, ladies.
[Renee] Natalya spent time up in Canada and Japan
before she ever got a chance here in WWE.
[Michael] Oh. Kick right to the ribs.
Of course, well-documented that Natalya
is the lone woman graduate of the Hart Family Dungeon.
[Ruby] Look at me. You're nothing.
[Graves] And now Liv and Sarah pulled the table ever so closer to the ring.
[Darrick] Let's go, come on.
[crowd chattering]
[Renee] You wonder about the X-factor, of course, of Liv Morgan.
[Graves] Oh.
[Michael] And Natalya sends Ruby flying, and she looks to regroup,
but she better not get too close to the table.
And here is Natalya now banging Ruby Riott off the table right here in front of us.
[Graves] Natalya could be looking to end this one early,
send Riott crashing through the table.
[Michael] You know, Renee, you know Natalya very well,
you mentioned earlier about her emotions.
Can she channel those emotions here tonight?
[Renee] I think Natalya is the utmost professional--
[Michael] Uh-oh. Wait a minute. One second, Renee.
Natalya looks like she's gonna try to suplex
Ruby through a table here.
But Natalya's got to be careful as well.
[Graves] Riott's hanging on for dear life.
[crowd chattering]
Oh!
[Graves] Ruby in a precarious position.
Natalya with…
[Michael] Oh, and Liv Morgan goes through the table.
She took a bullet for Ruby,
Morgan through the table, but the match continues.
And now Ruby Riott takes advantage.
[Renee] If that doesn't tell you about the friendship of the Riott Squad.
[Liv gasping]
[Graves] Ruby out here to check on her fallen teammate.
[gasping]
[Michael] And they've called some more officials down to ringside
as we take another look.
Watch Morgan sacrificing herself,
driven through the table by Natalya.
But that has really become the MO of the group, The Riott Squad,
all for one.
[Graves] You never question the bond of The Riott Squad, that's for certain.
[Renee] Unfortunately, Natalya's gonna have to go to this battle by herself.
She's a one-woman battling just Ruby Riott tonight,
but with the rest of The Riott Squad around the corners.
-It's trouble for her. -[Graves] Let's call it what it is, Renee.
I mean, Natalya's battling all three members of The Riott Squad
in one way or another tonight.
[Michael] A nice German suplex released by Natalya.
-And Sarah Logan… -[Graves] Oh.
[Michael] …trying to introduce a table into the ring and she paid for it.
The table driven right into Logan's midsection.
[Renee] The fact that Natalya has actually been in a Tables match before,
that's got to help her here tonight.
[Graves] It was only a few weeks ago that The Riott Squad
sent Natalya crashing through a table.
[Michael] And now Ruby driven into the barricade by Natalya.
You wanna mess with my family, bitch?
[Michael] Oh.
[crowd chattering]
[Graves] Natalya obviously feeling the disrespect,
looking to get even on behalf of her family.
[crowd chattering]
[grunts]
[Renee] Natalya's just been through so much the past few weeks
and with everything with The Riott Squad.
And then, of course, everything going on back home,
helping her own family heal and mend
over the loss of her father, it's heartbreaking.
[Graves] A tumultuous few months for Natalya.
[Michael] And now Natalya setting up the table…
You don't mess with my family.
[Michael] …and looking to put Ruby away right here
and win this Table match
with a wicked powerbomb,
but Ruby Riott fighting out of it.
And again into the barricade goes Ruby.
[Sarah screaming]
[Michael] And now Logan, as Natalya sidesteps.
[crowd chattering]
[Graves] Uh-oh, uh-oh.
[Michael] And Natalya gonna send Logan through the table.
Morgan's out. Logan's out. Now, we're one-on-one.
And stay out!
[Graves] Natalya evening the odds.
[Michael] Oh, and bounced face-first off the apron.
[crowd chattering]
[Graves] Natalya took her eye off the ball just momentarily.
And Ruby Riott's a dangerous competitor.
You can't get away with those sort of errors.
[crowd chattering]
[Michael] Now Ruby Riott just looking to punish…
I want you look--
I want you looking at him.
He's ashamed of you, Nattie.
He's ashamed of you.
[Michael] The audacity of Ruby Riott
to shove Natalya's face onto that table emblazoned with her father
telling Natalya that Anvil is ashamed of her
and then driving her into the steps.
[Renee] Ruby Riott has absolutely zero empathy, it's disgusting.
She should be ashamed of herself.
[Graves] Ruby Riott has no time for anybody
that doesn't support the cause for the Riott revolution
that she, Liv, and Sarah are trying to start.
[crowd chattering]
[Michael] And now-- Oh, man.
How humiliating would this be for Natalya if she's actually put through that table…
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] …by Ruby Riott?
[Graves] It's exactly how Riott wants it.
[Renee] What a terrible way to close out the rest of 2018.
[crowd chattering]
[Michael] Yeah. And, you know, Ruby Riott has said before
that when she throws Natalya through the table,
that Natalya will be closer to her father than ever before.
Just those most disgusting comments by Riott
aimed toward Natalya in recent weeks.
[Graves] Ruby spent a valuable amount of time,
the table not cooperating.
[crowd chattering]
[Michael] Natalya sent back into the ring and Ruby Riott just taking her time.
She wants Natalya to suffer.
She wants to traumatize Natalya here in this match.
[Ruby] Look at your father.
-[Michael] And look at-- -[Graves] Here we go.
[Michael] And Natalya braking just in time,
Ruby Riott in time as well,
and Natalya looking for a German suplex trying to send Riott through the table.
[Graves] Ruby desperately trying to fight out of it.
[Michael] How poetic would that be?
[Graves] A pinning combination not gonna do much good in this one.
[Michael] And it's just instinct there
-as Natalya now… -[Renee] Here we go.
[Michael] …looking for a Sharpshooter.
And Corey, no tap out win here,
but Natalya wants to make Ruby suffer,
and make Ruby Riott stare at that table, with Natalya's father on it.
Punishing, torturing Riott.
[grunting]
[Graves] Ruby desperately trying to get out of the hold in any way she can.
Natalya has it cinched in deep. Wait a minute. Oh.
[Michael] Oh, trying to use the table to her advantage,
as it bounces off the back of the skull of Natalya.
-[Graves] Very, very-- -[Renee] Something that Ruby Riott
hasn't thought about during this match up.
[Graves] An incredibly clever maneuver by Ruby Riott,
sending the table off-balance and crashing into Natalya.
[Michael] Riott still suffering from the effects of the Sharpshooter.
[Graves] And Ruby spent a considerable amount of time
in Natalya's submission move.
Can Ruby fight her way back into this?
[crowd chattering]
[Michael] Who is going to gain the upper hand here in this Tables match?
[Renee] We've already seen Liv and Sarah go through the tables.
[crowd chattering]
[Michael] And because of that, it's become one-on-one,
but can Natalya take advantage?
Ruby Riott setting up the table,
Natalya has not moved since the table
hit her on the back of the neck moments ago.
[crowd chanting]
[Graves] Ruby now having a little trouble setting up the table on her own again.
[crowd chattering]
[Graves] When dealing with hardware, tables, and ladders, and chairs,
they don't necessarily cooperate.
They have a mind of their own sometimes.
[man] Go get it together.
[Michael] Oh, and Ruby Riott got caught by Natalya.
Natalya now.
[Graves] Look at the power of Nattie.
[Michael] And the table tipped over.
[Graves] Smart move.
[Michael] So Natalya just gonna deliver pain with the electric chair.
[kid] Natalya, beat her up!
[grunting]
[Michael] Corey, is this the way you expected this matchup to go?
[Graves] I expected it to be brutal. I expected it to be hostile.
It has been just that.
And Natalya did a great job
of eliminating Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan from the equation.
I'm a little surprised Natalya's still in this this deep.
[Renee] This is Natalya Neidhart. I mean, she's been put through so much.
Her emotions are at an all-time high.
-Ruby Riott's been asking for this. -Don't mess with my family, Ruby!
[crowd chattering]
[Graves] That's all well and good, but doesn't mean you're gonna win the match.
[Renee] No, but Natalya doesn't have any quit in her.
That's something we've come to know from Natalya over the last decade
over here in WWE.
Pure tenacity.
[crowd chattering]
[Michael] Natalya bringing out a fresh table, and look at this.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Natalya had something up her sleeve.
[Graves] Mind games of her own.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And Ruby Riott has no idea what's in store for her.
It's been a long time since you saw a smile
on Natalya's face like that.
[Graves] I guess turnabout's fair play.
But Natalya still needs to get that table set up,
keep Ruby Riott down long enough to do so,
and then somehow drive Ruby through the table.
[Renee] Ruby's been down for a little bit of time now.
Nattie gets the speed up there.
She could get that table propped up and Ruby's going right through it.
[Michael] Oh, and look at this.
The jacket worn by her father, Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart,
when he was in the Hart Foundation.
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] Well, histrionics are all well and good,
but that doesn't mean she's gonna win the match.
Ruby Riott's incredibly dangerous.
[Michael] And a kick right to the face of Ruby.
You got to love this attitude out of Natalya.
[Renee] Nattie's doing everything for her dad tonight.
[crowd chattering]
[Renee] Nattie always carries a piece of her dad with her no matter what.
But now, in this literal sense, I mean, how poetic?
[Graves] Listen, this is-- a feel-- it's a feel good moment for sure,
but Natalya still needs to win the match.
Ruby Riott is still in this fight, has no intention of giving up.
[Michael] I cannot wait to see Ruby's reaction
when she realizes that she's on that table.
[crowd chattering]
[Renee] You know what they say about payback.
[crowd chattering]
-[Michael] And now Ruby Riott. -[Graves] Uh-oh.
Looking for the Riot Kick.
[Michael] Caught though by Natalya.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And Natalya almost driven through the table
and a big kick to the face.
And could that be all for Natalya?
Could this be Ruby Riott's moment?
[Graves] Ruby's been waiting a long time for this one, just…
to say, "I told you so."
[Michael] Yeah. And to put Natalya through a table
that Natalya
made up for Ruby.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Natalya though, off the table, and Riott
brought back into the ring and bounced off the table.
Again.
[crowd chattering]
[Graves] Ruby Riott now…
You're going to pay.
[Graves] …in dangerous territory.
What does Natalya have in mind?
[Renee] Get up there, Nattie.
-[Michael] And Ruby Riott though-- Oh. -[Renee] Oh.
[Graves] Kick connects.
Ruby bought herself some valuable time here.
Looks like she's gonna join Natalya up top.
[crowd] Come on, Natalie!
[Michael] Now, again Ruby Riott.
Natalya blocked.
[Graves] What power.
[Renee] Oh, no.
[Michael] Ruby in trouble. Natalya…
-[Renee] Oh. -[Michael] Powerbomb through the table.
-[bell ringing] -[Michael] Natalya wins.
["New Foundation" playing]
[JoJo] Here is your winner, Natalya.
[Michael] How good must that feel for Natalya?
[Renee] What a moment.
You know her entire family is watching from TV back home,
keeping an eye on Natalya.
This is unbelievable. For her it must-- it must feel amazing.
[Michael] And appropriately Ruby Riott sent through…
[Renee] I think Nattie's taking that home as a trophy.
[Michael] …a table Natalya set up for--
retribution tonight for Natalya.
[Graves] Early on The Riott Squad would show their numbers force,
but Liv Morgan sent crashing through a table.
And then Sarah Logan would be the next to join.
[Michael] Yeah, and this evened things up for Natalya,
made it an even playing field, one-on-one with Ruby Riott.
And Natalya was able to do this, from the second rope,
Ruby high above the ring driven through the table with a powerbomb.
-[bell ringing] -[Michael] Natalya picks up the win.
And the legacy of her father, the late great Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart,
lives on tonight.
[Graves] Look at that. Look at the glasses.
The package is complete. What a moment for Natalya.
[Renee] What a goosebumps moment for Natalya.
["New Foundation" playing]
[Michael] Congratulations to Natalya here at TLC.
["New Foundation" playing]
[narrator] Rated T for teen.
[upbeat music playing]
[Sullivan] What happens this Sunday at TLC
will be a minor tremor
compared to the catastrophic earthquake
that will occur when I come to WWE.
[screams]
You have never seen a freak like me.
[heartbeat]
The grotesque freak, Lars Sullivan sent out a message
on social media earlier saying, "Whichever brand I choose,
the landscape will change immediately. You're getting an angry freak of nature."
You know, Sullivan is one of the most sought-after free agents in WWE history,
Raw and SmackDown vying for his services.
One man who won't be involved in those negotiations,
Baron Corbin, because he's out of a job as general manager.
And you have to wonder how that's going to affect this man,
one of his cronies, one of his running buddies
when he was in charge, Drew McIntyre.
[Graves] How dare you call Drew McIntyre anybody's crony?
["Gallantry" playing]
[bell ringing]
[JoJo] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, from Ayr, Scotland,
weighing in at 254 pounds,
Drew McIntyre.
[Michael] "The Scottish Psychopath"
Drew McIntyre marching to the ring.
[Renee] Definitely a look of focus
-on Drew McIntyre tonight. -[Michael] You know,
we mentioned earlier that Finn Bálor was the rebel
to Baron Corbin's authoritarian regime.
He also had his issues with Drew McIntyre, a Corbin supporter.
This was a couple of weeks ago,
Drew and his former buddy Dolph Ziggler in the match, Corey,
when Finn Bálor came for retribution.
[Graves] Finn Bálor has been a constant thorn
in the side of Baron Corbin and just as you saw,
Drew McIntyre allowing Dolph Ziggler to score the first pinfall victory
on Drew McIntyre since he returned to Raw
It's absolutely humiliating for The Scottish Psychopath.
[Michael] Well, McIntyre would get his revenge on Dolph Ziggler last week
when he decimated Ziggler after their rematch.
[Graves] I would not wanna be in Finn Bálor's boots tonight.
[Michael] And as McIntyre gets ready for this match,
the fall out of the Baron Corbin situation continues.
On social media moments ago, Braun Strowman sent out this tweet
and he says, "And to think I beat you without lifting an arm,
the next step #royalrumble, Brock Lesnar is gonna get these hands."
[Renee] I cannot wait to see the version of Braun Strowman
we're gonna see at the Royal Rumble.
[crowd chatter]
-["Catch Your Breath" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[JoJo] His opponent, from Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland,
Finn Bálor.
[Michael] Bálor Club in San Jose.
[Renee] The man who's become the rebel of Monday Night Raw.
[Graves] James Dean cool, John Wayne tough.
An extraordinary man who can do extraordinary things,
Finn Bálor ready-- better be ready,
easy for me to say, for battle
like he's never prepared before
because I assure you, Drew McIntyre is ready.
[Michael] You know, it was interesting to see guys
like Seth Rollins and Finn Bálor step-up
to the regime of Baron Corbin.
Bálor in my estimation gained a tremendous amount of respect even more
than he had before from the Raw locker room.
[Renee] It takes a certain man to step up in the face of adversity
and Finn Bálor showed no-- he's not afraid to step up in their face at all.
And now we can see he get-- see--
I can't talk tonight either, Graves.
[Graves] It's contagious, I apologize.
-Finn Bálor might've… -[Renee] It's like a disease.
[Graves] …won the respect of much of the Raw locker room
but he certainly hasn't earned any of the admiration
of one Drew McIntyre,
McIntyre looking to erase Finn Bálor altogether tonight.
-[Michael] Well-- -[Renee] Drew McIntyre is also looking
to eradicate any complacency
from any of the WWE Superstars on Monday Night Raw.
[Graves] I think Bálor can be called a lot of things,
complacent certainly wouldn't be one of them.
Either way, he finds himself in the crosshairs
of a Scottish Psychopath tonight.
["Catch Your Breath" playing]
[Michael] Drew McIntyre as we've learned over the past number of months
respects no one.
You saw what he did to his former friend,
the man who brought him back here to WWE, Dolph Ziggler,
who's made some interesting comments about Finn Bálor and his stature
-over the past number of weeks. -[Graves] Well, I mean, listen--
[Renee] Finn Bálor "is a boy in a man's world," to quote.
[Graves] And if you're Drew McIntyre,
why would you feel the need to respect anybody?
He's a hybrid athlete, size, speed, power.
Look at this. No effect.
A knife edge chop from Bálor.
[Michael] And now the power of McIntyre,
driving Bálor to the floor. Bálor…
Finn, too sweet.
[screams]
[Michael] …mocking Finn Bálor and the Bálor Club's calling card.
[Graves] And you've seen the confidence of Drew McIntyre grow.
Even more recently,
just verbally berating his opponents while he beats on 'em.
[Michael] And now Bálor looking to cut the six-foot-five,
265-pounder down to size,
but McIntyre does not allow that to happen.
[Renee] I also saw Drew McIntyre absolutely decimate Dolph Ziggler
saying that he was picturing it being Finn Bálor the entire time.
[Michael] And a chop again by McIntyre
and echoing throughout the SAP Center here,
sold out in San Jose, California tonight
for the final Pay-Per-View of 2018, WWE TLC.
[Renee] Smart move to takeout Drew McIntyre at the knees.
[Graves] So much of Drew's game is power-based,
you eliminate his ability to use his legs,
it certainly limits the Scotsman.
Oh.
[Renee] Somebody that calls himself the whole damn package,
you can't do much without a knee.
[Graves] I think Finn ought to focus on taking away the hands
of Drew McIntyre at this point, those chops are absolutely brutal.
Look at me.
You could've just walked away also.
No. No.
[Graves] You heard Drew tell Finn, "You could've just walked away also."
[Michael] Now, that's not what Finn Bálor is all about,
he doesn't have that in his DNA.
This is what Finn's got in his DNA,
fighting nonstop, tremendous heart,
great resilience for the first ever Universal Champion.
[Graves] Look at the welts already on Bálor's chest
from those thunderous chops.
[Michael] And McIntyre though meets Bálor top rope.
And what a throw by McIntyre.
Belly-to-belly halfway across the ring.
But I want you to notice, McIntyre's knee gave out on that throw.
[Graves] Yeah, take another look at this.
McIntyre still on one good leg,
able to launch Bálor almost the entire length of the ring
and oh, right on the shoulder of Bálor.
Certainly a painful landing and McIntyre back in control.
[Renee] Brutal impact.
[crowd chanting] Let's go, Bálor.
Let's go, Bálor.
[Graves] Bálor only connected with that one solid dropkick,
might've hyperextended McIntyre's knee.
[Michael] And right back to the knee.
[Graves] It was a smart strategy for Finn.
[Renee] Finn's a smart guy.
These are the situations that he thrives in.
He loves these David versus Goliath situations.
He likes to take on the big men.
Come on, Finn, fight for me.
Fight out, Bálor. Fight.
Bring him in, Drew.
[Graves] McIntyre imploring Finn to fight back into this one.
[Michael] Up over the top, McIntyre hanging on though.
And with a kick right to the chest.
Well, McIntyre, he's hurting.
You could tell Drew is hurting. Another great throw
and he launches Bálor across the ring again.
[Graves] McIntyre might be hurting but obviously not that bad.
[Renee] Drew McIntyre doesn't seem like he's human.
That was insane.
[Michael] McIntyre cover on Bálor, kick out at two.
[Graves] I don't think Drew McIntyre is human.
He's a terminator, remorseless.
[Michael] A tremendous way to describe him, Corey.
Drew McIntyre has no feelings,
no emotion for anyone,
only cares about himself,
only cares about getting to the top of WWE,
and he's gonna take out anybody in his path.
[Graves] Drew has made his intentions crystal clear.
He wants to be Universal Champion.
He will mow down everybody in his path to the top.
You need to check this out. Check this out. Look at this.
[Michael] Just powering Bálor up into a vertical suplex.
[Graves] A little extra snap on that one.
-Cover here by McIntyre. -One, two…
[Michael] And Bálor kicks out again.
[crowd chatter]
Reach. Reach.
No. Ah.
-So close. -Come on, Finn. Huh?
-No, no. -So close, Finn.
[Michael] And Bálor was trying to make it to the bottom rope to force a break
and McIntyre pulled him back into the ring.
[Graves] McIntyre is truly enjoying the punishment
he's inflicting on Finn right now.
[Michael] And it's not just the physical punishment, Corey,
it's the mental punishment.
I mean, he just loves to trash talk, scream at his opponents in the ring.
[Renee] I guess that's what comes of being the whole damn package.
He brings it all, every single aspect of being the top WWE Superstar,
-that's Drew McIntyre to a T. -[Michael] Yeah.
[Graves] McIntyre doesn't always wanna beat you physically,
he wants to beat you mentally, beat you emotionally.
[Michael] Well, he wants to humiliate you.
And that's what he's doing here.
The arm is locked in, he's rubbing his forearm
over the face of Finn Bálor
trying to-- trying to punish him.
And Bálor trying to force a break.
And here comes Finn trying to rally a bit here.
[Graves] Big time forearm and McIntyre barely budged.
[Renee] You really get to see the fight in Finn Bálor.
[Michael] McIntyre though still on his feet.
Bálor can't quite believe it, went for a double leg takedown
and McIntyre with a blow to the back.
-Finn-- -[Graves] Bálor able to escape.
[Michael] Now, McIntyre goes down. There's the stomp to the chest.
[Graves] Finn bought himself some time there.
But will it be enough?
Can the Irishman get the blood flowing, the adrenaline pumping
to fight his way back into this match?
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Now, it's Bálor's turn to deliver a chop.
Bálor's chest all welted up.
-Look at this. Boom. -[Graves] Satellite DDT connects.
[Michael] And Bálor sends McIntyre over the top rope.
And you feel the momentum maybe shifting.
[Renee] Finn Bálor looks like he's feeling it too.
[Graves] Yeah, but Drew McIntyre has the ability
to change the complexion of a matchup with one move.
[Renee] Time for Finn to fly.
[Michael] Over the top rope and down goes McIntyre.
And now Bálor's feeling it, that's in his comfort zone there,
when Bálor can fly.
[Graves] Finn wants to pick the pace up of this matchup.
Can Finn sustain this pace however?
[Michael] Sling blade.
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] McIntyre now trying to will his way back into this one.
-[Michael] Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. -[Graves] Oh, my God.
[Michael] Cover, hooks the outside leg,
and Bálor at two, a near fall for McIntyre.
But what an incredible tilt-a-whirl backbreaker
that time by McIntyre.
[Graves] The impact about broke Finn Bálor clean in half.
It's that game-changing power we mentioned earlier
that Drew McIntyre possesses.
[crowd chatter]
Look at me, Finn.
[Graves] Take another look at this. Finn full speed ahead
but almost made it look effortless.
Drew McIntyre is just so powerful.
You're pathetic. You're nothing to me.
You and Dolph Ziggler are absolutely nothing to me.
[Michael] And Bálor took offense to that.
Oh, this isn't gonna be good.
[Graves] Uh-oh. Uh-oh.
[Michael] And Bálor though tremendous core strength,
rolls through, shoulders down,
pinning combination, and a kickout at two.
[Renee] Can you imagine what a night,
we don't have Baron Corbin as permanent general manager,
Drew McIntyre suffers a loss as well?
[Michael] Classic Bálor.
McIntyre is down.
He's in the drop zone.
Bálor looking to get to the top rope.
McIntyre gonna meet him there again.
[crowd chatter]
[Michael] McIntyre just keeps moving forward.
[crowd chatter]
[Michael] And now looking to just punish Finn Bálor.
[Graves] What on Earth is McIntyre thinking now?
This is gonna be it. If this connects, Bálor is done.
-[Michael] Oh, my God. Oh. -[Renee] Oh.
[Graves] From the middle rope.
[Michael] McIntyre into the cover.
Leg hooked on Bálor for the victory.
Finn stays in it.
[Renee] Drew McIntyre could not believe that Finn Bálor is still in this.
[Graves] Take a look at this incredible impact
from the middle rope,
McIntyre driving Finn
neck and shoulders first into the canvas
almost picked up a victory with that one maneuver.
[Renee] I think everybody here at the SAP Center thought
that we were done too.
[Graves] With malice in the eyes of The Scottish Psychopath.
[Michael] WWE fans have not given up on Finn Bálor.
Bálor Club is alive and well,
but McIntyre wants to terminate Finn Bálor here.
[crowd chatter]
Stay back. Let me-- Drew, hey. Come on.
Drew, keep it in the ring.
[Graves] Oh, wait a minute.
[Michael] Oh, look at Finn go.
-[Graves] Resourceful move by Bálor. -[Renee] Smart.
[Michael] And now, here comes Finn Bálor firing back.
[Graves] A little ode to Fit Finlay.
[Michael] Yeah, Fit used to love to use the ring apron.
And now Bálor caught by McIntyre.
Face first right on the apron.
[Graves] Wow.
[Michael] Finn may be out.
[Graves] Just other worldly power.
[Cone] Five…
[Michael] Oh.
[Graves] The Glasgow Kiss headbutt connects,
Bálor's out.
[Renee] Smiles right in the face of Finn Bálor
right before he drops the headbutt.
[Michael] And now into the ring to break the count,
so he can continue to punish Bálor.
One…
[Renee] Mocking Finn Bálor.
[Cone] …two…
[Graves] Bálor's eyes are glazed over.
I think the pinfall might just be a formality at this point.
…four.
Drew, come on. Get back in here. Get--
[Renee] Drew McIntyre seems to be proving a point here tonight.
[Michael] Wait a minute. Who the hell-- Dolph Ziggler.
Ziggler with a superkick to McIntyre.
[Graves] The referee didn't see it.
[crowd cheering]
-[Michael] And Dolph Ziggler. -[Renee] Oh, no.
[Graves] I mean, we all see this.
Come on.
-[Graves] Oh. -[Michael] Oh, man.
[Graves] The steel chair kicked right in the face
of Dolph Ziggler.
[Michael] Well, Ziggler has not forgotten what McIntyre has done to him,
threw him to the curb.
[Renee] It doesn't look like Drew McIntyre's done with Dolph Ziggler.
[Cone] Hey, come on.
[Michael] Oh, my Lord.
Hey, come on. Don't come in here with that chair.
Dolph, come on.
Don't come in here with that chair, Drew.
[Graves] Crazed look in the eyes of Drew McIntyre.
Drew.
[Graves] Drew better not lose focus of Finn Bálor.
Don't come in here with that chair, all right?
Get rid of that chair now.
[Michael] Oh, Bálor.
[Graves] Bálor is lying in wait.
[Michael] And the chair is underneath McIntyre.
-[Renee] Here we go. -[Michael] Well, it was.
Bálor top rope, Coup de Grace.
-Here's the cover. -[crowd] One, two, three.
-[Michael] Bálor shuts McIntyre. -[bell ringing]
["Catch Your Breath" playing]
[JoJo] Here is your winner, Finn Bálor.
[Michael] Well, again, you got to give an assist to Dolph Ziggler.
It was Bálor helping Dolph a couple of weeks ago.
Tonight, the other way around,
but I don't think it was about helping anybody.
I think it was about getting revenge on Drew McIntyre.
[Graves] Well, listen, I mean, the record books will show
that Finn Bálor beat Drew McIntyre tonight.
But it took two men and a steel chair
for Bálor to get the dupe tonight.
["Catch Your Breath" playing]
[Michael] McIntyre will not forget this
when Finn Bálor celebrates.
["Catch Your Breath" playing]
[Michael] McIntyre who was in control.
And from out of the WWE Universe,
here comes Dolph Ziggler connecting with a superkick.
Come on.
[Graves] McIntyre would thwart Dolph's attempt there.
But when Drew got a little too hungry for vengeance,
Finn Bálor made the Scotsman pay with a Coup de Grace.
Both feet right to the midsection.
[bell ringing]
[Graves] And Bálor with a landmark victory tonight in San Jose.
["Catch Your Breath" playing]
[Michael] McIntyre will not forget this night.
["Catch Your Breath" playing]
[romantic music playing]
Hi. I'm Coleco and I'm here at Kay Jewelers to pick out a ring
because tonight, I'm proposing to my girlfriend, Lily.
-Oh, my God. -Oh, God.
I'm trying to find a perfect ring, man, for this perfect lady.
Will you marry me?
-Yes. Yes. Yes. -[laughs]
That's what I'm talking about.
-Oh. -It still gets me every time.
[laughs]
[Lily] Life is fun.
I'm married to a wonderful man.
-We added an addition to our family. -[Coleco] Hmm.
-[Lily] Kiss. -Ah.
[Lily] He's an avid WWE fan already.
Oh, y'all don't have a little me.
-[Lily] He wanted a son. He got a son. -[Coleco] Yeah.
I love seeing you all. I'm so glad everything is good
with you all, man, and shoot.
[Lily] We'll continue to keep up with you guys.
-Yes. -Yeah.
There's something else.
You've been like a best friend to me.
I just wanna let you know that I love you so much.
-[Lily screams] -[Coleco laughs]
No one deserves it better than you.
-I love you. -I love you too.
[romantic music playing]
Really special moment.
Big thanks to our friends at Kay Jewelers making WWE TLC possible.
Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton out,
not feeling very well tonight.
-So David Otunga is… -Right.
…sitting in for his place. He's got a little business to attend to.
[Graves] And we wanna send a special thanks
to The Struts for "Body Talks".
It's an official theme song of WWE TLC
from the album Young & Dangerous.
Available now on iTunes and Spotify.
[Tom] And we are matter of moments away from a Chairs match
between Rey Mysterio and the venomous Randy Orton.
Over the last few weeks, Orton has targeted Rey Mysterio
in a number of ways
in an attempt to erase the existence
of Rey Mysterio from WWE.
We will now take you back to what happened last month.
This was in a matchup one-on-one between Orton and Mysterio.
Watch as Orton ripping at the sacred mask of Rey Mysterio.
[Graves] Randy Orton has made it his personal mission
to rid WWE of all of the heroes.
Rey Mysterio falls under that category and The Viper taking a trophy.
So Mysterio would remember.
[Tom] Fast forward a week and after suffering a bruised trachea
things would get worse for Rey Mysterio.
A steel chair right to the throat courtesy of Randy Orton.
However, this was this past Tuesday night on SmackDown Live.
[Graves] Mysterio looking to even the odds a little bit.
Introducing a steel chair into the equation
and would finally gain the upper hand on The Viper.
[Tom] And it showed just how creative Rey Mysterio can be
with a steel chair added to his arsenal, sending The Viper running.
An opportunity for Mysterio to gain some payback
here tonight at TLC.
And we are surrounded by steel chairs
here at ringside in San Jose.
This Chairs match, steel chairs entirely legal.
You win by pinfall or submission inside the ring.
[Graves] Not only legal, Tom Phillips, highly encouraged.
-["Booyaka 619" playing] - ♪ That's my pueblo ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, 619 ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, that's my pueblo ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, 619 ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, Rey Mysterio ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, 619 ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka ♪
[Tom] Here is the king of lucha libre,
an inspiration to so many in the WWE Universe
proving he is not a victim here tonight.
[bell ringing]
[Hamilton] The following contest is a Chairs match scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, from San Diego, California,
weighing in at 170 pounds,
Rey Mysterio.
[Graves] The greatest mask of all time loved the world over.
One of the most highly respected competitors in WWE history
is gonna be in for the fight of his life tonight.
♪ 619 ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, that's my pueblo ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, 619 ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, Rey Mysterio ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, 619 ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, that's my pueblo ♪
[Tom] Well, Raw and SmackDown on broadcast worldwide
in 25 different languages.
And with that, we check in
with our international row of announce teams.
In Russian, Moti Margolin and Zhan Pomerantsev.
[speaking Russian]
[Tom] Our Japanese team, Shun Yamaguchi
and SmackDown's number one announcer, Funaki.
[speaking Japanese]
[Tom] Our Hindi team, Obaid Kadwani and Shez Sardar.
-[speaking Hindi] -[speaking Hindi]
[Tom] Our French team, Ray Rougeau and Jean Brassard.
[speaks French]
[Tom] And last but not least, in Mandarin, Meng Ai and Sean Deng.
[speaks Mandarin]
[Graves] You guys should've seen Meng Ai last night.
I had to pull him off the ceiling. He's a really wild man.
-[Tom] And-- -[David] Oh, yeah?
He was all over the center bar.
[Hamilton] And his opponent from St. Louis, Missouri,
weighing in at 250 pounds,
he is "The Apex Predator"
Randy Orton.
[Tom] No matter what language you speak,
the truth throughout sports entertainment,
the three most dangerous letters are RKO.
I shudder to think, David, what Randy Orton can do
with a steel chair in his hand.
In fact, you've been on the receiving end of Randy Orton's malice in the past.
[David] I have. And Randy's one of those guys who's so fit.
He can literally do anything he wants to do in the ring at any time.
[Tom] But David, this version of Randy Orton,
this is a man who's looking to eradicate Superstars as a whole.
Why do you think he went to this level?
[David] I think because he can and he wants to show that.
Randy's always a guy who has his mean dark streak.
And sometimes it comes out.
[Graves] The proof is in the results.
Randy Orton has been more dangerous than ever,
sometimes downright sadistic.
And the lengths that Orton's willing to go
to topple his opponents knows no bounds.
[Tom] You could see that smile on the face of Randy Orton
kind of shaking his head at Rey Mysterio saying as if,
"You shouldn't have pushed me to this point."
[Graves] It's hard to argue with that mindset.
I mean, Randy Orton, we know what he's capable of.
You give him steel chairs at his disposal,
perfectly legal, someone's gonna get hurt.
[Tom] And many would say that Randy Orton is walking into this matchup,
again, his current mindset in a Chairs match,
it has to favor WWE's Apex Predator.
However, you've talked about the creativity,
the innovation of a man like Rey Mysterio.
Can he counter Orton's venom?
[David] Most definitely. And this isn't a surprise.
Rey has been preparing for this.
He could use a chair just as well as Randy can.
[Tom] Rey Mysterio, three-time world champion.
Randy Orton, 13-time world champion.
#chairsmatch here tonight.
-Graves-- -[Graves] I don't think
Randy's gonna waste any time bringing the steel into play.
Come on, too easy.
[Graves] It's like The Viper's personal playground out there.
[Tom] And there are no disqualifications.
No count-outs here in this matchup.
Again, steel chairs are totally legal.
And Rey Mysterio battling back early,
grabbing the chair right to the midsection of Orton.
[Graves] Rey's gonna have to rely on his quickness.
-[Tom] Oh. -[David] Oh, no.
This is what he needs to do to equalize things.
[Graves] Like a wakeup shot.
[Tom] And Randy Orton did not like that one bit.
Rolls back inside the ring
and Rey Mysterio, oh, a shot to The Viper.
-Oh. -[Graves] To the midsection goes Mysterio.
This is critical, Mysterio gaining the upper hand early.
[Tom] Mysterio starting off strong here against Randy Orton.
You could see Orton backing off.
[Graves] The Viper's in agony at the moment
and Mysterio now relentless on his own.
[crowd cheering]
[David] He bent that chair and went and got another one.
[Tom] Oh, that is the beauty of the setup here at ringside.
Rey Mysterio got endless options here in this match.
Now, Mysterio, he set the chair up, oh, caught up in the corner
and Rey Mysterio hit in the back there by Randy Orton.
[Graves] Rey Mysterio was able to get an early advantage on Randy Orton
which, oh, isn't something that occurs too often.
-He's-- -[Tom] Batter up in the corner.
[Graves] Mysterio was unable to keep that control
and The Viper made him pay.
[Tom] Now, Graves, as these steel chair matches wear on,
the more punishment you take, what is the key?
How do you endure? How do you survive?
[Graves] You got to get out of the way as much as possible.
Sounds simple, Phillips, but it's the truth.
-Don't get hit by the steel chairs. -[Tom laughs]
[David] I think that's gonna favor Rey, though, with his speed.
[Tom] He's slowed down right now, however, by Randy Orton out on the apron.
Oh, my God. Looking for a suplex,
the much larger Superstar Orton,
but again shot right to the midsection.
Oh.
Now, Rey Mysterio trying to pick up the pace
and takes Orton off of the apron,
face first into the apron.
[Graves] Rey Mysterio, so resourceful.
Able to adapt to any situation.
What on earth is Rey thinking about now?
-[Tom] Rey-- Oh. -[Graves] Oh.
-Into the splash with the chair. -[David] All right.
[Graves] How much damage did Rey do to himself?
[Tom] You're absolutely right.
The slide underneath the bottom rope with the steel chair,
belly-to-belly.
Watch this.
[Graves] This is creativity at its finest.
Oh, it's like a boogie board right under the bottom rope…
-[Tom] Oh. -[Graves] …crashing down
across the ribcage of Orton.
[Tom] A little surfing here in the Bay Area.
[Graves] Rey's gonna need to keep this-- Oh.
[Tom] Uh-oh. Oh, God.
[Graves] This aggression, this mentality
if he wants to stay the course
and wants to beat Randy Orton tonight.
[Tom] Orton and Mysterio surrounded
by this minefield of steel chairs here at ringside.
And again, Mysterio is taking this, oh, from the outset to Randy Orton.
[David] I'm surprised to see Rey's the one doing the stalking tonight.
[Graves] Rey realizes just how dangerous Randy Orton is
and doesn't wanna offer any quarter to The Apex Predator.
[crowd chatter]
[Tom] Hold on. Rey Mysterio from the apron.
-Oh. -[Graves] Oh, my God.
[Tom] Went for the seated senton and--
[Graves] Completely overshot.
Orton was out of the way just in time.
[Tom] Look at the smile on Orton's face.
[Graves] What a nasty landing. Let's take one more look at this.
-Oh. -[Tom] Oh, my God.
[Graves] The top of the chair, right to the tailbone.
[David] Rey got a seated something right there.
-[Tom] Yup. -Come on, Orton, get him back.
[Graves] Total game-changer for The Viper.
[crowd chatter]
[Graves] Orton now, once again, sadistically stalking Rey Mysterio.
[Tom] Oh.
-[Graves] Look out, gentlemen. -[Tom] Oh, no,
get out of here, get out of here.
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] Orton rearranging the furniture.
[Tom] Oh, no.
[Graves] Doubling down on the destruction,
Orton with a carefully laid steel chair on top of our announce table.
One can only imagine what Randy's thinking about now.
[Tom] Now, Orton, he's got Mysterio by the mask just for a moment.
Now got a hold of him. Oh, no. Oh.
-[Graves] Face first. -[David] Oh! With a chair.
[Tom] The table did not give one iota on top of that.
[crowd chatter]
[Tom] And now, Orton rearranging some more furniture,
filling the ring with steel chairs and-- All right.
Rey Mysterio's in a bad way, had to have all of the air driven out
of his lungs there by Randy Orton.
[crowd chatter]
[Tom] I've seen the depths of depravity that Randy Orton has gone through
in the past to eliminate his victims.
Do you remember what he did to Jeff Hardy inside Hell in a Cell?
Now he's got a Chairs match opportunity against Rey Mysterio.
[Graves] Orton looking to close the door on this one.
[Tom] To win, to win the match. And a kickout.
Remember, only win by pinfall or submission.
[crowd chatter]
[David] Orton and this sinister creativity here,
you can only imagine what he's setting up.
[Graves] Orton now, setting the steel chair
in between the top and middle ropes.
[crowd chatter]
[Tom] Oh. And now, Orton can stalk his prey.
[David] Rey Mysterio, like a wounded animal right now,
in the clutches of The Viper.
[Graves] Orton's gonna drive Mysterio face first into this chair.
[Tom] Oh, no, no. Whoa. Orton stopped himself
and now Mysterio sending Orton shoulder first into the chair.
[David] This is opening.
-[Tom] And now, Mysterio… -[Graves] Oh.
[Tom] …oh, powerslam.
Beautiful powerslam.
Could this be it?
No. Kick out by Rey.
[Graves] Surreal velocity on the powerslam from Orton.
Once again, taking control of this matchup.
[Tom] Randy Orton-- Rey Mysterio was lucky not to land
on any of these chairs here inside the ring.
And again, this was absolutely beautiful first by Rey. Oh.
[Graves] Orton able to lower his shoulder, prevent the impact to his face
but boom, drives Mysterio into the center of the ring
with a brutal powerslam.
[crowd chatter]
[David] Orton's loving this too.
-[Graves] You're right. -[David] Every minute.
[Graves] Randy derives pleasure from inflicting punishment
on any of his opponents.
[Tom] Again, Rey Mysterio, he's got a clue what's being set up here by Randy Orton.
He was trying to escape the clutches of WWE's Apex Predator,
caught up on the ropes-- Oh.
[Graves] Uh-oh. That's not where Orton wants to be.
[Tom] Oh, wait a minute. Thought about the 619
and instead out to the apron, big kick to Orton.
And Rey Mysterio, very wisely, avoiding disaster
at the hands of The Viper.
[Graves] Rey needs to find a way back into this matchup quickly.
Orton's down but you know he won't stay there for long.
[Tom] Wait a minute, from the top, oh.
And Orton's just tossed the chair at him,
hit Rey on the legs, it looks like. Cover.
And Mysterio's popped out at two and a half.
[David] Randy Orton is so good at lulling you
into a false sense of security,
and then striking, and turning the tables.
[Graves] You know, Rey Mysterio's had a history of knee issues,
multiple surgeries,
could come into play here as…
-[David] Oh. -[Graves] …this match progresses.
[Tom] Now, remember, a couple of weeks ago,
Rey Mysterio not only suffered a bruised trachea,
he's not coming into this match even close to a hundred percent largely
because of Randy Orton.
[Graves] I almost see the wheels turning in the mind of Orton right now.
[crowd chatter]
[Graves] Orton, once again, securing a chair in place.
[man] Come on, Randy, let's go!
Come on, come on.
[crowd chatter]
-[Tom] This is what Rey-- -[Graves] It's almost-- it's almost eerie
how calm Randy Orton is at this very moment.
[Tom] I was about to say, Graves, you know, Randy Orton, he thrives on this.
He wants the WWE Universe to squirm.
He wants them to be uncomfortable.
That is very much the feeling at the SAP Center tonight.
Oh!
[Graves] Mysterio just tattooed Orton with a steel chair.
[Tom] Second try. 619.
Orton is down,
Rey Mysterio with a big opportunity in this chairs match.
[David] It's his time to capitalize.
[Graves] Rey's taking on a lot of punishment to this point,
-will he be able-- Oh. -[Tom] Oh.
And Orton wisely takes out the leg.
Orton in a rough situation himself
but at the wherewithal to slow down Mysterio.
[Graves] And Randy trying to shake the cobwebs after suffering a 619.
[crowd chatter]
[screaming]
[Tom] Oh, my God.
Look where Rey is.
No, no, no, no, no. No-- Oh.
-[Graves] Oh. -[Tom] Into the chair.
[Graves] Like a pendulum, face-first.
[Tom] I don't know if that is what Randy Orton was intending
from the beginning when he put that chair there,
but he certainly capitalized on it.
[crowd chatter]
[Tom] And now, again, launching more and more steel chairs
back inside the ring.
[grunting]
[Tom] Oh. And again. Face-first goes Mysterio.
[David] You hear the sound Mysterio's head makes
when it bounces off the chair?
[Tom] It's sickening, what Randy Orton has been doing.
The more, the same what we've seen from what-- over the last few months.
[Graves] What is Randy doing now?
[crowd chatter]
[Graves] What makes this matchup so dangerous,
you're limited only by your own creativity of what your opponent can do.
Randy Orton never short on sick thoughts
and interesting ways to hurt someone.
[crowd chatter]
[Rey grunting]
[Graves] Wait a minute.
Randy, looks like he's got the cravat cinched in,
the first step to an RKO.
[Tom] Trying to set up Rey Mysterio here.
Oh, wait a minute, trying to launch Mysterio
for the RKO and Mysterio countered.
[Graves] Rey was able to slip out just in time.
[Tom] Oh.
Orton into the row of chairs.
[Graves] That was unique, into a pinning combination.
-[Tom] Cover. Mysterio got him! -[Graves] He got him!
[Tom] Mysterio beat Orton!
[Rome] Here is your winner,
Rey Mysterio!
[Graves] Rey got the hell out of dodge with good reason.
[Tom] Smart.
Rey Mysterio, he said he would no longer be a victim of Randy Orton.
And tonight, the victory, the king of the 619.
Randy Orton beside himself had nothing
but excruciating pain and plans set up for Rey Mysterio
here in this match and it backfired.
[Graves] We talked about out of absolutely nowhere
Orton's face would ricochet off the steel
before this victory roll applied by Mysterio
keeps The Viper down for three.
Shocking, for sure,
but a decisive win for Mysterio
over WWE's Apex Predator.
[singer] ♪ Booyaka, booyaka, 619 ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, Rey Mysterio ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, 619 ♪
♪ Booyaka, booyaka, that's my pueblo ♪
Finn, congratulations.
Big win for you over Drew McIntyre
albeit with a little bit of controversy mixed in.
Yeah. Obviously, like you say, huge win over Drew,
but I don't know what the hell Dolph was doing out there.
[Dolph] Yeah. Hey, hey, you're welcome.
-Welcome? -Yeah.
Welcome for what?
You're getting beat down out there, laying around, you didn't have a chance.
Listen, next time, you keep your nose out of my business.
Yeah, you're lucky I was there.
Oh, whoa, whoa, I ain't finish yet. Oh.
[crowd exclaims]
[grunts]
[groans]
[narrator] Tomorrow night, The Boss is back.
-[Graves] No way. -[singer] ♪ No chance ♪
[Graves] He's here!
[narrator] Mr. McMahon returns to Raw to shake things up.
Raw, live tomorrow night, 8:00, 7:00 Central, only on USA.
What you're about to see may shock you.
["Raise That Level Up" playing]
-Good morning, pooh bear. -[yells]
We're gonna take this old school.
You're gonna want it!
[man] You look like a backup dancer for NSYNC.
Thank you.
[singer] ♪ This is not enough Raise that level up ♪
Where is it, tickle pants?
-Girl scouts' work is never done. -[boy] Ow!
What did we all just witness?
-That's a good show. -That's a good show.
-That's a real good show.
[singer] ♪ Raise that level up ♪
["Raise That Level Up" playing]
I love that kind-- type of humor.
And a brand new episode tonight immediately following TLC,
only on the WWE network.
Get yourself rocket-strapped.
One of the best shows on WWE Network. Big fan.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, coming up next,
it is all about the Raw Women's Championship.
It is the battle for the title with the Baddest Woman on the Planet
versus The Irresistible Force.
And for Nia Jax, it's unfinished business
with Ronda Rousey.
[singer] ♪ This is my emotion ♪
[Ronda] A true champion stands guard atop the mountain,
ready to throw down anyone.
-[crowd cheering] -[Michael] Quite the cheer for
"The Baddest Woman on the Planet" Ronda Rousey.
[singer] ♪ Yeah ♪
♪ The grind, the sweat The blood, the time, my motivation ♪
♪ I worked too hard, too long To not be in the conversation ♪
♪ I took the long way up And nothing less than domination ♪
♪ I got the game and say we lock And key in combination ♪
♪ Keep the gold in hindsight ♪
♪ Don't focus On what's hindsight ♪
♪ Sleeping on me Telling them night-night ♪
♪ It's my time in the bright light ♪
♪ Don't ever pay it no mind Keep it pushing ♪
♪ Don't ever give them a sound ♪
♪ Level up, take your shot ♪
♪ They wanna talk about you When you down ♪
A true champion stands atop the mountain in sickness or in health.
[Michael] Ronda, nowhere in near a hundred percent
after the assault by Charlotte last night
with kendo sticks and steel chairs.
[crowd exclaims]
[dramatic music playing]
[Ronda] A hundred percent or one percent,
you have to be the best in the world on your worst day.
[hip hop music playing]
[singer] ♪ Stay on winning, nothing less
♪ Ain't no consolation ♪
♪ Used to tell me that I couldn't That's my motivation ♪
♪ Yeah, my motivation ♪
[Renee] Ronda Rousey came out here
and she knew she had something to prove.
Here she stands, still the Raw Women's Champion.
[Michael] What a gutsy performance by Ronda Rousey.
[Graves] Uh-oh.
[Michael] Nia Jax and Tamina.
[tense music playing]
[Michael] Nia Jax, the next challenger to the Raw Women's Championship.
[Nia] I am a six-foot tall,
300-pound Samoan woman.
I am Ronda Rousey's worst nightmare.
[Graves] Ronda never faced or experienced anybody
that possessed the power of Nia Jax.
[Nia] I am the most imposing force in WWE women's history.
And do you wanna know my secret?
This hand, this fist
broke little Miss Becky Lynch's face.
I guess The Man was no match for the Facebreaker.
I'm gonna punch Ronda in the face until she taps out.
I'm gonna be holding my title
when I erase the myth
of Ronda Rousey at TLC.
[dramatic music playing]
[Michael] Here comes the champ.
I did not come here to talk about fighting.
I came here to fight.
-[Graves] Uh-oh. -[Michael] Oh, here comes Rousey.
And Nia Jax and Tamina think twice about it.
[Renee] Trying to get under the skin of Ronda Rousey's a bold move.
[Graves] At TLC, Tamina will be lurking in the corner
of The Irresistible Force as Nia Jax attempts to dethrone
the Raw Women's Champion, "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey.
[dramatic music playing]
-["Force of Greatness" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And this is what Ronda Rousey faces here tonight.
The woman known as The Irresistible Force, she is flanked by Tamina.
They have formed one of the most powerful combinations
in women's division history here in WWE.
[Graves] Tamina, always a threat to be reckoned with at ringside.
But Nia Jax is intent on proving
that she is indeed the supreme being
in the Raw women's division.
I mean, take a look at Nia's face, she's calm, she's relaxed.
I saw her backstage earlier today, she was all smiles.
She's not sweating Ronda Rousey.
[Renee] It's scary how much Nia Jax switches gears
as soon as she steps between those ropes.
[Michael] And you gotta wonder what factor Tamina will be tonight.
To Corey's point, the problem is is Nia has to pin or submit Rousey
in order to win the championship.
Tamina has to be careful.
She's not disqualified if she tries to get involved.
♪ Lucky for me I'm not like most girls ♪
[Graves] I'm sure there's a game plan in place for Nia and Tamina.
This is a big time opportunity for The Irresistible Force.
[crowd chatter]
["Bad Reputation" playing]
♪ I don't give a damn About my reputation ♪
[Michael] For Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax,
tonight is a lot about an unfinished business.
They met back at the Money in the Bank Pay-Per-View event in June
when Nia was the champion.
That was the night that Alexa Bliss interfered
and cashed in her Money in the Bank contract to win the title.
So Nia is looking at this match as, well, unfinished business tonight.
[Renee] And Ronda Rousey posted out,
"Nothing makes me happy than giving people their money's worth
and decimating whoever dares approach the peak of my mountain."
And that woman tonight is Nia Jax.
[Graves] But unfortunately for Rousey,
Nia Jax possesses the ability to move mountains
that might shove Ronda right off the top.
[Renee] Nia Jax might be the Mountain.
[Graves] Sir Gregor?
["Bad Reputation" continues]
♪ I don't give a damn About my reputation ♪
[bell ringing]
The following contest is for the Raw Women's Championship!
Introducing first the challenger
from San Diego, California,
Nia Jax.
[crowd booing and cheering]
Her opponent from Venice, California,
she is the Raw Women's Champion,
the Baddest Woman on the Planet,
"Rowdy" Ronda Rousey!
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] So this is for the Raw Women's Championship here.
Sold out at the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
Rousey and Nia Jax.
And, Corey, strategy now, first for the challenger,
what does Nia have to do to take out Ronda tonight?
[Graves] Nia needs to be cautious of Ronda Rousey's submission ability.
And Nia needs to rely on her power.
-[bell ringing] -[Graves] Ronda cannot match that.
[Michael] What about Ronda? What does she need to do?
[Graves] Rousey needs to frustrate Nia Jax.
[Michael] And there's the power of Nia Jax right out of the box.
[Graves] Ronda's not gonna have much success like that.
-She needs to use her quickness. -[Renee] There's definitely been another…
-[Graves] Stick and move. -[Renee] …war of words on Twitter again
between Ronda Rousey, Nia Jax.
Again, Ronda just getting under the skin of Nia or maybe vice versa.
-[Graves] And look at this. -[Michael] And look at Ronda.
Yeah, using her quickness and now jabbing away at Nia Jax,
big smile on her face.
Perhaps trying to take Nia out of her game, get Nia frustrated.
[Renee] Ronda says she-- or sorry.
Nia says she keeps that right hook ready to go.
[Graves] Oh, Ronda's frustrating Nia right now.
Very solid game plan by the reigning champion.
[Michael] And now, Rousey with the left hands,
caught by Nia Jax, whipped into the corner.
Rousey, of course, has to avoid the right hand of Nia Jax
that Nia has called the Facebreaker
after what she did to SmackDown Women's Champion Becky Lynch.
[Graves] This is a good strategy by Ronda, trying not to get too close.
But Nia got caught, striking at a distance.
But look at this.
Nia just threatening Ronda with the Facebreaker.
-[Renee] Oh! -[Graves] Uh-oh.
[Michael] Oh, and Ronda Rousey…
-[Graves] Here it is. -[Michael] …looking for the armbar early.
[Graves] Nia's so powerful. Could she prevent it from being locked in?
[Michael] And Nia able to roll Ronda over on her back
and now, using her power to pick Rousey up.
Oh!
What a powerbomb set out by Nia.
[Graves] Rousey just woman-handled by The Irresistible Force.
[Michael] Here's the cover for a new champion.
And Ronda able to get the shoulder up.
And you can see not-- Ronda Rousey sucking for air,
she had the breath driven out of her by that powerbomb.
[Graves] Let's take one more look at the power of Nia Jax,
hoisting up Rousey
and then, boom, driving the champion's spine first.
[Renee] You would assume that Nia Jax must've been watching tons
of Ronda Rousey tapes before heading into this matchup
because she seems like she's ready for anything Ronda throws her way.
[Michael] And Nia with a biel, sending Rousey across the ring.
And now plowing into her into the corner.
And this has been all Nia Jax now,
as she starts to dominate with her power game.
-[Graves] 'Cause it's just… -[Michael] Elbow!
[Graves] …a matter of time.
Cover here.
[Michael] Kick out by Rousey.
[Graves] Nia got a little bit lackadaisical in that cover.
Gonna take more than that to keep the champion down.
[Renee] Ronda said you gotta defend your position or you step aside.
And right now, she's down and out.
[Dan] Come on. Watch her hair. One,
two…
[Michael] Now dragging Ronda to her feet, driving her shoulder-first into the post.
[Graves] Just uber-confident.
[Renee] How important is it to head into such a grandiose matchup
just with confidence on your side?
-[Graves] Oh! -[Michael] Oh! And did you see
how Nia crushed Ronda's shoulder against the post?
[Graves] That might've separated Rousey's shoulder right there.
[Michael] Nia pinning Ronda's shoulder, wrapping it around the post.
[Renee] Nia using her body to her advantage.
[Michael] And you know what happens when you take the arm and the shoulder
out of Ronda, she's not able to lock in the armbar.
[Graves] Certainly not as effectively.
Nia continuing to grow more confident as the match progresses.
[Michael] Leg drop as Rousey moves out of the way.
Watch this again.
Watch the position of Ronda's arm pinned against the post.
[Graves] To answer your previous question, Renee, it's of the utmost importance
to walk into a fight like this with a calm mindset the way Nia Jax has-- Uh-oh.
[Michael] Oh, look at-- Ronda's got her center of the ring.
Nia trying to fight out of this.
[Graves] Nia also has the luxury, if you wanna call it that,
of having faced Ronda in the past.
This isn't a new situation. But look at the power!
[Michael] Power, but Ronda able to end up on Nia's back.
[Renee] Ronda's a-- she's an athlete of another level.
What did we just see?
[Michael] Arm wrapped now under the chin of Nia Jax.
Nia could be in trouble.
-Ronda trying to hang on. -[Graves] Look at this.
-Ronda's still hanging on. -[Michael] Oh, my! Looking for the armbar,
but Nia's on the rope.
Nia's on the bottom rope, rolls out of the ring.
[Graves] Nia could have been saved by the ring positioning here.
[Dan] Hey. Break the hold, you're on the rope
[Graves] No submission can take place but--
-[Michael] Oh, look at this. -[Renee] Oh!
[Michael] Swinging Ronda into the barricade!
[Dan] Come on.
[Michael] Tamina applauding her friend Nia Jax.
Nia caught in an armbar.
The power of Nia-- I want you to watch this
as she just swings Ronda into the barricade!
[Graves] The back of Rousey's neck right off the barricade.
It is not looking good for the champ right now.
[Renee] Ronda's been so impressive technically.
But, I mean, you look at the power of Nia Jax
and she doesn't stand a chance tonight.
[Michael] And now Nia back into the ring, stalking the champion, Ronda Rousey.
Cover to win the Raw Women's title, and a kickout by Rousey.
Nia wants back what she calls her championship.
And Ronda's hurting.
Tremendous amount of punishment by Jax tonight.
[Graves] And now locks in a cobra clutch submission.
Ronda.
[Tamina] Come on, come on, come on.
Ronda. Ronda, do you give up?
[Michael] I don't know how Ronda gets out of this.
Nia with the full weight of her body and Nia Jax here completely in control.
Ronda trying to make it back to a vertical base and create some separation.
[Graves] Sharp elbows from the champion,
grants her the separation but Nia was one kick just-- Uh-oh.
Uh-oh.
[Michael] And Ronda Rousey though, able to reverse it.
[Graves] Nia hesitated just a moment too long.
Ronda was able to counter out of it.
[Renee] There's no room for hesitation against an athlete the caliber of Rousey.
[Graves] Oh, you're absolutely right, Renee.
[Michael] Oh! Shoulder first for Jax, who falls out of the ring.
And Ronda able to buy some time.
Look to regroup, recuperate a bit here.
Maybe not.
[Renee] Ronda's digging deep.
[Michael] I think Ronda realizes that…
[Graves] I think Ronda's desperate.
[Michael] …she has to hit a big move to take out Nia Jax.
I agree with that, Corey.
Ronda, top rope, pulling out all the stops.
-[Renee] Oh! -[Michael] Nia Jax taken out
with a crossbody!
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] The champ connected flush full-impact,
downing The Irresistible Force.
Take a look at this.
All the way from the top rope to the floor.
Expertly executed.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And Ronda Rousey-- Ronda Rousey wants to pin Nia Jax.
She's a fighting champion.
She doesn't want a count-out victory.
She wants to take Nia Jax out in this match.
[Renee] It's not the size of the dog, it's the fight in the dog.
[Michael] And now here's Ronda rolling Nia into the cover.
Hook to leg now and a kickout by Nia at two.
Ronda thought she had Jax then.
[Graves] Yeah, but sometimes, Renee, it is the size of the dog.
Case in point, Nia Jax,
-she is… -Get up here. Get up here!
[Graves] …proving to be a little more than Ronda expected tonight.
[Renee] Not when we see this look on Rousey's face.
[Michael] And look at Ronda go. Rights and lefts.
[Graves] Wow. Beautiful step-up knee right to the temple.
-Rousey measuring Jax. -[Michael] Oh! What a right hand by Ronda!
Nia may be out.
Cover by the champion--and Nia at two.
[crowd chatter]
[Graves] This deep into the match, you have to wonder if Rousey
starts to question herself.
She has thrown everything at Nia Jax
-as we take another look at this -[Michael] Look at this.
-[Graves] …step-up and then pow! -[Michael] Boom!
Right on the jaw.
-[Graves] The elbow is what connected. -[Renee] That was a thing of beauty.
[Michael] I thought Nia was known as the facebreaker.
[Graves] Rousey once again perched up top.
[Michael] Uh-oh. Crossbody.
Nia able to roll through though.
[Graves] Look at the strength of Jax.
[Michael] Powering up with Ronda Rousey.
[Renee] Oh, no.
[Michael] Jax looking for her signature move, the Samoan drop!
[Graves] We're gonna have a new champion.
[Michael] Will Jax take out Rousey and win the title?
Ronda gets the shoulder up at two.
Nia cannot believe it.
[Graves] The look of pure disbelief on the challenger's face.
One more look.
The power of Nia
driving Rousey into the mat.
And I think maybe it's exhaustion, maybe it's frustration.
If Nia would have hooked the leg--
[Michael] And a headbutt by Jax!
[Graves] Put more of her body weight or on the champion's body,
we could have a new champ at the moment.
[crowd chatter]
[Michael] Ronda, whipped into the corner and Jax again.
-[Graves] This is not good for Ronda. -[Renee] You can hear the air
leave Rousey's lungs there.
[Michael] And now Nia again with Ronda on her shoulders.
Remember, the way she won the championship the first time around.
[Graves] Oh, no.
-[Michael] Nia Jax… -[Renee] Ronda's done.
[Michael] …gonna carry Ronda on her shoulders as she scales the ropes.
[Graves] This is gonna be it.
Rousey's about to be the flattest woman on the planet.
[Michael] And Ronda looking to fight out with the elbows to the jaw.
No way.
Ronda looking for a sunset flip powerbomb.
Nia Jax hanging on.
[Graves] That is just too much to handle.
-[Renee] Oh! -[Michael] Oh, Ronda Rousey!
What a move by the champ, here's the cover.
Ronda-- Oh! I thought she had her and a kickout by Nia Jax.
Unbelievable strength from Ronda.
That was insane.
[crowd chatter]
[Graves] You can see Ronda asking herself, "What do I have to do?"
-"What is it gonna take?" -[Renee] What does she have left?
[crowd chatter]
[Graves] Take one more look at this.
Very, very clever escape by Rousey
and just continued to drive with her legs,
driving, driving until finally Jax could hold on no longer.
[Michael] Yeah. But was that Ronda Rousey's last gasp?
Or does Ronda have something left?
The champion looking to take out Nia Jax,
looking for the armbar here.
Nia, can she block?
[Graves] Oh, here comes Tamina.
[Michael] Yeah, providing the distraction.
[Graves] Whoa.
[Michael] And from behind.
[Graves] Once again, Tamina pays dividends.
[Michael] Uh-oh. There's the right hand, #facebreaker.
Come on!
[Michael] Missed with the right, blocked by Rousey.
[Michael] Rousey hanging on with everything she has.
Taking down Nia.
What a move.
Looking for the armbar.
Ronda-- Nia trying to block-- looks back at Tamina now,
said, "This is for you."
-[Graves] Listen-- -[Renee] Oh.
[Michael] Oh, my God!
[bell rings]
[Michael] Tap out by Jax.
["Bad Reputation" playing]
[JoJo] Here is your winner
and still the Raw Women's Champion,
"Rowdy" Ronda Rousey!
[Michael] Corey, I don't know about you
but every time I see Ronda Rousey have a match,
I just keep getting more and more impressed.
[Graves] It's absolutely astonishing what Rousey's been able to accomplish
in a short period of time here in WWE.
Tonight, yet another massive victory for the Raw Women's Champion.
[Renee] Rousey's absolutely unstoppable.
[singer] ♪ I don't give a damn 'Bout my reputation ♪
[Michael] Ronda Rousey was in a fight tonight.
But Ronda Rousey is still the Raw Women's Champion.
[Graves] The Baddest Woman on the Planet living up to the namesake once again.
[Renee] We should celebrate tonight here in San Jose.
[Michael] Let's take a look now at the closing moments, Corey, of this match.
[Graves] Ronda Rousey would grab hold
of a-- of the wrist of Nia Jax.
In an incredible takedown,
Nia fought as much as she possibly could.
But here you see Ronda signaling to Tamina, "This is for you,"
a kiss to the facebreaker.
And it was all over but the tapping
-for The Irresistible Force tonight. -[bell rings]
[Renee] Kiss with a fist is better than none.
♪ Pedal, boys ♪
[Michael] Congratulations to Ronda Rousey.
[Graves] Nia brought her a-game tonight.
When Jax was playing checkers,
Ronda Rousey brought the chess, checkmate.
♪ The world's in trouble There's no communication ♪
♪ And everyone can say What they wanna say ♪
♪ It never gets better anyway ♪
That WWE title is mine!
Not if I get it first.
[man] Sound Slammers, brawl in the destruction zone.
Figures bring the sound, the ring amps it up.
It's a total free for all.
The Miz takes over.
He's cranking up the powerlift.
Who will get to the title first?
-Yeah! -[Cena] My time is now.
Come on! No!
[man] Figures and ring sold separately.
Batteries not included. Adults assemble.
[narrator] This holiday season, give the unexpected.
-Hey! -Hey!
Hey. [laughs]
[narrator] Break through the holidays
and get all the gear you want
at wweshop.com.
Find what fits you.
["New Day, New Way" playing]
[crowd booing]
Nia, a word about your match.
-I just wanted to ask you a few-- -No, thanks.
[crowd cheering]
Remember when you broke my face?
Keep my name in your mouth.
[crowd cheering]
Listen, I know The Man's feeling it right now,
I mean, the SAP Center chanting for her,
but The Man had better be careful to stop-- starting a fire
-she can't put out. -Oh, Becky Lynch,
she said on the kickoff show she's gonna take a stroll
around the building and debts are to be collected when The Man comes around.
Hey, man, I love it. I mean, this new Becky is gangster.
How gangster is that? She said, "I'm collecting debts."
She's collecting debts.
-Period. -Well, there is a debt to be paid
in regards to the WWE Championship.
Tonight, AJ Styles gets a contractual rematch
against "The New" Daniel Bryan.
And the sad reality for the WWE Universe
is that the Daniel Bryan that many adored
and finally returned to in-ring competition
earlier this year is long gone.
[Daniel] A little over two years ago, when I was forced to retire,
it was one of the hardest days of my life.
I decided to fight.
[Byron] AJ Styles will defend
the WWE Championship against Daniel Bryan.
There was a time when I wanted to quit.
[Graves] Two of the greatest in-ring performers of all time
leaving it all in the ring.
[Daniel] You don't walk out, you fight because you need to fight for your dreams.
[Tom] All over the official.
And if you fight for your dreams, your dreams will fight for you.
-[Tom] Wait a minute. -[Daniel] Fight for your dreams.
Fight for your dreams. Fight for your--
[Graves] Daniel Bryan with a low blow?
[Tom] The official didn't see it.
The running knee!
[crowd] One, two, three!
[Tom] Daniel Bryan is WWE Champion.
[dramatic music playing]
[Rome] Ladies and gentlemen, here is your WWE Champion,
"The New"
Daniel Bryan!
[Daniel] Daniel Bryan committed an act of betrayal.
[Graves] Something just snapped in Daniel Bryan.
[Tom] Come on, Daniel!
[Graves] Bryan's got that crazed look in his eyes right now.
No, that act of betrayal
was when Daniel Bryan announced his retirement,
when he gave up on his dreams.
That Daniel Bryan is dead.
The Yes Movement is dead!
These people moved on.
These people chant AJ Styles.
When the referee was down,
Daniel Bryan's dreams took over
and Daniel Bryan's dreams
kicked AJ Styles in the balls!
[dramatic music playing]
[Styles] For 371 days,
I defended the WWE Championship against the best,
and I've defeated them all.
Day in and day out,
I have been the work horse since I've gotten to WWE.
Now, no one likes to lose.
I hate losing, but it is the way that I lost that bothered me.
I don't care if it's a new Daniel Bryan,
the old Daniel Bryan,
they have the same face to me
and I'm looking forward to smashing that face in.
[Daniel] I am the WWE Champion, not AJ Styles!
[grunts]
[Daniel] At TLC, I will crush AJ Styles' dream
of becoming the WWE Champion again.
And at the end of the match,
the WWE Champion will be
"The New" Daniel Bryan.
[crowd cheering]
[Kayla] AJ, do you think you're mentally prepared to win back
the WWE Championship tonight against Daniel Bryan?
Well, it seems some have ripped me off because of this new Daniel Bryan,
this new Daniel Bryan who will do whatever it takes to win.
Well, the way I see it,
there's no difference between "The New" Daniel Bryan and the old.
They're both beatable.
And tonight,
I've got a Phenomenal Forearm with his name on it.
I've let Daniel Bryan push my buttons long enough, I played his game.
Tonight, he plays mine.
-["Phenomenal" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Graves] A confident smirk on the face of the challenger tonight.
["Phenomenal" continues]
♪ No, they don't want none ♪
-♪ No, they don't want none ♪ -[Tom] We understand the confidence
of AJ Styles, his 371 days as WWE Champion,
it tied him with late great Hall of Famer Randy Savage
for the eighth-longest WWE title reign in history.
But my question, Graves, is, has the emotion of what has happened
between he and "The New" Daniel Bryan truly got in the mind of Styles?
[Graves] Well, AJ Styles is an emotional competitor,
the question is whether or not he can channel the emotion
to something positive tonight.
If Styles can do that, he will be at the top of this game
and he's gonna need to be to beat Daniel Bryan.
[Tom] Yeah, but at least all throughout the time that AJ Styles was WWE Champion,
when emotion came into play, look at what Shinsuke Nakamura did,
what Samoa Joe did to wage psychological warfare, it had an effect.
Is "The New" Daniel Bryan doing the same?
[David] Yeah, I know, I think so.
And I mean, that is the one way to get AJ off of his game,
is to get him to act emotionally.
Because when he's on his game, I mean, you saw it,
nobody could stop him for nearly a year.
[Tom] Is AJ Styles gonna be able to defeat "The New" Daniel Bryan tonight?
Is there indeed no difference between the old and new?
[crowd cheering]
["Flight of the Valkyries" playing]
[Tom] It is still such a peculiar thing for the WWE Universe.
They truly do not know what to make
of their current WWE Champion.
[David] It's because we've all been lied to.
I mean, we rode with this guy. His ups and his downs,
and then just to see him turn into this. It's disgusting.
[Graves] You can't argue with the results, Otunga.
"The New" Daniel Bryan is the WWE Champion.
And Daniel told me earlier,
he actually had the leather of the WWE Championship replaced
with a vegan-friendly alternative.
[David] That's-- you see, that's the issue with this, Graves.
Honestly, it's that this entire agenda
of condemning consumerism and capitalism,
and all these things that Daniel Bryan has said for a long, long time,
now, it's this turn of this facade that he likes to twist the knife
into the WWE Universe.
The truth is that he lied to millions, and millions of people who care about him.
[Graves] Listen, I think everyone's just betrayed
because they're seeing Daniel Bryan's true colors.
I read in a fortune cookie once, something about be the change
you wish to see in the world,
that's all Daniel Bryan's doing.
He's changing the world by force.
[David] No, Graves. I used to ride with this dude,
and he was never a jerk like this.
He was the nicest guy.
[bell rings]
The following contest scheduled for one fall
is for the WWE Championship!
Introducing the challenger from Gainesville, Georgia,
weighing in at 218 pounds,
"The Phenomenal"
AJ Styles!
[crowd cheering]
[Hamilton] And his opponent, from Aberdeen, Washington,
weighing in at 210 pounds,
he is WWE Champion,
"The New"
Daniel Bryan!
[crowd cheering]
[Tom] Bryan won the title from Styles four weeks ago
preceding the Survivor Series Pay-Per-View.
He went low and when the referee was down,
took advantage and won the WWE Championship
for the fifth time in his career.
Tonight, Styles has his opportunity of redemption.
#wwechampionshipstyles&bryan underway at TLC.
[Graves] Regardless of which one of these men you're a fan of or you support,
you cannot argue
these are two of the best in-ring performers of our entire generation.
[Tom] And Bryan rolls outside the ring,
champion's advantage does go to "The New" Daniel Bryan.
And Graves, this is oddly similar to what we saw
at the Survivor Series match with Brock Lesnar.
[Graves] When Daniel Bryan mocked The Beast Incarnate,
I mean, I thought it was completely insane,
but it worked to an extent.
Trust me, Daniel Bryan knows exactly what he is doing.
[Tom] Title can only change hands via pinfall or submission inside the ring.
No count-out or count-outs and disqualifications
do not yield a new champion.
Styles who said he's waited weeks to smash in the face of Bryan,
and here's the frustration of AJ early on.
[David] See, the old Daniel Bryan would go right at you.
This new guy, he's all about playing games.
[Graves] It's about self-preservation, Otunga.
-[David] Is that what it is? -[Graves] It's champion's advantage.
AJ Styles needs to beat Daniel Bryan.
Daniel Bryan doesn't need to beat AJ Styles.
[David] Yeah, "Fight for your dreams and they'll fight for you."
That's what he said, right? Where's the low blow fit in there?
…four…
[Graves] Daniel Bryan's dream was to be the WWE Champion.
He went low and his dream came true.
I see no problem with it.
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] I think Daniel Bryan's inspiring.
I'm gonna have solar panels put on my house next week.
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] The SAP Center is rocking right now
in the anticipation for this one.
[Tom] Now AJ Styles trying to take command of the matchup
and "The New" Daniel Bryan eats a chop right there in the chest.
And here comes AJ Styles.
Styles has had weeks to listen to the propaganda,
the rhetoric of "The New" Daniel Bryan
and now finally has opportunity to destroy Bryan.
Out of the corner.
[Tom] And now Bryan-- well, was trying to anticipate AJ Styles,
Styles did his homework,
instead Bryan went for the single-leg takedown
and sent for a ride by Styles.
[Graves] Incredible athleticism from AJ Styles.
[Tom] We talked about how long these two superstars have known each other,
well over a decade, well before their time in WWE.
These are two superstars who,
although have had recent matchups here in WWE, know each other extraordinary well.
[David] But that's just the thing, we all thought we knew Daniel Bryan
extraordinary well, but that's all changed now.
[Tom] Well, the truth is, David, to your point,
Daniel Bryan's put the better part of two to three years concocting a lie
that he was gonna feed to the WWE Universe.
-He returned earlier this year-- -[Graves] No, no, no, no, no, no.
Phillips, how quickly we forget,
Daniel Bryan simply spent those two or three years learning.
Learning himself, learning about the ways of the world,
coming to a realization that it needed to be a new Daniel Bryan.
[David] No, learning how to be a rat, learning how to betray people.
[Tom] Kick right to the shoulder of Styles.
[Graves] You say betrayal, I say eye-opening.
[Tom] Look out. Oh, went for the dropkick
and Daniel Bryan's eyes were open on that one.
Oh, caught with a dropkick, Styles still got him.
And Styles sending Bryan hard outside the ring,
and the WWE Champion's in trouble.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chatter]
One…
[Tom] And the official has begun his count.
And remember, champion's advantage,
count-out will not get AJ Styles the title.
To the outside, went for a Forearm Smash and caught right in the ribs with a kick.
[Graves] Daniel Bryan, so dangerous, such a cagey veteran.
[Tom] And Daniel's got the power, he could crack a rib with one of those kicks.
Oh, wait a minute. Oh! And Styles sent into the barricade.
Now, Bryan tosses Styles back inside the ring, slides in himself, breaks the count.
[Graves] I appreciate this methodical pace of Daniel Bryan.
Slowing Styles down.
You could see, Daniel's thinking before every move he makes.
[Tom] Again, right back to the-- oh, targeted area,
the ribs have gotta be in a real bad way here for AJ Styles.
Oh. And again, knee right to the midsection.
[crowd booing]
[Tom] AJ Styles, an early emotional barrage here
in this matchup against "The New" Daniel Bryan.
Oh, and Daniel Bryan can now attempt to dissect AJ Styles.
[Graves] When it comes to manipulating the human anatomy,
-few are more adept than Daniel Bryan. -[Tom] Oh!
-Come on, AJ. Come on. -[grunting]
[Tom] Oh, get-- all fingers right in the nose of AJ Styles,
The Submission Specialist.
Oh, Bryan doing what he does best.
[David] And all the while staying focused on those ribs.
Come on.
[Graves] It's a smart move by Daniel Bryan.
Look at this, over and over again,
raining down knees to the small of Styles' back.
[Tom] Keeping the pressure on Styles,
once belly-first on the canvas and now look at this,
spreading the ribcage like this.
"The New" Daniel Bryan, complete control.
[Graves] It's an incredibly difficult position for AJ Styles to breathe,
we could see AJ reaching desperately for the bottom rope and makes it.
[Tom] And Bryan had to the count of five to back off AJ Styles there
per the official and now this matchup continues.
[crowd chatter]
[Graves] Headbutt right on the side of the face.
You wanna chop me?
-[Tom] Oh! -[Graves] Oh, my God!
[Daniel] You wanna chop me?
[Graves] Daniel Bryan now just verbally berating the challenger.
Bryan knows that AJ needs to keep his cool
because the minute AJ gets overly emotional,
Daniel Bryan will make him pay.
[Tom] Oh, wait a minute.
Here's some of that emotion pouring out of AJ Styles.
[Graves] And if Daniel Bryan gets AJ, he's looking silly.
[Tom] And again, right back to the ribs.
AJ's hurt.
There's no way around it. AJ Styles is hurt.
[crowd chatter]
-[Graves] Look at this. -[David] Oh.
[Tom] Oh, and again…
[referee] …two, three…
[Tom] …bending here on AJ Styles and releases at the count of four.
[Graves] Very wise maneuver by Daniel Bryan.
Manipulate the referee's count
and used all four seconds not to get disqualified.
[Tom] And again, even the sentences that are coming out of your mouth, Graves,
this is not what we know of the old Daniel Bryan.
[Graves] Listen, quit living in the past, Phillips.
Embrace "The New" Daniel Bryan.
He's our WWE Champion, he's the representative.
He wants to be the change in the world.
[David] But he's a terrible representative.
I used to ride with this guy. This was the guy--
he didn't drink, he didn't have fun.
He wouldn't eat meat.
[Graves] He still doesn't. What does that matter?
-He's WWE Champion. -[Daniel] Get up, AJ.
Get up.
[Tom] Oh! And again, an uppercut and AJ Styles,
horrible situation right now.
[Graves] I don't understand why everybody has such a problem.
Daniel Bryan is exactly who he says he is.
He is as advertised.
There's no hypocrisy involved.
Daniel Bryan lives a life, a lifestyle--
[Tom] Oh, and again, kicks right to the midsection, there goes Styles.
How can you say that?
Everything that he's told the WWE Universe
since Bryan has returned, has been a lie,
fight for your dreams and your dreams will fight for you.
I remember there are seven of you at WrestleMania.
Seventy thousand-plus people were chanting yeses,
he would hug his wife Brie Bella because Brie inspired him.
That was a lie.
Everything that has happened has been a facade with Bryan.
[Graves] It was all means to an end and the end being the WWE Championship
-that Daniel Bryan now currently holds. -[Tom] Oh.
[David] Yeah, he got the end but you can't respect him for it.
-That's the difference. -[Tom] And now Styles backing down
the WWE Champion, respect is out the window between these two.
This is about a beating to Bryan.
[Graves] I don't know about you, Otunga, but respect never paid any of my bills.
[Tom] AJ Styles trying to breathe
and Bryan another kick right to the midsection.
[Graves] You can't buy a Tesla with respect.
[Tom] Oh, now Bryan able to counter off of the top turnbuckle
we've seen so many times.
AJ Styles, oh, trying to catch Bryan.
Wait a minute now, Bryan to retain the title,
shoulders down on the champ and a kickout.
Oh, drop toe hold into the middle turnbuckle.
[Graves] I tell you what, aside from the first few moments
of this matchup, it's been like Daniel Bryan has been
a step ahead of Styles the entire night.
[Tom] It has been all Daniel Bryan,
"The New" Daniel Bryan for the last few minutes of this match.
[David] His slow methodical pace has-- had paid off.
-[Graves] Oh. -[Tom] A kick right to the face.
[David] And every strike-- I mean, you can feel the malice behind it.
[crowd cheering]
[Tom] Oh, and another kick to the face
and AJ Styles is rocked.
Bryan-- Oh! What a clothesline to the champion!
[Graves] I don't know where AJ Styles found the energy
but he just uncorked a hellacious clothesline on the champion.
[referee] One…
[Tom] Watch this bursting out of the corner, boom!
Styles unloaded there.
…four…
[Tom] One thing we know about AJ Styles,
when he goes into deep water in a matchup, that is where he is at his best.
That is why they call him Phenomenal.
[David] Styles is really clutching those ribs though.
[Tom] That's gotta be agonizing,
every breath, every step he's taking here in this matchup.
But again, Styles will not quit.
Styles is not gonna back down here against Bryan.
[Graves] Yeah, but AJ better be careful not to get himself disqualified.
-He can't win the title that way. -Come on, that's enough.
[Tom] And the official-- the official's trying to back off Styles.
And, Graves, you're right, the emotion getting the best of AJ for a moment.
[Graves] It could be Daniel Bryan's plan to get AJ Styles to make a mistake,
to get overly emotional, get himself disqualified.
[Tom] Oh! A spinning back fist connected.
Oh, and the left got him,
to win the title back, cover and a kickout.
[Graves] Look of frustration on the face of the challenger.
This has been a different AJ Styles tonight.
This hasn't been about technique, this is brutality.
Shades of what Daniel Bryan did to Styles after capturing the WWE Championship.
The repeated stomps to the sides of the face, insult to injury.
[Tom] And Styles is calling for it,
calling for the Styles Clash to put away Bryan who rolls out of the ring.
A shrewd decision here by the WWE Champion.
AJ, come on, you stay in the ring.
[Graves] Styles now giving Chase.
AJ realizes if he wants to become champion,
he's got to do it inside the ring.
[Tom] Sent Bryan into the post.
Face first again into the post and Bryan's in trouble.
AJ Styles with the right hand, sends Bryan reeling.
[Graves] Styles had better be careful not to get disqualified or counted out.
You can't win the championship that way.
[Tom] Count of six, both men back inside.
[Daniel] Wait.
Wait.
[crowd chatter]
Wait.
[David] You got to be kidding me here.
[Tom] Oh, wait a minute, right to the back of the neck.
AJ Styles counter, to win the title, and a kickout.
Daniel Bryan tried to pull the wool over the eyes of AJ Styles and instead,
he paid for it, nearly lost his title in the process.
[Graves] I don't think AJ Styles was buying that for a second.
[Tom] Oh.
[Graves] Knee right to the crown of AJ-- of AJ's head.
[Tom] Great counter right there in midair by Bryan,
now full head of steam, was thinking about those dropkicks and AJ Styles stifled him.
-Oh, wait a minute. -[Graves] Beautiful.
[Tom] Right for the reverse DDT.
-[Graves] Oh, what a counter! -[Tom] Oh, my God.
[Graves] Cravat locked in, repeated knees.
Oh! What a suplex.
[Tom] Right on the back of the neck of Styles.
This could be it
to retain the title, and a kickout by Styles.
Watch this.
[Graves] Daniel Bryan ever the technician,
able to counter the reverse DDT
and just delivered multiple knee strikes
right to Styles' face and then a wicked suplex.
[Tom] There is a ferocity, a tenacity,
a ruthless competitor inside "The New" Daniel Bryan.
[crowd chanting] No! No! No!
[Tom] These were once the "yes" kicks
and now a resounding "no" here in San Jose.
[David] Yeah, it's gonna be like liar kicks now.
[Graves] Oh, come on. Stop it.
[Tom] Oh, to the side of the face.
Styles could be out.
This could be lights out for Styles and a kickout.
[Graves] You can't be surprised by the ruthlessness of Daniel Bryan.
Let's not forget the lengths he was willing to go
to become WWE Champion in the first place.
Daniel Bryan will do whatever is necessary to win
and that is why "The New" Daniel Bryan could be WWE Champion forever.
[David] Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, Graves.
[Tom] The intriguing thing is that AJ Styles,
he's not going away here on this fight
no matter what Daniel Bryan's throwin' at him.
Oh, straight head-butt right on the ear of Styles.
Oh, Styles able to land on his feet and a kick to the side of the face,
down goes Bryan.
Both champion and the challenger trying to gather themselves
here in this WWE Championship match.
[referee] …three…
[Graves] Let's take one more look at the great balance of Styles.
Lands-- boom, just in time to deliver a kick.
[Tom] Now, Styles out to the apron, big Forearm Smash.
That had to feel good for Styles.
How about another one?
Going up to the top, wants the Phenomenal Forearm and no.
-[Graves] Captured the leg, dragon screw. -[Tom] Oh!
[Graves] Got to wonder if the exhaustion's beginning to set in
for either Daniel Bryan or Styles.
This deep into a match, your muscles are burning.
Everything hurts. It's hard to breathe.
[David] Now, Styles has a target on that leg of Bryan.
[Tom] And Graves, that dragon screw and now what we're seeing here,
this is-- this is what Bryan has done so many times to Styles.
Oh.
[referee] No! No!
[Tom] Retaliation tonight from Styles.
[Graves] Daniel Bryan gonna get a taste of his own medicine.
Oh, my God.
[referee] …four…
[Tom] There's now a bull's eye on the left leg of the WWE Champion.
…seven.
[Graves] Bryan can't even put any weight on it.
[Tom] And look at Styles, a chop block,
returning the favor that Bryan has done so many times
over the last few weeks to Styles.
[crowd chatter]
[Graves] WWE Champion in agony right now.
One good leg.
[Tom] Oh, and a kick to the side of the face.
[Graves] Desperation enzuigiri buys Daniel Bryan a few moments to recover.
Oh, what a body shot.
[Tom] And again, the injured ribs,
the-- oh-- injured midsection of AJ Styles.
And again, Daniel Bryan, the injured left leg himself
having trouble unloading with these kicks, doing his best in the corner.
[Graves] Yeah, you notice there wasn't as much behind the stomps
Daniel just delivered through the inability to post off of his left leg,
but the body shots were working wonders.
You land a good liver punch, it could be lights out for your opponent.
Daniel Bryan up top, one good leg and all.
[Tom] AJ Styles caught here with the champion-- Oh, wait.
-[Graves] AJ rolls through, cover. -[Tom] Oh, and Styles cover.
[Graves] Styles Clash.
-Styles Clash. -[Tom] Can he hook it?
Can he hook it?
Oh, and Daniel Bryan able to battle out.
Wait, AJ Styles, he's got a hold of the left leg.
Got a hold of the left leg of Daniel Bryan.
[Graves] AJ looking for a half-crab submission.
[Tom] Yes, it is. Single leg crab, but AJ--
[Graves] AJ lost his legs.
His balance isn't quite what it used to be early in the match.
[Tom] But still twisting, ripping away at the knee.
"The New" Daniel Bryan in a ton of pain.
Can AJ Styles make him tap out?
Bryan trying to drag himself to the bottom rope here.
AJ Styles, can he win the WWE title back by submission
here against Bryan?
And dragging Bryan back into the center of the ring.
[Graves] Look how deep. Look how deep it is.
[Tom] And Bryan trying to withstand the pain.
Is Bryan gonna tap out?
Daniel Bryan, can we see the WWE title slip through his fingers?
[Graves] AJ Styles trying to readjust it.
[Tom] Oh, trying to get there.
Trying to get to the bottom rope and now Daniel Bryan's turned it around.
[Graves] Bryan's looking for the LeBell Lock.
[Tom] The "Yes!" Lock is dead, the LeBell Lock is back.
Oh!
[Graves] Elbows to the ribcage once again.
Here it comes.
-There it is. -[Tom] And the LeBell Lock cinched in.
Could Daniel Bryan make AJ Styles submit here tonight at TLC?
AJ Styles, he's trying to roll over on his back,
trying to roll into a pinning situation of Bryan, shoulders down, kick out.
Bryan, now back, kick out by Styles!
Oh, and a big kick!
Styles with the Pele Kick.
[Graves] The playing field is even.
Both competitors are down.
The WWE Championship is on the line.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] This is awesome! This is awesome!
[referee] One
two, three.
[Tom] You hear the respect from the sold-out crowd here
in San Jose, California at the SAP Center.
An awesome matchup for the WWE Championship.
"The New" Daniel Bryan trying to vanquish AJ Styles.
Styles has had an answer late here in this matchup for Bryan.
[crowd cheering]
[Tom] And now, both men exchanging blows, who can dig down deep?
[Graves] The challenger getting the momentary upper hand.
[Tom] Oh! And again, shot to the injured ribs of AJ Styles.
Oh, and Daniel Bryan with the kick,
albeit with the injured left leg, the plant leg.
Bryan has hobbled opposite side--
Oh, and a dropkick by Styles.
I think Daniel Bryan might have been looking for the running knee,
but found Styles' dropkick instead.
[Tom] What a grueling and taxing match
between Styles and Bryan here tonight at TLC.
And now, Styles has rolled himself to the outside of the ring
and I believe I know what Styles is thinking.
[Graves] Yeah, we know what Styles is thinking.
But does he have the ability? Does he have the balance?
-Does he have the breath? -[Tom] Uh-oh. Springboard 450.
[David] Oh, but look at the damage he did to himself.
[Tom] Injured ribs and you're right, Otunga.
Cover to win the title, kick out by Bryan.
[Graves] Take one more look at this.
This is just an example of AJ Styles' will
to be the WWE Champion.
Again, throwing caution to the wind.
A perfect 450 Splash connects, but at what cost?
[Tom] You go for broke, hoping that's the homerun ball right there,
that you can put away Bryan.
But David, you bring up a great point, the injured ribs here of AJ Styles.
That he just do himself more damage than good.
[David] Yeah, I think he did.
I mean, Bryan spent the majority of this match targeting Styles' ribs.
But at the same time, we also know Bryan's leg is torn up.
[Tom] In a bad spot at this point in the matchup for both superstars.
He's thinking about the Styles Clash and Bryan just bullied him into the corner.
[Graves] Almost instinctive.
-Uh-oh. -[Tom] Oh, wait a minute.
Trying to turn it around, Calf Crusher.
-[Graves] It's in. -[Tom] Calf crusher by Styles.
Bryan's close to the ropes though.
Can he reach out, break the submission?
-Styles-- -[David] Great job positioning him
-by Styles. -[Tom] Styles cranking back
on the left leg.
Daniel Bryan shouting in agony.
Tap.
[Tom] Is Daniel Bryan gonna tap?
[Graves] The champion is flailing wildly.
[Tom] Bryan trying to wrangle himself to the bottom rope and he finally does.
[Graves] Daniel Bryan timed that to the exact correct moment
when Styles pulled back to adjust the pressure.
Daniel was able to roll with it and escape.
[David] Yeah, he got him to break the hold,
but the damage may already be done, though.
[Tom] And the left leg of Daniel Bryan
in horrible straits here at this point.
But again remember, title can only change hands
on pinfall or submission.
Champion's advantage to Bryan.
[crowd chanting] This is awesome!
This is awesome!
[Tom] And Styles trying to send Bryan back inside the ring
but the champion rolls right back out.
AJ, come on.
Back in the ring. Let's go.
[Tom] And Styles has no choice.
Oh, trying to go back after Bryan.
More damage to the midsection.
Oh, trying to send him into the timekeeper's area, Forearm Smash!
Styles is calling for it.
Phenomenal Forearm on the outside of the ring.
[Graves] Yeah, but AJ needs to get Daniel Bryan inside the ring
to capture the title.
-…seven… -[Tom] Count of seven.
Count of seven for the official.
Sends Bryan inside.
That's gonna break up the count. Now, AJ Styles, can he capitalize?
Golden opportunity at TLC.
AJ Styles is calling for it.
Oh, wait a minute.
Nearly ran in the official again, went for the knee.
-[Graves] Inside cradle. -[Tom] Cover!
Oh, turn it around, Bryan turned it around
-and Bryan pins Styles. -[bell rings]
["Born For Greatness" playing]
[Hamilton] Here is your winner and still the WWE Champion,
"The New" Daniel Bryan!
[Graves] What a valiant effort by the champion and challenger as well.
AJ Styles fought his heart out.
But tonight, favor was on the side
of "The New" Daniel Bryan.
["Born For Greatness" playing]
[Tom] AJ Styles gave it everything he could here tonight.
Another phenomenal performer by the former WWE Champion,
so much disappointment.
But "The New" Daniel Bryan lives
and his WWE title reign continues.
["Born For Greatness" continues]
And then, put the jacket on and the glasses.
Such a great moment. It was just--
just a surreal out-of-body-experience.
-So awesome. -[Charly] Excuse me, ladies.
I just wanna say congratulations to both of you on your victories tonight.
Ronda, if you got a second, I'd love to get a word.
-Sure. -I'll talk to you in a bit.
See you.
Ronda, after Survivor Series, you said once you got past Nia Jax,
the next chapter between you and Charlotte Flair
was going to be written.
You know, Charly, there's an old saying,
payback is a bitch and I'm the baddest one on the planet.
[dramatic music playing]
-[Ross] Stone Cold. -[Michael] John Cena.
Randy Orton.
Asuka is going to WrestleMania.
[dramatic music playing]
♪ You could be cool ♪
♪ You could be shy ♪
[Michael] And tonight, in San Jose, California,
it is the last Pay-Per-View not only of 2018,
but the last Pay-Per-View before the Royal Rumble,
which means we're close, real close
to the start of the Road to WrestleMania.
Best time of the year.
It has been quite the night here for Monday Night Raw
at the TLC pay-per-view event.
We no longer have a man in charge.
Acting general manager Baron Corbin losing tonight to Braun Strowman
and a cast of his friends.
Corbin is out.
Who will replace Corbin?
We'll find out Tomorrow night perhaps on Monday Night Raw.
But we can tell you this, with Braun Strowman's victory,
he has earned himself an opportunity at the Universal Championship
at the Royal Rumble.
Strowman, Lesnar battle for the title at the Rumble.
["Body Talks" continues]
[Renee] Finn Bálor have a victory over Drew McIntyre tonight
with an assist from The Showoff.
But then later, Finn Bálor was savagely attacked by Dolph backstage.
So Tomorrow night on Monday Night Raw,
Dolph Ziggler and Finn Bálor will go toe to toe.
[Graves] That's not all, Renee.
The Boss is in town.
Mr. McMahon returns to Monday Night Raw
and he has vowed to shake things up.
I personally have holding out hope that he's gonna reverse the decision
and put Baron Corbin back in charge.
-I mean, it's not impossible. -He's a very smart man.
I highly doubt that will be his plan.
Mr. McMahon live on Raw tomorrow night.
But here tonight on TLC coming up next,
it finally comes to a head.
Two men who were as close as brothers
in a relationship that has been ripped apart,
Dean Ambrose meets Seth Rollins for the Intercontinental Championship.
♪ But I read the signs From your head to your toes ♪
[dramatic music playing]
[Michael] Got them. Rollins and Ambrose are the new Tag Team Champions.
They did it tonight for their brother, Roman Reigns.
My real name is Joe
and I've been living with leukemia for 11 years.
And unfortunately, it's back
and because the leukemia is back, I cannot fulfill my role.
I can't be that fighting champion.
[Ambrose] There are no words to describe the ride
the three of us have been on together for the last six years.
There are not words to describe the ups,
the downs, and the highs, and the lows, and everything in between.
When you don't know what to do and you don't know what to say,
you just got to do the only thing you know how to do.
[Michael] What the hell?
Not tonight.
Not on this night.
[crowd cheering]
[Ambrose] When you don't know what to do.
Like I thought you are.
And you don't know what to say,
you just got to do the only thing you know how to do.
[tense music playing]
[Seth] You spat on us on the most emotional night
in the history of The Shield.
So Ambrose, tell us why.
You wanted the spotlight, Dean.
It's all yours.
The truth is, I used to think The Shield was stronger together.
I used to think that this symbol made me strong.
I used to think that wearing this made me strong.
But the truth is…
-[man 1] Sierra. -[man 2] Hotel.
-[man 3] India. -[man 1] Echo.
-[man 2] Lima. -[man 3] Delta.
…The Shield made me weak.
But every day is a new day.
Just to take the past and burn it down.
[dramatic music playing]
[sirens wailing]
[Ambrose] Sometimes I feel like I need protection
from whatever it is diseases you all are carrying
because you people, like Rollins, are vermin.
Seth Rollins, I want you to understand exactly
what's going to happen to you at TLC.
[Michael] Here comes Rollins!
You're gonna drop the ball.
[Michael] And now, the emotional outburst by Seth Rollins.
-You're gonna slip up. -[Michael] Oh, and Ambrose
with that gas mask to the face.
You will finally
-lose… -Bring his crazy ass to the ring!
…control of the Intercontinental Championship,
but nobody worry because your precious,
prestigious championship
will fall safely into my hands.
[siren wailing]
["Retaliation" playing]
[Michael] He is the man who claims he is the moral compass
of WWE and will remain that way for a very long time.
He calls himself, "The last man left in WWE with integrity."
I don't know how you can say a man like this has integrity
after what he did to Seth Rollins.
[Graves] Oh, listen, Dean Ambrose's view on the world
has always been at least slightly skewed and that's putting it mildly.
Ambrose has the opportunity to prove himself correct tonight,
if he can defeat his former best friend and Shield brother,
then it was all worth it.
But that said, Dean is treading on dangerous ground.
["Retaliation" continues]
[Michael] I still cannot believe we find ourself here today
in this situation that we're in.
It was at 2012, at this event, TLC,
where The Shield, Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns
had their first ever match in WWE,
a Six-Man Tag Match that night.
And here now, six years later, it has come down to this.
[crowd chattering]
You're all gonna see it.
[crowd chattering]
You're all gonna watch it.
Get a good look at this, all right?
Get a good look at this.
You watch what happens.
-["Burn It Down" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Graves] It's exactly what we're gonna do. We're gonna watch what happens.
♪ Burn it down! ♪
[Michael] You know, Seth Rollins talked about the night The Shield debuted
and he said, "Six years ago, we reshaped the landscape as brothers."
As rivals, everything changes and it does tonight.
[Renee] Certainly the battle lines have been drawn between Seth Rollins
and Dean Ambrose and these two men, these two former brothers know each other
better than anybody else on this entire Raw roster.
[Graves] But familiarity breeds contempt and that's now all that remains
between Rollins and Ambrose, disdain, contempt.
["Burn It Down" playing]
[Michael] For Seth Rollins, you have to imagine, Corey,
that this matchup tonight will be about keeping emotions in check,
as he defends his Intercontinental Championship.
[Graves] Seth Rollins is incredibly focused tonight.
He needs to forget the fact that he's facing his former Shield brother.
He needs to put the betrayal behind him,
concentrate on picking up a victory and keeping the title.
[Renee] Well, Dean said that he considers Seth Rollins the best in the business.
He beats 99.9% any night of the week,
but Dean has his number and he always has.
Thinks that he is Seth Rollins' kryptonite.
[Graves] So, like, when Dean came home for dinner,
what kind of temperament did he have this past week, Renee?
I meant Rollins. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
[bell rings]
The following contest
is for the Intercontinental Championship!
Introducing first the challenger from Cincinnati, Ohio,
weighing 225 pounds,
Dean Ambrose!
[crowd booing]
Better watch me take his title.
His opponent from Davenport, Iowa, weighing 217 pounds,
he is the Intercontinental Champion,
Seth Rollins!
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Both of these men, two-time Intercontinental Champions,
Rollins and Ambrose.
It is for one of the most prestigious titles in sports entertainment history.
A championship held by over a dozen WWE Hall of Famers over the years,
the Intercontinental title. And I guarantee you,
there's one person watching this matchup tonight with avid interest,
that man would be the third member of The Shield,
Roman Reigns who is battling leukemia,
interested to see what is going to happen in this match here tonight.
[Graves] Got to tear Roman up inside,
seeing what's transpired between these two.
[Renee] Well, Graves, to answer your question,
the mood that Dean Ambrose is in this week, it's always the same.
I mean, this man does not change his tune all that much.
He's always got a bit of this smug look on his face,
not towards me.
[Graves] Ambrose just questioned Rollins' heart.
You wanted this fight. Let's do this.
The mind games are done. Come on, pal.
[Graves] Is it gonna be at all awkward this year for the holidays
not having a Christmas card from Rollins?
[Michael] Hey. Can we call the match, Corey? Enough.
Enough of Renee's relationship with her husband, Dean.
And now Rollins and Ambrose get underway in this match.
-[Renee] What a fortunate-- -[Graves] I'm a journalist, Cole.
[Renee] Well, speaking of being a journalist, an unfortunate aspect for me
is I do try to get a word with Seth Rollins
and he won't give me the time of day now,
so yeah, it is actually affecting me a little bit.
[Graves] For what it's worth, Rollins hasn't given anybody
the time of day all day long.
I haven't seen him this focused in quite some time.
[Michael] Oh, Rollins either. You have to admit, Corey.
You've known Seth Rollins for most of your career here,
close friends with Seth.
He's completely different as well.
[Renee] And that's what Dean Ambrose says.
He says that he's not the one that changed of The Shield members.
He said that Seth changed, Roman changed.
Dean's been the same the entire time. He's been loyal, ride or die.
[Michael] Oh, and a right hand by Seth Rollins.
[Graves] I mean, that's your point of view and you're entitled to it.
[Renee] It's a conversation I had with the man. It's not my opinion.
[Michael] You know, both of these men, Rollins and Ambrose
won Money in the Bank ladder matches and would cash in.
In fact, Seth Rollins did it right up the road in Santa Clara
at WrestleMania a few years ago.
One of the great WrestleMania moments of all time,
as Ambrose now buries a boot in the midsection and follows it up
with a clubbing blow to the back of the neck.
[Graves] Cat-like agility from Rollins.
[Michael] And Seth off the top rope,
flying Clothesline, Ambrose goes down.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chatter]
[Graves] You know, I got to question Seth Rollins' decision-making right here.
It seemed like he was taking a little bit of time.
You don't wanna waste time with someone as dangerous as Dean Ambrose.
[Michael] Yeah. But I'm sure that Seth wants Dean to suffer.
And now Dean Ambrose…
[Graves] Yeah, but if Seth Rollins gets wrapped up in making Dean Ambrose suffer,
that's a good way to make a mistake,
a flaw that could cost him the Intercontinental title.
-[Michael] And here goes… -[Renee] Seth Rollins--
[Michael] Rollins-- Ambrose.
Oh, right on the announce table face first,
as Ambrose intercepted Seth…
He's a maniac!
[Michael] …and now the challenger will take control.
Remember, in order to win the Intercontinental Championship,
Ambrose must pin or submit Rollins,
champion's advantage here tonight, not done yet. Again…
[Michael] …bounces Rollins off the announce table.
…two…
[Michael] And now gonna drive Rollins back into the ring
and continue the attack.
[Renee] Again, clearly, Dean Ambrose has had so much time to suss out Seth Rollins.
He knows him better than anybody.
It's actually almost a year ago today
that Dean Ambrose had to undergo surgery on his tricep,
which gave him more time at home
to just sit back and reflect on where his career's gone,
where his teammates have gone.
You put it down deep? Uh-huh. You wanna talk?
[Graves] I bet you he was a bundle of laughs at home
-during that time period, right? -[Renee] Yeah. You try having
staph infection being stuck on the couch with something like Dean Ambrose
who's spent day in, day out on the road constantly,
living to fight for his dream.
[Graves] I got this bad habit of taking showers. I don't know.
[crowd chatter]
[Michael] And Ambrose continuing to control Seth Rollins
here in this Intercontinental Championship match.
One, two…
-[Michael] Oh. -Come on, watch the throat now.
[Michael] That crossface.
[Graves] I mean, let's be honest, Renee.
I'm sure he was hell to deal with at home. And you justifiably…
[Michael] Oh, nice suplex, floats into the cover.
Here's the hook to the leg and a kickout.
[Graves] Justifiably so stayed away from him.
[Renee] I didn't stay away from him. He is my husband,
but I mean, yeah, you see somebody go through some dark times.
He's never had time like that off in his entire life.
Then he gets staph infection.
He's at home dealing with that brutal, uh, infection,
of course, he went through some dark times.
You got to give a man some space.
[Graves] Was he-- was he bored?
[Renee] I don't know if he was bored.
[Michael] Corey, what is your issue?
-[Renee] Yeah. What is your problem? -[Michael] Call the match.
This is for the Intercontinental Championship.
Oh, now, a kick right to the midsection by Ambrose.
Dean would love to take the Intercontinental title
from Seth Rollins,
rub it in his face here tonight.
[Graves] Put it on the mantle right by the Christmas tree.
[Michael] Elbow, cover, hook to the leg, and a kickout at two.
[Renee] Christmas cactus.
[Graves] Hipster.
[Michael] Cover again by Dean for the title and a kickout.
And this is the pace right now that Dean Ambrose wants.
Do not allow Seth Rollins to rev it up.
-No. -You quit?
[Renee] Clearly, Dean's put in so much time
to get under the skin of Seth Rollins.
It's been very effective thus far,
goading Seth Rollins out into the ring,
putting him in this precarious situation.
Dean Ambrose knows exactly what he's doing
going into this Intercontinental Championship matchup.
[Graves] I completely agree with you on that, Renee.
[Michael] Well, a lot people believe Dean Ambrose is jealous,
especially when he's-- at all the success that Seth has had,
screaming at Seth, over the past few weeks,
"Why do you always have to be right?"
"Why do you always have to get your way?"
"It's not always about you, Seth."
[Renee] I don't think that it's jealousy. I think it's a man thing.
Like he's been taken for a granted,
constantly having to step up to the plate for Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns.
Not getting any of the glory.
[Michael] Well, I guess you would see it that way
since you're married to Dean, but nonetheless,
Dean from behind, waist lock, elbow planted on the jaw.
[Graves] You got to wonder how much of it is a case
of the woman behind the man when it comes to glory.
[Michael] Oh, and what a clothesline.
Is it enough to win the Intercontinental Championship?
-And a kickout by Rollins. -Hey, hey, come on. Hey!
Come on, let's get down now. Let's go.
-[Michael] And Ambrose… -[Heath] Come on, Ambrose.
[Michael] Elbow again right to the face of Rollins.
Cover. Is it enough? And a kickout at two.
Seth Rollins stays in this,
despite that impact by the clothesline.
One, two…
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Surprised it's been all Dean Ambrose, Corey, so far?
[Graves] I'm a little shocked. I would have expected Seth Rollins
to have a little more offense to this point, but…
Ambrose came into this one with a game plan, obviously,
and it's working out very, very well.
[Renee] Everyone sit back and call this man a lunatic.
I mean, he clearly knows what he's doing.
He's a marshal in the ring.
[Michael] Well, he is a bit strange. There's no doubt about that.
And here's Rollins.
-And nice neckbreaker by Ambrose. Cover. -[Renee] Nothing good…
[Michael] Hook of the leg, both legs hooked,
and a kickout by the champ.
Ambrose again into the cover, and a kickout by Rollins.
For a third time, Ambrose tries to win the title,
and Rollins stays in it.
And perhaps now Ambrose getting frustrated.
[crowd chatter]
[Graves] When it comes to frustration,
that's something Dean Ambrose can't let get the better of him.
Seth Rollins will capitalize and make Dean pay for any mistake.
The problem is Ambrose hasn't really made any mistakes at this point.
[Renee] And I definitely don't think this is what Seth Rollins thought
was in order for him tonight.
[crowd chatter]
[crowd booing]
[Michael] And taunting Rollins.
[crowd chatter]
[Michael] Oh, and Seth fires back.
And Dean with a boot right in the face.
And now the right hands.
[Graves] A slap from Rollins just incensed Ambrose.
[Michael] Uh-oh. Seth landed on his feet.
Roll through by Ambrose here.
Shoulders are down. Seth reverses into a cover of his own,
and a near fall for the champ.
Oh, face first into the corner.
And now Rollins, important moment here.
Can buy himself a little bit of time and look to regroup.
[crowd chatter]
[Graves] The Architect trying to get the adrenaline pumping,
making his way back to his feet,
and so is Ambrose.
Oh, what a move by Dean.
Hyperextending the knee.
-Follow it up. -[Michael] And right to the knee again.
And Rollins is in trouble. And Ambrose…
[Graves] Ambrose looking for a Cloverleaf.
-[Michael] If Rollins taps… -[Graves] It's in.
[Michael] …to the Cloverleaf, it's over.
[Graves] Ambrose making a smart decision
targeting Seth Rollins' surgically-repaired knees.
[Michael] And now with the Cloverleaf locked in.
Rollins center of the ring.
We could see a new champion.
[screaming]
What do you say, Seth?
[Michael] And Rollins trying to crawl now to the bottom rope
and force some sort of break.
Rollins dragging Ambrose with him.
Can Seth get there?
Can he survive?
Listen to Rollins in pain.
You wanna give it up?
-No, no, no. No, no, no. -No.
[Michael] Refusing to tap out, but he may have no choice.
[grunts]
[Michael] Seth, one last-gasp effort,
makes it to the bottom rope to force the break,
-but has the damage been done? -[screaming]
And Ambrose continuing the pressure.
He has a five-count to break.
[Renee] Just a brutal, brutal damage done to Seth's knees already.
-Pure assault. -[Dean] Tough stage, huh?
[Heath] Come on.
[Michael] And Rollins just falls out of the ring.
I don't believe he can put any pressure on the left leg.
[Renee] Dean Ambrose seems to be relishing in this moment.
[Michael] Of course he is.
He wants Rollins to suffer.
Hey, watch your hand, Dean. Let go of it, come on.
Don't pull that hair.
I am not a joke, all right?
You will never…
[Michael] Oh, and Rollins hanging Ambrose up.
And now Seth Rollins looks to rally.
Oh, right across the back of the neck, and Ambrose is hurt.
[Graves] Seth hasn't really been able to muster
too much sustained offense in this matchup.
Now, could be a big time opportunity, but will the knee hold up?
[Renee] That's the big factor here.
Clearly Dean Ambrose targeting that knee of Seth just to take him down, but-- Oh.
[Michael] Oh, went for the suicide dive, and Ambrose caught him with a right hand.
[Graves] Nothing fancy.
Extremely effective.
[Michael] And a Slingblade by Seth.
Oh, and a Blockbuster. And Rollins is rolling.
But the knee-- he went back to the injured knee,
and that could come into play as this match goes along.
[crowd chatter]
[Michael] Seth--
Uh-oh. Backdrop.
Seth lands on his-- on his feet, but banged the knee up again.
Ducks underneath Ambrose-- sends Ambrose over the top rope out to the floor.
And now Seth Rollins' patented suicide dive.
This time he drives Dean into the barricade.
[Graves] Yeah. But did you see Rollins wince when he landed?
[Renee] And Seth Rollins is in a bad way, but he's mustering all he can.
[Michael] And again he takes out Ambrose, and again goes to the injured knee.
[Graves] It's obvious that the adrenaline is starting to flow through Rollins,
able to run on that knee for a few moments,
but no sort of sustainability.
[man 1] Let it go, Seth.
Let it go!
[man 2] Come on, Seth!
[Graves] Rollins is a dangerous competitor in this situation,
but he's only got one good leg.
[Michael] Well, Seth Rollins, he wants to beat Dean Ambrose,
punish Dean Ambrose center of the ring.
He doesn't want any count-out victory.
[Graves] And this is where Seth needs to remove the emotion from the equation.
Seth can't focus on righting the wrong.
[Michael] Ambrose back to his feet.
And, again, Seth took a little too much time,
and I think it had to do with the bad knee.
[Graves] Yeah. Look like-- it was--
it was nothing willing about that slow ascend to the top rope.
It was as fast as Seth could go,
which is unfortunately isn't fast enough right now.
[crowd chatter]
[crowd booing]
[Renee] And Ambrose pointing to all the WWE Universe.
That's just one of the problems he has with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns,
how much they wanted the love and affection of the WWE Universe.
That's not what The Shield is about.
[Michael] And Rollins with a headbutt.
That's Dean's take.
Other people see it completely differently.
But, nonetheless, Rollins,
what is he gonna do to Dean Ambrose here?
Sunset-- Oh, and the knee. The knee gave out.
Rollins' knee gave out.
And to your point, Corey, a history of major knee issues for Seth Rollins.
[Graves] It was that exact maneuver,
Seth Rollins injured his knee performing.
[Michael] A couple of years ago, it cost months of his career.
-[Graves] But-- Wow. -[Michael] It cost him the championship.
-[Renee] They're still in this. -[Michael] Off the Buckle Bomb.
Cover. Ambrose at two.
[Graves] Nothing short of amazing
that Rollins was able to carry the weight of Dean Ambrose
all the way across the ring to deliver the Buckle Bomb.
[Renee] A forward momentum on his side.
[Michael] And to your point earlier, Corey,
it was the knee injury that cost Seth the world championship.
At one point, almost cost him WrestleMania a couple of years ago.
Rollins back to his feet.
[crowd chatter]
[Michael] And Seth looking to burn it down.
[crowd] Burn it down!
[Michael] Kick right to the midsection.
Ambrose though follows it up with a knee.
[crowd chatter]
[Michael] Seth just having a problem putting any momentum together,
any sustained offense.
[Renee] Any bit of space that Seth makes himself,
Dean Ambrose is right there behind him.
Come on then.
[grunting]
[Renee] A sucker for punishment.
[Michael] Dean misses wildly.
Oh! And a collision in the middle of the ring.
And both men are down.
And now a critical moment
in this Intercontinental Championship match.
[crowd chatter]
[Graves] Take one more look at this high-impact collision.
[Michael] Boom.
[Graves] Both superstars with the same idea,
looking for a crossbody.
[Heath] …three…
Okay. Watch the hair. Watch the hair. Come on.
[Michael] Rollins on your left, the champion.
Ambrose, the challenger, on your right.
Headbutt by Dean.
[Graves] Oh. Open-hand strikes. from both men…
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] Like a hockey fight in a shark tank.
[Michael] Well, we knew it was gonna come to this.
[Graves] I'm surprised it took this long.
[Renee] They're enjoying picking each other apart for a while.
But now, it's just a full-on brawl.
[yells]
[Michael] And a headbutt by Rollins.
[yells]
[Michael] Seth missed wildly. Now, Ambrose--
-[Renee] Paid for it. -[Michael] Face-first.
Is it enough to win the Intercontinental Championship?
Hook of the leg and a kickout at two.
[Graves] How long till Ambrose starts to feel the frustration,
wondering why he can't put his former brother away?
As we take another look
at the double chickenwing facebuster executed by Dean.
It wasn't enough to keep Seth down and capture the Intercontinental title.
[Renee] I don't know if Seth is gonna like what he sees from Dean Ambrose
once he gets frustrated.
[Michael] Dean now, it's his turn to go up to the top rope.
Looking for the big bomb to put this one away perhaps.
[crowd chatter]
[Michael] Rollins is gonna meet it though. And he slipped again.
The knee slipped momentarily.
[Graves] Rollins was able to recover.
[Michael] And Dean took advantage again.
Every time Seth goes high risk, the knee gives out,
and it allows Ambrose to put Rollins away.
To the-- Oh, thought he was gonna go for the cover,
but he's gonna drag-- Ambrose--
[Graves] Smart move. We could have a new champion.
[Michael] And a kickout.
Pulling Seth away from the ropes and forcing him to kick out.
Smart move by Ambrose.
Who's laughing now, baby?
Who's laughing now?
You think you're so funny now, do you?
[Graves] Who exactly is the moral compass addressing at this point?
-Do you? -[Renee] He's sick of being laughed at.
He felt like he was the brunt end of a joke from--
[Michael] Renee, he's talking to himself.
Sorry, but he is.
[Renee] He's focusing.
[Michael] Oh, Ambrose looking for Dirty Deeds,
and the champion rolled out of harm's way.
[crowd chatter]
[Michael] And now Ambrose mocking Rollins.
The Burn It Down
from Seth.
Rollins-- Oh, caught him with an enzuigiri.
-[Graves] The Ripcord Knee. -[Renee] Oh!
[Michael] Oh, caught him right in the nose.
Is that enough for Rollins to put him away?
Cover. Hook of the leg now on Dean Ambrose who kicks out.
Both of these men punishing each other.
[Graves] Seth Rollins with the Ripcord Knee
right on the bridge of Dean's nose,
as Seth now slowly making his way to the top rope,
looking for something big, send this one home.
[Michael] Went for the frog splash and Ambrose got his knees up,
rolls him over, into the package, hook to the leg,
and a kickout at two almost for the title.
[crowd chatter]
[Graves] Look at this. Seth Rollins soaring through the skies of San Jose.
Picture perfect frog splash interrupted by the knees of Ambrose.
And we almost had a new champion.
[Michael] Both men exhausted, drained physically
and, obviously, emotionally as well
after what's transpired over the past number of months.
[crowd chatter]
[Heath] Come on, Seth.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Kick to the midsection, looking for Dirty Deeds.
Rollins blocks again.
Drives Ambrose into the corner.
And Dean, kick to the face, and Dean gonna go back up to the top ropes.
[crowd chanting]
[Graves] Ambrose perched up top.
Wait a minute. Rollins.
Superplex.
[Michael] And he floats through.
Rollins looking for the Falcon Arrow, connecting.
Is it enough to win the-- to retain the championship?
And a kickout at two.
And that may have been Rollins' moment.
[Renee] I don't know how much time is left on that knee for Seth.
That might have been it.
[crowd chatter]
[Renee] Seth looks like he's trying to think up
some kind of a plan in this situation.
[Graves] They're in the deep water now.
[Michael] How Rollins-- After everything
Dean Ambrose has done to him, Roman Reigns,
Rollins would love to make Ambrose pay,
and he unloads with a right hand.
This is the fight you wanted, Ambrose.
This is the fight you wanted, you son of a bitch.
Rollins saying, "This is the fight you wanted."
[crowd booing]
[Renee] Seth has him right in his crosshairs.
[Michael] Oh. Wait a minute.
[crowd booing]
[Michael] That is The Shield's fist bump that joined the trio as brothers.
[Graves] Dean Ambrose is having second thoughts.
[Michael] The Hounds of Justice.
[Graves] Brothers fight.
[crowd chatter]
[Ambrose] Listen to me.
Listen to me.
Don't listen to them. Listen to me.
[Michael] And Rollins will not forgive nor forget.
Kick right to the face of Ambrose.
[Renee] Incensed Rollins.
[Michael] Went right after Ambrose, tackling him.
And now the emotions coming out of Seth Rollins,
as he drives Ambrose into the barricade.
And it looks like Rollins has gone over the boiling point.
[Renee] Looks like that adrenaline set in for Seth Rollins.
[Michael] I think that Ambrose sticking his fist out,
almost mocking the old Shield,
really got to Rollins.
And Rollins now gonna make Ambrose pay,
as he drives Ambrose into the barricade.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] That was the breaking point, I believe, for Seth Rollins.
-[crowd cheering] -[Michael] Boom.
[Renee] Seth Rollins just shifted into expert mode.
…six…
[Michael] And now a count of six from the official.
A count of seven now.
Ambrose down and out.
And look at Seth Rollins.
Seth Rollins out to get Ambrose.
Seth Rollins wants to beat Ambrose in the center of the ring.
-[Graves] Why-- I don't know why-- -[Michael] Embarrass him. Punish him.
It didn't have to be this way, Ambrose.
I did not want it to come to this.
You understand me? You hear me?
This isn't just for me.
This isn't for all of them, huh?
You listen to me.
This is for all of us, and for Roman Reigns.
[crowd exclaims]
[crowd chatter]
[Michael] Rollins looking to put Ambrose away.
Dirty Deeds from out of nowhere for Ambrose.
[Graves] We're gonna have a new champion.
[Michael] Dean Ambrose into the cover, hook to the leg on Rollins.
-We've got a new champion. -[bell ringing]
["Retaliation" playing]
[JoJo] Here is your winner,
and the new Intercontinental Champion,
Dean Ambrose.
[Michael] Ambrose took advantage of Seth Rollins.
Seth Rollins' emotions getting the best of him.
Dean Ambrose is your new Intercontinental Champion.
["Retaliation" playing]
[Michael] Nobody will be any more frustrated,
I can guarantee you, than Seth Rollins.
Ambrose with the Dirty Deeds.
He suckered Rollins in and won the championship.
[Renee] Dean Ambrose said that he had Seth Rollins' number,
he always had, and that came true tonight.
[Michael] Dean Ambrose said that Seth Rollins will lose control of himself,
of his emotions, of the situation,
and of the Intercontinental Championship.
Dean Ambrose's words came true tonight.
Good hands.
["Retaliation" playing]
[narrator] It's WWE holiday week,
and Mr. McMahon returns to Raw to shake things up.
[crowd chanting] This is awesome!
[narrator] There will be plenty of--
Woo!
[narrator] And…
New Day's WWE 2018 pancake-powered…
-Year-end… -[Big E] Super-spectacular special.
Pancake power!
[Kofi] What exactly is this special all about?
[Big E] To show the WWE Universe
all the cool things that happened this past year.
So many good moments.
[narrator] For everyone on your list.
[Kayla] The 16th annual Tribute to the Troops!
Today, it's all about unity.
We're the "it" couple.
We're the A-listers.
-[farts] -That was not me.
Yeah, I'm ready.
-[Maryse] Oh, my God, dude. -You said nude photo shoot.
[narrator] It's WWE holiday week, only on USA.
[Tom] Well, WWE would like to extend a special welcome
to San Francisco 49ers' defensive tackle, Earl Mitchell,
and tight end, George Kittle, to TLC.
Earlier today, Earl wore custom Connor's Cures cleats
in the 49ers' victory against the Seahawks
as part of the NFL's My Cause My Cleats campaign.
You can bet on Earl's one-of-a-kind, custom cleats on nflauction.com.
One hundred percent of funds raised from the sale of Earl's cleats
will benefit life-saving pediatric cancer research.
So good to have the 49ers in the house here tonight,
in the Bay Area, San Jose, California,
the site of TLC, Table, Ladders, and Chairs.
And, well, the event is about to live up to its name.
It's the holiday season, and Christmas has come early.
Charlotte Flair, Asuka, and Becky Lynch in Triple Threat
for the SmackDown Women's title
in the first-ever Women's Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match.
[Paige] SmackDown is the brand that makes history.
♪ Silent night ♪
♪ Holy night ♪
[Becky] I deserve to be standing here as the Women's Champion.
[Charlotte] If there's one person I'm willing to bet on, it's me.
[Asuka] No one is ready.
[Paige] And I am proud to sanction the first Women's
Triple Threat TLC match
for the SmackDown Women's Championship.
["I'm On Fire" playing]
♪ Wooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪
[Byron] Remember no pinfalls, no submissions.
You have to climb the ladder and retrieve the SmackDown Live Women's Championship
[singer] ♪ This time I'm gonna do it right ♪
♪ Gonna step on in and make the moment ♪
♪ That's right, you better get in line ♪
♪ I'll be the first to fight now That I have spoken and knock you out ♪
[Becky] When you're The Man, you make history
every time you step foot in this ring.
But at TLC, I'm going to do anything it takes to win.
I picked up the ball that you dropped.
And I broke your streak.
♪ 'Cause this time This time I'm on fire, fire ♪
♪ Wooh, oh, fire, fire ♪
♪ Wooh, oh ♪
Fighting against the odds is what this champ does.
[Charlotte] The Queen doesn't break.
They bow down.
At TLC, I will climb, grab the title, and win.
♪ Higher I'm going higher 'till I'm up on top ♪
♪ I'm gonna keep on climbing ♪
♪ You won't, you won't see me fall ♪
♪ I'll be standing tall ♪
♪ I'm gonna keep defying And knock you out ♪
♪ Gonna make it burn Gonna throw it down ♪
♪ 'Cause this time, this time ♪
-[Graves] Wait a minute. -[Tom] A kendo stick in hand.
♪ 'Cause this time This time I'm on fire, fire ♪
♪ Wooh, oh, fire, fire ♪
♪ Wooh, oh ♪
♪ Fire, fire ♪
♪ I'm on fire, fire ♪
[Graves] The first ever Triple Threat Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
for the SmackDown Women's Championship.
[crowd cheering]
[bell ringing]
[Hamilton] The following is a Triple Threat
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
for the SmackDown Women's Championship.
In this match, there are no pinfalls, submissions,
count-outs, or disqualifications.
The only way to win is by climbing a ladder
and retrieving the championship which will be hanging above the ring.
-["The Future" playing] -[crowd cheering]
♪ From far and wide And light years away ♪
♪ Cast from the shadows now light my way
[Tom] One year ago, at this very same event, TLC,
Asuka made her official WWE debut.
So much hype, so much anticipation
that she debuted on pay-per-view.
She was in the midst of a two-and-a-half-year undefeated streak.
Many believe the Asuka of old
has returned to this matchup.
[Graves] One of the most lethal ladies walking the earth today.
Now, put tables, ladders, chairs,
whatever else isn't nailed down in Asuka's disposal?
This is gonna get ugly.
[Tom] And, to your point, the one thing that might work against Asuka here,
granted she earned her way into this.
She won a Battle Royal set up by our SmackDown General Manager, Paige.
The one thing working against Asuka in WWE,
she has never been in a ladder-type match.
[Graves] There's a first time for everything.
Certainly a unique situation for The Empress of Tomorrow,
but I have never known Asuka
to be anything less than 1,000% battle ready.
[David] And I think Asuka has got a whole lot to prove tonight,
especially to herself, and to erase the demons
of what happened with Charlotte Flair breaking her streak.
[Tom] That happened at WrestleMania.
An incredible WrestleMania rematch
that took place this past week on SmackDown Live.
Charlotte Flair in that matchup, gentlemen, once again,
reverted to that trance-like state.
There was that frustration we saw with Charlotte Flair.
She grabbed the kendo stick,
much like she did to Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series,
and attacked Asuka.
[Graves] Well, the beautiful part about it, Phillips,
is that that would be completely perfectly legal tonight.
Kendo sticks, tables, ladders, chairs, the barricade, our desks,
I mean, you name it, you can use it.
[Tom] You can see that million-dollar smile
on the face of Charlotte Flair.
That's because she knows she's walking into an environment
that she can work with.
She's been in multiple Women's Money in the Bank Ladder matches.
She competed in the first Women's Hell in a Cell match.
The Last Woman Standing match
at the first all-women's pay-per-view, Evolution,
which was absolutely stunning.
Falls count anywhere. Ironman match.
The list goes on and on.
Firsts like these are normal for Charlotte Flair.
[Graves] Charlotte Flair truly lives up to her moniker of The Queen.
She's done it all here in WWE,
and continues to make history night after night.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Becky! Becky! Becky! Becky
-["Celtic Invasion" playing] -♪ Whoa, whoa, whoa ♪
♪ Whoa, whoa, whoa ♪
[crowd cheering]
[Tom] Becky Lynch walked in to the SAP Center earlier today
with a take-no-prisoners mindset.
She said on the kickoff show earlier tonight that,
"Ronda Rousey is hoping I forgot about her
so she continues to pretend she's the baddest woman on the planet."
"I helped make the Raw Women's title match what it was."
"I propped it up because of how popular I've become."
[Graves] Listen-- Sorry.
Becky Lynch is unquestionably extremely popular
with the WWE Universe right now.
That said, I'm calling it. Becky Lynch is believing her own hype,
and it's gonna be her downfall.
-[Tom] Well, at the same time-- -[David] No, she's earned it.
Can you-- Believing your own hype?
That's confidence.
Hard-earned confidence, Graves.
[Tom] And David, at the same point,
Becky walks straight up to Nia Jax earlier tonight
after she lost to Ronda Rousey in the Raw Women's title match
-and cranked Nia Jax right the face… -[Graves] Right, after--
[Tom] …and said, "Don't put your name in my mouth."
[Graves] Yeah. After and say, "Keep my name out of your mouth."
[David] Thank you.
[Graves] The fact that Becky Lynch stooped so low
as to attack Nia after Nia just competed in a grueling championship match…
-Introducing the challengers. -[Graves] …that's character.
First, from Osaka, Japan,
Asuka!
[crowd cheering]
Next, from The Queen City,
Charlotte Flair!
[crowd cheering, booing]
And from Dublin, Ireland,
she is the SmackDown Women's Champion,
Becky Lynch!
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Becky! Becky! Becky!
[David] Say what you want, Graves,
but Becky hasn't just been talking the talk.
She's walking the walk too, backing everything up.
[Graves] What are you talking about? She hadn't even competed
in, like, two months since Nia Jax broke her face.
[David] Doesn't matter. She walked right up to her,
and you saw what she did to her.
[Tom] And Graves, you make a very fair point.
Becky's last match was on November sixth, the following week
when she suffered a severe concussion caused by a broken face,
thanks to Nia Jax, on Monday Night Raw.
So, this is her first contact or competition in well over a month.
[Graves] I'm curious to see if Becky Lynch is at all tentative.
You got one of the best strikers in the business in Asuka
who can turn your lights out with her feet or hands,
and then maybe the best pure athlete in all of WWE, Charlotte Flair.
[David] Well, I think Becky showed to us that she could certainly take a punch.
[Tom] And the SmackDown Women's Champion being hoisted above the ring.
This is a Triple Threat Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
-for the SmackDown Women's title. -[bell ringing]
[Tom] No count-outs, no disqualifications,
no pinfalls or submissions.
You have to climb the ladder and grab the title to become champion.
[Graves] Get your popcorn ready.
There are about to be some fireworks.
[speaking indistinctly]
[crowd cheering]
That's all you do is talk, talk, talk.
[both arguing indistinctly]
[Tom] Oh, and enough talk. And Asuka is ready to fight.
[David] You know, in a Triple Threat Match,
you're bound to see some at least temporary alliances.
That might not be the case with Becky.
She's managed to offend basically everyone on the roster.
[Tom] Oh, it's comfortable having no friends,
but Asuka making it very uncomfortable right now.
-Asuka-- -[speaking Japanese]
[Tom] Asuka's the one no one saw it coming.
Flair and Lynch were two most talked about superstars in WWE today.
Can Asuka capitalize?
-[David] Oh. -[Graves] A little bit of poetic justice.
It was Becky Lynch, the whole genesis of this attitude change.
She was upset because Charlotte Flair was added to a Triple Threat match.
Now tonight, Becky's the defending champion
and Asuka's in that position.
[Tom] You're referencing the events of SummerSlam,
and now, it's Asuka-- oh, dragged inside the ropes here
and Becky Lynch who's got the Empress in a horrible situation.
Oh.
[Graves] Right on the back of Asuka's neck.
I'm the freaking man. That's my freaking title.
[crowd cheering]
[Tom] This is what Becky Lynch believes, that everything in her life,
all the mental pain and physical pain she's dealt with
trying to get to this point is absolutely nothing,
that she can fight through anything.
She will keep going.
It doesn't matter the cost.
Oh, and launching Asuka.
Oh, went for the big boot,
and now Charlotte Flair tied up here with Becky Lynch center of the ring.
Look at Lynch firing off.
Oh.
And a straight headbutt there now caught by Charlotte Flair.
Oh, the power of Charlotte and the kip-up.
[Graves] When it comes to the power game,
no one is gonna match Charlotte Flair tonight.
[Tom] As Charlotte Flair looking high above the ring
would love to become an eight-time champion
in her time between Raw and SmackDown Live.
-And now… -[Graves] Uh-oh.
[Tom] …multiple superstars reaching for ladders.
[David] Who can get up there first.
[Graves] It's a smart strategy. It's about winning.
It's not about how badly you have to beat your opponent.
You just have to make sure they're incapacitated.
[Tom] Oh, look at Flair trying to hold the ring and tosses Asuka outside.
[Graves] But look at Becky Lynch out here, loading a table into the ring.
[Tom] Oh, and smacked the table right out of the hands of Becky Lynch.
[Graves] I think it might have caught Becky in the face.
[Tom] And Charlotte Flair now gonna use the table for her own devices.
Meanwhile, she's pulled the ladder inside the ring as well.
[crowd chatter]
[Graves] Charlotte Flair's got plans,
not entirely sure what they are, but they're gonna hurt.
[Tom] And Graves, you said it throughout most of the matches here tonight,
it's about your creativity-- oh, what will your imagine take--
imagination take you to.
[Graves] Charlotte, as you mentioned earlier, Phillips,
has the experience in these big style matches.
[Tom] Wait, wait a minute. While Flair's tied up with Asuka here,
and Becky Lynch has got the ladder here.
This is the difficult part of a Triple Threat.
[David] When your opponents are tied up, that leaves an opening.
[Tom] Oh, and the boot right into the steel ladder.
You also have to keep your head on a swivel especially with Becky Lynch
with champion's advantage tonight.
Oh, wait. Look at Asuka, the open palm strikes here
against Charlotte Flair,
great WrestleMania opponents this past year.
Oh.
[crowd chatter]
[Graves] Uh-oh.
[Tom] Oh, look at Charlotte.
-Oh, what a counter… -[David] Great counter.
[Tom] …by Asuka much like we saw this past Tuesday night.
[Graves] Charlotte Flair looking for the spear,
would've driven Asuka straight through the table in the corner.
-Oh, look out. -[Tom] Oh.
Big tree fall hard and Becky Lynch not able to-- oh, catch Asuka.
Oh, it takes out the foot. Look at this.
Becky Lynch is caught there in the middle turnbuckle,
middle rope rather.
And now, Asuka to take advantage.
[Graves] Asuka with those rapid fire strikes, and The Man,
little worse for wear on the top rope there.
[Tom] What a brilliant opportunity tonight for Asuka,
the one thing that's escaped her in her time between
-Raw and SmackDown Live. -[Graves] Whoa, whoa. Oh!
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] Asuka's smiling completely, pleased with herself
as The Man writhes in agony.
[Tom] Oh.
David, you're laughing over here.
[David] I was-- I couldn't help it.
Asuka's so pleased with herself. She just destroyed Becky's back.
[Tom] A bone-jarring shot into the ladder.
And it's all about reaching a championship in WWE for Asuka.
It's been her sole pursuit for the last year.
[David] But there's no friends in this game.
[Graves] A big time opportunity right now for The Empress to scale the ladder.
[Tom] And Charlotte and Becky are both down outside the ring,
and Asuka taking her time trying to set up the ladder here.
[crowd cheering]
[Tom] And now it's Asuka's moment to climb.
Can she reach the championship?
-And Charlotte Flair in hot pursuit. -[Graves] Oh, Charlotte.
[Tom] Oh, and face first-- face first off of the ladder,
and now Flair starting to climb.
-[Graves] Halfway there. -[Tom] Flair to the top rungs.
Oh, and pulled down by Asuka.
Oh!
And tosses Asuka outside the ring at least for a moment.
Asuka holds on.
Now, Flair again starting to climb,
trying to go up the ladder here before Asuka can catch her.
[crowd chatter]
[Tom] Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute.
Asuka-- Asuka's got Charlotte Flair through the table.
Powerbomb through the table.
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] The Empress is on a rampage.
And Asuka eyes the prize.
[Tom] A smile on the face of Asuka,
now repositions the ladder
underneath the SmackDown Women's Championship.
Charlotte Flair wrecked through the table.
Asuka trying to climb, clear path to the championship.
And wait a minute, Lynch.
[Graves] Dropkick from the top, knocks Asuka from the ladder
and saves Becky's championship.
[crowd chanting] Becky! Becky! Becky…
[Tom] And they're chanting her name all night here throughout the SAP center,
sold out in San Jose.
And, oh, and Asuka gives them something they wanted to see,
Charlotte through a table,
and then watch Becky out of nowhere,
wipes out Asuka.
[Graves] Now, Becky Lynch trying to make the journey up top.
[Tom] Oh.
Asuka prying Becky Lynch, the champion, off of the ladder.
[Tom] Asuka right now just trying to play guardian,
trying to protect her situation here with the ladder underneath the title.
Hip attack into Lynch.
[Graves] Uh-oh, The Queen's got a steel chair.
[Tom] Oh, Becky Lynch-- oh, Becky Lynch down,
Charlotte Flair with the chair capitalizes.
[Tom] Charlotte Flair was seen in the last four weeks
what she will do to her opponents when it is crunch time.
[Graves] Charlotte Flair loses her composure, nobody's safe.
[Tom] Going up to the top, and the moonsault takes out everybody.
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] Such precision from The Queen.
-[David] She's got to get in… -[Graves] Go for it, Charlotte.
[David] …to make it up the ladder.
[Tom] And now, what is Charlotte thinking?
[Graves] Charlotte needs to be thinking about climbing the ladder
because she's got both opponents down.
You're not gonna get many opportunities like this.
[Tom] And, Graves, is this the Charlotte that we saw in recent weeks,
the one that snaps, goes to this…
-[Graves] I don't know. -[Tom] …brutal place?
[Graves] It didn't matter which Charlotte it is.
We need the Charlotte that wants to win the championship.
[David] There's a difference between winning and doling out damage here.
[Tom] Charlotte seems hell-bent on doling out punishment, to your point, Otunga.
And now setting up a table.
[Graves] But-- Oh.
-Oh! -[Tom] Oh, a chair from behind.
And now Lynch,
shades of Tuesday night, trade the kendo stick for a steel chair.
[Graves] Oh, no.
[Tom] Lynch decimated her challengers.
[Graves] Oh.
[Tom] And Lynch will not stop.
[Graves] This is brutal.
[crowd cheering]
[Tom] Oh, kicks the chair out of the hands.
Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute, setting Becky all the way to the barricade
and a bunch of chairs while she's at it.
[Graves] Once again, Lynch and Asuka both down.
What is The Queen's plan now?
[Charlotte] Come on.
[Tom] And The Queen is tearing apart the German announce desk.
Becky Lynch sent into a bunch of chairs
and Asuka just got destroyed by Lynch with the steel chair.
[crowd chatter]
[Tom] Oh.
Oh.
[Graves] Chair to the midsection.
And once again, across the spine of The Queen.
[crowd chatter]
[Graves] And again, Becky Lynch spending a lot of time
admiring the WWE Universe.
They're chanting her name. She should be climbing the ladder.
[David] She wants to make a statement here, Graves.
-[Tom] I agree with your point, but… -[Graves] She's the champion.
What statement do you need to make?
[Tom] …this is about shutting up all the detractors
that ever said anything negative against her.
Becky Lynch has a vendetta against all of her haters
and she's trying to take out not only those people
but also her challengers here tonight.
[David] I mean, Graves, you can always destroy your opponents
and then easily climb up the ladder.
[Tom] Look at the size of the ladder that Becky Lynch
has got set up here outside the ring.
[Graves] The ladder wasn't cooperating for the moment.
[David] It's a metaphor for the statement she's about to make.
[Graves] Oh, no.
[crowd chatter]
[Tom] Oh!
[Graves] Charlotte Flair and Asuka are prone
on the German announce table.
The Man climbing to the ladder.
Oh, my God, Becky Lynch up on the top rungs here,
looking down at Asuka and Flair.
-[Graves] Oh. -[Tom] Oh, through the table.
[Graves] Charlotte Flair may have crushed ribs after that.
[Tom] Evolution revisited.
[crowd chanting] Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit…
[Graves] Becky Lynch went straight through Charlotte Flair.
[Tom] Asuka avoided catastrophe,
but the bulk of Becky Lynch's body weight
went right into the ribs of Charlotte Flair.
[Graves] I'm pretty sure Becky Lynch bounced off of Charlotte Flair's body.
It was that much of an impact.
Let's take another look at this.
[Tom] Look at the height.
Oh.
[crowd cheering]
[Tom] And another angle here again as Becky Lynch-- Good lord.
[crowd chanting] This is awesome!
[Tom] And now-- and now look who it is, it's Asuka who's starting to stir.
We talked about, David, at what cost?
Look at this, Becky Lynch has taken out Flair,
-but she didn't get Asuka. -[David] Took out herself, too.
-[Tom] Asuka's going back… -[David] This is her chance.
[Tom] …inside the ring trying to climb the ladder.
Asuka's got a clear path to the championship.
[Graves] Asuka obviously feeling the exhaustion
trying to will her way up the steel.
[Tom] Asuka trying to climb the rungs.
Can she get closer to her dream of being champion?
And now it's Becky Lynch opposite side.
[Graves] The Man is not going down without a fight.
[Tom] Lynch giving chase.
Asuka to meet Becky at the top of the ladder.
SmackDown Women's title hanging in the balance
and it's a slugfest at the top.
[Graves] I know Becky Lynch prides herself on…
-[Tom] Asuka, Asuka, Asuka. -[David] Asuka reaching for it.
[Tom] Asuka reaching out, trying to grab the title.
Lynch trying to slow her down, shots right to the side of the face.
And now, Lynch, Lynch trying to retain her title.
And Asuka, Asuka again
battling back and forth there at the top of the ladder.
-[Graves] Hang on. -[Tom] Oh, a kendo stick.
[David] And we know what Charlotte Flair can do with a kendo stick.
[Tom] It has become her calling card in the last month.
Charlotte Flair shoves Lynch out of the way.
[Graves] Charlotte Flair now with some payback
from what Asuka did on Tuesday night.
[David] She's got that look in her eyes again.
[Graves] You're right, David, The Queen looks insane,
focused, obsessed.
[Tom] That's how we saw her.
[Graves] It's that obsession that's fueled Charlotte Flair to be the best.
[Tom] And Charlotte Flair has wisely kicked Asuka out of the ring.
And again, that look is what we saw in her
at Survivor Series against Ronda Rousey.
And now Charlotte, she's got herself propped up, thanks to the kendo stick.
And she's got an opportunity here.
[David] And she's not letting go of that kendo stick either.
-She's taking it with her. -[Graves] Uh-oh.
[Tom] Oh!
Give up!
It's my title!
It's mine.
[Graves] Once again, I had to question this, it's like--
it was like Charlotte's bloodlust is overtaking the need for the title.
[Tom] Now, wait, wait, now Becky Lynch,
Becky Lynch has ahold of Charlotte.
[Tom] Bexploder against the table onto the barricade.
[Graves] Yeah, but Charlotte Flair practically landed on Becky Lynch's face.
-Oh! -[David] Asuka's got a kendo stick.
[Tom] And now, Charlotte, Charlotte's down.
Asuka's hammering away on Becky Lynch with a kendo stick.
[screaming]
-[Asuka] My title! -[Tom] Asuka is incensed.
[crowd cheering]
[Tom] Seeing red here tonight at TLC.
-[Tom] Oh! -[Graves] Oh!
[Tom] Holy hell.
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] How the hell is Charlotte Flair even functioning?
[David] This is pure adrenaline, Graves.
[Tom] Charlotte Flair just obliterated Asuka.
[Graves] Look at this,
a full running start,
just massacred Asuka and the barricade.
[crowd chanting] This is awesome!
This is awesome!
[Graves] Like a fierce lioness defending her pride.
[crowd chanting] This is awesome!
[Tom] A wild far--
[Graves] Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.
[Tom] Oh, my God. Back inside with it.
Becky Lynch is gonna take advantage of the situation, the carnage outside.
Lynch is gonna grab her title.
And Charlotte Flair right from behind.
I don't know how Flair is doing this.
[Graves] Charlotte Flair's been put through multiple tables,
beaten with a kendo stick and a steel chair.
I'm the champion.
I'm the champ.
I'm staying that way, I'm staying that way.
[Graves] No love lost here.
[Tom] Oh, and straight rights.
Two former best friends that has devolved in the chaos.
And now Lynch, Lynch and Flair weary from this fight,
but still giving it everything they've got.
Oh, and a straight right from Becky Lynch.
Signature Flair chop from Charlotte.
Both women trying to battle,
trying to get a free opportunity to climb up the ladder.
Face first into the steel.
-[David] Charlotte's still-- -[Graves] Oh.
[Tom] Oh, just tackled by Becky Lynch and raining down punches.
I have no idea where Charlotte Flair is getting this wherewithal from.
She will not stop.
[Graves] She's obsessed.
Living up to the Flair legacy.
[David] Unloading with these chops.
[Tom] Oh!
[crowd chatter]
[crowd cheering]
[Tom] And Charlotte Flair has got Becky Lynch laid out here
in front of the Spanish announce desk.
And this is a great opportunity for Flair.
[Graves] Flair is taking a moment to catch her breath.
Compose herself.
[Tom] I think she's coming down, maybe for a second on that spell of rage.
[Graves] And Charlotte Flair might be trying to dream up something new.
I told you, you bow down.
The Man always bows down to a Queen.
Right?
-[Tom] Oh. -[Graves] The Man.
'Cause I'm the woman.
[crowd booing]
[Graves] The Man always bows down to The Queen.
-[Tom] 'Cause everything she does… -[Graves] Guys, you guys, guys.
[Tom] …comes from within, some dark impulse.
-[Graves] This-- No, no, no. -[Tom] From the top through the table,
through Lynch.
[crowd cheering]
[Tom] Charlotte Flair sacrificing her own wellbeing
to take out The Man.
[Graves] What lengths are these women willing to go
for the right to be called champion.
[Tom] Watch this again.
From the top turnbuckle,
driving Lynch through the table.
-Oh. -[David] At what cost?
'Cause you know that did damage to both women there.
[Graves] Charlotte Flair beginning to stir a little bit.
[crowd chatter]
[Graves] Unbelievable competition here tonight.
All three of these women want the title worse than life itself.
[Tom] And now, Charlotte is trying to climb back inside the ring
with Lynch down and Asuka in rubble.
[crowd cheering]
[Tom] And Charlotte Flair putting the ladder back in position.
Charlotte Flair is gonna grab the title here.
Charlotte's gonna capture her eighth championship.
Wait a minute, Asuka.
Stay down, stay down.
[Tom] Asuka from out of the timekeeper's area,
where the hell did she come from?
Oh, wait a minute. Asuka, Asuka trying to slow down Charlotte.
[David] Charlotte's got her hands on it, though.
[Tom] Charlotte trying to rip it off, rip down the title.
[Graves] Both women just fingertips away from the SmackDown title.
[Tom] Can she pull it down?
Can Charlotte pull it down?
[Graves] Asuka with those open hands strikes to the ear
to disorient The Queen, throw you off balance.
[Tom] Both women trying to get to the top of the ladder.
Continuing to exchange blows, and again, trying to reach out with Asuka.
Charlotte in the ladder,
smashing the face of Asuka off the steel ladder.
-[Graves] And… -[Tom] What the?
[Graves] …you notice the other ladder being raised by The Man.
[Tom] Becky Lynch opposite side, no one to oppose her to climb this ladder.
[Graves] Now, the champion, not from the best vantage point
to grab her championship.
[Tom] Still, Flair and Asuka, duking it out at the top of the ladder.
Down goes Asuka in a heap.
And now Becky Lynch.
Whoa, whoa, Flair's trying to reach the title.
[Graves] Lynch trying to preserve her championship.
[Tom] And Flair trying to slow down Lynch, doesn't want her to ascend any further.
Both women out of reach it appears from the title.
[both grunting]
[Tom] And these women relentless here on top of the ladder,
again, trying to reach out.
[crowd booing]
-[Tom] What the? -[Graves] Oh, no.
[Tom] Raw Women's Champion, Ronda Rousey…
[crowd booing]
-[Tom] What the? Ronda. -[Graves] Oh, no, no, no, no.
[Tom] No, Ronda, Ronda.
[crowd booing]
[Graves] Rousey said it earlier tonight,
"Payback's a bitch
and I'm the Baddest Woman on the Planet."
Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch have both wronged Ronda Rousey.
And tonight, Rousey evens the score.
[Tom] Flair is down.
Lynch is down, outside the ring.
Oh, my God.
[David] Asuka realizes that she's the only one in there.
[Tom] The greatest opportunity she's gonna have in this match.
Asuka trying to reach, trying to climb.
-Asuka, can she get there? -[David] Just reach.
[Graves] Will her dreams come true?
-[Tom] Asuka… -[David] She's got it.
-[bell ringing] -[Tom] …is champion.
["The Future" playing]
[Hamilton] Here is your winner,
and the new SmackDown Women's Champion,
Asuka.
[Tom] What a remarkable Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match.
The first Women's TLC Match.
♪ Take back today I am the future ♪
[Graves] Broken hearts, broken bodies,
but history made once again.
And tonight, The Empress takes the throne.
[Tom] Asuka takes advantage
with Lynch and Flair on the ground.
[Graves] What an incredible matchup.
All three of these women giving it everything they had,
certainly no shortage of incredible, memorable moments.
What a match. What a night.
[David] All three of these women willing to put their bodies on the line,
do anything.
[Tom] But again, it was the emotions of "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey
as Flair and Lynch deadlock, trying to reach for the title.
It was Rousey who came to right the wrongs of the past.
[Graves] Rousey hadn't forgotten that Charlotte Flair
beat her mercilessly with a kendo stick,
had not forgotten the backstage attack and armbar
that Becky Lynch had initiated prior to Survivor Series.
Ronda hasn't forgotten
and man, payback was big tonight.
[Tom] But the night belongs to Asuka.
The Empress no longer need wait for tomorrow.
Asuka is SmackDown Women's Champion.
♪ And light years away ♪
♪ The one force of nature ♪
♪ They call by name ♪
[Tom] An unforgettable night here in San Jose, California.
[Graves] Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch will not forget about this,
I assure you.
But The Empress of Tomorrow reigns supreme today.
["The Future" playing] rrow reigns supreme today.