Winners: The Rhodes Scholars
-We recap Cena's victory in a hard-fought match over Dolph Ziggler, and the upcoming TLC match with Punk and Ryback.
~Commercial Break~
Randy Orton vs. Heath Slater w/Jinder Mahal & Drew McIntyre
A cohesive group of lower mid-carders about to be squashed by The Viper...2013, same as it ever was. Orton with a shoulder block, Slater hip toss blocked into a clothesline. Slater comes back with a kick and some rights. Orton fires back with an uppercut. Orotn hangs up Slater on the ropes and fights off 3MB. Slater kicks him in the bad shoulder and 3MB picks the bones. Slater rolls him in for a two count. Slater with a rear naked choke. Orton fights out with a headbutt, but Slater shoves him into the turnbuckle and snaps off a neckbreaker for a near fall. Slater up top, but Orton knocks him down. Orton up top, and SUPER-DUPER Plex to Slater! Clotheslines, followed but a vintage powerslam. Mahal and McIntyre knocked down, Slater gets the hangman DDT! Orton coils...string up that harp, Slater...RKO! Three count! Mahal and McIntyre try to ambush him post-match, but get RKOs for their efforts. Well, it was an elongated squash, but a squash still.
Winner: Randy Orton
~Commercial Break~
Non-Title Match: IC Champion Wade Barrett vs. Santino Marella w/Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Arm drag by Santino, but Barrett with a big boot, then a suplex for two. Santino floats out of the pumphandle, superkick! Then gets a near fall. Santino fires up, preps the Cobra, but Barrett slips out and hangs up Santino. Barrett primes the Bulhammer, and nails Santino! Three count!
Winner: Wade Barrett
-"The Dragon" in to check on Santino. Barrett looks to take out Ricky, but he faces down Barrett and removes his jacket. Barrett laughs him off and leaves.
-Striker backstage with Sheamus, who reminisces about his Royal Rumble victory last year and his 18-second victory at Wrestlemania. 3MB shows up, licking their wounds given by Orton. Sheamus jokes around, offering to sing "Danny Boy" with whoever is left standing after a Brogue Kick, as another 3MB member is in action tonight with the former World Champ.
~Commercial Break~
Non-Title Match: US Champion Antonio Cesaro vs. The Great Khali w/Natalya & Hornswoggle
Miz on commentary for the match to further his building feud with Cesaro. Khali with some big chops to Cesaro, who retreats to the outside. Khali hung up on the rope, then Cesaro attacks Khali's leg in the corner, then on the mat. Khali kicks him off and comes back with a chest chop. Khali with a pair of clotheslines. Punjabi Plunge countered, uppercut, then a VERY EUROPEAN uppercut. Can he...will he...YES! Neutralizer on Khali! Holy crap! Three count!
Winner: Antonio Cesaro
-Heyman backstage, and he is again approached by Brad Maddox, who only wishes to offer help to Heyman and Punk, and even brought his ref's shirt so he could ask Vickie to be placed as ref in the TLC match. Paul sounds off on Maddox, and makes it clear that he doesn't want Maddox anywhere near him or Punk, and advises him to go hide under a rock and to never "PSSSST!" him again.
-Sheamus out for action...NEXT!
~Commercial Break~
Sheamus vs. Jinder Mahal w/3MB
Sheamus with the headlock takeover. Mahal with the shoulder block, but Sheamus stops him with a hand to the jaw of Mahal. Waistlock by Sheamus, who pretends that Mahal copped a feel on him. Mahal's completely flabbergasted. Sheamus slaps him around some, and throws Mahal to the outside. he hits his Ten Shots on Mahal, then on McIntyre! Mahal distracts the ref, as Slater's clocked by Sheamus, but Drew with the clothesline. Mahal assaults Sheamus back in the ring, but Sheamus quickly comes back with a shoulder to the corner. Slater in, but thrown into Mahal. Both men are clotheslined to the floor. Sheamus out to the floor now. BROGUE KICK to McIntyre! To Slater! Back in the ring, White Noise to Mahal! Brogue Kick! Three count!
Winner: Sheamus
-We preview the TLC match for the WWE Championship, then we get a brief retrospective of CM Punk's calendar-year title reign as WWE Champion, particularly his encounters and destruction at the hands of Ryback, whose tumultuous pursuit of the championship and Punk in late 2012 is also chronicled.
-The TLC match for the WWE Title...IS NEXT!
~Commercial Break~
Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match for the WWE Championship: CM Punk (c) w/Paul Heyman vs. Ryback
Here...we...go! The crowd's pumped and so am I! Lock up has Punk laying into Ryback, who shrugs it off. Hard whip to the corner by Ryback, then stomps a mudhole into Punk. Punk to the outside, Ryback follows, but Punk with a chair to the gut, then to the big back of Ryback. He rips it out of Punk's hands, swings for the fences, but misses. Punk with a kick to the gut, then another chair shot to the back. Punk gets a ladder, but Ryback back up and slams Punk into the ring apron. Back in the ring, Ryback asks us "CHAIR? LADDER?" as he hoists Punk for a LONG stalling... (Continues on next page)