Eyes On Elimination Chamber: The 5 Greatest Elimination Chamber Matches

By @TrueGodImmortal

As Elimination Chamber approaches, we wanted to continue discussing the Chamber matches of the past, and what better way than to revisit the best Chamber matches in the history of the match. There have been a number of solid ones, so after discussing the worst, it's only right we discuss the best of the best. Let's take a look at the 5 greatest.

5. 2010 World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber 

-I didn't have the highest hopes for this Chamber, but it was pretty good overall. I watched the build and got excited about what was to come in this match from an in ring perspective, but it was obvious that Undertaker wasn't going to walk out of the Chamber with the title. The participants would be Taker, Chris Jericho, John Morrison, Rey Mysterio, R-Truth, and CM Punk, and this match would lead to future feuds heading into Wrestlemania. Truth was eliminated first, Punk was eliminated by Rey, and that would lead to their feud. The final two would be Taker and Jericho, and HBK would show up to cost Taker the match and the title in a thrilling finish. Jericho wins a very good Chamber match that went over 35 minutes. It was great action throughout the match and the finish put it over the top.

4. 2003 Summerslam Elimination Chamber 

-I really didn't have a fond memory of this match at one point. I didn't like the ending and I'll be honest, it felt as if the match served no purpose in truly getting Goldberg over anymore. He had been undefeated in WWE until this match, but watching it back, it's a really solid Chamber match. The only person who didn't add much to it was Kevin Nash, but he was eliminated very quickly as expected. Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and Shawn Michaels however kept the action ablaze and fun, as we watched all three do great work along with Triple H. Goldberg wasn't a bad piece to the match, but he was definitely a secondary figure who would end up serving only to put over Triple H in the end, taking a pinfall loss (his first in WWE) courtesy of a sledgehammer.

3. 2009 World Heavyweight Title Elimination Chamber 

-When No Way Out was still an important PPV, the Chamber was an essential piece of the show. This match would be a shocker in a way, with Edge entering in the match after losing his title early in the night. The lineup for the match didn't jump off the screen, as Mike Knox and Kane didn't appeal to me, but Jericho, Mysterio, Edge (who took Kofi Kingston's place), and Cena made up for that. Both Kane and Knox were eliminated fairly early, and the final four would put on a classic show. Cena would be eliminated earlier than expected, meaning we would have a new champion for sure. After Jericho went out next, we got about 7 minutes of top tier action from Mysterio and Edge, with Edge taking the win and the World Heavyweight Title.

2. 2008 No Way Out Elimination Chamber 

-There were two Chamber matches at this event and they would both be solid. However, the RAW Chamber (for the no. 1 Contender spot at Mania) match was just slightly better. There was something about the lineup that really made the action flow well, with Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels, Umaga, Jeff Hardy, and Triple H all putting in work (along with JBL) to deliver a great match. This is a classic Chamber match, with Triple H standing tall at the end after a great sequence with Jeff Hardy. I would have liked the match to go a little longer, but for 24 minutes, this was an exciting battle.

1. 2002 Survivor Series Elimination Chamber 

-This is the standard. Period. The greatest Chamber match and one of the best matches in Survivor Series history, if not the best. Honestly, there is something about this match that feels more than nostalgic. It holds so much within it that it is a moment in time for wrestling. Along with the fact that Shawn Michaels would return to wrestling officially (in the worst pair of wrestling tights ever), it would mark the first time he was in the ring with guys like RVD, Booker T, and Chris Jericho. That was a great moment in itself along with the action that carried this match. Going almost 40 minutes, this match was building to something big, and the culmination gave us just that as HBK would hit the Sweet Chin Music and pin Triple H to win the match and the title to one of the loudest reactions I've ever heard in WWE history. That, along with the match itself easily makes it the best Chamber match and it's not even close.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 12:38 AM  2 comments

Eyes On Elimination Chamber: 5 Worst Chamber Matches

By @TrueGodImmortal

With Elimination Chamber coming soon, we wanted to take a look back at the event and the match that takes six contenders and puts them through another form of hell. However, the competitors aren't the only ones who go through hell. There have been some instances where the fans have gone through hell watching some of these matches and today, I'm here to talk about those times. That's right, let's get into talking about the 5 worst Elimination Chamber Matches.

5. 2011 Smackdown Elimination Chamber 

-I'll be honest. I think this match managed to end a little bit better than some of the others on the list, but to be fair, the rest of this match was pretty standard and boring. Perhaps it was the cast that was a part of the Chamber? Maybe. Drew McIntyre, The Big Show, Kane, and Wade Barrett really don't scream out classic match, especially at the time. While I did enjoy the last battle between Edge and Rey Mysterio, the match itself overall was pretty boring. Still, Edge wins and walks into Mania as champion, but little did we know.... It would be the last match for Edge. That's bittersweet looking back.

4. 2013 Elimination Chamber 

-Good lord. The Jack Swagger experiment. If not for the fact that two of the others had high expectations (and the second choice was just awful and worse), I would put this at no. 1 honestly. It was a solid match for the most part, but once it became clear who was winning.... It was all downhill from there. Anytime you have Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, and Chris Jericho in a match, they should win. Not Jack Swagger. Jack Swagger didn't deserve to win this match and the fact that this match was essentially secondary, maybe third in importance on the card.... It says a lot. Swagger wins to a bit of indifference from the wrestling world and this is one of the worst decisions the WWE made........ in early 2013 at least.

3. 2010 RAW Elimination Chamber

-With a pretty standard match set in place with opportunities to shine for Ted Dibiase and Kofi Kingston, I found this match to be a bit boring for the most part honestly. Sheamus came in as the WWE Champion, but with Mania around the corner, it was clear he wasn't leaving the Chamber with the title. The match came down to Triple H and John Cena and being that this was 2010, Cena won. What takes the match down in quality is the fact that Batista came out and got a match for the title with Cena, making the Chamber match pretty pointless in seconds. It had solid action, but just not enough to be engaging the entire duration.

2. 2015 Intercontinental Title Elimination Chamber 

-So, the 2015 Elimination Chamber show was pretty rough in general. I mean, let's be real. After we watched the previous years and the great matches in the Chamber, this might have been the worst way to bring the Chamber full circle. Daniel Bryan was forced to relinquish the title, which was annoying, and then the choices to replace him were pretty subpar. Mark Henry, Ryback, Sheamus, R-Truth, Dolph Ziggler, and Wade Barrett felt more like a match during the second hour of RAW than a PPV main event and Ryback winning basically drove that feeling home. It had some good moments however with Sheamus, Ziggler, and Truth, but overall, this was an awful match.

1. 2015 Tag Team Elimination Chamber

-So when this became a special in the summer, no one could have expected the first ever tag team Chamber match. Well, even if you did, you wouldn't have expected it to end up so poorly. This was one of the weirdest matches anyway, as we saw teams like Lucha Dragons and The Ascension be wasted and a horrible Kalisto spot that took far too long to get to. Honestly, I was glad to see the New Day retain, but everything else about this match was awful. It was a good concept in theory, but the execution was terrible. This is the worst Chamber match without question.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 12:29 AM  No comment

Eyes On WWE: The 5 Best Matches Of The Shield

By @TrueGodImmortal

The return of The Shield is upon us. One of the only things the WWE has booked right in the last 5 years, The Shield was a force when they were together and people still clamor for them together. This has led the WWE to reunite the most important trio of this decade, and there are some interesting possibilities going forward. However, in order to really be excited for the reunion, you have to know the history. That's why we are here today. Let's take a look back at the 5 best Shield matches in the WWE as we get closer and closer to TLC.

5. The Shield vs John Cena, Sheamus, and Ryback
Elimination Chamber 2013

-I remember going into this match being nervous. I was certain that the WWE was about to fuck up the booking of The Shield by making them lose their first match in the company to the faux superman team of Cena, Ryback, and Sheamus. I didn't have high expectations for this match, but I was very surprised, as the match turned out great. There are a few other random six man tag matches that could have taken this spot, but this match being a pleasant surprise is what earns it a top 5 spot. The Shield get the victory and maintain their dominant run in the early stages for the Hounds of Justice.

4. The Shield vs The Undertaker, Kane, and Daniel Bryan
Raw, April 2013

-It was funny. After the Undertaker and CM Punk went at it at Wrestlemania 29, Punk disappeared for a few months. Taker on the other hand, decided to stick around for a little bit to help put The Shield over. This match was excellent, and it took place in the UK, so the crowd was on fire. On top of that, anytime you put Ambrose and Rollins in the ring with Bryan, you were sure to get a classic. This is one of my favorite matches ever on RAW, and definitely a top 10 match on RAW of the decade. When the smoke cleared, The Shield stood tall once again, walking away with the victory, earning their biggest victory as a collective up until this point.

3. The Shield vs Daniel Bryan, Kane, and Ryback
TLC 2012

-The original match of The Shield. The first contest. A month after debuting, the Hounds of Justice would take part in a brutal TLC match that kicked off what would end up as one of the biggest matches of the era. The TLC PPV didn't have much to rave about, but this match would end up being a great way to close out the year. All of these men put it on the line and left everything out there, with a lot of high impact offense being the focus of the match, and some huge spots, including a Seth Rollins spot that looked beyond brutal. Luckily Seth was okay, but the match is one of the most physical debut matches in WWE, but The Shield did what they do best and earned a victory, which kicked off their career in WWE on the right foot.

2. The Shield vs Evolution
Extreme Rules 2014

-I wanted to put this at No. 1, but it just missed the mark. In what was a dream feud in many ways, we got to see the most intriguing trio of the 2010s against the most intriguing faction of the 2000s. As a result, going into Extreme Rules had a big fight feel to it, and we weren't disappointed by what we got from both of these trios. Triple H, Batista, and Randy Orton worked together well again, while The Shield did what they do best here. While the Payback match was a bit more intense, this match was aggressive and seemed about as even as can be. The Shield would pull out a big victory here, and they would start the process of burying the Evolution name and faction once and for all. This match is a definite must see.

1. The Shield vs The Wyatt Family
Elimination Chamber 2014

-There was no other choice for the best. This was the culmination of a full year's worth of begging from the fans for the mega match between the two top factions in the WWE and the very moment that we got it, the world was set on fire. While this match should have been at Wrestlemania 30 instead of Elimination Chamber, the energy in the arena for this contest was electric. The actual match itself was special, as both teams gave each other eveyyhting they had, but a miscommunication led to The Shield taking a loss and The Wyatt Family reigning victorious. Surprisingly, this is the only match on this list that The Shield lost, but in a losing effort, they managed to give their best performance. That speaks to their talent.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 2:17 AM  1 comment

Eyes On WWE: The 5 Best WWE Events Of 2017 So Far

By @TrueGodImmortal 

The year isn't close to being over, but much like we did with the top 5 wrestlers so far this year, I wanted to take a look at the top 5 WWE events of the first half of 2017. Let's get into it.

5. Wrestlemania 33

-While this Mania had one of the worst main events ever with one of the worst finishes ever, the majority of the undercard was truly superb. With 13 total matches on the night, including the three on the preshow, there was a huge margin for error, but for the most part, the matches didn't disappoint. Neville vs Austin Aries was great, and the opening match of AJ Styles vs Shane McMahon stole the show without question. Seth Rollins vs Triple H was a really good match as well, and I definitely enjoyed Chris Jericho vs Kevin Owens. The Raw Women's Fatal 4 Way was solid, and the return of the Hardy Boyz is one of the best moments of the year and the Ladder match for the tag titles were fun as well. I was even pleasantly shocked by the short but fun Goldberg vs Brock III match as well. Wrestlemania was average for a big time Mania with a roster like this, but so far this year, it ranks in the top 5, but with the stacked card for NXT Takeover Brooklyn and Summerslam, it'll likely fall out of that top 5 in the next month or so.

4. Extreme Rules 

-I debated on putting the NXT Takeover in San Antonio or even the Money In The Bank PPV in place of the 4th or 5th selection, but couldn't justify it due to finishes and the overall card. There wasn't a consistent flow on those cards, but I can confidently say that I really enjoyed this event surprisingly enough. The Miz vs Dean Ambrose was solid, the Tag Team Steel Cage match was solid for the most part as well minus the strange ending and rules, I liked the mixed tag team match, the submission match for the Cruiserweight Title was good, and the main event was excellent. With a solid card match wise, Extreme Rules was better than expected.

3. Elimination Chamber

-This is actually the best WWE main roster event so far during the year. Surprisingly enough, this was a mostly solid card that saw some matches shock me. The tag team turmoil match was solid, I enjoyed Becky Lynch vs Mickie James, Naomi vs Alexa Bliss was solid, Randy Orton vs Luke Harper was a damn good match, and the Elimination Chamber Match was easily one of the best matches so far this year (more on that match tomorrow). While not a perfect event, this was one of the best of the year without question and my favorite WWE main roster event of the year.

2. NXT Takeover Orlando 

-It was tough choosing between the most recent NXT events because they were both so good. The reality is, this event is on par with my top choice as well, and if you chose this event, I wouldn't be mad at you. The opening 8 man tag match was a lot of fun, along with the Aleister Black match, the epic triple threat tag team title match, and of course the slept on main event between Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura. Overall, this event doesn't have a bad match, and that's what earns it the no. 2 spot. Why can't I give it the no. 1 spot? Well, let me get into that with my top selection.

1. NXT Takeover Chicago 

-The absolute best event this year and only one has come close. This event blows every WWE PPV out of the water without question and it proves once again that even as their talent roster loses vital members that they can replace them with viable stars. With Shinsuke Nakamura, Tye Dillinger, and The Revival gone, NXT recovered and delivered the best event of the year so far. The opening match of Roderick Strong vs Eric Young was actually a pretty good contest, and I enjoyed the Women's Triple Threat match very much too. While some criticized it, I really enjoyed the Bobby Roode vs Hideo Itami NXT Title Match as well. However, what gets this event at no. 1 is having two of the best matches of the year on the card. The amazing Tag Team Title Ladder Match between DIY and Authors Of Pain and the classic between Tyler Bate and Peter Dunne are two of the best matches that we've seen this year without question (more on that in the next article), and that solidifies NXT Takeover Chicago as the best event of the year so far.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 1:47 AM  No comment