Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson defeated The miztourage. (Kickoff Match)
Sin City is officially a “Good Brother” town.
Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson banished The Miztourage to bat country in a Kickoff clash at WWE Elimination Chamber, and the good brothers’ victory inarguably served some justice to Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel after their interference cost Finn Bálor in Raw’s record-setting Gauntlet Match.
The Miztourage looked good out of the gate, thanks to a focused effort against Karl Anderson. Dallas & Axel stranded him far from Gallows’ reach and went to town on him, using a combination of sneaky, behind-the-back tagging and happily basking in their crisp in-ring acumen.
Of course, the arrival of The Suntan Biker Man changed the complexion of the match in seconds. Dallas was subjected to a Sin City beatdown from the fresh Gallows that was so severe Axel had to intervene, once again bringing the match to a 2-on-1 against Anderson.
This time, however, the former Raw Tag Team Champion was ready, stranding Axel atop the turnbuckle and tagging in Gallows, who disposed of Dallas and hauled The Axe Man into position for a fateful Magic Killer. (The Revival, watching from backstage, remained unimpressed across the board.)
Whether The Miztourage are indeed nerds as Gallows & Anderson have claimed may be a matter of opinion. But in this particular win-or-lose instance, it’d be hard to argue with the good brothers. (Via WWE.com)
Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson banished The Miztourage to bat country in a Kickoff clash at WWE Elimination Chamber, and the good brothers’ victory inarguably served some justice to Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel after their interference cost Finn Bálor in Raw’s record-setting Gauntlet Match.
The Miztourage looked good out of the gate, thanks to a focused effort against Karl Anderson. Dallas & Axel stranded him far from Gallows’ reach and went to town on him, using a combination of sneaky, behind-the-back tagging and happily basking in their crisp in-ring acumen.
Of course, the arrival of The Suntan Biker Man changed the complexion of the match in seconds. Dallas was subjected to a Sin City beatdown from the fresh Gallows that was so severe Axel had to intervene, once again bringing the match to a 2-on-1 against Anderson.
This time, however, the former Raw Tag Team Champion was ready, stranding Axel atop the turnbuckle and tagging in Gallows, who disposed of Dallas and hauled The Axe Man into position for a fateful Magic Killer. (The Revival, watching from backstage, remained unimpressed across the board.)
Whether The Miztourage are indeed nerds as Gallows & Anderson have claimed may be a matter of opinion. But in this particular win-or-lose instance, it’d be hard to argue with the good brothers. (Via WWE.com)
RAW Women's Championship: RAW WOMEN'S CHAMPION, Alexa BLiss defeated Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Mickie James, Bayley & Sasha Banks. (Elimination Chamber Match)
She did it again.
Alexa Bliss outplayed the odds, outsmarted her doubters and outlasted five of Raw’s best to survive the first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber Match with her Raw Women’s Title intact. With that, she all but ensured she will walk into WrestleMania as champion.
That she did so is both a minor miracle — her competition was no joke — and business as usual for The Goddess, who, a two-week blip aside, has managed to stave off defeat and keep the title in her clutches for almost a year. Granted, Bliss had one major advantage of entering the Chamber last, but there’s no questioning the enormity of Little Miss Bliss’ accomplishments.
Before Bliss made history, however, the early stretches of the contest belonged to Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose of Absolution. The only true-blue teammates of the match ran roughshod over Bayley (who started the match with Deville) and Sasha Banks (entrant No. 4). That was until The Boss notched the first elimination of the contest by applying the excruciating Bank Statement to Rose. With that, The Walking Work of Art earned the dubious distinction of being the first competitor tossed from both the Women’s Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber Matches.
Mickie James, who seemed to be Bliss’ own prospective safety net going into the match, entered at No. 5 and finished off Absolution with a breath-taking leap from one of the Chamber pods onto Deville. She was quickly sent packing, though, by the tentative alliance of Banks and Bayley, who dispatched her with a one-two-punch of a Backstabber and Bayley-to-Belly.
That left Bliss alone against a two-on-one advantage, but the Bayley-Boss alliance proved to be as untenable as ever. The best friends cornered Bliss atop one of the pods before Banks shockingly booted The Huggable One off the edge. This instigated a ruthless throwdown that Bliss largely avoided, choosing instead to let the two tee off on each other.
Alexa’s patience paid off when Banks suffered a ruthless Bayley-to-Belly off the second rope. Bliss surprised everyone by instead pinning The Huggable One with a rollup, bringing the bout down to her and The Boss. Banks, the only woman to defeat Bliss for the Raw Women’s Title, gave an all-world effort against The Goddess, but her attempt at a high-risk maneuver backfired horribly when Banks shoved her face-first into a glass pod. Bliss administered a hanging DDT off the top rope, and history was made.
At first, Alexa seemed to recognize the gravity of her accomplishment, dedicating her win to little girls who “dream big.” And then she clarified that none of them would ever accomplish said dreams or be better than her. Basking in her own magnificence, Bliss proclaimed she had defied expectations and odds once again, which, to be fair, she did.
Now, The Showcase of Immortals lies ahead. For a self-proclaimed Goddess, there could be no more fitting a destination. (Via WWE.com)
Alexa Bliss outplayed the odds, outsmarted her doubters and outlasted five of Raw’s best to survive the first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber Match with her Raw Women’s Title intact. With that, she all but ensured she will walk into WrestleMania as champion.
That she did so is both a minor miracle — her competition was no joke — and business as usual for The Goddess, who, a two-week blip aside, has managed to stave off defeat and keep the title in her clutches for almost a year. Granted, Bliss had one major advantage of entering the Chamber last, but there’s no questioning the enormity of Little Miss Bliss’ accomplishments.
Before Bliss made history, however, the early stretches of the contest belonged to Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose of Absolution. The only true-blue teammates of the match ran roughshod over Bayley (who started the match with Deville) and Sasha Banks (entrant No. 4). That was until The Boss notched the first elimination of the contest by applying the excruciating Bank Statement to Rose. With that, The Walking Work of Art earned the dubious distinction of being the first competitor tossed from both the Women’s Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber Matches.
Mickie James, who seemed to be Bliss’ own prospective safety net going into the match, entered at No. 5 and finished off Absolution with a breath-taking leap from one of the Chamber pods onto Deville. She was quickly sent packing, though, by the tentative alliance of Banks and Bayley, who dispatched her with a one-two-punch of a Backstabber and Bayley-to-Belly.
That left Bliss alone against a two-on-one advantage, but the Bayley-Boss alliance proved to be as untenable as ever. The best friends cornered Bliss atop one of the pods before Banks shockingly booted The Huggable One off the edge. This instigated a ruthless throwdown that Bliss largely avoided, choosing instead to let the two tee off on each other.
Alexa’s patience paid off when Banks suffered a ruthless Bayley-to-Belly off the second rope. Bliss surprised everyone by instead pinning The Huggable One with a rollup, bringing the bout down to her and The Boss. Banks, the only woman to defeat Bliss for the Raw Women’s Title, gave an all-world effort against The Goddess, but her attempt at a high-risk maneuver backfired horribly when Banks shoved her face-first into a glass pod. Bliss administered a hanging DDT off the top rope, and history was made.
At first, Alexa seemed to recognize the gravity of her accomplishment, dedicating her win to little girls who “dream big.” And then she clarified that none of them would ever accomplish said dreams or be better than her. Basking in her own magnificence, Bliss proclaimed she had defied expectations and odds once again, which, to be fair, she did.
Now, The Showcase of Immortals lies ahead. For a self-proclaimed Goddess, there could be no more fitting a destination. (Via WWE.com)
RAW Tag Team Championship: RAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS, Cesaro & Sheamus defeated Titus Worldwide.
After a trifecta of wins over Cesaro & Sheamus, Titus Worldwide looked to have the Raw Tag Team Champions’ number. The Bar are four-time titleholders for a reason, though, and they showed why as they turned back a game effort from Titus O’Neil & Apollo to retain the gold.
It looked real dicey for a while, however, for the self-proclaimed bar-setters of Team Red. Despite a pre-match attack against Apollo (who has been the champs’ Achilles heel), Cesaro & Sheamus quickly found themselves on the defensive. It took some chicanery from the champions to turn the tables and allow them to once again seize control of the match. With Titus stranded on the apron, Apollo was subjected to all manner of punishment from The Swiss Cyborg and Celtic Warrior. A missed charge into the corner finally slowed the champions and allowed The Big Deal to enter the match.
The mighty O’Neil instantly made his presence felt, taking the match to the brink by landing Clash of the Titus on Sheamus. (Cesaro saved his partner by a hair.) The rejuvenated Apollo tagged back in and seemed ready to take over at the finish line, but The Bar remained just a step ahead. After Cesaro dispatched Titus at ringside, a quick tag left Apollo confused —he attempted the Spinning
Sit-out Powerbomb on Sheamus instead of legal man Cesaro — and allowed the champs to execute the springboard White Noise combo for the win.
Take nothing away from Titus Worldwide, who proved that, at their best, they can hang with anybody. But, to use a Vegas metaphor, when it’s all on the line, there’s no better bet than The Bar. (Via WWE.com)
It looked real dicey for a while, however, for the self-proclaimed bar-setters of Team Red. Despite a pre-match attack against Apollo (who has been the champs’ Achilles heel), Cesaro & Sheamus quickly found themselves on the defensive. It took some chicanery from the champions to turn the tables and allow them to once again seize control of the match. With Titus stranded on the apron, Apollo was subjected to all manner of punishment from The Swiss Cyborg and Celtic Warrior. A missed charge into the corner finally slowed the champions and allowed The Big Deal to enter the match.
The mighty O’Neil instantly made his presence felt, taking the match to the brink by landing Clash of the Titus on Sheamus. (Cesaro saved his partner by a hair.) The rejuvenated Apollo tagged back in and seemed ready to take over at the finish line, but The Bar remained just a step ahead. After Cesaro dispatched Titus at ringside, a quick tag left Apollo confused —he attempted the Spinning
Sit-out Powerbomb on Sheamus instead of legal man Cesaro — and allowed the champs to execute the springboard White Noise combo for the win.
Take nothing away from Titus Worldwide, who proved that, at their best, they can hang with anybody. But, to use a Vegas metaphor, when it’s all on the line, there’s no better bet than The Bar. (Via WWE.com)
Asuka defeated Nia Jax.
Nia Jax was ready for Asuka. And it still wasn’t enough.
In a match where a victory would have landed Jax a guaranteed place in the Raw Women’s Title Match at WrestleMania, The Irresistible Force found herself reduced to another notch in Asuka’s ever-expanding “win” column. But given what Jax did to Asuka, it’s fair to question whether The Empress of Tomorrow will be anywhere near full strength as she marches toward a Women’s Title Match of her choosing at The Showcase of the Immortals.
Jax, to her credit, seemed entirely unimpressed with the mystique of the undefeated Superstar, stomping one of Asuka’s masks beneath her boot on the way to the ring. Jax deployed a near-flawless game plan that anticipated almost all of Asuka’s in-ring unpredictability and countered it with pure force. Even submissions — undoubtedly Asuka’s main path to victory here — proved fruitless, though they did sufficiently deplete The Irresistible Force enough to make her a step slower than she would have liked.
Asuka capitalized, evading Nia’s elbow drops and blistering her with kicks and elbows when the powerful Superstar went down to one knee. Asuka also evaded Jax’s go-big maneuver — a Banzai Bomb — and locked in an armbar after Jax missed a big corner tackle.
The Irresistible Force once again powered out of the submission, lifting Asuka into the air and ramming her into the corner. When she went to administer a powerbomb, however, The Empress of Tomorrow torqued Jax into a rollup to score the win with the last gasp of her energy. A fuming Jax didn’t hesitate to make a statement at her opponent’s expense, charging the exhausted Asuka through the barricade in a ruthless post-match beating.
Watching backstage on a monitor, Alexa Bliss could barely conceal her delight, and it’s easy to see why. Not only does she not have to worry about Jax at WrestleMania, but thanks to The Irresistible Force’s efforts, she might not have to worry about Asuka either. (Via WWE.com)
In a match where a victory would have landed Jax a guaranteed place in the Raw Women’s Title Match at WrestleMania, The Irresistible Force found herself reduced to another notch in Asuka’s ever-expanding “win” column. But given what Jax did to Asuka, it’s fair to question whether The Empress of Tomorrow will be anywhere near full strength as she marches toward a Women’s Title Match of her choosing at The Showcase of the Immortals.
Jax, to her credit, seemed entirely unimpressed with the mystique of the undefeated Superstar, stomping one of Asuka’s masks beneath her boot on the way to the ring. Jax deployed a near-flawless game plan that anticipated almost all of Asuka’s in-ring unpredictability and countered it with pure force. Even submissions — undoubtedly Asuka’s main path to victory here — proved fruitless, though they did sufficiently deplete The Irresistible Force enough to make her a step slower than she would have liked.
Asuka capitalized, evading Nia’s elbow drops and blistering her with kicks and elbows when the powerful Superstar went down to one knee. Asuka also evaded Jax’s go-big maneuver — a Banzai Bomb — and locked in an armbar after Jax missed a big corner tackle.
The Irresistible Force once again powered out of the submission, lifting Asuka into the air and ramming her into the corner. When she went to administer a powerbomb, however, The Empress of Tomorrow torqued Jax into a rollup to score the win with the last gasp of her energy. A fuming Jax didn’t hesitate to make a statement at her opponent’s expense, charging the exhausted Asuka through the barricade in a ruthless post-match beating.
Watching backstage on a monitor, Alexa Bliss could barely conceal her delight, and it’s easy to see why. Not only does she not have to worry about Jax at WrestleMania, but thanks to The Irresistible Force’s efforts, she might not have to worry about Asuka either. (Via WWE.com)
Ronda Rousey puts Triple H through a table, gets slapped by Stephanie McMahon during her official Raw Contract Signing Body.
On her first night as a WWE Superstar, Ronda Rousey put Triple H through a table, was slapped across the face by Stephanie McMahon and got the co-sign from an Olympic Gold Medalist. Not a bad start to the in-ring career of one of the most celebrated athletes on the planet.
Things went about as well as could be imagined at first, as Rousey tearfully thanked the WWE Universe for the opportunity to fulfill a dream, promising to do her namesake “Rowdy” Roddy Piper proud. Triple H made it clear that Rousey didn’t want any special treatment in her contract as well. The only thing the document would guarantee was an invite WrestleMania, which The Game sweetened to a match at The Showcase of the Immortals. Rousey was all too happy to sign — until she noticed Angle visibly stirring with discomfort and asked him what was on his mind.
According to the Raw GM, the praise heaped on the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion in advance of her signing was little more than lip-service to placate the new signee — behind closed doors, all the onetime Authority really wanted to do was keep Rousey under their thumb as payback for embarrassing them both at WrestleMania 31 a few years back.
A panicked Triple H tried to get the train back on its track by ushering Angle out of the ring, but The Olympic Hero offered one parting shot as The Game shooed him backstage: Stephanie had apparently called Ronda a “has-been” and said she could “take her.” Sufficiently rankled, Rousey intimidated Stephanie and then subjected The Game to a beating that made WrestleMania 31 look quaint, slamming him through the signing table.
Stephanie slapped Rousey across the face in retaliation, but the cold-eyed stare from “Rowdy” Ronda led the Raw Commissioner to flee the ring before The Baddest Woman on the Planet could again put hands on her. Rousey finished her first night at WWE by signing her deal in earnest and tossing it on the ruined Triple H.
In short, Triple H and Stephanie got their wish: Ronda Rousey is a WWE Superstar. But they might wish before long that she wasn’t. (Via WWE.com)
Things went about as well as could be imagined at first, as Rousey tearfully thanked the WWE Universe for the opportunity to fulfill a dream, promising to do her namesake “Rowdy” Roddy Piper proud. Triple H made it clear that Rousey didn’t want any special treatment in her contract as well. The only thing the document would guarantee was an invite WrestleMania, which The Game sweetened to a match at The Showcase of the Immortals. Rousey was all too happy to sign — until she noticed Angle visibly stirring with discomfort and asked him what was on his mind.
According to the Raw GM, the praise heaped on the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion in advance of her signing was little more than lip-service to placate the new signee — behind closed doors, all the onetime Authority really wanted to do was keep Rousey under their thumb as payback for embarrassing them both at WrestleMania 31 a few years back.
A panicked Triple H tried to get the train back on its track by ushering Angle out of the ring, but The Olympic Hero offered one parting shot as The Game shooed him backstage: Stephanie had apparently called Ronda a “has-been” and said she could “take her.” Sufficiently rankled, Rousey intimidated Stephanie and then subjected The Game to a beating that made WrestleMania 31 look quaint, slamming him through the signing table.
Stephanie slapped Rousey across the face in retaliation, but the cold-eyed stare from “Rowdy” Ronda led the Raw Commissioner to flee the ring before The Baddest Woman on the Planet could again put hands on her. Rousey finished her first night at WWE by signing her deal in earnest and tossing it on the ruined Triple H.
In short, Triple H and Stephanie got their wish: Ronda Rousey is a WWE Superstar. But they might wish before long that she wasn’t. (Via WWE.com)
"Woken" Matt Hardy defeated Bray Wyatt.
In what was less a match between Superstars and more a battle between darkness and light, “Woken” Matt Hardy vanquished Bray Wyatt at WWE Elimination Chamber in both body and soul.
Hardy thwarted The Reaper of Souls before the bell even rang when he vanished from the ring, taunting the former WWE Champion as a disembodied voice that promised nothing less than obsolescence for The Eater of Worlds.
Wyatt was completely taken aback when Hardy reappeared. The Woken One attempted a series of Twists of Fate at the start, and each nearly found their mark before The Eater of Worlds used his comparative bulk to press Hardy into the mat. Wyatt continued to find success when the fight spilled on the outside, too. Even though Hardy avoided a uranage on the steps, a clothesline turned him into a splatter on the T-Mobile Arena floor all the same.
With his Woken Warriors willing him back into the fight, Hardy mounted a wonderful rally. Still, The Eater of Worlds’ strength advantage allowed him to cut off the deletion process nonetheless. What The Woken One did possess, however, is speed, and after Hardy evaded the clutches of Sister Abigail, a boot to the gut left Wyatt open to a splendiferous Twist of Fate that all but bathed Las Vegas in a heavenly light. (Via WWE.com)
Hardy thwarted The Reaper of Souls before the bell even rang when he vanished from the ring, taunting the former WWE Champion as a disembodied voice that promised nothing less than obsolescence for The Eater of Worlds.
Wyatt was completely taken aback when Hardy reappeared. The Woken One attempted a series of Twists of Fate at the start, and each nearly found their mark before The Eater of Worlds used his comparative bulk to press Hardy into the mat. Wyatt continued to find success when the fight spilled on the outside, too. Even though Hardy avoided a uranage on the steps, a clothesline turned him into a splatter on the T-Mobile Arena floor all the same.
With his Woken Warriors willing him back into the fight, Hardy mounted a wonderful rally. Still, The Eater of Worlds’ strength advantage allowed him to cut off the deletion process nonetheless. What The Woken One did possess, however, is speed, and after Hardy evaded the clutches of Sister Abigail, a boot to the gut left Wyatt open to a splendiferous Twist of Fate that all but bathed Las Vegas in a heavenly light. (Via WWE.com)
Roman Reigns defeated intercontinental Champion, The Miz, Elias, John Cena, Finn Balor, Seth Rollins & Braun Strowman. (Elimination Chamber Match, Universal Championship #1 Contendership match)
Most Superstars don’t survive their first trip to Suplex City. Roman Reigns just booked himself a return visit.
The Big Dog prevailed in the first-ever Seven-Man Elimination Chamber Match to punch his ticket to his first one-on-one showdown with Brock Lesnar since his ill-fated WWE Title Match at WrestleMania 31, though this time he’ll challenge for the Universal Championship at The Showcase of the Immortals. Reigns’ carried him past the cream of Raw’s crop. Each of the seven competitors in the historic Men’s Elimination Chamber Match had all the motivation in the world to carry them to WrestleMania, but The Big Dog wanted it just that much more.
The Miz, looking to bring the Intercontinental Championship to the main event of The Show of Shows, entered the Chamber as one of the first entrants due to a loss to John Cena. Despite the handicap, the Intercontinental Champion proved to be the canniest competitor of the bunch. From trying to Too-Sweet Finn Bálor into an alliance (not being one of “The Bbbbbbboys,” he was swiftly denied) to picking whatever bones he could, Miz seemed as though he would manage to outwit his way into The Show of Shows — until he was eliminated first by Braun Strowman via a Running Powerslam.
Elias, who won the right to enter the Chamber last, was buzzed in moments after Miz was tossed and quickly locked himself back into his pod, refusing to emerge until the field had seemingly taken itself out. Looking to drift his way to the biggest performance of his life, Elias sprinted in when his opponents were all depleted and blatantly tried to take advantage of whoever was most vulnerable. It seemed like he, too, might steal one — until he was eliminated second by Braun Strowman.
John Cena, the lion in winter whose uncertain path to WrestleMania had clouded his mind with a must-win mentality, made a point of seeking out Seth Rollins (more on him in a second) and threw himself headlong into the fray. However, he was never quite in the thick of it, and he was eliminated third by Strowman. (In a post-Chamber interview on Raw Talk, he hinted at a “plan” to get to The Show of Shows that involved him crossing some unspoken locker-room lines, though he did not elaborate.)
Bálor, fighting with all his heart to win back the title that he never lost, started the match with Miz and Rollins and ended up stepping directly to Strowman as the field began to thin. Unfortunately, the continuing presence of Reigns and Rollins kept forcing The Extraordinary Man to stop his onslaught short, and one particular digression — a Coup de Grâce to Reigns — left him open to the fourth elimination of the match, once again by Strowman.
Rollins, coming off a record-setting performance on Raw that made him the overwhelming sentimental favorite in the Chamber, truly backed up his desire to become “The Man” again, partially by displaying the ruthlessness that got him there in the first place. Rollins formed a tentative alliance with Reigns that he dissolved the second he got the chance, booting The Big Dog in the face and stepping to Strowman, once again, by himself, though he was the fifth man eliminated by Strowman, yet again by way of Running Powerslam.
As for Strowman, he was the unquestioned MVP of the match as far as eliminations were concerned. Every ousting besides his own was achieved by These Hands, and despite having suffered an array of finishing maneuvers from everybody else in the match, The Monster Among Men seemingly had Reigns right where he wanted him. The exhausted Big Dog ended up using Strowman’s own aggression against him, olé’ing The Gift of Destruction through one of the pods and administering a rapid combination of three Superman Punches and two titanic Spears to finally put down The Monster Among Men.
Unfortunately for Reigns, Braun didn’t stay down. The Big Dog couldn’t even enjoy his victory before Strowman roared back to life, flattening Reigns with a pair of Running Powerslams and a trip through the pod. The attack caused Reigns to be carried backstage, but he had recovered by the time Raw Talk came around to promise closure and redemption come WrestleMania. It's far from an empty boast: Given Reigns’ skill and how close he came the first time, we know he has the ability to beat Brock Lesnar. The only question that remains is whether he will. (Via WWE.com)
The Big Dog prevailed in the first-ever Seven-Man Elimination Chamber Match to punch his ticket to his first one-on-one showdown with Brock Lesnar since his ill-fated WWE Title Match at WrestleMania 31, though this time he’ll challenge for the Universal Championship at The Showcase of the Immortals. Reigns’ carried him past the cream of Raw’s crop. Each of the seven competitors in the historic Men’s Elimination Chamber Match had all the motivation in the world to carry them to WrestleMania, but The Big Dog wanted it just that much more.
The Miz, looking to bring the Intercontinental Championship to the main event of The Show of Shows, entered the Chamber as one of the first entrants due to a loss to John Cena. Despite the handicap, the Intercontinental Champion proved to be the canniest competitor of the bunch. From trying to Too-Sweet Finn Bálor into an alliance (not being one of “The Bbbbbbboys,” he was swiftly denied) to picking whatever bones he could, Miz seemed as though he would manage to outwit his way into The Show of Shows — until he was eliminated first by Braun Strowman via a Running Powerslam.
Elias, who won the right to enter the Chamber last, was buzzed in moments after Miz was tossed and quickly locked himself back into his pod, refusing to emerge until the field had seemingly taken itself out. Looking to drift his way to the biggest performance of his life, Elias sprinted in when his opponents were all depleted and blatantly tried to take advantage of whoever was most vulnerable. It seemed like he, too, might steal one — until he was eliminated second by Braun Strowman.
John Cena, the lion in winter whose uncertain path to WrestleMania had clouded his mind with a must-win mentality, made a point of seeking out Seth Rollins (more on him in a second) and threw himself headlong into the fray. However, he was never quite in the thick of it, and he was eliminated third by Strowman. (In a post-Chamber interview on Raw Talk, he hinted at a “plan” to get to The Show of Shows that involved him crossing some unspoken locker-room lines, though he did not elaborate.)
Bálor, fighting with all his heart to win back the title that he never lost, started the match with Miz and Rollins and ended up stepping directly to Strowman as the field began to thin. Unfortunately, the continuing presence of Reigns and Rollins kept forcing The Extraordinary Man to stop his onslaught short, and one particular digression — a Coup de Grâce to Reigns — left him open to the fourth elimination of the match, once again by Strowman.
Rollins, coming off a record-setting performance on Raw that made him the overwhelming sentimental favorite in the Chamber, truly backed up his desire to become “The Man” again, partially by displaying the ruthlessness that got him there in the first place. Rollins formed a tentative alliance with Reigns that he dissolved the second he got the chance, booting The Big Dog in the face and stepping to Strowman, once again, by himself, though he was the fifth man eliminated by Strowman, yet again by way of Running Powerslam.
As for Strowman, he was the unquestioned MVP of the match as far as eliminations were concerned. Every ousting besides his own was achieved by These Hands, and despite having suffered an array of finishing maneuvers from everybody else in the match, The Monster Among Men seemingly had Reigns right where he wanted him. The exhausted Big Dog ended up using Strowman’s own aggression against him, olé’ing The Gift of Destruction through one of the pods and administering a rapid combination of three Superman Punches and two titanic Spears to finally put down The Monster Among Men.
Unfortunately for Reigns, Braun didn’t stay down. The Big Dog couldn’t even enjoy his victory before Strowman roared back to life, flattening Reigns with a pair of Running Powerslams and a trip through the pod. The attack caused Reigns to be carried backstage, but he had recovered by the time Raw Talk came around to promise closure and redemption come WrestleMania. It's far from an empty boast: Given Reigns’ skill and how close he came the first time, we know he has the ability to beat Brock Lesnar. The only question that remains is whether he will. (Via WWE.com)