Logan Paul Is Already Great, More Hot Takes from WWE Elimination Chamber 2024 Card

WWE Elimination Chamber took over Perth, Western Australia Saturday with a bevy of high-stakes matches but it was the individual performances of some of the industry's top stars that stood out the most.

From Logan Paul's obnoxious heel antics to Kevin Owens' fiery badassery, Rhea Ripley's emotional homecoming to Tiffany Stratton's breakout performance, the show featured several unforgettable moments from some of the biggest and brightest that pro wrestling has to offer.

In the wake of the event, these are just a few hot takes from the February 24 extravaganza, highlighted by those prominent performers.

Tiffany Stratton Is the Future Face of Women's Wrestling

At just 24 years of age, Tiffany Stratton rolled into Saturday's premium live event, and the biggest match of her wrestling career, and showed out.

The former gymnast had the fans in Perth behind her as she showcased the physical attributes that have helped set her apart from her peers, as well as the understanding of her character and execution of its traits within the context of her matches.

She took risks, threw herself around the show's titular steel structure, and seized every opportunity to leave a lasting impression. Despite her inexperience compared to the women she shared the Elimination Chamber with, she never once appeared out of place or looked overwhelmed by the spot she was in.

She performed up to the moment, had the crowd on her side despite her status as a spoiled brat heel, and had social media buzzing about her breakout showing.

More importantly, she firmly established herself as the future face of women's wrestling.

Stratton is likely to mix it up with Naomi on the heels of Saturday's show, as evidenced by her elimination of the recently returned competitor and an exchange on X following the match, but it should not surprise anyone if the young star-in-the-making is holding championship gold by year's end.

Or, perhaps, the Money in the Bank briefcase.

Either way, Stratton is going to have many more dances on premium live events and will absolutely star on the grand stage of WrestleMania for many years to come as the face of the next chapter of the women's revolution.

Kevin Owens Is WWE's Unsung Hero

It might seem rather disingenuous to refer to someone who has won the Universal Championship, battled Goldberg, and had "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's first match in 19 years as an "unsung hero," but it is becoming more apparent that is exactly what Kevin Owens is in today's WWE.

There are times throughout wrestling history when a performer is so good at what he, she, or they do that they are almost taken for granted. Their excellence takes a backseat to the hotter commodity or shinier new toy. That is the position Owens finds himself in.

There is nothing he cannot do within the context of the pro wrestling business. He can be an inspirational underdog babyface or a vile and vindictive heel. He can be the supportive best friend or the backstabbing deceiver; a grizzled brawler or a technical master who draws on his Ring of Honor experience to help out-grapple his opponent.

No matter what he does, he is perpetually over with fans and has built equity with the audience, allowing him to move seamlessly in and out of stories and feuds as needed, and still be accepted in that role.

Saturday night in Perth, Owens proved as much inside the Elimination Chamber.

He continued his rivalry with Logan Paul, pummeling him when the time came to get his hands on the United States champion. He was vengeful, aggressive, and intense as he cornered the social media megastar in his pod and unloaded two months of frustration on him. Then, when it appeared as though Randy Orton suffered a potentially serious back injury, Owens did the heavy lifting, carrying the match at one point and ensuring it moved along seamlessly, even while its biggest star was adversely affected by a bump on the chamber floor.

He was the unsung hero of the match, flying under the radar as he seemingly is at this point in his career, but was indisputably key to the overall quality and success of the namesake bout.

History will look back on Owens as the incredibly talented and versatile Superstar that he is, but it is time for him to be given his due for how special a talent he is. A complete performer whose perpetual popularity can be traced back to his ability to make the audience feel, one way or the other, he is better than he is given credit for and deserving of all of the flowers.

Flowers that he will likely use to smack Paul in the face.

Or something like that.

Logan Paul is Already a Top 10 Performer in WWE

There is more to being a great performer in the professional wrestling business than one's ability to throw suplexes and strikes. One has to be able to convey their personality and tell stories through their body language and facial expressions. They have to make people care beyond the in-ring action; to make them emotionally invest themselves in what is unfolding before them.

Especially in an era where good matches are in abundance across the pro wrestling landscape.

Like him or not, Logan Paul does those things and is already a top 10 performer in WWE as a result.

He knows how to infuriate a crowd and how to make audiences want to see him catch a beatdown from his fellow Superstars. He can help build fan sentiment for his opponents, thus enhancing crowd heat and resulting in unforgettable moments.

Look no further than what he accomplished Saturday night.

The Maverick taunted Kevin Owens from inside his pod, using a black Sharpie to mock his appearance while talking trash from his own, personal sanctuary. When the time came, he took a fun whuppin' at the hands of the babyface, bumping around the structure and taking a big bump through the plexiglass of one of the bods.

Later, as he set up to utilize a pair of brass knuckles, he again taunted, this time the crowd as he raised his fist into the air. Without that little bit of showboating, the RKO quite literally from out of nowhere via Randy Orton would not have had the same impact.

Nor would his cowardly, sore-loser knockout of The Viper with said brass knuckles that set up Drew McIntyre's win and hinted at a WrestleMania date with Orton.

In a match that touted four former world champions and the most popular guy on the SmackDown brand, it was Paul who stood out. He was the one at the center of the most unforgettable moments in the match because he is the type of performer who recognizes what will get fans buzzing and more importantly, commands attention.

He will do whatever it takes to go viral and create unforgettable moments every time he sets foot inside the squared circle.

That he can back it up with his raw athleticism, and has shown steady improvement with every in-ring outing, only accentuates what he already does extremely well.

Paul is an extraordinary performer, a young guy with fortune beyond the pro wrestling industry, and a celebrity greater than that of the majority of his peers, but he has invested his energy in being the best that he can be in an industry that those less famous than him have either half-assed in or dismissed entirely.

He is among the best overall performers in pro wrestling and has yet to wrestle 20 matches, a testament to the work he has already put in and the seriousness with which he approaches it, as well as a sign of the greatness yet to come.

Rhea Ripley Must Retain Her Championship at WrestleMania 40

There was more to Rhea Ripley's return to her home country of Australia Saturday than simply beating Nia Jax to retain her Women's World Championship and set up a WrestleMania 40 showdown with Becky Lynch.

It was the culmination of a build to superstardom that began when she arrived in NXT in 2017. Her performance at Elimination Chamber and the work that she put into promoting her match with Jax in Perth was the reaffirmation that The Eradicator is every bit the star that WWE believed she would be when she first arrived seven years ago.

The company built an entire premium live event around her. Ripley's face was plastered on the posters, in all of the television commercials, and in the broadcast's opening video package. She was the centerpiece of promotional and marketing efforts, the face on all of the event T-shirts, and at the forefront of all media appearances.

Ultimately, the success of the lead-in and event itself would determine if Ripley was a star or the star.

With the weight of an entire premium live event on her shoulders, she shined.

Like a diamond.

Ripley carried herself like a star as she entered Optus Stadium, had a great match with the oft-maligned Jax, stood tall following her title defense as pyro exploded from the top of the venue, and then showed the rare emotion necessary to succeed at the top of the industry when she greeted her family at ringside.

The enormity of the moment was not lost on her, but she never allowed it to overwhelm her. At just 27 years of age, she excelled in a spot where Hall of Famers with more experience had faltered. She did not just live up to it, she was the moment.

It is for that reason that Ripley must retain her title against Lynch at WrestleMania.

Yes, WWE has already planted the seeds for the story behind the match. The Man doubts her ability and told the wrestling world back in January that she believes Ripley may be better than her and that the only reason to prove that is by beating her.

On the surface, that is a match tailor-made for Big Time Becks to emerge victoriously from and earn her first singles championship on the main roster since 2022. Beyond that, though, there is little for Lynch to gain out of a win.

Ripley, on the other hand, would risk losing the goodwill behind her as champion coming out of Perth. After a year in which her role as the top competitor in the women's division often took a backseat to Judgment Day business, she finally feels like she has momentum behind her reign.

Taking that away would feel counterproductive and leave her in a position of great uncertainty moving forward.

Keep the title on her. Let Lynch experience doubt and frustration for a bit longer. Book the rematch at SummerSlam and have The Man take the title there. Ripley is a star. A bright, shining star at that. Do not diminish what she and those behind her have helped create in the name of a babyface triumph when WrestleMania 40 is already looking to feature enough of those to keep fans happy.