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WWE’s TLC 2018 lasted for 3 hours 56 minutes and 36 seconds (3h 56m 36s). Here is a breakdown of the timing for every single second of the show, in chronological order.
The matches are in bold. The “pre-match” segments include video packages, entrances, ring introductions, and any verbal promos that occur right before a match officially begins. The “post-match” segments include any celebrations, replays, angles, attacks, or promos that occur right after a match is finished.
PPV Timing for TLC 2018
| Start | End | Description | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | Description | Duration |
| 0m 00s | 0m 21s | Then, Now, Forever | 0m 21s |
| 0m 21s | 2m 47s | Video hyping TLC 2018 | 2m 26s |
| 2m 47s | 3m 27s | Welcome to TLC 2018 | 0m 40s |
| 3m 27s | 6m 48s | Pre-match: Fabulous Truth vs. Mahalicia | 3m 21s |
| 6m 48s | 12m 33s | Fabulous Truth vs. Mahalicia | 5m 45s |
| 12m 33s | 15m 59s | Post-match: Fabulous Truth vs. Mahalicia | 3m 26s |
| 15m 59s | 16m 36s | Ad for Royal Rumble 2019 | 0m 37s |
| 16m 36s | 21m 18s | Pre-match: The Bar vs. New Day vs. Usos | 4m 42s |
| 21m 18s | 33m 39s | The Bar vs. New Day vs. Usos | 12m 21s |
| 33m 39s | 35m 17s | Post-match: The Bar vs. New Day vs. Usos | 1m 38s |
| 35m 17s | 35m 49s | Ad for WWE Shop | 0m 32s |
| 35m 49s | 36m 44s | Mr. McMahon returns to Raw tomorrow | 0m 55s |
| 36m 44s | 40m 55s | Pre-match: Strowman vs. Corbin | 4m 11s |
| 40m 55s | 48m 23s | Strowman vs. Corbin | 7m 28s |
| 48m 23s | 49m 54s | Post-match: Strowman vs. Corbin | 1m 31s |
| 49m 54s | 50m 56s | Ad for Aquaman | 1m 02s |
| 50m 56s | 51m 27s | Filler commentary | 0m 31s |
| 51m 27s | 54m 58s | Pre-match: Natalya vs. Riott | 3m 31s |
| 54m 58s | 1h 07m 37s | Natalya vs. Riott | 12m 39s |
| 1h 07m 37s | 1h 09m 17s | Post-match: Natalya vs. Riott | 1m 40s |
| 1h 09m 17s | 1h 09m 50s | Ad for WWE 2K19 | 0m 33s |
| 1h 09m 50s | 1h 10m 52s | Lars Sullivan is coming | 1m 02s |
| 1h 10m 52s | 1h 14m 45s | Pre-match: Balor vs. McIntyre | 3m 53s |
| 1h 14m 45s | 1h 26m 54s | Balor vs. McIntyre | 12m 09s |
| 1h 26m 54s | 1h 28m 31s | Post-match: Balor vs. McIntyre | 1m 37s |
| 1h 28m 31s | 1h 29m 44s | Ad for Kay Jewelers | 1m 13s |
| 1h 29m 44s | 1h 30m 03s | Plug for PPV theme song | 0m 19s |
| 1h 30m 03s | 1h 35m 50s | Pre-match: Mysterio vs. Orton | 5m 47s |
| 1h 35m 50s | 1h 47m 25s | Mysterio vs. Orton | 11m 35s |
| 1h 47m 25s | 1h 48m 28s | Post-match: Mysterio vs. Orton | 1m 03s |
| 1h 48m 28s | 1h 49m 13s | Backstage with Balor & Ziggler | 0m 45s |
| 1h 49m 13s | 1h 49m 35s | Mr. McMahon returns to Raw tomorrow | 0m 22s |
| 1h 49m 35s | 1h 50m 21s | Hype for The Edge & Christian Show | 0m 46s |
| 1h 50m 21s | 1h 57m 11s | Pre-match: Rousey vs. Jax | 6m 50s |
| 1h 57m 11s | 2h 07m 59s | Rousey vs. Jax | 10m 48s |
| 2h 07m 59s | 2h 09m 52s | Post-match: Rousey vs. Jax | 1m 53s |
| 2h 09m 52s | 2h 10m 13s | Ad for WWE Sound Slammers | 0m 21s |
| 2h 10m 13s | 2h 10m 44s | Ad for WWE Shop | 0m 31s |
| 2h 10m 44s | 2h 11m 44s | Backstage with Jax & Lynch | 1m 00s |
| 2h 11m 44s | 2h 20m 10s | Pre-match: Bryan vs. Styles | 8m 26s |
| 2h 20m 10s | 2h 44m 04s | Bryan vs. Styles | 23m 54s |
| 2h 44m 04s | 2h 44m 58s | Post-match: Bryan vs. Styles | 0m 54s |
| 2h 44m 58s | 2h 45m 32s | Backstage with Rousey & Natalya | 0m 34s |
| 2h 45m 32s | 2h 46m 09s | Ad for Royal Rumble 2019 | 0m 37s |
| 2h 46m 09s | 2h 47m 03s | Hype for Lesnar vs. Strowman | 0m 54s |
| 2h 47m 03s | 2h 47m 42s | Hype for Raw tomorrow | 0m 39s |
| 2h 47m 42s | 2h 56m 19s | Pre-match: Rollins vs. Ambrose | 8m 37s |
| 2h 56m 19s | 3h 19m 13s | Rollins vs. Ambrose | 22m 54s |
| 3h 19m 13s | 3h 20m 48s | Post-match: Rollins vs. Ambrose | 1m 35s |
| 3h 20m 48s | 3h 21m 40s | Ad for WWE Holiday Week | 0m 52s |
| 3h 21m 40s | 3h 22m 20s | Bid now on Connor's Cure Cleats | 0m 40s |
| 3h 22m 20s | 3h 31m 49s | Pre-match: Lynch vs. Flair vs. Asuka | 9m 29s |
| 3h 31m 49s | 3h 54m 20s | Lynch vs. Flair vs. Asuka | 22m 31s |
| 3h 54m 20s | 3h 56m 36s | Post-match: Lynch vs. Flair vs. Asuka | 2m 16s |
Match Times
The 10 matches combined for a total time of 2h 22m 04s. This means that 60.0% of the show was devoted to bell-to-bell action. This is the 8th highest percentage in this category out of the 83 WWE pay-per-view (PPV) events in my data set, which begins with Royal Rumble 2013.
Here is the sorted list of match times for TLC 2018. This also includes where each match time ranks out of all 614 matches in my data set.
- 23m 54s: Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles (61st longest out of 614 matches)
- 22m 54s: Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose (78th)
- 22m 31s: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka (83rd)
- 12m 39s: Natalya vs. Ruby Riott (292nd)
- 12m 21s: The Bar vs. New Day vs. The Usos (302nd)
- 12m 09s: Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre (309th)
- 11m 35s: Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton (328th)
- 10m 48s: Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax (368th)
- 7m 28s: Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin (501st)
- 5m 45s: Carmella & R-Truth vs. Alicia Fox & Jinder Mahal (554th)
WWE decided to close out this event with the three longest matches of the night. These three matches were each 20+ minutes in length. The only other PPV in my data set that finished the night with three 20+ minute matches in a row was WrestleMania 29. So it’s been well over 5 years since WWE did something like that.
In the case of WrestleMania 29, it can be explained away as not being part of the original plan. A scheduled match involving Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow, Tons of Funk, and the Funkadactyls was cut from the show late due to time constraints. That match surely wouldn’t have gone 20+ minutes.
But in the case of TLC 2018, it seems like WWE’s plan all along was to finish the night with three consecutive matches of 20+ minutes. Perhaps Ambrose and Rollins would have fared much better if they went on earlier in the night, or if they instead ditched the concept of a 20+ minute wrestling match and instead opted for a 10 to 12 minute out of control brawl.
WWE rarely closes the night out with three matches each going 20+ minutes, and the failure of Ambrose versus Rollins at TLC supports the notion that WWE should avoid this situation if they can.
Pre-match Segments
The pre-match segments combined for a total time of 58m 47s, which is 24.8% of the show. This is the 35th highest percentage in this category out of the 83 events in my data set.
Here is the sorted list of pre-match segment time for all 10 matches. For some context, keep in mind that the median pre-match segment time in my data set is 5m 58s and the average time is 6m 26s.
- 9m 29s: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
- 8m 37s: Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose
- 8m 26s: Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles
- 6m 50s: Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax
- 5m 47s: Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton
- 4m 42s: The Bar vs. New Day vs. The Usos
- 4m 11s: Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin
- 3m 53s: Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre
- 3m 31s: Natalya vs. Ruby Riott
- 3m 21s: Carmella & R-Truth vs. Alicia Fox & Jinder Mahal
Four matches received the special treatment of a dedicated video package right before superstar entrances. These four video packages combined to take up 12m 39s of the pre-match segment time. Here is the sorted list of the times for those video packages.
- 3m 46s: Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose
- 3m 07s: Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles
- 3m 05s: Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax
- 2m 41s: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
Post-match Segments
The post-match segments combined for a total time of 17m 33s, which is 7.4% of the show. This is the 66th highest percentage in this category out of the 83 events in my data set.
Here is the sorted list of the post-match segment time for all 10 matches. For some context, keep in mind that the median post-match segment time in my data set is 1m 59s and the average time is 2m 27s.
- 3m 26s: Carmella & R-Truth vs. Alicia Fox & Jinder Mahal
- 2m 16s: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
- 1m 53s: Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax
- 1m 40s: Natalya vs. Ruby Riott
- 1m 38s: The Bar vs. New Day vs. The Usos
- 1m 37s: Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre
- 1m 35s: Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose
- 1m 31s: Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin
- 1m 03s: Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton
- 0m 54s: Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles
Miscellaneous Segments
That leaves about 7.7% (18m 12s) of the show for everything else. This is the 79th highest percentage in this category out of the 83 events in my data set.
Most of these miscellaneous segments are crammed into the time after one post-match segment ends and before the next pre-match segment begins. TLC 2018 included 10 different blocks of miscellaneous segments. Here is how long each block lasted, in chronological order:
- Block 1: 3m 27s (Then, Now, Forever; Opening hype video)
- Block 2: 0m 37s (Ad for Royal Rumble 2019)
- Block 3: 1m 27s (Ad for WWE Shop; Mr. McMahon returning to Raw)
- Block 4: 1m 33s (Ad for Aquaman; Filler commentary)
- Block 5: 1m 35s (Ad for WWE 2K19; Lars Sullivan video)
- Block 6: 1m 32s (Ad for Kay Jewelers; Plug for theme song)
- Block 7: 1m 53s (Balor/Dolph backstage; Hype for Raw; Ad for E+C Show)
- Block 8: 1m 52s (Ads for WWE Shop & WWE toys; Nia/Becky backstage)
- Block 9: 2m 44s (Rousey backstage; Hype for Royal Rumble 2019 & Raw)
- Block 10: 1m 32s (Ad for WWE Holiday Week; Connor’s Cure Cleats)
Summary
The overall run time for TLC 2018 was 3h 56m 36s, and this ranks 12th longest out of all 83 events in my data set.
Here is a listing of how much total show time was allocated for each match when you add up all 3 components: pre-match time, match time, and post-match time. This list also includes where each total time ranks among the 614 entries in my data set.
- 34m 16s: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka (94th longest out of 614 entries)
- 33m 14s: Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles (108th)
- 33m 06s: Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose (110th)
- 19m 31s: Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax (330th)
- 18m 41s: The Bar vs. New Day vs. The Usos (351st)
- 18m 25s: Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton (356th)
- 17m 50s: Natalya vs. Ruby Riott (375th)
- 17m 39s: Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre (383rd)
- 13m 10s: Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin (501st)
- 12m 32s: Carmella & R-Truth vs. Alicia Fox & Jinder Mahal (516th)
Now here is a look at the “Match Time Percentage” for each match. For any given match, this percentage shows how the match time compares to the combined pre-match and post-match segment time. For some context, it’s good to know that the median result here since 2013 is 62.0%.
(Here’s an example calculation: an entry with a match time of 6m 00s, pre-match time of 3m 00s, and a post-match time of 1m 00s has a score of 60.0%, because the match time of 6m 00s is 60% of the total sum of 10m 00s for all three components.)
- 71.9%: Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles
- 70.9%: Natalya vs. Ruby Riott
- 69.2%: Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose
- 68.8%: Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre
- 66.1%: The Bar vs. New Day vs. The Usos
- 65.7%: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
- 62.9%: Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton
- 56.7%: Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin
- 55.3%: Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax
- 45.9%: Carmella & R-Truth vs. Alicia Fox & Jinder Mahal
_________________________________________
Final Results for TLC 2018
Match - 60.0% - 2h 22m 04s
Pre-match - 24.8% - 58m 47s
Post-match - 7.4% - 17m 33s
Miscellaneous - 7.7% - 18m 12s