At the WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, Sasha Banks & Bayley made history by becoming the first-ever WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, and WWE Champion "The New" Daniel Bryan outlasted five of SmackDown LIVE's best inside the dreaded Elimination Chamber. Plus, a suspended Becky Lynch unleashed a brutal assault on Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair, The Usos and Finn Bálor captured championship gold, and so much more.
WWE Cruiserweight Championship: WWE CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION, Buddy Murphy defeated Akira Tozawa. (Kickoff Show)
The legend of Buddy Murphy continues, as the indomitable WWE Cruiserweight Champion stifled yet another challenge to his crown at WWE Elimination Chamber Kickoff to extend what is already one of the most dominant reigns in the title’s very young history and may well end up being the longest.
The latest of Murphy’s would-be usurpers was Akira Tozawa, a human missile whose stint with the title was both rousing and brief; he won and lost the championship within the span of a week in 2017. This was his second play for redemption so far this year (Tozawa was part of Royal Rumble’s Fatal 4-Way title clash), and he fought as if it would be his last: Tozawa seemingly defied any sound strategy one might employ against Buddy Murphy, risking both the champion’s ire (a series of open-palm chops to start the match reddened Murphy's chest and his cheeks) and his strength, maneuvering into close quarters by locking in an Iron Octopus designed to sap Murphy’s power and tee him up for a final, breakneck push.
It paid off, to a point. Tozawa’s heart was as strong as any muscle Murphy employed to execute the deciding sequence, in which he reversed a second Iron Octopus into Murphy’s Law. But the champion seems to have long passed the point where anybody can surprise him for long. Either that, or he has at least become uniquely adept at snatching victory from the jaws of defeat: Even as Murphy’s offense awakened The Stamina Monster’s fighting spirit, he held tight with little more than proverbial grit and kicked out of one awe-inspiring maneuver after another (a top-rope hurricanrana, a perfect German suplex and a big senton through the ropes were among Tozawa’s masterstrokes) before finally muscling his way to his notorious finishing maneuver.
Despite an inspired effort from Tozawa, Buddy Murphy remains an unsolvable puzzle for some of the most creative minds in WWE — and with 63 days until he surpasses the longest reign in his title’s history, it’s looking like less of a matter of whether he’ll make the record books as to how high he’ll set the bar. (Via WWE.com)
The latest of Murphy’s would-be usurpers was Akira Tozawa, a human missile whose stint with the title was both rousing and brief; he won and lost the championship within the span of a week in 2017. This was his second play for redemption so far this year (Tozawa was part of Royal Rumble’s Fatal 4-Way title clash), and he fought as if it would be his last: Tozawa seemingly defied any sound strategy one might employ against Buddy Murphy, risking both the champion’s ire (a series of open-palm chops to start the match reddened Murphy's chest and his cheeks) and his strength, maneuvering into close quarters by locking in an Iron Octopus designed to sap Murphy’s power and tee him up for a final, breakneck push.
It paid off, to a point. Tozawa’s heart was as strong as any muscle Murphy employed to execute the deciding sequence, in which he reversed a second Iron Octopus into Murphy’s Law. But the champion seems to have long passed the point where anybody can surprise him for long. Either that, or he has at least become uniquely adept at snatching victory from the jaws of defeat: Even as Murphy’s offense awakened The Stamina Monster’s fighting spirit, he held tight with little more than proverbial grit and kicked out of one awe-inspiring maneuver after another (a top-rope hurricanrana, a perfect German suplex and a big senton through the ropes were among Tozawa’s masterstrokes) before finally muscling his way to his notorious finishing maneuver.
Despite an inspired effort from Tozawa, Buddy Murphy remains an unsolvable puzzle for some of the most creative minds in WWE — and with 63 days until he surpasses the longest reign in his title’s history, it’s looking like less of a matter of whether he’ll make the record books as to how high he’ll set the bar. (Via WWE.com)
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship: Bayley & Sasha Banks defeated Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville, Nia Jax & Tamina, The Riott Squad (Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan), The IIConics (Billie Kay & Peyton Royce) and Carmella & Naomi. (Elimination Chamber Match)
Destiny and history may lead you to the same place, but one does not guarantee the other. So while it might be tempting to write Sasha Banks & Bayley’s trailblazing ascension to the inaugural WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships as some sort of forgone conclusion by the wrestling gods — at this very same event last year, Banks betrayed Bayley, kicking off the chain of events that led to the formation of their tag team — that would discount the magnitude of the accomplishment as well as the credibility of the women they had to go through to get there.
Several of the entrants into the second-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber Match could claim similar serendipity to The Boss ‘N’ Hug Connection; Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan of The Riott Squad were returning to the site of their WWE debuts, while The IIconics are lifelong friends on the cusp of a dream. More than anything, the Chamber was a reminder that while the obvious pick may ultimately win, that doesn’t mean they won’t have to earn it.
As if to drive the point home that this was truly anybody’s game, five of the six teams had already entered the Chamber before anybody suffered elimination. The first to go were Naomi & Carmella, “The Fabulous Glow,” tossed by an opportunistic and inventive double stack by The IIconics. Nia Jax & Tamina, an obvious threat due to their strength and No. 6 draw, notched two eliminations — The IIconics and The Riott Squad — before Jax accidentally took herself out by charging through a pod when Bayley moved out of the way, leaving Tamina at the mercy of the rest of the field. They showed none; all four unloaded on their stronger opponent and all four covered her for the elimination.
That brought the proceedings down to — and here is where you might be thinking destiny came into play — the two teams who started the match: Sasha & Bayley and Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville, the SmackDown goddesses calling themselves Fire and Desire. They showed plenty of both, driving Bayley spine-first into the beam of the Chamber pod and putting the onus on Banks and her barely-cleared injured shoulder to carry the load. She did. A big slam from Mandy seemed to have Banks dead to rights, but The Boss miraculously kicked out. A Bank Statement on Deville lacked the torque to earn a tap out until Sasha used her foot to compensate and cranked back, forcing The Jersey Devil to cry Uncle. And something that seemed as though it would never arrive was suddenly there.
Sasha was crying. Bayley was crying. Beth Phoenix was crying at commentary. You, too, were probably crying. And it was hard to argue with the WWE Universe’s inevitable but no less profound chant: They did, indeed, deserve it. But not because there were no other options. Not because of their past accomplishments. And not because their contributions to the Women’s Evolution all those years ago earmarked them for history, destiny or anything else. On this night, they deserved it for the simplest possible reason: They fought. And they won. (Via WWE.com)
Several of the entrants into the second-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber Match could claim similar serendipity to The Boss ‘N’ Hug Connection; Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan of The Riott Squad were returning to the site of their WWE debuts, while The IIconics are lifelong friends on the cusp of a dream. More than anything, the Chamber was a reminder that while the obvious pick may ultimately win, that doesn’t mean they won’t have to earn it.
As if to drive the point home that this was truly anybody’s game, five of the six teams had already entered the Chamber before anybody suffered elimination. The first to go were Naomi & Carmella, “The Fabulous Glow,” tossed by an opportunistic and inventive double stack by The IIconics. Nia Jax & Tamina, an obvious threat due to their strength and No. 6 draw, notched two eliminations — The IIconics and The Riott Squad — before Jax accidentally took herself out by charging through a pod when Bayley moved out of the way, leaving Tamina at the mercy of the rest of the field. They showed none; all four unloaded on their stronger opponent and all four covered her for the elimination.
That brought the proceedings down to — and here is where you might be thinking destiny came into play — the two teams who started the match: Sasha & Bayley and Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville, the SmackDown goddesses calling themselves Fire and Desire. They showed plenty of both, driving Bayley spine-first into the beam of the Chamber pod and putting the onus on Banks and her barely-cleared injured shoulder to carry the load. She did. A big slam from Mandy seemed to have Banks dead to rights, but The Boss miraculously kicked out. A Bank Statement on Deville lacked the torque to earn a tap out until Sasha used her foot to compensate and cranked back, forcing The Jersey Devil to cry Uncle. And something that seemed as though it would never arrive was suddenly there.
Sasha was crying. Bayley was crying. Beth Phoenix was crying at commentary. You, too, were probably crying. And it was hard to argue with the WWE Universe’s inevitable but no less profound chant: They did, indeed, deserve it. But not because there were no other options. Not because of their past accomplishments. And not because their contributions to the Women’s Evolution all those years ago earmarked them for history, destiny or anything else. On this night, they deserved it for the simplest possible reason: They fought. And they won. (Via WWE.com)
SmackDown Tag Team Championship: The Usos defeated SMACKDOWN TAG TEAM CHAMPION, Shane McMahon & The Miz.
Raise a glass, if you are so inclined, to the SmackDown Tag Team Title reign of The Miz & Shane McMahon, a.k.a. The Co-Besties, a.k.a. The Best Tag Team in the World, a.k.a. George Mizanin’s Pride and Joy, struck down just weeks into its existence by The Usos at WWE Elimination Chamber in a match that showcased Miz & Shane’s growing skills as a team and the wide chasm that exists between them and some of the more established tandems in WWE.
If the result wasn’t an outright reality check, it was definitely a comedown for an evening that started with The Miz bringing out Maryse to announce that they were expecting their second child (Miz dedicated the match to his growing family). The former WWE Champion was so fired up that he pulled off an honest-to-goodness springboard and seemed to be willing his team into the advantage against a duo that was not so much out to beat him and Shane as expose them.
In that route, Jimmy & Jey were likely surprised. Miz & Shane executed the “cut the ring in half” strategy, and they did so in the most daring possible fashion, with Shane-O-Mac planting Jey Uso through the commentary table with a Leap of Faith. The Awesome One had Jimmy Uso all to himself in the ring, but the same energy that carried him to the cusp of victory led to his defeat: Miz executed the Skull-Crushing Finale and rolled Jimmy over, but the Ano’ai high-flyer reversed his pinfall into a crucifix rollup, stunning the father-to-be with a pinfall and earning The Usos their sixth Tag Team Title. The only ones more shaken than the punch-drunk Usos were Miz & Shane, who walked up the ramp in near total silence — save for an “I’m sorry” from Miz when Shane finally sat up from the wreckage of the table. It was heartbreaking, it was sudden, but if Miz & Shane are going to truly pursue tag team greatness, they might have to get used to it: It happens to the best of teams. (Via WWE.com)
If the result wasn’t an outright reality check, it was definitely a comedown for an evening that started with The Miz bringing out Maryse to announce that they were expecting their second child (Miz dedicated the match to his growing family). The former WWE Champion was so fired up that he pulled off an honest-to-goodness springboard and seemed to be willing his team into the advantage against a duo that was not so much out to beat him and Shane as expose them.
In that route, Jimmy & Jey were likely surprised. Miz & Shane executed the “cut the ring in half” strategy, and they did so in the most daring possible fashion, with Shane-O-Mac planting Jey Uso through the commentary table with a Leap of Faith. The Awesome One had Jimmy Uso all to himself in the ring, but the same energy that carried him to the cusp of victory led to his defeat: Miz executed the Skull-Crushing Finale and rolled Jimmy over, but the Ano’ai high-flyer reversed his pinfall into a crucifix rollup, stunning the father-to-be with a pinfall and earning The Usos their sixth Tag Team Title. The only ones more shaken than the punch-drunk Usos were Miz & Shane, who walked up the ramp in near total silence — save for an “I’m sorry” from Miz when Shane finally sat up from the wreckage of the table. It was heartbreaking, it was sudden, but if Miz & Shane are going to truly pursue tag team greatness, they might have to get used to it: It happens to the best of teams. (Via WWE.com)
Intercontinental Championship: Finn Balor defeated Lio Rush & INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION, Bobby Lashley. (2-on-1 Handicap Match)
For all the extraordinary feats Finn Bálor is capable of, the strategy that won him his first Intercontinental Champion proved to be exactly what you thought it would be. Instead of pinning Bobby Lashley, the reigning champion, he pinned Lio Rush, The All Mighty’s fleet-footed hype man and an obvious target in a match where a victory over either opponent would earn Bálor the title. It wasn’t so much an ordinary idea as it was elementary, and Bálor executed it to near-perfection.
He also had to take a beating to get there. Rush’s pre-match descriptor of himself and Lashley as “sizzle and steak” proved to be right on the money: The Man of the Hour led Bálor on a merry chase into the waiting arms of The All Mighty, who pulverized the inaugural Universal Champion into a fine, Irish paste. It was looking like a rout in no uncertain terms; extraordinary though Bálor may be, there simply aren’t two of him.
Bálor, however, only needed one Lio Rush. The 24-Year-Old Piece of Gold, perhaps overzealous to prove himself against the Superstar who pinned him a couple weeks back, tagged himself in to Lashley’s chagrin and whiffed on his astonishing Final Hour splash, giving Finn a new lease on life and an opponent over whom he held a proven one-on-one advantage. He maintained that advantage, too, barreling through Rush with the dropkick-Coup de Grâce one-two punch and taking the title, leaving The All Mighty so infuriated he flattened Lio and stormed out of the ring in response. Win his first title in almost three years and maybe break up a profitable partnership in the span of a single night? There really isn’t anything Finn Bálor can’t do. (Via WWE.com)
He also had to take a beating to get there. Rush’s pre-match descriptor of himself and Lashley as “sizzle and steak” proved to be right on the money: The Man of the Hour led Bálor on a merry chase into the waiting arms of The All Mighty, who pulverized the inaugural Universal Champion into a fine, Irish paste. It was looking like a rout in no uncertain terms; extraordinary though Bálor may be, there simply aren’t two of him.
Bálor, however, only needed one Lio Rush. The 24-Year-Old Piece of Gold, perhaps overzealous to prove himself against the Superstar who pinned him a couple weeks back, tagged himself in to Lashley’s chagrin and whiffed on his astonishing Final Hour splash, giving Finn a new lease on life and an opponent over whom he held a proven one-on-one advantage. He maintained that advantage, too, barreling through Rush with the dropkick-Coup de Grâce one-two punch and taking the title, leaving The All Mighty so infuriated he flattened Lio and stormed out of the ring in response. Win his first title in almost three years and maybe break up a profitable partnership in the span of a single night? There really isn’t anything Finn Bálor can’t do. (Via WWE.com)
RAW Women's Championship: RAW WOMEN'S CHAMPION, Ronda Rousey defeated Ruby Riott by submission.
The Raw Women’s Championship Match at WrestleMania will remain as scheduled, which is to say it’s not going to involve Ruby Riott. Beyond that, however, things get murky.
The crimson-haired ringleader of The Riott Squad is one of the more underrated Superstars in WWE, but she was little more than a meal for Ronda Rousey, who entered the ring in Sonya Blade cosplay as a nod to her “Mortal Kombat 11” voicing role and quickly submitted Ruby with the Armbar despite the latter’s attempt at a cat-and-mouse strategy. But setting aside the cut-and-dry result of what happened in the ring, the shenanigans started early in this one and continued long after.
Charlotte Flair technically kicked things off with a pre-match victory lap, during which she further rubbed in the salt of being Mr. McMahon’s handpicked replacement for grassroots hero Becky Lynch at The Show of Shows. Lynch herself appeared afterward, crutching her way through the WWE Universe to the ring in defiance of a freshly-exacerbated knee injury and Mr. McMahon’s 60-day suspension. What seemed to be a symbolic gesture of rebellion soon turned physical, as The Man went to town on both women with her crutches, only pausing her attack on Charlotte to unleash her second decimation of Rousey in three months.
The final images of the confrontation were striking, and somewhat familiar. Rousey fumed at ringside with her face peppered with battle scars, a dazed Charlotte struggled to her feet, and Lynch smiled ear-to-ear while being led out by security with her hands behind her back. It was a strong reminder of a certain someone from a few years ago, who, if you may remember, had his own issues with The Chairman. You may also remember that man never took no for an answer. This one might not, either. (Via WWE.com)
The crimson-haired ringleader of The Riott Squad is one of the more underrated Superstars in WWE, but she was little more than a meal for Ronda Rousey, who entered the ring in Sonya Blade cosplay as a nod to her “Mortal Kombat 11” voicing role and quickly submitted Ruby with the Armbar despite the latter’s attempt at a cat-and-mouse strategy. But setting aside the cut-and-dry result of what happened in the ring, the shenanigans started early in this one and continued long after.
Charlotte Flair technically kicked things off with a pre-match victory lap, during which she further rubbed in the salt of being Mr. McMahon’s handpicked replacement for grassroots hero Becky Lynch at The Show of Shows. Lynch herself appeared afterward, crutching her way through the WWE Universe to the ring in defiance of a freshly-exacerbated knee injury and Mr. McMahon’s 60-day suspension. What seemed to be a symbolic gesture of rebellion soon turned physical, as The Man went to town on both women with her crutches, only pausing her attack on Charlotte to unleash her second decimation of Rousey in three months.
The final images of the confrontation were striking, and somewhat familiar. Rousey fumed at ringside with her face peppered with battle scars, a dazed Charlotte struggled to her feet, and Lynch smiled ear-to-ear while being led out by security with her hands behind her back. It was a strong reminder of a certain someone from a few years ago, who, if you may remember, had his own issues with The Chairman. You may also remember that man never took no for an answer. This one might not, either. (Via WWE.com)
Baron Corbin defeated Braun Strowman. (No Disqualification Match)
During the Elimination Chamber Kickoff, Braun Strowman regaled the WWE Universe with an eerie testimonial reframing his rivalry with Baron Corbin as some kind of macabre fairytale he called “The Monster and The Coward.” The Coward’s defining characteristic was that he couldn’t beat The Monster in any capacity without the help of some friends. Later in the evening in a No Disqualification Match, Baron Corbin defeated his monstrous foe, thanks in no small part to the help of some friends. This is what literary minds refer to as foreshadowing.
True, Corbin found some success with implements like the steel steps (his most effective weapon proved to be his vest, which he whipped into his opponent’s face to start the match), but that was about his only hope here: Strowman was the favorite even before he had access to a yard sale’s worth of plunder, and he barely needed the help of an implement to beat The Lone Wolf about the ring. The Monster Among Men pointedly shattered a Kendo stick on the grounds that he didn’t need one, though he indulged himself by plowing Corbin through a table with a Running Powerslam. And then things went downhill.
Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley, Corbin’s two colossal allies, arrived to the ring, steel chairs in hand, and joined in with a three-pronged dissection of The Monster Among Men from which he could barely fight back: Three is greater than one, no matter how great the one. The finishing stroke of Corbin’s crew was a Triple Powerbomb off the stacked steel steps and through two tables — a maneuver whose reminiscence of The Shield did not go unnoticed. This is what literary minds refer to as homage, and also, maybe, foreshadowing again. For Braun Strowman, this is starting to look like a tale as old as time, and unless something as done, it will be one told again and again and again. (Via WWE.com)
True, Corbin found some success with implements like the steel steps (his most effective weapon proved to be his vest, which he whipped into his opponent’s face to start the match), but that was about his only hope here: Strowman was the favorite even before he had access to a yard sale’s worth of plunder, and he barely needed the help of an implement to beat The Lone Wolf about the ring. The Monster Among Men pointedly shattered a Kendo stick on the grounds that he didn’t need one, though he indulged himself by plowing Corbin through a table with a Running Powerslam. And then things went downhill.
Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley, Corbin’s two colossal allies, arrived to the ring, steel chairs in hand, and joined in with a three-pronged dissection of The Monster Among Men from which he could barely fight back: Three is greater than one, no matter how great the one. The finishing stroke of Corbin’s crew was a Triple Powerbomb off the stacked steel steps and through two tables — a maneuver whose reminiscence of The Shield did not go unnoticed. This is what literary minds refer to as homage, and also, maybe, foreshadowing again. For Braun Strowman, this is starting to look like a tale as old as time, and unless something as done, it will be one told again and again and again. (Via WWE.com)
WWE Championship: WWE CHAMPION, "The New" Daniel Bryan defeated Kofi Kingston, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy & Samoa Joe. (Elimination Chamber Match)
For those of you who believe in miracles, the bad news first: Kofi Kingston did not win the WWE Championship. And if you were hoping for that outcome, that's a somewhat dispiriting result on its face: The Dreadlocked Dynamo’s unexpected sprint to the Elimination Chamber technically only lasted five days — he was named to the match on Tuesday and went an hour in a Gauntlet Match to remind everyone why — but it felt like he had been fighting for the entire 11 years he’s been here, or maybe even longer.
On paper, he was a sentimental favorite, but that doesn't seem to capture the respect and adoration the WWE Universe showered on him as a result of his week, his evening and his entire career; when the final pinfall was counted, you got the sense that if the WWE Universe could have entered the ring and borne his body to the locker room in magnificent defeat, they would have. Instead, The Dreadlocked Dynamo left under his own power with The New Day at his side, but moments earlier he jumped, he punched, he invited punishment to psych himself up and he even got the ceremonial Edge pose where he made a lunatic face and pressed it up against the edge of the Chamber. The man earned his moment and was more than ready for it; that Kofi didn’t win is in no way a knock on his performance. He went as big as he could, and then he went home.
The end result was, however, a rousing (if potentially begrudging) testimony to the man who walked into and out of the Chamber as WWE Champion, “The New” Daniel Bryan. If Kingston the WWE Universe’s sentimental favorite to leave with the title, the champion himself was the polar opposite for the competitors with which he shared the Chamber. Samoa Joe mottled Bryan’s chest with chops just seconds into the match, AJ Stylesslapped him square across the face, and the only reason Randy Orton didn’t eat him alive was because he never really got the chance. That Bryan survived was a credit to his tenacity (Rowan was pre-emptively ejected from the match, leaving him stranded), his tolerance for pain and, yes, his in-ring skills, which have not diminished in the slightest because he stopped chanting “Yes.” Bryan won this one straight down the middle, biding his time and outlasting Kofi down the stretch. His eco-advocacy can be on the aggressive side, but the man can go.
The field thinned quickly, or quicker than the Women’s Elimination Chamber earlier in the night. Like the kaijumonster that inspires his theme song, Joe left chaos in his wake and was felled from above, courtesy of a Phenomenal Forearm from Styles. Jeff Hardy, far from obsolete, was dropped by a Running Knee from Bryan — though not before he landed a Swanton Bomb off the top of a Chamber pod to the lumbar of The Phenomenal One, who was draped face-down across a top turnbuckle. And Orton, who snatched AJ out of midair with an RKO to eliminate the two-time WWE Champion, was a little too impressed with himself and wandered right into a Trouble in Paradise from Kofi that took him out of contention and teed up the final battle with Bryan.
They fought. Goodness, did they fight. Sometimes they fought straight up — Kofi escaped the LeBell Lock via a good old-fashioned rope break, which surprisingly exists in an Elimination Chamber. Sometimes they fought dirty, slamming each other’s heads into a glass pane while slugging it out atop an empty pod. And in Kofi’s case, they fought risky; he attempted to follow up that hockey fight with a splash that carried him from the pod to the ring, where he had hoped a downed Bryan would be waiting. He wasn’t: The Beard dodged the maneuver, clambered to his feet and drilled Kingston with his Running Knee for the second time, sealing his victory and snapping Kofi’s dream of championship glory – at least for now.
“For now” being something of the operative words. As Big E and Xavier Woods rushed into the emptied-out Chamber to their brother’s side, the WWE Universe continued to show respect. “That’s for you,” Big E said to Kingston as he rose to his feet, and Kofi’s reaction before he finally walked back behind the curtain was one of respect returned, mutual gratification and seeming determination; the lasting impression of his latest attempt at the WWE Title was that it may not be his last. The night didn’t go his way, but it felt like a new day all the same. (Via WWE.com)
On paper, he was a sentimental favorite, but that doesn't seem to capture the respect and adoration the WWE Universe showered on him as a result of his week, his evening and his entire career; when the final pinfall was counted, you got the sense that if the WWE Universe could have entered the ring and borne his body to the locker room in magnificent defeat, they would have. Instead, The Dreadlocked Dynamo left under his own power with The New Day at his side, but moments earlier he jumped, he punched, he invited punishment to psych himself up and he even got the ceremonial Edge pose where he made a lunatic face and pressed it up against the edge of the Chamber. The man earned his moment and was more than ready for it; that Kofi didn’t win is in no way a knock on his performance. He went as big as he could, and then he went home.
The end result was, however, a rousing (if potentially begrudging) testimony to the man who walked into and out of the Chamber as WWE Champion, “The New” Daniel Bryan. If Kingston the WWE Universe’s sentimental favorite to leave with the title, the champion himself was the polar opposite for the competitors with which he shared the Chamber. Samoa Joe mottled Bryan’s chest with chops just seconds into the match, AJ Stylesslapped him square across the face, and the only reason Randy Orton didn’t eat him alive was because he never really got the chance. That Bryan survived was a credit to his tenacity (Rowan was pre-emptively ejected from the match, leaving him stranded), his tolerance for pain and, yes, his in-ring skills, which have not diminished in the slightest because he stopped chanting “Yes.” Bryan won this one straight down the middle, biding his time and outlasting Kofi down the stretch. His eco-advocacy can be on the aggressive side, but the man can go.
The field thinned quickly, or quicker than the Women’s Elimination Chamber earlier in the night. Like the kaijumonster that inspires his theme song, Joe left chaos in his wake and was felled from above, courtesy of a Phenomenal Forearm from Styles. Jeff Hardy, far from obsolete, was dropped by a Running Knee from Bryan — though not before he landed a Swanton Bomb off the top of a Chamber pod to the lumbar of The Phenomenal One, who was draped face-down across a top turnbuckle. And Orton, who snatched AJ out of midair with an RKO to eliminate the two-time WWE Champion, was a little too impressed with himself and wandered right into a Trouble in Paradise from Kofi that took him out of contention and teed up the final battle with Bryan.
They fought. Goodness, did they fight. Sometimes they fought straight up — Kofi escaped the LeBell Lock via a good old-fashioned rope break, which surprisingly exists in an Elimination Chamber. Sometimes they fought dirty, slamming each other’s heads into a glass pane while slugging it out atop an empty pod. And in Kofi’s case, they fought risky; he attempted to follow up that hockey fight with a splash that carried him from the pod to the ring, where he had hoped a downed Bryan would be waiting. He wasn’t: The Beard dodged the maneuver, clambered to his feet and drilled Kingston with his Running Knee for the second time, sealing his victory and snapping Kofi’s dream of championship glory – at least for now.
“For now” being something of the operative words. As Big E and Xavier Woods rushed into the emptied-out Chamber to their brother’s side, the WWE Universe continued to show respect. “That’s for you,” Big E said to Kingston as he rose to his feet, and Kofi’s reaction before he finally walked back behind the curtain was one of respect returned, mutual gratification and seeming determination; the lasting impression of his latest attempt at the WWE Title was that it may not be his last. The night didn’t go his way, but it felt like a new day all the same. (Via WWE.com)