WWE: 5 Missed Opportunities from the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match
By Everndran
Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter
The six women wrestlers from WWE Raw gave a stellar effort in making sure the first ever women’s Elimination Chamber match was outstanding. However, when the night was over, it was clear WWE had wasted many in-ring and narrative opportunities that could’ve taken this match from ‘memorable’ to one of the very best in the match’s history.
On October 10, 2016, WWE made a bold decision, a decision that would change the landscape of women’s wrestling in the company forever. That decision was to place two of the very best women wrestlers in the company inside the Hell in a Cell. The huge success of that historic bout paved the way for the inaugural women’s Money in the Bank match which once again blended stellar in-ring action and seamless storytelling.
WWE continued that trend, as they produced the first-ever women’s Elimination Chamber match which had thrilling moments, but several missed opportunities.
Credit: WWE.com
1. An unforgettable beginning
The first-ever women’s Elimination Chamber match should’ve started off in thrilling fashion as the combination of electric performances and sheer emotion from the fans would’ve created a thunderous atmosphere. However, WWE decided to kick off this match with the underutilised Bayley facing off against a future breakout star in Sonya Deville. While featuring the young Deville against a bona fide megastar such as Bayley in a historically significant moment is good exposure for Deville’s career, WWE wasted a huge opportunity by making that decision.
Instead of the predictable ‘hated heel vs beloved babyface’ dynamic the creative team was clearly establishing, they should’ve veered off in a different direction, a direction that fans have been clamouring for from 2017, the commencement of Sasha Banks vs Bayley. That encounter would’ve been a befitting ‘beginning of the end’ scenario to conclude their once unbreakable bond.
After months of teasing tension and planting seeds for betrayal, Sasha simply kicking Bayley off the pod and apparently backstabbing her in a confusing fashion, was the least shocking way to execute this anticipated heel turn. WWE should’ve designed those opening moments to feature one of the most emotionally gutting betrayals in the company’s modern-day history. Bayley and Banks should’ve contested a 10-minute classic that would’ve seen “the huggable one” shockingly eliminate Banks.
While it is risky to eliminate an integral part of the match that early on, it would have accomplished two important things: firstly, it would’ve allowed Banks to destroy Bayley in a heelish rage for taking away her WrestleMania opportunity, thus, presenting a well-executed heel turn, and Bayley would’ve persevered till the end of the match showing her courage, heart and sheer willpower as a true underdog babyface.