Elimination Chamber 2021 Review

Sunday, February 21st, 2021
Tropicana Field
St. Petersburg, Florida

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Elimination Chamber For A Universal Championship Match Later Tonight

Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. King Corbin vs. Jey Uso vs. Cesaro vs. Daniel Bryan

It's the Ring of Honor 4 in here tonight and no better way to start things off than with Cesaro and Bryan. Bryan hits a back body drop, causing Cesaro to hit the chains and follows it up with a top rope kick. Bryan hits a missile dropkick this time and gets the first 2 count. Cesaro hits a big clothesline on a charging Bryan, turning him inside out. After exchanging forearms, Cesaro hits a vertical suplex that would make Davey Boy proud. King Corbin is the first out of the pod and hopefully the first to be eliminated. Bryan hits dueling dropkicks in the corner, but Cesaro moves the second time and hits running forearms on both. Corbin catches him for Deep Six and regains control. Corbin ties up Bryan in the tree of woe as the clock counts down and releases Sami Zayn next. Zayn closes the door while Corbin tries to attack him. Bryan comes in and makes the save. While Zayn taunts Corbin, Cesaro comes from the other side and attacks him. Zayn is the best character going. Sami goes for a Helluva Kick, but misses and hits the pod. Corbin hits a superplex on Bryan and Zayn hits a tornado DDT on Cesaro. Cesaro launches Zayn up on top of the pod just as I was thinking to myself how there hasn't been a big spot yet. Cesaro and Zayn start battling on top of the pod. Zayn starts climbing across the cage, but Cesaro is right behind him and hits a double stomp to knock him down to the mat. Corbin is there to greet Cesaro, which kind of makes no sense. Why would you not try to pin Zayn? After a nice little segment between Corbin and Cesaro, Cesaro hits a top rope forearm and then the Cesaro Swing. Cesaro puts him in the Sharpshooter and Corbin taps. The clock is counting down and in comes Kevin Owens. Zayn tries to talk him into teaming up, but Owens throws him into the pod instead. Bryan puts on a sleeper hold, but Owens dumps them both on top of Cesaro. Zayn goes up top, but Owens meets him there. Zayn bites his arm and knocks him off. Zayn leaps over Owens and Owens hits him with a superkick. Owens hits cannonballs to all three opponents. We get the big move spot and Owens finishes it off with a Pop Up Powerbomb to Bryan. Owens then hits a neckbreaker on his knee on Zayn for a nearfall and then a fisherman buster on Bryan for another. Jey Uso is the last man in and Owens goes right after him. Owens goes up top and hits a moonsault onto the pack of opponents. Owens hits the Stunner on Bryan and Cesaro, then rolls in the ring and gives Zayn one. That's enough to eliminate Zayn and we are down to four. As Zayn is being taken out, Uso slams the door on Owens' arm and fights to keep it down on it. He hits the trapped Owens with superkicks. Uso goes up top and hits a frog splash to eliminate Owens. Uso charges at Cesaro, but Cesaro hits a leaping forearm for a stiff looking shot. I truly wish there was a live crowd here for this. Cesaro starts swinging Uso into the chains. Cesaro catches Bryan and slams him back into the ring. Cesaro goes off the top, but Bryan hits him in the midsection with a kick. Bryan hits a big kick to the head and we get another nearfall. Bryan again hits him with a kick to the head, but this time goes up top. Cesaro gets in a forearm before he gets there and puts him on his shoulders and tosses him up for a super gutbuster! He puts him in a one legged Cesaro Swing on the bad knee of Bryan, but Uso hits him with a superkick and a frog splash to eliminate Cesaro. Uso then hits a frog splash for Bryan, but Bryan kicks out. Uso climbs up the chains and to the top of the pod. Bryan gets his knees up on the big frog splash. Bryan hits the running knee and gets the victory! Yes! They certainly got a lot of time, with the match running close to 40 minutes. Cesaro and Bryan did a great job running the match and the rest played their roles well. 

Match Rating: ***3/4

Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman are here now and I guess we're getting this match right now. 

Universal Championship Match

Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns

Reigns goes after Bryan and Bryan gets the Yes Lock in! Reigns powers out of it though and starts clubbing Bryan. He hits a variation of a powerbomb and puts him in the Guillotine for the easy victory. They did a nice job giving you that false hope and then putting over Reigns as the nasty heel. This was for storyline purposes and it worked. As a match though, I can't go any higher than my squash rating.

Match Rating: 1/4*

In comes Edge and he hits him with a Spear. If there was any doubt at this point, it's looking like Edge and Reigns, as Edge points to the sign and fireworks magically go off. 

Bad Bunny is hanging out with Sonya Deville and here comes the Miz. Bad Bunny insults him for not being a champion and Damian Priest is there for backup. Miz heads out, while they celebrate. 

Triple Threat Match For The United States Championship

Riddle vs. John Morrison vs. Bobby Lashley

When I unquestionably find myself randomly skimming pay-per-view results 10 years from now, I will very likely find it impossible to remember how these three ended up in the same match. After knocking Riddle out of the ring and hitting Lashley with a kick, Lashley charges at Morrison and knocks hi off the apron. He then puts him on his shoulders in a Torture Rack and spins him into the ring post. Why is Lashley so much better in his 40s than he was in his prime? He then throws a charging Riddle and then back into the ring. Morrison decide to work together and it works for a moment until Lashley hits a huge slam on Morrison and then Riddle. Riddle catches Lashley with a headscissor and dumps him outside. Morrison hits a corkscrew dive over the top rope and Riddle hits a springboard moonsault on Lashley. Morrison drives Riddle into the ring post and throws him back in for a 2 count. Morrison and Riddle have a really fast-paced sequence together and then Lashley joins in on the fun. Riddle hits a Flying Bro and then MVP and Morrison start arguing. Morrison takes MVP's crutch and he goes to use it on Lashley, but he ducks and puts in the Hurt Lock. Riddle uses it and breaks it on his back. Riddle hits the Bro Derek to win the United States Championship. I really loved this match, shockingly more than the opener. I love matches that go at this pace especially when they have a diverse group of wrestlers. 

Match Rating: ****

WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Match

Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax vs. Bianca Belair & Sasha Banks

Please don't turn Sasha heel for this feud. Bianca gets a little time to shine and it just proves that she was the right choice to win the Royal Rumble. Honestly, she probably should have won it in 2020 instead. Baszler reminds us that she's pretty good too, despite being saddled with Jax. Things just seem a little bit off, which isn't that surprising with thrown together tag teams. The champs haven't even had the chance to do house shows to help their teamwork. Sasha hits a frog splash on Baszler for a nearfall. Belair hits the KOD, but Jax pulls her out of the ring to save their titles. Belair tries to lift up Jax, but it's too much and she hits a chokeslam. Jax puts Belair up for a Samoan drop, but Sasha makes the blind tag and hits a Meteora for a 2 count. Out comes Reginald, but Banks puts on the Bank Statement on Jax. Reginald tosses Sasha a bottle of champagne, which distracts the ref and Jax hits a Samoan drop to retain their titles. This would have probably been better served for SmackDown, but obviously they wanted the extra shine on the Reginald storyline. 

Match Rating: **

They hype up Fastlane, which will be the first show on Peacock. That will take awhile to not be weird. They show Miz and MVP talking in the back. 

Elimination Chamber Match For The WWE Championship

Drew McIntyre vs. AJ Styles vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Sheamus vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton

So Orton and Hardy start this one out like it's 2008. Honestly, nothing of note really happens here and finally the countdown begins. Drew McIntyre is in here now and goes right after Orton. Orton is able to slow the momentum quickly though and hits a reverse neckbreaker. Kofi Kingston is fourth and he sneaks in and eliminates Orton with a surprise pinfall. No complaints from me there. Orton hits RKOs out of frustration and then AJ Styles has Omos rip out the plexiglass from behind the pod and Styles runs into the chamber and tries to steal a victory. I'm not quite sure why that would even count? Adam Pierce ejects Omos from ringside and I guess Styles stays in. Hardy leaps up top, but McIntyre tosses him into the pod. Kofi then hits a SOS on McIntyre for a nearfall. Now that Orton it out of there, I am much more interested in the match. Styles hits a nice brainbuster on Kofi, but Kofi kicks out of the pin attempt. McIntyre really seems to thrive in matches like these, where his size and strength really stand out and he can just be a beast. In comes Sheamus and they start with the hockey fighting. Kofi leaps up to the top rope and knocks over both Sheamus and McIntyre. Kofi works his way to the top of the pod and Sheamus is climbing up there too, but McIntyre crotches him. Styles and Hardy come in to help McIntyre hit the superplex on Sheamus. I thought for sure Hardy would hit one big spot and then be eliminated quickly. Instead, Kofi hits his dive and knocks out all four opponents. None of his pin attempts work though. Sheamus and Kofi go at it and it leads to a Brogue Kick and Kofi being eliminated. No Kofi Mania this year. Hardy hits a Twist Of Fate on McIntyre for a 2 count and then he hits one on Styles. Hardy now goes on the pod and hits a Whisper In The Wind on McIntyre and Sheamus. He then hits a Swanton on Styles, but gets hit with a Claymore Kick and is eliminated by McIntyre. Styles hits a 450 splash on McIntyre, but the champ kicks out. Sheamus hits a top rope clothesline on Styles, but then McIntyre hits a Future Shock on Sheamus. McIntyre wants the Claymore Kick, but Sheamus hits him with a Brogue Kick. Styles then hits Sheamus with the Phenomenal Forearm and eliminates Sheamus. Styles goes for the Phenomenal Forearm, but McIntyre hits the Claymore Kick and retains his title. Even though the visual of Omos ripping out the plexiglass was great, I didn't love the little wrinkle of Styles entering early. There was some good action in here, but it felt a little less exciting than I thought it would be. McIntyre retaining of course was the right decision and that final Claymore was a highlight reel moment. 

Match Rating: ***1/4

Lashley comes in and attacks McIntyre. The Miz's music hits and he is cashing in the Money In The Bank. Interesting that they would do this with the Reigns match earlier feeling very similar. 

WWE Championship Match

Drew McIntyre vs. Miz

Miz hits a DDT, but McIntyre kicks out. Skull Crushing Finale and we have a new WWE Champion. I make no secret about it, I am a Miz fan and I absolutely wanted to see one more reign for him. So count me in as one of the few that love this moment. Obviously, the match is a squash, but the moment is fun. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

I really enjoyed this show overall. It didn't feel overly long, despite featuring two long Chamber matches. I would have liked the main event to have delivered a little bit more, but the triple threat match over-delivered earlier, so I felt that made up for it. I am a big Miz fan, so the ending worked and the show gets a thumbs up from me. Between this and TakeOver, I am getting more excited for WrestleMania. 

Overall Rating: 76%