This weekend is WWE’s Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event, the final stop on the road to WrestleMania. Created in 2002, the match used to have way higher stakes. The champions would enter the Chamber and fight to keep their titles. Sometimes, there would be insane title changes and moments. Other times, they’d walk out victorious. The unpredictability is why it became a fan-favorite event. Nowadays, the champion does not compete. Instead, six Superstars battle for a title shot at WrestleMania.
We’ve compiled seven of the most unforgettable Elimination Chamber moments. Check them out below.
Shawn Michaels Wins Inaugural Chamber
When the Elimination Chamber was created in 2002, WWE needed to capture fans’ attention in a big way. Enter Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series. He had just come back from a career-threatening injury and by this point he was sober. Wrestling fans love rooting for the underdog, and that’s exactly what happened. Michaels’ win not only solidified the Chamber’s existence, he also won his fourth and final WWE Championship.
Triple H’s Life Threatening Injury
While Michaels was returning from injury, his best friend and DX stablemate Triple H was about to face one that could not only end his career but his life. Because it was the first Chamber the men went all out — big spots, high-octane moments, including Rob Van Dam. He did the Five Star Frog Splash onto Triple H from the top of the pod. His shin landed directly on Triple H’s throat, crushing it in an instant. He struggled to breathe but powered through the match, even taking everyone’s finishing maneuvers. It was later revealed he suffered a broken trachea.
first tag team chamber
WWE is always trying to find ways to innovate their product. In 2015, they introduced the first tag team Elimination Chamber match. Not only was this huge for tag team wrestling, it proved to be a success, despite how chaotic it would come to be. They followed it up in 2020, but it hasn’t been done since. It received great fan reception, so maybe it will come back someday.
start of kofimania
Much like the Wyatt situation or Daniel Bryan, we also had Kofimania. A fan-created movement (unlike the loosely manufactured Cody Rhodes story) to push Kofi Kingston into the main event. For years, fans saw his potential as a main event star, but he was only ever pushed into the mid card. That all changed at Elimination Chamber when he earned himself a title match at WrestleMania. Ironically, he was up against Bryan. But I don’t think a better person could’ve put him over, considering he had his WrestleMania moment in a very similar fashion.
edge cashes in
In 2009, WWE was hot potato-ing the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships like crazy. In the Chamber at No Way Out, fans were left shocked when it happened again. John Cena — one of the biggest babyfaces at the time — walked in as champion. Just a few minutes into the match, he was eliminated. There would be a guaranteed title change by the end of the match. Edge and Rey Mysterio took it all the way to the end, with Edge spearing Mysterio for the win.
bray Wyatt win
Bray Wyatt pinned both John Cena and AJ Styles to win his first-ever WWE Championship. While he won the big one here, at WrestleMania, he was defeated by Randy Orton. That was just the state of the company then. Many argue that Styles should’ve retained instead of letting Cena hold the belt for just two weeks, but I think by that point it was an easy way to push Cena to No. 16 without holding the title in purgatory. However, Wyatt definitely should’ve won the Royal Rumble and Orton the Chamber if the end goal was this Mania match.
Alexa bliss wins inaugural women’s chamber
In 2018 the women finally got their first Elimination Chamber match. This predates the very first WarGames match which took place in NXT in 2019. Alexa Bliss walked in the WWE Women’s Champion, but would she be able to retain against the likes of Bayley, Sasha Banks, a future WWE Hall of Famer in Mickie James? What about the united forces of Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose?
Well, she did, setting up her title defense for WrestleMania 34. Post-match, she gave one of the most memorable speeches of her career, flipping from loving babyface to cocky heel in an instant. Bliss will once again walk into the Chamber this weekend, but will she earn the coveted WrestleMania spot? Only time will tell.
Stay tuned to VICE for live updates throughout the Elimination Chamber PLE on Saturday, February 28.
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