12. The "Daniel Bryan Finds A Way" Chamber (Elimination Chamber '12)
The first 20-minutes of this match were rather ho-hum. It was a lot like the Smackdown/ECW version in the star power department and it was rather predictable to boot. However, when Big Show eliminated Great Khali, it sparked a greater attention to detail and the match picked up. Bryan had stolen the title from Show in December 2011. Show had a frustrating run of failures in attempting to regain the strap. So, after Show broke into Bryan's pod from its top, the crowd came alive and the emotional investment in the match increased. With the star power not there, they did well to maximize the Show vs. Bryan interaction from previous weeks. It was the one true source of drama in this match before the finish. The elimination of Show was handled well and planted the seeds that something crazy and unpredictable might happen. With Show out of the match, it was basically an exhibition in "let me show you what I can do" amongst Bryan, Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, and the star of the match, Santino Marella. When it came down to Bryan and Santino as the final two, the wrestling world rolled its eyes at the predictability of what was to follow...until Santino nearly beat Bryan again and again and again. In a thrilling final few minutes, Bryan showed his ability as a lead heel, making Santino look incredibly threatening in a phenomenal underdog tale that came up just short.