10 Things WWE Regrets About Elimination Chamber

9. Putting Jack Swagger Over (2013)

Elimination Chamber 2017
WWE

History won't be kind to Jack Swagger, and that's a shame.

He's too easy a target. Pushed way over his head in his early years, and later straddled with a fringe right-wing gimmick that fast became a caricature, Swagger was a figure of ridicule by the end of his WWE tenure. He never really developed the charisma required to be a convincing main event-level sports entertainer, even if though he was always pretty underrated between the ropes. Perhaps he'd have been better suited to a promotion that placed less emphasis on playing a character.

With all that said, Swagger absolutely wasn't the right guy to win the 2013 Elimination Chamber.

WWE did this to solve a booking problem. Royal Rumble winner John Cena was going to challenge WWE Champion The Rock at WrestleMania, leaving World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio without an opponent. Thus, WWE booked this contendership Chamber, and had it conclude with the least interesting winner imaginable.

Swagger defeated Mark Henry, Randy Orton, Kane, Chris Jericho, and Daniel Bryan on an EC bout located on the pay-per-view midcard. An elaborate setup for a WrestleMania 29 bout he'd eventually lose to Del Rio.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.