DVD Preview: WWE Double Feature: Elimination Chamber 2017 & Fast Lane 2017

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

Featuring not one but two Pay-Per-View events from the Road to WrestleMania, WWE Home Video presents over 6 hours of WWE action, Elimination Chamber 2017 and Fast Lane 2017 Double Feature!

WWE Champion John Cena hopes to continue his championship reign against AJ Styles, Baron Corbin, Dean Ambrose, The Miz and Bray Wyatt inside the punishing structure known as the Elimination Chamber! “The Viper” Randy Orton continues his Road to WrestleMania as he takes on Luke Harper! And the WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship is on the line as Alexa Bliss takes on Naomi. Who will escape with their hand raised at Elimination Chamber?

The Superstars of Raw get in the Fast Lane on the Road to WrestleMania! For the first time ever, Universal Champion Kevin Owens meets Goldberg in the main event of WWE Fast Lane! Bayley looks to make her first title defence against “The Queen of Pay-Per- Views” Charlotte Flair in a rematch for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship. “The Monster Among Men” Braun Strowman looks to extend his impressive undefeated streak against Roman Reigns. Plus much more from your favourite Raw Superstars!

Synopsis:

Match Highlights:

Elimination Chamber 2017

WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match
John Cena (Champion) vs. AJ Styles vs. Bray Wyatt vs. The Miz vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Baron Corbin

Randy Orton vs. Luke Harper

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match
Alexa Bliss (Champion) vs. Naomi

Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James

Fast Lane 2017

Universal Championship Match
Kevin Owens (Champion) vs. Goldberg

Raw Women’s Championship Match
Bayley (Champion) vs. Charlotte Flair

Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman

Samoa Joe vs. Sami Zayn

Plus more action and DVD extras!

We like it because:

We’re six months into WWE’s all-new brand split and both Raw and SmackDown Live are firing on all cylinders. It’s never been more evident than in these two spectacular Pay-Per-View events – each brand’s last respective stop on the Road to WrestleMania and now brought together in one awesome double-feature DVD!

Elimination Chamber lives up to the event’s brutal history with a hard-hitting main event inside the Chamber itself. Most exciting is the prospect of seeing AJ Styles inside the Chamber for the very first time. True to form, he delivers a phenomenal performance against SmackDown’s top stars – and the end of the match will have you following the buzzards with a brand new WWE Champion!

There’s also exciting action from Randy Orton, American Alpha and Becky Lynch – all looking to prove that when it comes to stunning in-ring action, SmackDown Live can’t be beaten!

Not to be outdone, Raw fired back with the just-as-incredible Fast Lane! Kevin Owens' championship defence against Goldberg will go down as one of the most shocking and controversial matches on Pay-Per-View, while Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman put on a powerhouse display as they battle for dominance on the red brand!

Charlotte Flair and Bayley also pull out all the stops, alongside top performances from Samoa Joe, Sami Zayn, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, Enzo and Cass, Neville and Jack Gallagher!

Don’t miss out on this first ever Raw/SmackDown Live double-feature!

WWE Double Feature: Elimination Chamber 2017 & Fast Lane 2017 will officially be released on DVD on Monday May 1 2017.

For more information, click here.

Elimination Chamber 2013

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 181 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: May 6 2013

Elimination Chamber, traditionally the last PPV before WrestleMania, often has its memories lost once Mania is over and done with (more so than Royal Rumble, despite it coming after RR). And that's a shame because, as this DVD proves, the 2013 edition of Elimination Chamber had plenty to praise.

There are five matches that are good, really good or better. They are Alberto Del Rio vs. Big Show (despite an unintentional slip by ADR during the bout); the Elimination Chamber match with a World Heavyweight Title shot for WM 29 at stake; a six-man pitting The Shield against John Cena, Ryback and Sheamus; an impromptu showdown between Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingston; and a Royal Rumble rematch for the WWE Title between The Rock and CM Punk (how weird is it at this point to see Rock wrestle on what is essentially a B-show?).

Elsewhere, Antonio Cesaro vs. The Miz is inferior to their previous meeting prior to Royal Rumble, partly because of the finish; and Kaitlyn vs. Tamina Snuka is not as good as Kaitlyn's Divas Title-winning effort against Eve Torres at the 20th Anniversary episode of Raw. The bonus match between Tons Of Funk and Team Rhodes Scholars is also not up to much. However, the superior action that makes up the majority of the programme justify a purchase.

Elimination Chamber isn't always needed in one's collection to track the Road To WrestleMania; however, not only is EC a pivotal show en route to this year's Mania, but it's a wrestling DVD which is well worth owning in its own right.

Overall Rating: 8/10 - Very Good

Elimination Chamber 2014

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 185 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: May 12 2014

An incredible six-man tag team match and an underrated Elimination Chamber clash are the highlights of the fifth annual Chamber PPV, and thus the DVD of the event too.

The opener, between Big E and Jack Swagger, is a good one; the performers clearly graft to ensure that this match stays in the minds of the fans. After a brief mention of Hulk Hogan's return on Raw the following night, we get a Tag Team Title match between The New Age Outlaws and The Usos which, awkwardly, is most memorable for the huge chants for CM Punk by the Minneapolis crowd. A pointless Titus O'Neil-Darren Young grudge match is followed by the aforementioned outstanding six-man tag, as The Shield and The Wyatt Family have one hell of a scrap, a match that is arguably better than any of the matches which would come six weeks later at WrestleMania XXX.

AJ Lee vs. Cameron didn't sound appealing beforehand, and is further hampered by a dreadful non-finish. Batista vs. Alberto Del Rio tells a logical story, but one cannot concentrate on the action due to the massive boos for the Animal, which played a key role in Batista turning heel shortly afterwards. Lastly, the Elimination Chamber match - involving Randy Orton, John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Christian and Cesaro, with the WWE Title at stake - is well worth watching, and the drama is high as the finish nears with only Orton and Bryan remaining. The outcome annoyed fans on the night, but the circumstances were clearly designed to set up what would finally be Bryan's moment of glory at WrestleMania XXX.

With one brilliant match and another very good battle, Elimination Chamber 2014 is a pretty good show if you judge it solely on its two top attractions. When you throw everything else in, though, the DVD for the card becomes less enticing. Buy it for The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family, and to see WWE give Daniel Bryan and the so-called Yes Movement one last moment of false hope before he ultimately achieved greatness at Mania 30.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10 - Okay

Elimination Chamber 2015

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 186 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: July 27 2015

(To read a full event review of WWE Elimination Chamber 2015, click here.)

Elimination Chamber, once WWE's final PPV stop before WrestleMania, was a definite B-show in 2015; in fact, it was only announced less than three weeks beforehand. The card still ended up delivering some memorable action and a major upset victory, but rewatching the show on DVD (which incidentally is a UK exclusive), one can't escape the feeling that it was still a card of lesser importance.

The opening Tag Team Elimination Chamber match for the doubles titles has its moments, with some quite frankly insane stunts, but a couple of spots appear to be the subject of wrestler confusion (as in, the performers themselves didn't know where to be at some points), and the finish is a bit anticlimactic, resulting in an opener that is good but by no means great. The three-way match for the Divas Championship is okay, but Nikki Bella vs. Paige vs. Naomi won't exactly be brought up at the end of the year as a vintage showcase of the women's division.

In contrast, John Cena vs. Kevin Owens is a very good back-and-forth battle, which has the shocking conclusion of Owens - in his first match on the main roster - pinning 15-time World Champion Cena clean as a whistle, thus allowing KO to arrive with a bang. After that unforgettable battle - undoubtedly the highlight of the show - fans are slow to react to Neville vs. Bo Dallas, seemingly switching off altogether when Dallas is on the offence; that aside, the match is inoffensive filler.

The Intercontinental Title Elimination Chamber match unfortunately degenerates into a mess: Mark Henry's pod is broken open, forcing him to enter proceedings early, and at one point the action almost stops entirely, as it's clear that nobody has a clue what is supposed to happen next, presumably due to Henry's forced early entry. The participants were fortunate not to be performing in a smarky town like Philadelphia or New York, otherwise the reaction to these scenes could have been very nasty indeed (as it is, the fans appear to be just as confused as the competitors). At least they react positively to Ryback's victory, and to the post-match endorsement of The Big Guy by Daniel Bryan.

Lastly, Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose is an enjoyable main event, but the earlier B-show feel of this card is evidenced by the disqualification finish, which is clearly a tool to allow this feud to continue until the next PPV event, which would be Money In The Bank. On the plus side, the action was good and the fans reacted well to the tease of Ambrose winning the WWE Title, as well as reacting very positively to the post-match appearance by Roman Reigns. In hindsight, the enthused Corpus Christi crowd is one of the big positives about the entire show.

The DVD has a bonus Kick-Off Show match between Stardust and Zack Ryder (during which Jerry Lawler comes extremely close to making a rude joke involving fellow announcer John Bradshaw Layfield), as well as two interview segments involving Ryback and The Bellas. The menu music appears to be a slight re-mix of the old InsurreXtion theme, which may or may not be picked up on by fans who were watching the product during the Attitude Era.

While Elimination Chamber surpassed its fairly low expectations due to the Cena-Owen clinic and some standout moments elsewhere on the card, this is definitely a secondary PPV event. It was tough to watch the card back on DVD, to be honest, because so much of the show feels like filler. This is worth owning to see Owens become a real star with great assistance from Cena, but otherwise it's probably not worth you splashing out on this DVD.

Overall Rating: 6/10 - Reasonable

Iron Will - The Anthology Of The Elimination Chamber

Image Source: Wrestling 101

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 513 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: August 18 2010

Having recently reviewed The Ladder Match and Hell In A Cell, I now review another DVD based on a match type, the Elimination Chamber. A 16-foot domed structure of chains and steel which includes pods to hold incoming wrestlers, the stipulation was an immediate success and, for many years, the Chamber match was guaranteed to raise interest and PPV buy rates.

Like HIAC, the PG era and the decision to give the Chamber its own PPV hampered this stipulation, and nobody knows when the next such bout will be. Since the cage cost either $250,000 or $500,000 to build (reports vary), one imagines that we will see it again, and I hope we do: unlike Hell In A Cell, you can have a great Chamber bout in PG conditions, and even the 2013 and 2014 clashes were both really good.

As things stand, then, this DVD (called Iron Will in the UK, but named Satan's Prison in the US, as evidenced by graphics which aren't changed for the European version of this release), captures the Elimination Chamber in its prime. The original match at Survivor Series 2002 is very good and would be remembered more fondly had Triple H not been in his loathed-for-real phase (look out for the very serious throat injury that Rob Van Dam accidentally inflicts upon him here). But it is a great match, and Shawn Michaels wins to become World Champ in only his second WWE bout since 1998 (by the way, Shawn and Kane were apparently meant to come in at the opposite times that they did).

Match two from SummerSlam 2003 sees Goldberg at his dominant best, destroying everything in sight. But the ending was a downer at the time and remains baffling today: one sledgehammer shot by HHH beats the then-unbeaten-in-WWE Goldberg and, whilst Da Man became World Champ at the following month's Unforgiven, he really should have triumphed here. Match three is, to me, the best Chamber match ever: an absolute super brawl from New Year's Revolution 2005 for the then-vacant World Title that features loads of big moves and drama, advances the brilliant Triple H-Batista storyline and even has Shawn Michaels as special guest referee!

The fourth bout is from New Year's Revolution 2006. It's good, but the weakest so far at the time (although we do get Edge's cash-in of Money In The Bank as a bonus match which is a nice touch). But that's nothing compared to the following Extreme Elimination Chamber at ECW December To Dismember 2006. On paper, it should have been the most violent yet, and I don't think it was as bad as some made out. But it is the worst to date, largely because it served as an insult to the diehard ECW fans and talent. Explaining why would be a story in itself (I shall write in full when covering a DTD review), but just know that the booking of this match screwed Sabu, gave CM Punk a cheap first loss in WWE, played a big role in Paul Heyman leaving WWE the next day, and helped to convince Rob Van Dam to also leave when his contract expired the following summer.

From there, we go to No Way Out 2008. Two Chamber matches in one night felt weird at the time, but both were for World Title opportunities at WrestleMania XXIV, and both are great matches. One sees The Undertaker and Batista renew their epic rivalry in grand fashion (and Taker hits a stunning chokeslam on MVP), whilst the other is a collection of stunning moves (Umaga and Jeff Hardy hit the best ones) and helps to establish Jeff as a future WWE Champion despite HHH winning.

This starts the era of two Chamber bouts on the same card. Both of those at No Way Out 2009 are superb: one is carried by The Undertaker, Triple H and Jeff Hardy, and the other sees Edge at his Ultimate Opportunist best. He actually loses the WWE Title early in the first one, before attacking Kofi Kingston to enter and eventually won the second one. At the time, this was all unexpected, and even though you know it's all scripted, it's one of those moments where the fan inside you says "Edge is awesome!"

The DVD ends with the stipulation having officially gotten its own PPV in 2010, a bad thing in hindsight, but we do get two good Chamber matches to end the compilation. John Cena's victory and subsequent loss to Batista are a bit too similar to the 2006 experience but fun nonetheless, whilst the World Title bout from the same show is enjoyable but a little disappointing, although its ending was a great way to build to WrestleMania XXVI, despite its predictability at the time (by the way, Undertaker was accidentally set on fire during his entrance due to a pyrotechnic malfunction; imagine being the guy responsible and having Taker confront you after that mishap).

I think the Elimination Chamber is a bit underrated as an actual concept: it is the storylines surrounding it having weakened and the reduced star power in recent times rather than in-ring performances and a lack of violence which have damaged its reputation (and the poorly-promoted PPV). Its future is unknown, other than knowing that it probably will have one; here, though, we get to relive the glory days of the Elimination Chamber, and I came away thinking it was a great wrestling DVD and a nice snapshot of WWE from the post-Attitude Era period to the modern PG times.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10 - Excellent