Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
Encyclopedia
A Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, often abbreviated as a TLC, is a type of professional wrestling
match originated within WWE, but can be seen under different variations in other wrestling promotions.
While a regular ladder match
is already no-disqualification, and the use of tables, chairs, and other weapons are just as legal as ladders are (such as at Wrestlemania 2000
, when a table was used, and the 2001 Royal Rumble
, when a chair was used, just to name a few), TLC matches actually encourage their use.
, which is modified to include two other weapons, tables and chairs. The TLC match usually pits three or more tag team
s against each other, or more recently used for one-on-one matches. The goal is to acquire the item (usually championship belts) which starts the match suspended above the ring. A TLC match can be seen as a more complicated ladder match, where tables and chairs, along with ladders, can also be used as legal foreign objects. This, compared to the relative ages of the wrestlers involved, gives the match an atmosphere similar to that of a hardcore match
.
between Edge and
Christian and the Hardy Boyz
, Matt
and Jeff
, at No Mercy 1999
, with audiences giving all four wrestlers a standing ovation
at the end of the match. The move catapulted both tag teams to the top of the tag team world. The following months had the Hardy Boyz face the Dudley Boyz
, Bubba Ray and D-Von, in a tag-team Tables match, which had similar success.
The three teams would be known for their three respective foreign objects, as well as the hardcore wrestling styles associated therein: the Dudley Boyz often had a spot in their tag team matches where Bubba Ray Dudley would say "D-Von, get the tables!" when a table spot was imminent; the Hardy Boyz, in singles matches, would challenge main-event singles wrestlers (such as The Undertaker) in Ladder matches, considered at that time to be the "signature match" of the team (as they were both high-flyers, they specialized with high spots, and doing them off the top of ladders amplified their effectiveness); while Edge and Christian developed the "Con-Chair-To" finishing move, which involved the two hitting an opponent's head simultaneously, on opposite sides, with chairs. Eventually, the three teams were brought together in a Triple Threat Ladder match in WrestleMania 2000
, in what would be the forerunner of the TLC in terms of the spots involved (tables were involved in some of the major spots, even though it was technically a Ladder match). It is incorrectly referred to by some fans as the first TLC match. The match was called a Triangle Ladder Match.
The first TLC match (that was officially called a "TLC" by the World Wrestling Federation) was contested between these three teams using the weapons (and to a lesser extent, the type of match) that they had made famous at SummerSlam 2000
. These TLC matches frequently involved members of these three teams, and are largely remembered for the dangerous stunts, injuries, and length. The TLC matches slowly met its end, however, when Edge and Christian broke up and Jeff Hardy
was released. Additionally, the matches that have incorporated more weapons created an overall trend of increased concussions and neck injuries that plagued the WWE roster, and as a result, led to the return of a more traditional mat-based style of matches. Although the tables remain, to this day, a Dudley Boyz (now known as Team 3D) gimmick, Team 3D is virtually the only tag team to use it, and thus table matches are now few and far between. Chairs were reduced to their former roles as a mainstay form of interference and disqualification in wrestling matches, while ladders and Ladder matches are now used sporadically.
The second TLC match occurred at WrestleMania X-Seven
the following year, which also sprung the infamous Swanton Bomb off a 16 ft ladder by Jeff Hardy on Rhyno and Spike Dudley. These matches involved the three aforementioned teams, with each having Edge and Christian winning.
TLC III occurred on the May 24, 2001 edition of WWF SmackDown! when the tag team of Chris Jericho
and Chris Benoit
had to face the usual other three tag teams in order to retain their tag team championship, which they did. This TLC is sometimes referred to as the Forgotten TLC due to the fact that there was no hype prior to the match and it was on a weekly TV show rather than a pay-per-view event. Clear evidence of this is shown to the hype of TLC VI where Edge continually stated that to John Cena
, TLC was "A match you never had, and a match I never lost." The match was the first TLC match to air on broadcast television as well as the first one to involve four tag teams.
The fourth TLC match, TLC IV, occurred on the October 7, 2002 edition of Raw, where four tag teams had drawn, as a result of "Raw Roulette" (where the match type of every match of the card was determined by spinning a wheel), a TLC match. The match saw defending champions Kane
and The Hurricane
putting their World Tag Team Titles up against the teams of Christian and Chris Jericho, Bubba Ray Dudley and Spike Dudley
, and Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam
. Being the veterans that they were to the match itself, general manager Eric Bischoff
allowed Jeff, Christian and Bubba Ray to choose their own partners, as their former parters Matt Hardy
, Edge, and D-Von Dudley who were at the Smackdown brand at that time due to being drafted early that year. Before the match, The Hurricane was assaulted backstage, leaving Kane completely alone in the match. Despite this, Kane managed to retain the titles.
On the January 16, 2006 edition of Raw, WWE had its fifth TLC match, the first in over three years. Edge successfully defended his WWE Championship
against Ric Flair
. It was the first TLC match to be held in singles competition and the first to have the WWE Championship on the line. It also marked the first (and only to this point) TLC match where a wrestler has "bladed" (Ric Flair
bladed). This also marked the second time there was a TLC match in Raleigh, North Carolina
.
TLC VI was held at Unforgiven
on September 17, 2006, where John Cena
won the WWE Championship from Edge in his first TLC match.
TLC VII was held at One Night Stand
on June 1, 2008, where Edge won the vacated World Heavyweight Championship
, defeating The Undertaker and (kayfabe
) banishing him from WWE.
TLC VIII was held at SummerSlam
on August 23, 2009, where CM Punk
won the World Heavyweight Championship from TLC veteran Jeff Hardy. This marked the first time Jeff Hardy had participated in a singles TLC match.
The first six TLC matches are included on the Ladder Match DVD that was released in June 2007.
The seventh TLC match was included on the Edge: A Decade of Decadence DVD that was released in December 2008.
So far, following the TLC, every subsequent TLC match until the 2010 match between The Miz and Jerry "The King" Lawler
featured at least one TLC veteran.
The WWE's newest pay-per-view
event for December 2009 was titled TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs
where main events were a table match, a ladder match, a match where chairs are legal as weapons and the last match on the card was a TLC match. TLC IX in the 2009 event featured Chris Jericho
and The Big Show against D-Generation X
(Triple H
and Shawn Michaels
) for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship. This event has replaced WWE Armageddon
on the PPV calendar. This was the first TLC match to not feature a member from either Edge & Christian, The Hardyz or The Dudleyz.
A year later at TLC 2010
the TLC match returned and, for the first time, was a Fatal 4-Way. The match was between Edge, Kane
, Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship
. In the end, Edge won the match and became World Heavyweight Champion. This would also be Edge's last TLC match because of his retirement in early April.
Predating the TLC matches, The Eliminators
defeated Rob Van Dam
and Sabu
on February 22, 1997 for the ECW Tag Team titles in a "tables and ladders" match where chairs were also used as weapons. This was however a traditional match won by pinfall or submission, not by climbing the ladder for the belts. However, the term "TLC" itself was trademarked by WWE, thus other promotions give different names to these types of matches despite having an identical setup. In more hardcore-style promotions, the chairs were often replaced, or were used alongside, chains. One example of a variation of the TLC match is the Tables, Ladders, Chairs, and Canes match. This match is a TLC match with the addition of Singapore Canes
. The first and only TLC match was at Guilty as Charged on January 7, 2001 at the Hammerstein Ballroom
in New York City
, involving Steve Corino
, Justin Credible
, and The Sandman.
and Abyss at Against All Odds 2005
. The added stipulation to the match was that "anything metal is legal", though this only included the use of Abyss' trademark chain and bag of tacks. In reality, anything is legal; it's just that TNA provides tables, ladders, chairs and chains.
Abyss defeated Jeff Hardy
by climbing the ladder to retrieve a contract for a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
on a future episode of TNA Impact!
. Abyss was never granted such title shot, and the story was retconned to state he lost his title shot to A.J. Styles
at Lockdown
, even though the shot Styles won was used at Hard Justice and not on Impact!, though Abyss would later get title shots at Slammiversary and No Surrender that year.
TNA used the "Full Metal Mayhem" match again at Sacrifice 2006 on May 14, 2006 when Abyss went one on one with Christian Cage for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
. Cage defeated Abyss to retain the championship.
It made its third appearance at Victory Road
in 2008, in a 6-man tag team match featuring Christian Cage, A.J. Styles
and Rhino against Kurt Angle
and Team 3D
, where Angle pinned Styles to win the match for his team.
TNA held the fourth "Full Metal Mayhem" match at Bound for Glory 2009
, in which four tag teams (The British Invasion
, Team 3D
, Scott Steiner
and Booker T and Beer Money, Inc.
) competed for both the TNA World Tag Team Championship
and the IWGP Tag Team Championship. The British Invasion grabbed the TNA World Tag Team Championships whilst Team 3D got the IWGP Tag Team Championships.
On December 5, 2010, at Final Resolution
, The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley
and Chris Sabin
) defeated Generation Me
(Max and Jeremy Buck) to successfully retain the TNA World Tag Team Championship in the fifth "Full Metal Mayhem" match.
On October 16, 2011, at Bound for Glory
, Rob Van Dam
defeated Jerry Lynn
in the sixth "Full Metal Mayhem" match.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
match originated within WWE, but can be seen under different variations in other wrestling promotions.
While a regular ladder match
Ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling that is most commonly used to describe a match where an item is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item...
is already no-disqualification, and the use of tables, chairs, and other weapons are just as legal as ladders are (such as at Wrestlemania 2000
WrestleMania 2000
WrestleMania 2000 was the sixteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 2, 2000 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California...
, when a table was used, and the 2001 Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2001)
Royal Rumble was the fourteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
, when a chair was used, just to name a few), TLC matches actually encourage their use.
History
The TLC match is a variation of a ladder matchLadder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling that is most commonly used to describe a match where an item is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item...
, which is modified to include two other weapons, tables and chairs. The TLC match usually pits three or more tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
s against each other, or more recently used for one-on-one matches. The goal is to acquire the item (usually championship belts) which starts the match suspended above the ring. A TLC match can be seen as a more complicated ladder match, where tables and chairs, along with ladders, can also be used as legal foreign objects. This, compared to the relative ages of the wrestlers involved, gives the match an atmosphere similar to that of a hardcore match
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
.
List of WWF/E Tables, Ladders & Chairs Matches
| No. | Match | Stipulations | Event | Date | Location | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Edge Edge - Aviation :* Leading edge, a line connecting the forward-most points of a wing's profile* Trailing edge, the rear edge of the wing* Zivko Edge 540, an aerobatic aircraft- Mathematics, science and technology :... & Christian Christian A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament... (c) defeated The Hardy Boyz (Jeff Hardy Jeff - Music :* DJ Jazzy Jeff, an American DJ/turntablist record producer* Jeff Beck, an electric guitarist** Jeff, an instrumental album by Jeff Beck* Jeff Buckley, an American singer-songwriter... & Matt Hardy Matt Hardy Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .... ), The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley & D-Von Dudley) |
SummerSlam 2000 | August 27, 2000 | Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... |
14:51 | |
| II | Edge & Christian defeated The Hardy Boyz, The Dudley Boyz (c) | WrestleMania X-Seven WrestleMania X-Seven WrestleMania X-Seven was the seventeenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 1, 2001 at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The event was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Texas... |
April 1, 2001 | Reliant Astrodome Reliant Astrodome Reliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, USA. The stadium is part of the Reliant Park complex... , Houston, Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
15:53 | |
| III | Chris Jericho Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer... & Chris Benoit Chris Benoit Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide... (c) defeated Edge & Christian, The Dudley Boyz & The Hardy Boyz |
WWF Smackdown | May 24, 2001 | 21:00 | ||
| IV | Kane Kane -Places:*Kane, Illinois, village*Kane County, Illinois*Kane, Pennsylvania, founded by American Civil War general Thomas L. Kane*Kane County, Utah*Anoka County-Blaine Airport's ICAO airport code-Music:*Kane , Dutch rock band.... & Gregory Helms Gregory Helms Gregory Shane Helms is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment where he wrestled as The Hurricane and Gregory Helms. He is also known for his time with World Championship Wrestling where he wrestled as "Sugar" Shane Helms... (c) defeated Bubba Ray Dudley & Spike Dudley, Christian & Chris Jericho, Jeff Hardy & Rob Van Dam Rob Van Dam Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .... |
WWE RAW WWE RAW WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States... Roulette |
October 7, 2002 | 25:08 | ||
| V | Edge Edge - Aviation :* Leading edge, a line connecting the forward-most points of a wing's profile* Trailing edge, the rear edge of the wing* Zivko Edge 540, an aerobatic aircraft- Mathematics, science and technology :... defeated Ric Flair Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world.... |
WWE RAW WWE RAW WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States... |
January 16, 2006 | 16:40 | ||
| VI | John Cena John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand.... defeated Edge (c) |
Unforgiven 2006 | September 17, 2006 | Air Canada Centre Air Canada Centre The Air Canada Centre is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar .... , Toronto Toronto Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from... , Ontario Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
25:28 | |
| VII | Edge defeated Undertaker | One Night Stand 2008 | June 1, 2008 | San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
23:50 | |
| VIII | CM Punk CM Punk Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion.... defeated Jeff Hardy (c) |
SummerSlam 2009 | August 23, 2009 | Staples Center Staples Center Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles... , Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
21:42 | |
| IX | D-Generation X D-Generation X D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000... (Triple H Triple H Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley... & Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December... ) defeated Chris Jericho & The Big Show The Big Show The Big Show may refer to:*Big Show , a professional wrestler, real name Paul Wight*The Big Show *The Big Show , starring Gene Autry*The Big Show , an American radio program from the 1950s... (c) |
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2009) | December 13, 2009 | AT&T Center AT&T Center AT&T Center is an indoor arena, located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. It seats 18,581, for basketball , 13,800, for ice hockey and 19,000, for concerts or religious gatherings and contains 2,018 club seats, 50 luxury suites and 32 bathrooms .It was completed in 2002, as the SBC... , San Antonio, Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
22:32 | |
| X | The Miz (c) defeated Jerry Lawler Jerry Lawler Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional... |
WWE RAW WWE RAW WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States... |
November 29, 2010 | 11:52 | ||
| XI | Edge defeated Kane (c), Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio | TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2010) TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2010) TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on December 19, 2010 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. It was the second annual TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs event... |
December 19, 2010 | Toyota Center Toyota Center Toyota Center is the name of several arenas in the United States:*Toyota Center in Houston, Texas is home to the Houston Rockets*Toyota Center in Kennewick, Washington*Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Arizona... , Houston, Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
22:17 | |
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE
WWE created and adapted the matches to make it known today as a TLC match. The idea of the TLC match in WWE had its origins in a tag-team ladder match for the managerial services of Terri RunnelsTerri Runnels
Terri Lynne Boatright Runnels is a former World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation professional wrestling manager, television host and occasional wrestler....
between Edge and
Edge and Christian
Edge and Christian was a tag team made of real life best friends Edge and Christian , who performed in WWE and the Canadian independent circuit. They won the WWF Tag Team Championship on seven occasions...
Christian and the Hardy Boyz
Hardy Boyz
The Hardy Boyz are a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy...
, Matt
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and Jeff
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
, at No Mercy 1999
No Mercy (1999)
No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on October 17, 1999 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio....
, with audiences giving all four wrestlers a standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
at the end of the match. The move catapulted both tag teams to the top of the tag team world. The following months had the Hardy Boyz face the Dudley Boyz
Dudley Boyz
Team 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals...
, Bubba Ray and D-Von, in a tag-team Tables match, which had similar success.
The three teams would be known for their three respective foreign objects, as well as the hardcore wrestling styles associated therein: the Dudley Boyz often had a spot in their tag team matches where Bubba Ray Dudley would say "D-Von, get the tables!" when a table spot was imminent; the Hardy Boyz, in singles matches, would challenge main-event singles wrestlers (such as The Undertaker) in Ladder matches, considered at that time to be the "signature match" of the team (as they were both high-flyers, they specialized with high spots, and doing them off the top of ladders amplified their effectiveness); while Edge and Christian developed the "Con-Chair-To" finishing move, which involved the two hitting an opponent's head simultaneously, on opposite sides, with chairs. Eventually, the three teams were brought together in a Triple Threat Ladder match in WrestleMania 2000
WrestleMania 2000
WrestleMania 2000 was the sixteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 2, 2000 at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California...
, in what would be the forerunner of the TLC in terms of the spots involved (tables were involved in some of the major spots, even though it was technically a Ladder match). It is incorrectly referred to by some fans as the first TLC match. The match was called a Triangle Ladder Match.
The first TLC match (that was officially called a "TLC" by the World Wrestling Federation) was contested between these three teams using the weapons (and to a lesser extent, the type of match) that they had made famous at SummerSlam 2000
SummerSlam (2000)
SummerSlam was the thirteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . The event took place on August 27, 2000 at the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina....
. These TLC matches frequently involved members of these three teams, and are largely remembered for the dangerous stunts, injuries, and length. The TLC matches slowly met its end, however, when Edge and Christian broke up and Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
was released. Additionally, the matches that have incorporated more weapons created an overall trend of increased concussions and neck injuries that plagued the WWE roster, and as a result, led to the return of a more traditional mat-based style of matches. Although the tables remain, to this day, a Dudley Boyz (now known as Team 3D) gimmick, Team 3D is virtually the only tag team to use it, and thus table matches are now few and far between. Chairs were reduced to their former roles as a mainstay form of interference and disqualification in wrestling matches, while ladders and Ladder matches are now used sporadically.
The second TLC match occurred at WrestleMania X-Seven
WrestleMania X-Seven
WrestleMania X-Seven was the seventeenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 1, 2001 at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The event was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Texas...
the following year, which also sprung the infamous Swanton Bomb off a 16 ft ladder by Jeff Hardy on Rhyno and Spike Dudley. These matches involved the three aforementioned teams, with each having Edge and Christian winning.
TLC III occurred on the May 24, 2001 edition of WWF SmackDown! when the tag team of Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
and Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
had to face the usual other three tag teams in order to retain their tag team championship, which they did. This TLC is sometimes referred to as the Forgotten TLC due to the fact that there was no hype prior to the match and it was on a weekly TV show rather than a pay-per-view event. Clear evidence of this is shown to the hype of TLC VI where Edge continually stated that to John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
, TLC was "A match you never had, and a match I never lost." The match was the first TLC match to air on broadcast television as well as the first one to involve four tag teams.
The fourth TLC match, TLC IV, occurred on the October 7, 2002 edition of Raw, where four tag teams had drawn, as a result of "Raw Roulette" (where the match type of every match of the card was determined by spinning a wheel), a TLC match. The match saw defending champions Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
and The Hurricane
Gregory Helms
Gregory Shane Helms is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment where he wrestled as The Hurricane and Gregory Helms. He is also known for his time with World Championship Wrestling where he wrestled as "Sugar" Shane Helms...
putting their World Tag Team Titles up against the teams of Christian and Chris Jericho, Bubba Ray Dudley and Spike Dudley
Matt Hyson
Matthew "Matt" Hyson is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his performances in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Spike Dudley and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Brother Runt.In ECW, he was a two-time...
, and Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
. Being the veterans that they were to the match itself, general manager Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
allowed Jeff, Christian and Bubba Ray to choose their own partners, as their former parters Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
, Edge, and D-Von Dudley who were at the Smackdown brand at that time due to being drafted early that year. Before the match, The Hurricane was assaulted backstage, leaving Kane completely alone in the match. Despite this, Kane managed to retain the titles.
On the January 16, 2006 edition of Raw, WWE had its fifth TLC match, the first in over three years. Edge successfully defended his WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
against Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
. It was the first TLC match to be held in singles competition and the first to have the WWE Championship on the line. It also marked the first (and only to this point) TLC match where a wrestler has "bladed" (Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
bladed). This also marked the second time there was a TLC match in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
.
TLC VI was held at Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2006)
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 17, 2006 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. It was the eighth annual Unforgiven event. The show's seven matches showcased prominent WWE wrestlers, who...
on September 17, 2006, where John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
won the WWE Championship from Edge in his first TLC match.
TLC VII was held at One Night Stand
One Night Stand (2008)
One Night Stand was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that took place on June 1, 2008 at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California. It was the fourth and final event promoted under the One Night Stand name...
on June 1, 2008, where Edge won the vacated World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
, defeating The Undertaker and (kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
) banishing him from WWE.
TLC VIII was held at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2009)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on August 23, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. It was the 22nd annual SummerSlam event and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands...
on August 23, 2009, where CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
won the World Heavyweight Championship from TLC veteran Jeff Hardy. This marked the first time Jeff Hardy had participated in a singles TLC match.
The first six TLC matches are included on the Ladder Match DVD that was released in June 2007.
The seventh TLC match was included on the Edge: A Decade of Decadence DVD that was released in December 2008.
So far, following the TLC, every subsequent TLC match until the 2010 match between The Miz and Jerry "The King" Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
featured at least one TLC veteran.
The WWE's newest pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
event for December 2009 was titled TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs
WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs is a professional wrestling event produced annually by WWE, a Connecticut–based promotion, and broadcast live and available only through pay-per-view...
where main events were a table match, a ladder match, a match where chairs are legal as weapons and the last match on the card was a TLC match. TLC IX in the 2009 event featured Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
and The Big Show against D-Generation X
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
(Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
and Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
) for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship. This event has replaced WWE Armageddon
WWE Armageddon
Armageddon was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced every December by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The event was created in 1999, with its inaugural event taking place on December 12, 1999 at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida...
on the PPV calendar. This was the first TLC match to not feature a member from either Edge & Christian, The Hardyz or The Dudleyz.
A year later at TLC 2010
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2010)
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on December 19, 2010 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. It was the second annual TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs event...
the TLC match returned and, for the first time, was a Fatal 4-Way. The match was between Edge, Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
, Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
. In the end, Edge won the match and became World Heavyweight Champion. This would also be Edge's last TLC match because of his retirement in early April.
Extreme Championship Wrestling
In other promotions, the TLC match has quite the following, appealing to a niche market within professional wrestling.Predating the TLC matches, The Eliminators
The Eliminators
The Eliminators were a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of Perry Saturn and John Kronus who were best known for their time in Extreme Championship Wrestling between 1995 and 1997.-History:...
defeated Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and Sabu
Sabu (wrestler)
Terry Michael Brunk , better known by his ring name Sabu, is an American professional wrestler best known for his extreme wrestling style...
on February 22, 1997 for the ECW Tag Team titles in a "tables and ladders" match where chairs were also used as weapons. This was however a traditional match won by pinfall or submission, not by climbing the ladder for the belts. However, the term "TLC" itself was trademarked by WWE, thus other promotions give different names to these types of matches despite having an identical setup. In more hardcore-style promotions, the chairs were often replaced, or were used alongside, chains. One example of a variation of the TLC match is the Tables, Ladders, Chairs, and Canes match. This match is a TLC match with the addition of Singapore Canes
Shinai
is a weapon used for practice and competition in kendo representing a Japanese sword. Shinai are also used in other martial arts, but may be styled differently from kendo shinai, and represented with different characters....
. The first and only TLC match was at Guilty as Charged on January 7, 2001 at the Hammerstein Ballroom
Hammerstein Ballroom
The Hammerstein Ballroom is a two-tiered, 12,000 square feet ballroom located within the Manhattan Center Studios on 311 West 34th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America. It is known for its elegant appearance and excellent acoustical design...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, involving Steve Corino
Steve Corino
Steven Eugene "Steve" Corino is a Canadian professional wrestler, who currently works for Pro Wrestling Zero1, Ring of Honor and numerous other independent promotions. Corino is a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion and ECW World Heavyweight Champion.-Early years :Corino began wrestling in 1994...
, Justin Credible
Peter Polaco
Peter Joseph Polaco is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Justin Credible. He is also known for his earlier stint with the WWF under the ringname Aldo Montoya...
, and The Sandman.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
TNA Wrestling used a variation of the TLC match called "Full Metal Mayhem" as a bout between Jeff HardyJeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
and Abyss at Against All Odds 2005
Against All Odds (2005)
Against All Odds was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on February 13, 2005 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. It was the first event under the Against All Odds chronology...
. The added stipulation to the match was that "anything metal is legal", though this only included the use of Abyss' trademark chain and bag of tacks. In reality, anything is legal; it's just that TNA provides tables, ladders, chairs and chains.
Abyss defeated Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
by climbing the ladder to retrieve a contract for a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
on a future episode of TNA Impact!
TNA iMPACT!
Impact Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling that currently airs in the United States and Canada on Spike...
. Abyss was never granted such title shot, and the story was retconned to state he lost his title shot to A.J. Styles
A.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones , better known by his ring name A.J. Styles is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
at Lockdown
Lockdown (2005)
Lockdown was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on April 24, 2005 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. It was the first event under the Lockdown chronology and the fourth event in the 2005 TNA PPV schedule...
, even though the shot Styles won was used at Hard Justice and not on Impact!, though Abyss would later get title shots at Slammiversary and No Surrender that year.
TNA used the "Full Metal Mayhem" match again at Sacrifice 2006 on May 14, 2006 when Abyss went one on one with Christian Cage for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
. Cage defeated Abyss to retain the championship.
It made its third appearance at Victory Road
Victory Road (2008)
Victory Road was the fourth Victory Road professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by American promotion, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
in 2008, in a 6-man tag team match featuring Christian Cage, A.J. Styles
A.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones , better known by his ring name A.J. Styles is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
and Rhino against Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...
and Team 3D
Dudley Boyz
Team 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals...
, where Angle pinned Styles to win the match for his team.
TNA held the fourth "Full Metal Mayhem" match at Bound for Glory 2009
Bound for Glory (2009)
Bound for Glory was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on October 18, 2009 at the Bren Events Center in Irvine, California. It was the fifth event under the Bound for Glory chronology. The Event was the Premiere...
, in which four tag teams (The British Invasion
The British Invasion (professional wrestling)
The British Invasion is a professional wrestling alliance in the American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , currently consisting of English wrestlers Douglas Williams and Magnus. The group previously also included their Welsh enforcer Rob Terry...
, Team 3D
Dudley Boyz
Team 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals...
, Scott Steiner
Scott Steiner
Scott Carl Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Scott Steiner. Steiner is perhaps best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling alongside his older brother Rick as the Steiner Brothers and as a member of the New World Order...
and Booker T and Beer Money, Inc.
Beer Money, Inc.
Beer Money, Inc. was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Robert "Bobby" Roode and James Storm in the professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where they are former four-time TNA World Tag Team Champions, while also holding the record for the longest reign as...
) competed for both the TNA World Tag Team Championship
TNA World Tag Team Championship
The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily contested within TNA's tag team division. It was created and debuted on May 14, 2007 at the taping of TNA's primary television program,...
and the IWGP Tag Team Championship. The British Invasion grabbed the TNA World Tag Team Championships whilst Team 3D got the IWGP Tag Team Championships.
On December 5, 2010, at Final Resolution
Final Resolution (2010)
Final Resolution was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling professional wrestling promotion, that took place on December 5, 2010 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
, The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley
Alex Shelley
Patrick Martin , is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Alex Shelley. He wrestles for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he currently teams with Chris Sabin as The Motor City Machine Guns. He previously gained fame on the independent circuit, working most notably for...
and Chris Sabin
Chris Sabin
Joshua Harter is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Chris Sabin. He is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he currently teams with Alex Shelley as The Motor City Machine Guns.After being trained by Scott D'Amore, Sabin debuted in 2000 for...
) defeated Generation Me
The Young Bucks
The Young Bucks is an American professional wrestling tag team, consisting of real life brothers Matt and Nick Massie from Southern California...
(Max and Jeremy Buck) to successfully retain the TNA World Tag Team Championship in the fifth "Full Metal Mayhem" match.
On October 16, 2011, at Bound for Glory
Bound for Glory (2011)
Bound for Glory was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , that took place on October 16, 2011 at the Liacouras Center on the campus of Temple University in Philadelphia. It was the seventh annual event under the Bound for Glory chronology. Bound...
, Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
defeated Jerry Lynn
Jerry Lynn
Jeremy "Jerry" Lynn is an American professional wrestler who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
in the sixth "Full Metal Mayhem" match.