Every WWE Gimmick Match And The Wrestlers That Defined Them

13. Elimination Chamber Match - Daniel Bryan

The Undertaker HIAC
WWE.com

Daniel Bryan has appeared inside of the Chamber on far fewer occasions than most, but his expert manipulation skill separates itself from a homogenised canon of thrilling - if unmemorable - fare.

The Chamber match exists to make the predictable palatable ahead of WrestleMania. By February/March, the events of April are mostly in sight; the Chamber is a means of padding out the calendar with some fun, inessential brutality in order to maintain product interest or manoeuvre the last moving part.

In Daniel Bryan's hands, for a stretch, he is capable of disrupting plans.

In 2012, Bryan convinced an entire arena that a lower card comedy act was set to headline WrestleMania XXVIII. Over three pulsating minutes, the most unlikely drama ever, the prospect of World Heavyweight Champion Santino Marella Vs. Sheamus was a significantly less ridiculous notion than those words, in that combination, suggest. That is a weird, bot-generated match. On the night, it was nearly a reality. A popular one, no less.

Seven years later, Bryan repeated the trick, with a far more serious performance, in which he foreshadowed and made indisputable the main event of WrestleMania 35.

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 current Undisputed WWE 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!