Elimination Chamber XIII - 2/18/2023

[NoFistsJustFlips]

Thought the booking was a miss. If you're not going to go with Sami winning, then the play was to get the heat & personal issue onto Jey so Sami doesn't even care about Roman anymore. Violent beat down from Jey (after it looks like he was going to hit Roman), just gross beat down that goes too far. Then you book Sami as a wildman stalking Jey, and trying to convince KO to trust him and help take the one thing Jey covets.

The way it played out certainly doesn't put a lot of heat onto an Usos vs Sami & KO tag match.

[For Great Justice]

I am supportive of keeping the belt on Roman through Mania, but if you DO decide he drops it, I just don’t know how you don’t drop it THERE, and instead drop it to Cody at Mania. The heat on Cody isn’t comparable to the heat we saw tonight IMO. 

Just me and I get Cody is popular, but Sami has organic heat. Cody has your annual, manufactured Road To Wrestlemania heat. The former is so much harder to find. 

[The Man Known as Dan]

Just now, Raziel said:

Honestly,  this board was only going to be happy with Sami wins.  But the crowd was singing and cheering as they went off air after Sami and KO got the heat back old school,  so... *yano shrug*

 

So Sami wins, then what?

 

You transition into Jey/Roman and Sami/Cody. Or you make the main event a Triple Threat. There are tons of options other then setting up a tag title match nobody cares about.

[Raziel]

Man, this board would've hated the 80's.

[Andrew POE!]

Reading the results....obviously wrong choice to have Reigns retain. The crowd is sick and tired of Reigns winning every match. I wished the Montreal crowd rioted and started throwing bottles/trash/chairs into the ring and tried to beat Reigns' ass.

As it is, it was obvious Reigns wasn't going to lose, but WWE should have went with it anyway. It would have been a different storyline and dare I say more sports like going into WrestleMania - Sami Zayn as WWE/Universal champion against Cody Rhodes, Cody was preparing for Reigns but got Zayn. Reigns would get time off or possibly team with Solo to battle the Usos for the tag titles or it's a Triple Threat match for the titles with Reigns/Cody/Zayn.

Because WWE is playing with fire like that and is likely to kill the town from ever wanting to come back to them when they come back (I imagine like the WWE killed Cardiff not having Drew McIntyre win). I wonder what would happen if Reigns retains against Cody at WrestleMania. Since they'll be in LA, the crowd may just be 'ehhh' towards it and just excited to be at WrestleMania, not be at a 1990s WCW Monday Nitro for a reaction.

And the WWE would have deserved it if it happened.

 

Edited February 19, 2023 by Andrew POE!

[NoFistsJustFlips]

Just now, Raziel said:

Man, this board would've hated the 80's.

I don't think this was directed at me. But I didn't expect them to put the title on Sami, nor in my opinion should they have. But for this to be successful they needed to effectively shift who Sami wants to fight. Coming into this the title was secondary to him wanting to fight Roman. So him not winning the title isn't the problem. The problem is not shifting that heat & personal issue onto someone else. The way it played out, it's more like Jey will have the personal issue with Sami (for Spearing him). It's kind of a backwards way to tell the story.

And I will state it now, I'm actually in favor of both Reigns & The Usos retaining the titles at WM. Keep filling that heat balloon. This is the era where the profits are there despite what you book. They could realistically have Roman beat Bruno's record if they wanted to and it wouldn't hurt the bottom line.

[The Man Known as Dan]

2 minutes ago, Raziel said:

Man, this board would've hated the 80's.

 

Funny thing, tons of people complained about booking then too. Crazy, I know. 

 

Also, I'll let one of my favorite current wrestlers say it 

 

 

[Octopus]

I’m fine with the ending because I now have faith in the company with this storyline. Dear lord, I feel icky. 

[Mario]

9 minutes ago, Raziel said:

Honestly,  this board was only going to be happy with Sami wins.  But the crowd was singing and cheering as they went off air after Sami and KO got the heat back old school,  so... *yano shrug*

This board is generally opposite land, so it would be a surprise if it accepted that the crowd seemed mostly happy.

[Niners Fan in CT]

Nah see that's dumb..  Roman has a 900 day reign.  You don't drop the belts for 5 days..  Whoever he loses to has to be the next GUY..   and they don't believe that guy was Zayn. 

[Ziggy]

16 minutes ago, The Man Known as Dan said:

You thought that sent the crowd home happy? I think you are nuts. That finish was massively deflating, and I don't think anyone is leaving that building happy. 

 

I thought that finish sucked dick, and them trying to pull a "happy ending" out of it was honestly just kind of pathetic.

I thought he was being sarcastic. Unless Sami was leaving with the title, it was no way these people were leaving happy. The only positive thing to come out of that it's Jey didn't do his outright turn on Sami as most of us expected. They might as well played back the Montreal screwjob because this whole melodramatic call back stuff was going to be a letdown to the live crowd. 

I expect Cody to get clear Win off Roman without all this melodramatic bs. Don't get me wrong it's Lead to some once in a lifetime good stuff with this Bloodline but the audience praise of it has probably made it a standard for a great angle going forward. WrestleMania you most likely are getting Roman take a clean loss and that enough is simple enough and effective for Cody.

[Niners Fan in CT]

Maybe they see Jey Uso as a babyface star and want to go that path?  it's not crazy.. Jey Uso has been excellent. 

[Cobra Commander]

for how much people loved Foley winning the title in January 1999, I wonder how much of the current fan mentality would have totally shit all over having 3 title changes between that match and WM15

your February World title changes have been mostly been Elimination Chamber matches, with the exceptions of Goldberg showing up to get the title in 2017 and 2020, Rock beating Angle to set up a big money match in 2001, the 1999 Russobooking, 1997 with injuries..

but with nothing running on the other channel against Raw or Smackdown, there isn't as much of a reason to do a hotshot in February, especially since they're out of the half of switching one of their belts in an Elimination Chamber match

Zayn winning the title, even if you wanted it to happen, would have been a hot shot

[Andrew POE!]

Just now, Niners Fan in CT said:

Maybe they see Jey Uso as a babyface star and want to go that path?  it's not crazy.. Jey Uso has been excellent. 

Honestly, it would be the biggest out of left field things to happen. Say Cody Rhodes doesn't win at Wrestlemania....but Jey Uso does a month later at the next PPV. It would call back to Reigns facing Jey Uso at 2020 Hell in the Cell. It would be a perfect way to end the Bloodline storyline. Not Cody Rhodes winning, but Jey winning it all.

[John from Cincinnati]

21 minutes ago, For Great Justice said:

Just me and I get Cody is popular, but Sami has organic heat. Cody has your annual, manufactured Road To Wrestlemania heat. The former is so much harder to find. 

They’re both simultaneously manufactured and organic. Sami’s had longer to simmer, but don’t discount the craft in building to this by just saying “organic.” 

[jaedmc]

I hate that Sami lost. I think it's stupid. It was the most passionate anyone has been for a main event match in the WWE in years. But they'd rather manufacture a different moment. I haven't enjoyed a Wrestlemania in years because I can just feel them pressuring everyone to feel all the feelings, even when the feelings aren't there.

I hate it when I can see the strings being pulled. When the company's plot overrides character. Everything about this felt honest up until the finish.

Like why would Sami accidentally hitting Jey cause them to fight? You can just watch the tape back. Sami tried to hit Roman. Roman moved. Jey was there. Sorry buddy, the end. If that moment is the moment that detours Sami away from the title, then that makes this whole ending even worse. It's a contrived way of moving him away from the plot that they want to happen.

I love Cody and really would like for him to win the title - but Sami winning felt right. I don't think you gamble such a special night thinking you're going to get an even more special one at Wrestlemania, just because that's when special things are supposed to happen. You can't manufacture that kind of magic on demand. You're not that great. Even if they change their minds and go with Sami in a triple threat at Wrestlemania - the moment passed. It won't be the same.

[Cobra Commander]

14 minutes ago, The Man Known as Dan said:

Also, I'll let one of my favorite current wrestlers say it 

 

1) fortunately Luger beating Hogan and losing it 5 days later didn't cheapen Sting/Hogan. They made sure to cheapen Sting/Hogan on their own without involving Luger.

2) having Sami drop the title 6 days later to Roman would have been shit all over, don't lie to yourself here

Either they finally make the move for Cody or you're gonna hear about a 1000+ title reign

[Niners Fan in CT]

2 minutes ago, Andrew POE! said:

Honestly, it would be the biggest out of left field things to happen. Say Cody Rhodes doesn't win at Wrestlemania....but Jey Uso does a month later at the next PPV. It would call back to Reigns facing Jey Uso at 2020 Hell in the Cell. It would be a perfect way to end the Bloodline storyline. Not Cody Rhodes winning, but Jey winning it all.

That's actually what i'd prefer but Jey could also help cost Roman at WM when Solo and Jimmy show up.. 

[Cobra Commander]

another "unexpected upside" part of tonight's results?

the bullshit finish for Brock/Lashley did make it a lot less likely that they were gonna end Sami/Roman on a DQ or another assorted nonsense.

Anyways, if we're doing the "Sami should have won because Lex Luger".. might as well do a literal Dusty finish*, have Sami leave with the belt, and then have it get overturned next Friday on a technicality or other nonsense.

(* - it's a real Dusty finish if they overturn it after the card ends)

[Casey]

Kind of disappointed that Beth didn't bust out the Scorpion Crosslock since she had the Nakano face paint on.

Oh and Montez Ford is a goddamn star. It's time to start that ascension.

Edited February 19, 2023 by Casey

[Ziggy]

4 minutes ago, Cobra Commander said:

for how much people loved Foley winning the title in January 1999, I wonder how much of the current fan mentality would have totally shit all over having 3 title changes between that match and WM15.

They've kept Roman strong and they've made it more common for people to have longer title reigns the past few years. I don't think people would have a problem at all about a title change or two before Mania. It more the Company's obsession with records a stats nowadays than anything. I said it at the time and I'll say it now, they'd have it much better it they hadn't combined the Universal and  WWE title. There were talks of him dropping one belt before Mania which would have been cool for them to put a belt on Sami tonight but I think they don't want Roman to take a clean loss before Mania if that's where he finally is ending his run as Champion 

[Cobra Commander]

Considering that Jey took the spear and pretty much disappeared offstage, maybe he's so groggy as a result of what happened that the Bloodline will spend the next week "convincing" him that Sami Zayn really did spear him on purpose

Sorta like how Paul Heyman was able to convince Tommy Dreamer to use his personal credit cards for the sake of funding ECW. Some people in the Bloodline do have experience with gaslighting the vulnerable.

I was actually thinking that Roman was moving out of the way during the chairshot callback so that Jey accidentally hit Sami when he meant to hit Roman, and Owens would be the one to think Jey hit Sami on purpose. Owens would have less reason to trust Jey Uso than Sami, afterall.

[Raziel]

8 minutes ago, Casey said:

Kind of disappointed that Beth didn't bust out the Scorpion Crosslock since she had the Nakano face paint on.

Oh and Montez Ford is a goddamn star. It's time to start that ascension.

I thought Beth was more calling out Luna, being in Montreal and all.

 

And let's go with Ford already. 

[Johnny Sorrow]

That show was fucking fantastic. 

[Casey]

2 minutes ago, Raziel said:

I thought Beth was more calling out Luna, being in Montreal and all.

 

And let's go with Ford already. 

Nah, it was a pretty clear copy of Bull's face paint. The lines mainly being on the left side of the face and stuff. Commentary even pointed it out too. Beth is a huuuuuge mark for Bull Nakano. I think it was the Evolution PPV where she did commentary, she was wearing an unofficial fan made shirt (that I immediately found on Redbubble and bought).

Her hair definitely gave me Luna vibes, though!