1. The History Of The Elimination Chamber Will Be Severely Diluted
The major problem with this year's Elimination Chamber is a microcosm of a key issue within the WWE as a whole. The company's attitude towards its own history and continuity has been far too aloof for years, with storylines being conveniently forgotten, remembered, rehashed and retconned to fit the current mood. It also has bizarrely little respect for its own traditions; commentators rarely refer to anything further ahead than the next PPV, refusing to acknowledge the past or even near future. Everything is suffocatingly geared around the present. Staging an Elimination Chamber PPV exclusively on the Network will almost certainly dilute its legacy and future relevance. The show is likely to be shorter, packed with considerably less fanfare than a standard PPV, and missing various key figures - all due to the short notice with which it has been arranged. The match stipulation itself looks to be in danger, with the shoehorning of various lowercard matches into its enclosed walls (and the potential absence of a WWE Championship bout). This has all happened before of course. Hell In A Cell used to be the most fearsome match stipulation around, before it was watered down beyond recognition by the predictability of annual Pay Per Views. Cell matches were no longer reserved for blood feuds; any two main event stars feuding at the right time of year would find themselves arbitrarily put into such a match. Sadly, all signs point to the Elimination Chamber match enjoying a similar fate. At this rate, how long before we see a Network-exclusive Royal Rumble for the Divas Championship? Hopefully Vince, Triple H, or somebody with enough influences spots the negative impact of this trend sooner rather than later.