4 reasons WWE should book an Elimination Chamber Match for the Intercontinental Championship
With WWE Royal Rumble in the history books, the wrestling world braces itself for the next premium live event of the calendar - The Elimination Chamber, set to emanate from The Bell Centre in Montreal. The show will take place in less than three weeks.
In a surprising and refreshing change, the company decided to book an Elimination Chamber Match for the United States Championship. The #1 contender for the RAW Women's Championship will also be crowned inside the unforgiving structure.
However, we will make a case for WWE to book a third chamber match for the Intercontinental Championship.
#4 WWE needs to keep the Intercontinental and United States Championship at similar levels of prestige
Elimination Chamber for the US Title!
😱 https://t.co/jEzTwYS76T
If WWE only books an Elimination Chamber match for the United States Championship, it would make RAW's mid-card championship feel more important than the gold that currently rests upon Gunther's shoulders.
Triple H has done a remarkable job of restoring prestige into the Intercontinental Championship, which became an afterthought before his creative takeover. The title feels relevant today.
As such, having only Austin Theory defend his gold inside Elimination Chamber and completely ignoring Gunther, the company would unwittingly take away some of the Intercontinental Championship's prestige. However, booking two chamber matches for each title will ensure similar levels of credibility for them.
#3 The Intercontinental Championship hasn't been defended at a premium live event since last September
The last time the Intercontinental Championship was defended at a premium live event was WWE Clash at the Castle, where Gunther and Sheamus pulverized each other in a five-star classic. The primary reason for booking the title match was to add a European touch to the Cardiff show.
Since then, The Austrian Anomaly hasn't defended his championship at any premium live event. Compare this fact with the Triple Threat Match for the United States Championship at Survivor Series last November, a more recent event. Having the Intercontinental Championship up for grabs at a premium live event like Elimination Chamber is an effective way to familiarize casual fans with the mid-card division of SmackDown.
#2 The potential Elimination Chamber will undoubtedly steal the show
Gunther will certainly be in the mix if an Intercontinental Championship Elimination Chamber occurs, and any encounter involving him is sure to be a brute fest. Other potential challengers include Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, Rey Mysterio, Ricochet, and Braun Strowman. Mysterio could also be replaced by Karrion Kross.
Either way, looking at our fantasy field of competitors, in Sheamus' words, a "banger" is guaranteed. We've seen the undeniable chemistry The Celtic Warrior and The Ring General have. Ricochet and Rey Mysterio also took the champion to the limit in some of the best-televised match-ups in recent memory.
The environment they will be constrained in will allow for much carnage and destruction. Locking SmackDown's biggest superstars in the chamber has virtually no downside.
#1 It would help set up SmackDown's main mid-card rivalries heading into WrestleMania
Drew McIntyre said that he has his eyes on Gunther & the Intercontinental title on Raw.
The world awaits. https://t.co/usFxcmA1xM
The thing with multi-man matches like the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber is that it sets up potential one-on-one encounters for bigger stages. At the Rumble, WWE teased a future showdown between Seth "Freakin" Rollins and Logan Paul.
So, the chamber can be used to set in motion the mid-card programs that will possibly culminate at 'Mania. As of the time being, Sheamus and Drew McIntyre are the primary front-runners to face Gunther on The Show of Shows. The Austrian Anomaly's potential opponent for the biggest event of the year could be teased at Elimination Chamber 2023.
Assuming that Ricochet and Strowman will wrestle, WWE can sow the seeds of dissension inside the chamber, which will boil down to a grudge encounter on The Show of Shows.