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The 2019 Elimination Chamber was a show that had shocking moments which made you squeal in delight, as WWE gave the WWE Universe some moments on the broadcast that really elevated the quality of each match and programme, but it also had moments that left many fans thinking what just happened?
And it was those WTF moments that hampered the quality of the show WWE put on, from squashing superstars that needed credibility more than anything else to booking certain matches in a lacklustre way, this pay-per-view could be summed up in a couple of words, and those words are "a missed opportunity."
This show just felt like one big missed opportunity that WWE should have capitalized on, as before the show got underway, fans had so many theories and opinions on how WWE should book certain matches. But ultimately WWE went with some of the obvious options for this event and that dropped the expectations. So let's go through some of the key mistakes WWE made at the 2019 Elimination Chamber.
#1 A Hype Man No More
"He smells like money because he is money, the big man." If you are a fan of Lio Rush and love his intro for Bobby Lashley every Monday Night on Raw then cherish those words, as it seems Lio Rush and Bobby Lashley's partnership is over.
And it all ended at the Elimination Chamber 2019 due to Lashley losing his IC Title to Finn Balor because Rush acted too confidently and thought he could end Finn Balor by himself, but as we all know that didn't happen.
Balor isolated Rush in this match and evaded Lashley at the very end to become the new IC Champion, and after the match, Bobby was not pleased with Lio costing him his first major title in years.
Therefore, he proceeded in destroying his former hype man in a fit of rage. Now its sort of understandable why WWE would put the title on Balor at this time, but breaking up a partnership that basically made Lashley a formidable force in WWE was a mistake by WWE.
#2 A Star Destroyed
Going into the Elimination Chamber many thought that this would be the night when WWE finally give The Riott Squad some much-needed validation. As Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan had the chance to be known as the first ever Women's Tag Team Champions in their Elimination Chamber match while their leader Ruby Riott had the chance to be known as the first person to beat Ronda Rousey in a singles match in the WWE and gain the Raw Women's Title at the same time.
But luck wasn't in the Riott Squad's favor as Sarah Logan, and Liv Morgan put up a great showing inside the Elimination Chamber, but Ruby Riott was completely squashed in her match with Ronda Rousey. Why WWE needed to make a decision like this, we will never really know the answer to that, as Ronda Rousey was shown as a superstar that could be beaten in her matches with Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair.
Furthermore, if you want to put some science into this point, if Ruby could take Charlotte and Banks to their limit, why couldn't she do the same to Ronda, as both Banks and Flair did in the past. WWE dropped the ball here with Riott, as she is the leader of the most legit faction in the women's division, and by having her job the way they did, it destroys her star power and that of The Riott Squad as well.
#3 The Samoan Badass Is Not In WWE's Plans
The dark horse in every war in WWE these days has been Samoa Joe; this is a man that puts in a hundred and ten per cent in every one of his programmes. From his mic work to his character motivations, Joe is the best thing WWE has yet to use utilize properly for over two years, and it is shocking that they haven't done so already.
At the Elimination Chamber, the WWE Universe thought this has to be the time Samoa Joe finally captures the WWE Title, as he has been too good for far too long not to be recognized by WWE as a superstar that could carry the company forward. But while Joe takes Smackdown Live forward every week, the creative team take him one step backwards, as he was the first superstar eliminated in the WWE Title match.
Now, this was a match filled to the brim with high profile stars, but Joe being the first one out really took a hit on his credibility. WWE can't make the mistake of leaving Joe without a Wrestlemania programme once again, as it would a waste of his talent just like it was a waste of his talent at this pay-per-view.
#4 A Lacklustre Way To End a Title Drought
Finn Balor is the IC Champion, who would have thought that was a statement we would hear anytime soon? Not many, as Balor has been a hit and miss type of superstar his entire WWE career, no one really knew whether he would actually get a chance to be champion again after he had to vacate the Universal Champion at Summerslam 2017.
But here we are at Elimination Chamber 2019 and Balor has just defeated both Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush to become the new IC Champion, and while it is great to see Balor appreciated, something feels missing from this title win.
And that ladies and gentlemen are the emotion of a championship win, and while we all know there is never going to be title celebrations like the good old days, that raw emotion is still important when a company decided to let a title change hands.
And while the fans did enjoy Balor's first title win in two years, WWE gave us the most generic narrative to go along with that title win. Not to mention that this actual match between Lashley/Rush and Balor was not a great match at all, in fact, one could say it was the least interesting match on the show.
This match focused more on the conflict between Rush and Lashley than Balor's rise to overcome the odds, and while that was what WWE was going for, they should have at least given us more passion in this match that would have made Balor's win more amazing. Or they should have just saved Balor's pursuit of this title for Wrestlemania where it would have meant more.
#5 A Weak Use Of The Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a structure that supposed to be an alternate version of the hell in the cell and steel cage matches, and for many years it was just that. As superstars being thrown through pods, superstars being slammed on the steel floor, high flyers diving of the pods and even some wrestlers climbing the roof was all present in this match.
And while the both Elimination Chamber matches were great at the pay-per-view, it felt a little bit lacking in the end, as the superstars didn't really use the chamber in the many various ways they could have.
And that might not be their fault, as the new design of the chamber has many fans that like it's modern look, but when it comes to visually showing the hell these superstars put their bodies through, the old Elimination Chamber design was the most accurate.
Gone are the things that make this match so brutal, as the smaller pods, and padded floors take away the novelty that is this match, and that probably takes away what superstars can actually do in this structure.
#6 The Strongest Trio In The Universe Reunites
The match between Bruan Strowman and Baron Corbin was sticking out on the Elimination Chamber match card like a sore thumb, this was a match that fans did not need to see again, as we saw Strowman get his revenge against Baron at the TLC event, but WWE had to book this match to set up another one.
The result of that was a dull confrontation that saw some of the most confusing bookings on the night, but this was not the fault of the performers, as they are being given repetitive material to work with, and you could see they tried to make it work.
But no amount of tables or chair shots will disguise the fact that this is a carbon copy of Strowman's booking over the last few months, whether it was The Shield or any other faction the same thing happens to Strowman every time when he meets a faction, he gets beat down.
Furthermore, putting Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley in this trio does nothing for them at this time, as we have seen it before, and we know how WWE is going to book this.
#7 What Is Going On With This Man
The booking of Braun Strowman some of the most infuriating booking you will ever see, and from a fans perspective, it just angers you to see a once-promising Wolrd Champion like Strowman being handled in such a manner.
Just a year ago fans were debating whether it should be Roman Reigns or Braun Strowman to go to Wrestlemania to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship, now we are questioning whether Strowman will even be on the card.
This is a huge turn of events that WWE should have seen coming when booking Strowman's programmes, feuds and character, at this point Strowman is so watered down there is no possible way the creative could actually get him the insane levels of heat he had in 2017.
And by falling to Baron Corbin of all people at the Elimination Chamber, it doesn't seem like Strowman's credibility will not be making a comeback, as there is nothing WWE can do to make him a monster once, and that is just an unfortunate fact, but hopefully there is a chance for Braun to rebuild his career, as he truly needs to right now.
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