Why WWE Needs to Ditch Match-Themed Pay-Per-Views
The WWE has devised some of the most brutal, memorable, and infamous match types in sports entertainment history over the years.
Hell in a Cell, Elimination Chamber, and TLC are just a few examples of barbaric matches that have left an indelible mark on WWE history. These matches have provided fans with countless legendary moments that still resonate to this day.
But over the past few years, these matches have taken a whole new meaning by having their own pay-per-view. And while many still enjoy these special match types, many will argue that they are losing their meaning more and more as time goes on. Money in the Bank ladder matches can also be argued in this light as well.
The first Hell in a Cell match came in 1997 between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels and over the years, Hell in a Cell matches have become arguably the most anticipated match types in WWE history. Hell in a Cell matches were truly unique, but over the past several years, their uniqueness has been dying.
Then, the first Hell in a Cell-themed pay-per-view came in 2009 and up to that point, Hell in a Cell matches provided fans with some of the most memorable and extreme moments in sports entertainment history. But since that 2009 pay-per-view, Hell in a Cell has lost a lot of its luster.
While it’s easy to say the change from TV-14 to PG is the main culprit, the Hell in a Cell-themed pay-per-views are a major culprit as well. Throughout the first 12 years or so of Hell in a Cell matches, every match meant something and was often the culmination of a long-running feud.
But since the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view was formed, there have been too many instances of individuals facing off inside Hell in a Cell for no good reason. Lackluster Hell in a Cell matches such as The Undertaker vs. CM Punk in 2009, Randy Orton vs. Sheamus in 2010, Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton in 2011, CM Punk vs. Ryback in 2012, and others are far cries from what the matches used to provide.
There have been several positives involving Hell in a Cell matches since 2009, including two memorable Hell in a Cell matches less than a month ago. But seemingly not enough to overcome the lackluster one’s. Putting two people inside Hell in a Cell for no good reason doesn’t get fans invested in the match and the cell is often just used for looks rather than being a focal point of the match.
The same problem can be mentioned for Elimination Chamber matches as well. The Elimination Chamber match made its debut at Survivor Series in 2002 and since then, the match type has created many standout moments in the annals of WWE history. But over the past several years, more of the matches have been hit or miss.
Elimination Chamber got its themed pay-per-view debut in 2010 and more of the same issues have arisen for this match style just as Hell in a Cell has. Over-saturating a match idea just because a pay-per-view is named after it takes away the match’s legitimacy in a lot of cases and many can argue that has been done with the Elimination Chamber concept.
When the chamber matches were taking place at pay-per-views such as New Year’s Revolution and No Way Out, they just had a different feel than they do now. That’s not to say some of the chamber matches haven’t been great since the first Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in 2010, but they have been lacking at times as well.
The concept of the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches have been hampered by these issues as well. The first TLC pay-per-view came to us in 2009 and since then, many TLC matches have been lackluster and uneventful. When fans think of TLC matches, they typically think of the insane battles with The Hardy Boyz, Edge and Christian, and The Dudley Boyz from back in the Attitude Era.
But often since the inaugural TLC pay-per-view in 2009, too many of these matches have felt flat and just thrown together for the sake of fitting into a themed pay-per-view card. Maybe it’s just being picky, but it’s too good to be a coincidence that these match styles have lost luster since they got their own pay-per-views.
There’s no denying in a PG environment, you can’t do nearly the same amount in extreme style matches that you could do in the past, but every Hell in a Cell, Elimination Chamber, and TLC match should have a meaning that goes beyond just a random match. The WWE should take up the idea of getting rid of themed-match pay-per-views and with the amount of pay-per-views the WWE has used over the years, it could easily bring back old pay-per-view names.
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Some of sports entertainment’s most important moments have come courtesy of these barbaric matches the WWE has devised, and the company needs to get back to the basics and return these matches back to their past glory.