WWE TLC 2020 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights

The final WWE pay-per-view of 2020 took place Sunday night as the roster took to the new Thunderdome inside Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida for TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. 

The show featured two TLC matches, a Firefly Inferno match and four standard bouts, so the individual matches involving each weapon were left out this year.

Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre defended their championships in the two main event contests against Kevin Owens and AJ Styles, respectively. 

We also saw The Fiend battle Randy Orton, while Carmella challenged Sasha Banks for the SmackDown Women's Championship. Asuka and a mystery partner faced Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler for the women's tag titles, The New Day lined up against The Hurt Business, and a big eight-man tag match kicked off the show.

Let's look at everything that happened at Sunday's TLC event. 

WWE kicked off the action on the pre-show with an eight-man tag team bout featuring Big E, Otis, Chad Gable and Daniel Bryan taking on King Corbin, Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn.

Gable and Zayn started off in the ring but both men immediately tagged out so Big E and Corbin could square off. They locked up and fought for control and had a successful takedown each before Gable and Cesaro came in.

The match progressed with a quick pace as both teams cycled everyone in and out of the ring. Cesaro and Bryan had a nice exchange when they were in the ring together.

The Yes Man ended up spending more time in the ring than most of his teammates after the heels kept him isolated for a little while. Otis got the hot tag and started bulldozing over Nakamura. 

The obligatory sequence where everyone traded takedowns led to Big E countering Zayn's Helluva Kick before finishing him off with the Big Ending for the win. 

                        

Grade: B-

                          

Analysis

Eight-man tag team matches can often feel bloated and frantic, but these eight Superstars made sure this one had a good flow and allowed everyone to have at least one moment to shine.

It followed the typical formula for bouts like this: Everyone had some time in the ring, a huge brawl broke out and the finish was quick.

Bryan and Cesaro's sequence together stood out as the best, but we also saw some fun moments from Big E, Zayn and Otis. All in all, this was a solid way to open the show. 

This match also did something else. It highlighted how many great Superstars WWE has on its roster who don't have much to do these days. It's a good problem to have, but it's still an issue when somebody as talented as Cesaro doesn't have a storyline. 

When the ref called for the bell, AJ Styles immediately went for a low dropkick to take out the leg of Drew McIntyre. He unloaded on The Scottish Warrior until he tried a suplex and the titleholder reversed it to deliver a huge slam.

The WWE champion began to decimate Styles by using his significant size and power advantage. The Phenomenal One avoided a suplex through the table, but his rival was able to drop him on the barricade. He grabbed a ladder and tried to set it up in the middle of the ring. As he climbed up to get his title, Styles hit him in the legs with a chair to bring him back down. McIntyre sent his opponent's head into a chair that was wedged in the corner. 

The challenger attempted to hit a Styles Clash on a ladder but McIntyre countered into a Future Shock DDT. The Scot picked up the ladder and hit Styles with it but didn't get all of the hit. The Phenomenal One went back to his knee to brought him down with a chop block. He pulled McIntyre's leg through the ladder to apply a brutal Calf Crusher. 

He also used a chair to make the hold more painful a few moments later and kept focusing on McIntyre's leg as they fought out of the ring. Styles rammed a ladder into the champion's face before he cleared off a table. He tried to springboard out of the ring but McIntyre threw a chair into his face. He favored his leg as he brought a table into the ring. 

The Scottish Warrior threw Styles into a ladder with a belly to belly. The former WWE champ recovered and drilled him with a Phenomenal Forearm. He set up another ladder and began to climb. McIntyre pulled him off it, though, and threw him through the table at ringside.

The Miz and John Morrison then interfered and put the champ through a table. The A-Lister cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and turned the contest into a Triple Threat TLC match. 

The Miz began to climb the ladder with a smile on his face but Omos came into the ring. He pulled him down and dropped him through another table.

Morrison hit him with a chair and it shattered against his back without affecting him at all. Omos pursued him up the ramp to the back. All three men began to stir but it was Styles who got to his feet first. He and McIntyre climbed opposite sides of the ladder and began to fight. The Miz set up a second ladder next to them and climbed it. 

All three almost grabbed the title at different points but after several close calls, it was McIntyre who claimed the belt for the victory. 

                             

Grade: A

                            

Analysis

What a match. This had everything. It started with a nice methodical pace as both men held back from using the weapons to make it mean more when they were finally brought into play.

Styles did some excellent work trying to injure the leg of the champion. It was logical to take out the big man's limb so he couldn't climb a ladder quickly. 

The Miz's cash-in was predictable but still made the final minutes of the contest unpredictable. It genuinely looked like all three men were going to win at different points. 

Omos finally did something and looked like a beast taking a chair shot to his back and showing no signs of pain as it shattered into several pieces. Having him chase Morrison was a great way to take him out of the equation.

Everybody did an amazing job making this a match that will be hard for anyone to top for the rest of the night. Whoever produced it also deserves credit for putting it together. 

As soon as the referee called for the bell, Carmella rolled out of the ring. Once she got back in, Sasha Banks took control and scored a quick two-count. 

The Boss threw the challenger out of the ring but Reginald, Mella's sommelier, caught her. He tossed her at Banks so she could hit a hurricanrana on the floor. She ran Banks into the steps and brought her back in for a near-fall. 

Mella took over and grounded The Mandalorian star in a chinlock. Banks broke free and hit a meteora for two. Carmella dropped her on the apron and The Boss fell hard to the floor. The Princess of Staten Island pulled her arms back for a submission while verbally berating her. 

Once again, Banks escaped and began to build some momentum with the Three Amigos. She followed up with a frog splash for a close two-count. Mella hit a huge facebuster but failed to keep the titleholder down for the pin three times. Carmella made full use of the five-count to apply some illegal holds in the ropes.

She drilled Banks with a superkick but the champ grabbed the bottom rope to break the count. They traded pinning combinations until Mella applied The Code of Silence. She transitioned into a double chicken wing but had to release it when Banks rolled over into a cover. 

The Boss locked her in the Bank Statement, but Reginald pulled Mella out of the ring. Banks took him out with a meteora from the apron, which allowed Carmella to hit her with a pair of superkicks for a close two-count.

The champ countered into the Bank Statement one more time to get the submission victory and retain her title. 

                        

Grade: A-

                           

Analysis

When you have to follow a match like Styles vs. McIntyre, you are fighting an uphill battle. But Banks and Carmella made sure nobody was going to overlook them as a cool-down act. 

Mella started the match with a classic heel move. Avoiding contact only to get the upper hand a moment later is the way so many heels have gotten started because it's a formula that works. 

Everything they did looked smooth, and Mella proved she had no ring rust after not being active for a few months. If anything, this is the best she has ever looked.

The interference from Reginald wasn't necessary, but it didn't take anything away from the quality of the match. 

Kofi Kingston and Cedric Alexander started the match. The Hurt Business member ran into a superkick to give The New Day man a quick two-count. Xavier Woods tagged in and hit a huge diving leg drop for another near-fall. 

Shelton Benjamin fruitlessly reached for a tag as he watched The New Day take turns beating up his partner. Benjamin saved him from a pin and Alexander was able to make the tag. The Gold Standard unleashed a couple of textbook suplexes on Woods while MVP helped Alexander at ringside. 

The New Day took control again and Woods hit a tornado DDT to Benjamin. The former United States champion hit a knee to the face and sent Woods out of the ring. Alexander tagged in and rolled him back in for a two-count. 

The Hurt Business used quick tags to cut the ring in half. Woods eventually made the tag and Kingston came in hot with a springboard dropkick. Benjamin impressively countered The Boom Drop by popping up and catching Kingston in the air, but the former WWE champion managed to keep the upper hand.

He took out both opponents and set up for Trouble in Paradise. Alexander dodged it and nailed him with a jumping knee followed by a brainbuster. Woods barely managed to break up the pin. Alexander and Benjamin took him out so they could focus on one man.

Kingston rallied but Benjamin brought him down from the top rope with a superplex. Alexander tagged himself in and hit the Lumbar Check for the pin to win the Raw titles. 

                         

Grade: B+

                          

Analysis

As expected, both teams brought their A-game to put on a fun tag title match. The way it ended with Alexander stealing Benjamin's glory planted the seeds for some tension down the line, but it was a good finish nonetheless. 

Woods and Kingston, along with Big E, deserve to be in the conversation of the greatest tag teams of all time. Even when they lose, they look great.

The Hurt Business adding more titles is a good thing as they have been one of the best parts of Raw for a long time. 

MVP not having a big impact on the outcome helped make Alexander and Benjamin's win feel more special in the end. This was another fun entry on the TLC 2020 card. 

The champions made their entrance first so WWE could reveal Asuka's mystery partner last. And The Empress of Tomorrow brought out the returning Charlotte Flair as her teammate. 

Asuka and Baszler started off with a nice exchange of strikes and takedowns. The Queen asked for the tag, and The Empress was happy to oblige. Charlotte ran over the former MMA star with a clothesline and tried to lock in the Figure Four right away. Baszler got to her feet and tagged in Jax. 

Flair brought her to the corner in a headlock so she could tag Asuka. The Irresistible Force easily countered a sunset flip and hit a big headbutt. She threw Asuka's shoulder into the post and then held her down so Baszler could stomp on her left arm. She manipulated the joints of The Empress to cause more pain. 

The champions dominated Asuka for a long time before she was able to make the tag to The Queen. Ric Flair was shown watching backstage as his daughter unloaded on Jax with chops. She hit a big boot for a two-count. She took out both opponents with a moonsault but Jax was able to counter the Figure Four. Asuka then made a blind tag and hit a missile dropkick. 

Baszler came in and tried to apply the Kirifuda Clutch. Flair tagged back in and put Baszler in the Figure Eight. Jax pulled Charlotte's arms out from under her so Baszler could break the hold. The Queen then hit Natural Selection for the pin to win the women's tag titles with Asuka. 

                          

Grade: B-

                        

Analysis

This was easily the best match Jax and Baszler have had since teaming up, and a lot of it has to do with who they were facing.

Asuka and Charlotte have fought many times, but they made for a good team Sunday night. With The Empress now holding two belts, it will be interesting to see if The Queen asks for a title shot in exchange for helping her at TLC. 

This bout kept the show moving in the right direction and was much better than what we would have gotten if WWE had kept Lana in the match. The match lived up to its potential. 

Roman Reigns came out with Paul Heyman by his side to defend the universal title against Kevin Owens.

The Tribal Chief watched closely as his title was raised above the ring and KO appeared out of nowhere to attack him while he was distracted. He beat down The Big Dog and hit a cannonball in the corner. He followed Reigns out of the ring and hit another cannonball against the barricade. He got on the apron for a frog splash before grabbing a ladder and putting it in the ring. 

Jey Uso ran down to help his cousin but KO was able to take him out with a chair. He hit Reigns for good measure before going back to Uso and stomping on his ankle to neutralize him for as long as possible. Reigns hit a drive-by dropkick to Owens as officials helped Uso to the back.

The champion used a set of steel steps to do some damage, and Heyman watched with his mouth agape at the brutality. Reigns used a ladder as a weapon before bringing some chairs into the ring. He ended up putting Owens through the chairs with a back body drop before he tossed him out of the ring. The Prizefighter came back in with a chair and beat down the champion.

He set up a chair and hit a fisherman's suplex right onto it. Uso showed up again to prevent him from climbing the ladder. The Tribal Chief hit a Superman Punch and Uso grabbed a table. KO hit Reigns with a Stunner and Uso with a superkick out of desperation. He put the ladder back up and tried to climb but Uso pulled him under the ropes.

Owens powerbombed him through the announce table. KO and Reigns fought in the ring until the champ powerbombed the challenger onto a ladder. The Big Dog brought him out of the ring and put him through another table.

Reigns went for the title but KO grabbed his foot. The champion laughed as he climbed back down to deal with what he saw as merely a nuisance. Owens slapped him and Reigns speared him through a table. 

Owens got back to his feet outside the ring and told Reigns he would have to kill him. The titleholder lined up for a Spear, but KO moved and he went through the barricade.

The Prizefighter climbed the ladder, but Reigns managed to grab his leg and pull him down. Owens hit a Popup Powerbomb through a table out of nowhere, but Uso stopped him from taking down the title and gave The Tribal Chief enough time to climb up with him and choke KO out on top of the ladder.

Reigns grabbed the title to get the win. 

                           

Grade: A

                             

Analysis

Owens and Reigns came into this contest having watched Styles and McIntyre burn the house down, but they were up to the task of matching them in every way.

The intensity of both men was off the charts. This was a top-tier performance from the Superstars, with Uso providing just enough backup to give his cousin the edge.

The way things started with KO attacking Reigns out of nowhere helped make the match immediately feel different to the earlier TLC bout. They used the weapons more often but in ways that made sense.

It would have been cool to see Jimmy Uso return, but that might have been one too many people involved. Frankly, this should have closed the PPV. 

The ring announcer stated the same rules as a normal Inferno match before Randy Orton made his entrance, so it was only called a Firefly Inferno match because Bray Wyatt was involved. Anyone expecting another cinematic match was disappointed, though. 

The bell rang and both men stared at each other as The Viper circled The Fiend. He took the first shot but Wyatt laughed it off like it was nothing. After Wyatt hit Sister Abigail, he motioned and the flames appeared around the ring.

This was a different setup than most Inferno matches. The fire was by the barricade instead of on the apron. It was a cool visual but made little sense. Wyatt grabbed a belt and lit it on fire. He tried to hit Orton with it but missed.

The Fiend found a pickax under the ring and tried to slay Orton with it. He doused a rocking chair in gasoline and left a trail leading to it. He sat The Legend Killer in the chair and lit the trail. Orton moved at the last second to avoid being lit up. 

Orton used an ax handle and the steel steps to attack Wyatt. He almost put The Fiend's face into the fire but Wyatt broke free. He grabbed the ax handle and lit it on fire but Orton knocked it out of his hand. The Fiend applied the Mandible Claw but Orton pushed him into the flames and set him ablaze.

The Fiend ran at him but Orton hit him with an RKO as the flames began to die down. The Viper grabbed a gas can and doused The Fiend. He took some matches, lit one and dropped it onto Wyatt as the announcers screamed at him to stop.

The Fiend's body went up in flames and the show ended with a shot of him burning in the ring. 

                       

Grade: B

                        

Analysis

How do you rate a match like this? Inferno bouts are already so different as it is, but this one was even more out there than usual.

As a wrestling contest, it was nothing special. This was something that was halfway between a normal Inferno match and a cinematic bout, so it had some wild moments that wouldn't usually happen.

Not only did we see both men try to kill each other multiple times, but Orton also actually set Wyatt on fire and the show ended with his body still burning. This is going to be hard to sell in the coming weeks, but it made for a cool ending to the show. 

While there was nothing technical about this, it was something unique and that is hard to come by these days in pro wrestling. Some will love it, while others will call it the worst thing ever. In reality, it was both and neither at the same time.