Elimination Chamber 2023...

 What’s Up, Enthusiasts?

So, here we are at Elimination Chamber and you know what, I’m intrigued. I don’t think I’d ever honestly be this kind of engaged in the product. I would be intrigued by the possibility of a truly righteous shit show going down but now, I’m curious to see what will happen. It’s kinda cool.

First thing is first, the match order. Do you think they’ll start with the Universal Title Match? I would go with the Women’s Elimination Chamber. I don’t think anyone is expecting that much yet they could just as easily set the tone for the show. My money is on Asuka winning but I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes to Liv Morgan or Carmella. Nikki Cross could be a wildcard, though.

Next match of interest is Bobby Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar. Now, this one has been percolating for years and now here it is. Will it be all that we hoped? Well, it’s clearly Lashley’s match to win or lose in both a literal and figurative sense. We all know Lesnar can deliver and Lashley can deliver as well, but something about Lesnar just takes it to the next level. So, can Lashley rise to this challenge? Certainly, but will he? That’s more my question.

Given that both these men have MMA backgrounds, how “real” this gets could be something to consider. Personally, I just don’t want to see a squash. I just want a competitive match. If Lashley goes out there and gives Lesnar a solid run for his money, I would be happy. It’d be nice to see Lashley win but it doesn’t need to happen. 

Then we have the big match, Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn. Well, we can say with some conviction that momentum is not in Reigns’ favor. Yet, has that ever stopped him from “winning” before? The caveat this time around is that Jey Uso is a technical deserter. Will he work to help Zayn or crawl back to the Bloodline? Or, could Kevin Owens dash in to help save the day? 

Again, here I just want a competitive match. I expect Zayn to have trouble but we know he’s smart. If he can make the match realistic, I think he wins, no matter the outcome. We’re expecting Bloodline interference and perhaps to end the night with boos but it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. If Reigns and Zayn go out there and have fun with it, we shouldn’t be disappointed. Zayn will just have to continue to be creative and win in other ways. 

I’m sure he can get an Intercontinental Title shot or even the US Title, why not. Oh, why not the Undisputed/Universal Title? Well, it’s a matter of belivability. Is Zayn a Black Belt in something? If he is, well, maybe but if he’s just a “wrestler” how does he beat Reigns? Does Reigns trip over his own feet? What keeps Reigns from breaking Zayn in 2? Though we fans can suspend our disbelief, this stuff still has to make sense to someone looking at it for the first time. How does Zayn believably defeat Reigns? 

I don’t doubt people would love Zayn to be Champion but that’s just it. They would love him to be Champion. Did he defeat someone to be it or do they just like the guy? As much as this stuff is a popularity contest, it does revolve around fisticuffs. Zayn will have to kick an ass to get the Title and right now the ass he has got to kick, is Reigns’. Zayn becomes Champ when Reigns doesn’t have the Title. That I can see so…hope Cody Rhodes takes it off him. Zayn vs. Rhodes is a far “fairer” match. 

But, I’ve been wrong before. However, if The Rock vs. Reigns is the end game, then it makes no sense for Zayn to win now anyway. What may change that is if The Rock isn’t a lock but…I think he is. WrestleMania 40? And it’s an election year. Why wouldn’t he be. The stars just fucking align. They have to hope one of them doesn’t get hurt is all. So, all Zayn has to do is put up a good fight. We’ll end with pissy boos and enjoy the rest of our weekend. They’ve given us worse. 

So, those are my 2¢. I’ve been looking at this shit for a solid 10 years now and, it’s has its patterns. I appreciate the new direction but it still is what it is and I’m okay with that. It’s exquisite in its simplicity. That’s why authenticity is so important. It’s simple but not exactly easy. Therein lies the potential for complexity and thus…validation 😉 

See, there is some sense to it. Let’s have some fun tonight. This should be one of the better ones. 

See You in a Bit,

-Nicole Alexis (^_~)