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WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose.
They faced off at the bell. Dean was mocking him, so Rollins shoved him in the face. Rollins said that he wanted this fight, so let’s go. They locked up and Dean went to the ropes. Rollins broke free. Seth drilled Ambrose coming off the ropes and followed up with a series of right hands. Rollins peppered him with punches in the corner.
Ambrose cut off Rollins and nailed a crossface, then a Suplex for a two count. Ambrose cinches in a rear chinlock. Cory Graves was all over Renee Young and it was to the point that it was distracting from them telling a story about the match as it was all Young defending her husband. Dean continued to work over Rollins.
Rollins was nailed with a big clothesline. Ambrose drove an elbow into Rollins, scoring another two count. Rollins began to make a comeback but was taken down and locked in a Texas Cloverleaf. Rollins tried to crawl his way back to the ropes, but Dean sat down on his lower back. Rollins made it to the ropes, finally forcing the break.
Rollins went to the floor. Ambrose followed and said to Rollins that he wasn't a joke. Rollins nailed a neckbreaker on the apron. He went for a dive but was drilled as he hit the ropes. Rollins cut off Dean and nailed a Slingblade, but his knee was showing signs of damage. Dean backdropped Seth, who landed on his feet but grabbed at his "bad knee." He nailed several dives to the outside on Ambrose.
They battled to the top rope. Seth went for a sunset flip powerbomb but his knee buckled. That was the actual scenario where he injured his knee vs. Kane on that European tour years ago. He recovered and nailed a Bucklebomb on Dean. They battled back and forth until they collided in the center of the ring. Seth missed a kick, allowing Dean to catch him in a double underhook facebuster for a two count. Ambrose went to the top rope but Rollins met him there. Dean took advantage of the knee giving way, crotching Rollins and driving him into the ring for a two count. He asked Rollins if he was laughing now.
Ambrose mocked Rolins but Rollins drilled him with an enzigiuiri and a ripcord knee strike, but Dean kicked out. You can tell the audience is getting restless live. Rollins went for a top rope frog splash but Dean pulled his knees up. There are some sizable boos live. Rollins drove Dean into the corner but was kicked away. Dean went to the top but Seth met him with a superplex into a Falcon Arrow for a close two count.
Seth told Dean this was the fight he wanted. He went for a superkick but Dean held up the Shield fistbump. Seth teased returning it but drilled Ambrose with a discus punch and a kick to the face. They battled to the outside, where Seth nailed a powerbomb into the ringside barricade. Rollins brought him back into the ring and told Dean it didn't have to be this way. He said this was for all of us, including Roman Reigns. Rollins set up for a move but was kicked and drilled with Dirty Deeds for the pin.
Your winner and new WWE Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose!
This was way too long and didn't sustain the sort of momentum or fire you'd expect given some of the angles that led into this. They never seemed to find the right mix to engage the audience live. They might have been better served with a shorter match, but for the long term good of the storyline, this was 100% the right finish, although one might argue the audience doesn't want the storyline. What really didn't make sense about this is two guys who should be trying to murder each other were instead having a back and forth wrestling match.
WWE Smackdown Women's Champion Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka in a TLC Match.
Huge chants for Becky before she even made it to the ring.
Flair and Becky began arguing and the Champ shoved Flair. Asuka dropkicked Lynch and took the fight to Flair. Asuka nailed hip attacks on each in the corner. Lynch cut her off and shoved her into the buckles. Lynch nailed an exploder. Flair knocked her out of the ring.
Asuka and Flair each brought ladders into the ring, but Flair blasted Asuka and then kicked a table Lynch was bringing into the ring into the Champ. Flair set up the table in the corner and beat Asuka into it over and over. Behind her, Lynch set up a ladder in the center of the ring. Flair nailed her but Asuka caught her with an inverted Codebreaker.
Lynch tried to shove a ladder down on Asuka, who avoided it. They battled in the corner and Lynch was slammed off the top onto the ladder laying on the mat. Ouch. Asuka set up the ladder. She and Flair each battled the other as they tried to ascend the ladder. Asuka came underneath Flair and powerbombed her in the corner low into a table that was propped up there. Asuka started climbing but Becky hit a missile dropkick on her, knocking her off the ladder. Becky began climbing but Asuka attacked her and used a hip attack to knock her to the floor. Flair nailed Lynch with a chair on the floor.
Flair went for a moonsault to the floor on both, although the camera angle revealed she hardly hit either. Flair went for a table and set it up outside the ring. Lynch nailed her and laid waste to both challengers with the chair over and over. Flair nailed her and sent Lynch hard into the barricade, then began setting up the German announcers' table for destruction. She slammed Asuka onto the table but Lynch nailed her in the back with a chair.
Lynch placed Flair on the table next to her, climbed a ladder and came off with an Alabama Jam legdrop. Asuka rolled out of the ring but Lynch came directly down with her full weight crashing down on Flair's mid-section. Flair looked like she had been shot with a machine gun and officials began checking on her. The crowd chanted, "This is awesome." Asuka rolled into the ring and tried to climb up the ladder but Lynch gave chase and met her at the top. They battled back and forth. Asuka tried reach the belt but Lynch stopped her and vice versa. Flair returned to the ring and began beating the hell out of each of them with the Singapore Cane, swinging it with full force. Flair was holding her ribs and mid-section.
Flair began climbing the ladder but saw Asuka getting back on the apron and returned to beating her to death. Lynch caught Charlotte with an exploder that had she had no business even trying to hit due to the lack of room and drove Flair into a table propped up against the barricade. Asuka began beating the holy hell out of Lynch with the cane but Charlotte speared her through the barricade into the timekeeper's area.
Lynch returned to the ring but Flair stopped her from climbing the ladder. They went nose to nose and began slugging it out with chops and punches. Lynch sent her into the ladder face-first. Flair went to rise up to fight Lynch but was hit with a Thesz Press. They battled to the floor and began chopping and slugging each other. Flair tackled her backwards into another announcers' table. Flair placed Lynch on a table and slapped her hard. Flair climbed up on the ropes and hit a swanton onto Lynch, smashing her through the table.
Flair made it to the top of the ladder, only to be met by the returning Asuka. They battled back and forth. It was awesome. Becky set up a ladder next to them. Asuka was knocked down to the ring. Now Lynch met her at the top and they battled. As all this was going on, out came Ronda Rousey, no music, to ringside. She got in the ring and tipped the ladder over on them and walked out, getting booed for her interference. So, she got one back on Lynch and Flaiur.
Asuka recovered and climbed to the top and retrieved the title.
Your winner and new WWE Smackdown Women's Champion, Asuka!
They saved the best for last. This was absolutely phenomenal. Truly worth going out of your way to see.
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