Blu-Ray Review: WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs 2015 (Reigns vs. Sheamus)

WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs 2015 is out on DVD and Blu-Ray now in the UK. You can order here at WWEDVD.co.uk and all other reputable Home Video stockists. Broadcast live on PPV (and on the WWE Network) from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 13th December 2015. The show features Sheamus defending the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match in the main event. The Blu-Ray edition includes either other matches featuring the likes of The Wyatt Family, The Dudley Boyz, The New Day, The Lucha Dragons, Alberto Del Rio, Jack Swagger, Tommy Dreamer, Rhyno and The Usos in prominent bouts. Commentary is provided by John "Bradshaw" Layfield, Michael Cole, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Xavier Woods Byron Saxton, Booker T, Rich Brennan & Kevin Owens.

tlc: tables, ladders and charis 2015 blu-ray match listing

Match 1 – WWE Tag Team ChampionshipTriple Threat Team Ladder – The New Day: Big E & Kofi Kingston © with Xavier Woods vs. The Lucha Dragons: Kalisto & Sin Cara vs. The Usos: Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso

Match 2 – Singles – Rusev with “The Ravishing Russian” Lana vs. Ryback

Match 3 – WWE United States Championship Chairs – Alberto Del Rio © vs. “A Real American” Jack Swagger

Match 4 – Tag Team Tables Elimination – Rhyno, Tommy Dreamer & The Dudley Boyz: Bubba Ray Dudley & D-Von Dudley vs. The Wyatt Family: Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan & Luke Harper

Match 5 – WWE Intercontinental Championship – Kevin Owens © vs. Dean Ambrose 

Match 6 – WWE Diva's Championship – Paige vs. Charlotte © with Ric Flair

Match 7 – WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tables, Ladders and Chairs – Roman Reigns vs. “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus © 

Match 8 – Singles – Sasha Banks with Team B.A.D.: Naomi & Tamina vs. Becky Lynch (Taken from WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs 2016 Kick-Off)

Match 9 – WWE Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender's Men's Triple Threat – Tyler Breeze with Summer Rae vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Dean Ambrose (Taken from WWE Thursday Night Smackdown #849)

main feature

TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs 2015 begins with a brilliant three-way ladder match with The New Day's Big E and Kofi Kingston putting the WWE Tag Team Championships on the line against The Lucha Dragons and The Usos. Whilst one particular moment will get replayed for years and years to come, the whole match is choc-full of world-class spots utilising the toys available to produce car crash of a bout, in the very best sense of the phrase. The only let-down for me is flat finish that doesn't come close to matching any of the action across the previous twenty minutes. 

Rusev and Ryback then put together a decent clash, working surprisingly well together in physical outing. Again the bout is hampering by an overly complicated and theatrical finish. A United States Championship defense for Alberto Del Rio against Jack Swagger produces a strong Chairs match in one of ADR's best matches since returning to the company in October. Lots of sweet looking chair shots and some wonderful selling from ADR makes for pleasant viewing, even if the duo fail to keep the entire crowd involved. 

An elimination tables match pitting The Wyatt Family (Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan and Luke Harper) against The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von), Rhyno & Tommy Dreamer has a few well-timed table spots, but unfortunately ends up being a bit of a drag. Too much mis-communication and a plodding pace mean that it's not exactly a classic. A WWE Intercontinental Championship match between Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose somehow manages to blend into the background, despite the obvious talent and chemistry of the performers. Perhaps the lack of a gimmick and that it's a least five minutes too short have something to do with that. Charlotte's WWE Diva's Championship defense against Paige is painfully booked at times, but helped from being a complete mess by the talents of the two performers. The duo manage to salvage some good looking moves, and a handful of nice sequences to keep things just about bearable. 

The main event is, of course, the eponymous TLC match with Sheamus putting his WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line in a great match with Roman Reigns. The two men make good use of all the weapons, pulling off some brutal spots that drive the story of the clash. Despite this however, I'd recommend watching with the sound off as the crowd, for whatever reason, decide they don't want to see the match and set about trying to turn the attention to themselves. Just like the previous month's Survivor Series 2015, the show closes with a major angle that will drive the storylines of the first few PPV's of 2016 and beyond.

special features

Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch combine for a decent match taken from TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs 2016 Kick-Off, although obviously the pair have had better matches together elsewhere. The Blu-Ray exclusives begin with a segment featuring The New Day cutting a fun heel promo, taken from Monday Night RAW #1174, although there is a slight lack of direction once The Lucha Dragons and The Usos interrupt. Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler and Tyler Breeze have a fluffy but watchable triple threat with a shot at the WWE Intercontinental Championship on the line from Thursday Night Smackdown #849 in the only Blu-Ray exclusive match. 

Monday Night RAW #1176 brings us a strange edition of Miz TV featuring Charlotte, Ric Flair and Paige in which The Miz becomes the shining light. From the same show we then have the infamous "tater tots" promo from Roman Reigns in a horrendous in-ring segment with Sheamus, that at best will make you cringe yourself inside out. It's particularly painful to watch Reigns struggling to recall words that clearly he doesn't feel comfortable saying. The disc rounds of with a fun twist on the cliched contract signing from Thursday Night Smackdown #851 with Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose confirming their match for TLC. 

finally...

blu-ray rating - 5.58/10

A couple of off-beat finishes aside, TLC 2015 is a bloody good wrestling show. Book-ended by two great ladder matches, the show manages to close out WWE's 2015 events very well indeed. The WWE Intercontinental Championship and WWE United States Championship matches are also worth checking out. However, the Blu-Ray edition loses part of it's rating for a lacklustre selection of Special Features, with the decision to include the Reigns and Sheamus "tater tots" promo being one that I will never understand. No one should have to see it more than once. 

Blu-Ray Review: WWE Survivor Series 2015 (The B.O.D. vs. Wyatt Family)

WWE Survivor Series 2015 is out on DVD and Blu-Ray now in the UK. You can order here at WWEDVD.co.uk and all other reputable Home Video stockists. Broadcast live on PPV (and on the WWE Network) from the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia USA on 22nd November 2015. The show features The Brothers of Destruction clashing with The Wyatt Family's Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper in the main event. The Blu-Ray edition includes nine other matches featuring the likes of Dean Ambrose, The New Day, The Lucha Dragons, King Barrett, Charlotte, Paige, Sheamus, The Usos, Roman Reigns and Ryback in prominent bouts. Commentary is provided by John "Bradshaw" Layfield, Michael Cole, Jerry "The King" Lawler, Byron Saxton, Booker T & Rich Brennan.

survivor series 2015 blu-ray match card

Match 1 – WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semi-Final – Roman Reigns vs. Alberto Del Rio w/Zeb Colter

Match 2 – WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semi-Final – Dean Ambrose vs. WWE Intercontinental Championship Kevin Owens

Match 3 – Traditional Survivor Series Elimination – Ryback, The Lucha Dragons & The Usos vs. Mr. Money in the Bank Sheamus, 2015 King of the Ring King Barrett & WWE Tag Team The New Day

Match 4 – WWE Diva's Championship – Paige vs. Charlotte ©

Match 5 – Singles – Tyler Breeze w/Summer Rae vs. Dolph Ziggler

Match 6 – Tag Team – The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper) w/Braun Strowman & Erick Rowan vs. The Brothers of Destruction

Match 7 – WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Final – Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose 

Match 8 – WWE World Heavyweight Championship – Roman Reigns © vs. Money in the Bank Contract Holder Sheamus

Match 9 – Five on Five Traditional Survivor Series Elimination – The Miz, Bo Dallas, Stardust & The Ascension vs. “The Man That Gravity Forgot” Neville, The Dudley Boyz, Titus O'Neil & Goldust

Match 10 – Tag Team – WWE Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens & Alberto Del Rio w/Zeb Colter vs. Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns

main feature

Survivor Series 2015 kicks off with a solid bout between Roman Reigns and Alberto Del Rio, as the pair battle it out in the Semi-Final of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament. At times it feels like ADR is simply going through the motions, however it is some competent selling from Reigns that manages to drive the clash. A second semi-final bout between Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose is probably of a similar quality, with Owens standing out as the star of the bout as he works hard to lift a initially flat crowd. Despite an excellent finishing stretch, there are still portions of the match that one would expect to have been a lot tighter from workers of this calibre.

The only Traditional Five on Five Elimination contest on the bout begins brightly with King Barrett and Sheamus bringing a different energy to The New Day's pre-match promo. However, the clash with Ryback, The Lucha Dragons and The Usos suffers from some bizarre booking, an off-beat pace and a crowd that doesn't seem to be interested at all. That being said, there are some nice spots peppered throughout the contest. 

The first title match see's Charlotte defending the WWE Diva's Championship in a scrappy fight with Paige, who was in the middle of another ill-advised heel turn. Whilst there are some nice ideas on display, the contest never really comes together, which isn't helped by a flat finish. Dolph Ziggler and Tyler Breeze then run through some decent sequences of action, but a lack of time, character-depth and crowd interaction hurt what feels like another throwaway match.

The main event of the evening has The Undertaker and Kane teaming up once more, as The Brothers of Destruction, as part of the celebration of 25 years of The Undertaker, an idea that dominates the presentation of the bout. Opposite Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper of The Wyatt Family, there are a lot of cool moment that play well off the different characters signature move and mannerisms. The crowd being so into the action makes the match a lot more watchable than perhaps it would've been otherwise. 

To close the show, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose are back to compete over the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, in what is a good, little match, which it's difficult not to feel disappointing by. The crowd continue to give a korma reaction to action, but they do wake up for the big post-match angle. 

special features 

From Survivor Series 2016 Kick-Off, there's another Traditional Five on Five Elimination bout, with The Miz, Bo Dallas, Stardust & The Ascension taking on Neville, The Dudley Boyz, Titus O'Neil and Goldust in a very meh kind of match. The wrestling throughout is all completely fine, but with no real drive and a lack of quality booking there's no real reason to check this one out. 

Onto the Blu-Ray exclusives and we start with a fun, back and forth between The Undertaker and Bray Wyatt on the mic from Monday Night RAW #1173, that build towards the PPV well. From the same show there's a contract signing between Charlotte and Paige for their bout, which features some strong mic from Charlotte and an enjoyable ringside brawl. An edition of Miz TV from Thursday Night Smackdown #848 with appearances from the four semi-finalists in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament is highlighted by a comedic appearance from R-Truth. The set rounds off with a fairly straight-forward tag bout from the same show, with Kevin Owens teaming with Alberto Del Rio against Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns.

finally...
blu-ray rating - 5.02

A distinctly average show here. The WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament provides the best action across the disc, but with the four performers involved I think many would expect a lot better quality. The Brothers of Destruction make for a fun main event, but one that ultimately lacks substance. The special features are also a bit of a downer, for not including any of the prelimary tournament matches. A miss opportunity to include the likes of Cesaro vs. Reigns, Owens vs. Neville or Ambrose vs. Ziggler, all of which could have boosted the quality of the content on the disc.