My latest column for upgruv.com looks at Elimination Chamber. Here’s some highlights:
The moral of a pay-per-view such as WWE Elimination Chamber: predictable is all right, as long it’s logical.
It was both on Sunday night.
Bray Wyatt won his first WWE Championship after a lengthy, physical chamber-style match against five opponents. Looking at the big picture, Wyatt was a popular choice to win; we already knew the No. 1 contender for the title at WrestleMania was Wyatt Family member Randy Orton.
The two have had a unique story building since October. They started as enemies only to form a brotherly bond. That transition was always about the eventual payoff. Makes sense to have it happen on the industry’s biggest stage.
But it can’t end there.
Luke Harper has seemingly left the Wyatt Family because of lingering issues with Orton and Bray. A triple threat of Orton versus Bray versus Harper would fit nicely into a WrestleMania card. How that match comes to be would depending on which roads WWE bookers opted to travel over the next several weeks.
SmackDown Live general manager, Daniel Bryan even hinted at a three-way match during the post-Elimination Chamber “Talking Smack.” In the first minute of the broadcast, he mentioned several times the seven weeks until WrestleMania and that a Wyatt-Orton title match wasn’t etched into stone. (For emphasis, Bryan also took his out earpieces, citing he was tired of being talked to in his ear from backstage producers.)
It was certainly a non-scripted moment by the Bryan, who is nothing if not genuine. He has operated with a “I don’t give a damn” mentality since his in-ring career was ended by the WWE. Pure speculation, but I wonder if Bryan started hinting too much to what is going to take place and got a verbal lashing from those behind the scenes?
There is more than enough time for creative to build a story and add Harper for the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania.
More on Luke Harper being added to the WWE title match, reaction to Naomi as Women’s Champion, problem with Apollo Crews and more—CLICK HERE for the rest of the column.
