The WWE heads to Australia for its next Premium Live Event, Elimination Chamber. The event continues WWE on its Road to WrestleMania as it sets up major matches for the Grandest Stage of them All. It also features one of the most popular matches in WWE history. The elimination chamber match was first introduced at Survivor Series 2002 as a six person World title match. The match features a cage surrounding the ring, four pods where wrestlers enter at timed intervals and two wrestlers starting the match until five of the wrestlers have been defeated. Billed as part Survivor Series, part Hell in the Cell and part War Games, the match has produced some of the greatest matches in WWE history. Let’s look at the five best elimination chamber matches.
5. Triple H vs. Randy Orton vs. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Batista vs. Edge – New Year’s Revolution 2005
This match helped fuel the breakup of Evolution while building Edge as a credible main eventer. Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit carried much of the heavy lifting as the best in-ring performers. Edge recently turned heel after years as a babyface and was finally coming into his own. Despite the fact these three were able to get the fans invested, it was the Evolution story that carried this match.
Evolution kicked Randy Orton out after he won the World title from Benoit the previous August. Triple H couldn’t handle someone in the group other than him being champion. He was able to win the belt back in September and still held the belt entering this January event. Triple H failed to prevent his stablemate, Batista, from being eliminated by Orton. Batista then beat down Orton so Triple H could pick up the scraps and retain the title. However, Triple H letting Batista be eliminated helped set up Batista’s Royal Rumble win and face turn.
4. Edge vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho vs. John Cena Vs. Kane vs. Mike Knox – No Way Out 2009
This elimination chamber match set up a much larger overall story, even with an also ran like Mike Knox in the match. Edge lost his WWE Championship in the first elimination chamber match of the night. He beat down Kofi Kingston, who was supposed to be in the match, and took his place in the pod. Meanwhile, John Cena entered the match as World Champion and only put in 90 seconds of work.
When Cena’s pod opened, he entered like a house of fire, taking everyone down. But, Edge, Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho all hit their finishers to eliminate him. Edge outlasted Mysterio and Jericho to win the World Heavyweight title in a match he was never supposed to enter. This set up his WrestleMania match with John Cena and the Big Show.
3. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H vs. Chris Jericho vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Booker T Vs. Kane – Survivor Series 2002
The very first elimination chamber match set a standard that has been hard to top. Triple H began his “reign of terror” but a few times during that run, someone got the better of him. This match highlighted the bright WWE futures for Booker T and Rob Van Dam. Kane and Chris Jericho continued ensuring their main event statuses. Shawn Michaels won his fourth and final World Championship just three months after returning to a WWE ring for the first time in four years. This match didn’t raise the bar, for elimination chambers, it is the bar.
2. Bray Wyatt vs. AJ Styles vs. John Cena vs. Baron Corbin vs. The Miz vs. Dean Ambrose – Elimination Chamber 2017
When someone needs an example of a match being predictable but still a good story, this is the match to show them. Randy Orton won the Royal Rumble with WWE hinting at a WrestleMania match between Orton and Bray Wyatt. John Cena needed to drop the title, but a straight up one-on-one match with Wyatt made no sense since Cena had been feuding with AJ Styles. This match allowed Wyatt to win, Cena and Styles to continue their feud and gave a spotlight to Corbin, Miz and Ambrose. Two of those three won World titles in the following years.
1. Daniel Bryan vs. Kofi Kingston vs. AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy – Elimination Chamber 2019
Just by the lineup presented, it’s easy to understand how this would be the greatest elimination chamber match of all time. All six competitors can carry any opponent to a great match, so no one would have to be carried here. This match was an important step in “Kofimania.” Mustafa Ali was supposed to fill the final chamber spot but an ill-timed injury led to Kofi Kingston being thrown in the mix. Stellar performances in the weeks leading up to the chamber made him the clear fan favorite to de-throne Daniel Bryan.
Bryan walked away with the win as Kofi was the last superstar eliminated. However, it set up the monster push for WrestleMania. The fans continued their support of Kofi, and he found an advocate behind the scenes in Daniel Bryan who pushed for Kofi to beat him for the title at the Showcase of the Immortals. While Kofi’s title run was booked poorly, his title chase was booked perfectly, including this match.
Those are my picks. What are some of your favorite elimination chamber matches?
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