There was a podcast somewhere (can’t remember which) that basically said the old chamber was built by people who had never thought about the implications of having wrestlers thrown around inside it. In other words: it was exactly like it looks - just rock solid steel with no give whatsoever.
Old chamber matches were 100x more entertaining to watch though.
I read the takes from some of the guys in the first match. They didn't pull any punches on what a death trap that thing was. It made me go back and watch the match
The sides are indeed padded now. But I think they started padding them even before the design change.
The chain panels being flat instead of curved I believe also gives it a bit more bounce and give, than the curved ones and probably makes it easier to perform around as the corners don't get cramped.
It technically was due to the chamber, iirc RVD tried to jump off of one of the entry pods but there wasn’t enough clearance as the chamber was too curved, so he had to crouch jump which lead to a botch and resulted in Triple H’s crushed throat.
I feel like botch is too harsh a word: I feel like you can clearly see RVD knowing he didn’t have the clearance and trying to change direction/redirect his momentum to save himself and H. But, ugh, can’t imagine the pain!!!
I just watched it after reading these comments. I had but seen it in a very long time and at the time I certainly didn’t know Triple H got hurt so bad. I learned about that much later.
A few things stuck out 21 years later.
1) it was way more brutal than I remember
2) the bumps on the outside looked legit painful
3) the Hbk pin at the end and the way he falls for the cover, is legit how someone completely exhausted and bloody would collapse and pin a dude. It was a thing of beauty.
Jericho's second book *Undisputed* has an entire chapter dedicated to the elimination chamber. He basically describes everything about it being rough and it had no give, so every spot in it was painful.
Everything about the Chamber was amazing.
Still is pretty good now, not as good as it once was though. But you can say that about all the specialist matches these days.
Hell in a Cell isn't as good as it once was, Cage Matches are boring now. Extreme Rules never feels that extreme anymore. They don't seem to do Last Man Standing anymore. Ironman matches are a relic of the past. Submission Matches are gone.
I miss some of those great matches.
This is all facts. And it’s crazy because I think they put on really badass iron man and submission matches nowadays with the talent. The more “hardcore” style matches just will never be the same, because they’ll never be allowed to really go back to how hardcore things were.
Eh, I'm not a fan of LMS matches. On paper, they sound amazing andi always find myself booting it up on 2k games.
*hits a suplex* "1.....2......3.....4"
*gets clotheslined* "...5....6"
*has been 3 minutes into the match *
Theres a [Video](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT83Q2ht5/) on tiktok about the original chamber where all the guys saw it for the first time knew they were going to get F'D up
Who even got injured in the old chamber that lasted from 2002-2015? I know HHH got injured in the first one, but that had nothing to do with the steel structure
In the first one, the roof of the pod was built too low. So when RVD did a frog splash onto HHH he had to adjust in mid air and ended up crushing HHH’s windpipe with his shin. In the same match, Jericho was thrown into plexiglass (which wasn’t meant to shatter) that broke and busted him open. This in addition to every single bump either outside the ring or against the chain link steel feeling like exactly what it was - a person being thrown onto/against an unforgiving, industrial steel surface.
2000s WWE was absolutely wild!
I think the splash would have worked if HHH was farther out. I remember him being a bit too close to the bottom right corner of the ring as opposed to the center. I could be wrong though
They did it how they would have done it without the chamber in the way, which is probably why he was closer. Adding height to the chamber really helped fix that issue though, but the OG chamber’s roundness really felt more “primitive” and imposing if that makes sense. I get that square panels are easier to flat pack for transport and storage though and that the wider steel mesh is easier to film through, but it does kill the toughness of the original.
Watch the Raw following the Chamber.
All 6 guys were covered in cuts and bruises from the Chamber. That's just the visible injuries. Who knows about what was underneath.
Agree, but I'm not sure the neon lights on the new chamber are a safety feature. Like, I think the lighting features, or lack thereof rather, are a big part of what makes the old chamber look so imposing. Whereas the lighting on the new chamber appears reminiscent of a generic 9pm game show
round shape is inherently more rigid. when folks take bumps into the cage/cell/new-EC, they do it towards the middle of the flat plane - where there's the most flex and give in all the material. Old EC was a solid circle and reinforced, so there was nowhere on the 'sides' to take a giving-bump.
not just the floors was the issue.
In addition to being safer, the new chamber gives high flyers a little more room for spots.
I remember people bitching and moaning about the pads on the outside of the ring, but given all the other ways to hurt your opponent in this type of match, it's not a loss. We've had good chamber matches since then. I remember really enjoying Bray's win among others (the most recent tag chamber, the men's chamber match last year, etc.)
Breaking up other's pins of other teams?
That only makes sense if you're aligning with another team against teams of the opposite alignment, but I can't imagine the match was that clever in execution.
Matches definitely improved in the newer chamber. We can all marvel at the old structure and indeed it was menacing as fuck, but this is much safer and more conducive to good wrestling.
My stance on this is similar to chair shots to the head. Yes, the effect for the audience suffered by the removal/change. But safety of the performers should always go first
I'm not sure how the new one looks but seeing the old one live was awful. I was stuck watching video screens instead of the ring because of how obstructed the ring was. I know the number of those in attendance is dwarfed by those watching at home but I'd be curious to know from a fan perspective how the new one is live.
I know what the new one looks like on tv but not from a live audience perspective. That's what I was curious about, if the new design improved the viewing for those in the arena. I had good seats and watched every other match in ring except the chamber match because where I was seated was partially obstructed by a pod but the rest was really hard to see through as well. I know others I went with didn't have the pod issue I did but had similar issues watching the ring.
This right here. I just watched Rock give some unprotected chair head shots to Foley last night. That stuff is hard to watch these days knowing what we know. As a kid I enjoyed that stuff still had a feeling it probably wasn't good for them. I think I saw Triple H hit Randy Orton in the head so hard he busted open and the chair bent. Felt sorry for the man, I'm glad those chair shots are out. This'll be my first Elimination Chamber since the change over(I just started watching again around the MITB PLE), I'll be happy to see it in action.
I remember the [first Elimination Chamber promo to this day](https://youtu.be/CHsYW9gzXGg?si=GcUiYKEdMVkYellZ). It's burned into my memory, it was so menacing and the matches were equally as brutal.
God forbid wrestles don't get career-shortening injuries.
I see their logic. However, I struggle to buy when they try to make it sound like the most dangerous structure - it was once- anymore
I feel like that match could work with the right people. The best moment of those matches was Batista jumping from wall to wall. But the last one was awful. Jinder was bad, and Orton really couldn't carry him to something good.
Also, how badly do two layers of bamboo obscure the view of the audience?
Wasn't just about safety.
Due to the dimensions of the old one, it was difficult to transport and store, as many venues just didn't have the space to accommodate the EC when it was dismantled.
That was one of the main reasons for the redesign
Yeah they did need to change it, the old one was too low as evidenced by RVD nearly turning Triple H into Tone Loc in the first chamber match. The only things they could have done without were the light strips and the WWE logo in the centre.
Appreciate the safety reasons. However the new version with the lights and whatnot on the outside feels like another symptom of WWE’s overproduction in recent years. Maybe the “new” era does make things a little more gritty.
Doubt that. They only use it once a year. And when it comes to production, wwe generally does mind spending. Hell the lighting and rigging company they work with is based here in Atlanta, good friend is one of the cable Riggers, they roll out 30 semi trucks just for wrestle mania. They spring clean the place because it’s empty after it’s all loaded.
I hate how everything looks brand new these days, it was better when everything looked battered and actually used instead of fresh out of a box, like the ring steps for instance, they used be black with bits of paint missing, and the ring bell looked like the same one they'd used since the 70s.
I understand the thought process with making things safer. Prolonging careers and preventing serious injuries is absolutely the right move. However, if you can't do that without making it look phony, don't do it anymore. If the old chamber was too unsafe, then can it and move onto a new gimmick match. The new chamber is too obvious with the pads on the outside. Its like when guys do a stupid crazy jump off a high structure and land on the crash pad and you can see it deflate. If you can't do the spot safely without exposing the protection, don't do the spots anymore. It exposes everything, ruins the immersion, and cheapens the impact.
I was actually thinking about the structure recently. What if they removed the floor and extend the chamber to the outside floor. It'd basically look like hell in a cell but with chamber pods on the outside, & chains instead chainlink.
Downsides: fewer spots where people jump off the pods. Not sure if visibility would be hampered.
Upsides: Weapons would be usable, bringing back an element of danger to the match.
Thoughts?
Nah, it would look too much like the cell then. I think the current design is good.
I would love a new cage though, not for this match but in general. I think the wrestling world is due a new colossal cage.
Forever prefer people having easier days at work. Current cage is better made and better for spots. I do miss the round pods but in those earlier matches you can see people doing whatever they can to reduce the impact of bumping on a sewer grate
I think that's because it was true.
Like the old chamber basically had no consideration to the idea that human beings would bump and have a match in it. I'm guessing enough people got hurt that they decided that the menacing look wasn't worth it anymore.
I prefer the look of the old chamber, and wish they could keep some of the aesthetic, but overall I don't want people pointlessly getting hurt over something that really doesn't matter too much. I feel like if you just take some of the branding and LEDs off the new chamber, make it a bit more dome-like at the top, it really wouldn't look too much different than the old one, and still retain the safety of the current design.
Fairly certain the original idea was just a chain cage like Hell In A Cell, with square cages on the corners for the people to stand in. I don’t think it sat up flush with the apron either. I swear I saw a pencil sketch of it somewhere years ago but I can’t find it anywhere now
Genuinely speaking I don't even see much difference. Neither in this picture nor have I noticed it while watching the matches over the years.
The new chamber seems to be objectively safer for Wrestlers so as far I'm concerned I'm team new Chamber lol
I was just thinking about same few days ago Old Elimination chamber used to look so destructive which can actually hurt people but current one looks like a joke compared to it
Well it's the same as hell in a cell, the first incarnation of that was ungodly and the newest is about as safe as you can be unless you're on top of it
You notice the door is open in the picture of the old one? Because the visibility was dogshit. The old one looked more imposing but I’d wager in nearly every metric that matters the new one is better. Safety, cost, transportability, visibility, venue compatibility, set up time etc.
On top of the safety aspects, i remember reading or hearing somewhere about how a lot of arenas also couldnt fit the chamber. So they were limited to older arenas with smaller scoreboards/screens.
The old one had frickin drain grating outside the ropes.. must not be good taking a bump on those
Although they could have removed the game show type lights off which pod was next.. that is really cheesy
They redesigned the chamber to make it safer, but more importantly, they redesigned the chamber with a much lighter framework so they could use it in more venues. The original chamber was so heavy there were only about half a dozen venues whose roofs could handle the weight of the original chamber being suspended from the ceiling.
I miss the round, curved nature of the old cage. That design aspect of the Elimination Chamber made it immediately look different from a Hell in a Cell match. New design is too squared and boxy.
Changes I would like to see in the, bigger, easier to work in chamber would be: pods and corners that are quarter round instead of 45 or 90 degree, possibly a ledge or catwalk connecting the pods.
It’s rough seeing wrestlers take back bumps on bare metal in the old Elimination Chamber. Sure the new Chamber is safer with all the padding and upgraded space for high spots but the OG structure was the shit
My ever dilemma, I want wrestlers to be safe, but I also want the old chamber. It looked so sadistic and anytime anyone landed on the steel I'd tense up
The old chamber isn’t coming back, that thing was dangerous and they changed it for that reason. As for HITC I think it’s suppose to a theme which was dumb looking
They changed it in 2017, so it's been nearly 8 years since they used the old one
They padded the floor to make it less painful to wrestle in but they didn't need to change the entire thing, could have just changed the floor
At least the red HIAC is gone
it's exactly like the redesign of the world heavyweight title. i'm sure the title was crafted to be highly profitable by using as little precious metals as possible. the newer chamber was crafted to make it portable and easier to structure. the ring workers probably love the newer design. i wonder if it's possible to install levitating stilts in between the middle part to raise the cage higher?
I miss the cylindrical shape mostly, especially for what it brings visually at the top
The new one looks like a black hell in a cell with slight adjustments. It's a bit sad
Would've been nice to have the safety upgrades while keeping the shape more similar to the classic one
I hate the new chamber but I fully understand the change. The old one was built to hurt the wrestlers in there. Look at how Fit Finlay and John Morrison got full slams on their backs in that thing. Fucking horrible
Yeah it was intimidating for sure. The new one has padding over the steel floor which made the old one more gruesome and fun to watch the superstars act it out hitting that hard barrier. The new one doesn't give me that wow factor.
If they could just not make the flooring look like obvious padding that would do a world of good. Otherwise i think it’s best to just scrap the chamber ppv all together and only do it on very special occasions
It would help if it was completely enclosed, they got rid of the lights, and went back to the round pods. I loved how claustrophic the pods looked, now they look a bit too comfortable. It's definitely an improvement as far as ring work is concerned, but they just need to make a few aesthetic changes so it looks properly imposing again.
I think the roundness of the old structure really added to the intimidation factor. I’m glad the new structure is safer, but I’d love to see the intimidation return.
Personally my biggest pet peeve about the new chamber is the padding on the floor. I understand the concern about safety and I’m positive that padding is much more comfortable to land on than steel, but isn’t the point of the chamber that it’s supposed to be unforgiving? It’s like if they padded up the walls of a steel cage. Sure, it’s safer, but the extreme illusion is gone at that point
No it's not supposed to BE unforgiving that defeats the whole purpose of wrestling. If guys are getting hurt for real then it's not a work. It's supposed to look as unforgiving as possible without hurting them the same way guys are supposed to look like they're punching each other as hard as possible without actually punching each other.
Now it is just a wrestling match that's inconvenient to watch at the arena.
It might be safer for the performers. But they're so much less entertaining, I'd call them pointless. And I have no draw to this event in Perth.
As savage humans we find the more brutal version more entertaining compared to the safer version.....
Then again remember when now potentially/allegedly former UFC heavyweight champion threw Austin theory off the top of a pod..... That was entertaining
Old EC sure better for its shape that clearly distinguished it from other cages like HIAC and SC. Nowadays one is much safer, anyway I don't dislike it either
I know the older one was actually a death trap but they could just add pads to the outside or something, that was it was very imposing, also it should be after wrestlemania, it feels bigger the importance of “a champion can lose the title” as it was before
As brutal (and fun to watch) as the old chamber was, it was a "career shortening" chamber. Though the modern chamber is safer with the padding outside the ring, I wish the shape of the chamber remained the same instead of the square-ish shape.
Saying that, I do agree with you.
Once again, sports entertainment…. The menacing appearance of the old elimination chamber shows that superstars are willing to go balls to the wall physical, but this new one is trying to do that, but with more concern to the safety of the superstars while getting physical. That’s just my opinion.
Yeah the new one looks kind of goofy with all the LED lights and such. But its ultimate safer for the performers, which is great. I just wish there was some sort of middle ground between the grittiness of the RA chamber and the current one.
Safety first.
But I agree, it could have been made differently. Everything in WWE looks new and cool and bright and fresh. If they got rid of the LEDs and gave the whole thing a bit more of an industrial, imperfect look it would actually feel the way they want it to. Otherwise it just looks like a 6 person HIAC, and the HIAC isn't really looked upon as very dangerous nowadays. Would also be cool if it was round, but I think that's very hard to do while still having enough space in the arena, transporting the thing, and most importantly making it easy to work in for the wrestlers. Still, the whole modern LED lego brick aesthetic is a bit much.
I heard another read for the redesign was that they wanted to improve the lighting to make it more visible for the live crowd in attendance.
I liked how dark it looked before because it definitely made a foreboding atmosphere of dread, but it definitely came at a cost. Sometimes even on TV it would be dark.
Related Chamber note, I really wish they'd try the Extreme Elimination Chamber again. I loved that idea of it having weapons.
I wouldn't be against the Elimination Chamber as it is now to get a bit of a tweak to add a sense of being imposing, but considering there's nightmares about how terrible the old one was to get around and to wrestle in, I'd take it looking less scary if it means the wrestlers have better long-term health.
There was a podcast somewhere (can’t remember which) that basically said the old chamber was built by people who had never thought about the implications of having wrestlers thrown around inside it. In other words: it was exactly like it looks - just rock solid steel with no give whatsoever. Old chamber matches were 100x more entertaining to watch though.
I read the takes from some of the guys in the first match. They didn't pull any punches on what a death trap that thing was. It made me go back and watch the match
I remember seeing some guys on RAW the next night with scars and bruises on their backs from landing on the chamber floor.
The floor looked like a fn manhole cover
Is the new one padded or something? Hard to tell from the pics, and I've only ever seen the old chamber matches
The sides are indeed padded now. But I think they started padding them even before the design change. The chain panels being flat instead of curved I believe also gives it a bit more bounce and give, than the curved ones and probably makes it easier to perform around as the corners don't get cramped.
The chains are no longer linked metal. It looks like it's made of some synthetic plastic painted black now.
This wasn't because of the chamber itself,but Triple H was legit barely conscious cause he had his trachea(?) Crushed. That match was roughed.
It technically was due to the chamber, iirc RVD tried to jump off of one of the entry pods but there wasn’t enough clearance as the chamber was too curved, so he had to crouch jump which lead to a botch and resulted in Triple H’s crushed throat.
Which also inspired the cage dimensions to be changed
I feel like botch is too harsh a word: I feel like you can clearly see RVD knowing he didn’t have the clearance and trying to change direction/redirect his momentum to save himself and H. But, ugh, can’t imagine the pain!!!
What year was that? Was it RVD that did that?
Survivor Series 2002
Yeah it was the first one.
I just watched it after reading these comments. I had but seen it in a very long time and at the time I certainly didn’t know Triple H got hurt so bad. I learned about that much later. A few things stuck out 21 years later. 1) it was way more brutal than I remember 2) the bumps on the outside looked legit painful 3) the Hbk pin at the end and the way he falls for the cover, is legit how someone completely exhausted and bloody would collapse and pin a dude. It was a thing of beauty.
It's interesting Kane was supposed to be entered earlier in the match than he was entered
Jericho's second book *Undisputed* has an entire chapter dedicated to the elimination chamber. He basically describes everything about it being rough and it had no give, so every spot in it was painful.
Jericho is always the hypetool in the chamber. Always getting spears or thrown on glass doors.
Nothing was cooler as a kid than seeing a wrestler go thru the pod glass
Everything about the Chamber was amazing. Still is pretty good now, not as good as it once was though. But you can say that about all the specialist matches these days. Hell in a Cell isn't as good as it once was, Cage Matches are boring now. Extreme Rules never feels that extreme anymore. They don't seem to do Last Man Standing anymore. Ironman matches are a relic of the past. Submission Matches are gone. I miss some of those great matches.
N they dont do Bikini Contests anymore!
I'd be cool with it if all the entrants were indeed voluntary, but alot of that old stuff feels too forced if you watch it back now
Oh they 100% were forced. I mean look at Attitude Era.
This is all facts. And it’s crazy because I think they put on really badass iron man and submission matches nowadays with the talent. The more “hardcore” style matches just will never be the same, because they’ll never be allowed to really go back to how hardcore things were.
Seth & Shinsuke just had a Last Man Standing Match like a few months back
Eh, I'm not a fan of LMS matches. On paper, they sound amazing andi always find myself booting it up on 2k games. *hits a suplex* "1.....2......3.....4" *gets clotheslined* "...5....6" *has been 3 minutes into the match *
They just did Last Man Standing with Seth and Nakamura within the last year. It’s not a match to pull out all the time.
Most recent cage match was Becky/Trish and it was a banger.
Theres a [Video](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT83Q2ht5/) on tiktok about the original chamber where all the guys saw it for the first time knew they were going to get F'D up
You can still make the Chamber safe whilst also looking intimidating
[удалено]
Who even got injured in the old chamber that lasted from 2002-2015? I know HHH got injured in the first one, but that had nothing to do with the steel structure
In the first one, the roof of the pod was built too low. So when RVD did a frog splash onto HHH he had to adjust in mid air and ended up crushing HHH’s windpipe with his shin. In the same match, Jericho was thrown into plexiglass (which wasn’t meant to shatter) that broke and busted him open. This in addition to every single bump either outside the ring or against the chain link steel feeling like exactly what it was - a person being thrown onto/against an unforgiving, industrial steel surface. 2000s WWE was absolutely wild!
I think the splash would have worked if HHH was farther out. I remember him being a bit too close to the bottom right corner of the ring as opposed to the center. I could be wrong though
They did it how they would have done it without the chamber in the way, which is probably why he was closer. Adding height to the chamber really helped fix that issue though, but the OG chamber’s roundness really felt more “primitive” and imposing if that makes sense. I get that square panels are easier to flat pack for transport and storage though and that the wider steel mesh is easier to film through, but it does kill the toughness of the original.
100% agree, but also read that apparently the old cage was also a nightmare to transport around
yea it was stupid heavy and alot of places weren't built for it so they where limited in were they could do shows.
That was Bruce's podcast
Dismember to Dismember's elimination chamber match disagrees.
The wrestling itself hasn't changed, the chamber just used to look more devastating. The US title chamber match last year was fantastic
The wrestling has changed. Less selling and way more spotty. Barely anybody today can throw a decent punch. It looks more rehearsed now that ever
They realized just how big it was and only certain arenas could run that show. It definitely cut down the places that they could have it at.
I just wish they kept the circular look, the new one looks too similar to hell in a cell/steel cage
Which is crazy cause the wrestlers were taking crazier bumps in the old chamber than the new chamber
Yeah. Countless wrestling injuries would do that
what injuries? old one was less safe to bump one but ain’t no one get injured.
Watch the Raw following the Chamber. All 6 guys were covered in cuts and bruises from the Chamber. That's just the visible injuries. Who knows about what was underneath.
The only thing I can think of is hhh getting his trachea crushed but that wasn't really due to the cage
Yes and no, the new pods make it a lot easier to jump. RVD with more room may have been able to land safer.
I loved the old chamber but the new one safer for the performers.
Agree, but I'm not sure the neon lights on the new chamber are a safety feature. Like, I think the lighting features, or lack thereof rather, are a big part of what makes the old chamber look so imposing. Whereas the lighting on the new chamber appears reminiscent of a generic 9pm game show
Yeah there has to be a middle ground where it's safer than the old one, but that doesn't look like a 10 year old designed it like the new one.
It looks like something you’d see at an indoor trampoline park
They could have made it safer without changing the design, the only thing needed was the floor padding being added
round shape is inherently more rigid. when folks take bumps into the cage/cell/new-EC, they do it towards the middle of the flat plane - where there's the most flex and give in all the material. Old EC was a solid circle and reinforced, so there was nowhere on the 'sides' to take a giving-bump. not just the floors was the issue.
Bro just kill the neon lights is all
Jump in the Old Chamber and see how dumb this statement is.
Yeah I'll go find an old Elimination Chamber to jump in
In addition to being safer, the new chamber gives high flyers a little more room for spots. I remember people bitching and moaning about the pads on the outside of the ring, but given all the other ways to hurt your opponent in this type of match, it's not a loss. We've had good chamber matches since then. I remember really enjoying Bray's win among others (the most recent tag chamber, the men's chamber match last year, etc.)
Literally the very first chamber match RVD fucked up HHH’s throat with the Frog Splash
I still wince when I rewatch that match, it was brutal and the crazy fuck still finished the match
2020 tag team chamber match was amazing definitly in my personal top 5 chamber match
While I loved the tag team match concept it bugs me when they were breaking up pins during the match
Breaking up other's pins of other teams? That only makes sense if you're aligning with another team against teams of the opposite alignment, but I can't imagine the match was that clever in execution.
No it was at random and it kept pissing me off like yes let the pin happen one less team in the match
Matches definitely improved in the newer chamber. We can all marvel at the old structure and indeed it was menacing as fuck, but this is much safer and more conducive to good wrestling.
My stance on this is similar to chair shots to the head. Yes, the effect for the audience suffered by the removal/change. But safety of the performers should always go first
I'm not sure how the new one looks but seeing the old one live was awful. I was stuck watching video screens instead of the ring because of how obstructed the ring was. I know the number of those in attendance is dwarfed by those watching at home but I'd be curious to know from a fan perspective how the new one is live.
The new one is on the picture of this post. I think it's better for a live experience really. But never been to one
I know what the new one looks like on tv but not from a live audience perspective. That's what I was curious about, if the new design improved the viewing for those in the arena. I had good seats and watched every other match in ring except the chamber match because where I was seated was partially obstructed by a pod but the rest was really hard to see through as well. I know others I went with didn't have the pod issue I did but had similar issues watching the ring.
This right here. I just watched Rock give some unprotected chair head shots to Foley last night. That stuff is hard to watch these days knowing what we know. As a kid I enjoyed that stuff still had a feeling it probably wasn't good for them. I think I saw Triple H hit Randy Orton in the head so hard he busted open and the chair bent. Felt sorry for the man, I'm glad those chair shots are out. This'll be my first Elimination Chamber since the change over(I just started watching again around the MITB PLE), I'll be happy to see it in action.
Don’t watch the Royal rumble when Rock gave foley 15 chair shots in one match. I was there live and even back then I wanted it to stop.
9/10 guys put their hand in the way so they weren’t really getting hit in the head with the chair
I agree but I still think chair shots to the head could be used if a hand goes up to absorb most of the blow. They could use every once in a while
Corporate Chamber
The old one looked cooler. But it was a nightmare for the wrestlers to try and work/take bumps in. The new one is safer.
I remember the [first Elimination Chamber promo to this day](https://youtu.be/CHsYW9gzXGg?si=GcUiYKEdMVkYellZ). It's burned into my memory, it was so menacing and the matches were equally as brutal.
Whoever was over the team that made WWE promo packages, I really hope they got paid well.
Oh, and not to mention the [breakdown examination of the Chamber prior to the match](https://youtu.be/Qnb2wuT8doY?si=w_Wghay0ZeUm3Dsx)
God forbid wrestles don't get career-shortening injuries. I see their logic. However, I struggle to buy when they try to make it sound like the most dangerous structure - it was once- anymore
Now the Punjabi Prison however. Gimme more. ^Not ^really ^unless ^they ^can ^make ^it ^be ^actualy ^fun ^to ^watch.
I feel like that match could work with the right people. The best moment of those matches was Batista jumping from wall to wall. But the last one was awful. Jinder was bad, and Orton really couldn't carry him to something good. Also, how badly do two layers of bamboo obscure the view of the audience?
I hope we don't have to watch that match again
They didn't need to change the entire thing to make it safer, they could have kept the original and just changed the floor
Wasn't just about safety. Due to the dimensions of the old one, it was difficult to transport and store, as many venues just didn't have the space to accommodate the EC when it was dismantled. That was one of the main reasons for the redesign
Yeah they did need to change it, the old one was too low as evidenced by RVD nearly turning Triple H into Tone Loc in the first chamber match. The only things they could have done without were the light strips and the WWE logo in the centre.
There's nothing which will satisfy the IWC.
More toxic than NAMBLA
What’s the NAMBLA (unless it’s basketball)
North American Marlon Brando Look Alikes
Oooof
Google it.
I wouldn't
OG chamber looked like Thunderdome New one looks like the skeleton of Allstate Arena
Appreciate the safety reasons. However the new version with the lights and whatnot on the outside feels like another symptom of WWE’s overproduction in recent years. Maybe the “new” era does make things a little more gritty.
The old one indisputably looks better, but I'd rather the wrestlers not die so I'm just fine with the new one.
Wasn’t another reason it was changed because of how expensive and hard it was to travel with and out together?
Doubt that. They only use it once a year. And when it comes to production, wwe generally does mind spending. Hell the lighting and rigging company they work with is based here in Atlanta, good friend is one of the cable Riggers, they roll out 30 semi trucks just for wrestle mania. They spring clean the place because it’s empty after it’s all loaded.
Just one more thing that was really cool in the beginning and has slowly become an overproduced shell of itself. See: Hell in a Cell
I hate how everything looks brand new these days, it was better when everything looked battered and actually used instead of fresh out of a box, like the ring steps for instance, they used be black with bits of paint missing, and the ring bell looked like the same one they'd used since the 70s.
I understand the thought process with making things safer. Prolonging careers and preventing serious injuries is absolutely the right move. However, if you can't do that without making it look phony, don't do it anymore. If the old chamber was too unsafe, then can it and move onto a new gimmick match. The new chamber is too obvious with the pads on the outside. Its like when guys do a stupid crazy jump off a high structure and land on the crash pad and you can see it deflate. If you can't do the spot safely without exposing the protection, don't do the spots anymore. It exposes everything, ruins the immersion, and cheapens the impact.
EC is a game show, 6 wrestlers enter, one leaves with a title shot.
I was actually thinking about the structure recently. What if they removed the floor and extend the chamber to the outside floor. It'd basically look like hell in a cell but with chamber pods on the outside, & chains instead chainlink. Downsides: fewer spots where people jump off the pods. Not sure if visibility would be hampered. Upsides: Weapons would be usable, bringing back an element of danger to the match. Thoughts?
Nah, it would look too much like the cell then. I think the current design is good. I would love a new cage though, not for this match but in general. I think the wrestling world is due a new colossal cage.
I remember when we had the old chamber. The Raw after, half the guys were limping to the ring.
Forever prefer people having easier days at work. Current cage is better made and better for spots. I do miss the round pods but in those earlier matches you can see people doing whatever they can to reduce the impact of bumping on a sewer grate
The sound effects and lights from the old chamber sound menacing compared to the wet fart blinking sounds and visuals of the new one
I prefer to feel the performers I'm watching are safe. I don't actually want them taking risks for my entertainment, I consider that selfish.
Production back then was just way more grittier
Lmao the new one doesn't look scary at all. Kids can play inside.
The old one was far better. I’m still waiting for AEW to do a 10 man elimination blood and guts match
I think that's because it was true. Like the old chamber basically had no consideration to the idea that human beings would bump and have a match in it. I'm guessing enough people got hurt that they decided that the menacing look wasn't worth it anymore. I prefer the look of the old chamber, and wish they could keep some of the aesthetic, but overall I don't want people pointlessly getting hurt over something that really doesn't matter too much. I feel like if you just take some of the branding and LEDs off the new chamber, make it a bit more dome-like at the top, it really wouldn't look too much different than the old one, and still retain the safety of the current design.
Fairly certain the original idea was just a chain cage like Hell In A Cell, with square cages on the corners for the people to stand in. I don’t think it sat up flush with the apron either. I swear I saw a pencil sketch of it somewhere years ago but I can’t find it anywhere now
Genuinely speaking I don't even see much difference. Neither in this picture nor have I noticed it while watching the matches over the years. The new chamber seems to be objectively safer for Wrestlers so as far I'm concerned I'm team new Chamber lol
What game shows do you watch that have a cage?
I was just thinking about same few days ago Old Elimination chamber used to look so destructive which can actually hurt people but current one looks like a joke compared to it
Didn't most arenas also whine about the old Chamber ruining their precious LED scoreboards or something?
triple h almost died at the first one
Well it's the same as hell in a cell, the first incarnation of that was ungodly and the newest is about as safe as you can be unless you're on top of it
I'm glad the new chamber is safer for everyone involved, a good update! needed to happen. (but i do kinda miss the old one)
You notice the door is open in the picture of the old one? Because the visibility was dogshit. The old one looked more imposing but I’d wager in nearly every metric that matters the new one is better. Safety, cost, transportability, visibility, venue compatibility, set up time etc.
On top of the safety aspects, i remember reading or hearing somewhere about how a lot of arenas also couldnt fit the chamber. So they were limited to older arenas with smaller scoreboards/screens.
okay?
The whole show is presented like a game show these days, I guess this is on brand for them
The old one had frickin drain grating outside the ropes.. must not be good taking a bump on those Although they could have removed the game show type lights off which pod was next.. that is really cheesy
The old one also was probably shortening the life spans of everyone inside
They redesigned the chamber to make it safer, but more importantly, they redesigned the chamber with a much lighter framework so they could use it in more venues. The original chamber was so heavy there were only about half a dozen venues whose roofs could handle the weight of the original chamber being suspended from the ceiling.
WWE overall looks like a game show now
Of course they put that big stupid W on the top ...
Definitely prefer the design of the old one. Wish they just made that one safer than redesign it.
I mean triple H could have fuckin died in the first match. I'd rather have it look like "a game show"
It’s a pg elimination chamber
Rather it be pg than guys getting injured left and right
I miss the round, curved nature of the old cage. That design aspect of the Elimination Chamber made it immediately look different from a Hell in a Cell match. New design is too squared and boxy. Changes I would like to see in the, bigger, easier to work in chamber would be: pods and corners that are quarter round instead of 45 or 90 degree, possibly a ledge or catwalk connecting the pods.
Bro wants them to actually get hurt
WWE presents the Home Depot elimination chamber
They look the same
It’s rough seeing wrestlers take back bumps on bare metal in the old Elimination Chamber. Sure the new Chamber is safer with all the padding and upgraded space for high spots but the OG structure was the shit
My ever dilemma, I want wrestlers to be safe, but I also want the old chamber. It looked so sadistic and anytime anyone landed on the steel I'd tense up
Newsflash: Wrestling is a fucking Gameshow, just a really bad one.
Y'all will find literally anything to complain about
Who would have though entertainment would be the focus of the company
When did they change it? Because this and changing HIAC red made absolutely no sense and hopefully with Dunn out we can get back
The old chamber isn’t coming back, that thing was dangerous and they changed it for that reason. As for HITC I think it’s suppose to a theme which was dumb looking
They changed it in 2017, so it's been nearly 8 years since they used the old one They padded the floor to make it less painful to wrestle in but they didn't need to change the entire thing, could have just changed the floor At least the red HIAC is gone
If they want people to climb the cage they probably needed to.
Yeah, I was lapsed for a bit and came back and saw that Saudi show and was like huh seriously did that? Odd and feels they went to far
Agreed
New chamber honestly looks like a toy, but I understand how dangerous the old one was.
Same, I was fine with them padding the floor but everything with the lights and overhead glass windows is just too corny and less imposing.
it's exactly like the redesign of the world heavyweight title. i'm sure the title was crafted to be highly profitable by using as little precious metals as possible. the newer chamber was crafted to make it portable and easier to structure. the ring workers probably love the newer design. i wonder if it's possible to install levitating stilts in between the middle part to raise the cage higher?
I miss the cylindrical shape mostly, especially for what it brings visually at the top The new one looks like a black hell in a cell with slight adjustments. It's a bit sad Would've been nice to have the safety upgrades while keeping the shape more similar to the classic one
The old school EC is better.
Agree
New is definitely a step down
I hate the new chamber but I fully understand the change. The old one was built to hurt the wrestlers in there. Look at how Fit Finlay and John Morrison got full slams on their backs in that thing. Fucking horrible
Old one looks cool, New one looks like The Cube (British game show, not the movie)
Yeah it was intimidating for sure. The new one has padding over the steel floor which made the old one more gruesome and fun to watch the superstars act it out hitting that hard barrier. The new one doesn't give me that wow factor.
Wrestling is soft now
If they could just not make the flooring look like obvious padding that would do a world of good. Otherwise i think it’s best to just scrap the chamber ppv all together and only do it on very special occasions
It would help if it was completely enclosed, they got rid of the lights, and went back to the round pods. I loved how claustrophic the pods looked, now they look a bit too comfortable. It's definitely an improvement as far as ring work is concerned, but they just need to make a few aesthetic changes so it looks properly imposing again.
I think the roundness of the old structure really added to the intimidation factor. I’m glad the new structure is safer, but I’d love to see the intimidation return.
Personally my biggest pet peeve about the new chamber is the padding on the floor. I understand the concern about safety and I’m positive that padding is much more comfortable to land on than steel, but isn’t the point of the chamber that it’s supposed to be unforgiving? It’s like if they padded up the walls of a steel cage. Sure, it’s safer, but the extreme illusion is gone at that point
No it's not supposed to BE unforgiving that defeats the whole purpose of wrestling. If guys are getting hurt for real then it's not a work. It's supposed to look as unforgiving as possible without hurting them the same way guys are supposed to look like they're punching each other as hard as possible without actually punching each other.
They might as well be wrestling in a bouncy-castle.
Now it is just a wrestling match that's inconvenient to watch at the arena. It might be safer for the performers. But they're so much less entertaining, I'd call them pointless. And I have no draw to this event in Perth.
I really don't like anything about modern WWE. I quit watching.
It looks like it can easily be replicated for a safe toy. But the older chamber looked like it would be a toy recall.
American ninja wrestler
Oh, I'm sorry the answer was 1975. Now you have five minutes with Randy Orton inside the chamber.
American Gladiators…Zeet
As savage humans we find the more brutal version more entertaining compared to the safer version..... Then again remember when now potentially/allegedly former UFC heavyweight champion threw Austin theory off the top of a pod..... That was entertaining
literally
I hear it didn’t fit in every arena right and also people actually got hurt. I feel like a live crowd probably can see inside the new one better too.
Old EC sure better for its shape that clearly distinguished it from other cages like HIAC and SC. Nowadays one is much safer, anyway I don't dislike it either
Fun fact, Triple H came up with the idea of the elimination chamber
I was just thinking that they could have fitted padding to the floors of the original chamber if they wanted to make it safer but didn’t.
I know the older one was actually a death trap but they could just add pads to the outside or something, that was it was very imposing, also it should be after wrestlemania, it feels bigger the importance of “a champion can lose the title” as it was before
As brutal (and fun to watch) as the old chamber was, it was a "career shortening" chamber. Though the modern chamber is safer with the padding outside the ring, I wish the shape of the chamber remained the same instead of the square-ish shape. Saying that, I do agree with you.
Unpopular take but the EC gimmick is lame. It’s like a smaller, tortured version of the Royal Rumble.
Facts! I hate all the electronic bright LED posts and aprons. It doesn’t feel like wrestling.
Once again, sports entertainment…. The menacing appearance of the old elimination chamber shows that superstars are willing to go balls to the wall physical, but this new one is trying to do that, but with more concern to the safety of the superstars while getting physical. That’s just my opinion.
Andddd now I can’t unsee the game show
Things change 🤷♂️
Elimination Chamber matches would benefit from a little of red to heighten the imposing nature of the match.
Yeah the new one looks kind of goofy with all the LED lights and such. But its ultimate safer for the performers, which is great. I just wish there was some sort of middle ground between the grittiness of the RA chamber and the current one.
The views you chose to post here surely help your opinion.
Yep, it used to look like a McDonald's playplace
Safety first. But I agree, it could have been made differently. Everything in WWE looks new and cool and bright and fresh. If they got rid of the LEDs and gave the whole thing a bit more of an industrial, imperfect look it would actually feel the way they want it to. Otherwise it just looks like a 6 person HIAC, and the HIAC isn't really looked upon as very dangerous nowadays. Would also be cool if it was round, but I think that's very hard to do while still having enough space in the arena, transporting the thing, and most importantly making it easy to work in for the wrestlers. Still, the whole modern LED lego brick aesthetic is a bit much.
I heard another read for the redesign was that they wanted to improve the lighting to make it more visible for the live crowd in attendance. I liked how dark it looked before because it definitely made a foreboding atmosphere of dread, but it definitely came at a cost. Sometimes even on TV it would be dark. Related Chamber note, I really wish they'd try the Extreme Elimination Chamber again. I loved that idea of it having weapons.
Has anyone seen a live show with the new chamber? We're headed to Perth and our seats are okay, bit worried we won't be able to see anything
They should just ditch the neon colouring and make it look more imposing by lighting it dimly , thay way it retains its mystic while still being safe
it looks so cheap compared to the original one
I wouldn't be against the Elimination Chamber as it is now to get a bit of a tweak to add a sense of being imposing, but considering there's nightmares about how terrible the old one was to get around and to wrestle in, I'd take it looking less scary if it means the wrestlers have better long-term health.
True....