Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.

This week, Dallas Allsopp, Ethan Neufeld and Bodeen Green will be reviewing the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.

Elimination Chamber was the final stop on the road to WrestleMania 36, however it did not feel like the momentous event it should have. A lack of top calibre stars was a glaring issue, as too was the lack of interesting storylines. But was there something positive about the show? Did Shayna Baszler look like a true star? And is Braun Strowman no longer a monster?


ALLSOPP: Shayna Baszler is an absolute badass, and that is exactly how she was booked inside the elimination chamber. She took out Sarah Logan and Ruby Riott in such a swift and dominant fashion that she instantly looked like a star, with the match itself serving as her coming out moment. She brings a credibility to the Raw women’s division that has been lacking since Ronda Rousey was around, however I feel she will come up short at WrestleMania 36 as WWE are still adamant Becky Lynch should be the focal point of the division. Baszler should win, but I have no faith that Vince McMahon sees money in The Queen of Spades.

NEUFELD: I have a lot of issues with the booking of the women’s elimination chamber match, including its participants, placement on the card and inclusion of Shayna Baszler in the first place. But in terms of how she was used in the match itself, I thought they did an okay job. I think she should have either been one of the starting participants or the very last one, rather than coming out in the middle of the pack like she did. She did demonstrate dominance which was good for what it was, but also completely melted away any credibility from the other women involved. At this point it would make sense to me for Baszler to win at WrestleMania 36, ideally with her and Becky Lynch having a brutal and bloody affair that would feel different when compared to any previous women’s match. But I have lost a lot of faith in WWE at the moment, and with the way the wind is blowing right now, I see them keeping the title on Lynch because Vince McMahon says so.

GREEN: Whilst Shayna Baszler looked absolutely terrific in this match, I was a bit disappointed in how they booked the match itself, as having 4 minutes of stare downs followed by two straight squashes just feels disappointing. The fact that the elimination chamber itself was only used for a few spots didn't help either. However, such criticism aside, the match made Baszler look like a star and made her look like Becky Lynch's biggest threat. I feel like her beating Lynch at WrestleMania 36 is a must, especially as Raw only has a few big names, and the need for new faces in the women's division is a must at this point.


NEUFELD: Braun Strowman is just another in a long line of big monster men that are booked as dominant badasses, before ultimately coming up short. Like Ryback before him, you can only lose so many times before you just become a loser. WWE missed the chance to strike with Strowman a long time ago, and his monster aura has been a veneer for a while. His WWE Intercontinental Championship win was definitely deserved, and I thought the booking of this match was both logical and entertaining. Whilst this result was shocking, it wasn’t surprising, if that makes sense. Strowman is a guy who deserves better, but is in a company that likes having a big, scary, but consistently beatable monster. That may have worked great in the days of Andre the Giant, but it really falls flat in the modern wrestling world.

GREEN: I never thought I'd be unhappy with Sami Zayn winning a title, but somehow I am. Braun Strowman has lost all momentum that he once had, and he feels like a shell of his former self. Whilst it's understandable that he was not able to defeat 3 top guys, The Monster Among Men needs a storyline or something to redeem himself and become what he used to be. The fact that he has lost several big time matches due to making easy mistakes or putting himself in a bad situation makes him look weak, and removes all credibility towards the character.

ALLSOPP: Unfortunately, this match was endemic of Braun Strowman’s stop start WWE career. Despite being arguably the best big guy since The Big Show, he is booked with such inconsistency that he no longer resembles the monster he once was. In terms of kayfabe, he should have been able to overcome 3 fairly middling challengers, but alas this was not the case. Unless his character is rehabilitated soon, it will be a case of Strowman never fulfilling his true potential in WWE.


GREEN: Whilst it may be an unpopular opinion, I actually enjoyed the fact that both world titles were not defended. This gives other feuds more time to develop, and also allows other talented guys such as Aleister Black and Drew Gulak time to shine on the big shows. I also personally enjoy the idea of the elimination chamber being a second chance for a world title opportunity at WrestleMania.

ALLSOPP: Yes! A million times, yes. The demonic elimination chamber structure should host the elite matches, with a world title or a shot at a world title on the line. The women’s elimination chamber match was a great effort, but the tag team match could not replace the drama and intrigue of a new challenger for the WWE Championship. Elimination Chamber felt well and truly like a B show, which is frankly unacceptable as we approach the biggest show of the year.

NEUFELD: In a way, I actually liked the show being filled with matches such as Daniel Bryan vs Drew Gulak and Aleister Black vs AJ Styles. It was good to see matches between wrestlers who are good workers and just wanted to fight each other, rather than a title necessarily being on the line. Titles feel somewhat meaningless in WWE, so it matters more to me whether there’s a story behind the contest. What hurt the event more was the rushed and incomplete nature of the build for all of the matches, rather than the world titles not being defended. I don’t think a Brock Lesner or Goldberg squash match would have improved the quality of the show at all. I would rather have kept those 10 minutes for the other matches. Well, maybe not the women’s elimination chamber match.