Main Event – December 17, 2020: The Recap Of The Unwatched Show
Main Event
Date: December 17, 2020
Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton
It’s the go home show for Tables, Ladders And Chairs and for once I’m not sure what to expect around here. The show has gotten a little more interesting in recent weeks and while that might not be the best thing in the world, it is a little more interesting than what we were getting before. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Here’s R-Truth for an opening chat. Truth says his third middle name is Dangerously, which is the same way John Cena lives. The only thing he is missing is a legendary contract signing but here’s Drew Gulak, with a contract, to interrupt. Gulak says he has always looked up to Truth and he has drawn up the contract. Truth: “For starters, we’ll need a bouncy castle.” He also wants a fancy table, lazer pins, and Gary Oldman dressed as Commissioner Gordon. Truth looks at the contract, which looks more like a stick drawing. Gulak goes for the rollup but gets caught with the AA so Truth can escape.
We look at Roman Reigns and Jey Uso attacking Kevin Owens on Smackdown.
From Smackdown.
Jey comes up to Reigns, who asks if Jey and his family are both good. Kevin Owens comes to the ring and Jey says let me go get him. Reigns gives him permission as Owens is loading up weapons. With Jey on the way to the ring and Reigns watching, Owens sets up the table, ladder and chairs before talking about how Reigns is using his family to fight. Owens doesn’t have a family, but he has some friends to help him out.
First up you have the cold, unforgiving chairs, which will help him bruise Reigns. Maybe he can even break a few bones to make it hard for Reigns to sit at the head of the table. That brings him to his second friend, the table. See, table is hard at first but then it’s looking forward to receiving Reigns at TLC. Then there is ladder, which is unforgiving, rough around the edges and unpredictable. It’s his favorite though, because it is going to help him hurt Reigns and get back to where he belongs.
Owens climbs the ladder and says Reigns can be head of the table because Owens is going to give everything he has to become Universal Champion again. Cue Jey Uso with the chair to take Owens down and hammer away, including a shot to the knee. Owens gets back up for a Pop Up Powerbomb through a table, so here are Reigns and Heyman. Reigns is ready to go but Heyman talks him out of it, saying Reigns is the OG and the head of the table. Heyman: “Who’s zooming who here?” Reigns leaves and Owens grabs a chair and limps off after him.
Post break, Owens yells at Reigns talking about his family….and gets jumped by Reigns from behind. The beatdown is on, with Reigns shouting about who supports Owens’ family. Reigns looks at the camera and lists off his accolades, saying he is the one who puts a roof over your head and the food on the table. Owens’ kids need to talk some sense into their daddy, before he takes the food off of the table. One more kick to the head leaves Owens laying with a glossed over look on his face. This was rather good, as Owens may be ticked off, but Reigns is a complete monster.
We recap Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt, including the Fiend attacking Orton after Orton fought Bray.
From Raw.
Here’s Bray Wyatt for a road trip, complete with the puppets on the other side of the barricade. Bray is glad to be here but he needs to apologize to Randy Orton for everything that has been happening in recent weeks. Things have gotten out of hand and the Fiend has a mind of his own. After Orton takes Him on this Sunday, Bray isn’t sure what is going to be left of Randy.
It won’t be any fun and games because all that is left is sadness. Yowie Wowie that’s alright! There won’t be any fun and games on Sunday, so Bray has prepared some jokes for tonight and they are going to be HYSTERICAL. What’s the best way to measure a viper? In inches, because they don’t have any feet. What do snakes use to clean their car windows? Windshield vipers! That one knocks Bray to his knees but here’s Orton on the screen to interrupt.
Orton talks about how the Fiend changed him last week, just like Bray changed into the Fiend. For the first time in a long time, Orton was outmaneuvered by Him, so tonight, Bray should come see him. Tonight, they can play a game of hide and seek. Bray loves the idea and accepts so Orton says come find him. The puppets approve as Bray says let the games begin. More on this later.
From Raw.
Post break Bray goes looking for Randy but finds an empty, shaking rocking chair. Bray has a seat and Orton pops up behind him for the beatdown. Orton sends him into various things and then locks Bray inside a wooden case. He whips out a well placed can of gasoline and pours it on said crate, which is then set on fire. The Fiend pops up and Mandible Claws Orton. This ends the most obvious surprise in recent memory, but Orton’s face helped a lot.
Nikki Cross vs. Lacey Evans
This is actually fallout from two weeks ago when Evans cost Nikki a match against Peyton Royce. Before the match, Peyton again insists that she and Lacey are NOT friends, though Lacey calls Peyton a nasty. They agree that Nikki is a loser for only being known as Alexa Bliss’ former friend. Lacey bails into the corner to start so Nikki armdrags her into an armbar. Royce’s distraction doesn’t work so Lacey chokes on the ropes instead.
We take a break and come back with Lacey Gator Rolling her and then pulling the hair. Nikki tries to fight back but gets posted, meaning she can barely beat the count back in. A flying hair takedown sends Evans face first into the mat and some short arm clotheslines connect. The running crossbody in the corner keeps Evans in trouble but Peyton offers a distraction. That’s about all of the good though as Nikki grabs a rollup for the pin at 9:02.
Rating: D+. This was a little too messy to work but it’s nice to have some actual continuity around here. You can only get so far with the two of them trying to cram in a bunch of stuff, not even counting Peyton. That’s the kind of thing this show can be used for though and this was a fine enough use of the time.
We look at Sasha Banks getting disqualified against Carmella and then getting beaten down post match.
From Raw.
It’s time for the Championship Ascension Ceremony so here are AJ Styles and Drew McIntyre with Tom Phillips in the ring. AJ says Drew doesn’t need to address him, but rather the title, because he won’t be having it around his waist again. This is going to be their first ever singles match so maybe AJ needs to find out a little more about McIntyre. AJ can’t believe that it took Drew nineteen years to get here but AJ is ready to use every table, ladder and chair to get the title back.
Drew calls that an impressive speech and says he has always wanted to face AJ. This Sunday, the match is TLC and no, he has never been in one before. Drew says he thought his goal was to win the WWE Title but the loss and second win changed everything for him. It is so much harder to stay champion and he was the man who lead WWE through uncharted waters. He’s a frickin diamond and he’s ready for AJ on Sunday. Every man dies but not every man truly lives, so on Sunday he’s willing to do whatever it takes to remain champion.
The title is raised up but AJ says he isn’t the only person Drew is facing on Sunday. Cue Miz and Morrison to jump Drew, who fights them all off and throws a ladder to the floor. Omos throws in the steps for a distraction though and AJ chop blocks Drew down (nice move after setting it up earlier tonight against Sheamus). The Phenomenal Forearm connects and AJ adds some ladder shots. AJ tells Omos to throw in some more stuff so we get a table and another ladder. Various other shots let AJ climb the ladder to pull down the title…and we cut off with Tom in the middle of his big close.
Overall Rating: C. I know the match was nothing to see, but they had a segment to open things up and then focused on the three main TLC matches for the rest of the show. That’s what this show should be for if not getting more wrestlers in the ring, so I’ll take what I can get with it. This would have worked as a quick recap heading into the pay per view and that’s what they needed here.
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