TLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs (2019)

The logo for TLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs (2018)

**TLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs (2019)** was a professional wrestling pay per view produced by War Hawks Entertainment Inc. for their SmackDown Brand. It took place Sunday, February 3, 2019, from the Lansing Indoor Sports Arena in East Lansing, MI. It was the first event in the WHEI TLC: Tables, Ladders, & Chairs chronology. It was also be the third SmackDown exclusive pay per view of season 3, as well as the twelfth pay per view of season 3 overall.

## Background

The card consisted of matches resulting from scripted storylines that played out on WHEI's SmackDown brand. Storylines played out on the War Hawks' weekly show on Twitch Friday Night SmackDown Live. Wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters as they built tension that lead to a match or series of matches leading into the event.

The premise of the event was that all of the main matches revolve around one or more of the titular weapons. In WHEI's case all of the championship matches will do so.

The primary feud heading into the event was between Daniel Bryan and Eric Young, with the two feuding over the WHEI WWE Championship. At SummerSlam, Bryan defeated Sami Zayn to win the title. He went on a bit of a winning streak following this, leading all the way up to the event. Soon after Survivor Series, Eric Young came out to challenge him to a match at the pay per view. Bryan accepted the challenge, and Ironman announced they would be facing off in a TLC match at the event.

Another feud heading into the event was between Braun Strowman and Cody Rhodes, with the two feuding over the WHEI United States Championship. On the October 2 episode of SmackDown, Strowman defeated Rhodes to win the championship. He would then go on to retain the title against Rhodes and former champion Big E at Halloween Havoc. Following Survivor Series, Rhodes came out and attacked Strowman, before hitting him with the Cross Rhodes, before standing over him with the title. Ironman announced the following day that they would face off in a Chairs match at the event.

Another feud heading into the event was between The War Hawks SmackDown Division (Will, Heath, & Ironman) and Enzo & Cass (Enzo Amore & Big Cass) with the two teams feuding over the WHEI SmackDown Tag Team Championship. At Halloween Havoc, Will and Heath defeated The Outsiders (Scott Hall & Kevin Nash) to win the titles. Following Survivor Series, Enzo and Cass came out and called out Ironman for abusing his power as SmackDown General Manager and winning titles. Ironman told them unless they planned to do something about it, to shut their damn mouths. The feud between the two teams escalated when Heath flirted with Enzo & Cass's manager Carmella. This lead to an enraged Cass attacking Heath and challenging the team to a match at the pay per view. Ironman accepted on behalf of his team, and added that it would be a tables match.

Another feud heading into the event was between Paige and Maryse, with the two feuding over the WHEI SmackDown Women's Championship. At Evolution, Paige defeated Carmella to win the championship, following Survivor Series she was attacked from behind by Maryse. Maryse accused Paige of stealing the spotlight from her, and in the following weeks, attacked her with a steel chair before putting her through a table. Ironman announced a match between the two for the title at the event, which would also be a TLC Match.

Another feud heading into the event was between Hangman Page and Batista, with the two feuding over the WHEI Hardcore Championship. At Halloween Havoc, Page defeated SmackDown General Manager Ironman to win the title. Following Survivor Series, he was attacked by Batista, who proceeded to say that Page wasn't man enough to beat him for the title. Page came out and challenged Batista to prove it, saying he would put the title on the line against him, on one condition, that it was a Ladder Match. Batista agreed and the two would spend the next few weeks attacking each other with ladders. Ironman would make the match official via twitter.

Another feud heading into the event was between Girls With Flair (Charlotte Flair & Mariya WGP) and The Chaotic Kittens (Amber & Kat) with the two teams feuding over the WHEI Women's Tag Team Championship. After coming to Ironman and yelling at him for not receiving their rematch for the title after he decided to reactivate it since they were champions prior to it being deactivated, Ironman agreed to give them a match for it at TLC. It was later announced that this would be a ladder match.

The final feud heading into the event was between Apollo Crews and Scott Hall. Shortly after losing the Tag Team Titles to the War Hawks, The Outsiders began slow heel turn, hinting at a possible reunion of the nWo in the near future. Crews, who had seen the damage they could do when properly motivated, felt they needed to step aside and allow younger talent to take the spotlight. Hall took exception to this and challenged Crews to a match at the pay per view. Crews accepted and the match was made official later that week by Ironman.

## Event

### Preliminary Matches

The show opened with Apollo Crews taking on Scott Hall. In the end despite some offense by the much older and wiser veteran Hall, Crews hit a Spinning Sitout Powerbomb and pinned him to win the match.

This was followed by a Chairs Match for the WHEI United States Championship with Braun Strowman defending against Cody Rhodes. Early in the match Strowman introduced a Kendo Stick only to have it used on him instead by Rhodes and no sell it. In the end Rhodes hit Strowman with a Cross Rhodes to win the match and his second United States Championship.

After that was a Tag Team Tables Match for the WHEI SmackDown Tag Team Championship which pitted champions The War Hawks SmackDown Division (Will & Heath) against Enzo & Cass (Enzo Amore & Big Cass). Despite being recognized as a champion, Ironman chose not to participate in the match, however he did clarify that only one member of a team had to go through a table to win the match. At one point early in the match Enzo seemingly turned on Cass, hitting a double team move on him with Heath. In the end after disposing of Cass to the outside Heath hit Enzo with a T-Bone Suplex through a table set up in the corner to win the match for his team and retain the championship.

Next was a Tag Team Ladder Match for the WHEI Women's Tag Team Championship between Girls With Flair (Charlotte Flair & Mariya WGP) and The Chaotic Kittens (Amber & Kat). In the end the cohesion of Girls With Flair was no match for the ability of The Lady Hawks' resident married couple as Kat climbed the ladder and retrieved the championships hanging above to win the match and the titles for a 3rd time.

Then was a Ladder Match for the WHEI Hardcore Championship between champion Hangman Page and Batista. After a brief match that was all but dominated by the Animal, Page shoved Batista off a ladder and capitalized on him being exhausted to secure the championship to win the match and retain.

The penultimate match was a Tables, Ladders, & Chairs Match for the WHEI SmackDown Women's Championship with Paige defending against Maryse. After Maryse countered an attempted Paige Turner the champion sent her through a table in the corner with a dropkick. Shortly after that despite being tossed out of the ring herself, Paige shoved Maryse off a ladder and out of the ring before retrieving her championship to win the match and retain.

### Main Event

The main event was a Tables, Ladders, & Chairs Match for the WHEI Championship with Daniel Bryan defending against Eric Young. In the end, after two consecutive matches of it backfiring, Bryan tossed Young out of the ring following a Running Dropkick in the corner and climbed the ladder to retrieve his championship to win the match and retain.