8 Match Star Ratings For WWE Elimination Chamber 2020

5. Elimination Chamber Match For The SmackDown Tag Team Championship

Asuka Shayna Baszler
WWE.com

Right.

We have now established that it is logistically impossible for WWE to promote a tag team Elimination Chamber match. The format invites confusion, contrivance and, as a result, several glaring botches. There's too much going on for fans and the talent involved to focus on, but the format wasn't solely to blame for what was a mess enjoyable in spite of itself.

The New Day and the Usos resumed their legacy rivalry but hardly honoured it with an uncharacteristic lack of chemistry, and the Lucha House Party impressed only after botching - in stereo - their first involvement. Gran Metalik provided the best high spot with his jaw-dropping hurricanrana, and Tucker ran him close with his own insane senton from the pod, but Lince Dorado's heavily telegraphed shooting star press from the damn roof, an unreal athletic feat, looked a bit silly, and again, this was a card that induced guilt for not engaging with it. This roster batters themselves for asinine creative too often.

As did John Morrison throughout; instead of anticipating the incoming pin attempts, he repeatedly piled on top of the Miz despite knowing better. He looked dumb, and this elongated heat spot failed to give itself a free pass of heart-in-mouth kick-out drama.

Heavy Machinery and Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode provided the broad, heated story element, but this didn't inform the finish, and the fans lost interest after the peak - another psychological error in a match defined by them.

Still, all six men worked tremendously hard in an impossible situation, and, to use the WWE verbiage to which they are condemned, scratched and clawed their way to a worthy match.

Star Rating: ★★★

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!