Elimination Chamber VIII - 2/25/2018

[Casey]

[Kyuubi]

I am going to say it. 

These fuck finishes that Roman gets around this time for the past couple of years, screw him and whatever momentum he may have gained in currying fans favor. If the combination of a spear, AA could not finish Braun, and then a curb stomp and Coup De Grace could not finish him, and Braun throughout the whole match has been patient and stalking his opponents, then your finish can't be Braun uncharacteristically charging at Roman and sending himself through a pod and Roman doing the typical which has been established time and time again to not be enough to beat Braun to win this match. This is why I put Finn over Roman. Not because I think Finn is a fantastic wrestler. No, Finn as a worker is just as mediocre and he really lacks the story telling and ring awareness. Finn knows when to change with the intensity in the match. Roman seems to be unaware of anyone else's story within the match and it hurts him. This finish was convoluted like all Roman big matches around this time are.

If Roman speared Braun off the top of the pod, I'd buy the 3 count. If Roman speared Braun through the pod, I'd buy a three count. I refuse to believe Braun just changed tactics in match and just threw himself in a pod and Roman just wins. It's a fuck finish in an already boring Elimination Chamber match.

[Niners Fan in CT]

45 minutes ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

Long live the Queen...

Sasha warned her a couple days ago.  

 

[Brian Fowler]

I haven't bad-mouthed a DCEU movie in months, why does @Niners Fan in CT have me on ignore?

[Niners Fan in CT]

Sorry @Brian Fowler I don't have you on ignore.  I didn't even watch Justice League   

[Overly Critical Man]

12 minutes ago, Kyuubi said:

I am going to say it. 

These fuck finishes that Roman gets around this time for the past couple of years, screw him and whatever momentum he may have gained in currying fans favor. If the combination of a spear, AA could not finish Braun, and then a curb stomp and Coup De Grace could not finish him, and Braun throughout the whole match has been patient and stalking his opponents, then your finish can't be Braun uncharacteristically charging at Roman and sending himself through a pod and Roman doing the typical which has been established time and time again to not be enough to beat Braun to win this match. This is why I put Finn over Roman. Not because I think Finn is a fantastic wrestler. No, Finn as a worker is just as mediocre and he really lacks the story telling and ring awareness. Finn knows when to change with the intensity in the match. Roman seems to be unaware of anyone else's story within the match and it hurts him. This finish was convoluted like all Roman big matches around this time are.

If Roman speared Braun off the top of the pod, I'd buy the 3 count. If Roman speared Braun through the pod, I'd buy a three count. I refuse to believe Braun just changed tactics in match and just threw himself in a pod and Roman just wins. It's a fuck finish in an already boring Elimination Chamber match.

Do we complain when Goku finishes off Kid Buu with a simple Spirit Bomb? Do we shout Bullshit! when Naruto defeats Pain with a single rasengan? Do we cry foul when Ichigo finishes off Yhwach with his original Zangetsu after he spent like 100 chapters getting a new one? Do we complain that a single Tombstone can pin Mankind after he's fallen off the top of a HiaC twice? Sorry, but Roman hit Braun with TWO spears to finish him off.

Braun by all rights, shouldn't have any ribs left.

[Dolfan in NYC]

Yeah.  Braun literally took out 5 other guys by himself, and in the process took roughly 8-10 finishers.  Braun not looking strong because the goddamned 11th finisher he took FINALLY put him down (for less than a minute) is like saying Michael Myers shouldn't have died at the end of Halloween.  

I mean, I've got problems with Roman winning, but Braun losing heat was not one of them. 

[Kyuubi]

1 minute ago, Overly Critical Man said:

Do we complain when Goku finishes off Kid Buu with a simple Spirit Bomb? Do we shout Bullshit! when Naruto defeats Pain with a single rasengan? Do we cry foul when Ichigo finishes off Yhwach with his original Zangetsu after he spent like 100 chapters getting a new one? Do we complain that a single Tombstone can pin Mankind after he's fallen off the top of a HiaC twice? Sorry, but Roman hit Braun with TWO spears to finish him off.

Braun by all rights, shouldn't have any ribs left.

I would call bullshit if Kid Buu fucking threw himself into a mountain and then took a Spirit Bomb. I would call bullshit if Pain fucking tripped over his own feet and then took a Rasangan(and people called bullshit when that happened and it was one of the worst arcs in the series). Bleach sucks ass anyways. It's a fucking Spear. Not a piledriver. It is the least showy finisher since the DDT. It is a glorified tackle that I've seen dudes in the NFL take or give better than Roman. Outside of that, the finish was convoluted. Give me narrative continuity. Give me a satisfying payoff that matches the intensity of the match. Roman refuses to do that because two spears(because that is just so incredible of Roman apparently) is lame as fuck specially after Braun dominated and took everything from everyone not named Elias and Miz. No, I want more and expected more. Alexa jumped off the cage and did a post assisted DDT. Roman finishes with a fucking Spear? 

[Overly Critical Man]

*Ahem* ...two spears.

Also, the Pain arc was awesome.

[Jiji]

Roman is the anti-Bret Hart. Bret consistently found new and unexpected ways of finishing matches that fit the narrative of the match and his opponent. Say what you want of accumulation of damage for Braun but Roman rarely switches it up. It's not only him that's guilty by any means but he's the most obvious offender. 

[Overly Critical Man]

I mean, it'd be great if he used that Crucifix powerbomb he busts out sometimes as a finisher, but this is the company that built itself on Hogan finishing everyone off with the big boot and legdrop night in and night out for a decade and Austin hitting kick wham stunner.

[JonnyLaw]

1 hour ago, RIPPA said:

To be fair - when Sasha kicked Bayley Cole did say "How many times does it have to happen before Bayley will learn?" and then brought up Sasha eliminating Bayley at Rumble

To me, it made more sense, based in part on this, for Seth to go after Roman first.  Like Sasha/Bailey, Roman has eliminated Seth while they were allies, at least twice, so I can see Seth wanting to strike first this time.

[Kyuubi]

1 minute ago, Overly Critical Man said:

I mean, it'd be great if he used that Crucifix powerbomb he busts out sometimes as a finisher, but this is the company that built itself on Hogan finishing everyone off with the big boot and legdrop night in and night out for a decade and Austin hitting kick wham stunner.

This is not the 80s and this is not the attitude era. And Hulk and Austin never competed in an EC match or any match where something different was expected of them or the times Austin did, he did not win with a stunner. And I am not complaining about the spears aside from him actually changing it up. It is how Braun got himself in the situation to even up for Roman. There are several instances in this match that just takes away any edge because it was nonsensically forcing a desired winner. For example, Finn hits a CDG o Roman in the back of his head. And then Braun swoops in and powerslams Finn ignoring that Roman took a nasty finsiher. The announcers pointed it out but to the viewer at home, one wonders why Braun did not immediately cover or power slam a helpless Roman. Out of everyone in this match, he hates Roman the most. Why wouldn't her continue the thing that made him a household name? Or how Finn, John, and Seth after beating the shit out of Braun just ignores him to beat each other up. Little shit like that makes it obvious without even hiding it. I knew Roman was going to win. And I am not even disappointed because I expected it. However, it is a matter of how he does it. And the generic, heel runs himself into the pod/post/wall/whatever because he just becomes overwhelmed with eagerness and rage when in the whole match he has shown to be methodical, patient, and just tormenting is stupid and uncreative.

[Overly Critical Man]

I mean, you can do the same armchair quarterbacking with the women's EC. Sasha does her big turn on Bayley, knocks her off the pod and...goes after Alexa? Why turn on Bayley then? Why not after they've eliminated Alexa? Why does Alexa roll up Bayley after she's hit the super Bayley to belly and not after she's pinned and eliminated Sasha?

Sometimes you just have to let the strategic plot holes in wrestling matches go.

[Brian Fowler]

2 minutes ago, Overly Critical Man said:

I mean, you can do the same armchair quarterbacking with the women's EC. Sasha does her big turn on Bayley, knocks her off the pod and...goes after Alexa? Why turn on Bayley then? Why not after they've eliminated Alexa? 

Because she doesn't get the element of surprise. If she waits until Alexa is gone, Bayley is ready to fight her, and Sasha knows Bayley tends to always beat her. She made her choice that Alexa would be easier to beat one on one. Plus, as we learned last month, if you have a back, Sasha has a knife.

[Rev Ray]

15 hours ago, CreativeControl said:

Braun has a dad bod? Jesus fuckin Christ 

He has a dad bod.  His Dad's bod.

 

 

[Guest Stefanie Without Stefanie]

I watched this because I like what they are doing with the women (I'm basically your target audience that would happily watch an all-women's PPV). I guess it was okay. I don't know. The booking seemed really odd. Is it really a heel turn if Sasha Banks hits Bayley in a match that's already been determined as every woman for herself?

Also, if they were going to beat Braun, I personally would've found it more enjoyable if he went out after the finisher rush ending with the quadruple power bomb, then he goes bonkers and beats up everyone for a few minutes before finally leaving. I like the idea that it takes four guys stack pinning him after a half-dozen finishers to beat him.

[Dolfan in NYC]

 

 

[Josh Mann]

This is his "No, you're not going to make me break character, person in the huddle who just told a dirty joke" face. 

[Godfrey]

*record scratch* I guess you're wondering how I got here. Well...

[Go2Sleep]

On 2/26/2018 at 12:08 PM, Hamhock said:

Did Coach inadvertently spoil that Braun was coming out next? Commentary got a little quiet and stilted right after that.

No, Elias was guaranteed the last spot as a result of his triple threat win over Cena and Braun on Raw a couple weeks ago. Maybe the other announcers were shocked that Coach gave the audience credit and didn't rehash everything in obnoxious, buzzword-laden detail.

The show was pretty much what you'd expect. Sasha and Braun continue to get screwed in favor of the chosen ones. The booking for the men's chamber was so lame, it had to be all Vince. The entire main event scene on Raw sans Roman got their finishers buried by a guy who's likely going to be challenging for the IC belt at Mania. He should've lost to a finisher train followed by the 4-person powerbomb. Then you could get Elias a rub by re-creating the Santino/Bryan chamber finish with him and Roman since everyone knew Roman was winning anyways.

If WWE has any sense at all, AJ/Nak will go on last since that's the match the crowd will be the most (appropriately) into. If Brock is in fact done after Mania, you can bank on another WM 20 situation with him and Roman.

[Raziel]

So, rewatching the ending because of the wailing and gnashing of teeth about the finish:

 

Bruan's charge of Roman made a bit of sense, it wasn't out of no where and out of character, and the total of things Roman hit Braun with after that pod spot, keep in mind Braun had also been hit with everyone's finisher at least once, the Curbstomp twice, and already took a Spear..

Superman Punch, Superman Punch, Superman Punch, Spear, Spear.  Yeah, that's 3 sig's and 2 finisher strung together (sorry, there was a quick reversal spot that still ended up with a Superman Punch).

 

I'd be pissed if Braun HAD kicked out of that.

[Brysynner]

8 hours ago, Go2Sleep said:

If WWE has any sense at all, AJ/Nak will go on last since that's the match the crowd will be the most (appropriately) into. If Brock is in fact done after Mania, you can bank on another WM 20 situation with him and Roman.

I think you could end the show with Asuka/Charlotte. The crowd's gonna be dying by the end anyway so why not let the woman with a 900+ day undefeated streak headline in New Orleans.

The Today Show on the day after Mania will be interesting if they run with Asuka/Charlotte and Nia/Alexa as the title matches because you'd potentially have Roman/Nia and Asuka/Nakamura doing the post-Mania interviews.

[RIPPA]

 

[Ziggy]

Rewatched most of EC because I wasn't fully paying attention to the show but my personal favorite match was Da Bar vs Titus and Apollo. To me the Biggest difference in the two EC matches was in the women's EC they were trying to win through the entire match, that really hurt the Men's Chamber match because it's obvious that they were all buying time for Braun. The Mens match wasn't as bad as people make it seem but it wasn't impressive enough. The women's EC had layers even though it wasn't crip at parts. I even liked the Mizterouge vs Gallows and Anderson.