Elimination Chamber 2019 Review

Sunday, February 17th, 2019
Toyota Center
Houston, Texas

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WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Match
Elimination Chamber Match
Carmella & Naomi vs. Riott Squad vs. IIconics vs. Nia Jax & Tamina vs. Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose vs. Sasha Banks & Bayley
Interesting to think that the inaugural tag team champions will be crowned in a match in which there are no tags. Sasha, Bayley, Mandy and Sonya start things off. I would have bet money that Sasha and Bayley would be one of the first teams in there. Michael Cole hypes up the "slight protective padding" that is now in the Chamber. From what I have heard, the old steel was really painful, but it also translated really well on TV as being that. I would probably say Sonya is the most underrated female that they have on the roster right now. Mandy gets her foot stuck in the cage and Bayley hits a neckbreaker as she is hanging there for a nice spot. The Riott Squad is the next team in. The IIconics are next in and try pinning all 6 other competitors, who are all knocked out. The crowd has been pretty quiet throughout this one. Royce does a somersault over the rope and hits Bayley, which looked pretty painful. Naomi and Carmella are in next. There hasn't been much creativity yet in the match, so let's see what Naomi can come up with. They put all 8 women in each corner and do double double bronco busters. Billy and Carmella are climbing the cage, Billy drops down and goes for a powerbomb, but Carmella reverses for a hurricanrana. And now we are at the point of the match where everyone runs in and hits a big move. One has to assume that Nia and Tamina are going to come in and eliminate at least two teams. Naomi finally gets some revenge on Mandy Rose and hits the Rear View, but the IIconics come in and double pin Naomi for our first elimination. In come Tamina and Nia. The IIconics went back into a pod to hide. The IIconics are not over here at all. Nia and Tamina sling Peyton and Billie back and forth into the cage. Double Samoan Drop and that is it for the IIconics. If anything, this match has exposed that crowd doesn't care about a lot of the competitors in this match due to the fact that WWE has done a poor job of building anyone not involved in their respective brands championship match. The Riott Squad is on top of the pod and they both dive off for probably the biggest spot of the match so far. Nia hits Liv Morgan with a Samoan Drop off the second rope and a top rope splash from Tamina. We are now down to three teams. Nia went charging towards Bayley, but Bayley moves and Nia crashes through the pod. Everyone else teams up to pin Tamina and they are gone. The two original teams are the two left remaining. Backstabber and Bayley To Bayley, but Mandy Rose breaks up the pin. The crowd, who has been mostly pretty tame so far, starts chanting "This is Awesome". Mandy and Sasha are on top of the pod and Bayley is coming up to join them. They slam Mandy into the upper plexiglass. Sonya is trying to climb up, but Bayley fights her off. Bayley is then knocked down by Mandy and speared by Sonya into the beam. Mandy hits the double underhook facebuster for a nice false finish. Sonya goes to spear Sasha, but she moves and she hits Mandy instead. Bank Statement by Sasha and we have our first ever champions! The right team won here, while making Mandy and Sonya look like serious threats. This probably wasn't the epic match they were probably hoping for, but the last ten minutes or so were fun.

Match Rating: ***1/4 (out of 5)

After the match, they interview the champs and they are speechless. The crowd chants "You deserve it", which is correct. As a fan of both of them, I am glad to see them get to be able to be the first.

We get a hype video for Miz and Shane and Usos. There doesn't seem to be much of a story here.

WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match
Miz & Shane McMahon vs. The Usos
Miz dedicates the match to his dad, daughter and wife. Maryse then comes out and announces that they are having another baby and then Miz dedicates the match to his unborn child as well. I'm still not really sure where the WWE is going with the whole Shane and Miz storyline just yet. The Miz as a true face will never not be strange. After a lot of offense from McMiz, the Usos finally gain control. Shane definitely doesn't look to be in the best of shape. Usos mock Miz's elbow to the corner. Miz finally makes a tag and Shane is in there now and hits a couple of DDTs. Shane now drags both Usos into opposite corners. Shane hits coast to coast on the first Uso and begins to climb the other corner. He leaps and is superkicked by Jey Uso and he then hits the splash but the pin is broken up by Miz. Miz is in and hits a springboard double axe handle. Miz hits a DDT after a missed splash and almost gets the victory. Dropkick through the ropes to the outside by Miz and he then begins to clear the US announcer table. Jimmy Uso comes flying through the ropes, but Miz moves and he hits Jey. Shane then goes up top and nails an Uso through the table. Shane looks legit blown up. Miz and Jimmy have a nice segment that ends up in Jimmy hitting a superkick. He goes for a splash, but Miz blocks it for a nearfall. Miz then hits the Skull Crushing Finale, but Jimmy kicks out and the rolls up Miz for the 3 count. Back to back new tag team champs crowned. That was a pretty good match and despite the recent arrest, it appears the WWE isn't going to punish the Usos.

Match Rating: **3/4

After the match, Miz and Shane walk back with their arms around each other. No heel turn right now.

Lio Rush and Lashley are backstage and they try to drive the story home that Lio Rush is the weak link. This match doesn't really make sense to me yet.

Intercontinental Championship Match
Handicap Match
Bobby Lashley & Lio Rush vs. Finn Balor
Lio starts, but then quickly tags in Lashley. Has Lashley ever been remotely close to over in his career? Lashley beats down on Balor and then finally we get Rush in. After a lengthy heat segment, Rush misses a top rope splash and Balor corners Rush. Balor sends both to the outside and over the top rope goes Balor. Balor throws Rush in and hits the Coup de Grace and pins him to win the Intercontinental Championship. Three title matches, three new champions. Yes, I know the first one had no choice but to crown a new champion, but you catch my drift.

Match Rating: **

After the match, Lashley is visibly upset and goes to choke Rush. Lashley releases and then picks him up...and then slams him down. Sure, whatever.

They then show highlights of the Becky/Charlotte/Rousey storyline from last week and then highlights of the house show last night where Becky interfered and Charlotte re-injured her.

Charlotte's music hits and she is out here for an interview. She tells us that Becky needs the crowds approval and all she needs to do is look in the mirror. Charlotte has no problem going all heel and is quite good at it. She has definitely won me over since her NXT days.

WWE Raw Women's Championship Match
Ruby Riott vs. Ronda Rousey
Rousey finally is coming out without the weird face paint. I am not a huge fan of Riott, but it will be interesting to see how she steps up in this spot. Rousey has done a nice job of selling how focused she is and not paying attention to Charlotte. The crowd is already chanting "We want Becky". Wow, Rousey already hits Piper's Pit and the armbar. Not sure this had to be on the show.

Match Rating: 1/4*

Charlotte walks in the ring. Lynch is now walking through the crowd on crutches. She enters the ring and we have a stare down between the three. She throws a crutch at Charlotte and starts hitting her with the other crutch. Rousey is standing back and watching. From an acting standpoint, this has been Rousey's best performance including the match. Rousey now has a crutch and Lynch tries to convince her to use it on Charlotte. As she walks towards Charlotte, Becky hits Rousey and is going nuts on both. Security and refs come to the ring and Lynch finally leaves the ring. Oh wow, Rousey looks like she got busted open. Cole and Graves agree that Lynch should be arrested for her actions. Argue all you want about Charlotte being added to the match, it's going to be an amazing match. Interestingly, Baron Corbin's music hits before Rousey and Charlotte are even to the back.

No Disqualification Match
Baron Corbin vs. Braun Strowman
Talk about going from your hottest angle to complete garbage. Corbin may be the worst character on WWE TV in years and that's saying something. The WWE's handling of Strowman is truly mind blowing. Here he is in a throwaway match against Baron Corbin. Corbin attacks Strowman with a kendo stick. After trying to throw him into the stick set up in the corner, Strowman gets it and breaks it in half. Strowman checks Caron into the guardrail and it doesn't break. Strowman runs around the ring and Corbin throws an office chair at him, but Braun catches it. Corbin then slams him into the stairs. This has gone on longer than expected, so I'm thinking we may be getting some sort of screwjob ending here. Strowman brings a table into the ring and sets it up in the corner. Corbin counters Strowman, but eventually Strowman powerslams him through the table. As soon as he does, Drew McIntyre's music hits and he is on his way to the ring. McIntyre has a chair, but from behind Lashley is in the ring and hits Strowman with a chair. Strowman clobbers Lashley with a fist, but the numbers game is too much for Strowman to overcome. Why would either of these guys want to be associated with Strowman? Strowman has Lashley and McIntyre by the throats, but Corbin hits him with the chair. They stack two tables on top of each other, while Strowman lies there motionless. All three of them are on the steps and they pick up Strowman and pull the Shield powerbomb through two tables and they get the victory. This makes no sense to me. Why would McIntrye need to be associated with Corbin? Or anyone for that matter? Why would Lashley leave Rush, only to immediately join this group?

Match Rating: *

Shane McMahon is backstage and being looked at by a doctor. Miz apologizes and freaks out because they lost the match. Shane tells him to chill out and go hoe. I love that the walls have cheap laminated body part charts on the wall.

Lacey Evans then comes out decked out in a yellow dress and hat. She then immediately walks to the back?

WWE Championship Match
Elimination Chamber Match
Kofi Kingston vs. Jeff Hardy vs. AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Randy Orton vs Daniel Bryan
Erick Rowan is sent to the back before the match even starts. Daniel Bryan's belt is awesome by the way. Samoa Joe and Bryan will start things off. 2/3rds of the competitors in this match competed in Ring Of Honor. Joe gets Bryan into a bunch of submission moves. Bryan gets a dropkick in to Joe's knees and is now on the offensive. Kingston is the next man in and takes control. I can't help but feel so bad for Mustafa Ali, but if there was ever a guy whose story makes sense in this role, it's Kofi. Bryan is on top of the pod and is sitting there. Kofi and Samoa Joe could tear the house down if ever given the chance. Kofi then leaps up to the top of the pod and starts unloading on Bryan. Bryan is scaling the wall and Kofi chases after him. They exchange kicks and then Joe grabs ryan down. Kofi then leaps off the wall onto both guys on the floor. The crowd is clearly behind Kofi. The problem with the Chamber match earlier is that there just weren't that many subplots. I don't even watch Raw or Smackdown and I know of quite a few stories that are being told in this match. Joe is chopping away at Bryan and then we get our next competitor and it is AJ Styles. We now know that Jeff Hardy will be next. Somehow AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy are the same age. Bryan is climbing the cage again, but AJ Styles hits a Phenomal Forearm to him on the cage. Samoa Joe has Kofi in the Coquina Clutch, but Kofi escapes and Styles hits him with the Phenomenal Forearm and Joe is eliminated. Sorry, but that's a bad move. Jeff Hardy is now in and is steamrolling the other competitors. Hardy is on top of a pod and hits a Swanton Bomb on AJ Styles, who is draped on the top rope. Daniel Bryan then hits Hardy with a running knee strike and Hardy is gone. That has to be one of the quicker eliminations ever for a Chamber match. Styles is in the tree of woe and Kofi is up top. Bryan going for a superplex, but Styles sits up and hits a German suplex. In comes Orton and he goes after everyone. Orton hits an RKO on AJ Styles as he is going for the Phenomenal Forearm and he is eliminated. Kofi hits Touble In Paradise on Orton to eliminate him. Bryan stops Kofi's offense and throw Kofi ino the pod. Running knee to Kofi but Kofi kicks out to a big pop. Kofi hits Trouble In Paradise on Bryan, but Bryan gets out at 2 and for some reason they cut to the crowd during the pinfall by Bryan on Kofi. Bryan and Kofi are climbing the pod again. Kofi is slamming Bryan against the plexiglass. Kofi going for a superplex, but Bryan is blocking. Bryan then slams Kofi into the plexiglass. Sorry, bullet proof glass. Bryan is now climbing down, but Kofi kicks him off the top rope. Kofi goes for the splash, but misses. Bryan hits the knee and gets the victory. Really hard fought match from start to finish and a great story with Kofi playing the underdog.

Match Rating: ****1/4

After the match Kofi gets a nice ovation and Big E. and Xavier come in the ring to check on him, as a "Thank you, Kofi" chant breaks out. They walk to the back as we end the show.

This was a two match show and one of them truly delivered, while the other was good, but not great. Hard to say this was a home run, but the main event is definitely worth everyone's time. The Becky/Charlotte/Rousey segment was also really entertaining. Feel free to skip over Lashley/Rush/Finn and Baron/Braun.

Overall Rating: 79%