WWE Elimination Chamber 2018

[fakeplastictrees]

I don't see the CW title being on WM. When Neville was doing the best work in his career---he was placed on the pre-show with Aries. I don't see this changing this year. The CWs have been working in nearly empty arenas and small crowds for a long time. It would be nice for two of the guys to be able to make Mania proper and have 80,000 people (hopefully) engaged.

 

As far as Braun is concerned, I have read that Braun may face The Miz at WM. That match does nothing for me. There is no one on the Raw roster (that isn't potentially already booked for Mania) that excites me as it relates to a possible Strowman showdown. Because of this, I would like to see Strowman vs. Orton. They have never faced one-on-one. It would be fresh and give both marks and smarks something to cheer for. A fresh match for both that will serve as resume padding for Strowman.

 

 

I think the political hit stuff is pretty funny, too.

 

Anyway, I get Reigns produces all the time, but after the second or third time that he hits February getting pushed over a guy who is clearly more over, there's something endemically broken about it all.

 

I agree with this. I like Roman, but the repositioning comes off as desperate. There are so many cold acts in WWE right now ( Wyatt, Ziggler, etc.) that Reigns running through them just makes sense and should be something that actually happens for an entire year. Going toe-to-toe with guys who are more over (Elias, Strowman, Miz, etc.) isn't helping Reigns. For the last four years or so it feels like Reigns is taking a Mania spot that should honestly go to someone else. Its sad because the guy has all the talent, but the company has purposely set him up to become Cena 2.0.

[KawadaSmile]

For the last four years or so it feels like Reigns is taking a Mania spot that should honestly go to someone else.

Wait, what?

 

• Wrestlemania 31 he had a gigantic main event against Brock after winning the Royal Rumble (which people fucking hated because Daniel Bryan didn't win and they booked Kane and Big Show - at his worst - to take out most guys people liked). Supposedly he was going to win the match but they called an audible and had Rollins cash in, leading to a horrible title reign. Reigns spends most of the year making the most out of miserable feuds until he finally gets the title at Survivor Series, losing it shortly after. Finishes the year feuding with Sheamus/The Authority/Vince
• Goes into Royal Rumble 2016 as champ as a consequence of feuding with Vince. Whoever wins the Rumble, wins the belt. Hunter dumps him out, and then dumps Ambrose getting his 14th world title reign. Then he proceeds to make Reigns look like a fool for most of their feud (that's where the political hit came into play) and they seem to finally set that shit at Wrestlemania 32. All seemed right at that point, specially because he had that amazing feud with AJ (that they need to revisit at some point, please) afterwards.
• 2017! He has the horrible task of going against Undertaker for his last match (at least it seems like it) and spends the first part of the year setting up that feud which had no way of being anything but the main event of Wrestlemania 33, given that it was the wrestling equivalent of Old Yeller. When Brock beat Taker at WM30 it almost killed the show, so no way it could be placed anywhere else 3 years later. Afterwards, he spends the rest of the year turning Braun into a megastar.

 

So, like, the only year that you could make the case that he shouldn't be on the main event is this one., but even then, they made it pretty clear, going back to 2016 or maybe even earlier, that Roman/Lesnar were not done with each other.

[Beast]

You're describing his booking, as he was booked to be in main event storylines leading up to WrestleMania each year. I believe the argument is he shouldn't have been booked to be in those spots in the first place. Each year there have been wrestlers the fans have organically gotten behind that have been pushed aside when WrestleMania season hits because Reigns HAS to be in a major match.

 

I'll add that nothing he's done storyline-wise since 2015's Lesnar match has made me want to see them fight again. Let's not confuse a match that's been planned for over a year with one that has a well-thought-out story behind it. This is literally just, "We planned Roman-Brock 2 for this year so we're doing Roman-Brock 2".

 

It's the tale of organic pushes versus forced pushes. It's amazing the Reigns saga has gone on for so many years already with the same thing happening over and over again. He's not going to magically be the "top dog" that people accept as the face of the company after he beats Brock and ends WrestleMania standing tall to a mixed reaction for the third year in a row.

[SmartMark15]

I seem to be one of the few that preferred the BRAUN STROWMAN MURDER HOUR more than the women's chamber match. I thought it was a lot of fun especially with Braun murdering folks and kicking out of everything.

[iamthedoctor]

I really hated how apart from Roman they let Braun just beat everone.

 

Should have been more realistic if everyone teamed up to eliminate him.

[WingedEagle]

I don't understand why they don't slot Braun into the Ronda tag. If they're high enough on him to lay out the title challenger after he wins the Chamber, give him the rub of working with Rousey and the McMahons. Much more interesting than any non-Rock option.

[Matt D]

He screams pro wrestling and is everything casuals would expect in a good way.

[Mad Dog]

I really don't give a shit about Lesnar/Reigns. They kind of stumbled into all of these interesting avenues and combinations of guys that had more interesting feuds. They really have done nothing to make you more excited for that particular match. I would be more interested in a main event with Lesnar/Braun, Lesnar/Joe, Joe/Reigns or Braun/Reigns as the match. But you know, those guys actually interacted and had good segments or matches with each other over the last year.

[Jimmy Redman]

Welcome everyone to the first ever women's only PPV (at least the way Im watching it). I'm not anticipating any Rumble hysterics from me, but I'm genuinely spoiler free right now and flying so who knows.

 

Before the Chamber Cole managed to say "first time ever" three times in the same sentence.

 

This new Chamber is bullshit. I miss the sliding door with the chain and padlock that the refs had to fumble with on camera.

 

Mickie James is amazing. Also I care marginally more about Sonya Deville now that I know she's a big gaybo because I gotta support the team and frankly they should make a bigger deal out of her being an out wrestler in WWE. But I'm on a huge gay women in sport phase of my life so maybe it's just me.

 

More proper working door bullshit.

 

The creepy video game cursor lighting inside the pods is gross. Please stop. Take me back. Get off my lawn. I don't even care that it's safer, I'm happy for them that it's safer. I care that it's goofy looking.

 

So the Match itself.

 

ZJDBCOEKFKFKSMDJCKSKDNSKLSMDLDLSKODLSKSKSKCLSMDKLDXSMSLKDSLMEDLDKSLDDSKDKFJSKFKSKFKFKFKDKDKFKDKDKFKDKDMXNSKSKCMSODKDMDKSKSK

 

I was super wrong because I'm losing it here. I don't know what kind of shit Mandy Rose talked about Sasha's Momma or what kind of shit Sasha talked about Mickie's Momma or what kind of shit anyone talked about anyone's Momma because some bitches were absolutely fucking murked with shit tonight and punching some fuckers so hard in their beautiful fucking faces I mean I expected Sasha to die in this thing I just didn't expect her cause of death to be Mickie James 38 yo Mother of One decapitating her with a super kick and even Bayley went like full Takeover Respect and since when in the fuck has Mandy Rose been that good and how the fuck can you not want Sasha Banks to win every wrestling match on earth also she's still going through character development that began in like 2014 also I am a teeny tiny super bit relieved that she's still alive

 

So when Alexa Bliss was wiping away tears cutting a babyface promo and getting You Deserve It chants I FUCKING. LOST. IT. because I knew she was going to turn on those galahs like a motherfucker and then she sho turned on those galahs like a motherfucker because ALEXA BLISS HATES ALL YOU STUPID ASSHOLES DON'T YOU GET IT. Five gazmillion stars.

 

They should heat Nia Jax back up soon but if she wins here I'm never watching wrestling again. I'm cancelling Wrestlemania. I'm cancelling America.

 

Stepping on the mask was cool but.

 

I wish I had the French commentators. Lucky ElP.

 

SKFKDKFNFLFKDLKDKSDKLSDKDKMKDKXKDMDKDKDKDKDKDKDKDMFKDLSKDLSKDKDJDIDKDJFKFKDJDKDKDKDKDKFKDLLSKDLSDKLSLWKSKDKSKSLDKDLEMLDKDKEKDKDKS

 

THAT WAS THE BEST MATCH OF NIA'S LIFE THAT WAS LIKE THE WORLD'S BEST REY MYSTERIO VS MARK HENRY BUT REY IS A CRAZY MURDEROUS JAPANESE LADY AND I KIND OF WANT TO FUCK THE SHIT OUT OF MARK HENRY

 

SIX TRISQUILLION AND A QUARTER STARS

 

OK the video of Ronda that merged together MMA and wrestling training footage was badass. Even though I understand why she has to have a Gaga Steph match first I also kind of wish she didn't have to have a Gaga Steph match first and she could just debut and steamroll through folk sight unseen like the Terminator it would be so cool. It would be like...well, her MMA career. Yeah you're right Vince that would never get over.

 

Imagine how dope Ronda vs Baszler is gonna be at WM 2020.

 

I had never seen someone more visibly excited to be in a wrestling ring than Sasha Banks' entire career until I saw Ronda Rousey crying with joy about being in a fucking Contract Signing seg.

 

I am all in for Ronda having a Festus gimmick where the ringing bell makes her go from smiling to killer except its not a ringing bell it's Kurt Angle spilling the tea.

 

YASSSS FUCK HER UP GAGA! WOAH FUCK HIM UP TOO! Haha he's going to go this BIBAHAHAHAHAHAHA THROUGH THE TABLE! GOD AS MY WITNESS HE'S BROKEN IN HALF! YASSSS FUCK HIM THE FUCK UP YO I TAKE IT BACK I TAKE IT ALL BACK THE ALMIGHTY HUNTOR HAS SPENT HIS WHOLE CAREER BURYING THE SHIT OUT OF EVERY WRESTLER ON EARTH AND HUNTORING ALL OVER THE PLACE JUST TO PUT OVER A GIRL HAHAHAHAHAHAHA I SWEAR I WILL HAPPILY SIT THROUGH A 20 MIN HUNTOR MATCH IF IT'S 20 MINS OF RONDA AMPUTATING ALL OF HIS LIMBS AND FEEDING THEM TO HIM HAHAHA

 

YOU FUCKED UP YOU FUCKED UP

 

Steph sweetie Ronda is going to beat up your gigantic fucking shitty husband for fun. You will be the toothpick.

 

I can't wait for Mania now.

 

Ronda *smiles*

Kurt: Hunter talked shit bout yo moms

Ronda *does not smile*

Hunter *is summarily executed*

 

That was a great show.

[Jimmy Redman]

Welcome everyone to the first ever women's only PPV (at least the way Im watching it). I'm not anticipating any Rumble hysterics from me, but I'm genuinely spoiler free right now and flying so who knows.

 

Before the Chamber Cole managed to say "first time ever" three times in the same sentence.

 

This new Chamber is bullshit. I miss the sliding door with the chain and padlock that the refs had to fumble with on camera.

 

Mickie James is amazing. Also I care marginally more about Sonya Deville now that I know she's a big gaybo because I gotta support the team and frankly they should make a bigger deal out of her being an out wrestler in WWE. But I'm on a huge gay women in sport phase of my life so maybe it's just me.

 

More proper working door bullshit.

 

The creepy video game cursor lighting inside the pods is gross. Please stop. Take me back. Get off my lawn. I don't even care that it's safer, I'm happy for them that it's safer. I care that it's goofy looking.

 

So the Match itself.

 

ZJDBCOEKFKFKSMDJCKSKDNSKLSMDLDLSKODLSKSKSKCLSMDKLDXSMSLKDSLMEDLDKSLDDSKDKFJSKFKSKFKFKFKDKDKFKDKDKFKDKDMXNSKSKCMSODKDMDKSKSK

 

I was super wrong because I'm losing it here. I don't know what kind of shit Mandy Rose talked about Sasha's Momma or what kind of shit Sasha talked about Mickie's Momma or what kind of shit anyone talked about anyone's Momma because some bitches were absolutely fucking murked with shit tonight and punching some fuckers so hard in their beautiful fucking faces I mean I expected Sasha to die in this thing I just didn't expect her cause of death to be Mickie James 38 yo Mother of One decapitating her with a super kick and even Bayley went like full Takeover Respect and since when in the fuck has Mandy Rose been that good and how the fuck can you not want Sasha Banks to win every wrestling match on earth also she's still going through character development that began in like 2014 also I am a teeny tiny super bit relieved that she's still alive

 

So when Alexa Bliss was wiping away tears cutting a babyface promo and getting You Deserve It chants I FUCKING. LOST. IT. because I knew she was going to turn on those galahs like a motherfucker and then she sho turned on those galahs like a motherfucker because ALEXA BLISS HATES ALL YOU STUPID ASSHOLES DON'T YOU GET IT. Five gazmillion stars.

 

They should heat Nia Jax back up soon but if she wins here I'm never watching wrestling again. I'm cancelling Wrestlemania. I'm cancelling America.

 

Stepping on the mask was cool but.

 

I wish I had the French commentators. Lucky ElP.

 

SKFKDKFNFLFKDLKDKSDKLSDKDKMKDKXKDMDKDKDKDKDKDKDKDMFKDLSKDLSKDKDJDIDKDJFKFKDJDKDKDKDKDKFKDLLSKDLSDKLSLWKSKDKSKSLDKDLEMLDKDKEKDKDKS

 

THAT WAS THE BEST MATCH OF NIA'S LIFE THAT WAS LIKE THE WORLD'S BEST REY MYSTERIO VS MARK HENRY BUT REY IS A CRAZY MURDEROUS JAPANESE LADY AND I KIND OF WANT TO FUCK THE SHIT OUT OF MARK HENRY

 

SIX TRISQUILLION AND A QUARTER STARS

 

OK the video of Ronda that merged together MMA and wrestling training footage was badass. Even though I understand why she has to have a Gaga Steph match first I also kind of wish she didn't have to have a Gaga Steph match first and she could just debut and steamroll through folk sight unseen like the Terminator it would be so cool. It would be like...well, her MMA career. Yeah you're right Vince that would never get over.

 

Imagine how dope Ronda vs Baszler is gonna be at WM 2020.

 

I had never seen someone more visibly excited to be in a wrestling ring than Sasha Banks' entire career until I saw Ronda Rousey crying with joy about being in a fucking Contract Signing seg.

 

I am all in for Ronda having a Festus gimmick where the ringing bell makes her go from smiling to killer except its not a ringing bell it's Kurt Angle spilling the tea.

 

YASSSS FUCK HER UP GAGA! WOAH FUCK HIM UP TOO! Haha he's going to go this BIBAHAHAHAHAHAHA THROUGH THE TABLE! GOD AS MY WITNESS HE'S BROKEN IN HALF! YASSSS FUCK HIM THE FUCK UP YO I TAKE IT BACK I TAKE IT ALL BACK THE ALMIGHTY HUNTOR HAS SPENT HIS WHOLE CAREER BURYING THE SHIT OUT OF EVERY WRESTLER ON EARTH AND HUNTORING ALL OVER THE PLACE JUST TO PUT OVER A GIRL HAHAHAHAHAHAHA I SWEAR I WILL HAPPILY SIT THROUGH A 20 MIN HUNTOR MATCH IF IT'S 20 MINS OF RONDA AMPUTATING ALL OF HIS LIMBS AND FEEDING THEM TO HIM HAHAHA

 

YOU FUCKED UP YOU FUCKED UP

 

Steph sweetie Ronda is going to beat up your gigantic fucking shitty husband for fun. You will be the toothpick.

 

I can't wait for Mania now.

 

Ronda *smiles*

Kurt: Hunter talked shit bout yo moms

Ronda *does not smile*

Hunter *is summarily executed*

 

That was a great show.

[Stiva]

I haven't seen it yet but I'm kinda surprised they made Ronda talk when she's, by all accounts, never been comfortable or great at it. That's something they used to be way more protective of. Her punking out Hunter is a good spot though, even if I have no interest in whatever it's building to.

 

EDIT: Just watched it and it's clear that the crowd are super into Ronda which is great. But Stephanie is absolutely the shittiest Vince clone ever. Though HHH has found his calling as the world's best 1998 Sgt Slaughter impersonator.

[Edwin]

https://twitter.com/cainmma/status/967981021689012224

[FMKK]

I don't see what was all that wrong with Ronda's promo. Yeah she was stilted a bit and it didn't sound like a pro wrestling promo but I thought it came off more like she was thinking about what she was saying rather than 'performing' or being scripted. Like in an interview on TV. She'll get better in time hopefully but really she's fine.

[Blehschmidt]

I have to agree. I think once she gets all of her giddy "OMG, I'm in WWE, this is awesome" deer in headlights stuff out of her system, she'll be fine.

 

Is she gonna be Piper, probably not, but I think she'll be able to hold her own.

[WingedEagle]

I have to agree. I think once she gets all of her giddy "OMG, I'm in WWE, this is awesome" deer in headlights stuff out of her system, she'll be fine.

 

Is she gonna be Piper, probably not, but I think she'll be able to hold her own.

 

She might, or she might not. I just don't think its prudent to put her in the position of cutting promos as a deer in the headlights if the goal is to make her a regular, long-term part of the company rather than a one shot.

[fakeplastictrees]

I am not sure why Ronda's promo is getting hate. She came off nature and not forced. WWE needs more of this and less of the "Sufferin Succotash~!" non-sense. Ronda's promo had realistic phases:

 

1. Happy to be here!

2. Thankful for the opportunity!

3. Hey what's going on here? (coming to terms that she IS in fact in WWE)

4. Done talking.

5. Ass kicking mode.

 

It all transitioned pretty well to me and didn't come off too forced at all. I can see how the "Aw-shucks" folksy bullshit rubs people the wrong way (especially with anything involving Stephanie and/or The Women's Revolution), but it worked in this case. I think Ronda has enough clout for WWE not to push her to do 20 minute HHH style promos. Hell, even HHH can barely do a 20 minute HHH style promo.

[WingedEagle]

Perhaps that would've been the case for the introduction of a fresh character. Her presentation and promo has seemed entirely inconsistent with Ronda Rousey, ass kicking MMA machine, which is the character and personality that presumably motivated the company to make such an investment in and commitment to Ronda. Why try to reinvent a character when that character is exactly what you're supposedly buying?

[KawadaSmile]

I think it kinda worked, as awry as it went at points.

 

She wasn't really a huge asshole to Dana White while she was on UFC, right? No reason why she should've been an asshole to Trips and Steph, so it's only natural that she was more polite, less angry. Then after all the elements came to light, she turned into the ass kicking machine.

 

It worked pretty well, I'd say. She got a huge pop in the end and the crowd was happy.

[sek69]

In the course of one promo she went from marking out fangirl, to "wait, what?" when Kurt started stooging, to full MURDERDEATHKILL mode when Steph slapped her. For someone doing their first promo in front of a crowd it went as well as can be expected.

 

The best part that hasn't been given enough love is after the slap and the crowd chanting "YOU FUCKED UP" was the look on Steph's face when she realized that she in fact has indeed fucked up. I'm sure it will be reconned in WWE history that it was the plan all along, but Steph getting her ass beat after all the years of her emasculating the talent will blow the roof off the Superdome.

[Matt D]

In the course of one promo she went from marking out fangirl, to "wait, what?" when Kurt started stooging, to full MURDERDEATHKILL mode when Steph slapped her. For someone doing their first promo in front of a crowd it went as well as can be expected.

 

The best part that hasn't been given enough love is after the slap and the crowd chanting "YOU FUCKED UP" was the look on Steph's face when she realized that she in fact has indeed fucked up. I'm sure it will be reconned in WWE history that it was the plan all along, but Steph getting her ass beat after all the years of her emasculating the talent will blow the roof off the Superdome.

Wasnt that the bump she took at Mania XXX?

[Ricky Jackson]

It all turned out fine last night and it was great, but there was that brief moment when she first started talking where she was nervous as fuck and I thought the crowd was going to turn on her hard

[El-P]

I wish I had the French commentators. Lucky ElP.

 

Yep. Chris Agius cracked me up again on several occasions.

 

Well. The Women's EC was a slow builder. Bailey was certainly positioned as the Arn of the thing. Not stellar in-ring work at first, but it was so well booked with basically a Wargame dynamic that it didn't matter. Plus it built and built and built. Sasha was the clear MVP. Mickie James had a terrific showing in there. Mandy is gonna go places. And damn, Alexa's chickenshit heel stuff running of Sasha & Bailey was terrific. As was Sasha's kick of doom. Such a terrific heel move. The work only got better as it went, terrific match in the end. And also, a terrific promo which had Bliss make the audience swallow their own stupid "You deserve it!" chant (toward a heel, fucking millenials wuss).

 

The tag match was ok. The Bar are so solid they can work an ok match against a bunch of tools. No heat ? Guess what, who the fuck wants to see Titus do a hot tag ? Appolo does moves well. Dana Brooks is going for sluttiest Alexandra York ever, which really doesn't fit the gimmick, especially if they are suppose to be babyfaces.

 

Nia vs Asuka was good, but really I'm underwhelmed as all hell by Nia, who's got the easiest job in the world and isn't very good at it still. Her offense looks sloppy (and not in a Bull Nakano way), her selling his shit (she comes back way too quick from everything), she's not projecting "heel monster" at all. Asuka did a terrific job making her look better than she actually is, but really... I can't praise that level of work when I'm watching Amazing Kong circa 2008 at the same time. The post-match was kinda stupid. Do they really need to protect Nia that much ?

 

(Is it me or Charlotte kinda looks like an afterthought with all this happening with the other women ?)

 

Marr Hardy vs Bray Wyatt was fast. Very fast. At least that's how it went with me.

 

The whole Rousey stuff was a great angle. Hey, at least she sounded natural (as in "talking like a real person") on the mic at first. Angle made the whole angle (pun intended), but for once, Trip & Steph actually went with it. I wonder why... hum.... Since they have showed before they are actually able when they are willing, like with the Daniel Bryan program, it may actually be really fun. The "You fucked up !" chant was classic. I have zero connection with Rousey (hell, I never even knew how she looked like before she showed up in the WWE) yet they made me care. So that's a success.

 

The Men's EC... What a snoozefest. Elias pre-match promo was the highlight. This demonstrated how much the new Chamber really negates the whole gimmick, as they barely did anything with it before the very end. Plus it was the first real self-conscious epic Chamber's match. They really totally lost me by the point Elias had to get in. Braun's monster stint wasn't that impressive. And Roman bores the fuck out of me, big time, both as a worker and a character. Of course there's no heat at all, because it was a given he was winning, despite no one wanting that result. Braun isn't a monster because he kicks out of a thousand finisher, he's a monster because he kills people and destroys shit. But with the stupid state of mind that "epic = kicking out of finishers", we get this kind of overlong, drawn out, snail pace ending stretch with "epic" kick-outs (which aren't because all predictable) instead of simply Braun destroying one pod after the other and busting people up. Way too much cutesy spots too, since the match was basically a multi-man match inside the ring, with tons of awkward positioning and people selling for way too long to set up a "cool" spot. The post-match was really, really redondant with Nia busting up Asuka... Yeah, really not a fan. Lower tier.

 

Miz was Arn (seriously, he was the one bumping and selling to made everything interesting and having actual fun interactions), Braun was the MVP still. And Roman was in the Kane spot of boring the fuck out of me.

 

So, a terrific opener and another winner for big gimmick women's match, a terrific angle, a good match (but really a one-woman performance), the rest was forgettable, with a quite boring self-conscious über predictable main-event.

 

Mania looks to have some intriguing matches though. I'll stay awake with all of you then.

[El-P]

 

 

If I never hear the phrase "political hit" again, it'll be too soon - easily THE dumbest thing to ever come out of this board!

 

It's still better than BIGLAV?

 

 

BIGLAV is much better.

 

BIGLAV was better than this main event...

[Zoo Enthusiast]

I am not sure why Ronda's promo is getting hate. She came off nature and not forced. WWE needs more of this and less of the "Sufferin Succotash~!" non-sense. Ronda's promo had realistic phases:

 

1. Happy to be here!

2. Thankful for the opportunity!

3. Hey what's going on here? (coming to terms that she IS in fact in WWE)

4. Done talking.

5. Ass kicking mode.

 

It all transitioned pretty well to me and didn't come off too forced at all. I can see how the "Aw-shucks" folksy bullshit rubs people the wrong way (especially with anything involving Stephanie and/or The Women's Revolution), but it worked in this case. I think Ronda has enough clout for WWE not to push her to do 20 minute HHH style promos. Hell, even HHH can barely do a 20 minute HHH style promo.

Because there is a segment of the fanbase that actively wants big WWE moves to fail and be embarrassing.

[TheDuke]

I like the Rhonda Rousey promo, mainly because it was different from the way everybody else talks.