The WWE Elimination Chamber is among the most innovative and destructive matches in the history of this business. Careers have been made and battered inside the infamous 10 tons of steel with 2 miles of chain structure.
Introduced in 2002, the WWE Elimination Chamber has given fans some of the greatest and notorious moments in the history of this business. From Shawn Michaels’ emotional world title win in 2002 to the historical women’s chamber match in 2018, the gimmick match has continued to evoke emotions like no other.
Let’s take a look a five of the best Elimination Chamber matches in WWE history:
WWE Elimination Chamber 2017
Participants: AJ Styles, Baron Corbin, Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose, John Cena, & The Miz
Stipulation: WWE Championship Match
Winner: Bray Wyatt
After not holding the PPV in 2016, WWE brought back Elimination Chamber as a SmackDown-branded event in 2017. The whole PPV featured some great matches, but the main event turned out to be a show stealer.
All contestants, especially AJ Styles worked at a frenetic pace to deliver great back-and-forth action. The closing moments of the match featuring Cena Styles, Wyatt were well structure to give the Eater of Worlds his much-deserved and very first WWE Championship win.
No Way Out 2008
Stipulation: Winner gets a shot at the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XXIV
Participants: Chris Jericho, JBL, Jeff Hardy, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, & Umaga
Winner: Triple H
The 2008 No Way Out pay-per-view event featured two Elimination Chamber matches. The Undertaker earned the right to fight for the world title by winning the first chamber match of the night. MVP taking a bump from the top of the chamber pod and Batista delivering a spinebuster to Bid Daddy V were the major highlights of the match.
The other chamber match of the night saw Chris Jericho, JBL, Jeff Hardy, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and Umaga fight for a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania XXIV. This was the last Elimination Chamber to feature color before WWE went full PG. Chris Jericho getting the full force of Umaga’s hip attack and Jeff Hardy delivering a swanton bomb off of the chamber pod made for some excellent yet high-risk spots.
Elimination Chamber 2023
Participants: Austin Theory, Bronson Reed, Damian Priest, Johnny Gargano, Montez Ford, & Seth Rollins
Stipulation: United States Championship Match
Winner: Austin Theory
Austin Theory and Seth Rollins have the distinction of being in the worst and best Elimination Chamber Matches in WWE history. The two superstars were part of the critically-panned 2022 Men’s Elimination Chamber Match. They’d be featured in one of the greatest chamber matches of the modern era just a year later.
Theory and Rollins joined four of the finest in-ring performers of the WWE roster for a chance to claim the former’s United States Championship. You had the super heavyweight Bronson Reed, the powerhouse Damian Priest, the in-ring technician Johnny Gargano, and the super athletic and charismatic Montez Ford.
Plus, fans at Canada’s Bell Center and millions watching around the world witnessed Logan Paul’s cameo. The Maverick interfered during the crucial moments of the match to cost Seth Rollins his momentum, putting away the Visionary with a Buckshot Lariat-Curb Stomp combo to set up a WrestleMania match.
WWE Elimination Chamber 2019
Participants: AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, Jeff Hardy, Kofi Kingston, Randy Orton, Samoa Joe
Stipulation: WWE Championship Match
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan has been involved in two of the greatest builds to a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania. The match build saw him take on The Authority with the support of the Yes! Movement all the way to the main event of WrestleMania XXX.
The second one saw him reject his principles for a more aggressive and violent approach on the road to WrestleMania 35. Bryan’s heel work in 2019 is considered some of the best work of his career. The Bearded GOAT elevated the WWE Championship to a new level with his stellar character work and great matches.
One of the better matches came at the 2019 WWE Elimination Chamber PPV event when Bryan defended his title on the line against five of the biggest names on the SmackDown roster at the time. The match had some great spots from start to finish but the best part came when Bryan collided with Kingston.
The New Day member put on the fight of a lifetime but still came up short to winning the match. The defeat, however, would only serve as his motivation as he beat his arch rival in one of the best WWE PPV matches of 2019.
Survivor Series 2002
Participants: Booker T, Chris Jericho, Kane, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, & Rob Van Dam
Stipulation: World Heavyweight Championship Match
Winner: Shawn Michaels
The introduction of brand split in 2002 brought some monumental changes and challenges for WWE as a whole. Vince McMahon moved forward with brand-exclusive pay-per-views to give a huge opportunity for exposure to the stacked-roster. Then-RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff (kayfabe) came up with the first-ever Elimination Chamber.
Sleazy E would pit six of the top superstars from his brand to fight for the World Heavyweight Championship inside the structure. Booker T, Chris Jericho, Kane, Shawn Michaels, and Rob Van Dam all had their eyes on Triple H’s World Heavyweight Championship. The first chamber match absolutely lived up to its hype as a game-changer.
From the top notch in-ring action to the lively energy of the 17,930 fans inside Madison Square Garden, WWE Elimination Chamber 2002 set the bar for future chamber matches way too high. Also, kudos to Triple H for finishing the match while heavily injured.
Honorable Mentions
- World Heavyweight Title Number One Contendership Elimination Chamber Match (No Way Out 2008)
- World Heavyweight Title Elimination Chamber Match 2010
- Drew McIntyre vs. Edge vs. Kane vs. Rey Mysterio vs. The Big Show vs. Wade Barrett (WWE Elimination Chamber 2011)
- Cesaro vs. Christian vs. Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena vs. Randy Orton vs. Sheamus (WWE Elimination Chamber 2014)
- WWE Women’s Tag Team Title Elimination Chamber Match 2019
Also read: 5 Best Royal Rumble Matches
