Tables , Ladders , and Chairs match A Tables , Ladders , and Chairs match , often abbreviated as a TLC , is a type of professional wrestling match originated within World Wrestling Entertainment , but can be seen in other wrestling variations . History . The TLC match is a variation of a ladder match , which is modified to include two other weapons , tables and chairs . The TLC match usually pits three or more tag teams against each other , or more recently used for one - on - one matches . The goal is to acquire the item ( usually championship belts ) which starts the match sus pended above the ring . A TLC match can be seen as a more complicated ladder match , where tables and c hairs , along with ladders , can also be used as legal foreign objects . This , compared to the relative ages of the wrestlers involved , gives the match an atmosphere similar to that of a hardcore match . World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment . WWE created and adapted the matches to make it known today as a TLC match . The idea of the TLC match in WWE had its origins in a tag - team ladder match for the managerial services of Terri Runnels between Edge and Christian and the Hardy Boyz at No Mercy 1999 , with audiences giving all four wrestlers a standing ovation at the end of the match . The move catapulted both tag teams to the top of the tag team world . The following months had the Hardy Boyz face the Dudley Boyz in a tag - team Tables match , which had similar success . The three teams would be known for their three respective foreign objects , as well as the har dcore wrestling styles associated therein : the Dudley Boyz often had a spot in their tag team matches where Bubba Ray Dudley would say " " D - Von , get the tables ! " " when a table spot was imminent ; the Hardy Boyz , in singles matches , would challenge main - event singles wrestlers ( such as The Undertaker ) in Ladder matches , considered at that time to be the " signature match " of the team ; while Edge and Christian developed the " Con - Chair - To " finishing move , which involved the two hitting an opponent ' s head simultaneously with chairs . Eventually , the three teams were brought together in a Triple Threat Ladder match in WrestleMania 2000 , in what would be the forerunner of the TLC in terms of the spots involved ( tables were involved in some of the major spots , even though it was technically a Ladder match ) . It is incorrectly referred to by some fans as the first TLC match . The match was called a Triangle Ladder Match . The first TLC match was contested between these three teams using the weapons ( and to a lesser extent , the type of match ) that they had made famous at SummerSlam 2000 . These TLC matches frequently involved members of these three teams , and are largely remembered for the dangerous stunts , injuries , and length . The TLC matches slowly met its end , however , when Edge and Christian broke up and Jeff Hardy was released . Additionally , the matches that have incorporated more weapons created an overall trend of increased concussions and neck injuries that plagued the WWE roster , and as a result , led to the return of a more traditional mat - based style of matches . Although the tables remain , to this day , a Dudley Boyz ( now known as Team 3D ) gimmick , Team 3D is virtually the only tag team to use it , and thus table matches are now few and far between . Chairs were reduced to their former roles as a mainstay form of interference and disqualification in wrestling matches , while ladders and Ladder matches are now used sporadically . The second TLC match occurred at WrestleMania X - Seven the following year . It is considered by many to be the best one . It featured the infamous Swanton Bomb off a 16 ft ladder by Jeff Hardy on Rhyno and Spike Dudley . It also featured the spear on Jeff Hardy from Edge , 20 ft in the air . These matches involved the three aforementioned teams , with each having Edge and Christian winning . TLC III occurred on the May 24 , 2001 edition of " WWF SmackDown ! " when the tag team of Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit had to face the usual other three tag teams in order to retain their tag team championship , which they did . This TLC is sometimes referred to as the Forgotten TLC due to the fact that there was no hype prior to the match and it was on TV . Clear evidence of this is shown to the hype of TLC VI where Edge continually stated that to Cena , TLC was " " A match you never had , and a match I never lost . " " The match was the first TLC match to air on broadcast television as well as the first one to involve four tag teams . The fourth TLC match , TLC IV , occurred on the October 7 , 2002 edition of " Raw " , where four tag teams had drawn , as a result of " " Raw Roulette " " ( where the match type of every match of the card was determined by spinning a wheel ) , a TLC match . The match saw defending champions Kane and The Hurricane putting their World Tag Team Titles up against the teams of Christian and Chris Jericho , Bubba Ray Dudley and Spike Dudley , and Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam . Being the veterans that they were to the match itself , general manager Eric Bischoff allowed Jeff , Christian and Bubba Ray to choose their own partners , as their former parters Matt Hardy , Edge , and D - Von Dudley were absent from the Raw brand at the time . Before the match , The Hurricane was assaulted backstage , leaving Kane completely alone in the match . Despite this , Kane managed to retain the titles . On the January 16 , 2006 edition of " Raw " , WWE had its fifth TLC match , the first in over three years . Edge successfully defended his WWE Championship against Ric Flair . It was the first TLC match to be held in singles competition and the first to have the WWE Championship on the line . It also marked the first ( and only to this point ) TLC match where a wrestler has " bladed " ( Ric Flair bladed ) . This also marked the second time there was a TLC match in Raleigh , North Carolina . TLC VI was held at Unforgiven on September 17 , 2006 , where John Cena won the WWE Championship from Edge in his first TLC match . TLC VII was held at One Night Stand on June 1 , 2008 , where Edge won the vacated World Heavyweight Championship , defeating The Undertaker and ( kayfabe ) banishing him from WWE . TLC VIII was held at SummerSlam on August 23 , 2009 , where TLC veteran Jeff Hardy lost his World Heavyweight Championship to TLC first timer CM Punk . This marked the first time Jeff Hardy had participated in a singles TLC match . The first six TLC matches are included on the Ladder Match DVD that was released in June 2007 . The seventh TLC match was included on the Edge : A Decade of Decadence DVD that was released in December 2008 . Extreme Championship Wrestling . In other promotions , the TLC match has quite the following , appealing to a niche market within professional wrestling . However , the term " TLC " itself was trademarked by WWE , thus other promotions give different names to these types of matches despite having an identical setup . In more hardcore - style promotions , the chairs were often replaced , or were used alongside , chains . One example of a variation of the TLC match is the Tables , Ladders , Chairs , and Canes match . This match is a TLC match with the addition of Singapore Canes . The first and only TLCC match was at Guilty as Charged on January 7 , 2001 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City , involving Steve Corino , Justin Credible , and The Sandman . The following matches are TLC - " like " matches that took place in ECW . Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . TNA Wrestling used a variation of the TLC match called " Full Metal Mayhem " as a bout between Jeff Hardy and Abyss at Against All Odds 2005 . The added stipulation to the match was that " anything metal is legal " , though this only included the use of Abyss ' trademark chain and bag of tacks . In reality , anything is legal ; it ' s just that TNA provides tables , ladders , chairs and chains . Abyss defeated Jeff Hardy by climbing the ladder to retrieve a contract for a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on a future episode of " TNA Impact ! " . Abyss was never granted such title shot , and the story was retconned to state he lost his title shot to A . J . Styles at Lockdown , even though the shot Styles won was used at Hard Justice and not on Impact ! , though Abyss would later get title shots at Slammiversary and No Surrender that year . TNA used the " Full Metal Mayhem " match again at Sacrifice 2006 on May 14 , 2006 when Abyss went one on one with Christian Cage for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship . Cage defeated Abyss to retain the championship . At Victory Road in 2008 , there was a 6 - man tag team match featuring Christian Cage , A . J . Styles and Rhyno against Kurt Angle and Team 3D , where Angle pinned Styles to win the match for his team . Since then the match has been used at Bound for Glory 2009 , Final Resolution 2010 , and Bound for Glory 2011 . It was most recently showcased on TNA Impact Wrestling in early 2013 where Bully Ray defended the TNA World Championship against Jeff Hardy . SmackDown vs . Raw . In the SmackDown vs . Raw video games , TLC matches are different than their WWE Programming counterparts . Tables , Ladders , and Chairs are placed outside the ring and can be used as weapons ( though other weapons can be retrieved from below the ring ) . To win you cannot retrieve the belt , ( because there is no belt there ) or make your opponent give up , you must either KO your opponent or pin them in the ring . This variation is very similar to a Hardcore match and could be considered a mix between the two matches .