WWE TLC: Stairs Match - Erick Rowan VS The Big Show

[Jack-Hammer]

I have to say that I care absolutely nothing about this match. Aside from the fact that it'll probably crawl along at a snail's pace, the stipulation itself pretty stupid. To my knowledge, this is the first Stairs Match I can remember. I'd prefer this to be either on the pre-show or take place on Raw as I have a feeling that this'll be a momentum killer for the show.

The only positive I can think of is that this will probably be the blow off to their feud if Erick Rowan wins.

 

[Mustang Sally]

.... as I have a feeling that this'll be a momentum killer for the show.

Seems so, doesn't it? Big Show occasionally surprises us with an entertaining feud, yet there doesn't seem to be much behind this one, save that Show is behaving as a bully and Erick Rowan.....well, he doesn't like bullies. Golly gee! Doesn't take a Rubix cube to figure that out, huh?

Still, while I can't think of a swerve to add to this one......after all, both guys just recently adopted their new characters..... maybe Creative can inject a surprise or two into the proceedings, giving us a reason to care about this match for reasons other than the big bodies that Vince McMahon drools over.

Regardless of what Big Show does, I'm sort of enjoying Erick Rowan as a face; it was the last thing I expected when he un-Brayed himself. If there's something Creative is trying to build from this match, I'm hoping it features Rowan.

 

[L@RISANO]

I think the likes of Harper,Ryback and Rowan are being built with a view to replacing the likes of Kane, Big Show and Mark Henry.

I can only assume that this ends with a win for Rowan before he moves onto Harper, perhaps. Whether the IC title will be on the line is left to be seen, however.

 

[HBKistheHOF]

While I haven't cared much for Rowan as a babyface & I completely agree that all these single item matches are kind of ridiculous seeing as all the Chairs, Stairs, Tables, etc. matches are all No DQ so any foreign objects can technically be used, I'm actually somewhat looking forward to this match & I do think it belongs on the card.

I like that WWE is sticking to there guns when it comes to pushing all The Shield & Wyatt Family guys as solo competitors & if Rowan is going to be a face for now, then working with The Big Show is actually one of the best choices, seeing as he is pretty big himself & it'd kind of hard to feel sympathy for him. Also seeing as this is the 1st stairs match of all time, there is no former precedent set & who knows Rowan & Show may just pull out some fun surprises.

I'd still like to see a U.S. Title match with Rusev, a tag team elimination match with The Dust Bros. vs. The New Day vs. Cesaro & Tyson Kidd vs. Adam Rose & The Bunny & a pre-show match with "the new & improved" Fandango added to the card but overall I'm actually really looking for to the TLC&S PPV & I think the card is actually shaping up rather nicely.

 

[MartialHorror]

I personally think Show should win, as even if his career is likely at its tail end, I still believe he's the greater asset.

As for Rowan, if they're going to play up his 'genius' IQ, why not use that during the matches? Show him forming strategies. They keep pushing that, but his fighting style can be summed up as 'traditional big man'. Rusev has been doing a good job at showing his intellect during his matches.

 

[Dave]

What exactly are the rules of a stairs match? Can you also use other weapons? Plus, stairs are a legal part of any match in the WWE. No referee has ever called off a match because someone has been rammed into a set of stairs, or someone has dislodged them and thrown them at someone. Which is ridiculous because if it were any other “weapon”, they would have been disqualified.

Still, getting away from the stipulation, this match is going to suck major balls. I really hope that they put this match on first, have Rowan go over and then we can all forget about this atrocity before the middle of the card.

Two big guys who are kind of clunky at the best of times, fighting over a piece of metal that always makes someone look even more clunky, just doesn't float my boat at all. This is going to be the slowest match of the night and I am trying very hard to even continue writing about it. Nevertheless, Rowan needs to go over Show to make his break from Bray Wyatt believable and sustainable. So anything less than this and I will be more than disappointed.

 

[Reflection]

What are the rules? Are only stairs allowed and not tables, ladders or chairs? Or is it simply a no holds barred match where the big guys will use stairs more often than the other weapons?
I'm excited about this because this will the first Stairs match ever, and the biggest singles match of Erick Rowan's career so far. Rowan has been impressive since emerging out from Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper's shadow, and Big Show is always good at weapons matches. Erick Rowan has to win this, if his genius sheep character is to go somewhere. And if this happens, The Wyatt Family will become the second team after The Shield in recent times whose members didn't drop down to the mid card after disbanding. As for the match quality, we shouldn't have unrealistic expectations from it. Yes, the match will be slower than the other matches on the card. Yes, they will hit each others upper arms/shoulders with the stairs from time to time. Yes, a first beard uprooted match might have been a better choice... But let's give them a chance.

 

[Rusty]

Awesome, two guys I don't care about in a match type I really don't care about. What in the holy hell is a stairs match anyway? Big Show just really needs to go away, he takes such long breaks and yet still somehow returns to a stale feel every single time. I don't know any long mainstay wrestler can do that but the guy manages to pull it off.

And don't get me started on Rowan. If he wasn't in the Wyatt Family, we wouldn't even be talking about him right now, 'cause he wouldn't be employed. I wouldn't even care for him as a heel, and I really don't rate his babyface turn, cause it made absolutely no logical sense.

However, I will say one positive thing about this match since I doubt anyone else can... at least we don't seem to be getting another Show vs Cena match for the 948447th time.

 

[Mustang Sally]

What exactly are the rules of a stairs match? Can you also use other weapons?

It's one of the factors that makes pro wrestling a spectacle unlike any other, right? Can you imagine Rowan beating hell out of Big Show with stairs, chairs, tables & ladders (oh my!) but having the ref disqualify him because he then used a kendo stick? ("That's not fair, Erick. You're outta here!")

At any rate, I agree with Smark Madden: Rowan has to win this. I can't think of a reason Big Show should; in fact, I'm still trying to figure why Show changed face at all. His "trying to align himself with the winners" is the total opposite of how he's always been portrayed.....plus, once his ploy didn't pan out, wouldn't it have been better to sheepishly crawl back to the side from whence he came? Or is Rowan the only one who can do things "sheepishly?"

After Erick wins, I think we're going to see him start spouting poetry in mid-ring, a la Lanny Poffo as "The Genius."

 

[The Brain]

Oh, so it's not just like a ladder match with the object hanging much lower than usual? Got it. Seriously though, a stairs match does sound pretty stupid. I was never a big fan of the chairs match and the stairs match just seems to be an even worse version of that. They're basically tame versions of hardcore matches because while stairs and chairs can be brutal the name suggests it is not anything goes. At least the chairs match is a little more natural for wrestling. It's easy to swing a chair. The stairs are just bulky and awkward and can cause some ugly moments.

 

[bioshock]

Gimmick for this match stinks of something TNA or WCW 99-01' would of thought of, WWE needs no free pass for this kind of ******ed crap.

In terms of "stairs" only ones that ever mattered were the ECW Stairway to Hell matches, and those were some good violent ladder matches, leave to to WWE to actually name a match after some steps and use the steps in what ever ******ed fashion, and lemme guess are they going to have 25 steps around the ring? Talk about stupid.

 

[kadroan]

I'm actually surprised this match up is happening. This is a great look for Rowan, facing Big Show, a future Hall of Famer and probably the guy he'll replace as "The Jolly Green Giant of the WWE".

I thought for sure that Show would be facing Cena after he got him eliminated in the main event at Survivor Series.

I'm impressed with the writing staff, an opportunity for a young talent to get put over. Yes, the WWE is lacking star power with Orton, Bryan and Lesnar gone but these are one of the new opportunities the WWE is embracing in elevating their young talent.

I don't expect this match to be a five star match but if Show puts him over, this can go a long way in creating depth in the WWE

 

[HurriKane]

I legit thought there was a mistake and it was suppose to be a "Chairs match" but a Steel Stair match is something different I guess.

I'm really digging Erick Rowan right now, and I'm actually very interested to see how WWE uses him at and after TLC. Hopefully Erick Rowan VS Luke Harper is a feud that is in the works.

But as fair as TLC I hope to see him destroy the Big Show.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

It's an interesting concept. I don't hate Big Show because he wrestles a methodical pace (which is logical given his size). I think the match will be solid and smartly worked. Could have some fun spots where Show bumps for Rowan.

 

[Fillet Club]

What's next? A kendo stick match? Or perhaps they will create a new gimmick match... the dreaded WATER BOTTLE MATCH! Let's not forget what a dangerous weapon it has been in the past.

That guy in the front row with the red shirt, I think he summed up the feelings of nearly everyone in attendance.

Back on topic though, I have absolutely zero interest in this match. The fact that someone in the back thinks that a 'stairs match' is a good idea terrifies me beyond comprehension.

Who knows maybe this will be the surprise of the night, I don't think it will be, but there's a chance we'll all be surprised. Let's face it, we have very very low expectations for this.

 

[MartialHorror]

Big Show actually has been moving much faster lately. His first match with Rusev was shockingly exciting. Did they even stop to catch their breath? So he does have it in him to deliver good matches. Hopefully they keep this short. If fans turn on it, then you can kiss Rowan's push goodbye.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I'm sure somebody/everybody has already mentioned the fact that they're steps not stairs. It's a stupid gimmick match using one of the worst props in wrestling. Steel steps are too cumbersome to ever work as a devastating foreign object.

I'm also not sure why Rown is getting a push. Presumably to keep him semi-relevant before they reassemble The Wyatt Family.

 

[laodaron]

Well, this is going to be a poor match. Granted, Rowan has become a little more interesting to me, but by a little more, that's still not as much as many of the Divas. I can't see the benefit of these oafs taking up 20 minutes on the card.

Rowan wins, because Show is enhancement talent.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Yeah.... I am really unsure of what to expect here. I have never seen a Stairs Match before. At least they are trying something else. I don't expect a whole lot more from this than I do from the Chairs match. Rowan MUST win. Big Show gains nothing from it and the win would be good for Rowan. If it wasn't for the fact that I've never seen a Stairs Match before, this would have been when I'd go to the pantry for a snack. I've got a bag of Christmas Tree Shaped Crabby Patty Gummies, which will likely end up being what I go to the pantry for. If the match ends up sucking, which it very well might, that's what I'll do. Rowan gets the win he needs and moves on to Harper for the Intercontinental Championship. Big Show moves on to some other filler feud no one care about. It probably goes on in the earlier half of the evening, 2nd or 3rd.

DAGGER'S PREDICTION
Erick Rowan will defeat The Big Show.

 

[MartialHorror]

The one thing in Show's favor is that one of the heels has to win. The Big Show also gets stronger boos than Rowan gets cheers, so I still think he's the better investment. But there is no way Kane will beat Ryback and I doubt Cena will lose his championship contender spot.

 

[laodaron]

The one thing in Show's favor is that one of the heels has to win. The Big Show also gets stronger boos than Rowan gets cheers, so I still think he's the better investment. But there is no way Kane will beat Ryback and I doubt Cena will lose his championship contender spot.

Actually, TLC is generally a one-off show, since Road to Wrestlemania will begin with Royal Rumble. What that basically means is that the old stories will all hit their climax at TLC, which doesn't generally leave room for heels to win. I'm sure that a heel probably will win tonight, but mostly speaking, TLC finishes don't have to follow the standard measures that other PPVs do.

 

[MartialHorror]

Yay, I was right! I think I was the only one who guessed Show would win.

Based on Reigns spearing the Big Show, I presume they chose to build up Show so he can put over Reigns. If Show keeps putting over people, he's going to be like Kane and it's no longer going to matter, so I think having him beat Rowan was for the best.

 

[capnwillie]

WHEN will WWE learn not to put Big Show in lengthy matches, especially against other large wrestlers? Show works well in a 10-minute or less match but after that, each minute only steals away precious time and leaves the crowd deflated.

When you have the world's largest athlete, you should use him properly. This match was pathetic.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Based on Reigns spearing the Big Show, I presume they chose to build up Show so he can put over Reigns. If Show keeps putting over people, he's going to be like Kane and it's no longer going to matter, so I think having him beat Rowan was for the best.

You could be right. I was one of those who felt Rowan would definitely win, partly because Rowan is the up-and-coming talent, partly because Show seemed to have reached the point in which "enhancement talent" is written all over him.

Still, in order for an enhancement guy to not slip to the status of "jobber," he has to win some matches (although not necessarily at PPVs). In retrospect, this one makes sense because while Erick Rowan has a lot more time in front of him than Big Show, there's really no harm in having him lose matches. in the same manner, it didn't really matter that Luke Harper lost outright to Dolph Ziggler. Rowan and Harper will still be here tomorrow, although I doubt either is headed for main event status any time in the future.

Further, having Big Show emerge victorious is probably part of a strategy for him to put someone else over; possibly Roman Reigns, as you say.

It's all good.....and unlike several other folks, I did enjoy Rowan vs. Show, even with the rather silly "stairs" provision. Given their size, they worked hard and brought an effective, entertaining match.

 

[MartialHorror]

I thought the match was pretty solid. The middle part dragged, but it had some pretty intense moments...I easily preferred it over 'AJ vs Nikki' and 'Kane Vs Ryback'.

I missed 'Rusev Vs Swagger', but hear it was disappointing.