4. The "Jeff Hardy Nearly Grabbed The Brass Ring" Chamber (No Way Out '08)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wq-r4sv874 As the WWE transitioned from 2007 to 2008, no wrestler had greater momentum than Jeff Hardy. It could be argued that no one in the last decade built up as much momentum as Hardy did in the build-up to the 2008 Royal Rumble, at which he unsuccessfully challenged for the WWE Championship. The situation leading to WrestleMania XXIV might resonate with fans today. Hardy was on fire in a manner similar to but not quite as substantial as Daniel Bryan is right now. The audience said one thing, but the WWE said another. Triple H and John Cena were clearly being positioned as the top contenders to Randy Orton's title. The last hope for Hardy fans was for Jeff to win the Raw Elimination Chamber. Hardy joined a stacked cast of characters inside the Chamber. Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, JBL, Umaga, and Triple H rounded out the field, with The Game winning the match by last eliminating Hardy. The match was stylistically different from its peers. It was the shortest Chamber to date at just under 24-minutes in length, so it had more of a rapid fire feel to it. All of the eliminations came within the last ten minutes. It was a nice change of pace, though the story of Hardy attempting to grab the brass ring being put on hold for several months (he won the title in December 2008) was a bit disappointing at the time. Many in the current fanbase will be hoping that the WWE does not repeat history this weekend with Bryan.
Chad Matthews
Contributor
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
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