Examining the Makeup of the Perfect Elimination Chamber Field

By Ryan Dilbert

The six men WWE selects to battle in an Elimination Chamber match has considerable effect on its potential for greatness.

The classics in that gimmick match's history reveal a formula for how best to choose who enters the pods and the unforgiving steel structure. Wrestlers' history and name recognition are key. So is making sure your six-man field includes at least one Superstar that reminds fans of The Hulk and one who is much like Spider-Man.

Picking apart the best Chamber matches ever, the following is a look at instances where excellent combatant choices paid off. Those will be held up next to the Superstars selected for the WWE title match at Elimination Chamber 2014. 

How close did the company get to perfection this time around and how could they have inched closer to it?

Rivals with Great Chemistry

At times, the Elimination Chamber match is a display of pure chaos. Other times, it's simply a one-on-one match inside an imposing structure.

When the action pits just two men against each other, the best Chamber matches make sure that this pairing features two longtime rivals with outstanding chemistry. Fans have seen that atSummerSlam 2003, when Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels squared off to open the bout or when Rey Mysterio and Edge were the last two men standing at No Way Out 2009.

The beauty of pro wrestling is that its scripted nature allows for the best possible matchups, for pairings like the ones above to happen regularly.

There is a special energy when clashes within the match like this happen. Michaels worked well against just about anybody, but seeing him work seamlessly against Jericho elevates a Chamber match, whereas Michaels battling Mike Knox to start things off wouldn't be anywhere near as compelling.

When compiling the perfect field of wrestlers for a Chamber match, the more combinations of great rivals the better.

That's something the 2014 Elimination Chamber match has done well to a point. Bryan and Sheamus have a long rivalry and have great chemistry. The same goes for Orton and Cena. Had CM Punk been a part of that mix, it would have been far better, though. Cena and Punk create sparks when they collide, which reminds fans of wrestling's best sets of enemies.

Acrobat

Bookers have to select at least one athletic wizard for the ideal Chamber match.

Many of the bout's most stunning moments came courtesy of men in this category. Leaps from the top of pods, drops from the structure's roof and other jaw-dropping displays have been a staple of the event.

What would Raw's Elimination Chamber match in 2011 have been without John Morrison's Spider-Man impressions? He flourished as a man willing to risk everything to win, soaring from every corner of the Chamber onto his foes.

Mysterio has played that role several times, providing a spark that bettered each bout he was in. 

The Elimination Chamber is essentially a playground for high-flyers and risk-takers, a place to showcase their fearlessness. Rob Van Dam set the bar high in that department at Survivor Series 2002. Even over a decade after his famous frog splash on Triple H, it's fresh in fans' minds.

When choosing the men to fight inside the Chamber, including someone like Van Dam, Mysterio or Morrison is a must. That is something the next Chamber match may or may not lack.

Daniel Bryan is skilled at launching himself into the air, but he will he do the kind of spots WWE's acrobats have done in the past? He's certainly capable of doing them, but may rely more on his strikes and mat wrestling. He's not showcased in the same way that Mysterio or Van Dam, as some springy, stunt-performing athlete.

A missile dropkick from a great height or a diving headbutt off the top of a pod is possible, though. 

Creator of Destruction 

The perfect Elimination Chamber match needs a beast.

High spots and daredevil antics are essential, but so is raw power. It provides an intriguing contrast to all the athletic displays and pairs well with the inherent violence of the structure. It's not as if Morrison is going to throw someone through a pod door.

That's why men like Goldberg and Kane have been a part of some of the best Chamber matches ever.

In the first-ever Chamber match, Kane provided one of the bout's many memorable moments. After throwing a number of right hands and knocking Booker T around, "The Big Red Machine" hurled Jericho at a pod.

These bursts of action mimicking a car wreck add excitement to the match. Big, brutish men are the best candidates to provide them. Kane's presence added a sense of danger to the already dangerous match.

Chamber matches need their own version of Kane for that reason.

Will Sheamus be able to play that role effectively in the upcoming Elimination Chamber bout? He's certainly powerful enough, but isn't as intimidating as Goldberg, Kane or even Batista in his two Chamber matches. Having Brock Lesnar enter the field would have pushed the Feb. 23 match closer to perfection.

Star Power 

The more headliners entered into a Chamber match, the more significant it feels. Fill the pods with names like The Great Khali, R-Truth and Ted DiBiase, and the bout begins with less energy, less hype.

At Survivor Series 2002, WWE selected wisely, plucking major names from its roster to comprise the match's combatants. Booker T andMichaels are now members of the WWE Hall of Fame. Jericho and Triple H are a part of the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame. When Kane retires, he's destined for induction.

The world-championship pedigree elevated this match.

That's something the very best Chamber matches have in common. It becomes an all-star match, a battle of the best and far harder to predict the winner.

Kane and Triple H, two marquee stars, battle inside the Chamber.

Sheamus, Cena, Bryan and Orton is an excellent start in the star power department. The perfect Chamber match would round out that field with two other marquee names. Putting Punk and Lesnar in those final two slots would make this bout a classic waiting to happen.

That's not going to happen, though, with Punk leaving the company and Lesnar not scheduled to wrestle again until WrestleMania, perWrestling Observer, (h/t WrestlingInc.com). The upcoming Chamber match still has a chance to be a great one, but the field will not be as fantastic as it could have been.

Fans don't need perfection to enjoy a match as violent and multi-layered as the Elimination Chamber, but it won't stop them from playing fantasy booker and envisioning a dream collection of Superstars inside the steel structure
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