(8) Dolph Ziggler def. John Cena to retain Money in the Bank
I enjoy that this match turned into a Money in the Bank TLC match, rather than just a straight-up Ladder match. There's no reason to restrict the action in a main event contest like this, and it turned into some really great spots. I'm a big fan of sleeper holds, and having Cena fight through one to climb a ladder, only to succumb to its effects and send them both through a table was pretty darn cool. And that was just in the early-goings of the match. There was a point near the end where both men battled on top of the ladder, with a table set up closest to Ziggler in the corner; I almost guarantee you that moment was engineered to instill a pre-mature sense of frustration. WWE knows people want Ziggler to retain, and I know I wasn't alone in thinking, "well…this is it. Ziggler goes through the table, and Cena wins." Denying that situation and instead having CENA USE A HURRICANRANA was awesome.
The whole match was back and forth like that, with the Brooklyn crowd hot throughout the whole thing. I love pro-heel crowds, being from one of the best – Chicago – myself. After one hell of a match, and Dolph Ziggler retaining Money in the Bank over John Cena in the final PPV match of 2012, fans should have nothing to complain about. AJ and Vickie were utilized correctly, because ultimately Cena can't lose clean, and Ziggler can't – or shouldn't – go over on his own. It's not even about protecting Cena anymore, as he's taken some big losses this year already. It's simply about furthering a good story.
And by the way, nice touch having Ziggler finish the match with a superkick. I'm not sure why wrestling fans throw a giant fit and burn me at the stake for my comparisons to Shawn Michaels, but we'll see how your attitudes change over time.
Rating: A
FINAL THOUGHTS
WWE TLC 2012 has a few minor things to complain about, but in retrospect many of them didn't matter to the grand scheme of the pay-per-view. The way they handled Alberto del Rio's face turn stands out as my biggest issue with the show. And to be clear, I don't blame del Rio or Ricardo, rather I'd like to shake my head condescendingly at whoever decided they should be overshadowed by the Brooklyn Brawler.
TLC started out solid with an entertaining tables match, which again highlights WWE's commitment to the tag team division. Both mid-card title matches were solid, but they each felt like they missed the mark by just *this* much. Big Show and Sheamus tried their damndest to steal the evening again, but a gimmick chair and more of the same left me with an empty feeling. The good news is, where WWE set out to succeed, they did so in spades. The Shield and Dolph Ziggler carried them into TLC, and they both did their part to make this one of the best pay-per-vew events of the year. Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins are off to an incredible start, picking up their first win in one of the best TLC matches in history. And perhaps most importantly of all, we know WWE is ready to pull the trigger on Dolph Ziggler. He went over John Cena on pay-per-view, and he's still Mr. Money in the Bank. The best thing to do know, in my opinion, is hold off for maximum exposure at WrestleMania.
WWE ends the year strong, and with two Match of the Year candidates to boast.
Everybody, do the Ziggle Wiggle!
