Review: WWE Network’s 100 Best Matches: #43 Inaugural Elimination Chamber Match: Triple H vs Shawn Michaels vs Chris Jericho vs Kane vs Booker T vs Rob Van Dam (WWE World Heavyweight Title, WWE Survivor Series 2002)

(Here’s the link for the match on the WWE Network: http://network.wwe.com/video/v31348385/?contentId=31348385&contextType=wwe-show&contextId=survivor_series)

In most cases, the original is always the best. There are few remakes and sequels out there that better the original. We can apply the same logic to wrestling as well. Take, for example, the Inaugural Money in the Bank Ladder match. There have been many after it, but few have reached the level of unpredictability and mayhem that the original entailed. By their very nature, the first example of a gimmick match is unpredictable. When Eric Bischoff announced the first ever Elimination Chamber in 2002, it was full of possibilities. They were all fully realised at Survivor Series, where six main eventers competed for the World Championship in the Inaugural Elimination Chamber…

Review: WWE Network’s Best 100 Matches: #61 Team WWE (The Rock, Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, Kane, The Big Show) vs Team Alliance (Stone Cold Steve Austin, Booker T, Shane McMahon, Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam) (Winner Takes All, WWE Survivor Series 2001)

Read the names of the wrestlers fighting for Team Alliance, bearing in mind that they were supposed to represent WCW and ECW. There’s only Booker T and Rob Van Dam who were a part of those entities! That’s an indication of what became of the once-promising WWF vs WCW/ECW feud. Early in the Summer of 2001, the WCW invasion of WWF took hold of our collective wrestling minds. The dream feud of all dream feuds, the feud took centre stage of the Invasion PPV. However, by the next PPV, Summerslam, the feud had all but fizzled out. Stone Cold Steve Austin was the leader of the ‘Alliance,’ instead of a WCW wrestler. Most of the WCW wrestlers had been treated like jobbers (see: DDP!). The feud dragged on until Survivor Series 2001. Team WWF vs Team Alliance: Winner Takes All. Fortunately, it was a brilliant match to end the hugely disappointing feud.