25 Things You Learn Binge Watching Every WWE Ruthless Aggression PPV
10. 2008 Started An Unwanted Trend
Speaking of forcing things...
No Way Out 2008 saw WWE put on multiple Elimination Chamber bouts for title matches at WrestleMania. This happened shortly after the Royal Rumble PPV, which (in theory) allowed creative to correct their own booking if need be. Plus, NWO 2008 provided the blueprint for renaming the PPV to Elimination Chamber in 2010.
In short, this show started the slow roll towards WWE booking being more about the calendar than because certain match types made sense or fitted feuds. Now, on the 'Road To WrestleMania', it was more important to promote the Chamber concept itself than who'd be in it. The match became the selling point, not the story.
At least Chamber bouts were still painful battleground towards the end of 'Ruthless Aggression' though. No, it can't be considered a bad thing that pro wrestlers don't get as banged up these days, but when was the last time EC felt truly dangerous? There's something cleaner and more polished about it now.
The biggest takeaway when scouring 2008's run to 'Mania is that No Way Out became a corrective tool/crutch the writers could lean on. That, naturally, bred laziness and actually put less emphasis on exactly who was winning the 30-man Rumble. Hmm, not great news.
Why should fans get pumped for the Rumble in January if WWE can just change course completely by February? It speaks to the strength of the Royal Rumble that it's still cherished at time of writing, because they've really done everything to downplay and dilute it since the PG era took hold.