Courtesy of WWE
WWE ELIMINATION CHAMBER REVIEW
- Rob Crowther, Editor In Chief
Emanating all the way from Perth, Australia, WWE's last major PLE before WrestleMania, Elimination Chamber, was an absolutely monumental event that solidified all of our World Title matches heading into Philly. Although the results were fairly predictable, (and rightfully so) there were a lot of significant storytelling takeaways and breakout performances.
The pre-show match featured The Poison Pixie, Candice LeRae and Australia's own Indie Hartwell challenging The Kabuki Warriors for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships. Solid match here, and I would've absolutely loved to see Candice and Indie with some tag team gold again. Nevertheless, The Kabuki Warriors retain in impressive fashion. However, Indie really showed out in this one and received a standing ovation alongside LeRae. What a moment!
The first official match on the card was the Women's Elimination Chamber match. This match was incredible. Every interaction between all six women was perfect. Feats of strength, high flying ability, and even storytelling were on display. Many of the women executed moves off the top of the chamber pods. At the end of the day, The Man, Becky Lynch was able to get the dub here, but the moral victory went to Tiffany Stratton who completely stole the show. Her dynamic with Bianca Belair was fantastic, and as much I want to see Jade Cargil take on Bianca at Mania, I wouldn't mind seeing Bianca take on Stratton.
Early elimination for the ever agile Naomi which was somewhat surprising, but understandable. Hoping to see her win the Money In The Bank briefcase this Summer. Conversely, Liv Morgan really looks like she's better than ever in-ring, after returning from injury. Match of the night in my book.
Up next, The Judgement Day defended their WWE Undisputed Tag Team Titles against Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne. This match started out fast and furious, with some really innovative offense. TONS of NXT Black and Gold vibes here. I was hoping for some R-Truth interference but unfortunately he went to Austria in stead of Australia. Classic! Great match and showcase by all performers, but Priest and Finn (with help from Dirty Dom) took the win and it seems they may be defending their tag team championships at the Showcase of the Immortals.
The Men's Elmination Chamber Match was solid. Some unexpected scenarios here which I like and good storytelling along the way. One such unexpected scenario was the appearance of AJ Styles who absolutely demolished LA Knight with a Styles' Clash onto a chair. I did not see this coming as I expected Knight to go on to you feud with Paul, but I don't hate it. Perhaps this is a detour on the proverbial road to Mania.
Also, I hate to admit this, but Logan Paul using the marker on the pod door was absolutely brilliant as he wrote, "KEVIN OWENS SUCKS!" Paul hit his spots and ultimately targeted Orton with brass knuckles. Drew McIntyre took advantage of Paul and Orton's offense to pick up the pieces and solidify his place as the number one contender to Seth Rollin's World Heavyweight Championship heading into WrestleMania. Drew told a great story here taking advantage of all situations, and is deservedly the guy to get this tap on the shoulder for the big one.
The night ended with a great match from two Australian born power houses, Nia Jax and The World Women's Champion, Rhea Ripley. Ripley's entrance alone is worth watching over and over. Between her family being at ringside and the Australian flags, it was a sight to behold. This match was exactly what you would expect, perhaps with some surprising offense from Rhea including hurricanranas and the like. Nia has done a great job in her role as a monster heel, and made Rhea look like the biggest babyface in this one. It didn't hurt that Rhea had the whole country behind her as she was able to hit Nia with an impressive Rip-Tide for the 1, 2, 3. What a match, and what a way to end the night!
Simply put, Elimination Chamber was exactly what it needed to be. A few surprises and some amazing in ring work. The table is now set as we make our final departure on the road to WrestleMania, where we will indeed find out who will be sitting at the head of that table.