Elimination Chamber 2014 Discussion

[Dragonslayer]

I agree with the above sentiment that 2(!) interferences (on different agendas) in a "cage"-type match that should inherently prevent such interferences, is really a bit much. This type of overbooking would seem appropriate for TNA-type booking, but it's unusual for WWE.

On the other hand, of course, WWE didn't have much choice here. In order to get the Wyatt/Cena feud going or keep that on track, they needed to create some extra tension between Cena and Wyatt; and thus they needed to have the Wyatts cost Cena, since Cena will not likely have another shot at the WWEWHC before Mania, and this was the last opportunity to "up the stakes" and "make it more personal".

The same holds true for Bryan, and Kane's interference. Now while I perfectly understand the Wyatt's interfering with Cena, Kane's involvement has me a little worried.

On the one hand side, it was the obvious choice (and both interferences by Wyatts and Kane made the whole EC match quite predicatble), as it seems to further the feud between Bryan and the Authority. So supposedly it's setting up Bryan vs Triple H at Mania (and god forbid not only Bryan vs Kane - that would've been a nice match for any other PPV, but not good enough for Mania 30), and this is what's worrying me. Obviously the fans are sh*tting all over Batista as a face, and are not really buying into Orton as the heel champ either. They clearly want Bryan to win the strap at Mania.

And it's now really a question of whether WWE is throwing a curveball here, having people believe that they're going with HHH/Bryan for a showdown at Mania... only to somehow insert Bryan into the main event with Batista and Orton at the last minute, which would be huge; or whether they really just go through with the original plan, and have Orton/Batista and Bryan/HHH.

I still think they should SOMEHOW get Bryan into that main event and have him go over, neither Batista nor Orton winning at this point makes any sense. Give the title to Bryan now, and keep it on him for a few months; that will send the fans home happy and make for some good main event wrestling programming in the weeks after WM.

But let's see what happens on tonight's RAW; this one should be really interesting.

 

[rge2010]

The Main event was so predictable. We all knew Wyatts and Kane would interfear.

Also, because Kane now wears a suit, does he have to be 'knocked out' for minutes like a Ref? This is a guy who has been to hell and back in the ring. Just awful awful logic on WWE's part.

 

[babinko]

That ending fascinated me. There was no Triple H... Batista didn't come out to stare down Orton... It was Bryan staring down Orton. Yeah, Kane was there too somewhere, but he's going to get his ass kicked on some episode of Raw before Wrestlemania.

What I'm saying is, the way they ended the PPV, it wasn't telling a story of Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan. It wasn't telling a story of Randy Orton vs. Batista. This was a story of Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan. And that's what was interesting. If they really wanted Bryan vs. Triple H, they could've had Bryan eliminated before Cena. No, they wanted Bryan to get so close to the title that he could practically taste it.

If, and this is a big if, WWE have the balls to put Daniel Bryan in the World Title match at Wrestlemania, and he wins it, then Daniel Bryan's booking since the night after the Royal Rumble may just be the some of the best booking of someone leading up to Wrestlemania since Austin.

Of course, there's people crying and complaining tonight, as if anyone other than Orton was going to win tonight. And the stupidity of Mick Foley's "5,000 word essay" makes me facepalm.

But, I'm almost starting to feel hopeful that Bryan's booking over the last month may have been a stroke of genius. Optimistic even. But I'm also prepared for the crushing disappointment of having to see Bryan vs. Triple H.

To be honest, I think WWE has been booking this the right way since Summerslam! Everyone wants something to happen NOW. No one can wait for months and months of build up. I was saying for quite awhile that DB was going to win the Rumble but now looking at it, I'm glad they didn't book him in that match period. Its good for wrestling for people to get upset at the booking. WWE WANTS YOU TO BE MAD! Being mad that DB is not champion since Summerslam builds it up for ONE HUGE payoff at Wrestlemania. Think of the montage video for that match. How DB has been put down. People will claim WWE is horrible at booking, I believe its on purpose. The only way that this will all be a mistake, If DB is not in that Main event at Wrestlemania!

 

[ad556]

To be honest, I think WWE has been booking this the right way since Summerslam! Everyone wants something to happen NOW. No one can wait for months and months of build up. I was saying for quite awhile that DB was going to win the Rumble but now looking at it, I'm glad they didn't book him in that match period. Its good for wrestling for people to get upset at the booking. WWE WANTS YOU TO BE MAD! Being mad that DB is not champion since Summerslam builds it up for ONE HUGE payoff at Wrestlemania. Think of the montage video for that match. How DB has been put down. People will claim WWE is horrible at booking, I believe its on purpose. The only way that this will all be a mistake, If DB is not in that Main event at Wrestlemania!

Explain to me how DB will be at the Main Event in WM if Batista won the rumble.....

 

[blueskyy]

A fairly good PPV last night. I was a little worried about The Shield vs The Wyatt match going in, you know as the saying goes, the higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment. Fortunately, they didn't disappoint. Both sides put on an incredible performance. That was the match of the night for me. They coordinated so well together, and though The Shield lost, they still showed us how good they were. The Shield is the more consistent team among the two, but The Wyatt Family so far hasn't disappoint on PPVs. It's good to see teams talking wresting to a whole new level.

If The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family is an 'A', then the 'A-' match last night would be Chamber match. Everyone was good except Randy Orton. He's the last one out of the pod, and the only contribution he did was the suplex he gave to Sheamus, which Christian very quickly and aptly followed up with a frog splash off the top of the Lexan pod. Bryan performance was good only, not great, probably because a cage match doesn't suit his style, or maybe because with so many top wrestlers, he wasn't the focus of the match, but we'll see where he goes from here.

The Usos vs The New Age Outlaws was not too shabby either. The old outlaws perform better than their usual selves. It was a regular Usos match. Although the Usos lost, it was delivered well.

ps: I didn't watch the whole PPV, I just hope I didn't miss the good parts.

 

[#tamale]

One of the most popular discussions among those that discuss wrestling on the internet has been “when is the WWE going to create new stars”. Every time we feel that some guys are on the verge, they flame out. Whether they reached their high point, lost interest, or WWE realized that they in fact weren’t stars; no “future” star in the past has been able to maintain success once they get a shot. Last week, John Cena was the guest of honor on the wildly popular Steve Austin podcast. During the great interview, there was a part where the discussion hit the future of the WWE. Cena mentioned that for the first time in a long time, he felt that this was the strongest roster it has been in some time and that some guys were on the cusp of reaching that star status.

Last night at Elimination Chamber we didn’t just get a glimpse of that future, we saw that future get right in our face and demand our attention. Big E, The Shield, The Wyatt Family, Cesaro; they stamped themselves as the future of the WWE. This is just on the main roster. The WWE still has talent in NXT ready to make their debuts in 2014. Let’s stick with what we witnessed last night.

The Shield battling The Wyatt Family was highly anticipated. They not only lived up to our wildest expectations, they smashed them and set a new standard. It was incredible. It was a joy to watch it unfold before our eyes these six superstars battle it out in a war that should last throughout the rest of 2014. Each trying to gain the advantage on the other until the dust settles and only one group is left. All six men delivered. Roman Reigns going full on Lebron and nearly coming through in the end had me on my feet pacing waiting for Roman to hit that spear on Bray and win it for his team. In the end, Roman needed just one of his brothers to help him, but Seth Rollins was laid out and Dean may or may not have been laid out which plants further seeds for dissention as the question now is “What happen to Dean Ambrose?” as he fought with Bray through the crowd. Was he taken out by Bray Wyatt or did he abandon his brothers in their time of need? Everything, from the booking of these two factions, to their interactions, to their tremendous dominance over the WWE, to their match last night has been gold. After last night, this fan right here can firmly say that all six men in this match will be a major part of something glorious for the WWE in the near future.

Last night, two other future stars were shining and that was Cesaro and Big E. In his first run in the main event going after the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, he was fantastic. Uppercuts, swings, suplexes, taunting, ruthless. Fans have started to take note of Cesaro and are now reacting to the Swiss Superman. This a guy who all last week, we heard from guys in the business talk about how he could be a major international star for the WWE. Watch Cesaro and his booking leading up to Wrestlemania. Jack Swagger was exactly what Big E needed; a viable opponent to defend his Intercontinental Championship. This is what Big E needs. Build him up by throwing opponents for his championship and make sure those opponents can go. I’m a huge fan of Big E and happy to see him come back into the fold after a strange disappearing act in January.

What was with all the big guys going high risk? That was a new and welcomed change for these guys.

From the future we go the present with the Chamber match. A great match with the continued screwjob of the most famous bearded superstar today, Daniel Bryan. I didn’t expect him to walk out of that chamber with the championship, but we almost had it after he kicked out of the first RKO. After Kane screwed him and Orton picked up the victory, I was pissed. I want to see Daniel Bryan as champion. And Michael Cole gave the fans at home their voice. As the program was coming off the air, Cole was irate throwing the entire Authority under the bus for continuing to screw Daniel Bryan from reaching his dreams while fans in the stadium looked on, angry, disappointed, upset, you name the negative feelings and they had it. Their underdog hero once again had his dream taken away from him by corporate management sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong. This does not end here. Bryan’s moment will come and when it does, it will be glorious.

CM Punk leaves, we see new stars come alive, and Kane’s feud with Bryan make more sense. Not making Punk to be a martyr, but to actually show how much he dragged the show down before he left and how in his absence, we are witnessing other guys step up.

Still do not understand why Batista vs Alberto Del Rio was not a squash. It would have worked better had when the bell rung, Batista recuperated, speared Del Rio and powerbombed not once, but twice. Del Rio has accomplished what he needs to and he didn’t need a strong showing last night. Batista did. Fans are not taking to Batista and a quick squash might have helped that.

Remember Cena saying on Austin’s podcast that he wants to help the new stars get over that hump? In one week, he helped Cesaro look like a player, and now he will be entering a feud with Bray Wyatt that could culminate in a possible Wrestlemania match.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but two wrestling personalities last night bothered me with their comments. Mick Foley has been annoying as of late. First with his criticism of returning stars taking another guys spot (referring to Batista). I didn’t hear him complain when The Rock came back and won the WWE Championship. Then with his message to fans about CM Punk’s departure and giving the impression on how he would “help”. Finally, last night begging WWE for a good show and being disappointed with the result of the Elimination Chamber match. Foley should know about this type of booking. He lived through it. He saw Austin and The Rock go through it. Konnan, the so-called Mexican “Hulk Hogan” also criticized the ending of the main event. Really Konnan? The guy who booked screwjob finish after screwjob finish every single time. The guy who made AAA unwatchable. Now we see why sometimes former wrestlers don’t have the best creative instincts.

Quick notes:
It looks like we are setting up for some kind of Fatal Four Way match for the Tag Team Championships at Wrestlemania....AJ Lee, whatever….That brogue kick through the pod to Randy Orton was awesome….Overall, a pretty good PPV which is what WWE needed to get us excited for Wrestlemania.

 

[MCMG]

Explain to me how DB will be at the Main Event in WM if Batista won the rumble.....

Hulk Hogan comes out. "Daniel Bryan, brother, deserves to be in the main-event of Wrestlemania, brother" Simple. Hogan gets an even bigger reaction; Bryan is in the main-event and Triple H is pissed.


Anyway, I thought this was a fantastic PPV. The Swagger/Big E match was pretty good as was the tag match. O'Neil vs Young was pretty dull but at least Titus got a big win. Batista had his first singles match in nearly four years which can't be a bad thing.

I really enjoyed the Elimination Chamber match. It was absolutely fantastic and all 6 guys delivered. I loved the ending. Cena vs Wyatt has been progressed. Bryan being cost the match was brilliant and Cole was brilliant. He ensured that we were all feeling for Bryan and it sounded very natural. Orton retaining was just; his title reign has been of a high quality.

The Wyatt Family vs The Shield stole the show. There was a lot of hype and it delivered. An awesome match and Ambrose disappearing was very smart. I really don't want The Shield to split and one more match between the stables would be greatly appreciated.

This was a great PPV. Two awesome matches and other decent filler. This is a massive month heading into Mania and there is buzz after a PPV which is good news.

 

[The Eighties]

I thought it was a good show, the 2 big matches delivered in spades and tore the house down.

Big E vs Swagger was a decent opener, WWE still need to work on really getting Big E over but the match itself was a good outing for both men.

The Usos vs The NAO was a bit flat, not terrible but The Usos have had better matches than this recently.

Titus vs Darren had no heat but I thought they worked hard and the match was ok, Titus finisher looked especially good.

The Shield vs The Wyatt's match was one of those rare occasions where a hugely hyped match not only meets expectations but surpasses them, and they did it within an actual tag format for the most part with only one gimmick spot. All 6 men shone here, everybody had a moment or two to stand out, it was wild, action packed and exciting.

AJ vs Cameron...I felt bad for AJ getting lumbered with this waste of space, Cameron is so overwhelmingly green as grass that she needs to avoid lawn mowers, Brie Bella looks like Trish Stratus in comparison.

Batista vs Bertie was hilarious, Bertie even tried the whole Lawler injured crutch attack trick and still couldn't get the crowd to cheer for Batista. Del Rio worked hard on offense, Batista looked rusty and sluggish, the crowd emptied the collective content of their assess on him.

The Chamber match ended the show on a high note though. The body of the match was superb, especially when Sheamus and Cesaro were beating the crap out of each other, to me Cesaro came out of the Chamber looking every bit a main event player, this was the perfect performance to follow up his matches with Orton and Cena. Sheamus going first was a bit of a surprise but the eliminations from there went as I expected.

The way they tied the two pieces of interference together worked well IMO, though I'd have liked to see something a bit different from The Wyatt's than what they did at the Rumble. I don't get the criticism for Orton though, he did everything a sneaky, ruthless scumbag heel should do in that type of match, showing how great working is about more than moves.

Are people really angry that Bryan didn't win? Mania is the place for his chase to come to it's conclusion and WWE showing all those crowd responses suggests they know it as well.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Good show last night.

I'm happy Cody and Goldust picked up the win over Ryback and Axel. It's Wrestlemania season, the WWE Network launched today, Undertaker will pop up soon enough, and Hulk Hogan is making his return to WWE tonight. A Cody/Goldust feud would be an afterthought underneath of a pile of more high profiled events, returns, and feuds. With a win last night, Cody and Goldust can work on regrouping as a team, and IF WWE decides to go with a Cody/Goldust feud, they can wait until after Mania.

Big E VS Jack Swagger surprised me. A strong title defense for Big E, and I'll guess they'll go with Henry VS Big E at Mania now.

The NAO VS The Usos was disappointing. The nostalgia buzz is still there for The NAO, but they can't rely on that for a lengthy reign. Hopefully, The Usos capture the gold at Wrestlemania, with The NAO disappearing after a failed effort in the rematch at Extreme Rules.

O'Neil VS Young was underwhelming. Titus picking up the win was the right move, because Titus has the brighter future, and the promo he cut on Raw last Monday was fantastic. Still, the match was nothing special, and this is not the right time for a heel turn and feud. We're officially in Wrestlemania season now, so heel Titus VS Young is on the bottom of the totem pole for anticipated feuds in WWE right now.

The Wyatts VS The Shield was amazing. It's an easy five star worthy match, and I was hooked in from beginning to end. A big time match living up to the hype is rare , but Wyatts VS Shield lived up to the enormous expectations. There's a good chance this is the last match we'll see with The Shield functioning as a team, and if that's true, The Shield had one hell of a send off last night.

Cameron was the most logical choice for Naomi's substitute, and AJ winning was a foregone conclusion. Forgettable match, but I'm interested in the possibility of AJ VS Tamina for the title. You have to believe Tamina will reach a boiling point with AJ's nasty attitude, and she'll attack her out of frustration to set up the one on one match.

I laughed all the way through Batista VS Del Rio, with the crowd taunting and heckling Batista. If it's Orton VS Batista one on one at Mania, Batista VS Del Rio gave us a little preview for the impending shit storm in six weeks.

The Chamber match was superb. A few highlights for me included Sheamus using the Brogue Kick to break into Orton's pod after he locked himself in again (reminded me of Goldberg doing the same thing to Triple H in 2003). The finish between Bryan and Orton was full of action and suspense, with Bryan gutting it out as the scrappy underdog. Although, I'll admit, I wanted to facepalm, when Kane showed up. When he stuck around the Chamber after forcing The Wyatts to leave, you knew Bryan wouldn't pass up the opportunity for some payback. Also, The Wyatts attacking Cena in the Chamber shocked the hell out of me, because I had a lot of trouble buying into Bray VS Cena actually happening at Wrestlemania.

 

[Sukkuth]

I haven't seen this anywhere, but does anyone know why we can't watch the Chamber from last night on WWE network?

 

[d_henderson1810]

After Daniel Bryan got pinned by Randy Orton, and lost the Elimination Chamber Match, Bad News Barrett should have appeared again for the night, hit his gavel and said:-

"I HAVE SOME BAD NEWS! DANIEL BRYAN WILL NOT MAIN-EVENT WRESTLEMANIA THIS YEAR!" and then laughs, as the PPV goes off air.

(Ha! Ha! to all of you who thought I would jump on the Daniel Bryan bandwagon)

 

[ASKane]

I am surprised very few said something like this for Royal Rumble. Imagine if Barrett was number 30 and his music hit and his music started by saying I Have Got Some Bad News For You and then a beat hit like his god save our queen music. As for chamber the best way to end it would have been to have Orton win clean as he is supposed to be the champion and face of the company but despite having the title for about 6 months he is still basically a transitional champion who is holding the belt till Batista or Bryan is ready. They need to build Orton as a believable champion.

 

[L@RISANO]

I am surprised very few said something like this for Royal Rumble. Imagine if Barrett was number 30 and his music hit and his music started by saying I Have Got Some Bad News For You and then a beat hit like his god save our queen music.

Quite a number of people including myself brought up BNB and being No.30 at the Royal Rumble, in a number of different ways as well from various posters.