After stewing over it for a day or so, I've figured out why the women's EC match worked where the men's didn't. Sure, Alexa Bliss winning the women's EC match was about as predictable as Roman Reigns winning the men's (maybe slightly less due to the Sasha factor). The difference, though: storytelling. The storytelling from the women's match even left narratives to work with heading toward WrestleMania 34.
DeVille and Rose looked competent, even good, inside the Chamber last night, but both are still green and ultimately not ready for the spotlight, thus why they were eliminated 1-2. Where do they go from here?
Mickie James was eliminated before Alexa Bliss even had a chance to enter the match, rendering their alliance moot. Where does their "alliance" go from here? Was Mickie just an insurance policy for the Chamber that’s no longer needed? Does Mickie play into some kind of face turn for Alexa in her build up to her match with Asuka or Nia Jax? Something else?
And then Sasha and Bayley. This is the second time in as many PPVs that Sasha has stabbed Bayley in the back without turning heel simply due to the circumstances: every woman for herself, and it continues the narrative of Bayley’s extreme naivety, especially of her "best friend" Sasha. Is Sasha on a fast track to turn heel, or will Bayley shock the world and turn first?
Compare that to the men. We all know what Roman is doing at Mania, but what about Strowman? I dunno. Rollins? I dunno. Cena? I dunno – Taker, maybe? Balor? I dunno. Elias? Other than play his guitar and work every crowd like a master, I dunno. The Miz? Probably prepare to defend the Intercontinental title at Mania, but no idea yet who that will be.
So how do you book the men's match and still have Reigns win and not have it be a total crap fest? Here's my idea - you can't let Strowman dominate that match the way he did:
At the point where they all "Shield-bomb" Strowman and then hit him with all four of their finishers, instead of letting him roll and convalesce outside of the ring while they all fight one another, have the four grab him again and hit him with another "Shield-bomb". All four cover him and Strowman kicks out just after the 3 count. Strowman goes apeshit and destroys everyone in the chamber before he leaves. Proceed where the final two are Cena and Reigns (it’s not ideal, but would you rather see Reigns beat Balor, Rollins, or Cena? At least beating Cena last would give him some rub), and Reigns beats Cena. Have Strowman immediately come back to the Chamber and obliterate Reigns.
This does a better job of protecting Strowman (it takes four finishers plus two super finishers plus four men pinning him to just barely beat him) plus it allows Strowman to get his heat back with two separate beat downs. Plus it helps protect Reigns from the "he’s even worse than Super Cena" rep he’s developing as opposed to what we got: "wow, Roman looks like a chump this entire match. Wow, Strowman looks like a beast this entire match. Say what? Now that it’s only Strowman and Reigns Reigns is now an unstoppable, unbeatable monster? What? Now that Reigns has beaten Strowman Strowman is now once again the unstoppable, unbeatable monster set out to destroy Reigns?" It’s just awful storytelling.
DeVille and Rose looked competent, even good, inside the Chamber last night, but both are still green and ultimately not ready for the spotlight, thus why they were eliminated 1-2. Where do they go from here?
Mickie James was eliminated before Alexa Bliss even had a chance to enter the match, rendering their alliance moot. Where does their "alliance" go from here? Was Mickie just an insurance policy for the Chamber that’s no longer needed? Does Mickie play into some kind of face turn for Alexa in her build up to her match with Asuka or Nia Jax? Something else?
And then Sasha and Bayley. This is the second time in as many PPVs that Sasha has stabbed Bayley in the back without turning heel simply due to the circumstances: every woman for herself, and it continues the narrative of Bayley’s extreme naivety, especially of her "best friend" Sasha. Is Sasha on a fast track to turn heel, or will Bayley shock the world and turn first?
Compare that to the men. We all know what Roman is doing at Mania, but what about Strowman? I dunno. Rollins? I dunno. Cena? I dunno – Taker, maybe? Balor? I dunno. Elias? Other than play his guitar and work every crowd like a master, I dunno. The Miz? Probably prepare to defend the Intercontinental title at Mania, but no idea yet who that will be.
So how do you book the men's match and still have Reigns win and not have it be a total crap fest? Here's my idea - you can't let Strowman dominate that match the way he did:
At the point where they all "Shield-bomb" Strowman and then hit him with all four of their finishers, instead of letting him roll and convalesce outside of the ring while they all fight one another, have the four grab him again and hit him with another "Shield-bomb". All four cover him and Strowman kicks out just after the 3 count. Strowman goes apeshit and destroys everyone in the chamber before he leaves. Proceed where the final two are Cena and Reigns (it’s not ideal, but would you rather see Reigns beat Balor, Rollins, or Cena? At least beating Cena last would give him some rub), and Reigns beats Cena. Have Strowman immediately come back to the Chamber and obliterate Reigns.
This does a better job of protecting Strowman (it takes four finishers plus two super finishers plus four men pinning him to just barely beat him) plus it allows Strowman to get his heat back with two separate beat downs. Plus it helps protect Reigns from the "he’s even worse than Super Cena" rep he’s developing as opposed to what we got: "wow, Roman looks like a chump this entire match. Wow, Strowman looks like a beast this entire match. Say what? Now that it’s only Strowman and Reigns Reigns is now an unstoppable, unbeatable monster? What? Now that Reigns has beaten Strowman Strowman is now once again the unstoppable, unbeatable monster set out to destroy Reigns?" It’s just awful storytelling.
