Ranking Every WWE Elimination Chamber Match From 22 to 1
We are one week away from WWE’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. The Elimination Chamber match started in 2002 at Survivor Series in Madison Square Garden in a memorable match from Shawn Michaels. Since then, WWE has had Elimination Chamber matches nearly every year except 2004, 2007 and 2016. Elimination Chamber also became a regular WWE PPV name starting in 2010, then it went away in 2016 and returned in 2017 back in its usual February slot.
Last year, I reviewed every Elimination Chamber match in WWE history as you can see in our Elimination Chamber review archive. Today, I’m here to provide you with a ranking of the 22 Elimination Chamber matches in WWE’s history in order to get you ready for this year’s show. I’ll list the key details of the matches, when they took place, what event they took place at, the winners, who stood out the most in the match and there’s also a link to the full review.
For the top five matches, I’ll include the writeups in this post. If I put 22 reviews in this one post it would be ridiculously long, so you’ll have to click on the links to read them.
22. Elimination Chamber Match for the vacant Intercontinental Title: Sheamus vs. R-Truth vs. Ryback vs. Mark Henry vs. King Barrett vs. Dolph Ziggler
WWE Elimination Chamber
Corpus Christi, Texas
May 31, 2015
Winner: Ryback
Wrestler that lasted the longest: Dolph Ziggler at 20:25.
Most Eliminations: Sheamus and Ryback with two.
Best Performers (3): Ryback, Dolph Ziggler, Sheamus
Most Memorable Moment: The final sequence with Ryback beating Sheamus was good. Most of the match was forgettable.
Match Rating: *3/4 out of five.
21. Extreme Elimination Chamber Match For The ECW Championship: Big Show vs. CM Punk vs. Test vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Hardcore Holly
WWE ECW December To Dismember
December 3, 2006
The James Brown Arena in Augusta, Georgia
Winner: Bobby Lashley
Wrestler that lasted the longest: Rob Van Dam at 14:15.
Most Eliminations: Bobby Lashley and Test with 2 each.
Best Performers (3): Bobby Lashley, Big Show, Rob Van Dam
Most Memorable Moment: The crowd booing when CM Punk was eliminated. That really stands out to me.
Match Rating: ** out of five.
20. Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Championship – Triple H (c) (w/Ric Flair) vs. Goldberg vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Kevin Nash vs. Randy Orton vs. Chris Jericho
WWE SummerSlam
America West Arena in Phoenix, AZ
August 24, 2003
Winner: Triple H
Wrestler that lasted the longest: Chris Jericho at 16:03.
Most Eliminations: Goldberg with 3.
Best Performers (3): Chris Jericho – Give him credit for taking a beating in the ring. He made Goldberg look great.
Goldberg – The match was built around him, so have to give a spot to him.
Shawn Michaels – A typical good job by Michaels.
Most Memorable Moment: Goldberg hitting Jericho with a Spear through the pod. It looked impressive.
Match Rating: *** out of five.
19. Elimination Chamber for the WWE Tag Team Titles: The New Day vs. Tyson Kidd & Cesaro vs. Prime Time Players vs. Los Matadores vs. Lucha Dragons vs. The Ascension
WWE Elimination Chamber
Corpus Christi, Texas
May 31, 2015
Winners: The New Day
Wrestlers that lasted the longest: The Ascension at 13:30.
Most Eliminations: Prime Time Players and The Ascension with two.
Best Performers (3): Prime Time Players, Cesaro and Tyson Kidd, The New Day
Most Memorable Moment: Kalisto climbing the top of the cell and landing on a bunch of dudes.
Match Rating: *** out of five.
18. Elimination Chamber Match #1 Contender to the World Heavyweight Championship: The Undertaker vs. Batista vs. Finlay vs. The Great Khali vs. Big Daddy V vs. MVP
WWE No Way Out
February 17, 2008
Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada
Winner: The Undertaker
Wrestler that lasted the longest: The Undertaker and Batista at 29:28.
Most Eliminations: The Undertaker with 3.
Best Performers (3): The Undertaker – Great performance. He was nearly 43 years old at the time of the match and put in almost 30 minutes of great work.
Batista – He meshed so well with Taker in the ring. Only one elimination by him, but it didn’t hurt him too much.
MVP – Even though Finlay lasted longer, I’ll give it to MVP due to the huge bump he took.
Most Memorable Moment: It’s tough between the MVP bump and that final Tombstone by Taker. I think I’ll go with the Tombstone by Taker on Batista because of how creative it was.
Match Rating: ***1/4 out of five.
17. Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Championship – John Cena vs. Kurt Angle (w/Daivari) vs. Kane vs. Chris Masters vs. Carlito vs. Shawn Michaels
WWE New Year’s Revolution
Pepsi Arena in Albany, New York
January 8, 2006
Winner: John Cena
Wrestler that lasted the longest: John Cena at 28:25.
Most Eliminations: Carlito with 3.
Best Performers (3): John Cena – The match was about Cena because he started it and lasted the entire time.
Shawn Michaels – The way he sold that beating was impressive. He is one of the best babyfaces ever.
Carlito – He was booked strongly with the most eliminations in the match.
Most Memorable Moment: Two ROLLUP OF DEATH~! pinfalls within ten seconds of eachother.
Match Rating: ***1/4 out of five.
16. Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Title: The Undertaker vs. Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk vs. R-Truth vs. John Morrison vs. Rey Mysterio
WWE Elimination Chamber
February 21, 2010
Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri
Winner: Chris Jericho
Wrestler that lasted the longest: Chris Jericho at 25:40.
Most Eliminations: Five guys had one each. The only wrestler with no eliminations was R-Truth.
Best Performers (3): Chris Jericho – He was great as a chickenshit heel that took advantage of the situation to win the match.
The Undertaker – Key to the match because he looked unbeatable until HBK’s cheap attack.
John Morrison – A good showing from him, but I wish he showed off his athleticism even more.
Most Memorable Moment: Shawn Michaels popping out from under the chamber to hit Undertaker with a Superkick and give Jericho the World Title.
Match Rating: ***1/4 out of five.
15. Raw Women’s Championship: Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley vs. Mandy Rose vs. Sonya Deville vs. Mickie James
WWE Elimination Chamber
February 25, 2018
T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
Winner: Alexa Bliss
Wrestler that lasted the longest: Bayley at 25:30.
Most Eliminations: Alexa Bliss with 2.
Best Performers (3): Bayley, Sasha Banks, Alexa Bliss
Most Memorable Moment: Alexa Bliss hitting the Twisted Bliss off the pod onto Sasha Banks even though Banks did not sell it well.
Match Rating: ***1/2 out of five.
14. Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. R-Truth vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Chris Jericho
WWE Elimination Chamber
Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
February 19, 2012
Winner: CM Punk
Wrestler that lasted the longest: CM Punk at 32:39
Most Eliminations: CM Punk and Chris Jericho with two.
Best Performers (3): CM Punk – He went the distance to win the match.
Dolph Ziggler – He did some great bumps throughout the match.
Chris Jericho – As the veteran in the match, he played his role well.
Most Memorable Moment: Jericho’s elimination was memorable in terms of it being a unique elimination.
Match Rating: ***1/2 out of five.
13. Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Championship: Sheamus vs. John Cena vs. Ted Dibiase vs. Randy Orton vs. Triple H vs. Kofi Kingston
WWE Elimination Chamber
February 21, 2010
Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri
Winner: John Cena
Wrestler that lasted the longest: Sheamus at 28:38.
Most Eliminations: Five men got one elimination. Everybody got one except Orton, who got zero.
Best Performers (3): Sheamus – They booked him to last the longest and he did a great job.
John Cena – The key to the match as usual when he was involved.
Kofi Kingston – Just like Sheamus, he proved he belonged in this match.
Most Memorable Moment: Dibiase hitting Orton with the steel pipe “by accident” and then pinning him right after it.
Match Rating: ***1/2 out of five.
12. Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Title: Daniel Bryan (c) vs. The Great Khali vs. Big Show vs. Santino Marella vs. Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes
WWE Elimination Chamber
Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
February 19, 2012
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Wrestler that lasted the longest: Wade Barrett at 30:37.
Most Eliminations: Santino with two.
Best Performers (3): Daniel Bryan – I would have liked to see him in the match longer, but he did great while he was there.
Santino – A pleasant surprise to see him booked strongly for a change.
Cody Rhodes – Even though Barrett lasted longer, I thought Rhodes did better.
Most Memorable Moment: The nearfall of Santino nearly beating Bryan stands out. I remember that moment well.
Match Rating: ***3/4 out of five.
11. Elimination Chamber Match to Determine the #1 Contender to the World Heavyweight Championship: Daniel Bryan vs. Chris Jericho vs. Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton vs. Jack Swagger vs. Kane
WWE Elimination Chamber
New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana
February 17, 2013
Winner: Jack Swagger
Wrestler that lasted the longest: Chris Jericho at 31:11
Most Eliminations: Mark Henry and Randy Orton with two.
Best Performers (3): Jack Swagger – He lasted the second longest in the match and only pinned one guy at the end when he won it. Clever booking.
Randy Orton – The main rival of Swagger for most of the match.
Chris Jericho – He did well as the oldest guy in the match that carried a lot of it.
Most Memorable Moment: The sequence of Jericho with a Codebreaker on Henry followed by the RKO on Henry to eliminate the big man.
Match Rating: **** out of five.
10. Elimination Chamber Match to Face Brock Lesnar For the Universal Championship at WrestleMania: The Miz vs. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor vs. John Cena vs. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman vs. Elias
Winner: Roman Reigns
Wrestler that lasted the longest: Seth Rollins at 36:40.
Most Eliminations: Braun Strowman with 5.
Best Performers (3): Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns.
Most Memorable Moment: Braun Strowman eliminating five men with the Running Powerslam, which is the record for most eliminations in a Chamber match.
Match Rating: **** out of five.
9. Elimination Chamber Match to earn WWE Championship Match at WrestleMania: Randy Orton vs. John Cena vs. Sheamus vs. R-Truth vs. CM Punk vs. John Morrison
WWE Elimination Chamber
February 20, 2011
Oracle Arena in Oakland, California
Winner: John Cena
Wrestler that lasted the longest: John Morrison at 32:50.
Most Eliminations: CM Punk with two.
Best Performers (3): John Morrison – He did a great job of doing cool looking moves, selling the knee injury and making people think he might win even though it was obvious it wouldn’t be him.
John Cena – He spent a lot of the match selling to try to make the others look good. There wasn’t that much Cena offense in this match.
CM Punk – I miss this guy. He was so great.
Most Memorable Moment: Morrison climbing to the top of the cage and falling onto Sheamus was what I’ll remember most.
Match Rating: **** out of five.
8. Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Championship – Triple H (w/Ric Flair) vs. Edge vs. Batista vs. Chris Benoit vs. Randy Orton vs. Chris Jericho – Shawn Michaels is the referee
WWE New Year’s Revolution
Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico
January 9, 2005
Winner: Triple H
Wrestler that lasted the longest: Triple H at 30:02.
Most Eliminations: Batista with 2.
Best Performers (3): 1. Triple H, 2. Batista, 3. Randy Orton
Most Memorable Moment: When Orton hit the RKO on Batista, Triple H saw the whole thing, didn’t help Batista and Batista was eliminated. That was the key spot in the match.
Match Rating: **** out of five.
7. Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Title: John Cena vs. Mike Knox vs. Kane vs. Edge vs. Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio
WWE No Way Out
February 15, 2009
Key Arena in Seattle, Washington
Winner: Edge
Wrestler that lasted the longest: Rey Mysterio at 29:46.
Most Eliminations: Edge and Mysterio with two.
Best Performers (3): Rey Mysterio – Rey is such a great worker. He was the key to the match.
Edge – He was at his best during this heel run from 2005 to 2009. Nice job by him like usual.
Chris Jericho – He competed in more Chamber matches than anybody. This was during one of the best runs of his career and as usual, he did well.
Most Memorable Moment: John Cena being eliminated in 2:22 due to the Codebreaker, 619 and Spear combination. It was shocking.
Match Rating: **** out of five.
6. Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena vs. Christian vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus vs. Cesaro
Winner: Randy Orton
Wrestler that lasted the longest: Cesaro at 30:10.
Most Eliminations: Randy Orton with two.
Best Performers (3): Daniel Bryan – He was the centerpiece of the match that delivered an incredible performance like usual.
Cesaro – It was his most high profile performance in his career up to this point. He proved how great he is.
Randy Orton – A nice reminder of how great he can be as a heel. It’s his best role for sure.
Most Memorable Moment: The interference from Kane on Bryan and the Wyatts on Cena is what sticks out the most about this match.
Match Rating: ****1/4 out of five.
Now that we are heading into the top five, I’ll post my full match reviews.
5. Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Championship: Edge vs. Jeff Hardy vs. The Undertaker vs. Triple H vs. Vladimir Kozlov vs. Big Show
WWE No Way Out
February 15, 2009
Key Arena in Seattle, Washington
Pre-match notes: Edge was the heel WWE Champion with Kozlov and Show as the other heels. The faces were Hardy, Undertaker and Triple H.
The announcers are Jim Ross and Tazz.
Hardy opened up with forearms on Edge, but Edge came back with a boot to the face. The crowd was hot as Edge hit a running cross body block to Hardy’s back while he was up against the ropes. Edge taunted Big Show by doing the Chokeslam hand gesture while fans chanted for Hardy. Headscissors by Hardy, atomic drop and a low dropkick. Edge avoided a Twist of Fate and then Jeff connected with it. Hardy up top, he jumped off with a Swanton Bomb and Edge moved, so Hardy hit the mat. Edge went for a Spear, Hardy grabbed an inside cradle and pinned him to eliminate Edge. The time was 2:59, so less than three minutes for the WWE Champion.
Edge eliminated by Jeff Hardy
Edge was freaking out about getting pinned. JR correctly pointed out that this means we are guaranteed to see a new WWE Champion. There was a great shot of Triple H laughing at Edge during Edge’s freak out. The crowd was cheering loudly at the shock of Edge getting eliminated so early in the match. Edge left the Chamber and was in shock about it.
Analysis: That was one of the most creative eliminations in Elimination Chamber match history. To have the WWE Champion lose in less than three minutes was rare. Great booking, though. The crowd reacted to it in a big way.
Kozlov was #3 as he entered with aggression against Hardy. When Hardy tried an attack off the ropes, Kozlov headbutted him in the ribs. Kozlov sent Hardy into the cage a few times. Kozlov drove Hardy back first into the cage two times and then hit a fallaway slam that sent Hardy into the ring to give Kozlov a two count. Kozlov set up Hardy on the top rope followed by a kick to the ribs. Kozlov hit another fallaway slam for a two count. Kozlov with a backbreaker for a two count. Kozlov went for a powerslam, but Hardy slipped out, hit a dropkick to the back and a dropkick while Kozlov was against the turnbuckle. Hardy hit his Whisper in the Wide attack off the ropes. Both guys were down the clock counted down to zero.
Big Show was #4 in the match. Show worked over Hardy with punches followed by a toss across the ring. Show with a headbutt on Jeff and Kozlov with three headbutts on Hardy. Show with a punch to Hardy and Kozlov with a knee to Hardy. The big men were staring at eachother. Show with a body slam on Hardy. Kozlov followed up with a body slam on Hardy. When Hardy tried to fight back, Big Show dropped him with a headbutt. Show with a hard chop to the chest of Jeff. Show nailed another chop on Hardy. When Show turned around, Kozlov hit him with a headbutt to the chest to put an end to this staredown from the heels. Show missed a corner attack when Kozlov moved and it was time for the next man in the match.
Triple H entered as #5 to a really good ovation from the crowd with Hunter nailing a facebuster on Show and a running knee on Kozlov. Show missed a corner splash on Hunter and Hunter hit a spinebuster on him. Triple H decked Hardy with a clothesline followed by a low-bridge by the ropes that sent Kozlov crashing onto the steel grating. Kozlov missed an attack and hit one of the pods. Triple H wanted a Pedigree on Kozlov, but Show stopped that with a chop on Triple H. Show worked over Hunter with punches while Kozlov worked on Hardy. The heels in control took place for about two minutes as the fans chanted “Undertaker.” When Show tried a Chokeslam, Triple H slipped out of it, but Show came back with a press slam. Show whipped Triple H into the cage. Hardy hit some move on Kozlov, but we didn’t get to see it. Show grabbed Hardy, sent him into Triple H against the wall, but Show missed a splash against the cage and he went down. Jeff and Hardy hit a double team suplex on Kozlov. Hardy with a dive off the ropes onto Triple H as the clock counted down.
The Undertaker was the last man in the match as #6 and he went right after Big Show with punches. Undertaker sent Kozlov into the top turnbuckle followed by a running boot. Corner clotheslines by Taker on Hunter and Hardy. Boot knocked down Kozlov. Show hit Taker from behind, but Taker came back with a leaping clothesline followed by a sit up. Taker battled Show on the steel grating and Taker hit a DDT on the steel. Taker with the Old School punch off the ropes to Hunter, boot by Taker to Jeff and Kozlov hit a running headbutt that looked like a really sloppy tackle. Kozlov stood on the middle rope with elbows, so you knew what was coming and there was Taker with the Last Ride Powerbomb out of the corner that he did in nearly every match. Taker covered Kozlov to eliminate him.
Vladimir Kozlov eliminated by Undertaker
Analysis: I like Taker a lot, but he did that Powerbomb out of the corner way too often.
Show was dominant as he hit a Chokeslam on Undertaker and he threw Hardy onto Triple H on the steel. Show whipped Hunter into the cage. Show tried to toss Hardy into the cage, but Hardy tried to climb away and Show tripped him up at the top of a pod. Taker hit Show with a superplex off the middle rope. That was impressive. Hunter capitalized with a Pedigree on Show with no cover because he was tired. Hardy stood on top of the pod, the crowd was going wild for it and Hardy nailed Show with a Swanton from the top of the pod for the pinfall elimination.
Big Show eliminated by Jeff Hardy
Analysis: They did the same spot at the Elimination Chamber match one year earlier when they eliminated Umaga.
Hunter battled with Undertaker with JR calling them three of the most popular stars in WWE, which was true. Taker whipped Hunter into the ropes leading to Hunter doing his top rope bump over the top onto the steel. Undertaker tried to walk the ropes, but Hunter tripped him up leading to Taker getting crotched on the top rope. Hardy jumped off Taker’s back to jump over the top onto Triple H who was on the steel. Taker grabbed Hardy and hit a Tombstone to pin him.
Jeff Hardy eliminated by The Undertaker
Final two were Triple H and Undertaker with Taker working him over with punches. Taker went for a running kick, Hunter moved and Taker was crotched against the turnbuckle. Hunter sent Taker face first into the cage that would have led to a blade job years earlier, but not in the PG era of WWE. Back in the ring, Taker hit a Chokeslam for a two count. Hunter came back with a spinebuster. Taker was back in control as they battled on the steel grating outside the ring and Taker sent him into the cage with a catapult. Fans were chanting for both guys. They did a great spot where they flipped back into the ring right into Tombstone position and Taker hit a Tombstone on Triple H for a two count because Triple H got his right foot on the bottom ropes since Taker was near the ropes. That was one of the better two counts you’re ever going to see. Triple H came back with a Pedigree, he covered a few seconds later and covered for one…two…no…Undertaker kicked out. That was a great nearfall too. The two men exchanged punches. Triple H punched on Taker while against the turnbuckle, so Undertaker tried the Last Ride Powerbomb, but Triple H slipped out of it, kick to the gut and a Pedigree by Triple H won the match. It went 35:55.
The Undertaker eliminated by Triple H
Winner and New WWE Champion: Triple H
Analysis: ****1/4 It was a very good match with Triple H and Undertaker having a nice battle for nearly ten minutes. It was a preview of what their WrestleMania matches would look like in 2011 and 2012. I liked the Edge elimination early in the match because of how surprising it was. Nobody watching this show expected the WWE Champion to get eliminated in less than three minutes, so I give WWE a lot of credit for being creative. The worst parts of the match involved Kozlov, who looked way out of place with some of the other big names in there. My favorite part of the ending was when Triple H got out of the predictable Last Ride Powerbomb spot and won because of that. Smart booking from start to finish in this match.
It was the 13th World Championship win for Triple H in WWE. He celebrated with the WWE Championship while The Undertaker looked frustrated about the loss. They had a long staredown and Taker left.
Analysis: Triple H ended up moving to Raw with the WWE Championship because his feud with Randy Orton headlined WrestleMania 25 that year. As for Undertaker, he had the best WWE match ever (in my opinion) against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 25.
THREE RANDOM THOUGHTS
– I like how the match ended with the biggest faces in the match as the final three. They had the most star power and they were who the fans wanted to see. The final two sequences with Hunter and Taker lasted about eight minutes, so that’s one of the longest final two moments in the history of the Chamber. It’s rare to see guys kicking out major finishing moves in an opening match on a PPV, but that’s what they did in this match.
– The action was slow until The Undertaker got in there. It’s impressive to see how much energy The Undertaker had when he was nearly 43 years old at the time of this match.
– I’ll remember this match forever because of the Edge elimination spot. When you watch these kinds of matches you don’t expect the champion to get pinned early, so when that happened it made you think maybe they will do it again. I like creative ideas like that.
FACTS & OPINIONS
Wrestler that lasted the longest: Jeff Hardy at 28:28.
Most Eliminations: The Undertaker and Triple H at 2.
Best Performers (3): Triple H – The usual good job by him in this match.
The Undertaker – Taker was great in his mid-40s moving around really well.
Jeff Hardy – This was his last Chamber match. He was arguably the most popular guy in the match.
Most Memorable Moment: Edge getting eliminated by a Jeff Hardy inside cradle at 2:59 was a big surprise.
Match Rating: ****1/4 out of five.
4. Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Triple H (w/Ric Flair) vs. Chris Jericho vs. Booker T vs. Kane vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Rob Van Dam
WWE Survivor Series
Madison Square Garden in New York, New York
November 17, 2002
Pre-match notes: Triple H was the heel World Champion with Jericho as the other heel in the match. Michaels was the biggest face followed by RVD, Kane and Booker.
RVD started with Triple H with a spinning heel kick early on. Knee smash by Hunter. Van Dam with a back body drop over the ropes that sent Triple H onto the steel outside the ring. RVD whipped Hunter face first into the steel wall of the chamber. Hunter was bleeding already. It took him about two minutes to blade. Van Dam hit Rolling Thunder from the ring over the top onto Hunter on the steel grating outside the ring. Van Dam tried to climb the pod above Jericho, but Jericho grabbed his leg to stop him. Van Dam jumped off the top rope onto Hunter on the steel grate. Nasty fall for RVD doing that move. Hunter staggered back in the ring with RVD right on him. The five minute interval was up for the next man in the match.
The #3 entrant was Jericho, who walked right into a spin kick by RVD. Standing moonsault by RVD gets two on Jericho. RVD jumped off the top with a standing side kick and a clothesline sent Jericho over the top. RVD jumped at Jericho, who moved and RVD hung onto the side of the chamber as if he was Spiderman. RVD jumped back onto Jericho to take him down. Hunter hit a clothesline on RVD to knock him down. Back suplex by Jericho on RVD. The heels worked together on RVD for a few minutes. They whipped RVD back first into the steel chamber several times. RVD tried a comeback, but Hunter dropped him with a DDT.
The #4 man was Booker T. He had punches and kicks for Hunter and Jericho as he knocked them out of the ring. Spinarooni time by Booker. Spin kick by Booker on RVD gets two. RVD came back with a step over heel kick for a two count on Booker. Jumping side kick by Booker on RVD gets two. Hunter got back and was dropped with an axe kick by Booker. RVD dropkick on Jericho. Van Dam went up top, but then he saw an empty pod. He jumped to the top of the pod. Van Dam jumped off the top and it was an awkward landing with his knee crushing the throat of Triple H.
Analysis: That was a nasty looking move. He wasn’t able to extend his legs out like he normally would on a Frog Splash or just a regular splash because of the chamber above his head. As a result of that, his knee hit the throat of Triple H, who suffered a crushed larynx, yet was able to work another 20 minutes in this match. The good thing is Triple H didn’t miss much in-ring time.
Triple H was down in the ring grabbing his throat and kicking his feet into the mat. Referee Earl Hebner held up the “X” sign for an injury. Booker hit a missile dropkick on RVD and pinned him to eliminate him as JR wondered if RVD had a knee injury.
Rob Van Dam eliminated by Booker T
Jericho with a bulldog on Booker, he missed a Lionsault and Booker nailed a huge spinebuster on Jericho for a two count. Triple H was trying to get his wind back after his throat injury.
Kane is the #5 entrant in the match. He had clotheslines and punches for Jericho and Booker. Kane worked on Jericho on the grate outside the ring as he sent Jericho face first into the cage. Kane whipped Jericho through the plexiglass that was used as a cover in a chamber. That’s a huge bump. It sounded nasty.
Booker was in the ring working against Kane. He bounced off the ropes, Jericho hit a low blow and Kane hit a Chokeslam on Booker. Jericho hit a Lionsault on Booker to eliminate him.
Booker T eliminated by Chris Jericho
Kane tossed Jericho out of the ring. Jericho was bleeding from the forehead. He didn’t do too many blade jobs, but in order to put over the severity of this match it made sense for him to do it. They were outside the ring and then Kane slammed Jericho into the ring. A Kane punch knocked down Triple H. Suplex by Kane on Jericho gets two. Triple H climbed the top rope for some reason, so Kane slammed him off the top as if he was Ric Flair. Jericho with a missile dropkick on Kane as fans chanted for HBK.
Shawn Michaels entered as the #6 and last entrant in this match. Michaels was on fire as he nailed a flying forearm smash to knock Kane down. Kane whipped Michaels into the corner as HBK did an upside down bump. Kane double choke into a slam on Jericho. Kane with a Chokeslam on Michaels and a Chokeslam on Triple H. Kane hit a Chokeslam on Jericho as well, so that’s three in a row. Triple H avoided a Tombstone from Kane, shoved Kane and Michaels hit a superkick. Triple H hit a Pedigree and Jericho hit a Lionsault to eliminate Kane.
Kane eliminated by Chris Jericho
Analysis: Kane hit three Chokeslams in a row and it took three straight finishers to eliminate him.
Jericho sent Michaels over the top rope with a clothesline and whipped him into the cage a few times. The heels worked over Michaels a bit with Jericho hitting a running splash to the back of Michaels. The heels kept working over Michaels by sending him into the cage and punching him repeatedly. Michaels was busted open. Michaels came back with a clothesline on Triple H that sent him over the top back into the ring. Jericho with a back body drop that sent Michaels back first onto the steel. Back in the ring, Michaels hit a flying forearm smash on Hunter and did a kip up to a big pop. Jericho with a bulldog on Michaels followed by a Lionsault for a two count. Nice nearfall there. Michaels got his foot up to prevent a corner attack and he hit a moonsault off the top leading to a two count on Jericho. Michaels with a Boston Crab on Jericho, but Hunter showed up with a DDT on Michaels leading to a two count as Hunter pulled Jericho off. Jericho and Hunter started brawling with Hunter nailing a clothesline and a facebuster for two. Hunter set up Jericho for a Pedigree, but Jericho fought out of it and applied the Walls of Jericho submission. Michaels back to his feet and he nailed Jericho with the Sweet Chin Music superkick to eliminate Jericho.
Chris Jericho eliminated by Shawn Michaels
Analysis: The story of that elimination was Jericho and Hunter worked great as heels against Michaels, but ego got in the way and Michaels took advantage of it to get rid of Jericho.
It’s down to Michaels vs. Triple H as most people expected. Spinebuster for Triple H followed by a back body drop over the top rope that sent Michaels crashing onto the steel outside the ring. Triple H gave Michaels a slingshot into one of the plexiglass pods that shattered. On the replay of the spot, you could see Shawn used his hands to really crash into the pod. Both guys were a bloody mess. Back in the ring, Hunter got a two count. Hunter nailed a facebuster followed by a clothesline that sent Michaels over the top to the floor. Michaels hit a slingshot that sent Triple H into the cage and a clothesline sent Hunter back into the ring. Michaels climbed to the top rope, then went up more and stood on top of a pod. He jumped off the top with a Flying Elbow drop to the chest of Hunter. Michaels set up for Sweet Chin Music. Hebner kept walking over to him to give him some cue. Hunter caught the boot and he hit a Pedigree. The crowd was booing a lot. Hunter was too tired to cover. He slowly crawled over with a one arm cover for the one…two…and Michaels got his shoulder up. Michaels with a back body drop out of a Pedigree. Michaels back into the corner, Hunter up and Michaels hit the Sweet Chin Music superkick for the one…two…and three. Wow! What an ovation! MSG was going crazy. The match is over at the 39:20 mark.
Triple H eliminated by Shawn Michaels
Winner by pinfall and new World Heavyweight Champion: Shawn Michaels
Analysis: ****1/4 Great match. It was a violent, physical match with some huge spots and a legit injury that Triple H fought through. The story of Michaels coming back to win the World Title in his second match back in over four years is awesome. Plus, doing it in MSG in the first Elimination Chamber match made it seem that much more special. It was no surprise that the four other guys were eliminated in order to leave it to Shawn and Hunter at the end. Triple H showed a lot of toughness by working with a crushed larynx for over twenty minutes. There were several times in the match where you could tell he had trouble catching his breath, yet he kept on going. Three guys bled in the match, which is something we will never see again in a match in WWE today.
The arena was full of confetti as Michaels celebrated with the World Heavyweight Title.
Replays aired of the finish. Michaels posed with the World Title more as JR freaked out about Michaels making the big comeback to win the World Heavyweight Championship. The show went off the air that way.
Analysis: I’m glad it was treated as a big celebration. Shawn deserved it.
THREE RANDOM THOUGHTS
– The right guy won. I don’t think anybody can dispute that. At the time, I remember thinking that Michaels should win, but I had no idea if he would because I figured WWE would want to keep the new title on a heel like Triple H. What ended up happening was Triple H won it back at the next PPV, so Michaels’ title reign ended up being short. What we didn’t know at the time was that Michaels would wrestle for over seven more years before retiring at WrestleMania 26. This was Shawn’s last World Championship win even though he definitely could have won it a few times in the mid-2000s since he was wrestling in main events often.
– I don’t know if I explained how difficult it was for Triple H to finish this match, so I’ll go to this oral history of the first Elimination Chamber on ESPN for some quotes from Triple H talking about the injury.
Triple H: “It seemed good when we put it together. He landed on my throat, and I couldn’t breathe and I couldn’t speak. They sent a doctor into the ring, who was talking to me through the grates, and I was like ‘Do not stop this, I got it.’ But I couldn’t talk.”
Here’s what happened to Triple H after the match.
Triple H: “We came out of the ring, I gave him (Shawn) a hug, got on a stretcher, they took me to the hospital and I stayed there for 24 hours. I went to the hospital, and I was pissed that I even had to go. I wanted to leave, they wouldn’t let me. The doctor tells me, “So, let me tell you what’s going to happen [if you leave]. You’re going to leave here and you’re going to go to bed and then in the night, that’s going to swell up and you’re going to choke to death. So go ahead, you want me to get the paperwork?” And I was like “Yeah, no.” So I stayed for 24 hours, they partially cut it, they medicated it, they got the swelling down, they did all this stuff. I left there, went to the hotel, picked up my bags, went to the airport and got on a plane.”
It was an incredible performance by Hunter when you think about how hard it must have been to talk during the match. Even simple things like catching his breath were hard because of the throat injury as well. When you think about this injury as well as the one from 2001 where he tore his quad and finished the match, there’s no way anybody can question Triple H’s toughness.
– My rating for the match when I reviewed it a few years ago in my Survivor Series reviews was 1/4* higher. When I watched it again today it was still a very good match, but maybe I overrated it a bit when I did the other review. Any time you can get over four stars out of five for a match that’s pretty awesome and for that to happen in the first Elimination Chamber match showed how well the concept worked.
FACTS & OPINIONS
Wrestler that lasted the longest: Triple H – 39:20
Most Eliminations: Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho with 2 each
Best Performers (3): Triple H – He didn’t win, but he really carried the match as the champion and main heel. Plus, it was a gutsy performance considering the throat injury.
Shawn Michaels – We had no idea how well he would do and if his body could handle it. He did great. The pop for his win was huge.
Chris Jericho – It was obvious he wasn’t going to win, but he had his working boots on and had some memorable moments in there.
Most Memorable Moment: I think Michaels hitting the Sweet Chin Music and winning the match leading to a massive ovation stands out the most. The image of RVD’s leg crushing Triple H’s throat stands out too.
Match Rating: ****1/4 out of five.
3. Elimination Chamber Match #1 Contender to the WWE Championship: Shawn Michaels vs. John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga vs. Chris Jericho
WWE No Way Out
February 17, 2008
Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada
Pre-match notes: The faces were Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Jeff Hardy and Chris Jericho while Umaga and JBL were heels. A lot of the time in EC matches it was three heels and three faces, but 4 on 2 is fine too.
The announcers are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler.
Michaels and Jericho started the match. They would go on to have the feud of the year in 2008 and one of the best feuds in WWE history. I loved it. That started a few months later, though, so in this match they are just two quality faces that can always put on good matches. Jericho hit a Northern Lights Suplex early on for a two count. Michaels got a backslide for two and Jericho came back with a clothesline followed by a backbreaker. Michaels nailed a forearm followed by an atomic drop, clothesline and elbow drop off the top rope was countered by Jericho, who got his knees up to block it. Jericho with a bulldog, Lionsault blocked by knees and Michaels kicked out of a Walls of Jericho attempt. Michaels teased a Sharpshooter and Jericho got an inside cradle for two. Both guys ran the ropes and they did a double cross body block. It was timed right because the clock ran down for the next man in the match.
Umaga was #3 with punches for both guys as well as clotheslines. Umaga hit a double clothesline on Jericho and Michaels at the same time. Umaga had Jericho on his shoulders, Michaels jumped on top and Umaga hit a double Samoan Drop. That was impressive. Umaga kicked Michaels out of the ring followed by a headbutt on Jericho. Umaga worked over Jericho with punches. Umaga splashed on the back of Michaels. Umaga decked Jericho with an uppercut to stop his attempt at some offense, Umaga missed a splash off the middle ropes and Michaels went up top with a lefty elbow drop on Umaga. Jericho put the Walls of Jericho on Umaga while Michaels put on a Crossface submission at the same time. The clock went down at that point, so again they timed it perfectly.
It’s JBL at #4 with a kick for Jericho and Michaels. It’s also worth pointing out that Michaels was a bloody mess as JBL hit him with a shoulder tackles and threw Michaels out of the ring. JBL worked over Jericho with punches against the turnbuckle followed by a boot to the face. Umaga slammed Michaels on the steel grating outside the ring while Jericho nailed a Tornado DDT on JBL for two. JBL sent Jericho into the turnbuckle. Umaga whipped Michaels hard against the turnbuckle followed by a kick that sent Michaels onto the steel again. The clock ticked down to zero.
Triple H is #5 in the match with a tackle on Umaga followed by punches. Facebuster by Trips on JBL and a Facebuster on Umaga as well. Triple H with a spinebuster on Jericho, a spinebuster on Umaga and a DDT on JBL got a two count. Umaga missed a corner charge, so Triple H grabbed him and whipped him face first into a pod glass. Ouch. Jericho missed a Lionsault on Triple H and Trips wanted a Pedigree on Jericho, but JBL nailed Triple H with a Clothesline from Hell. Jericho hit a Codebreaker on JBL and pinned him.
JBL eliminated by Chris Jericho
Analysis: They had a bit of a feud going at the time, so that elimination made sense.
After JBL was eliminated, he left the ring and went back in with steel chairs. JBL hit Jericho in the head with a chair (Jericho got hands up) and a chair shot for Michaels (Michaels got hands up I think) and a chair shot for Umaga, who did not get his hands up to block. Those were some nasty looking chair shots by JBL. Jericho was bleeding like Michaels, so that’s two men in the match so far. All four guys were down as the clock ticked down to zero again.
Jeff Hardy was #6 in the match with a forearm attack on Umaga followed by a kick and a corner dropkick on Michaels. Front suplex by Hardy on Jericho. Hardy with a corner dropkick on Umaga. Hardy hit a spinning splash off the turnbuckle on Hunter and Shawn, which drew a huge reaction. Umaga with a thrust kick on Hardy. Umaga with a spinning slam on Jericho. Umaga sent up Triple H upside down against the turnbuckle. Umaga whipped Michaels in leading to a bump over the top by Michaels and a headbutt by Umaga on Triple H. Jericho was against one the pods, so Umaga charged in with a running butt splash. It looked like he didn’t even hit Jericho and went crashing through the pod, but Jericho sold it like he got hit. Back in the ring, Michaels nailed Umaga with a superkick, Jericho with a Codebreaker on Umaga, Triple H with a Pedigree on Umaga and Jeff Hardy went up to the top of a pod and jumped off with a Swanton Bomb on Umaga. Jericho covered Umaga to eliminate him. The crowd was loud for those finishers.
Umaga eliminated by Chris Jericho
Analysis: That was a great sequence with four finishers in a row on Umaga and they got the loudest pop for Jeff’s Swanton Bomb. It also put Umaga over because it shows that it took a lot to get rid of him.
As soon Jericho got back up, Michaels decked him with a superkick. Hardy covered Jericho to eliminate him.
Chris Jericho eliminated by Jeff Hardy
Analysis: That was quick!
Hardy and Michaels got back up and Hardy hit a Twist of Fate on Michaels. Triple H tossed Hardy over the top onto the steel. Triple H hit a Pedigree on his best friend Michaels and pinned him to eliminate him.
Shawn Michaels eliminated by Triple H
Analysis: It was a bit of a surprise by Triple H, but it’s every man for himself in that setting.
Triple H and Hardy faced off. Triple H sent him onto the steel again. Hardy came back with a DDT onto the steel. Triple H did a blade job, so he’s the third man to be busted open in this match. Hardy whipped Triple H into the cage repeatedly. Hardy went for an attack on the steel, but Triple H caught him and Hardy with a back body drop sent Hunter into the ring when Hardy countered the Pedigree. The crowd was cheering that. Hardy top, Swanton Bomb attempt, but Triple H moved and Hardy hit the mat hard. Triple H with a Pedigree for the one…two…and no. Hardy kicked out. Huge ovation from the crowd for that.
Analysis: I remember thinking at that time that Hardy was going to win this match. Nope.
The fans were chanting “Hardy” leading to Triple H bringing a chair back into the ring. Hardy countered a Pedigree attempt with a low blow punch. Hardy went for a Twist of Fate, but Triple H countered him by pushing him off and Hardy hit the chair. Triple H hit a Pedigree on the steel chair and covered for the pinfall win. The match went 23:54.
Jeff Hardy eliminated by Triple H
Winner: Triple H
Analysis: ****1/2 That was an awesome match. A lot of fun to watch again. I think the timing is interesting because it was over five minutes less than the Chamber match from earlier in the show, but if you compare the two matches this one was a lot better. There was a lot more drama in this match with believable nearfalls throughout the match, they told interesting stories with everybody since JBL did a cheap attack after losing, it took a lot to get rid of Umaga, quick eliminations of Jericho and Michaels followed by a memorable final two sequence with Triple H and Hardy. I mentioned it above, but I thought Hardy was going to win after he kicked out of that first Pedigree. I think the crowd thought Hardy was going to win too, which is why they were so excited when he hit that low blow and nearly won. The ending was good because it wasn’t just a Pedigree – it was a final Pedigree on the chair, which was enough to put Hardy away.
Replays aired of what happened. Triple H celebrated the win to end the show.
Analysis: Triple H went on to challenge Randy Orton for the WWE Title at WrestleMania 24 in a triple threat with John Cena, which ended with Orton retaining his title.
As for Jeff Hardy, he was suspended on March 10, 2008 for 60 days for violating WWE’s Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy and it was his second offense, so that’s why it was 60 days instead of 30 days. Jericho beat him for the IC Title on March 10, 2008.
THREE RANDOM THOUGHTS
– I think the wrong guy won. It should have been Jeff Hardy. I wasn’t writing about WWE in 2008 because life was hectic, but I remember going into the Rumble that year thinking Jeff Hardy should have won it. Hardy wasn’t even in the match because he lost to Randy Orton in a WWE Championship match. When they set this up, I thought it was a no brainer that Hardy would win this and get the WWE Title for the first time at WrestleMania. Nope. They waited until the last PPV in 2008, Armageddon, to finally pull the trigger on Hardy. If you listen to the crowd, though, they were behind him more than anybody in this match and for whatever reason (likely Jeff’s drug issues), WWE didn’t want to pull the trigger on it leading to WrestleMania.
– Out of every Elimination Chamber match so far, this one did the best job of utilizing everybody in the match in an intelligent way. It was extremely well booked. By that I mean you knew JBL wasn’t going to win, but he sure left an impression after he was eliminated. Everybody played their part perfectly in the story of the match. I wonder if the match time was cut a bit because when the show ended there was only six minutes left in the broadcast, so maybe it was scheduled to go longer and they cut it a bit.
– There were some nasty chair shots in this match, which I’m not used to seeing anymore because WWE banned chair shots to the head. There were also three guys that were bloody too, so that’s something else you don’t see anymore. Like I said earlier in the review, that kind of stuff ended later in 2008 and the Elimination Chamber did just fine in terms of being violent matches even without the blood.
FACTS & OPINIONS
Wrestler that lasted the longest: Shawn Michaels at 20:25.
Most Eliminations: Triple H and Chris Jericho with 2.
Best Performers (3): Shawn Michaels – His selling was so good. Every time I watch these matches from the past it makes me miss him in the ring. He was the best.
Jeff Hardy – If he won this match the pop would have been one of the biggest of his carer because the Vegas crowd was totally behind him.
Triple H – Good job by Trips as usual in a Chamber match.
Most Memorable Moment: The rapid fire eliminations of Umaga then Jericho was really well done and Michaels was out very soon after that too.
Match Rating: ****1/2 out of five.
2. Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Title: Edge vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Wade Barrett vs. Big Show vs. Kane vs. Rey Mysterio
WWE Elimination Chamber
February 20, 2011
Oracle Arena in Oakland, California
Pre-match notes: The faces were World Champion Edge, Rey Mysterio and Big Show while Kane, Barrett and McIntyre were the heels.
The announcers are Michael Cole, Booker T and Josh Mathews.
Edge and Mysterio were the two best workers in the match, so it was a smart choice to have them start the match. Edge stomped away on Mysterio in the corner. Mysterio got his boot up followed by a headscissors. Mysterio with a kick, but Edge came back with a back body drop that sent Mysterio over the top onto the steel grating. Mysterio came back with a hurricanrana back in the ring. Edge took over again by shoving Mysterio back first into the cage repeatedly. Edge whipped Mysterio into the pod that Kane was standing inside of while Mathews said that Lexan glass is the strongest glass produced in the world. Mysterio with a drop toe hold sent Edge into the turnbuckle as the clock ticked down.
It’s Wade Barrett at #3 with a kick on Mysterio. Edge slowed down Barrett with punches. Edge launched Mysterio onto Barrett to take him down. Edge sent Mysterio face first into the steel. Barrett hit a side slam on Edge for a two count. Barrett hit a pumphandle slam on Mysterio for a two count. Barrett whipped Mysterio sternum first into the turnbuckle. Edge ducked a Barrett attack and sent Barrett onto the steel outside the ring. Mysterio with a dropkick on Edge. Barrett picked up Mysterio and used his feet to knock down Edge. Mysterio with a hurricanrana on Barrett to send him back into the ring. Mysterio dropkick on Barrett and Edge came in with a boot to the face knocked down Mysterio. The clock ticked down to zero again.
Kane is in at #4 as he decked Edge, Mysterio and Barrett with punches. Kane with another punch for Edge followed by a seated dropkick on Barrett. Kane splashed all three guys against the turnbuckle, kick to Edge and a sidewalk slam by Kane to Barrett. Mysterio with a kick on Kane for a two count. Edge and Kane each nailed Kane with kicks to the head. Barrett hit a clothesline on Edge and Rey at the same time as they went for a double clothesline on Barrett. Kane sent Mysterio and Edge onto the steel. Kane battled Barrett with Kane sending Barrett into the cage. Kane nailed Rey with a punch. With Mysterio on the top rope, Kane decked him with a punch to the throat leading to an Edge dropkick on Mysterio. Kane with a clothesline that sent Barrett over the ropes onto the steel.
Drew McIntyre is #5 in the match, he picked up Mysterio and launched him into the glass pod. Ouch. Barrett and McIntyre worked together on Kane with a double clothesline on the steel grating. McIntyre looked like he would work with Barrett, but McIntyre hit a low blow and then sent Barrett back first into one of the empty pods to break the glass. McIntyre with a suplex on Edge. Edge came back with a DDT on McIntyre. Kane grabbed Edge by the throat, kick to McIntyre, Edge punched Kane and Rey wanted a 619 on Kane, but Kane decked Rey with a punch and a kick by Kane for Edge. Kane sent Mysterio face first into a pod. Ouch! That looked nasty. Kane with a back body drop on McIntyre took down Barrett on the steel. Kane and Edge hit a boot to the face at the same time to knock them down. The clock ticked down to zero.
Big Show is the last man at #6 with the crowd cheering him. Show threw everybody out of the ring including a hard chop on McIntyre. Show chased after Barrett and whipped him back first into the pod. Show worked over Barrett with five hard chops to the chest followed by a whip into the cage. Show decked Barrett with a KO Punch and pinned him.
Wade Barrett eliminated by Big Show
Kane jumped off the top with a clothesline on Show and Edge hit an elbow off the top on Show for a two count. McIntyre hit the Future Shock DDT on Show for a two count. Mysterio was on top of one of the pods. Mysterio jumped off the pod with a seated senton splash, which looked impressive, but it only got a two count on Show. Kane kicked Show, Mysterio with a 619 on Show and Edge hit a Spear on Show. Kane knocked down Edge and Mysterio with punches. Kane hit a Chokeslam on Show and covered for a pinfall to eliminate him.
Big Show eliminated by Kane
McIntyre jumped off the top rope to try to attack Kane, but Kane caught him and hit a Chokeslam. Kane pinned McIntyre to eliminate him.
Drew McIntyre eliminated by Kane
Kane dumped Edge over the top to the floor. Mysterio hit Kane with a spinning DDT for a two count. Mysterio with a springboard leg drop to the back of the had of Kane for two. Mysterio headscissors led to the 619 connecting for Mysterio and Mysterio went up top, but Kane caught him. Edge hit a Spear on Rey and Kane at the same time while Kane was holding Rey. Edge pinned Kane to eliminate him.
Kane eliminated by Edge
After the elimination, Kane nailed Edge with a boot to the face. Kane picked up Mysterio and spiked him with a Chokeslam. Kane with a Chokeslam for Edge as well. Kane finally left.
Edge and Mysterio both used the ropes to get back to their feet with the crowd cheering both guys. Edge went for a Spear, Mysterio got a rollup for two and the crowd thought that was it. Mysterio with a cross body block, Edge rolled through for a cover and Mysterio kicked out. Mysterio with a boot to the face followed by a bulldog for a two count. Mysterio went up top, he jumped onto Edge’s shoulders and Edge countered with a sitout Powerbomb for a two count. The nearfalls are getting better every time with the crowd believing all of them. Mysterio countered a Powerbomb attempt with a headscissors, Rey wanted the 619, but Edge caught him and slapped on the Edgecution submission hold on the legs of Mysterio and Mysterio countered by getting a pinfall attempt where he sat on top for two. Edge charged in, Mysterio moved and Edge hit the turnbuckle. Mysterio ran the ropes and Edge hit a Spear for a two count! The nearfalls keep getting better. Mysterio sent Edge into the ropes, 619 and a splash off the top rope got a two count. The crowd thought that was it too and so did I. The announcers did a good job of marking out for the nearfalls. Mysterio with a headscissors and he connected with a 619 again. Mysterio went up top, he jumped off the top, Edge got back to his feet and hit a Spear leading to the pinfall win for Edge. The crowd was cheering loudly for that finish. The match went 31:30.
Rey Mysterio eliminated by Edge
Winner: Edge
Both guys were exhausted as the bell rang. Replays aired of all the big spots in the match including the midair Spear from Edge that won the match.
Analysis: ****1/2 It’s an amazing match. Fantastic work by Edge and Mysterio in being the focus of the match as the two guys that started it and ended it. Those last eight minutes were special. Drew McIntyre had a pretty good showing although I wish he lasted longer. Everybody worked their ass off. It’s the perfect kind of match for guys like Show and Kane because they can stick with their power moves without tiring out. Both guys were effective as the biggest guys in the match that had some memorable spots, but they couldn’t get the job done. Whoever put this match together did a tremendous job. They really planned all the spots well. One of the most important things is that the crowd bought into this match so much and they got louder as the match went on. When the work is great and the crowd is hot, that’s when you have the makings of a special match.
THREE RANDOM THOUGHTS
– I’m fine with giving the same rating as two other Chamber matches because they are different kinds of matches that impressed me. I don’t think either rating should change either, but I am putting this one ahead just because the way it was booked start to finish was brilliant. The two guys that started it, carried the match (even though Mysterio eliminated nobody) and delivered what was arguably the best final two sequence in Elimination Chamber match history. I remembered it being awesome. Then I watched it again today and I was amazed at how special it was.
– They had one of the more physical Chamber matches because of how many guys were tossed into the pods. I lost count by the end of it. It might have been their goal to crank up the intensity and if it was, they succeeded in cranking up the intensity.
– I have a small gripe with the match in that I think McIntyre could have been in the final three instead. I get why they went with Kane because he feuded with Mysterio and Edge, so having Kane hit them both with a Chokeslam set things up well. In McIntyre’s case, they could have had him do something similar to “send a message” and get him some heel heat.
Bonus: No “this is awesome” chant even though the crowd was loud for the whole thing. I don’t know when that chant started becoming a regular thing in WWE, but in today’s WWE they chant it too early. This match certainly deserved it.
FACTS & OPINIONS
Wrestler that lasted the longest: Edge and Mysterio at 31:30.
Most Eliminations: Edge and Kane with 2.
Best Performers (3): Edge – He started it and finished it in spectacular fashion.
Rey Mysterio – Same as above. Incredible performance.
Kane – He was needed as a veteran heel big man to work over Edge and Rey.
Most Memorable Moment: Edge hitting the Spear on Mysterio when Mysterio was jumping off the top rope. That’s what I’ll remember the most.
Match Rating: ****1/2 out of five.
1. WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match: John Cena vs. AJ Styles vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Baron Corbin vs. The Miz vs. Dean Ambrose
WWE Elimination Chamber
Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona
February 12, 2017
Cena with a shoulderblock. Styles kicked him in the leg. Styles avoided a corner attack. Styles picked up Cena on his shoulders and hit a spinning slam for a two count. Cena powered Styles by launching him into the air and sending him to the mat. Cena hit a sunset flip Powerbomb (aka the Code Red) for a two count. The fans chanted for both guys. Styles with the Ushigoroshi (sunset flip into the knee to the back) for a two count. Cena with shoulder tackles followed by the spinning back suplex. The clock counted down as we hit the five minute mark. The #3 man is Dean Ambrose.
Ambrose was aggressive as he went after Cena. A big difference with this new structure is there’s no longer a steel grating outside the ring. It’s more of a mat. Ambrose gave Styles a suplex into a slam onto the mat outside the ring. Ambrose went on top of the pod and nailed a flying elbow smash to knock down Cena out of the ring. Styles wanted a German Suplex on Ambrose. Cena snuck up behind them and it was a double German Suplex, which drew a big “ooohhh” reaction from the crowd. The fans started a “Let’s go Cena/Cena sucks” chant. Styles nailed a kick to the head of Cena and Ambrose with a clothesline on Styles. The clock counted down for the next man. It’s Bray Wyatt at #4 in the match.
Wyatt cleaned house as soon as he got in the ring. Running cross body block on Ambrose. Styles went for an attack, but Wyatt sent him into the chain. Styles avoided an attack leading to Wyatt hitting the turnbuckle. Styles hit a leg drop to the back of Wyatt. Styles and Cena climbed the side of the chamber for some reason. They exchanged punches on there. Cena crashed onto the padding below. Styles went onto a pod Ambrose met him on the top of the pod. Ambrose sent Styles head into the side of the structure. Ambrose tried to jump on Wyatt, but Wyatt nailed an uppercut punch on Ambrose. They did a unique Tower of Doom spot with Ambrose doing a powerbomb on Wyatt out of the corner and Wyatt tossed Styles over his head with an overhead suplex like move. What a move! That was unique. Corbin is #5 in the match.
Corbin sent Ambrose face first into the cage. Corbin hit the Deep Six slam on Ambrose in the ring. Corbin sent Wyatt face first into a pod (it didn’t break) and a boot to the face by Corbin. Corbin with a STO on Wyatt on the padding outside the ring. Corbin hit End of Days on Styles. Cena went back into the ring and he went for a STF on Corbin. Corbin powered out of it and hit End of Days on Cena. Ambrose with a missile dropkick on Corbin followed by a clothesline. Ambrose whipped Corbin into the chain several times. Corbin came back by sending Ambrose into the chain as well. Corbin avoided Dirty Deeds, Ambrose went for a move off the ropes, but Corbin shoved him off and sent him into the chain link. Corbin was the only man standing as Miz was #6 to enter.
Miz stayed in the pod. Ambrose snuck up behind Corbin and did the ROLLUP OF DEATH~! to eliminate him. Really? Yes, really.
Baron Corbin eliminated by Dean Ambrose
After the elimination, Corbin hit Miz in the back of the head with a forearm. Corbin whipped Ambrose into one of the pod, which broke. That is always an impressive looking and sounding bump. Corbin put Ambrose’s head up against the chain link chamber and hit a forearm to the back to the head. Corbin hit Ambrose with End of Days in the middle of the ring. Miz took advantage of that to pin Ambrose and eliminate him.
Dean Ambrose eliminated by The Miz
Analysis: That was likely done to set up Ambrose vs. Corbin for the IC Title.
The Miz did his Daniel Bryan mocking spot as he nailed kicks to the chest of Wyatt and Cena at the same time. Running dropkick by Miz on both guys. Miz nailed Bryan with kicks. Miz hit a corner dropkick on Wyatt, corner dropkick on Cena and Miz dumped Wyatt out of the ring. Miz with a corner dropkick on Styles as well. Miz with the corner clothesline on Cena. Miz hit the Skull Crushing Finale on Wyatt on the mat outside the ring. Miz jumped off the top and went for a cross body block on Cena, but Cena caught him and hit the Attitude Adjustment on Miz to eliminate him.
The Miz eliminated by John Cena
That left three men: Cena, Wyatt and Styles. Wyatt and Styles worked together against Cena briefly. Wyatt nailed Styles with an uppercut punch. Cena avoided a senton by Wyatt. Cena with shoulder tackles for Styles and a spinning slam for Wyatt. Cena hit Five Knuckle Shuffle on both guys. Cena hit the Attitude Adjustment on Wyatt. Styles back to his feet with a Styles Clash on Cena for a two count. Styles went for a Phenomenal Forearm, Cena avoided it and hit the Attitude Adjustment for a two count. Cena was stunned that Styles kicked out at two. Cena climbed up one of the pods and jumped off with a cross body block that knocked down Wyatt and Styles. Cena went for a AA on Wyatt, but Wyatt slipped out and hit Sister Abigail to pin Cena. Crowd cheering and chanting “yes” for that.
John Cena eliminated by Bray Wyatt
Analysis: That means there will be a new WWE Champion.
The match is at 30 minutes. Wyatt faced off with Styles. Wyatt was in control early. Styles came back with a forearm strike for a two count. Wyatt teased Sister Abigail, but Styles got a rollup for two. Styles nailed his striking offense and Wyatt decked him with a clothesline. Styles with a Pele Kick followed by a running knee attack. Styles nailed a springboard 450 Splash for a two count. Styles was grabbing his ribs for most of the match. I hope it’s just selling and nothing serious. Styles went for a springboard attack leading to a Phenomenal Forearm. Wyatt avoided it and hit Sister Abigail for the pinfall and the win. The match went 34:20.
AJ Styles eliminated by Bray Wyatt
Winner by pinfall and NEW WWE Champion: Bray Wyatt
Analysis: ****1/2 That was an outstanding match that was given a lot of time to tell the story of Wyatt outlasting everybody to win his first WWE Title. I loved the story with Cena and Styles having to outlast everybody, but they couldn’t do it. I also thought it was brilliant to have Wyatt pin Cena and Styles. It put him over in a huge way because he beat the two former WWE Champions. It gives Wyatt credibility immediately. Some finishers were kicked out of by Cena and Styles, but I didn’t mind it based on their amazing match at the Royal Rumble. They did a good job of utilizing Miz, Corbin and Ambrose in the match as well because it set up Corbin and Ambrose for a feud. Miz wasn’t in there for long, but at least he got a pinfall on Ambrose. As for Wyatt, I’m genuinely happy for him after having so many stop and start pushes in his career. He deserves to be in the spot he’s in. The win wasn’t a surprise by any means. I’m just glad that it finally happened.
(I don’t have much to add there. I loved this match when I watched it again. The booking was really good and the execution by the talent was great. They didn’t have any eliminations until all six guys were in there, Styles eliminated nobody, yet he lasted the whole time and Wyatt was put over huge because he beat the last two WWE Champions to win the match. It was not a flukey win at all. Wyatt proved he was the better man, so that’s why the story worked so well.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWk53W3OBtc
FACTS & OPINIONS
Wrestler that lasted the longest: AJ Styles at 34:20.
Most Eliminations: Bray Wyatt with two.
Best Performers (3): AJ Styles – He was the glue that kept the match together and made it great.
Bray Wyatt – He was in there for over 20 minutes and this was definitely one of the best matches of his career.
John Cena – An important role as the guy that walked into the match as the WWE Champ and then put over the future champ.
Most Memorable Moment: Wyatt winning the match was the most memorable part of it because we all thought it was probably happening, but until you see it you can’t really mark out for it. The ovation for him was pretty huge. Beating Cena and Styles back to back really put him over.
Match Rating: ****1/2 out of five.
Here’s the order from 1 to 22 one more time.
- Elimination Chamber 2017 WWE Championship won by Bray Wyatt – ****1/2
- Elimination Chamber 2011 World Heavyweight Title (Smackdown) won by Edge – ****1/2
- No Way Out 2008 WWE Championship #1 Contenders (Raw) won by Triple H – ****1/2
- Survivor Series 2002 World Heavyweight Title won by Shawn Michaels – ****1/4
- No Way Out 2009 WWE Championship (Smackdown) won by Triple H – ****1/4
- Elimination Chamber 2014 WWE Championship won by Randy Orton – ****1/4
- No Way Out 2009 World Heavyweight Title (Raw) won by Edge – ****
- New Year’s Revolution 2005 World Heavyweight Title won by Triple H – ****
- Elimination Chamber 2011 WWE Championship #1 Contenders (Raw) won by John Cena – ****
- Elimination Chamber 2018 Universal Championship #1 Contenders won by Roman Reigns – ****
- Elimination Chamber 2013 World Title #1 Contender won by Jack Swagger – ****
- Elimination Chamber 2012 Wolrd Heavyweight Title won by Daniel Bryan – ***3/4
- Elimination Chamber 2010 WWE Championship (Raw) won by John Cena – ***1/2
- Elimination Chamber 2012 WWE Championship (Raw) won by CM Punk – ***1/2
- Elimination Chamber 2018 Raw Women’s Title won by Alexa Bliss – ***1/2
- Elimination Chamber 2010 World Heavyweight Title (Smackdown) won by Chris Jericho – ***1/4
- New Year’s Revolution 2006 WWE Championship won by John Cena – ***1/4
- No Way Out 2008 World Title #1 Contenders (Smackdown) won by The Undertaker – ***1/4
- Elimination Chamber 2015 WWE Tag Team Titles won by The New Day – ***
- SummerSlam 2003 World Heavyweight Title won by Triple H – ***
- December To Dismember 2006 ECW Championship won by Bobby Lashley – **
- Elimination Chamber 2015 Intercontinental Championship won by Ryback – *3/4
That’s a wrap. Check out our WWE Elimination Chamber archive for all of the reviews.