Since the Royal Rumble has finished up and we are setting up for WrestleMania 2021 plans for victors Bianca Belair and Edge, it is time to focus on the WWE Elimination Chamber 2021. The Elimination Chamber Pay Per View hits us on Feb. 21 at Tropicana Field so we thought this was the perfect time to re-live some of the top Elimination Chamber matches over the last two decades
Elimination Chamber was first introduced in the year 2002 at the Survivor Series and undoubtedly, it was off to the most incredible start. Triple H fought WWE greats like Shawn Micheals, Rob Van Dam, Chris Jerico, Booket T and Kane in what was one of the most memorable nights in WWE history. The Game came into the match to defend his World Heavyweight belt and was in the ring fighting for nearly twenty minutes and found himself on the receiving end of a lot of big hits including a Frog Splash from Rob Van Dam which damaged his upper body. Shawn Michaels (who returned to wrestling after four years) who once was a tag team champion of Triple H, defeated The Game to claim the World Heavyweight title. It was a dazzling atmosphere to commence the tradition of the Elimination Chamber. This match in 2002 was extraordinary and holds up as one of the better debuts for any type of match in WWE history.
The headliner at Summer Slam 2003 was the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight title, in which Triple H guarded his belt against Chris Jericho, Goldberg, Kevin Nash, Randy Orton, and Shawn Michaels. The match started with Jericho and Michaels in the ring, while Goldberg, Nash, Orton, and Triple H were locked in the chambers. Michaels and Jericho went at it, with neither of them acquiring a dominant position with Orton and Nash were the third and fourth participants to head into the match, respectively. Nash was the primary grappler wiped out from the match after Michaels executed his Sweet Chin Music and Jericho covered him for a pinfall. Triple H and Goldberg were the fifth and 6th men in and Michaels dished out more Sweet Chin Music on Triple H when he left his chamber, and with that, Triple H was thumped once more into his chamber. When Goldberg entered the match, he hammered out a spear for a pinfall to dispense of Orton and then a Jackhammer on Michaels and Jericho, before wiping out both through pinfall. This left Goldberg with Triple H, who at the time had stayed inside the chamber. Goldberg hauled him out of the chamber and Ric Flair, who was managing both Triple H and Orton, at that point handed Triple H a sledgehammer but Goldberg responded in time with another spear on Triple H, who countered the move by hitting Goldberg in the head with the heavy hammer and covered him for the pinfall, to clutch onto the World Heavyweight Championship.
The main event at No Way Out 2009 was an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight title involving John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, Kofi Kingston, Mike Knox, and Kane. During Kofi Kingston’s entry, Edge attacked him from behind and performed his iconic con-chair-to on the steel steps. This meant the end of Kofi Kingston and Edge replaced him in the pod. Jericho entered first, Rey Mysterio, and Kane joined him shortly. But soon, Kane was eliminated by Mysterio after a sensational Diving Seated Senton off the chamber pod. Mike Knox entered fourth and was eliminated by Jericho with a Codebreaker. Edge entered at number 5 with Cena entering last. Chris Jericho delivered a codebreaker on Cena too and Edge then took the opportunity and eliminated Cena. The last three to remain were Edge, Jericho, and Mysterio. Jericho was eliminated by Mysterio who pinned him with a double leg cradle which meant it was all down to Edge and Mysterio. A vicious spear from Edge was enough for him to finally pin Mysterio and win the World Heavyweight title.
While Jericho came close in 2009, 2010 was his year although this event is famously remembered as the one where the Undertaker burned himself. An incident occurred during the Undertaker’s entrance which led him to catch fire for a couple of minutes but he was declared cleared to fight by the ringside referee. CM Punk eliminated R-truth before the next fighter could even enter the ring and Ray Mysterio came in next and did the same thing with CM Punk. John Morrison pinned Mysterio after landing a Starship pain on him and the Undertaker then choke slammed him on the chamber floor and pinned him out. Chris Jericho though was the man to beat and clinched the World Heavyweight Championship for the third time when he pinned the Undertaker inside the Chamber. He definitely had help thought and owes special thanks to Shawn Michaels who entered the Chamber after he was denied a match against the Undertaker and knocked the dead man out with his Sweet Chin Music.
John Cena emerged victorious at the end of a gruelling Elimination Chamber match back in 2011. It witnessed one of the greatest matches ever to be played inside the steel structure along with superstars like CM Punk, Randy Orton, John Morrison, R-Truth and Sheamus. Cena transcended a severe and conceivably profession altering fight, enduring a beatdown from Sheamus and an RKO from Orton on the way to success.
The feature of the session came as both Sheamus and Morrison moved to the highest point of an unfilled case. John Morrison, in the wake of unloading Sheamus to the floor, advanced toward the actual focus of the vault before dispatching himself onto The Celtic Warrior for the pin. Suffering a knee injury over his continued risk-taking through the course of the match, Morrison would be disposed of after a GTS, leaving Punk and Cena in the ring. An Attitude Adjustment on the unforgiving steel grind at that point spelt the end for Punk and Cena emerged victoriously.
Elimination Chamber 2012 was a match between Daniel Bryan, Big Show, The Great Khali, Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, and Santino Marella for the World Heavyweight Championship. Barrett and Big Show were the initial two in the ring and absolutely assaulted each other. Rhodes entered third, who worked with Barrett for a large part of the match, endeavouring to hinder Big Show. Santino Marella entered 4th and promptly got battered by the Big Show. The Great Khali entered at 5 and figured out how to rule for some time before the Big Show produced a devastating spear. Big Show climbed Bryan’s pod, ripped off the chains and attacked him. At the point when Bryan got out, Rhodes and Barrett ganged up on Show. After a DDT by Rhodes and a diving elbow drop from Barrett, Rhodes stuck and finally pinned the Big Show. Rhodes was soon pinned by Marella after a roll-up and Barrett was also pinned by Marella, following a plunging headbutt by Daniel Bryan. It meant that the last two were Bryan and Marella, and while Marella managed to deliver his finisher, The Cobra, Bryan was able to kick out. Santino was stunned that Bryan had kicked out and with that momentum shift, Bryan constrained Marella to submit to the LeBell Lock to win the match and retain his title.
Bray Wyatt won the WWE Championship at the main event at the Elimination Chamber in 2017. Former Champion John Cena and the phenomenal AJ Styles were the first to enter the ring and were soon joined by the then Intercontinental Champion, Dean Ambrose, finally followed by Bray Wyatt and Baron Corbin. The Miz remained in his pod even though his number was called out and Corbin was furious about it. Dean Ambrose seized the opportunity and rolled up and pinned Corbin to eliminate him. Corbin, who was furious because of his elimination performed an End of Days on Ambrose before leaving the ring which left the lunatic fringe on the floor. Miz finally made his way out of the pod and used that help to eliminate Ambrose. John Cena then swiftly delivered an Attitude Adjustment on the Miz before eliminating him and with only three wrestlers remaining, Styles and Wyatt ganged up on Cena but Cena made his way through and got Wyatt out of the situation. Cena and Style had an intense battle with both the superstars providing their finishers on each other. Wyatt saw an opportunity and executed Sister Abigail on Cena which gave him no chance to come back into the game. Styles then tried to finish Wyatt with a Phenomenal Forearm, but Wyatt sensationally caught him mid-air and finished things off with another Sister Abigail to clinch the title.
In the main event of 2019, Daniel Bryan defended his WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber bout against Kofi Kingston, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Randy Orton, and Samoa Joe. Bryan and Joe started the match with Kingston entering third. Styles came in next and pinned Joe after landing his finisher move – the Phenomenal Forearm. Jeff Hardy entered next only to be quickly eliminated by Bryan who finished things for him with a running knee. The last to enter was Randy Orton, who acquired his place by winning the gauntlet match on Smack Down seven days prior. As Styles landed a Phenomenal Forearm on Kingston, Orton completed an RKO out of the blue to take out Styles. Not long after, Kingston dispatched Orton with a Trouble in Paradise, leaving Kingston and Bryan as the last two men standing. After a few close calls, Bryan disposed of Kingston with a running knee to hold the title. Following the match, a frustrated Kingston was joined by his New Day teammates Big E and Xavier Woods as the fans cheered to show their appreciation to Kingston who made a strong statement that day. The title though belonged to Bryan who successfully defended his title.
[Image Credit: WWE]
Shashank Iyer