WWE Elimination Chamber 2017: Is PPV Needed Before WrestleMania 33?
By Dean Siemon
While some might view the WWE Elimination Chamber 2017 event as a throwaway pay-per-view, the concept of the event is necessary in the plans for WrestleMania.
The Road to WrestleMania can feature a number of ups and downs on the way to the biggest show of the year. This time of year is arguably the best time of year for professional wrestling fans. WrestleMania has become something that can rival the NFL’s Super Bowl in terms of the hype and what it brings to the city leading up to the event.
It all begins with the Royal Rumble. Traditionally, the winner of the 30-man battle royal earns a main event championship match at the upcoming WrestleMania. With WrestleMania traditionally taking place on the first Sunday of April, there’s a lot of time between then and the Royal Rumble in January.
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However, some people would feel that a pay-per-view done between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania is a bit of a throwaway event. That opinion is true, to a degree.
There’s a lot of time to develop rivalries and storylines that have WrestleMania as a climax. And the WWE is certainly going to want to generate more revenue with another “pay-per-view” on their calendar.
When it comes to the Elimination Chamber events in recent years, the shows have mostly been a fill-in that meets the WWE’s needs. However, with the brand split and the addition of the Fastlane pay-per-view, an Elimination Chamber event is watered down a bit. With all of the excitement around two brands, making Elimination Chamber a SmackDown-exclusive event was a mistake.
There might have been more interest if both brands put their champions into the six-person Elimination Chamber match. Titles have changed hands at this pay-per-view before. Back in 2010, Chris Jericho won the World Heavyweight Championship after Shawn Michaels hit then-champion Undertaker with Sweet Chin Music.
There are some reports that Bray Wyatt could be a favorite to dethrone John Cena inside the Elimination Chamber. This would set up a match between Wyatt and Randy Orton for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 33. It might not be the main event all fans prayed for. However, this kind of booking truly exemplifies how unpredictable the Road to WrestleMania can truly be.
The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view can be a good addition to the Road to WrestleMania. The reason it is sometimes criticized is how it has been executed by the WWE creative staff.
As it sits this year, it takes place just two weeks after the Royal Rumble. That’s not a lot of time to help develop storylines for that event.
It also means that the SmackDown brand is going to have a longer time between pay-per-views going into WrestleMania. In truth, it would have been better to make Elimination Chamber a dual-branded event where both shows put their titles on the line. That’s probably true for some of the other brand-exclusive events like Payback, Backlash and No Mercy.
The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view is necessary. But it has to be evenly scheduled between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. Think of it as the second or third runner on a relay team in track and field. The Royal Rumble is the fast start, the middle helps maintain the momentum and the strong finish is at WrestleMania.