What a crazy four days of wrestling. Actually, what it really showed me is that Smackdown needs to be moved off Fridays and onto either Tuesday or Thursday. When it’s a PPV weekend with a big Raw, Smackdown is quickly forgotten.

I’m not exactly sure what Dolph Ziggler did to get pushed and then demoted in such quick fashion, but such a good wrestler right now, it’s not even funny. I hope they find something for him to do at WrestleMania. I still like my idea of him facing Daniel Bryan, but it looks like Bryan will be paired with Shemus, which isn’t as good of a match.

After a fantastic Elimination Chamber, Raw was in interesting follow-up. It featured three things that really stood out. First and foremost, we finally have our WrestleMania 27 main event. 2.21.11 wasn’t Sting. It was the Undertaker, no matter how much we wanted it to be someone else.

I thought the segment was very good, but for whatever reason, didn’t seem all that hot to the live crowd. I liked that they didn’t talk, but what I think is completely overdone is staring at the WrestleMania sign. That was supposed to be their big scene and it would’ve worked, if we hadn’t seen three or four guys already do it. They need to quit having guys do that except when it’s necessary. But, the work was great by both guys. Charlie Chaplain would be proud.

If you haven’t seen the video, check it out below.

I imagine that the match will be pretty good, but be unable to live up to the main events at WrestleMania 25 and 26. I think it’s going to be slow early on, but it will pick up nicely until the finish. Hopefully next week, they’ll get Shawn Michaels in the mix.
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I was at the Elimination Chamber PPV in Oakland and it was a really fun show. I took 50 photos from the show, which you can see at our Facebook page.

There are some great shots of:

- The Miz
- John Cena
- Jerry Lawler
- Trish Stratus
- Alberto Del Rio
- CM Punk

Go check them out.

You could say the WWE is two for two in 2011. Elimination Chamber picked up right where Royal Rumble left off and if this is not the best WWE PPV of the year, we may be in for a good year.

Here’s what we thought of Elimination Chamber:

Duan
Thumbs Up
Best Match: Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston
Worst Match: Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel vs. Santino and Koslov

That PPV gap between Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania can be tricky to fill, but they absolutely nailed it this year. Everything on this show was exactly what it need to be: matches, character development, storyline progression; all perfect. This is quality pro wrestling so enjoy it while it lasts.

This show gave Alberto the shot in the arm he needed heading into Mania. While I still don’t believe Edge is the right man to have across the ring from him, it was clearly the direction WWE were committed to. Given only that option, they have done their best with it. I can still see the match dying a thousand deaths come April 3rd, but the build has been quite well booked.

If John Morrison never manages to take that final step up in WWE, it wont be from lack of trying. I’m somebody who in the past questioned his legitimacy as a true top contender, but the guy has done absolutely everything you could ask of him these past few months. He was the star of the show again last night and that was amongst good competition.

Alan
Thumbs Way Up
Best Match: Smackdown Chamber
Worst Match: Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel vs. Santino and Koslov
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I’m live in Oakland, CA and will be live blogging the show as it happens. Since I’m doing so on my Blackberry, the actual match description will be shorter than usual, but I’ll be able to let you know what’s going on in the building and things you can’t really see on the TV broadcast, such as crowd noise and things of that nature.

Daniel Bryan and Ted Jr. Is the dark match.

1. Ted DiBiase Jr. vs. Daniel Bryan

Fun, albeit short match. Best spot was Bryan off the top rope with his flying dropkick, but Ted Jr. drop kicked him in the air. Bryan won after turning Teddy’s dream drop into a guillotine and into the LaBelle Lock.

Winner: Daniel Bryan

2. Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston

There was a Del Rio chant early, but the Kofi chants took over. Lots of ground work from Del Rio, using a body lock and an arm triangle-like choke.

They worked a little clunky together, but it was still a good opener. Del Rio had much of it early on, Kofi got a nice comeback with some nice high flying. He missed his nuts splash in the corner, did a neckbreaker from the top rope, and then got the arm bar on. Kofi fought it well.

Winner: Alberto Del Rio (but you already knew that)

3. Smackdown Chamber – Kane vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Wade Barrett vs. The Big Show vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Edge

Match started with Edge vs. Mysterio. They needed both guys in there to work most of the match, but they didn’t do as much as I expected them to do. Rey took a big bump over the top and to the steel. It didn’t sound fun.

Barrett joined them next. Rey climbed up the cage and gave Barrett a hurracanrana back into the ring. Rey had Barrett set up for the 619, but Edge big booted him.

Kane was in next and started cleaning house. McIntyre is in next and immediately slammed Rey into one of the pods. He then threw Wade into the pod and it broke. Kane and Edge did the vaunted double big boot. Show came in and chopped Barrett’s chest to pieces before knocking him out and pinning him.

Drew hit his future shock on show for a two. Rey jumped off the top of the pod on Show. Kane pinned Show after a chokeslam that followed a 619 and spear. Kane chokeslammed and pinned Drew immediately. Down to three.

Rey tried a hurracanrana from the top but Kane caught him. Edge speared them both and pinned Kane. Kane chokeslammed both on his way out. Down to the two guys who started the match.

Rey and Edge were brilliant. Near fall after near fall, the crowd was eating out of their hands until the finish, which was Edge catching Rey coming off the top with a spear.

Winner: Edge

Del Rio came in to beat up Edge and Christian came in for the save. Christian put a beating on the number one contender.

Booker T introduced he and Stone Cold as trainers for Tough Enough, and then introduced one more – Trish Stratus. Then she did Booker and Rock’s catch phrases.

4. Santino and Koslov vs. Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater

Slater and Gabriel won the titles in a short match after Gabriel hit the 450 on Koslov.

Winner: Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel

Vicki came out to ask the fans to help Dolph get his job back. The heat was so amazing that I couldn’t hear it. Teddy came out and said he would hire someone, but not Dolph. Kelly Kelly was rehired. She came out to chase Vicki but LayCool came out to double team her. Trish came out for the save. She screwed up a couple things and the crowd didn’t really pop for her the second time out. But she’s still beautiful. Looks like that could be our Mania women’s match.

5. The Miz vs. Jerry Lawler

I thought The Miz looked flat for most of the match and the finish came off flat. Lawler did all his trademark stuff and the crowd loved it. He hit his fist drop from the top for a near fall, but then Miz hit the Skull Crushing Finale for the pin.

Winner: The Miz

6. Raw Chamber – Randy Orton vs. R-Truth vs. CM Punk vs. John Cena vs. Sheamus vs. John Morrison

Sheamus and Morrison open the match. Morrison bounced off the middle rope to the outside where Sheamus was, but Sheamus moved and he landed on the cage and kicked Sheamus after leaping from the cage. Orton was in next. Orton did his middle rope DDT to Sheamus out on the steel floor. Orton did superplexes to both.

Punk was in next and Orton was waiting for him. He couldn’t get out of the pod and Orton jumped him, hit the RKO and pinned him. The anonymous Raw GM put him back into the match immediately. Cena is next, but Punk is back in his pod. Truth is next and he suckered Sheamus.
Sheamus pinned Truth with the Brogue kick. That’s what you get for screwing up your live promo. Punk came back into the match and Orton hit the RKO on Cena on the steel. Punk hit the GTS on Orton and pinned him. That was quick.

Morrison scaled the top of the cage and fell on top of Sheamus for the pin in yet another great stunt. It’s down to three. Morrison went for the running knee on Cena, but Cena moved out of the way and Morrison hit all plexi-glass. He and Morrison did the Doomsday Device on Punk. And Cena gave a FU. Punk took over, but Morrison set him up for the Starship Pain and missed. Punk gave him the GTS for the pin. Cena FU’d Punk on the steel for the win.

Winner: John Cena

The Smackdown chamber match was so much better.

Tonight’s Elimination Chamber continues a trend a number of fans don’t enjoy seeing — slowing down the build to WrestleMania.

Remember the years when you would have an idea who’s going to be fighting at WrestleMania right after the Royal Rumble? This year, we still don’t know what the main event is going to be.

This year, like the past few previous years, we don’t even know who the champion is going to be on the last Pay Per View before the grand-daddy of them all.

However, like cynical people, we do know that either Randy Orton or John Cena is going to be in the Main Event match at WrestleMania. But which one?

The Elimination Chamber gives 12 men a chance to be in the big WM Main Event match. Six on the Raw side, fighting for the top contender spot against The Miz or (gulp) Jerry Lawler, and six… no wait… five… no, it should be six… on the Smackdown side fighting for a chance to face top contender Alberto Del Rio. Or as some people would like to call him… “Who?”

Let’s go over the show match by match, with the order I’m guessing they’re going to run.

Match #1 — RAW Elimination Chamber match — John Cena vs. Sheamus vs. Randy Orton vs. CM Punk vs. John Morrison vs. R-Truth. The winner receives a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania XXVII against either The Miz or Jerry Lawler. Yes, Jerry Lawler. You know, the color guy. Yeah, him.

So what is the Elimination Chamber? On the WWE website it states:

In each bout, six Superstars will enter this heinous structure – which is composed of two miles of chain and 10 tons of unforgiving steel – but only one can emerge with a lustrous World Title in their possession.

Rules:
1. Two Superstars will start the match while the remaining four are enclosed in glass pods.
2. At designated times, a pod will open at random, enabling a Superstar to enter the match. This will continue until all the competitors have been released.
3. A man is eliminated via pinfall or submission only.
4. The last man standing is the winner.

So why should this match go first? It’s got the biggest draws in Cena and Orton, but it’s also the match that means the least. All you’re gonna get here is a title shot.

We have ongoing feuds in this match, including Orton / Cena vs. CM Punk, John Morrison vs. Sheamus, and R-Truth vs. his annunciation. Of course Punk is going to have his New Nexus outside the ring cheering him and possibly slipping him a weapon or two or three. Sheamus is going to have to deal with the lingering shadow of Triple H, the man he put on the disabled list last year who’s primed for a return.

WHO SHOULD WIN
John Morrison. Hear me out. This man has been getting an ungodly push of late, with his acrobatics in the Royal Rumble, and his multiple wins over Sheamus. Sorry, King Sheamus. If Miz wins his match against Jerry Lawler, we get Miz vs. Morrison, where the Megalomaniacs Collide! And with Miz vs. Morrison, The Miz has won almost every single match between the two. At least all the matches I’ve seen between the two, either TV, PPV, or live.

WHO WILL WIN
John Cena. It looks like the WWE has decided to move on from the Cena vs. Nexus route, and instead feeding Randy Orton to CM Punk and the Nexus for WrestleMania. Just how many title shots is Randy Orton going to get, anyway? Plus with a feud between Cena and The Rock coming up, there’s a chance Rocky is going to swerve everybody at Mania and end up helping Cena win the title. Anybody else see that coming?

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