As we
edge ever closer to Elimination Chamber, the only pay-per view to be solely
shown on the WWE Network, designed solely to draw people into the Network and
subscribe, this week we’ll look at some of the decisions which need to be made
on the night in order preserve the future of the industry and give them the
best possible chance. As regular readers will know, the traditional pay-per
view preview has been thrown to the cutting room floor as we prepare to end
this blog for good. That however is a few more weeks in the future so let’s
concentrate on the here and now.
The
first point I would like to bring up, is the Elimination Chamber Match for the
WWE Tag Team Championships which seems like a really good idea. It’ll be the
first bout in Elimination Chamber history where tag teams compete in the
structure and though no one knows how it’ll work yet, I believe that the best
way to kick this off will be with a five way as one person from every team
begins in the ring with the other member of each team entering at five minute
intervals. I don’t believe that having two members crammed into a chamber and
then enter together would be productive. However, that isn’t my biggest gripe.
I
brought this up because of those chosen to participate in the bout itself.
Tyson Kidd and Cesaro, The Ascension and Lucha Dragons I agree with. However,
could someone tell me how Los Matadores made it into this bout when they’ve
been as good as absent from the picture for as long as I can remember. The
artists formerly known as Primo and Epico and The Prime Time Players may have
had small parts to play on Raw and Smackdown but mainly have been regular features
on Superstars and Main Event. As far as I can see, they’ve had no part to play
in the title picture over the last few months and don’t deserve a place here.
WWE should have stuck with the running theme of this event and put a team from NXT
in the chamber and Damien Sandown and Curtis Axel.
Ever
since Sandow split from The Miz, which I predicted would happen, he’s been
teaming with Curtis Axel as a Mega Powers tribute act. It’s not going to do
anything for their careers and they’re not going anywhere fast, but at least
they’re popular right now. More so than either Los Matadores or The Prime Time
Players who just make up the numbers in this bout. It’s a poor decision by WWE
and one which should be fixed as soon as possible. No one would complain if WE
axed either team from this bout for Sandow and Axel and it should be a decision
made on or before the night.
Either
way, I doubt it’ll matter. This bout has been set up to further The New Day vs
Tyson Kidd and Cesaro feud. The tag titles should be kept between these two
teams for the foreseeable future until Kidd and Cesaro take back the gold. With
The Usos due back in action any time now, this feud could turn into a gripping
triple threat in time for SummerSlam. That is something I will willingly pay
9.99 a month to see.
The
second point coming from Elimination Chamber is the Intercontinental
Championship bout which is suffering from the same hindrance as the tag team
title match. Namely, lack of meaningful participants. I agree with everyone in
the match apart from R-Truth. I wish someone in WWE would wake up and smell the
coffee where their roster is concerned. R-Truth is no longer a contender to the
title and should never have been mentioned within the confines of this bout.
There are so many more participants who could have used this bout to their
advantage and gained something from it such as Neville, Bray Wyatt and Luke
Harper. WWE should have seen this and rectified their mistake before announcing
to the public.
I’m
sure we’d all have liked to see Bray Wyatt lift the Intercontinental
Championship at the end of the night or Adrian Neville hit the Red Arrow from
the top of a chamber. It’s just so annoying that WWE have put Truth in this
bout instead of someone who could have done something with the spot. I firmly predict
that Truth will be the first man eliminated in the bout but that doesn’t
matter, because there can be only one winner and his name is Rusev. If WWE want
Rusev’s career to flourish after the John Cena debacle where he lost three in a
row then Rusev needs to lift the title and have a long and meaningful run with
the gold. If he doesn’t then I don’t see any future for Rusev and he’ll go the
same way as everyone else John Cena has ruined.
John Cena
vs Kevin Owens is one if not the most important match of the entire event. And
we all know why. Kevin Owens has been thrust into the main roster on a part time
basis so early in his career, that he cannot lose to John Cena in any shape or
form. WWE must get this correct if they don’t want to devalue NXT and its
Champion. One wrong move and Kevin Owens is going to find it difficult to
progress in WWE especially when he gets to the main roster full time. If Kevin
Owens submits to John Cena or is pinned after the Attitude Adjustment following
a devaluation of his arsenal then this match will be wholly pointless and only
exist to give John Cena a massive ego boost. In fact, this is true so much so
that there will be no point in WWE having any more NXT wrestlers challenging
Cena because it’ll be predictable how it’ll end.
It
gives me hope that WWE have made this a non-title match because there’s no way
WWE would allow Kevin Owens to take the gold back to NXT and work a double
schedule. This should mean that John Cena has nothing to lose and everything to
gain with a loss, putting over a man who has been hand picked to take his
throne. If Kevin Owens pins John Cena following a beating and a Powerbomb then
it will mean so much for his career and go a long way to making amends for what
WWE allowed Cena to do with Rusev over the last few months. Kevin Owens could
use this victory to springboard him to better things as NXT Champion and onto
his feud with Finn Balor and Samoa Joe which will be a marvel in the making. I
literally can’t wait for Kevin Owens vs Samoa Joe. It’ll be massive.
On the
other hand, what could John Cena possibly gain from defeating someone looking
to make his name? Another notch on his belt which he doesn’t need isn’t a good
reason to ruin a brand new talent. WWE have to get this correct, otherwise they
may not only hurt a brand new talent but they could lose a lot of viewers in
the process. There a lot of people who love Kevin Owens and want to see him
succeed. This is one of those times WWE are going to have to swallow their
pride and accept defeat, or they may find a down turn in viewership and that
would disastrous for NXT and the future of their business.
Onwards
and upwards…
