THE MOSS COVERED THREE HANDLED FAMILY CREDENZA

ARTICLE #59
NOVEMBER 12, 2002

Tables, Ladders and Chairs- OH MY!!!

Tables, ladders and chairs played a key role in one of the most memorable series of a match genre in wrestling history. Together, the Hardys, the Dudleys, Edge & Christian and others set new standards for creative and breathtaking spots using those weapons in and out of the ring. This article takes a look at the 4 TLC matches, along with a couple memorable ladder matches that predated them. I've included the first couple matches in this article because they helped lay the groundwork for many of the innovative and extreme spots that made the TLC matches legendary.

10/17/99 Ladder Match: Edge & Christian vs Matt & Jeff Hardy (w/Gangrel)

The right to be managed by Terri was on the line, and $100,000 (supposedly) was hanging high above the ring, acting as the prize in place of a belt. The Hardys shoved Edge and Christian, who responded with punches. Christian backdropped Jeff as Edge hiptossed Matt. The Hardys attacked their opponents at ringside but Edge and Christian fought back. Christian whipped Edge into a spear in a corner on Matt, and Edge whipped Christian into a clothesline in another corner on Jeff. Edge and Christian went for the ladder but the Hardys attacked them. Matt elbowsmashed Edge as Jeff hit a standing shooting star press. Gangrel brought the ladder towards the ring but the ref ejected him. Matt clotheslined Edge out of the ring. Jeff grabbed the ladder but Edge dropkicked the ladder into his face from the apron. Matt clotheslined Edge off the apron. Christian took out Matt with a cool over the ropes plancha in the corner. Christian climbed a ladder but Jeff pulled him down. Jeff climbed but Edge pulled him down as well. Edge climbed the ladder but Matt tipped the ladder and Edge fell backwards underneath the ladder. Christian hit Matt with the ladder. He then won a tug of war with the ladder against Jeff by backing him into the corner, with the edge of the ladder slamming against Jeff's gut. Christian propped the ladder against it, ran across it and dropkicked Jeff. Edge and Christian whipped Matt hard into the ladder in the corner. Edge jumped off Christian's back but missed a cross bodyblock when Jeff moved and crashed into the ladder. Jeff climbed the ladder but Christian caught up to him and gave him an inverted DDT off the ladder for a pop. Christian climbed the ladder but Matt hit him and back suplexed him off the ladder. Matt climbed up but Edge powerbombed him off the ladder. Edge climbed the ladder but Jeff knocked him to the mat with a top rope dropkick. Matt slammed Edge on a ladder and Jeff hit a swanton for added impact. Matt set up the ladder in the corner. Matt then gave Christian a corner splash against the ladder and Jeff hit poetry in motion. The Hardys clotheslined Christian with the ladder. Jeff jumped off the top rope, over the top of the ladder and legdropped Christian and fans gave them a standing ovation. Jeff placed the ladder on Christian and Matt moonsaulted Christian. Edge brought a second ladder into the ring and hit Matt with it. Jeff climbed the other ladder but Edge knocked him to the mat with his ladder. Edge hit Matt with a ladder and placed it on him in the corner. Edge then catapulted Jeff into the ladder in the corner, hurting both Hardys. Edge climbed a ladder but Matt threw the other ladder at him, knocking him to the mat. The Hardys missed a ladder clothesline on Edge and Christian hit a flying bodypress onto the ladder, taking both Hardys out. Edge and Christian slid a ladder end first into Matt's crotch in the corner and dropkicked the other ends of the ladder. Christian repeatedly slammed one side of a ladder onto Jeff, who laid on the other side of the ladder as fans counted to 10 and popped. Edge gave Christian a downward spiral (?) slam of sorts onto the ladder, which Jeff was trapped in. Edge and Christian gave Matt a double stun gun into a ladder in the corner and Matt fell out of the ring. Edge and Christian set up both ladders. Edge climbed a ladder but Jeff followed on the other one. Edge gave Jeff a downward spiral off the ladders. Edge climbed up but Matt caught up to him, climbed the other ladder and gave him a neckbreaker off the ladders. Christian and Jeff climbed up opposite sides of a ladder, exchanged punches and Christian hiptossed Jeff off the ladders to the mat. Edge rammed an edge of the ladder into Matt and knocked him out of the ring. Christian placed Jeff on the top rope. Edge and Christian placed one ladder on its side with the second ladder on top of it. They went to give Jeff a suplex duplex onto the ladder but Matt intervened. Jeff then jumped onto the ladder off the top rope, catapulting it upwards into both Matt and Christian's faces for another pop. Edge and Christian climbed up one side of each ladder while the Hardys climbed up the other side of the ladders. Edge tipped one ladder, knocking Christian and Jeff into the ropes. The other ladder tipped, Edge crashed into the ropes and Matt crashed clear out of the ring. Edge and Jeff set up the ladders again. Both teams climbed up the ladders and exchanged punches. Edge pushed Matt off one ladder, the other ladder tipped and Jeff was the only one still on a ladder. Jeff then climbed up and grabbed the money to win the match at 16:30. Absolutely amazing match, and definitely a classic when it took place. Tons of innovative ladder spots, some of which were rather pedestrian in later TLC matches but others which haven't been seen in later matches. Everyone but Edge was a better worker in 1999 than in 2002, and Matt and Christian were much more daring and athletic in their styles than today. Of course Jeff was in much better shape, inspired and not hampered by injuries, and thus perhaps the hottest worker in America. So many spots had never been seen before, and fans popped huge for them. They gave the wrestlers a standing ovation after the match, and it was well-deserved. Not quite as off-the-charts-crazy as later matches in this article, but it still ages well and was a true landmark event when it happened. ****1/2

4/2/00 WWF Tag Team Title Triangle Ladder Match: Dudleys (Buh Buh Ray and D-Von) vs Matt & Jeff Hardy (c) vs Edge & Christian

Edge & Christian attacked the Hardys at the bell as the Dudleys stood atop the ladder in the aisle. They attacked the Dudleys and the Hardys followed. Christian dropkicked Jeff. Jeff rammed Christian into the ring steps. Jeff gave Buh Buh Ray a whisper in the wind but Buh Buh Ray fought back with a high backdrop. Buh Buh Ray gave Jeff a Buh Buh bomb. Christian climbed the ladder in the ring but Matt stopped him. Edge and Christian went after Buh Buh Ray. Matt hit Edge with a ladder and Jeff drove the ladder into Edge with a poetry in motion. D-Von hit Christian with a ladder. The Hardys gave Edge a ladder clothesline and hit Buh Buh Ray with it. Matt slammed Buh Buh Ray onto the ladder and hit a second rope elbow. Jeff DDTd Buh Buh Ray and placed him on the ladder but missed a 450 splash and crashed hard onto the ladder himself. Buh Buh Ray slammed Jeff and slammed the ladder onto him. Buh Buh Ray then gave Jeff a second rope senton with the ladder for added impact. Edge jumped off the top rope and drove a ladder onto Matt. D-Von slammed a ladder onto Edge. Buh Buh Ray then took out all 4 opponents using the ladder as a propeller. Edge and Christian dropkicked the ladder into Buh Buh Ray. They then gave D-Von a double stun gun into a ladder. Christian climbed a ladder and took out Matt and Buh Buh Ray with a spectacular plancha. Jeff climbed a ladder but Edge knocked him to the mat with a top rope spear. Edge climbed a ladder but Matt caught up to him, pulled him off the ladder and gave him a Niagara driver. Matt climbed the ladder but D-Von press slammed him to the mat. Christian knocked D-Von off a ladder but hitting him with another ladder. Christian climbed a ladder but Buh Buh Ray punched him and climbed another ladder. Buh Buh Ray then gave Christian a Buh Buh cutter off the ladders to the mat. Matt jumped off one ladder with a legdrop while Jeff jumped off another with a splash onto Buh Buh Ray. Christian threw Jeff out of the ring and Jeff took a hard bump. Christian and D-Von climbed each side of a ladder, then Edge climbed a second ladder. Edge and Christian then superplexed D-Von from the ladders to the mat. Matt rammed Buh Buh Ray into the ring steps. The Hardys set up two ladders side by side and climbed them, as did Edge and Christian. They gave each other a neckbreaker and a facebuster off the ladders. Everyone climbed the ladders and fought. D-Von tipped a ladder and the Hardys fell into the ropes and out of the ring. Buh Buh Ray fell off a ladder and tipped the ladders, with D-Von, Edge and Christian all falling to the mat and into the ropes. The Dudleys were left in the ring. They set up the ladders, and gave Christian a ladder clothesline sandwich. The Dudleys gave Edge a 3-D and grabbed some tables from under the ring. They set up the ladders and placed a table across the tops of the ladders. The Hardys finally came to and attacked the Dudleys as fans booed (they wanted to see tables used). Buh Buh Ray set up a table near the ladders/table combo. Buh Buh Ray rammed Matt into the ring steps. D-Von jumped off a ladder and drove Matt through a table. Buh Buh Ray then powerbombed Jeff from the Spanish announcers' table through another table at ringside. Jeff jumped off the barricade but Buh Buh Ray threw a table at him and hit him with it in mid-air. Buh Buh Ray brought a 12 foot ladder towards the ring and set up a table below it. He knocked Jeff onto the table but Christian hit him with a chair. Jeff knocked Buh Buh Ray onto the table. Jeff then climbed the ladder and, in a legendary spot, jumped off the top of the ladder with an amazing swanton onto Buh Buh Ray through the table. D-Von gave Christian an electric chair suplex and climbed the ladder. Matt gave D-Von a twist of fate and climbed a ladder. Christian climbed the other ladder and both men stood of the table. Edge climbed up and knocked Jeff off the table through another table below. Edge and Christian then grabbed the belts to win the title at 23:16. So much action took place that I only tried to capture the noteworthy spots. Another amazing, breathtaking spotfest, but this had more of a spotfest feel to it than the previous match. This wasn't as smooth, the flow between spots was much weaker, and some of the spots, amazing as they were in this match, took so long to set up. Fans were really quiet in between spots, but that's understandable given the match built in such a way that the viewer simply would pop upon seeing what spot they came up with next as opposed to who's winning. The spots themselves were a step up from the previous match, especially the swanton off the 12-foot ladder. The Dudleys really proved their worth in this match, adding to it as opposed to dragging their opponents, considered better workers and much more spectacular athletes, down and weakening the match. Because of the spectacular spots and their generally good execution, this was an excellent match, perhaps more memorable than it was great. ****

8/27/00 WWF Tag Team Title TLC I: Edge & Christian (c) vs Matt & Jeff Hardy vs Dudleys (Buh Buh Ray & D-Von)

The Hardys stormed the ring and attacked their opponents at the bell. They hit the Dudleys with chairs and Matt kicked a chair into Buh Buh Ray's face. Edge & Christian whipped D-Von into a corner and Christian jumped off a chair with a cross bodyblock in the corner. Edge gave D-Von a drop toehold onto the chair. Edge placed Buh Buh Ray against a ladder near the ropes but crashed into the ladder when Buh Buh Ray moved. Buh Buh Ray DDTd Christian and climbed a ladder. The Hardys powerbombed Buh Buh Ray to the mat and the ladder fell on top of him. D-Von and Jeff gave Edge a double Russian legsweep off two ladders. Christian climbed up but Buh Buh Ray hit him and gave him a Buh Buh bomb to the mat. Jeff climbed a ladder but Edge shoved him off and onto more ladders on the mat. In the process, Jeff catapulted a ladder into Matt's face. Edge & Christian missed a conchairto on Jeff and Buh Buh Ray hit them with a ladder. D-Von set up a ladder in the corner. Buh Buh Ray slammed Edge and D-Von jumped off the ladder with the wazzup headbutt onto Edge. D-Von grabbed a table as Buh Buh Ray slammed a table on Jeff. D-Von set up a table and the Dudleys gave Christian a 3-D through the table. The Dudleys set up a double stack of 2 tables on top of each other each at ringside. Edge hit Buh Buh Ray and D-Von with chairshots. Matt gave Edge a twist of fate, climbed a ladder and jumped off with a legdrop on Edge. Jeff jumped over the ladder and legdropped Edge as well. Matt sandwiched Edge within a ladder and press slammed Christian off the top rope onto the ladder and Edge. Jeff set up a 12 foot ladder at ringside and went for a swanton but Buh Buh Ray moved and Jeff crashed through a table in an amazing psychotic spot. Matt brought the big ladder into the ring and climbed it as Edge hit Buh Buh Ray with a chair at ringside. Christian caught up to Matt while Edge and D-Von fought on the other side of the ladder. Christian gave Matt an inverted DDT off the ladder while D-Von and Edge fell off the ladder and crashed into the ropes. Buh Buh Ray then climbed the ladder but Edge tipped the ladder and Buh Buh Ray crashed through all the tables previously set up at ringside in perhaps the spot of the match. Edge & Christian climbed the ladder but Lita ran in, tipped the ladder, and caused them to crash crotch first onto the top rope. Matt climbed the ladder as did D-Von, who tipped the ladder and Matt crashed through more tables at ringside. Edge speared Lita at ringside. Jeff and D-Von climbed the ladder and grabbed the belts but Edge tipped the ladder. D-Von and Jeff then hung over the ring. D-Von fell to the mat, and Edge & Christian hit Jeff with a ladder to knock him to the mat. Edge & Christian then climbed a ladder and grabbed the belts to retain the title at 14:52. This was what their Wrestlemania match was supposed to be like. Insane spot after insane spot, and much better flow. Sure some spots took a while to set up, but something was happening while those spots were being set up. Also, the three teams showed stronger chemistry and moved from spot to spot in a much smoother fashion. Good placement of spots in the time of the match, with the craziest spots coming late. The Dudleys furthered their reputation as two of the breakout stars of 2000, being a perfect complement with their violence to the breathtaking athleticism and spots of their opponents. Cool storyline too, with Edge & Christian grabbing the belts after the other two teams killed each other, kinda escaping harm in a cowardly but smart way. It worked because they contributed their share of spots and bumps. One of the best matches of 2000, and slightly better than the 1999 match because the spots were more advanced. ****1/2

Tables-Ladders-Chairs II, WWF Tag Team Title: Dudleys (Buh Buh Ray & D-Von) (c) vs Hardy Boyz (Matt & Jeff) vs Edge & Christian 4/1/01 Wrestlemania XVII

All three teams fought from the bell. The Dudleys flapjacked Christian. The Hardys whipped Buh Buh Ray into D-Von in the corner and Jeff launched off Matt with poetry in motion on D-Von. Edge & Christian clotheslined the Hardys and then the Dudleys with a ladder. Christian hung Matt upside down in the corner and he & Edge stood on Matt�s crotch. Edge & Christian then gave Jeff a drop toehold onto an unfolded chair. The Dudleys attacked Christian outside the ring as Edge made the first attempt to climb the ladder and get the belts. Matt climbed the ladder but Edge knocked him to the mat with a clothesline. Edge climbed the ladder but Jeff knocked him off it with a dropkick. The Dudleys grabbed a ladder at ringside but the Hardys knocked the ladder into them with stereo baseball slide kicks. Matt and Jeff set up ladders in opposite corners and Matt slammed Christian. Jeff then hit a splash from one ladder and Matt hit a legdrop off the other ladder. The Dudleys cleared the ring and gave Edge the wazzup headbutt. Both Dudleys brought tabled into the ring and placed Edge on one table. Buh Buh Ray caught Jeff and powerbombed him onto Edge and through the table in the first of many insane spots. The Dudleys set up four tables at ringside, with two stacks of two tables side by side. Matt brought a third ladder into the ring and threw Christian out of the ring. Buh Buh Ray hit Matt with one ladder and all three ladders were set up in a row in the center of the ring. All six then climbed the combined six sides of the ladders and fought. One ladder tipped over, with Matt taking a bump onto the top rope and Christian taking a nasty spill clear out of the ring. Another ladder tipped over and both D-Von and Jeff crashed hard into the ropes. Edge and Buh Buh Ray then knocked each other off the remaining ladder. Spike Dudley ran into the ring and attacked Edge, giving him a Dudley dog off a ladder. He then gave Christian, who was on the apron, a Dudley dog over the top rope and through a table at ringside. Rhyno then attacked Jeff and knocked him off a ladder with an armringer. Rhyno hit D-Von with a ladder and gored Buh Buh Ray. Rhyno then gored Matt through a table in the corner. Edge started to climb a ladder in the ring when Lita ran to the ring, pulled Edge down and rammed him into the ladder. Rhyno went to press slam Lita but Spike gave him a low blow. Lita then hit a top rope spinning huracanrana on Rhyno. Edge climbed the ladder and nearly grabbed the belts but Spike hit Rhyno with a chair, and Rhyno fell into the ladder knocking Edge crotch first onto the top rope. Rhyno went after D-Von but Buh Buh Ray intercepted and lifted Rhyno on his shoulders. D-Von then gave Rhyno the old doomsday device. Lita hit Spike with a chair but the Dudleys then gave her 3-D. Edge hit D-Von with a chair, tossed the chair to Buh Buh Ray, and Christian knocked the chair into his face with a chairshot of his own. Jeff set up a 12 foot ladder at ringside and placed Spike and Rhyno on tables at ringside. Matt hit Edge with a chair in the ring. Jeff then hit a swanton off the top of the huge ladder onto Spike and Rhyno through one table, although Rhyno�s table didn�t break. Edge brought the big ladder into the ring and placed it with the other three ladders in a row. Christian and D-Von climbed the two sides of the big ladder and grabbed onto the rung with the belts. Matt removed the ladder from under them and they hung from the rungs high above the ring. Christian somehow knocked D-Von to the mat, but then himself fell to the mat as well. Jeff tried to walk from one ladder to another to grab the belts but slipped and fell. He grabbed the belts but the ladder tipped from under him and Jeff then hung high above the ring. Jeff�s feet got entangled in one ladder and Buh Buh Ray held that ladder and Jeff in place. Edge then leaped off the tall ladder and speared Jeff to the mat in yet another breathtaking spot. Buh Buh Ray and Matt fought atop a ladder in the ring, but Rhyno tipped the ladder and both men crashed out of the ring and through the two stacks of tables at ringside. Rhyno then climbed the ladder in the ring carrying Christian on his back. Christian grabbed the belts and he & Edge won the titles at 15:44. I'd say this was a hair better than TLC 1. Lots of crazy and creative spots, most of them hitting perfectly, and reasonably sound pacing and psychology given the heavy emphasis on the big spots. Not quite an epic in terms of quality, but definitely a classic match, and one that will probably survive the decade as one of its top 100 matches (unless something amazing happens). Amazingly, this should not go down as the greatest TLC match. ****1/2

TLC III, WWF Tag Team Title: Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho (c) vs Dudleys (Buh Buh Ray & D-Von) vs Hardys (Matt & Jeff) vs Edge & Christian 5/22/01 (aired 5/24 on Smackdown)

As the Hardys and Dudleys attacked the champions, Edge & Christian immediately brought a ladder into the ring and climbed it to get the belts. The Dudleys cut them off though. Buh Buh Ray missed a second rope senton on Jeff. Matt hit Buh Buh Ray with a ladder in the corner and Jeff launched off Matt�s back with poetry in motion on D-Von in another corner. They went to do poetry in motion to Buh Buh Ray but he hit Jeff with the ladder in mid-air. Jericho hit Matt and D-Von with the end of a ladder as Benoit snap suplexed Buh Buh Ray onto a ladder. Benoit and Jericho whipped D-Von into the corner and D-Von hit the top of a propped ladder face first in the corner. Edge & Christian clotheslined Benoit with a ladder. Edge propped a ladder on the bottom rope in a corner and he & Christian gave Jericho a drop toehold onto the ladder. Edge & Christian climbed a ladder in the ring but Matt powerbombed Christian off the ladder. Matt then had a slugfest with Edge on the ladder but Benoit tipped the ladder and both men crashed into the ropes. Jericho placed Matt on a table at ringside. Benoit hit a splash off the top rope but Jeff moved Matt off the table and Benoit crashed through the table ribs-first. The Dudleys, Jeff and Jericho had a slugfest on two ladders in the ring. D-Von and Jeff were knocked off one ladder and Jericho gave Buh Buh Ray a bulldog off the other ladder. Benoit continued to sell like he was unconscious and was carried to the back on a stretcher. Edge climbed a ladder but Jericho caught up to him and applied the walls of Jericho atop the two ladders in the ring in an unbelievable spot. Christian intervened and knocked Jericho off the ladder into the corner. Edge & Christian climbed the ladders but D-Von tipped one ladder causing Christian to crash clear out of the ring and Matt tipped the other ladder causing Edge to fall crotch first on the top rope. The Dudleys & Hardys climbed the two ladders. D-Von hiptossed Matt off one ladder and Buh Buh Ray suplexed Jeff off the other ladder. Benoit, clutching his ribs, struggled back to the ring and immediately climbed a ladder to get the belts. Edge & Christian attacked Benoit, who gave each several chops but ultimately succumbed to their attack. Edge & Christian then gave Benoit a conchairto right to the ribs in a classic brutal spot. The Dudleys gave Edge the wazzup headbutt. Jericho hit both Dudleys with a chair but Christian then bashed Jericho in the head with a chair. Christian placed Buh Buh Ray on a table and climbed a ladder but D-Von intercepted him. They then gave Christian a 3-D off the ladder through the table in yet another memorable spot. The Hardys dragged Buh Buh Ray out of the ring and Matt hit him with a TV monitor. Jeff then set up a 12-14 foot ladder right next to the announcers� table and Matt placed Buh Buh Ray on the table. Jeff climbed a smaller ladder to get to the top of the big ladder, then legdropped Buh Buh Ray through the table from a height of about 12 feet. Back in the ring Matt and D-Von climbed two ladders next to each other. Matt won a slugfest and gave D-Von a twist of fate off the ladders to the mat. Matt tried to grab the belts, Jericho went after him with a chair, Matt kicked the chair into Jericho�s face but Jericho bounced off the ropes, into the ladder, and Matt took a nasty bump onto the top rope and to the floor. Jericho climbed one ladder to get the belts but Edge intercepted him with a spear off a ladder in the corner. Benoit returned to the ring, climbed the ladder and grabbed the belts to win the match after about 19 minutes. Did anyone forget about this match when voting for Observer match of the year!?? This was possibly the best match of the year in the WWF, definitely better than TLC II, and it doesn�t even place in the top 15!? If you overlooked this match before, you must watch it again. If you�ve never seen this match, you MUST see this match. From what I saw of the tag team title match on Raw (which finished second in the Observer balloting) the day before, this appeared to be the better match. All the breathtaking spots and insanity of the Wrestlemania match, but without the couple missed spots or awkward moments in between spots. Also, Benoit and Jericho added another element of psychology and creativity to the match. Arguably the best match in the history of WWF free TV, and one of the most forgotten classics too. I�ve seen Muto vs Tenryu and Tanaka vs Murahama from Japan, but this match stood out to me even more than those more acclaimed matches. ****3/4

10/7/02 World Tag Team Title TLC 4: Kane & Hurricane (c) vs Jeff Hardy & Rob Van Dam vs Chris Jericho & Christian vs Bubba Ray & Spike Dudley

Hurricane was attacked before the match, so Kane fought by himself. He punched out a bunch of opponents early. Kane backdropped Spike and gave Van Dam a side slam. Kane backdropped Bubba. Jericho & Christian grabbed a ladder and climbed it but the Dudleys pulled them down. Kane rammed Hardy into the ladder. Van Dam and Hardy double teamed Kane but Kane gave them a double clothesline. Kane threw Hardy out of the ring and rammed him into the ring steps. Van Dam jumped off the apron but Kane caught him by his neck. Hardy ran the barricade and clotheslined Kane. Bubba took out Jericho and Christian with a ladder using it like a propeller. Kane booted the ladder into Bubba but Van Dam gave him a top rope superkick. Hardy and Van Dam gave Kane a double cactus clothesline out of the ring. Jericho back suplexed Spike and placed the ladder in the corner with the edge facing inward. Jericho whipped Spike hard into the edge of the ladder. Jericho and Christian backdropped Spike. Jericho took out Christian with an elbow when Bubba moved. Bubba gave Jericho punches and a flip-flop-n-fly bionic elbow. Bubba clotheslined Jericho out of the ring. Kane gave Christian a top rope clothesline. Bubba hit Kane with a ladder and climbed it but Kane pulled him down and chokeslammed him. Kane caught Spike and slammed him. Kane press slammed Spike clear out of the ring onto Van Dam at ringside. Jericho hit Kane with a ladder and Christian gave Kane an inverted DDT on the floor. Jericho and Christian placed Kane on a table and grabbed a ladder but Van Dam catapulted the ladder into their faces with a top rope somersault senton onto the ladder. Hardy hit Kane with a chair and placed a 10 foot ladder next to him. Jeff climbed a second 10 foot ladder and jumped off the top of it, legdropping Kane through the table. Bubba dropped a ladder on Kane from inside the ring. Bubba climbed the ladder in the ring but Christian powerbombed him off the ladder. (3:00 commercial) Bubba and Van Dam climbed ladders next to each other, with Jericho climbing the other side of Bubba's ladder. Jericho bulldogged Bubba off their ladder while Christian gave Van Dam an inverted DDT off the other ladder from rather precarious footing. Spike climbed a ladder but Christian pulled him down and dumped him out of the ring. Christian won an exchange of blows with Van Dam and climbed a ladder but Van Dam tipped it and Christian fell crotch first onto the top rope. Hardy jumped off the top rope but Kane caught him and powerslammed him. Kane clotheslined Hardy in the corner. Spike prevented Kane from climbing a ladder but Kane hit him with the ladder. Kane knocked Spike out of the ring by hitting him with the ladder again. Jericho drove the ladder into Kane by hitting it with a chair. Jericho hit Bubba with a chair but Van Dam gave him a spin kick. Hardy gave Kane a poetry in motion with Bubba's aid. Hardy held a chair in front of Kane's face and Van Dam, finally!, hit a Van Terminator on Kane for a pop. Jericho tried to suplex Hardy onto a ladder but Hardy countered and suplexed him onto the ladder. Hardy slammed Christian off the top rope onto the ladder. Hardy climbed the ladder but Bubba climbed the other side and superplexed him off the ladder. Van Dam climbed the ladder but Bubba caught him with a punch and knocked him to the mat, but also fell to the mat himself. Jericho climbed the ladder and kicked Spike away twice but Spike finally tipped the ladder and Jericho crashed over the top rope to the floor. Spike climbed the ladder but Christian pulled him down. Spike went for a Dudley dog but Christian threw him over the top rope through a table at ringside. Christian climbed the ladder but Bubba also climbed a second ladder next to him. Bubba then gave Christian a Bubba bomb off the ladders. Van Dam gave Christian a five star frog splash. Hardy missed a swanton on Bubba and Bubba backdropped him over the top rope through a table at ringside. Van Dam gave Bubba a Van Daminator and climbed the ladder but Jericho hit him with a chair. Jericho gave Van Dam a walls of Jericho across the top of the ladder in a weird but cool spot. Jericho climbed up but Kane caught up to him. Jericho landed some punches and rammed Kane's head into the ladder but Kane fought him off and chokeslammed him off the ladder. Kane then grabbed the belts to retain the title at 25:06. The longest TLC match, and clearly the weakest. Great TV match, but I bet I'm not the only one who thought Dave Meltzer was a bit generous on his rating (****1/4). It didn't drag at all, and had lots of spectacular spots, but there was little or nothing fresh about this match, and the key here is to watch it alongside the other TLC matches. The first 3 TLCs contained many more breathtaking spots and tons more creativity than this match, plus the chemistry also was lacking. All great workers and/or suited for a match like this (except of course for Kane, who stuck out like a sore thumb), but something was missing and it almost seemed like a scrap heap lineup. Watch this next to the other TLC matches and you'll notice that Jeff Hardy's form was much sharper and his work fresher in previous matches, and Christian was a more daring athlete. This came across more like a "let's scrap together a memorable match that'll live off the reputation of previous matches" than a "let's add to a familiar concept and try to raise the standard" (like TLC 3 IMO) type of attitude on the part of the bookers. Fantastic TV match, maybe deserving of ****, but when looking at the TLC lineage I just can't call this "excellent". If you can't put together the right lineup, just don't bother. ***3/4

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