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 WWE: Ranking The Last 5 Wrestlemania Main Events

By @TrueGodImmortal

At one point, Wrestlemania used to be the biggest event of the year for the main event. Now, Mania is just a spectacle with a decent card and one big match or maybe two solid contests that the world wants to see. Admittedly, the last 4 out of 5 main events have been disappointing, and that's the fun of this next article. Where do they rank? All 5 of the last main events of Mania. Does Reigns vs Brock take the cake? Is Reigns vs Triple H the worst? Well, let's take a look.

5. Wrestlemania 33
Roman Reigns vs The Undertaker 

-The worst main event I've seen in Mania history... at least in the 2000s. I don't understand it really. When I saw this match announced, I knew it would be horrible. I knew what to expect and yet, somehow I was still surprised at how bad the match was. Taker didn't have anything left in the tank. Reigns couldn't carry the match. No one wanted to see Reigns retire Taker. Yet, here we are. Reigns wins a horrible match that really killed a crowd that wanted something to cheer for. The WWE doesn't learn from their mistakes and simply put, Reigns retiring Taker was a mistake. Along with putting this match on last. That was a horrible idea.

4. Wrestlemania 32
Roman Reigns vs Triple H 

-This was another forced attempt at making Roman Reigns the man in the business and it just didn't work. This was a match that was 5 minutes too long and felt boring. They had no chemistry in the ring and I can't remember anything memorable about the match besides the Stephanie spot. That honestly didn't make anything better, and while I know that Reigns had to get another win, at some point, you would think that WWE would get the picture. Sure, Reigns is improved as a performer, but the last few years at Mania show that he can't get it done on the biggest stage. Perhaps that'll change this year when he has an unnecessary rematch against Brock, but at what cost? He has headlined Mania three times in a row and all three matches were underwhelming IMO, and this one was really just a long drawn out battle that ended the night with a hilarious chorus of boos.

3. Wrestlemania 29
John Cena vs The Rock 

-I don't know why we had this match occur. I don't get it. The first one was fine. The first match was pretty good. This was overkill. This had more finishers than necessary, and was essentially a match full of filler until the obvious finish. The action would pick up a little bit near the end, but Cena and Rock 2 didn't have the story that the first one had. There was no story minus some weak form of redemption for Cena, but he was the focal point of the company for the entire year over CM Punk (who was more popular with fans at the time), so his redemption was forced (see a pattern with the main event?) and contrived. Cena wins the match, but no one was really excited and happy, marking yet another year where the fans didn't go home happy. Perhaps CM Punk vs The Undertaker should have main evented, as it was the hottest match of the night and a classic in its own right.

2. Wrestlemania 31
Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns (vs Seth Rollins)

-I actually don't like this match. At all. I find it to be a bunch of finishers and just an ass kicking by Brock. Sure, there was an attempt at storytelling to force the narrative of Reigns as the next superman, but it felt so forced (the pattern) that I couldn't get into it. Still, I did like how the ending went down, as they attempted to sell it as these two competitors giving all they had and they still couldn't put each other away. Then, Seth Rollins happened. Seth is the reason why this match is no. 2 on the list because his cash in saved in the night from a horrible ending. Seth cashing in is a top 10 Mania moment and the pop he got when he won is a top Mania pop. Brock vs Reigns was nothing special, but the Rollins cash in is historic.

1. Wrestlemania 30
Daniel Bryan vs Batista vs Randy Orton 

-Of course. This is the easiest one. This is the clearest choice. This was easy. Daniel Bryan being crowned after the crazy path he took to get there is what saved Mania. The fans have attempted to save Mania every year, and for some reason, Vince finally gave in. He is stubborn enough to not give in other times, but in this case, he didn't give in. That's noble of Vince.... right? No. It should have been Bryan from the start. He should have won the Rumble. He should have had to fight for his shot either way despite that. The story could go the same way without Batista winning the Rumble. Still, this match is great with a lot of solid action and Batista tapping out to Bryan to close the match was a great end. Bryan winning is the best Mania moment of the last 5 years so it was obvious this would be the top pick on the list.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 2:36 AM  No comment

Eyes On Royal Rumble: 5 Bad Matches At The Event

By @TrueGodImmortal

The Royal Rumble has seen a number of great moments and top tier matches, but it's also seen a few bad moments and matches as well. Looking back at  it now, it seems as if there were a lot of bad matches that took place at the January event (30 Man Rumble match aside), so today, I wanted to look at 5 of those matches that were underwhelming at the PPV. Let's take a look.

*Ken Shamrock vs Billy Gunn
Royal Rumble 1999

-The IC Title was on the line, but honestly, this was just a bad idea from the start. Shamrock was not a good wrestler and neither was Billy Gunn, so this match was doomed anyways. The pacing, the storytelling, and everything in between here feels rushed, and honestly, this match could have been at least cut down by 3 to 4 minutes. Shamrock wins the bout, but this match was nothing special at all. There were other bad matches on this card too, but this one sticks out to me.

 

*Scott Steiner vs Triple H
Royal Rumble 2003

-Of course. This match makes the list. Steiner. Triple H. What a match. What a classic. What a..... bunch of bullshit. This was a match that I never wanted to see and as we got to the very end of the contest, I realized why even more. The fact was, Triple H wasn't the man anymore in the ring and he was subpar in most of his matches against lesser talents (Nash, Steiner, Goldberg come to mind), while Steiner was just horrible all around. This match went nearly 20 minutes and it just dragged on and on, until the DQ finish somewhat saved the day. Honestly, I still can't believe this match and feud exists because it's so terrible. I have tried to block the memory out of this slow, boring contest, but as you see.... that changes nothing.

*Brock Lesnar vs Hardcode Holly
Royal Rumble 2004

-I remember this match and thinking "damn that was a bit short", and then I saw the official match time and felt like I was watching a Brock title match today. This match is less than 7 minutes long and it is a glorified squash match. Truthfully, Hardcore Holly deserved a bit more. Honestly, the thing that surprised me the most was that Brock didn't have much of a challenge here and that this was mostly just a filler match that served no purpose. After Holly get in minimal offense, Brock makes quick work of him and moves on. I wish this would have went at least 10 minutes to give the appearance that Hardcore would have won, but that wasn't the case. Simply put, this match is awful.

*The Undertaker vs Heidenreich
Royal Rumble 2005

-A casket match. At the Rumble. What could go wrong? Everything. Taker wasn't his usual self and his competition was a poet. A poet who might assault people in his spare time. Well, add in some interference from Snitsky and Kane, and you get one big clusterfuck of a match that really has aged much worse than even I remembered. Taker couldn't carry him to a good match, and the ending couldn't come soon enough. Taker wins this match, and Heidenreich ends up on a different path (What A Rush...), and their forgettable feud finishes without much fanfare or care.

*Kurt Angle vs Mark Henry
Royal Rumble 2006

-Why did this close the show? I'll never understand. Sure, Undertaker comes back in this match, but this is a horrible way to end the PPV. This match is the main event of a pivotal PPV and I'll be honest, I'm a fan of Mark Henry. However, there was no reason and no point to ever put Mark in the title picture or main event at this time. Angle couldn't make Henry look good in this one, and the match was over in less than 10 minutes, but for all this, you could have just had the Angle vs Taker match at the show and everyone would have been satisfied. Of all the matches on this list, this is one of those that leave me scratching my head at why this CLOSED the show.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 2:25 AM  No comment

EOTR Feud Of The Week: Triple H vs The Undertaker

By @Phranchize19 And @TrueGodImmortal

Two men that lasted thru multiple decades have clashed on many occasions. It is a rivalry born out of the spirit of competition and ended by defining an era. Triple H and Undertaker have over 50 years of experience between then and that’s in the WWE alone. Today, we look at their rivalry over the years and what it meant to the company and the business.

Favorite Match
Taker and Triple H have solid chemistry in the ring. They would be responsible for some classics, two in a row at Mania and one years prior at Mania. Which is their best match? Let's take a look at the selection.

Triple H vs Undertaker 

Hell In a Cell 

Wrestlemania 28
(Phranchize's and True's Pick)
-Hands down our favorite encounter was the End of an Era Hell in a Cell match. It brought such finality to this, not only to this rivalry but it was a symbol of a passing of the torch from that era. Not to mention, these are the two greatest combatants in Hell in a Cell history. They left it all in the ring that night and it showed. This is a true classic and one of the best matches of this current era.

Least Favorite Match
It is very rarely that these two have a bad match or underwhelming match, but it is entirely possible. Which match makes this section of the list? Let's take a look.

Triple H vs Undertaker
WWF Raw 1997
(Phranchize's Pick)
-It didn’t have much to it due to Taker being attacked by Bret Hart and Bulldog prior then attacked by Triple H and Shawn Michaels after that. It didn’t last long but the image of Taker being put in his own bodybag is a lasting one and that is significant, but the match itself just wasn't enjoyable due to not being a real contest.

Triple H vs Undertaker
Insurrextion 2002

(True's Pick)
-I always enjoyed the UK shows and PPVs, but this one didn't resonate with me. I wasn't really into this match and it dragged on a little bit. With Triple H returning from injury a few months prior, I don't think he was comfortable yet in the ring again, and it showed. Plus, during this era, Taker was more of a pure striker and mixing those two together made for a boring and slightly eventful match. Triple H wins, but of all their contests, this is the worst.

Underrated Matches
There are a number of underrated choices here for these two. Whether we're talking the 2001 match between the two on Smackdown or the no contest between the two on Smackdown in 2008, there are some matches that don't get discussed enough  or get the credit they deserve. Let's take a look at those.

Undertaker vs Triple H
King of the Ring 2002
Undisputed Championship Match (Phranchize's Pick)
-I really feel this match is a forgotten gem. Taker was in his run as the top heel in the company and triple h had not too long been back from his injury and arguably was the top babyface of the company. It only made sense to put them together and they produced one of the better matches I’ve seen from them.

Undertaker vs Triple H
Wrestlemania 17
(True's Pick)
-Of all their matches, this is the underrated gem. Many people look at their WM27 and WM28 matches as the only ones to really watch, but they forget this legendary match that was overshadowed due to the rest of the legendary card. Triple H and Taker went at it for nearly 20 minutes and when it was all said and done, Taker stood victorious yet again at Wrestlemania.

Winner Of The Feud
This one is easy. In the end, Undertaker is the winner. He's won a majority of their matches over the years, and his victories in their last four PPV matches signal that he's the winner of the feud. After Taker beat Triple H at Wrestlemania 17, King Of The Ring 2002, Wrestlemania 27, and Wrestlemania 28, he definitely stands tall as the winner of this excellent feud that's spread through a 15 year period, beginning in 1997 and ending in 2012. The Undertaker was victorious in this feud.

-EOTR

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Eyes on the Ring 3:04 AM  1 comment

Eyes On WWE: 10 Of The Worst Booking Decisions

By @Phranchize19

Vince McMahon is a genius mostly (Editor's Note: He really isn't). He’s made some brilliant moves and some not so brilliant (Editor's Note: mostly not so brilliant). I’m gonna talk about 10 of the worst booking decisions he’s made. Mind you, this isn’t a complete list or the worst decisions, just 10 of the worst to me.

*Hulk Hogan Defeats Yokozuna For The WWF Title (Wrestlemania 9)

-McMahon loved Hogan. That was his guy, for a good reason though, as Hogan helped him become the success he is today. That love has caused for questionable decisions and this was one of them. Yokozuna was riding a wave of momentum, as was Bret Hart. Bret and Yokozuna had a fair main event but then after winning the title, Yokozuna’s manager Mr Fuji challenged Hogan to wrestle Yokozuna for the belt. No one ever does this so it was strange to begin with. No one had defeated Yokozuna up to that point and Hogan defeats him for the belt he just won in less than 30 seconds. That devalued the push both Bret and Yokozuna got as well as devalued the belt.

*Hulk Hogan Regains WWF Title From The Undertaker One Week After Losing 

-Undertaker was something different. He was refreshing. He held an undefeated streak and it led him to the title. Hogan’s popularity was clearly on the decline but McMahon didn’t care. The problem wasn’t so much Hogan winning the title back it was winning the title as quickly as he did. That devalued the belt and cut The Undertaker short to where he almost didn’t recover.

*Ted DiBiase Never Becoming WWF Champion

-Ted DiBiase is one of the best wrestlers ever as well as a top 10 heel. The decision for him to never be WWF champion baffles me. The strange part is he was actually booked to win the WWE title during the tournament at Wrestlemania 4 before it changed. 

*The End Of Summer of Punk 

-The entire summer of Punk was NOT a waste. Some of the most interesting storylines came from this storyline. However there are 3 things that were strange here. First, CM Punk wins the title at Summerslam but loses to Del Rio shortly after. Normally this is just to get the the briefcase cashed in but Del Rio cashes in and feuds with Cena. Next, Punk not only loses the belt, he then feuds with Kevin Nash. Kevin Nash. Lastly, when the match with Nash falls through, he goes on and feuds with Triple H and LOSES. Enough said.

*The Wrestlemania 2000 Main Event

-With Stone Cold Steve Austin out, McMahon had to call an audible for the main event. His two hottest guys at the time was The Rock and Triple H. Naturally, they should’ve headlined but McMahon decided to add Big Show and originally Chris Jericho but they gave his spot to Mick Foley. Not only was it a Fatal 4 Way but a McMahon was in every corner. The match was overbooked before it even began. The action in the wrong was overshadowed by the McMahon family drama. The main event should’ve been the main event we got at Backlash 2000.

*Undertaker’s Booking From 1992-1996

-After Undertaker lost his undefeated streak and the WWE title to Hulk Hogan, he foundered in a big way. Taker would squash Jake Roberts but then feud with the likes of Giant Gonzalez. After a decent feud with Yokozuna, he then had an uninspiring feud with the Million Dollar Team. After this, Taker would FINALLY get a feud that would probably have been considered the best feud of 1996 with Mankind. Had it not been for Mankind, Undertaker wouldn’t have probably become the legend that he is or at least found the right lane.

*Storyline Treatment Of Jim Ross

-Personally I felt the way Vince handled Jim Ross wasn’t right. Jim Ross would constantly get embarrassed from being beat up by the likes of Austin, Eric Bischoff, Triple H among others to being fired on TV or be embarrassed in general by guys like CM Punk. Jim Ross and Undertaker may be the most liked and respected individuals in the wrestling industry and I felt Vince treated JR unfairly. His booking as an on air personality was never right.

*Legion of Doom Booking

-The Road Warriors are considered by many to be the greatest tag team ever (personally I feel Hardyz and Dudleyz have surpassed them but that’s another story). LOD won the tag titles in WWE but their reigns were rather unforgettable. While I agree that those guys were supposed to put over teams at that stage in their careers (New Age Outlaws), they didn't book them as too much of a threat at any point. Road Warriors dominated every tag division they set foot in but their WWE runs were largely pedestrian at best.

*The "Divas" Division 

-We are seeing women’s wrestling at its apex. But once upon a time, women were seen as eye candy and that’s all. The Attitude Era would be a prime example where Sable was the face of the division without being a competent wrestler. From there, it got better during  2002-2008. Once Trish, Lita, and others retired, Vince tried to give us Kelly Kelly as the face of the division, which was all bad. Thankfully, Vince saw the light (Editor's Note: Triple H handles most of that) and we have a great era now.

*Stone Cold Steve Austin Heel Turn At Wrestlemania 17

This may have been the worst booking decision (Editor's Note: It actually was a good decision in the end). Austin’s career never recovered after this heel turn (Editor's Note: Actually, it got an added dimension thanks to the heel turn, it's the injuries and booking that messed him up) which turned him from bad ass to a McMahon disciple. Austin becoming friends with his biggest rival was already bad enough but playing guitar and buttering up McMahon made it absolutely horrendous to watch (Editor's Note: All of this was entertaining TV and helped Austin out of a box). By the time Austin turned face again, the damage was already done (Editor's Note: Austin and WHAT? were immensely popular after the heel turn so I'm not sure what Phranchize means here).

Whether or not you agree with Phranchize on these or not, these all make for a compelling discussion on the logic of WWE booking and the ramifications of it. Let us know your thoughts on this list.

-Phranchize

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Eyes on the Ring 2:02 AM  No comment