MONTREAL – Austin Theory, Beth Phoenix and Edge, Triple H, and Sami Zayn were featured in the Elimination Chamber Press Conference, with SlamWrestling.net in attendance.
Theory came out first accompanied by his entrance music and took the interview questions in character, which I can’t help but feel a little disappointed by, as I was very much looking forward to some genuine insight on what this very special show meant to these performers.
He was asked about his mentality going into WrestleMania, which he answered very arrogantly, talking about how he’s the Now and how he’s the forever champ. He brushed off the negative crowd reaction he got, saying that they’ve got to deal with his win. When asked about last year’s Elimination Chamber in which he was beaten up brutally by Brock Lesnar (say that five times fast), he stated that his breakout performance a year ago gave him the confidence to perform well in this year’s show.
He even issued an open challenge to the Raw locker room to fight him for his United States Championship, but he doesn’t think anyone will have the guts to step up.
Next up, Edge and Beth Phoenix came out and were much more genuine and out of character; Edge even made some jokes with the reporters. He was asked about his retirement plans and said he has made no firm decisions. At this juncture, he’s just happy to be able to wrestle at all, especially alongside his wife. Beth talked about compartmentalizing the violent wrestling instincts at home, but says that Edge is able to help her retrain that instinct to return to in-ring action.
As strange as it sounds for him to say, Edge said he’s very proud of the Judgement Day and how far they’ve come. On a similar topic, Beth was asked about Rhea Ripley, and she said that she was excited to wrestle someone that she met all the way back when Rhea debuted in the Mae Young Classic tournament. Just as he was about to leave, Edge brought up Theory’s U.S. Title open challenge that was issued only minutes ago and said that he’ll take him up on that Monday on Raw.
Triple H came out next and had a lot to say before the questions even started. He thanked everyone for being there and spoke for a while about the monumental nature of this event. According to him, all the talent brought their A-game, but the real star of the show was the crowd and the city, which he says is something truly special. Tonight’s show was the largest Montreal gate in WWE history, along with the most viewers of Elimination Chamber in the show’s history.
But in his eyes, it’s not just about the numbers. He was very grateful to the city of Montreal and the legends who helped build it, especially Pat Patterson. Triple H got a little choked up talking about how much Patterson would have loved this event, and how he could feel his presence in the crowd tonight. He heaped some praise on Sami Zayn as well, saying that he had no doubt in his mind that Sami was going to shine tonight.
When the idea of a WWE sale was brought up, he said that he tends to stay out of it, and that he isn’t worried as long as he and all the talent can continue to put on amazing shows like the one tonight. Finally, he was asked about his success in his transition to executive, which he attributed not to being good at it necessarily, but to being incredibly passionate.
Finally, a very sore looking Sami Zayn came out. He was very modest and honest about how he felt, which was very detached and weird. He acknowledged that this whole show was a dream come true but kept stating that he wasn’t feeling quite right at the moment. As time went on though, he stated that he was feeling better talking about it all.
He was asked about the possibility of WrestleMania being in Canada, and he said that he was just talking about this with Triple H yesterday. Apparently, it all comes down to business stuff that is, as he described it, above his pay grade, but one thing that’s absolutely present in Montreal is passionate fans. He says after this show, the secret will be out that Montreal is just as big of a wrestling city as any other.
Slam Wrestling’s very own Dave Hillhouse asked Sami whether there was a point in his time with the Bloodline where he started envisioning building a larger story with them and reaching this moment in Montreal, to which Sami said yes, and coincidentally, it was also in Montreal. He and Roman hadn’t ever interacted on screen until one fateful SmackDown in Montreal where the rest of the Bloodline was absent or occupied, so Sami got some time with Roman, and it was immediately clear they had chemistry. From then on, Sami says he began thinking of a longer-term story.
Lastly, Sami was asked about how his very emotional promo on Smackdown came to be. He attributed it very much to the energy and passion of the crowd and said that he adapted what he felt he had to say to fit the passion in the arena that night. He spoke about how we’re living in the “era of content,” where what’s harder than making something good is making something memorable. He feels confident that this Bloodline story, which he said isn’t even over yet, will be something people talk about for years to come.
TOP PHOTO: Edge and Beth Phoenix are in good spirits at the press conference. Photo by Minas Panagiotakis, www.photography514.com
RELATED LINKS
- Feb. 19, 2023: Sami Zayn takes it to Roman Reigns in the main event of WWE Elimination Chamber
- Feb. 19, 2023: Crowd report from Elimination Chamber: Montréal goes in-Zayn
- Slam Wrestling’s 2023 Elimination Chamber Photo Gallery
- Feb. 17, 2023: Countdown to Elimination Chamber
