8. The "Jack Swagger Shocks The World" Chamber (Elimination Chamber 2013)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIBQql51Jaw Jack Swagger's reign as World Champion in 2010 apparently did not go over well with WWE management, as he was significantly depushed to near irrelevance when he disappeared in late 2012 citing on-air frustrations with himself and his career. When he reappeared in early 2013, quickly joined by the man now known as Zeb Coulter, he surprised many by winning the 2013 Elimination Chamber match to set up a World Heavyweight Championship bout with Alberto Del Rio at WrestleMania 29. His new gimmick pushed the buttons of a lot of different people. The WWE tried very hard to make Del Rio the next great Latin star by placing him against the angry Caucasian All-American whose manager was never short on the "border jumping" insults. The Elimination Chamber match, itself, was very good. Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan, and Kane all performed well in their roles, though Jericho and Bryan displayed an eye-brow raising lack of chemistry in their one-on-one exchanges to open the match. The final participant, Mark Henry, was a beast whose work in the Chamber set the tone for his very solid run through the first seven months of the year.
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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