Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles traded shots until the former sent the latter crashing into a ladder. They took the fight well outside the ring, brawling on the entrance ramp.
The Lunatic Fringe walloped the world champion all over the arena. Styles withstood Ambrose's frenetic offense before dishing out his own punishing attack.
Each man used tables, ladders and chairs as weapons.
Ambrose dished out more of the carnage, though. He left The Phenomenal One motionless on the mat after some creative use of furniture. But Styles recovered just in time to save his title.
The warriors left each other drained, wobbly and gasping for air.
James Ellsworth eventually emerged in a neck brace. A distracted Styles pounced on his chinless adversary.
Ellsworth inexplicably pushed Ambrose off a ladder as The Lunatic Fringe was a fingertip away from claiming the world title.
Result
Styles wins by retrieving the world championship.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
- "Horrible pain and suffering equals glory."—Otunga.
- Ambrose suplexes Styles onto the cement floor.
- Ambrose slides a garbage bin over Styles' head.
- Styles dropkicks Ambrose after the challenger leaps from the security barricade.
- Styles sideslams Ambrose onto a chair.
- Ambrose flips Styles on to four chairs.
- Ambrose leaps from a ladder to crush Styles through a table with a diving elbow.
- Styles knocks Ambrose off a ladder with a Phenomenal Forearm.
- Styles hits a 450 splash through a table.
- "What a titanic confrontation!"—Ranallo.
Grade
A+
Analysis
WWE's 2016 MVP did it again. Styles killed it in another main event. And Ambrose had one of his best efforts to date.
The match was a series of car crashes piled atop one another. The enemies made full use of the TLC stipulation. Bells and whistles, high-risk insanity and intensity pulsing through the screen powered the bout.
Ellsworth's apparent heel turn is the contest's one odd element.
WWE can get more out of the Ellsworth story after this latest cliffhanger, but this rivalry was more than ready to head in the right direction. The comedy side of Styles vs. Ambrose isn't going away just yet, challenging SmackDown's writers to keep a narrative fresh after its natural expiration date.