This has been a weird and wild week from the WWE as far as their main roster shows are concerned and while I'm not terribly excited about this evening, some of the outside-the-ring incidents from this weekend have been interesting. Jimmy Uso and Naomi getting pulled over leading to a confrontation with police then ended with Uce getting arrested, and then the bomb getting dropped about an apparently years-long affair that Corey Graves has had with Carmella has made for some really wild news for WWE and a lot of spin their P.R. department have to work with. Anyway, let's talk about the kickoff show.
First off, it's interesting to see how Sam Roberts has become the heel kickoff personality. He's just so irritating to listen to; he's basically every white male wrestling podcaster and doesn't really have anything interesting to say unless he's insulting popular superstars.
Seeing The Bar and Heavy Machinery jaw-jack each other at the kickoff panel was just fucking weird.
And here's our first match, which, as predicted, is the Cruiserweight title match with champ Buddy Murphy defending against Akira Tozawa, and wow, it's wild hearing Aiden English on commentary, but I think I've finally really figured out why I don't watch 205 Live and don't really watch NXT UK, and that's Vic Joseph, who is just really the most banal announcer. And the fact that they cut to a picture-in-picture of Xavier Woods and Big E backstage during the fucking match is indicative of how little even WWE cares about this match, which is always a shame, because the Cruiserweight title matches are always fun to watch. That reverse 'rana from the middle turnbuckle was fantastic. The crowd chanting "This is awesome" is always a little great to hear during these Cruiserweight matches, because there were some fantastic spots here. The top-rope senton onto Murphy's back was just terrific, and that submission reversal into Murphy's Law was a good finish. So yeah, Murphy retained, meeting both my hopes and predictions! So I'm 1 for 1 tonight already!
Kevin Owens eating Hawaiian-Style pizza in his car. I think we need this dude back as soon as is humanly possible. And yeah, pineapple and Canadian bacon on pizza is pretty fucking great.
I'm familiar enough with Mark Henry to have seen him compete a few times but I'm the most familiar with his "retirement" promo, which is pretty goddamn fantastic. I'm with him too on The IIconics.
The opening video package with the Elimination Chamber apparently talking to the audience is kind of weird.
4:05 PM PST: I gotta tell you, I'm pissed as hell that the Women's Tag title Chamber match is the opening, but it was kind of expected. And I'm really shocked that Graves was allowed to be on commentary for this match after yesterday's revelations (or rumors, depending upon who you believe). Ooh, Peyton changed her hair color! It looks nice! And ugh, having to hear Graves drool once again over Mandy Rose... why is she constantly called the "Most Improved" female competitor? So she's not quite as bad as she was?
4:11 PM PST: But damn, that neckbreaker hit on Mandy when her leg was caught in the chamber wall; that was pretty impressive.
4:17 PM PST: Oops; Liv missed her spot for the Matrix duck-under and got caught pretty bad.
4:21 PM PST: Okay, IIconics; if you want people to start taking you seriously, time to stop screeching and start breaking people.
4:26 PM PST: I'm going to call it now: Tamina and Jax are going to be the last in.
4:29 PM PST: It's sooooo cringe-y to listen to Graves talking about Mella right now.
4:31 PM PST: It's time for an elimination already.
4:33 PM PST: The IIconics finally make an elimination over Fabulous Glow with a great double-team stack-up! I wonder if this weekend's events had anything to do with them being the first elimination.
4:34 PM PST: Nia Jax and Tamina are in, and I'm really praying no one gets hurt. I love The IIconics being the ones to hide in the pod.
4:36 PM PST: Nia and Tamina eliminate The IIconics with double Samoan Drops, so there goes both my Hopes and Predictions for this match.
4:37 PM PST: How did Logan kick out of a double-pin by both Sasha and Bayley?
4:39 PM PST: I'm starting to think Nia and Tamina are going to be the winners. Ugh.
4:40 PM PST: Nia and Tamina eliminate Riott Squad by an Avalanche Samoan Drop from Nia and a Splash by Tamina on Morgan.
4:41 PM PST: And if you didn't call Nia going through one of the pod doors, I don't know what to tell you.
4:42 PM PST: And everyone else eliminated Nia and Tamina by hitting a Meteora from Sasha and a Macho Man Diving Elbow from Bayley on Tamina and they all pin Tamina together.
4:44 PM PST: If Mandy and Sonya win now, I'll be flabbergasted.
4:46 PM PST: Good moment to have Bayley and Sasha to meet on top of the pod.
4:48 PM PST: HOLY SHIT, that was an awesome finish for Boss 'N Hug! Really clever and creative Bank Statement variant. So, yes, Sasha Banks and Bayley are the first Women's Tag champs!
4:50 PM PST: Who are the people booing this? That's just shitty.
4:52 PM PST: Really beautiful moment for Sasha, Bayley and Beth Phoenix is crying and I think I'm going to cry too.
4:53 PM PST: I'm actually not crying, but I did tear up a bit.
4:55 PM PST: So it's going to be the Smackdown Tag title match. So I got the order right on the 2nd match.
4:59 PM PST: MARYSE! And she looks terrific! And they're having another baby! I am such a mark for happy real-life things happening to those two!
5:02 PM PST: Not a particularly big pop for Jimmy and Jey.
5:04 PM PST: It's pretty clear who the fans are behind here tonight.
5:07 PM PST: Crowd seems pretty dead now. Fickle!
5:11 PM PST: It's not exactly a floatover DDT, but...
5:12 PM PST: Every single time I see Shane do a Coast-to-Coast, I think he's going to die.
5:16 PM PST: And a Leap of Faith through the table against Jey. And I think Shane really is dead now.
5:17 PM PST: And a pinning reversal after The Skull-Crushing Finale gives The Usos the win!!!! Well, that's very very unexpected. Again, both Hopes and Predictions are dashed... so I'm 1 for 3 tonight. I guess the weekend's news and the good news for Miz and Maryse would help decide the victor, but apparently not.
5:24 PM PST: And so we're going to get Finn Balor vs champion Bobby Lashley and his plus-one Lio Rush in their handicap match for the Intercontinental title. If their building up the possibility of Finn winning and Bobby turning on Lio, I hate that story. Bobby needs a mouthpiece.
5:34 PM PST: What the hell was going on with the ref there as Rush was trying to make the tag?
5:36 PM PST: Did Renee just say, "Suck on that"?
5:39 PM PST: FINN WINS!!!!!! FINN WINS!!!!!!!! FINN WINS!!!!!!!! FINN WINS!!!!!!! I'm 1 for 4, but I'm happy in the moment!!!!!!
5:41 PM PST: I did not want any of this to happen in regards to Finn winning here, but I really didn't want them to split up Lashley and Rush.
5:45 PM PST: And they're putting the match that should be the 2nd to last match as the lead into the Corbin/Strowman match. Although I can get it, because Becky Lynch is going to come in here, and the crowd is going to be popped out.
5:49 PM PST: Charlotte heeling it the fuck up with Charly in the ring and it's magical.
5:52 PM PST: Sonya Blade is in the hizzle!
5:55 PM PST: Well, that was very quick. Wow, Ruby got fucked. I mean, she really got done dirtier than anyone else who's been in a Championship match against Ronda. Even Alicia Fox got a better job done. Technically, it's 2 for 5, but it didn't happen the way I or probably anyone expected.
5:56 PM PST: THE MAN COMES AROUND... albeit on crutches. And there's no one to stop her, because they decided to put her on crutches. If she wasn't on crutches, she could at least fight off security or something.
5:58 PM PST: So Becky is the babyface Ciampa?
6:00 PM PST: And she goes off on Ronda!!! Wow!! And Ronda's bloodied!
6:01 PM PST: If they're trying to make Becky full heel, that's just stupid.
6:02 PM PST: And Corbin's music hits while the women are still in the ring. This match is likely going to be boring as hell.
6:11 PM PST: And Drew McIntyre is coming out to the ring with a chair. And then there's Bobby fucking Lashley to help out in the chair shots. Time is a flat circle.
6:16 PM PST: And the heel trio wins by a triple powerbomb through two tables. No Angle? So basically nothing that's happening is the best of the possible booking options. And fuck it. Vince is gonna Vince. So again, I'm kind of right but also wrong, because the Hopes and Predictions were right as far as the winner, but the booking was so easy to not fuck up and they did it anyway. So let's just call that 3 for 6.
6:22 PM PST: Why is Lacey Evans here? And WHY THE FUCK did she just come out and leave?
6:26 PM PST: I thought that Kofi would start against A.J., but I'm guessing they're going to save him for second to last now.
6:29 PM PST: This is not a time-specific comment, but this has been a real clusterfuck of a show for most of it. I don't know why they're scrapping so many storytelling opportunities. I'm not angry about some of the match results, but now there's not a clear direction for so many of the superstars except for Charlotte, Becky and Ronda.
6:34 PM PST: And Daniel Bryan is going to start against Joe, but he's cutting a promo first. Thank God.
6:35 PM PST: And they're ejecting Rowan right off the bat. That's interesting.
6:37 PM PST: I don't understand this booking at all to have D-Bry start off. If he or Joe were babyfaces, I'd get it but this doesn't make any sense. Well, it makes a little sense because it could make Bryan look strong against the bigger competitor.
6:43 PM PST: And it's Kofi in early!
6:46 PM PST: I think if we really take the pulse of the fans right now, it's going to be Kofi vs Daniel at Mania.
6:48 PM PST: A.J. is in, lighting up everyone.
6:52 PM PST: And Samoa Joe is eliminated via a Phenomenal Forearm.
6:53 PM PST: And Jeff Hardy is in. First off, why did they even bother with making it suspenseful for the countdown? We know Orton is out last. Secondly, why can't the fucking crowd actually ever count along right? They always speed it up.
6:55 PM PST: After hitting a Swanton Bomb from off a pod on Styles, draped over the top rope, Hardy got hit with a running knee from Bryan who eliminated him. So they brought him in, he hit his spots and he was out, and that's pretty much exactly how Hardy should be booked.
6:58 PM PST: Orton is in.
7:00 PM PST: Styles, going for the Phenomenal Forearm on Kofi, gets the RKO, and is eliminated. I just got food delivered, so no more live stuff. Sorry!
7:28 PM PST: So I'm done eating and the show has been over for about 7 or 8 minutes. Bryan retained over Kingston, who put on another great performance. He got a huge ovation from the crowd which was well-deserved. But it was also a strong showing for Bryan proving he could last that long. So while it wasn't my hope, it was definitely my prediction. So I end the night with a 4 for 7, which to me is shocking because it seemed like everything was a lock, with maybe some wiggle room I should have accounted for with the Women's Tag titles, because Bayley and Sasha were kind of the rational picks, but I guess I fantasy-booked this too hard.
Looking back on the night, there are things that happened that I should be much more excited about, especially Finn winning the IC title. And while I am very happy for him, I'm not as happy as I should be, because this title victory didn't feel as important as it should have. It felt like, "Well, we put him over pretty big on Raw that one night, and he did fight Brock, so give him a belt so he doesn't go to AEW". We know that's the truth, but it still just felt like he could only beat the littler guy and not the big guy and that's not great booking. It doesn't make Finn look terribly strong because he beat a guy he just beat two weeks ago. Ugh. This is really frustrating.
Then there's the meaninglessness of the Strowman/Corbin match. It shows how, in less than a year, they've effectively destroyed not only Strowman's credibility but any real character traits are boiled down to a catchphrase that has lost all its meaning. I know that Samoa Joe is his doppelganger on the Smackdown side, but at least Joe can cut promos like nobody's business. And why did this match happen? What purpose did it serve at a PPV? This was a midcard on a episode of Raw if ever I saw one. They could have had R-Truth defending his title against either Nakamura or Rusev, but I guess they're going to keep that one until at least Fastlane, and if that's a Mania match, expect it on the pre-show, especially if it's Rusev and Truth.
Then there was the ONE MINUTE AND FORTY-FIVE SECOND match (from bell to bell) between Ruby and Ronda. That's not a match; that's a funeral. You honestly think that Ruby could ever recover from this kind of loss any time soon? That she could really be taken seriously without some serious repackaging? I can't. Of all the matches that Ronda has had over the last year, this was the most egregious waste of time and talent that I have seen. And all to have more time to give heat to a rivalry and an angle that needs none of it. Everyone knows that Becky is coming for Ronda and Charlotte. For them to play up the kayfabe injury just doesn't makes good sense. You want Becky healthy but off TV. You want Charlotte to cut promos, and Ronda to stay away from everyone. This is the kind of stuff you trot out a month before Mania, not two months. I'm honestly afraid that people are going to start to suffer burnout from this angle and by the time Mania gets here, it will have lost a lot of its momentum from over-exposure, and while that might seem unlikely, it's happened before.
And McMiz dropping to The Usos makes sense that it's on a legit tag team, but as I've stated a number of times this week, this constant passing around of the Tag titles on Smackdown is getting boring. But if this carries into Mania, at least The Usos will be in a good Mania match.
The WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match was really solid, and the six days have given us what will likely be a career high-point for Kofi Kingston, but there's a part of me that feels really sad for Mustafa Ali, who Kofi owes this current push to. This booking was meant for Ali, but it's unlikely that Ali would have carried this story into this match, or carried this kind of momentum into Mania. Kofi, though, because of his decade-plus with WWE can carry this into a Mania match for the title. But this all begs the question as far as what plans they have in store for Styles come Mania. He's in a position to have a really awesome match, but the rivalry they seem to be building at this time is Styles vs Orton and that's a match I have no desire to see at all.
As far as the Women's Tag championship match was concerned, that kind of stole the show. It had real significance, and I can totally see why they gave it to Sasha and Bayley, who really would be the best babyfaces to give the post-match gravitas to this moment. And the match really worked and everyone really had a chance to shine. But I'm thinking that the first real contenders to the title are going to be The Riott Squad because I don't see it being The IIconics or Fire and Desire because I'm guessing one of those two teams are going to be in a massive multi-woman match for the SD Women's title at Mania.
Okay, well, that's my live reactions and recap of the Elimination Chamber! Don't forget to check back on Wednesday and Thursdays for my Raw and Smackdown Live recaps as well as my NXT recap! And tell your friends about this! It won't hurt!
Until next time, kids...
First off, it's interesting to see how Sam Roberts has become the heel kickoff personality. He's just so irritating to listen to; he's basically every white male wrestling podcaster and doesn't really have anything interesting to say unless he's insulting popular superstars.
Seeing The Bar and Heavy Machinery jaw-jack each other at the kickoff panel was just fucking weird.
And here's our first match, which, as predicted, is the Cruiserweight title match with champ Buddy Murphy defending against Akira Tozawa, and wow, it's wild hearing Aiden English on commentary, but I think I've finally really figured out why I don't watch 205 Live and don't really watch NXT UK, and that's Vic Joseph, who is just really the most banal announcer. And the fact that they cut to a picture-in-picture of Xavier Woods and Big E backstage during the fucking match is indicative of how little even WWE cares about this match, which is always a shame, because the Cruiserweight title matches are always fun to watch. That reverse 'rana from the middle turnbuckle was fantastic. The crowd chanting "This is awesome" is always a little great to hear during these Cruiserweight matches, because there were some fantastic spots here. The top-rope senton onto Murphy's back was just terrific, and that submission reversal into Murphy's Law was a good finish. So yeah, Murphy retained, meeting both my hopes and predictions! So I'm 1 for 1 tonight already!
Kevin Owens eating Hawaiian-Style pizza in his car. I think we need this dude back as soon as is humanly possible. And yeah, pineapple and Canadian bacon on pizza is pretty fucking great.
I'm familiar enough with Mark Henry to have seen him compete a few times but I'm the most familiar with his "retirement" promo, which is pretty goddamn fantastic. I'm with him too on The IIconics.
The opening video package with the Elimination Chamber apparently talking to the audience is kind of weird.
4:05 PM PST: I gotta tell you, I'm pissed as hell that the Women's Tag title Chamber match is the opening, but it was kind of expected. And I'm really shocked that Graves was allowed to be on commentary for this match after yesterday's revelations (or rumors, depending upon who you believe). Ooh, Peyton changed her hair color! It looks nice! And ugh, having to hear Graves drool once again over Mandy Rose... why is she constantly called the "Most Improved" female competitor? So she's not quite as bad as she was?
4:11 PM PST: But damn, that neckbreaker hit on Mandy when her leg was caught in the chamber wall; that was pretty impressive.
4:17 PM PST: Oops; Liv missed her spot for the Matrix duck-under and got caught pretty bad.
4:21 PM PST: Okay, IIconics; if you want people to start taking you seriously, time to stop screeching and start breaking people.
4:26 PM PST: I'm going to call it now: Tamina and Jax are going to be the last in.
4:29 PM PST: It's sooooo cringe-y to listen to Graves talking about Mella right now.
4:31 PM PST: It's time for an elimination already.
4:33 PM PST: The IIconics finally make an elimination over Fabulous Glow with a great double-team stack-up! I wonder if this weekend's events had anything to do with them being the first elimination.
4:34 PM PST: Nia Jax and Tamina are in, and I'm really praying no one gets hurt. I love The IIconics being the ones to hide in the pod.
4:36 PM PST: Nia and Tamina eliminate The IIconics with double Samoan Drops, so there goes both my Hopes and Predictions for this match.
4:37 PM PST: How did Logan kick out of a double-pin by both Sasha and Bayley?
4:39 PM PST: I'm starting to think Nia and Tamina are going to be the winners. Ugh.
4:40 PM PST: Nia and Tamina eliminate Riott Squad by an Avalanche Samoan Drop from Nia and a Splash by Tamina on Morgan.
4:41 PM PST: And if you didn't call Nia going through one of the pod doors, I don't know what to tell you.
4:42 PM PST: And everyone else eliminated Nia and Tamina by hitting a Meteora from Sasha and a Macho Man Diving Elbow from Bayley on Tamina and they all pin Tamina together.
4:44 PM PST: If Mandy and Sonya win now, I'll be flabbergasted.
4:46 PM PST: Good moment to have Bayley and Sasha to meet on top of the pod.
4:48 PM PST: HOLY SHIT, that was an awesome finish for Boss 'N Hug! Really clever and creative Bank Statement variant. So, yes, Sasha Banks and Bayley are the first Women's Tag champs!
4:50 PM PST: Who are the people booing this? That's just shitty.
4:52 PM PST: Really beautiful moment for Sasha, Bayley and Beth Phoenix is crying and I think I'm going to cry too.
4:53 PM PST: I'm actually not crying, but I did tear up a bit.
4:55 PM PST: So it's going to be the Smackdown Tag title match. So I got the order right on the 2nd match.
4:59 PM PST: MARYSE! And she looks terrific! And they're having another baby! I am such a mark for happy real-life things happening to those two!
5:02 PM PST: Not a particularly big pop for Jimmy and Jey.
5:04 PM PST: It's pretty clear who the fans are behind here tonight.
5:07 PM PST: Crowd seems pretty dead now. Fickle!
5:11 PM PST: It's not exactly a floatover DDT, but...
5:12 PM PST: Every single time I see Shane do a Coast-to-Coast, I think he's going to die.
5:16 PM PST: And a Leap of Faith through the table against Jey. And I think Shane really is dead now.
5:17 PM PST: And a pinning reversal after The Skull-Crushing Finale gives The Usos the win!!!! Well, that's very very unexpected. Again, both Hopes and Predictions are dashed... so I'm 1 for 3 tonight. I guess the weekend's news and the good news for Miz and Maryse would help decide the victor, but apparently not.
5:24 PM PST: And so we're going to get Finn Balor vs champion Bobby Lashley and his plus-one Lio Rush in their handicap match for the Intercontinental title. If their building up the possibility of Finn winning and Bobby turning on Lio, I hate that story. Bobby needs a mouthpiece.
5:34 PM PST: What the hell was going on with the ref there as Rush was trying to make the tag?
5:36 PM PST: Did Renee just say, "Suck on that"?
5:39 PM PST: FINN WINS!!!!!! FINN WINS!!!!!!!! FINN WINS!!!!!!!! FINN WINS!!!!!!! I'm 1 for 4, but I'm happy in the moment!!!!!!
5:41 PM PST: I did not want any of this to happen in regards to Finn winning here, but I really didn't want them to split up Lashley and Rush.
5:45 PM PST: And they're putting the match that should be the 2nd to last match as the lead into the Corbin/Strowman match. Although I can get it, because Becky Lynch is going to come in here, and the crowd is going to be popped out.
5:49 PM PST: Charlotte heeling it the fuck up with Charly in the ring and it's magical.
5:52 PM PST: Sonya Blade is in the hizzle!
5:55 PM PST: Well, that was very quick. Wow, Ruby got fucked. I mean, she really got done dirtier than anyone else who's been in a Championship match against Ronda. Even Alicia Fox got a better job done. Technically, it's 2 for 5, but it didn't happen the way I or probably anyone expected.
5:56 PM PST: THE MAN COMES AROUND... albeit on crutches. And there's no one to stop her, because they decided to put her on crutches. If she wasn't on crutches, she could at least fight off security or something.
5:58 PM PST: So Becky is the babyface Ciampa?
6:00 PM PST: And she goes off on Ronda!!! Wow!! And Ronda's bloodied!
6:01 PM PST: If they're trying to make Becky full heel, that's just stupid.
6:02 PM PST: And Corbin's music hits while the women are still in the ring. This match is likely going to be boring as hell.
6:11 PM PST: And Drew McIntyre is coming out to the ring with a chair. And then there's Bobby fucking Lashley to help out in the chair shots. Time is a flat circle.
6:16 PM PST: And the heel trio wins by a triple powerbomb through two tables. No Angle? So basically nothing that's happening is the best of the possible booking options. And fuck it. Vince is gonna Vince. So again, I'm kind of right but also wrong, because the Hopes and Predictions were right as far as the winner, but the booking was so easy to not fuck up and they did it anyway. So let's just call that 3 for 6.
6:22 PM PST: Why is Lacey Evans here? And WHY THE FUCK did she just come out and leave?
6:26 PM PST: I thought that Kofi would start against A.J., but I'm guessing they're going to save him for second to last now.
6:29 PM PST: This is not a time-specific comment, but this has been a real clusterfuck of a show for most of it. I don't know why they're scrapping so many storytelling opportunities. I'm not angry about some of the match results, but now there's not a clear direction for so many of the superstars except for Charlotte, Becky and Ronda.
6:34 PM PST: And Daniel Bryan is going to start against Joe, but he's cutting a promo first. Thank God.
6:35 PM PST: And they're ejecting Rowan right off the bat. That's interesting.
6:37 PM PST: I don't understand this booking at all to have D-Bry start off. If he or Joe were babyfaces, I'd get it but this doesn't make any sense. Well, it makes a little sense because it could make Bryan look strong against the bigger competitor.
6:43 PM PST: And it's Kofi in early!
6:46 PM PST: I think if we really take the pulse of the fans right now, it's going to be Kofi vs Daniel at Mania.
6:48 PM PST: A.J. is in, lighting up everyone.
6:52 PM PST: And Samoa Joe is eliminated via a Phenomenal Forearm.
6:53 PM PST: And Jeff Hardy is in. First off, why did they even bother with making it suspenseful for the countdown? We know Orton is out last. Secondly, why can't the fucking crowd actually ever count along right? They always speed it up.
6:55 PM PST: After hitting a Swanton Bomb from off a pod on Styles, draped over the top rope, Hardy got hit with a running knee from Bryan who eliminated him. So they brought him in, he hit his spots and he was out, and that's pretty much exactly how Hardy should be booked.
6:58 PM PST: Orton is in.
7:00 PM PST: Styles, going for the Phenomenal Forearm on Kofi, gets the RKO, and is eliminated. I just got food delivered, so no more live stuff. Sorry!
7:28 PM PST: So I'm done eating and the show has been over for about 7 or 8 minutes. Bryan retained over Kingston, who put on another great performance. He got a huge ovation from the crowd which was well-deserved. But it was also a strong showing for Bryan proving he could last that long. So while it wasn't my hope, it was definitely my prediction. So I end the night with a 4 for 7, which to me is shocking because it seemed like everything was a lock, with maybe some wiggle room I should have accounted for with the Women's Tag titles, because Bayley and Sasha were kind of the rational picks, but I guess I fantasy-booked this too hard.
Looking back on the night, there are things that happened that I should be much more excited about, especially Finn winning the IC title. And while I am very happy for him, I'm not as happy as I should be, because this title victory didn't feel as important as it should have. It felt like, "Well, we put him over pretty big on Raw that one night, and he did fight Brock, so give him a belt so he doesn't go to AEW". We know that's the truth, but it still just felt like he could only beat the littler guy and not the big guy and that's not great booking. It doesn't make Finn look terribly strong because he beat a guy he just beat two weeks ago. Ugh. This is really frustrating.
Then there's the meaninglessness of the Strowman/Corbin match. It shows how, in less than a year, they've effectively destroyed not only Strowman's credibility but any real character traits are boiled down to a catchphrase that has lost all its meaning. I know that Samoa Joe is his doppelganger on the Smackdown side, but at least Joe can cut promos like nobody's business. And why did this match happen? What purpose did it serve at a PPV? This was a midcard on a episode of Raw if ever I saw one. They could have had R-Truth defending his title against either Nakamura or Rusev, but I guess they're going to keep that one until at least Fastlane, and if that's a Mania match, expect it on the pre-show, especially if it's Rusev and Truth.
Then there was the ONE MINUTE AND FORTY-FIVE SECOND match (from bell to bell) between Ruby and Ronda. That's not a match; that's a funeral. You honestly think that Ruby could ever recover from this kind of loss any time soon? That she could really be taken seriously without some serious repackaging? I can't. Of all the matches that Ronda has had over the last year, this was the most egregious waste of time and talent that I have seen. And all to have more time to give heat to a rivalry and an angle that needs none of it. Everyone knows that Becky is coming for Ronda and Charlotte. For them to play up the kayfabe injury just doesn't makes good sense. You want Becky healthy but off TV. You want Charlotte to cut promos, and Ronda to stay away from everyone. This is the kind of stuff you trot out a month before Mania, not two months. I'm honestly afraid that people are going to start to suffer burnout from this angle and by the time Mania gets here, it will have lost a lot of its momentum from over-exposure, and while that might seem unlikely, it's happened before.
And McMiz dropping to The Usos makes sense that it's on a legit tag team, but as I've stated a number of times this week, this constant passing around of the Tag titles on Smackdown is getting boring. But if this carries into Mania, at least The Usos will be in a good Mania match.
The WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match was really solid, and the six days have given us what will likely be a career high-point for Kofi Kingston, but there's a part of me that feels really sad for Mustafa Ali, who Kofi owes this current push to. This booking was meant for Ali, but it's unlikely that Ali would have carried this story into this match, or carried this kind of momentum into Mania. Kofi, though, because of his decade-plus with WWE can carry this into a Mania match for the title. But this all begs the question as far as what plans they have in store for Styles come Mania. He's in a position to have a really awesome match, but the rivalry they seem to be building at this time is Styles vs Orton and that's a match I have no desire to see at all.
As far as the Women's Tag championship match was concerned, that kind of stole the show. It had real significance, and I can totally see why they gave it to Sasha and Bayley, who really would be the best babyfaces to give the post-match gravitas to this moment. And the match really worked and everyone really had a chance to shine. But I'm thinking that the first real contenders to the title are going to be The Riott Squad because I don't see it being The IIconics or Fire and Desire because I'm guessing one of those two teams are going to be in a massive multi-woman match for the SD Women's title at Mania.
Okay, well, that's my live reactions and recap of the Elimination Chamber! Don't forget to check back on Wednesday and Thursdays for my Raw and Smackdown Live recaps as well as my NXT recap! And tell your friends about this! It won't hurt!
Until next time, kids...
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