The Elimination Chamber Conundrum

[El T Draino 316]

**Spoiler warning. Please don't continue to read if you have not watched the 1/28 Raw.

Hey Team,

As we learned on Raw, The Rock will face Punk at the Elimination Chamber. That's all good and fine, but what does that mean for the rest of the PPV? This is actually interesting...

For as long as I can recall, there are always 2 Elimination Chamber matches - a WWE Title match and a WHC Match. Now, I understand the match hasn't always been FOR the respective title. At times, the Chamber match will be to determine the #1 Contender for the title, while the champion fights a singles match elsewhere on the card that night. That being said, it appears this formula will be tested at the 2013 EC PPV. Why?

The Rock (champion) is in a singles match, so the WWE Title EC would logically be a #1 Contender match...but there's a problem. John Cena, the Rumble winner, has already announced that he will fight the WWE Champion at Wrestlemania. So, long story short, there is already a #1 Contender for it. If it's not for the title or for the #1 Cont what the heck is it for?

The following list is me just churning out possibilities/thoughts with no real logic:

1. Keep it a #1 Contenders Match . The winner would make it a Triple Threat. Highly highly unlikely. Punk is the only viable option to throw into the Cena Rock mix, and he'd have to compete in/win the Chamber and fight the Rock in the same night. Punk vs Rock will likely be the last match of the PPV too, so that rules out either of them being a surprise entrant.
2. At some point, Vickie or Vince steps in and tells the Rock - you can fight Punk at EC, but it will be with 4 other Superstars as well inside the EC. Kind of lame.
3. The second EC match has nothing to do with the WWE title. It's simply storyline based. Maybe the Shield vs. Ryback, Sheamus, and Orton. Sounded good as I typed it.
4. The second EC match could be for the U.S. or IC title. Mehhh. Might help bump the prestige of the titles, but not enough to really matter. It's a temporary fix.
5. Will there only be one Chamber match this year at the EC PPV... for the WHC?
6. Does Brock fight at EC? Or does this storyline blow over for a few weeks, and pick up rapidly as Mania approaches?

How do you guys think this all plays out? With a #1 Contender already confirmed, and a singles match already confirmed, is there a Chamber match the involves the WWE Title in any way at all?

[TNA 'The very best']

**Spoiler warning. Please don't continue to read if you have not watched the 1/28 Raw.

Hey Team,

As we learned on Raw, The Rock will face Punk at the Elimination Chamber. That's all good and fine, but what does that mean for the rest of the PPV? This is actually interesting...

For as long as I can recall, there are always 2 Elimination Chamber matches - a WWE Title match and a WHC Match. Now, I understand the match hasn't always been FOR the respective title. At times, the Chamber match will be to determine the #1 Contender for the title, while the champion fights a singles match elsewhere on the card that night. That being said, it appears this formula will be tested at the 2013 EC PPV. Why?

The Rock (champion) is in a singles match, so the WWE Title EC would logically be a #1 Contender match...but there's a problem. John Cena, the Rumble winner, has already announced that he will fight the WWE Champion at Wrestlemania. So, long story short, there is already a #1 Contender for it. If it's not for the title or for the #1 Cont what the heck is it for?

The following list is me just churning out possibilities/thoughts with no real logic:

1. Keep it a #1 Contenders Match . The winner would make it a Triple Threat. Highly highly unlikely. Punk is the only viable option to throw into the Cena Rock mix, and he'd have to compete in/win the Chamber and fight the Rock in the same night. Punk vs Rock will likely be the last match of the PPV too, so that rules out either of them being a surprise entrant.
2. At some point, Vickie or Vince steps in and tells the Rock - you can fight Punk at EC, but it will be with 4 other Superstars as well inside the EC. Kind of lame.
3. The second EC match has nothing to do with the WWE title. It's simply storyline based. Maybe the Shield vs. Ryback, Sheamus, and Orton. Sounded good as I typed it.
4. The second EC match could be for the U.S. or IC title. Mehhh. Might help bump the prestige of the titles, but not enough to really matter. It's a temporary fix.
5. Will there only be one Chamber match this year at the EC PPV... for the WHC?
6. Does Brock fight at EC? Or does this storyline blow over for a few weeks, and pick up rapidly as Mania approaches?

How do you guys think this all plays out? With a #1 Contender already confirmed, and a singles match already confirmed, is there a Chamber match the involves the WWE Title in any way at all?

Most likely but still shit, Just another reason WWE has messed things up. Not a fan of The Rock winning or Cena but I will wait to see how it all pans out.

[MachoManFan]

I'm expecting only one EC match at the moment but who knows. Of your suggestions 2 seems most likely. In fact it's what I would prefer considering Cena has already announced he's going after the WWE title at 'Mania. As for Brock, I hope he does have a match. Actually I hope there's an EC match for the WHC, CM Punk vs Dwayne and Brock vs Cena. With 2 major marquee matches on the card only having one EC match wouldn't seem so bad.

[Robstar]

The match has been not for a belt 3 times out of 15 times it's been held. The PPV itself has only been running since 2010, although the event has been in existence since 2002. So there's hardly been anything set in stone about this match and it's conditions.
It's a bit like me saying, 'Hey when I was growing up, ALL the titles were defended at Wrestlemania!" While I'm not pointing the finger directly at the OP, I've seen a few in the last day or so who think that WWE is committing some imaginary offense by changing things up on them. People might go "Well what's the point?" - the answer being that there is a prize for winning it of course, just like there is at MITB.

Personally, I like the idea of the winner being #1 contender - after Wrestlemania. It gives good buildup and allows for some shenanigans in the lead up to WM as well.

[Robstar]

Oh and on the subject of the Raw EC match, I think we saw who would likely be in it last night and that is;

John Cena
Sheamus
Ryback
vs
The Shield.

Book it.

[TheJosephBanks]

Oh and on the subject of the Raw EC match, I think we saw who would likely be in it last night and that is;

John Cena
Sheamus
Ryback
vs
The Shield.

Book it.

I just read this 5 minutes ago.

Team based EC. Hopefully Shield going over again.

[Robstar]

I just read this 5 minutes ago.

Team based EC. Hopefully Shield going over again.

I posted it in a few places.

[Cynicism]

To be honest I don't really like the EC for a title match I'd rather they were Number 1 Contenders matches and then have a good old one on one match for the title. But it's not like the WWE title is the only one, why not a mid card EC for the US or IC titles? It's easier to pick out 6 people you think could be US champ than it is to pick out 6 that could be WWE champ and at least 2 of the 6 EC combatants from previous years have always been place holders cause that's how many pods there are

[Wade Barrett 1979]

Awwww I thought this was going to be similar to a Countdown conundrum.

[El T Draino 316]

Oh and on the subject of the Raw EC match, I think we saw who would likely be in it last night and that is;

John Cena
Sheamus
Ryback
vs
The Shield.

Book it.

Man, how did I forget Cena in my OP under option 3? Come on T Drain, you're better than this. I think you'll end up being exactly right in your above suggestion.

As per your other comment, I agree the WWE has never bound themselves to one single blueprint - especially considering the lifespan of the PPV being so short. You mentioned 12 of 15 Chamber matches have been for a title. Were the other 3 #1 Contender matches? Just curious. While they don't owe us any consistency, it is normal to wonder what they'll do when forced to break away from what has gradually became 'normal' to us. My brain thinks: EC matches = involve titles in some way.