Tonight at WWE Elimination Chamber, a trip to WrestleMania is on the line in the women’s Elimination Chamber main event! Asuka, Shayna Baszler, Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott, Natalya, and Sarah Logan enter and look to walk out with a shot at WWE Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch. Plus, the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships are on the line in the Chamber, along with WWE IC and US title matches! All that and more tonight at WWE Elimination Chamber!
The Elimination Chamber Kickoff features “The Coach” Jonathan Coachman, Charly Caruso, David Otunga, and Peter Rosenberg.
Pre-Show Results: The Viking Raiders defeated Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder by pinfall.
We are LIVE from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa. Michael Cole and Corey Graves have the call for SmackDown and Tom Phillips, Jerry “The King” Lawler, and Byron Saxton have the call for Raw tonight.
Gulak with a fireman’s carry takedown to start. Bryan with a wristlock takedown and Gulak reverses as they exchange submissions. Gulak with a shoulder tackle to put Bryan down in the corner. Bryan with a side headlock and Gulak counters to a headscissors. Bryan counters to a half crab. Gulak kicks away and they fall into a double leglock position, where they trade heel kicks to the rope break. Gulak cut under the eye and Bryan rolls outside to regroup. Bryan looks to lock hands as he gets back inside and an ankle pick takedown lands. Surfboard position and Bryan fishhooks the nose.. Gulak sits back and spins into a surfboard position of his own. Gulak locks it in. Bryan sits up out and lands a leg kick to the back of the knee. Bryan with another leg kick and Gulak catches it for chops and slaps. Bryan with chops and kicks, but Gulak with a dragon screw. Gulak works a left leglock and goes to a headscissors. Gulak sits up and spikes Bryan on his head when he headstands. Airplane spin neckbreaker from Gulak gets a nearfall. Chops from Gulak. Bryan blocks a suplex and they do a suplex over the top and out to the floor that takes both out.
Both beat the count back in. Counters exchanged and Bryan comes off the second rope into a back suplex from Gulak for a nearfall. Bryan favors his head and neck as Gulak goes full nelson. Bryan with a victory roll for a nearfall and a dragon suplex gets another. Gulak with a German suplex for a nearfall of his own. Bryan tries to counter out and Gulak drops him right on his neck on a German suplex. Nearfall for Gulak and Bryan rolls outside. Bryan stumbles and falls at ringside, but beats the count. Bryan flips over Gulak back inside and lands a running elbow and clothesline. Bryan with uppercuts and corner Yes Kicks. Gulak slips under Bryan up top to crotch him. Reverse superplex from Gulak and he rolls into the Dragon Sleeper Gu-Lock. Gulak tries to sit back on it and Bryan rolls through into the Yes Lock. Bryan with hammerfists and elbows to get the submission in. Gulak struggles and goes limp in the middle of the ring.
Winner by submission: Daniel Bryan
Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars
Excellent opener with Gulak keeping up and even besting Bryan hold-for-hold early in the match. Bryan took a really tough bump on the German suplex to sell the neck injury and that told the story for the rest of the match. The crowd was really into it as they built perfectly to the big spots, including a pop for the hometown Gulak as he entered. As good as expected to kick it off.
Kayla Braxton with Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode. Roode says it isn’t “if” they win, it is “when.” Roode says they will enter the match last and pick up the pieces to win the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships. Roode says it will be absolutely glorious. Braxton wishes them luck and the monitor cuts to the broadcast interruption logo that has been cutting shows the past month or two. Ziggler dedicates the match to his “bae” Mandy Rose and says the victory will be for her when they steal the show.
(Commercials)
WWE United States Championship: Andrade (c) (w/Zelina Vega) vs. Humberto Carrillo
Andrade charges and hits Carrillo with a back elbow for a quick nearfall to start. Andrade stomps Carrillo down and lands a back bodydrop. Strikes exchanged and Carrillo with a dropkick. Clothesline sends Andrade out and Carrillo lands a flying headbutt out of the corner back inside for a nearfall. Side headlock from Carrillo and a springboard flying arm drag sends Andrade out. Andrade snaps the head of Carrillo on the top rope. Single-leg dropkick back inside from Andrade and he works an armbar. Carrillo with a kick back and an arm drag rally stopped by an Andrade back elbow. Carrillo tossed outside and Andrade pulls the protective mat up ringside. Big boot and Carrillo driven into the ring post on his spine by Andrade. Carrillo sent into the timekeeper’s area barricade and Andrade looks for the countout. Carrillo beats the count and Andrade stomps him down to go back to the left arm armbar. Carrillo gets back to his feet and hits a back bodydrop over the top rope that drops Andrade on the floor. Carrillo rallies inside with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and springboard kick. Standing moonsault sees Andrade schoolboy Carrillo into the second turnbuckle. Andrade sent to the apron after Carrillo counters and he goes up top. Head kick from Carrillo and he meets him up top. Super hurricanrana lands for a nearfall on the champion.
Carrillo with forearms and a moonsault misses, but Carrillo lands on his feet. Carrillo charges into a buckle hip toss from Andrade. Meteora in the corner gets Andrade a nearfall. Vega strips the protective padding ringside and Andrade sends Carrillo out. Carrillo counters with a back bodydrop onto the flipped pad. Carrillo with a flip dive over the referee back inside. Crossbody back inside from Carrillo rolled into a nearfall from Andrade. Pinning predicament and Andrade stacks Carrillo with a handful of tights.
Winner by pinfall and STILL WWE United States Champion: Andrade
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Another good match with Andrade working the heavy and trying to find ways to cheat against the great rallies from Carrillo, eventually allowing Andrade to retain. The finish was a bit of a letdown coming off the big spot and rally from Carrillo just starting to build, though it fit well with Andrade’s motivation throughout the match.
Charly Caruso interviews AJ Styles and Styles says Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson will be with him ringside when he takes on Aleister Black.
(Commercials)
Elimination Chamber match for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship: The Miz & John Morrison (c) vs. The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) vs. The Usos vs. Heavy Machinery vs. Lucha House Party (Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik) vs. Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode
The Usos and The New Day are the first teams to start. Kingston gets the first nearfall with a corkscrew uppercut. Big E with a suplex, but The Usos come off the top with crossbodies. Kingston sat up top and hit with a chop. Big E saves Kingston and a Doomsday Device set up stopped by The Usos. The two teams stand off as the countdown starts for a team to be released.
Lucha House Party enters with head kicks. Metalik doesn’t get caught by Big E on a springboard attempt, but Kingston taken down by Dorado. Lucha House Party control and Dorado with a springboard stunner. Dive off the shoulders of Dorado gets a nearfall. Jimmy Uso hit with a trio of moonsaults for a nearfall that is broken by Jey Uso. Big E hip tosses Metalik and Dorado over the top rope and to the Chamber floor. Big E pops Kingston up over the corner and into Lucha House Party. Double-team from New Day blocked as Lucha House Party move away and Big E posts himself. Dorado popped up into a tree of woe on the Chamber. He kicks teams away and fights his way up on top of a pod. Kingston kicked off the pod by Lucha House Party. Metalik with a flip dive onto New Day and Dorado with a crossbody on The Usos cageside.
Miz and Morrison enter and clear the ring. Lucha House Party taken out and Miz with roundhouse kicks in the tree of woe on Metalik. Morrison with a tornado kick. Double-team DDT on an Uso for a nearfall for the champions. Morrison sent cageside and Miz hit by Jey. The champions control until Metalik is popped up on top of a pod. Morrison tries to meet him, but Metalik with a super hurricanrana that The Miz saves from a pin. Kingston into the ring to rally for New Day. Big E with a belly-to-belly suplex on Morrison and Miz hit with a double stomp Doomsday Device powerbomb for a nearfall.
Heavy Machinery enter and bounce teams around the ring. Splashes against the cage on The Usos land. Dorado goes up to the top of the pod. Big E drops Otis, but Tucker drops Big E. Big E sandwiched by Heavy Machinery and Otis hits the Caterpillar for a nearfall. The teams pile into the ring and Dorado hangs from the top of the cage. Swinging shooting star press takes out everyone but Heavy Machinery. Metalik left to be hit with the Compactor by Heavy Machinery.
Lucha House Party eliminated by Heavy Machinery via pinfall.
Ziggler and Roode enter, but hold the door shut as Heavy Machinery wait outside the pod. Miz and Morrison attack and they align with Ziggler and Roode against Heavy Machinery. Otis fights up ringside and gets his hands on Ziggler. Ziggler climbs the pod, but Tucker meets him there. Tucker throws him to Otis and Otis drops him on the top rope. Tucker with a flip dive off the pod to take out the teams. Ziggler and Roode left with Otis cageside and they try to run him into the cage. Otis with a back elbow and he drops Ziggler and throws Roode back inside. Otis looks to run Ziggler into the pod doors. Roode saves him, but gets hit with a back bodydrop. Otis lines up Ziggler and charges, but Ziggler sidesteps. Otis runs through the pod door and through the pod wall out to the floor by commentary. Officials check out Otis at ringside and Tucker calls out to Otis before firing up against Roode and Ziggler. Ziggler dropkicks the knee and hits a superkick. Roode with a Glorious DDT.
Heavy Machinery eliminated by Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler via pinfall.
Ziggler and Roode wave to Heavy Machinery as the crowd chants for Otis. Kingston with Trouble in Paradise on Ziggler after he turns around from mocking Heavy Machinery. Big Ending from Big E on Roode. The Usos on top of the pods for the Uso Splash.
Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler eliminated by The Usos via pinfall.
The crowd sings “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” to Roode and Ziggler on their way out. New Day and The Usos team up to stomp Miz and Morrison down. The Usos left with Kingston inside for a double-team Samoan drop that gets a nearfall. Big E uranage in the corner, but he runs into a Samoan drop for a nearfall. Kingston knocks one of the Usos down from the top rope and goes to the top of the pod. The dive misses and Miz and Morrison crawl to cover up Kingston.
The New Day eliminated by The Miz & John Morrison via pinfall.
The Usos and The Miz and John Morrison are the final two. The champions sent outside and they springboard into superkicks from The Usos for a nearfall. Uso Splash lands on the knees of Miz, but connects on Morrison. Double nearfall and The Miz fights The Usos alone. The Usos sent into one another and a Skull-Crushing Finale gets a nearfall. Figure-Four Leglock in for Miz and Morrison kicks Jey outside the ring. Miz holds the ropes in the submission and Starship Pain lands for a nearfall as Jey rolls Morrison into a schoolboy nearfall. Uso superkicks get a nearfall to put all four down. Morrison sent out and Miz rolls an Uso up his feet on the ropes. Morrison sunset flips into a jackknife cover for the double cover.
The Usos eliminated by The Miz & John Morrison via pinfall.
Winners by pinfall and STILL WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions: The Miz & John Morrison
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
A really great and fun Chamber match overall. A slow start and Lucha House Party’s entry needing to find its legs really smoothed out with some great moments. Heavy Machinery got the all-star performance of the match with the crowd really getting behind them trying to take out Ziggler and Roode, plus Otis breaking the Chamber. The champions played opportunistic throughout in a true to character style to retain.
Charly Caruso with Natalya and Natalya runs down Randy Orton for attacking Beth Phoenix on Raw. Natalya says she will take her legacy into the cage with her tonight because she was born to do this.
No Disqualification Match: AJ Styles (w/The OC) vs. Aleister Black
Styles holds the ropes as Black tries to send him off the ropes. Styles looks for a single-leg takedown, but ducks away as Black looks primed to kick. Styles dives at the leg for a takedown and Black elbows away. Styles tells Black he is going to take his leg off. Styles looks for the takedown and Black with a schoolboy roll to land a roundhouse kick to the chest. Black works Styles in the corner with body shots and kicks as the crowd chants for The Undertaker. Black works Styles. Luke Gallows gets to the apron and it allows Styles to land a dragon screw. Black fires back with a roundhouse kick, but Karl Anderson to the apron and Styles chop blocks the leg. Styles goes to work on the left leg in the corner and on the mat. Styles gets a kendo stick and hits the leg of Black with it. Black hops over it and lands a head kick to drop Styles. Black limps and kicks the stick over to himself, but Styles with a dropkick to send him outside. Slingshot plancha lands on a knee from Black. Black sets up a table ringside. Styles gets a chair and takes it to the leg and back of Black. The chair is wedged in the corner back inside. Styles and Black exchange strikes. Styles with an enzuigiri and he locks in a leglock. Styles kicks Black down. Black comes back with leg kicks and a knee strike to put Styles down. Kick from Black caught for the Calf Crusher by Styles. Black breaks it by using the kendo stick to pull back on Styles.
Black takes the kendo stick to Styles over and over back on the feet. Styles with a dropkick to the knee and a Pele kick puts Black both down. Styles looks for a powerbomb, but Black sends him out to the apron. Slingshot forearm from Styles gets a nearfall and a brainbuster to follow gets another. Styles with a knee and he goes up top. Black with a knee that bounces Styles face-first off the turnbuckle. Moonsault press gets Black a nearfall inside. Snap German suplex gets Black a nearfall. Styles comes back with an ushigoroshi. Styles Clash blocked by Black and he kicks away. Black moonsaults into a Tombstone Piledriver attempt by Styles. Styles does the Undertaker pose, but Black rolls through. Black with a push kick that sends Styles into the cornered chair. They fight outside and Styles sends Black’s leg into the announce table. Styles tackles Black over the announce table. Black drops Styles onto the announce table and a meteora through the table on Styles. Black looks for the finish inside and The OC jump in. Black takes out The OC, but all three jump him. The Undertaker’s music hits and the lights go out. The OC laid out and Styles hit with a Chokeslam. The lights go out and Undertaker disappears. Black Mass lands.
Winner by pinfall: Aleister Black
Rating: 1.75 out of 5 stars
This was really slow and drawn out for the expected Undertaker interference finish. Black’s style isn’t really made for these kinds of matches and Styles can only do so much these days. This was not really fun to sit through to get the WrestleMania setup.
(Commercials)
WWE Raw Tag Team Championships: The Street Profits (c) vs. Seth Rollins & Murphy (w/AOP)
Angelo Dawkins starts with Rollins. Rollins cowers back and tags in Murphy. Shoulder tackle stalemate and Murphy slaps Dawkins. Dawkins leapfrogs and ducks to the shoulder tackle. Dawkins with an arm wrench and Montez Ford in with an elbow to the wrenched arm. Street Profits work the arm over with quick tags. Double stomp to the arm from Ford. Murphy gets Ford into the corner and Rollins in to stomp him down. Rollins chops Ford. Ford fights back and hits Murphy with an arm drag into an armbar. Dawkins in and double-team arm drags send Rollins and Murphy out. Dawkins chases Murphy ringside and Rollins sneaks a tag as Murphy rolls in. Dawkins follows Murphy and Rollins chop blocks the leg. Rollins works Dawkins down and lands a neckbreaker. Dawkins worked down and creates separation against Murphy. Ford in on the hot tag and he recovers after falling on a back bodydrop reversal to put Murphy down for a standing moonsault nearfall. Ford with a flip dive to take Murphy and Rollins down outside. Rollins comes into the ring and gets the referee distracted. AOP throw Ford into the barricade.
The Viking Raiders come out and brawl AOP to the back. Rollins takes Ford inside and Ford rolls him up for a nearfall. Rollins with a clothesline for a nearfall. Falcon Arrow puts Ford back down for a nearfall. Ford knocks Rollins off the apron and dives, but Murphy catches him and puts him down for a meteora to prevent the tag. Nearfall for Murphy and Rollins in. Murphy sent out with a back bodydrop and Ford flips twice to duck a Rollins clothesline and make the hot tag to Dawkins. Dawkins with clotheslines and a dropkick to set up corkscrew corner splashes. Bulldog on Rollins and Ford in for a double-team Sliced Bread #2 for a nearfall. Rollins up in the Doomsday Device, but he ducks Ford coming off the top. Sling Blade from Rollins and Dawkins hit with double superkicks. Ford dives into double superkicks from Rollins and Murphy for a nearfall. Murphy catapulted into the corner, but Rollins sneaks a tag. Rollins taken out by Dawkins and Ford with a Frog Splash. Rollins cradles for a nearfall. Dawkins outside and the Stomp sidestepped by Ford. Buckle Bomb and kick combo from Rollins and Murphy. Meteora off the top gets Murphy a nearfall. Rollins caught on a suicide dive outside by Dawkins for an exploder suplex. Murphy left inside, but it sets up a Tower of Doom spot that takes everyone out.
Kevin Owens comes down to ringside with a bag of popcorn. Owens hops the barricade and sits on the announce table. Rollins stares Owens down ringside and Owens throws popcorn in his face. Dawkins with a Pounce into the barricade. Murphy with a flip dive that gets caught by Street Profits for a barricade powerbomb. Spinebuster and frog splash by Street Profits inside.
Winners by pinfall and STILL WWE Raw Tag Team Champions: The Street Profits
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
The crowd sort of stalled between the last match and this one, but this was a solid effort from both teams. The Owens entrance was the only thing that got the crowd going despite Street Profits really turning it up for the finish.
Post-match, Owens in the ring with Rollins and Rollins turns right around into a Stunner from Owens. Owens dumps his popcorn on Murphy on the way out.
(Commercials)
Video package recaps the rivalry between WWE Intercontinental Champion Braun Strowman and Shinsuke Nakamura, Cesaro, and Sami Zayn.
3-on-1 Handicap Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship: Braun Strowman (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Cesaro, & Sami Zayn
Before the match, Zayn says in a interview that he wants Nakamura and Cesaro to stay on the apron while he delivers justice to Strowman.
Zayn bucks at Strowman, but immediately tags out to Nakamura. Nakamura tries a shoulder tackle after distractions from Zayn on the apron, but he bounces off. Strowman with a clothesline and Strowman bounces him from corner to corner. Strowman splashes Nakamura in the corner and Zayn causes another distraction. Nakamura dropkicks the knee and Cesaro in with a running uppercut as they work on keeping Strowman grounded. Zayn with a cheap shot from the outside and he stomps Strowman down. Nakamura in to do the same and Zayn back in to choke Strowman out in the corner. Cesaro in with a big boot for a nearfall. Zayn works Strowman down and Nakamura in with a sleeper. Strowman with a back suplex out. Strowman rallies and throws Cesaro form corner to corner. Nakamura sneaks a tag, but Strowman takes him out. Zayn attacks from behind and Strowman chases him ringside, tackling Nakamura and tackling Cesaro into the crowd in the process. Zayn hides under the ring and rolls back out on the other side, allowing Nakamura and Cesaro to recover and attack. Kinshasa gets a nearfall. Strowman recovers, but Cesaro sidesteps him into the post. Kinshasa from Nakamura against the post. Zayn in and a double suplex and Helluva Kick land.
Winner by pinfall and NEW WWE Intercontinental Champion: Sami Zayn
Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars
This wasn’t as good as the Styles match in the ring, but Zayn is a really great character that is working lesser matches because of that. The cheap teamwork throughout was fun and made it more tolerable. For the low bar it had to clear, it was an inoffensive watch.
Elimination Chamber WWE Raw Women’s Championship Contenders Match: Natalya vs. Liv Morgan vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Asuka vs. Ruby Riott vs. Sarah Logan
Riott starts with Natalya. Riott rolls Natalya up for a nearfall. Natalya sends Riott out and runs her into a support beam. Natalya with a snap suplex on the Chamber floor and a Sharpshooter applied. Riott kicks Natalya off into the pod door. Riott stomps Natalya down and a falling senton off the side of the cage gets a nearfall back in the ring. Natalya worked against the cage and hit with an STO on the floor. Riott throws Nattie into the cage. Nattie gets an electric chair drop into the cage as the countdown ends.
Sarah Logan enters and lands a double knees that bounce Nattie into a pod and the post. Logan chases Riott up on top of Liv Morgan’s pod. Logan with a pop-up headbutt and Nattie powerbombs Riott off the cage wall. Logan with a crossbody off the pod and she takes out Riott and her knee clips Nattie across the face. Logan takes Riott up top, but Nattie under them for a Tower of Doom.
Shayna Baszler enters and throws Nattie into the ring post. Gutwrench slam on Logan and Baszler locks in the Kirifuda Clutch on Logan.
Sarah Logan eliminated by Shayna Baszler via submission.
Riott gets hit with the same and locked in the sleeper.
Ruby Riott eliminated by Shayna Baszler via submission.
Baszler throws Nattie into an empty pod and stomps her down. Baszler rams the door into Nattie over and over and over again. Kirifuda Clutch applied.
Natalya eliminated by Shayna Baszler via submission.
Baszler paces around in the ring staring down Asuka and Morgan. The crowd begins to boo before they start the countdown.
Liv Morgan enters. Morgan with a big boot and Baszler slams her against the cage. Baszler with a swing into the cage and she swings Morgan’s head against the pod door glass. Morgan laid out and she rolls back inside. Morgan slaps Baszler and Baszler clotheslines her down. Baszler takes Morgan right in front of Asuka’s pod. Asuka screams and shouts at Baszler as Baszler works Morgan down. Baszler sits on the top rope and suspends Morgan in midair in the Kirifuda Clutch.
Liv Morgan eliminated by Shayna Baszler via submission.
Baszler soaks in the boos from the crowd and listens to Asuka scream as the minutes pass. The countdown begins.
Asuka enters. Baszler ducks a head kick, but Asuka with a hip attack. Roundhouse kicks from Asuka and a back kick. Baszler down and tries a sliding kick. Baszler trips her down and kicks and knees land. Slam from Baszler blocked and Asuka lands a head kick. Asuka Lock sees Baszler roll through. Asuka gets the back and locks in the Asuka Lock again. Baszler rolls all the way to the outside and climbs up using the cage. Asuka bounced off the cage and Baszler pulls at the arm and injured left wrist against the top rope. Kirifuda Clutch applied and Asuka falls back to stack. Baszler keeps a shoulder up. Gutwrench slam from Baszler sets up the Kirifuda Clutch.
Winner by submission: Shayna Baszler
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
WWE has shown the ability to still put on star-making performances this year between Drew McIntyre’s Royal Rumble run and this match. Baszler turned in perhaps the most dominant performance ever seen in WWE women’s history and did it in style, soaking in the boos as she waited for competitor after competitor. It was the exact kind of moment you want to give someone before WrestleMania and Baszler delivered.
Overall, two really good Chamber matches and a WWE match of the year contender on what looked like a paper-thin show was a really pleasant surprise. As far as WWE shows go, this might be the best you can get for a secondary pay-per-view these days.
