WWE Hall of Famer Critiques Recent Elimination Chamber Matches

During a recent episode of "83 Weeks," Eric Bischoff shared his thoughts on WWE's latest Pay-Per-View event, the Elimination Chamber, highlighting his enthusiasm for the direction of the WrestleMania card and his impressions of the event itself. Bischoff, who viewed the event from his hotel room in Detroit, expressed a mix of satisfaction and mild disappointment, stating, “I love the direction it’s going [the WrestleMania card], and some of the matchups that we have here. Particularly after watching Elimination Chamber, I very much enjoyed the show. I guess I expected a little bit more, maybe because there’s been so much buzz and chatter and Rock showing up, ‘Finish the story’ this, the drama. It just felt like there was something bigger that was going to happen at Elimination Chamber."

Despite his high expectations, Bischoff acknowledged the entertainment value of the show, admitting, "There weren’t really probably only 15 minutes in total throughout the whole show where I got a little bored with what I was watching. It was an entertaining show, but just didn’t have that big moment that I guess I was expecting for some reason."

Addressing the challenges of international scheduling and the impact of time differences on performances, Bischoff speculated, "I’m just guessing, I don’t think it would be that. If I had to guess, I would guess if there was a conflict and scheduling... Maybe a little longer if you’ve got to get there, recuperate a little bit, let your body catch up to the timezone, and be ready to get into the ring or perform at whatever level."

Bischoff also critiqued the current format of the Elimination Chamber, particularly the decision to have both women’s and men’s matches within the same structure, suggesting that it diminishes the unique character and perceived danger of the Chamber. "The Chamber loses its personality... It just didn’t feel dangerous, it didn’t feel like a character to me," he said. He noted the change in the Chamber's physicality and aesthetics, saying, "This Chamber, when I watched the other day, it just didn’t have that sense of danger to it... It just makes it feel awful sanitized to me."

Despite these critiques, Bischoff highlighted aspects of the Chamber he enjoyed, including the innovative use of lighting within the pods, which allowed for a better showcase of the talent. He concluded with a reminder of the nature of professional wrestling, emphasizing, "This is entertainment, folks. It’s not a sporting event. It is entertainment, and there are different ways of entertaining different people."