WWE TLC 2012: Ryback & Team Hell No VS The Shield - Six Man [TLC Match]

[Jack-Hammer]

According to WWE.com, Punk vs. Ryback is off due to CM Punk's injured knee. Vince McMahon published a statement on the site announcing a new main event in which Ryback will team with Daniel Bryan & Kane to take on The Shield. According to Vince's statement, this match is going to be held under the Tables, Ladders & Chairs stipulation and can only be won via pinfall or submission. Vince also says that Ryback will get a WWE Championship opportunity against Punk in the very near future. I don't know if this is an indicator that Punk's recovery time is going to be quick or if it was just said to address the Punk/Ryback feud until a recovery time for Punk is announced.

This is an unusual match in and of itself but has the potential for some glorious chaos. It's been many years, I think, since we've seen the TLC concept applied to anything outside of a one on one match. Without anything hanging on top of the ladder to pull down, the match is basically a glorified street fight. Nothing wrong with that though as, in some ways, I like the idea of this better than Punk vs. Ryback. I think Punk vs. Ryback would've been a lot of fun but, at the same time, there's always the possibility that this match would ultimately be like their match at HIAC in which Ryback tosses Punk around for about 12 minutes.

This will be The Shield's first match as part of the main roster and since this match is replacing the title match, I think that they'll probably get some promo time this coming Monday on Raw. I think this will go down one of two ways. I could seeThe Shield walking out with a win. It'll be easy enough & believable enough for either Bryan or Kane to be left in a one on one situation in which they're pinned while Ryback & the other member of Team Hell No is busy with the other two Shield guys. It'll give them their first win all while protecting Ryback. It's possible that The Shield will lose due to interference from Randy Orton. From what I know so far, Orton isn't booked at TLC right now and it's hard to believe that Orton won't make an appearance. He could always help Ryback & THN score the win by coming in and delivering an RKO on somebody.

Personally, I think ending #2 is counterproductive. Having The Shield lose their very first match is going to hurt them. I don't see any way around it. They're brand spanking new to the roster and need a win to help establish themselves. Otherwise, they'll look like a trio of scrubs that can't hang in a real match.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Intriguing match. If WWE are serious about Ryback they shouldn't have him lose on three PPV's in a row. However, they've only just introduced The Shield so why would you have them lose in their first match?

I think the gimmick is weighted heavily in favour of The Shield with Team Hell No's pickering resulting in them losing. Only problem is, Ryback loses again and then he'll demolish The Shield after. Making the whole thing worthless.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

Personally, I think ending #2 is counterproductive. Having The Shield lose their very first match is going to hurt them. I don't see any way around it. They're brand spanking new to the roster and need a win to help establish themselves. Otherwise, they'll look like a trio of scrubs that can't hang in a real match.

I know wrestling logic rarely makes any sense, but arguments like these have never made any sense to me. They're freakin rookies! Why is it so imperative that they win their first match, against main eventers, when the only way they know how to make an impact is jumping people 3 on 1? It's like the argument that Cena buried Nexus at SS '10. He pinned 2 rookies. They're not supposed to be that good.

People were so concerned about how bad Ryback would look losing to Punk and losing his 3rd straight PPV match. How would losing to 3 rookies look? Duh. Ryback loses and I think it does more damage than the other way around. Ryback still has something going for him. If they continue to book him losing every damn match to "protect" everyone else, when do people stop caring?

Sadly, all that said, you're still probably right. The Shield likely wins. I hope not though. I say if Shield wins, Bryan gets pinned.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

I hope WWE learned their lesson when they had Nexus lose their first big match at SummerSlam. If you want Shield to be a big deal and continue to be involved in major stories than they have to win this match. It doesn't have to be clean, but you can't have them look weak at the same time.

I'm not sure if its in WWE's plans, but the best finish for this match would be to introduce a new member or maybe two to the group that help them get the win. It protects the faces, but still makes Shield look strong as they could easily win the match with the help of 1 or 2 more guys. The danger here is adding the right guys. It has to make sense for these guys to be in the group. That would lead me to believe it would have to be developmental guys because if they use main roster guys they would ultimately be revealed as the leader of the group and all members of this group need to be on par with one another.

 

[Boourns]

I think the Shield wins with a lot of help. I would guess they have Heyman at ringside and maybe Punk on commentary, who both distract the opposing team and maybe new members of the Shield also interfere or a top heel is revealed as the leader. I would personally have, Heyman and Punk distract Ryback just when he goes for a triple pin (Assuming he's in a last man standing situation, with everyone else down and out) and then I'd have a bunch of guys like Corey Graves, Brad Maddox and someone like Bo Dallas run in and attack Ryback whilst Roman Reigns gets the pin on Daniel Bryan. I think it's important that if any of the Shield wins it's Reigns because he's essentially just brawn and he can do with a win more than the other two, who can just talk themselves to the top.

However, Ryback winning would be ok, if he is made to at least look like he's going to lose first. They could do a huge spot where the Shield powerbomb him off a ladder through a table and he still kicks out or something like that if they want to. The TLC format should create a lot of opportunities to make this an interesting match.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Six man tags don't mean anything. Throw in tables, ladders, and chairs stipulation and it means even less. Shield doesn't have to beat anyone. It's not like all three will be hitting the main event scene for a long time. The real story here isn't The Shield. It's not about who they are, what they are about, or what they are going to do next. The real story is whether or not they were working for Punk and Heyman. Once that is answered I expect them to fall down the card and attempt to work themselves back up. Win or lose at TLC is insignificant.

This is a throw away match strictly booked on the fly for entertainment purposes. Hopefully these guys can work out some cool spots and tell a nice brutal story that incorporates the stipulations to their fullest.

In the end, gun to my head I say Reigns pins Bryan leading to a Hell No/Shield program where Shield takes the belts and invokes the Freebird Rule (or is it the Demolition Rule).

 

[Danger Burger]

Not sure i'm entirely sold on this one. Fortunately, I never intended on spending money here either way. First we lose our WWE title match, and the solution is to take out the tag champions too? Ortan/Miz/Ryback would have been bigger names, but maybe worse booking.

Is this a tornado tag? All guys in at once? Elimination maybe? Thats how I would have tried it. Have the sheild take out kane maybe, and fast. Pack mentality. Makes them look cool, Kane doesnt need it. Bryan can take one of the smaller guys, no problem. Two on one for Ryback, he can toss ambrose around a bit. Let the two big guys face off with Ryback coming out on top.

Chances are though it wont be that kind of match. Like GSB said, this is going to have to rely purely on me thinking somebody's gna die. Hardys/E+C/Dudleys could pull of some sweet TLC, i'm sure these guys can too.

Looking forward to how this all gets incoporated into storyline too. The shield are interesting and I hope they dont burn out too soon. Since this is on WWE.com, I assume this injury via Ryback is the way theyre gna keep it? Let him play it up either way. Crutches, wheelchair... I'm easy.

Ryback wins the WWE Titl... Wait. Nevermind.

 

[justinsayne]

I fine with this, on paper anyway. Ryback & Hell No should win, Ryback was made famous by squashing 2 rookies at a time, sticking him a ring with the tag champs (both being former world champs as well) & having them lose would just look stupid, & make Ryback look like a fucking joke. The Shield don't need the win here, as long as they are allowed to put forth a solid match & don't get squashed like bugs I think they'll be fine.

 

[paulopunk]

Im guessing that they had planned this match all along, only with Orton in place of Ryback. They need to draw a line under the Ryback vs Punk feud now. Its pretty much set in stone now that its Punk vs Rock at Royal Rumble. Ryback needs to move away from this and move onto something else. I get the impression that Ryback will probably get his match, only on Raw and they can probably get away with the Shield costing him again with it not being on ppv.

They need to have The Shield win, however they also need to keep Ryback looking strong. Perhaps Maddox could somehow become involved, although I think they have already ballsed him up a but by having him squashed twice already. I don't feel he could be a credible member of the Shield. More than likely they'll have Bryan pinned.

 

[Steamboat Ricky]

I know wrestling logic rarely makes any sense, but arguments like these have never made any sense to me. They're freakin rookies! Why is it so imperative that they win their first match, against main eventers, when the only way they know how to make an impact is jumping people 3 on 1? It's like the argument that Cena buried Nexus at SS '10. He pinned 2 rookies. They're not supposed to be that good.

But they are, though. Their goal is to rid WWE of injustice. If they lose, how are we supposed to take their initiative seriously? Nash and Hall were established stars and upon entrance were immediately over...so it's not a great comparison. But what if Sting/Savage/and Luger would have won the Hostile Takeover match? nWo would not have mattered. If they had still formed and beat them the next time...well, nWo would still not have carried the weight that it did.

One of the reasons that nWo was so effective was in that they won a lot while at the same time registering with the fans as a legitimate force in WCW. Their momentum was so big that it seemed nearly impossible that the heroes would win. And then when they did...it was AWESOME. Remember when Luger finally beat Hogan for the title? I'm sure you also remember how heartbreaking it was when Hogan won it back shortly after. They oppress the audience, the audience sees liberation momentarily, and then the oppressors renew their reign. It's brilliant storytelling.

WWE has a chance here with the Shield. No one knows anything about them. It's highly doubtful that most of the general audience watches NXT. The reason it's hard to boo Punk is because we know what he once was...and so many of us want him to come back. Punk is cool. But we know nothing about these guys...so they are just heels to us. This heel force that WWE has been wanting for years actually has a chance to thrive...just as long as WWE is patient and doesn't let the babyface come out on top too soon. And then, of course, stay on top for too long.

It's new...it's fresh...and in order for it to be big...they need to win. Ryback doesn't need to win. Daniel Bryan and Kane certainly don't need to win. Ryback can win later and overcome the odds...just like Luger did. And people will love it. But people will love it more if they hate The Shield.

 

[vampirek]

Going to be the first one to say this... throw in Lesnar. Have him gain the victory for The Shield and it being revealed Heyman is planning on taking over with his guys (because Heyman loves a invasion).

That one out of the way, they could have The Shield win and keep on coming storylines going. Kane and Bryan could argue during the match, allow The Shield to get the upper hand. Do the old handcuff trick with Ryback, so it becomes 2 on 3. Ryback gets free, starts taking the Shield out before the number game catches up. Do something big to take him out of the match and then can pin Bryan for the victory. You therefore keep The Shield a threat in numbers, the whole Kane/Bryan angle going and again show one on one Ryback can not be defeated.

Aftermath, Ryback gets his shot with Punk and The Shield get involved. Leads to setting up the Rumble match perfectly, The Shield and a lot of ****ed off wrestlers wanting them. You could also build in the Punk/Rock match by having The Rock make the save after the Ryback/Punk match.

This injury of Punk could actually be a blessing in diguise, it allows from some creative freedom to set up perfectly for the Royal Rumble PPV.. even the Elimination Chamber/Wrestlemania, if they play it cleverly.

 

[The Dragon Saga]

I feel Ryback needs the win more than The Shield. Take into account that if Ryback were to lose he'd have lost three pay-per-view matches in a row, sure all because of outside interference and even here, Shield could bring in Brad Maddox, Paul Heyman or someone from development in an addition to the group, but three losses is three losses.

I agree with GSB, under Tables, Ladders and Chairs losing and winning isn't as important, especially if you're a group of rookies such as The Shield. They'll lose and comeback the next night, Ryback could potentially do the same but the whole being a monster yet losing three consecutive pay-per-view matches in a row would water his destructive image down, at least for me. Personally I'd pick a Ryback and Team Hell No victory.

 

[IHW]

I think this is the best possible replacement for the title match. Cena vs. Ziggler will probably close the show now that Punks out. The TLC factor is what makes me want to watch this match. It just provides for more people for Ryback to destroy using the weapons provided. Kane and Bryan are great picks for Rybacks partners and this match may still the show. At times it could be a cluster fuck. Lets hope these guys are truly ready for a PPV spot this big. Half the people in this match being rookies is what leads me to believe that it wont close the show.

Ryback needs this win. It will pick his momentum right back up and he can get his match against Punk on a Raw. We all have to face the fact that Ryback isn't getting another PPV main event for a while because we are heading full force into the road to Wrestlemania, and Punk seems to already be booked for the Royal Rumble.


IHW's Prediction- If Ryback wins here, it can lead him to the feud that will put him over.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

It's new...it's fresh...and in order for it to be big...they need to win. Ryback doesn't need to win.

Completely new. We've never seen a group of NXT guys take over the WWE have we? Oh wait... And Cole has mentioned many times that they're from NXT so even if people don't watch it, they know it.

You're right. Ryback doesn't need to win. He's only billed as a monster who destroys everyone, so losing 3 PPV matches in a row completely fits that...

And yes, your comparison with Hall and Nash was bad because as you said they were very well known, very over and not to mention very well established in the ring. They weren't rookies.

Ryback needs this win. It will pick his momentum right back up and he can get his match against Punk on a Raw. We all have to face the fact that Ryback isn't getting another PPV main event for a while because we are heading full force into the road to Wrestlemania, and Punk seems to already be booked for the Royal Rumble.

This.

 

[Steamboat Ricky]

Completely new. We've never seen a group of NXT guys take over the WWE have we? Oh wait... And Cole has mentioned many times that they're from NXT so even if people don't watch it, they know it.

It's new and fresh in the sense that it's a change of pace for WWE in the here and now. People are well aware that nothing is a completely original idea. If you think that this has the same feel as the Nexus, who were members of Season 1 of NXT and getting promoted on Raw and Smackdown...then go ahead. It's quite different.

You're right. Ryback doesn't need to win. He's only billed as a monster who destroys everyone, so losing 3 PPV matches in a row completely fits that...

Remember Vladimir Kozlov? He was undefeated for a long time. Oh, and Brodus Clay...he was too. What ever happened to them? They were supposed to be impenetrable monsters. What happened when they lost? On the other hand, remember how they had Goldberg lose a bunch in WCW in 1999 (or at least not win...which, is essentially what happens with Ryback). Did he lose over-ness in the grand scheme of things? Did people care less when he finally came to WWE? No. Because he was over. If you always have to win in order to be over, what does that say about the longevity of your character?

Winning was important in the beginning for Ryback. His streak was important then. He's shown that the crowd, for the most part, is getting behind him despite these screw jobs. That's how good babyface heat works.

And yes, your comparison with Hall and Nash was bad because as you said they were very well known, very over and not to mention very well established in the ring. They weren't rookies.

I said that merely because somebody would have brought it up. Still the same thing though. The Shield likely won't matter if they are fed to Ryback already. We know that Ryback is a monster...he doesn't have to win all the time for that to be true. The Shield needs to win because we don't know much about them yet and their initiatives, at this point, teeter on their superiority.

This.

No, actually. Ryback can get his match on Raw even if the team loses and people will still cheer for Ryback. Aside from that, anyone who thinks that Ryback will take the pinfall in this is quite delusional.

 

[MOExecution]

I'm interested in this match. I was just thinking after this past week of RAW that it was almost time for, "The Shield" to have a match and for them to have a match against Ryback and Team Hell No in a TLC match is great. My only fear is that now, they have too many people they want to protect in this match. Obviously, they want to protect Ryback. I am pretty confident they want to protect The Shield as well, but they don't want to destroy any legitimacy with Team Hell No with a loss in a major match either. So it will be interesting how this match turns out.

I just hope that WWE doesn't bury The Shield. These guys NEED a win to continue to look like a threat. I'm sure that EVERYONE remembers what happened with The Nexus. They lost and that massacred their momentum. WWE needs to avoid that and they need to give The Shield the victory at TLC. Ryback has loss so it won't really hurt him. He just needs to look DOMINATE and don't get pinned in the match. Team Hell No they have been losing off and on for the past few weeks by other tag teams, especially Bryan so a loss won't hurt either man. So The Shield needs a victory. This is their first match and their first time to make a statement when it comes to in-ring performance.

You can have Punk sit at ringside with Paul Heyman on commentary or you can have him at the top of the ramp in a wheel chair watching. God forbid they bring more members which at this point I don't think they need, but I hope if it is anyone that it is NOT Brad Maddox. He just doesn't fit the aura of the group. Someone like McGillicutty who WWE has been high on or even Bo Dallas, Bray Wyatt, Kassius Ohno, Leo Kruger, Big E. Langston or Richie Steamboat. They are all doing great work on WWE NXT and could be brought up from NXT to the main roster, but again I think the three are perfect as a trio.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

For one, im saddened that my dream match of Heyman/Skullet Vs Gravity/table has now been smoked. On the other hand, this match has potential to be wildly entertaining.

Lots of young, sloppy, workers, with intense styles, and weapons involved. This has a load of potential to be completely fucking nuts.

Totally unsure as to how they book this, for the reasons Jake pointed out. One has to think the Shield goes over in a fall that doesnt include Ryback.

 

[Captain Morgan Freeman]

It's shitty that we probably won't get a WWE title match at TLC and that will end up hurting buys but i have to say im really looking forward to this match. Im excited to see what the shield can do in their first match and if Rollins and Ambrose live up to the hype theyve been generating these last few months. Add Ryback and hell no into the mix along with table ladders and chairs and we should get a very entertaining match to boot.

It sucks that WWE have left themselves in a bit of a predicament either The Shield or Ryback getting pinned and possibly losing momentum but it makes sense to have Ryback in this match based on the beef he has with The Shield at the moment.

A possible solution would be to have someone like Maddox or Heyman attack Ryback and have him chase them backstage or into the crowd so he can get at them. Ryback is supposed to be a guy who just wants to destroy people, after all his catchphrase is "feed me more". Having him go into a rage and leaving Hell no on their own so he can feed on someone like Maddox would save him looking weak by getting pinned while also making it realistic for the shield to win by playing the numbers game.

 

[wooooo]

Yet another reason for why gimmick ppv's are terrible.

Why is this a tlc match? Oh because otherwise the TLC ppv wouldn't have an actual tlc match so let's just throw the stipulation on a standard tag match even though the rules of the match don't work, it's so meaningless.

Anyway I hope the shield win as I don't see the gain from any other result unless they wanted to make Ryback look strong for when he gets his next shot at Punk.

 

[TheChosenOne10]

Ive been thinking about this and I think the best thing to do is have Ryback pin one of them in a long hard fought battle. I know people dont want to see The Shield lose but Ryback has more at stake here. If he loses, even if Bryan or Kane is pinned, he will have lost three straight main events at PPV's. That record will look terrible for him. So after a long grueling battle between all these men, I say Ryback pins Rollins or Ambrose (smaller guys than Reigns). Ryback can pin one of them with a Shell Shocked onto a ladder or a Powerbomb through a table. Something that no one would kick out of except Cena(joke, but not really). It doesnt make them look weak.

My guess is that another NXT member will debut and help The Shield pin Bryan. New member joins the Shield and the saga continues. WWE assumes Ryback doesnt look weak because he didnt get pinned, but he didnt come out great from SS even though he didnt get pinned.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Erm... the whole purpose of any "Ladder" match is to climb the ladder, otherwise we are just looking at an "ECW Rulz" match (were all three elements were regular features).

I know this is the "TLC" PPV and the unplanned operation on Punk has really messed things up, but this is really lazy given the amount of creative heads that the WWe employs!

The point of a "Tables, Ladders & Chairs" match is that there is something greater at stake than the 'W' (usually either a title or a title shot). No matter what the result of this concoction is, it can be forgotten by the end of the next nights "RAW" as, no matter what ribbons are put on it, it's a meaningless 6 person!

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

On the other hand, remember how they had Goldberg lose a bunch in WCW in 1999 (or at least not win...which, is essentially what happens with Ryback). Did he lose over-ness in the grand scheme of things? Did people care less when he finally came to WWE? No. Because he was over.

You really think Ryback is as over as Goldberg was by the time he started losing? Not hardly I think. Ryback has not been cemented in the main event picture. That much will be clear as soon as the Road to WrestleMania starts. He needs what he can get now before he gets pushed to the side and people stop caring. They've already screwed up his push due to not considering that they booked the Rock vs. Punk at RR. The least they can do is try and salvage it.

I completely understand your (or anyone's) argument of why Shield needs to win, but I think Ryback needs it more. The biggest reason I think Ryback will lose is because of his partners. No one's going to care if Kane or (likely) DB gets pinned. That will not affect them whatsoever. I still think having Ryback lose 3 PPV matches in a row, no matter how it happened, is bad for him.

I said that merely because somebody would have brought it up. Still the same thing though. The Shield likely won't matter if they are fed to Ryback already. We know that Ryback is a monster...he doesn't have to win all the time for that to be true. The Shield needs to win because we don't know much about them yet and their initiatives, at this point, teeter on their superiority.

They don't NEED to win. If their plan is a big enough deal, that will take all the attention from the fans. And as to Ryback's rematch on Raw, win/lose he'll still get it, but why can't Shield "take him out" so he doesn't have another loss to Punk? It keeps them relevant, since you say Ryback is so over, and it also protects Punk who should be for his match with Rock.

 

[Martin Gabriel]

Six man tags don't mean anything. Throw in tables, ladders, and chairs stipulation and it means even less. Shield doesn't have to beat anyone. It's not like all three will be hitting the main event scene for a long time. The real story here isn't The Shield. It's not about who they are, what they are about, or what they are going to do next. The real story is whether or not they were working for Punk and Heyman. Once that is answered I expect them to fall down the card and attempt to work themselves back up. Win or lose at TLC is insignificant.

This is a throw away match strictly booked on the fly for entertainment purposes. Hopefully these guys can work out some cool spots and tell a nice brutal story that incorporates the stipulations to their fullest.

In the end, gun to my head I say Reigns pins Bryan leading to a Hell No/Shield program where Shield takes the belts and invokes the Freebird Rule (or is it the Demolition Rule).

Six-man tags CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN mean something when the story's built up around the opponents well, but you're right in the sense that in the case of this one, there's not much of a rivalry going on between these six men other than wordless assaults and the question of for whom The Shield is working. I don't, however, think it's justified to say they'll fall down the card as soon as that question's answered.

These are three guys the company is very high on. It's not like The Nexus where only a couple of them (Barrett and Bryan) had much interest from creative. If WWE books their feud well, all of them could be firmly planted in the upper mid-card scene even after the stable departs. Though I think it will last in prominence longer than you might expect. It's still only been a few weeks since their debut -- I'm willing to see how they flesh out the individual characters, how they portray those characters relationally to each other and what sorts of conflicts they'll introduce them to.

 

[JaylisJayP]

I'll put a bit of a positive spin on this. It's good news that we get to see Daniel Bryan in a main event, and Kane is always solid entertainment. Unlike Show, he's a great holdover from the Attitude Era and has adapted well to the modern wrestling show. Plus both of these guys can make The Shield look good.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Six-man tags CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN mean something when the story's built up around the opponents well, but you're right in the sense that in the case of this one, there's not much of a rivalry going on between these six men other than wordless assaults and the question of for whom The Shield is working. I don't, however, think it's justified to say they'll fall down the card as soon as that question's answered.

These are three guys the company is very high on. It's not like The Nexus where only a couple of them (Barrett and Bryan) had much interest from creative.

How do you know any of this? Did it come from a WWE official? If so, of course they are going to say they are high on these guys. They are in a high profile program right now that WWE is going to use to make more money. But when it is over, where do you see them honestly ending up? The main event, mid-card, upper mid-card. Are they going to come in and surpass Del Rio, Show, Barrett, Cesaro, Ziggler, Lesnar, Sandow, Rhodes and whatever other heels have been established longer on Raw? Not to mention any other face that could go heel at any minute.

I just don't see it. If they are so talented why not bring them up sooner as singles competitors? They are probably headed for the tag division and low card. They will probably have to pay some dues, get a mid card title thrown in here and there, work hard, be responsible and wait for their time to ever come. I know the IWC is high on these guys (namely Rollins and Ambrose) but the IWC is wrong all the time.

This angle has created shock and interest but that doesn't necessarily create stars.

If WWE books their feud well, all of them could be firmly planted in the upper mid-card scene even after the stable departs. Though I think it will last in prominence longer than you might expect. It's still only been a few weeks since their debut -- I'm willing to see how they flesh out the individual characters, how they portray those characters relationally to each other and what sorts of conflicts they'll introduce them to.

Even with 86 hours (estimate) of WWE programming a week I don't see where there is time to develop like you described. Especially as we enter the Road to WM. Remember, if it happens on SD and no one sees it, it never really happened.

I like the hype and excitement some have for The Shield but I think folks need to slow down. The first step toward disappointment is expectation. This is a nice little story but it means nothing.