BRM Reviews WWE Elimination Chamber 2013

[Big Red Machine]

WWE Elimination Chamber 2013 (2/17/2013)- New Orleans, LA

PRE-SHOW:
TEAM RHODES SCHOLARS vs. TENSAI & BRODUS CLAY (w/the Funkadactyls)- 3/10
So short there was almost no point in doing it.

Main Show:
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH: Alberto Del Rio(c) (w/Ricardo Rodriguez) vs. The Big Show- 6/10
Nothing particularly great here and not too much of a story other than “we’re having a wrestling match.” I really hated the spot with the bucket (and Del Rio botching it certainly didn’t help). If you want Del Rio to be a babyface you have to let him win the match CLEANLY! Especially in the blow-off.

WWE UNITED STATES TITLE MATCH: Antonio Cesaro(c) vs. The Miz- 6.5/10
Great story with Cesaro going after Miz’s injured arm and Miz going after Cesaro’s knee. I liked the finish, but I’m eh on Miz kicking Cesaro in the nuts after the match. Either way, I’ll take a rematch at Wrestlemania, please.

TEAM HELL NO BACKSTAGE- good segment. All of a sudden we have a reason to care about Kane’s presence in this match.

ZEB COULTER PROMO- good, but I can’t help thinking that these few minutes would have been better used as part of a match.

ELIMINATION CHAMBER MATCH FOR A WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE SHOT AT WRESTLEMANIA: Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton vs. Mark Henry vs. Chris Jericho vs. Kane vs. Jack Swagger (w/Zeb Coulter)- 8/10
Looks like somebody is getting a push to main event status. Nice to see Swagger get another shot. Mark Henry was used well in this match, but I would rather have seen one Team Hell No member eliminate the other then have that build to a match between the two of them at Wrestlemania.

JOHN CENA, SHEAMUS, & RYBACK vs. THE SHIELD- 7.75/10
WHOA! Ryback eats a clean pin. Did not see that coming. The Shield’s normal strategy of three-on-one attacks mostly came off as just your standard babyface in peril stuff, but it still worked, so that’s fine. It looks like WWE really is dedicated to pushing the Shield (although I thought the same thing about Nexus, too, and look how that turned out).

KOFI KINGSTON vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER (w/AJ Lee & Big E Langston)- 4/10

THE FUNKADACTYLS, BRODUS, & TENSAI BACKSTAGE- a bad and pointless segment that was put on the show purely to shill toys.

KAITLYN PROMO- comparing Eve to Tonya Harding made me chuckle.

WWE DIVAS TITLE MATCH: Kaitlyn(c) vs. Tamina Snuka- 2/10
If the match is going to be this short, why put it on the PPV?

WWE TITLE MATCH IN WHICH THE TITLE CAN CHANGE HANDS ON A DQ OR A COUNTOUT: The Rock(c) vs. CM Punk (w/Paul Heyman)- 8/10
Awesome match, and better than at the Royal Rumble. They started with Punk trying to get The Rock DQed and or get him counted-out, but they transitioned into a match more like Roderick Strong vs. Tyler Black from Supercard of Honor V with Punk actually having The Rock beat cleanly twice but not being able to pick up the pin because of ref bumps. I assume this was done so that they have an in to put Punk in the WWE Title match at Mania in case the planned match with Taker doesn’t pan out.

A great show from WWE, despite some pointlessly short matches. I am definitely excited for Wrestlemania.

STUPID ANNOUNCER QUOTES:
1. This one isn’t so much stupid as it is annoying, but it annoyed me enough that I put it in here.
Cole (during the first few minutes of the elimination chamber match)- “Remember; if Jericho taps out here, he’ll be eliminated from this match up”
Really? I thought he would win a free pizza. YES! We know he will be eliminated if he taps out BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN A WRESTLING MATCH BEFORE! And even if we hadn’t , they just explained the rules a few minutes ago! No one has forgotten.

[badnewzxl]

I REALLY hate the fact that Swagger won the Chamber. They could have set up an ADR v. Swag match at Mania without the title: Swag helps Zig win the WHC bc Swag doesn't want a Mexican to be WHC; Y2J wins the Chamber by eliminating Orton (continuing Orton's losing streak, fueling his heel turn) and goes on to face Ziggler at WM. Swagger is just NOT a Main Eventer, plain and simple. He's barely a midcarder....

[Big Red Machine]

I REALLY hate the fact that Swagger won the Chamber. They could have set up an ADR v. Swag match at Mania without the title: Swag helps Zig win the WHC bc Swag doesn't want a Mexican to be WHC; Y2J wins the Chamber by eliminating Orton (continuing Orton's losing streak, fueling his heel turn) and goes on to face Ziggler at WM. Swagger is just NOT a Main Eventer, plain and simple. He's barely a midcarder....

I disagree with you about Swagger, and I think that Jericho vs. Ziggler will draw more without the title than Del Rio vs. Swagger would. Jericho vs. Ziggler could be a main event level feud without the belt. Swagger vs. Del Rio needs the belt to be at that level.

[badnewzxl]

I REALLY hate the fact that Swagger won the Chamber. They could have set up an ADR v. Swag match at Mania without the title: Swag helps Zig win the WHC bc Swag doesn't want a Mexican to be WHC; Y2J wins the Chamber by eliminating Orton (continuing Orton's losing streak, fueling his heel turn) and goes on to face Ziggler at WM. Swagger is just NOT a Main Eventer, plain and simple. He's barely a midcarder....

I disagree with you about Swagger, and I think that Jericho vs. Ziggler will draw more without the title than Del Rio vs. Swagger would. Jericho vs. Ziggler could be a main event level feud without the belt. Swagger vs. Del Rio needs the belt to be at that level.

See, to me, Ziggler and Y2J's feud is really about bragging rights; who's better. I feel the two of them would need a trophy to fight over. The Swagger and Del Rio angle is already about something other than the title. Ziggler and Jericho have a RIVALRY; Swag & ADR are having a FEUD. Jericho/Zig is about who's BETTER, while SWAG/ADR is about what's RIGHT. I feel like the WHC will become an after thought as they build this feud; the angle is pretty controversial. PLUS, I think Ziggler and Jericho are a safer bet for putting on a solid, main event title match; Swagger isn't anywhere NEAR those other guy's level.

With the heat they're getting with Colter, not only can this feud get hot enough to draw but WWE doesn't need this kind of controversy surrounding one of their top titles. Swagger and Colter have already made more waves with this angle than Swag has his entire career....