This week, Danny shared his reaction to WWE Elimination Chamber:
For pro wrestling fans, this is the best time of year. It’s the Road to WrestleMania.
This will be the 35th installment of the WWE’s version of the Super Bowl. It’s the Showcase of the Immortals. And it takes place Sunday, April 7 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
There’s still one more “Pay-Per-View” event before WrestleMania 35, but this past Sunday was the “Elimination Chamber” PPV, which gave us a little more clarity on some of the top story lines, entering WrestleMania.
That road to WrestleMania isn’t crystal clear just yet, but we’re getting there.
Here are my top takeaways from Sunday’s Elimination Chamber event:
Kofi Kingston gets a major push -As one-third of “The New Day,” Kingston got pinned by WWE Champion Daniel Bryan on Sunday night. Bryan retained the title, but it’s clear that Kingston is being seriously considered to challenge Bryan for that WWE Championship on the grandest stage of them all. Kingston has held other championships in the WWE, but being involved in the WWE Championship picture is a new type of push. And it’s about time. Kingston’s athleticism is his strength, but he’s also great on the mic. If he were to win the prestigious WWE Championship at WrestleMania, MetLife Stadium would erupt. Unfortunately for Kingston, the WWE Championship is no longer promoted as the most coveted prize in the company. That would go to the Universal Championship, which is currently held by Brock Lesnar. Seth Rollins won the Royal Rumble and chose to challenge Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania, which is more confirmation that the WWE Championship is clearly the less important championship in 2019. Still, Kingston’s push here can’t be ignored, even if he ends up never winning the title. It’s a great story either way.
Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch works her way back into the Main Event -That’s right, I said “Main Event.” For those who haven’t watched the WWE in the last 10 years, you’d probably be shocked to hear that the Main Event at this year’s WrestleMania will be for the Raw Women’s Championship, which is currently held by Ronda Rousey. Lynch won the Women’s Royal Rumble, and she chose to face Rousey at WrestleMania. But the story line has worked in a way where Charlotte Flair has since replaced Lynch in that match because Vince McMahon suspended Lynch, who is also recovering from a kayfabe knee injury. I know, there’s a lot to this story line. And Sunday night added to the drama, as a suspended Lynch hopped down to the ring and destroyed both Rousey and Flair with her crutches until security had to escort her out of the building. This all came after Rousey successfully retained her Women’s Championship with a win over Ruby Riott. It’s looking like the Main Event at WrestleMania will most definitely be a “Triple Threat” for the Raw Women’s Championship between Rousey, Flair, and Lynch. And while you may be more familiar with Rousey from her UFC days, and Flair because her father is Ric, you should know that this match will only be the Main Event at WrestleMania because of Lynch, whose nickname is “The Man” and is currently the most popular talent in the industry.
The Usos get an unexpected reward -Jimmy and Jey Uso defeated The Miz and Shane McMahon to win the Smackdown Tag Team titles. It came as a surprised because just days earlier, Jimmy was arrested for a DUI. Usually you don’t get rewarded for being in trouble with the law, but in this case, it looks like the WWE was sticking to its “what’s best for business” model. The Usos’ contract is up soon, and the last thing the WWE wants is for one of its most popular tag teams to jump ship and join the brand new “All Elite Wrestling” which has been launched by Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks, and is funded by Tony Khan, son of Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan. AEW has already signed the likes of Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega to huge contracts, and word on the street is that they’re looking to pluck a few big names from the WWE with big-money deals. I’m sure The Usos would be on AEW’s radar if they happened to hit wrestling’s “free agent market.” And the WWE knows that too. So instead of punishing The Usos for Jimmy’s recent arrest, the McMahon’s did what’s best for business and put the Tag Team titles around their waists in order to keep them happy, and ultimately, keep them out of AEW.
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