DALLAS — Any man with two hands has a fighting chance. Those two hands can also change the fate of the WWE World Championship, as James Ellsworth proved in the main event of WWE TLC. Shockingly, the unlikeliest SmackDown LIVE Superstar cost Dean Ambrose the prestigious prize, knocking The Lunatic Fringe off a ladder and ensuring that AJ Styles retained the title.
Styles and Ambrose charged each other as soon as the bell rang, with The Lunatic Fringe getting the upper hand. The Phenomenal One was the first to set up a ladder and climb toward the title hanging from the American Airline Center’s rafters, and also the first to feel the ladder’s unforgiving bite, as Ambrose shoved it into Styles’ face. The challenger inflicted punishment on Styles all around the arena until the champion bought himself a breather, catching Ambrose with a dropkick as he jumped off the ringside barricade.
Their battle turned even more brutal from there, as the dangerous implements that give the TLC Match its name came into play. Ambrose launched a ladder into Styles at ringside, only for the WWE World Champion to rebound and batter him with a steel chair. The Face that Runs the Place was driven through a pile of chairs, but responded by suplexing his challenger through a table. The brawl spilled back out to the arena floor, where a crazed Ambrose cleared off the announcers’ tables, stacked a ladder on top of one, then recklessly dove off and elbow-dropped Styles through the other.
Challenger Dean Ambrose put WWE World Champion AJ Styles through the announce table with an elbow drop off the top of a ladder at WWE TLC 2016. Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.
The ringside area was a mangled mess of wreckage, with twisted steel and splintered wood littering the arena. And the debris only continued to mount after Styles put Ambrose through a table with a breathtaking 450 Splash from the top rope.
Styles looked to have the WWE World Championship in his grasp when James Ellsworth made his way to ringside. The champion sought to cut the unlikely Superstar off and Styles Clash him on the arena floor, but Ambrose saved him, instead sending The Phenomenal One into the steel stairs with Dirty Deeds.
Both Superstars got back into the ring, scaling another ladder toward the WWE World Title. Ambrose knocked Styles off the ladder and looked like he was about to start his second reign as champion, until his ally did the unthinkable. Ellsworth got into the ring and shoved the ladder over, sending Ambrose crashing through a set of tables at ringside. As the WWE Universe stood in shock, Styles scrambled up the ladder and retrieved the WWE World Championship, ensuring he would remain The Face that Runs the Place.
Ellsworth, still wearing a neckbrace as a result of Styles’ attack this past Tuesday, jumped for joy as The Phenomenal One celebrated his victory. He now has a WWE World Championship Match with Styles coming his way this Tuesday on SmackDown LIVE, but at what cost has James Ellsworth ensured that?
James Ellsworth sent tremors through the WWE landscape when he meddled in an incredible Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match pitting WWE World Champion AJ Styles against Dean Ambrose.
DALLAS — Any man with two hands has a fighting chance. Those two hands can also change the fate of the WWE World Championship, as James Ellsworth proved in the main event of WWE TLC. Shockingly, the unlikeliest SmackDown LIVE Superstar cost Dean Ambrose the prestigious prize, knocking The Lunatic Fringe off a ladder and ensuring that AJ Styles retained the title.
Styles and Ambrose charged each other as soon as the bell rang, with The Lunatic Fringe getting the upper hand. The Phenomenal One was the first to set up a ladder and climb toward the title hanging from the American Airline Center’s rafters, and also the first to feel the ladder’s unforgiving bite, as Ambrose shoved it into Styles’ face. The challenger inflicted punishment on Styles all around the arena until the champion bought himself a breather, catching Ambrose with a dropkick as he jumped off the ringside barricade.
Their battle turned even more brutal from there, as the dangerous implements that give the TLC Match its name came into play. Ambrose launched a ladder into Styles at ringside, only for the WWE World Champion to rebound and batter him with a steel chair. The Face that Runs the Place was driven through a pile of chairs, but responded by suplexing his challenger through a table. The brawl spilled back out to the arena floor, where a crazed Ambrose cleared off the announcers’ tables, stacked a ladder on top of one, then recklessly dove off and elbow-dropped Styles through the other.
Challenger Dean Ambrose put WWE World Champion AJ Styles through the announce table with an elbow drop off the top of a ladder at WWE TLC 2016. Courtesy of the award-winning WWE Network.
The ringside area was a mangled mess of wreckage, with twisted steel and splintered wood littering the arena. And the debris only continued to mount after Styles put Ambrose through a table with a breathtaking 450 Splash from the top rope.
Styles looked to have the WWE World Championship in his grasp when James Ellsworth made his way to ringside. The champion sought to cut the unlikely Superstar off and Styles Clash him on the arena floor, but Ambrose saved him, instead sending The Phenomenal One into the steel stairs with Dirty Deeds.
Both Superstars got back into the ring, scaling another ladder toward the WWE World Title. Ambrose knocked Styles off the ladder and looked like he was about to start his second reign as champion, until his ally did the unthinkable. Ellsworth got into the ring and shoved the ladder over, sending Ambrose crashing through a set of tables at ringside. As the WWE Universe stood in shock, Styles scrambled up the ladder and retrieved the WWE World Championship, ensuring he would remain The Face that Runs the Place.
Ellsworth, still wearing a neckbrace as a result of Styles’ attack this past Tuesday, jumped for joy as The Phenomenal One celebrated his victory. He now has a WWE World Championship Match with Styles coming his way this Tuesday on SmackDown LIVE, but at what cost has James Ellsworth ensured that?
James Ellsworth sent tremors through the WWE landscape when he meddled in an incredible Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match pitting WWE World Champion AJ Styles against Dean Ambrose.
