Written by: Kevin Berge (All Images Courtesy of: WWE.com)
WWE Elimination Chamber may be one of my favorite WWE events. The signature match always leads to contests that are among the best of the year. With Raw's latest edition of the pay-per-view this Sunday, most of what was left to Raw was hype and adding a few more matches to the card.
Weeks on end now, I have been praising Raw, but go-home shows have become notoriously lackluster. I would love to be excited for WWE, but I continue to be highly skeptical that the company has truly turned over a new leaf.
Last Week's Monday Night Raw Review
Weeks on end now, I have been praising Raw, but go-home shows have become notoriously lackluster. I would love to be excited for WWE, but I continue to be highly skeptical that the company has truly turned over a new leaf.
Last Week's Monday Night Raw Review
Many a midcarder has been in this situation with the boogeyman that is John Cena behind them ready to break their careers.
Braun Strowman def. The Miz, Finn Balor, Elias, Seth Rollins, John Cena, and Roman Reigns in a Gauntlet Match
Overview: Roman Reigns came to the ring and was interviewed, making clear he was the only man in the Elimination Chamber who could defeat Brock Lesnar. Seth Rollins missed the Curb Stomp but reversed the roll up of Reigns into his own for the first elimination. John Cena was the third man up, and Rollins attacked him immediately.
Rollins soldiered through a tough match, and he managed to fight off the roll through double AA and hit the Ripcord Knee into a superkick to the gut and Curb Stomp for the elimination. Cena was interviewed backstage as Elias went on the attack and took this as his own call to action to improve.
The impact was too much for Rollins, and he took the Drift Away to be eliminated by Elias. Rollins was interviewed as Elias fought Finn Balor and made clear all that mattered was winning Sunday. After a competitive fight, Balor hit the Slingblade, corner dropkick, then Coup De Grace sequence for the elimination.
The Miztourage distracted Balor for a sneak attack from behind by The Miz. Elias promised to give the greatest performance of his career after winning Sunday. The Miztourage helped Balor hit the Skull Crushing Finale for the elimination. Miz tried to run as Braun Strowman came out, but the Monster caught him.
Balor said he was ready for Elimination Chamber and Brock Lesnar. Even though Miz managed to hit Strowman with a Skull Crushing Finale, he was still wildly outmatched and took a running powerslam for the final elimination and win for Strowman.
He promised to take out Lesnar in a post-match interview before powerslamming The Miztouage then throwing Miz back to the ring to take two more.
Highlights:
Analysis: My biggest negative here is that the match went a bit too long with WWE seeming to artificially increase the time Rollins was in the ring with the 65-minute time repeatedly put over. That said, this was a phenomenal story throughout with Rollins vs. Cena an incredible match in particular.
Rollins' story of coming back to the spotlight has already been immense for him. Even if the match was too long with him involved, the booking was phenomenal. It is impossible now not to see him as a main event star again. He will likely not have nearly as big a role come Elimination Chamber.
Honestly, the rest of this contest was clearly lesser in comparison after Rollins' elimination. Every match-up was still strong, but it just did not have the same level of intensity. The booking of the rest of the match was pretty perfect with Strowman winning by running over Miz after he cheated Balor.
Rollins soldiered through a tough match, and he managed to fight off the roll through double AA and hit the Ripcord Knee into a superkick to the gut and Curb Stomp for the elimination. Cena was interviewed backstage as Elias went on the attack and took this as his own call to action to improve.
The impact was too much for Rollins, and he took the Drift Away to be eliminated by Elias. Rollins was interviewed as Elias fought Finn Balor and made clear all that mattered was winning Sunday. After a competitive fight, Balor hit the Slingblade, corner dropkick, then Coup De Grace sequence for the elimination.
The Miztourage distracted Balor for a sneak attack from behind by The Miz. Elias promised to give the greatest performance of his career after winning Sunday. The Miztourage helped Balor hit the Skull Crushing Finale for the elimination. Miz tried to run as Braun Strowman came out, but the Monster caught him.
Balor said he was ready for Elimination Chamber and Brock Lesnar. Even though Miz managed to hit Strowman with a Skull Crushing Finale, he was still wildly outmatched and took a running powerslam for the final elimination and win for Strowman.
He promised to take out Lesnar in a post-match interview before powerslamming The Miztouage then throwing Miz back to the ring to take two more.
Highlights:
- Rollins booted Reigns off him and hit a blockbuster into a Slingblade then caught him with a springboard clothesline.
- Rollins went for a suicide dive but ran into an uppercut right into a Drive By.
- Reigns took a buckle bomb and bounced back with a Superman Punch.
- Reigns dodged the frog splash followed by repeated strikes to Rollins before Rollins clotheslined him outside and hit back-to-back suicide dives.
- Rollins went for a springboard clothesline and ran into a Superman Punch.
- Cena hit Rollins with a trio of belly-to-belly side suplexes.
- Cena planted Rollins with a powerslam stunner.
- Cena shoulder blocked Rollins off the apron to the floor.
- Rollins escaped the STF and caught Cena with a Slingblade
- Rollins went for the suplex/Falcon Arrow but fell down on it due to exhaustion before blocking the Five Knuckle Shuffle with a kick then Superkick.
- Cena sidestepped Rollins and sent him running into the post before Rollins sidestepped him and sent him into the steps with both barely breaking the count.
- Cena took out Rollins with a side slam then Five Knuckle Shuffle, but his AA was countered into a roll through to a crossface.
- Rollins ducked out of another AA and hit an enzuigiri into a frog splash for a nearfall then Cena hit the AA for a nearfall.
- Rollins managed the superplex into the Falcon Arrow then went for the Curb Stomp and was tripped into the STF, making it to the ropes.
- Rollins caught Cena mid-crossbody and roll through into an AA of his own.
- Rollins planted Elias with a superkick mid-run then caught him with a slingshot plancha to the floor.
- Balor caught Elias with a step-up enzuigiri off the apron then went for the Coup De Grace with Elias rolling outside.
- Miz trapped Balor's arm in the ropes and stomped on it, clearly causing an injury.
- Balor planted Miz with a standing elbow drop then ducked out a Skull Crushing Final before being planted on his bad arm.
- Balor took out Miztourage with a somersault plancha then caught Miz with a step-up enzuigiri into a Slingblade and corner dropkick before a final distraction from The Miztourage allowed Miz to trip Balor off the top rope.
- Miz ran at Strowman right into a standing dropkick.
- Miz booted Strowman to the floor but was quickly taken out by a running clothesline then hit a sudden Skull Crushing Final for a nearfall.
Analysis: My biggest negative here is that the match went a bit too long with WWE seeming to artificially increase the time Rollins was in the ring with the 65-minute time repeatedly put over. That said, this was a phenomenal story throughout with Rollins vs. Cena an incredible match in particular.
Rollins' story of coming back to the spotlight has already been immense for him. Even if the match was too long with him involved, the booking was phenomenal. It is impossible now not to see him as a main event star again. He will likely not have nearly as big a role come Elimination Chamber.
Honestly, the rest of this contest was clearly lesser in comparison after Rollins' elimination. Every match-up was still strong, but it just did not have the same level of intensity. The booking of the rest of the match was pretty perfect with Strowman winning by running over Miz after he cheated Balor.
Nia Jax already knows how Elimination Chamber is going for her, and she's already bored with the WrestleMania plans WWE has for her.
Nia Jax Leaves Asuka Lying Just Days Before Elimination Chamber
Overview: Renee Young interviewed Asuka about fighting Nia Jax on Sunday, and she sounded confident. Nia Jax tried to sneak attack Asuka and was caught; however, Jax still overpowered Asuka and hit her with a running leg drop to stand tall over the Empress of Tomorrow.
Analysis: Who thought it was a good idea to put Asuka in the middle of the ring for a long interview? This is not playing to Asuka's strengths at all. It is just about the worst Asuka has been presented in WWE because she clearly was not able to get out her full thoughts in English.
Analysis: Who thought it was a good idea to put Asuka in the middle of the ring for a long interview? This is not playing to Asuka's strengths at all. It is just about the worst Asuka has been presented in WWE because she clearly was not able to get out her full thoughts in English.
Titus O'Neil and Apollo def. Sheamus and Cesaro
Overview: After a physical start from Cesaro and Sheamus, Apollo managed to send Cesaro shoulder-first into the post before sending Sheamus to the floor and rolling up Cesaro for three, earning Titus Worldwide one more tag team championship match.
Analysis: It seems official that Apollo Crews has dropped his last name which was the most noteworthy point of the segment. Clearly WWE is in a holding pattern with Sheamus and Cesaro before their title competitors emerge, so Titus Worldwide won again so that they could lose at Elimination Chamber.
Analysis: It seems official that Apollo Crews has dropped his last name which was the most noteworthy point of the segment. Clearly WWE is in a holding pattern with Sheamus and Cesaro before their title competitors emerge, so Titus Worldwide won again so that they could lose at Elimination Chamber.
Alexa Bliss is having none of this embarrassment of her best friend. Only she gets to embarrass Mickie James.
Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Mickie James def. Alexa Bliss, Mandy Rose, and Sonya Deville
Overview: Absolution cut a pre-recorded promo backstage about Elimination Chamber, certain their alliance would be their strength. The lack of cohesion between the heels was clear throughout as Alexa Bliss refused to tag in to fight Mickie James. Bliss finally got involved and went for a DDT on Bank but was rolled into a Bank Statement to tap.
Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose quickly took back their heat by assaulting Sasha Banks and Bayley. When they seemed to turn their attention to Bliss, Mickie ran in, and the two cleaned up both hitting a double Micki-DT on Deville.
Highlights:
Analysis: This was a fine match, and it did its job of clearly establishing the dynamics that will define the women's Elimination Chamber match. However, it was a pretty light use of the women on a night where the men's Elimination Chamber match build took up two full hours.
To be fair, everything felt light in comparison to that. It just would have been nice to see this contest get a bit more creative beyond just telling the basic story that will define the next match to come.
Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose quickly took back their heat by assaulting Sasha Banks and Bayley. When they seemed to turn their attention to Bliss, Mickie ran in, and the two cleaned up both hitting a double Micki-DT on Deville.
Highlights:
- The referee missed Bayley's tag to Banks causing confusion before Bayley kicked Rose right into Sasha then tagged in Mickie.
- Mickie got the hot tag and ran over Rose, hitting her with a diving senton then Deville with a neckbreaker followed by a bicycle kick to Rose which Rose answered with her own bicycle knee.
- Rose took down Mickie with an inverted gutwrench suplex then tagged in Deville before both Absolution members were taken out by a double suplex.
- Banks planted Deville outside with running double knees off the apron then hit Bliss with diving double knees.
Analysis: This was a fine match, and it did its job of clearly establishing the dynamics that will define the women's Elimination Chamber match. However, it was a pretty light use of the women on a night where the men's Elimination Chamber match build took up two full hours.
To be fair, everything felt light in comparison to that. It just would have been nice to see this contest get a bit more creative beyond just telling the basic story that will define the next match to come.
Backstage Notes: Jeff Jarrett's Hall of Fame induction video was shown. A video package was rolled for Ronda Rousey with interviews from Charlotte Flair and Stephanie McMahon on the impact Rousey could have on the business after she signs her WWE contract. Another Black History Month video was shown.
Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy cut dueling promos on why they needed to win at Elimination Chamber with both certain of victory and wary of the consequences of defeat in their unending war.
Conclusion: This was a one-match show more than just about any other Raw could be with a two-hour gauntlet match. Luckily, that match was good enough to carry the entire show which felt a bit underwhelming in comparison the rest of the night. Even the main event just came off as filler after the first match high.
I am happy to give WWE credit for such a dangerous and original move. It is rare the theme of an entire night is so clearly defined. This was the longest match in Raw history and will be remembered for a long time to come. Perhaps WWE just didn't feel they had to do anything else after booking this match.
Pacing is important in enjoying a three-hour show, and that is where this Raw failed. I will likely remember this show better than just about any other in 2018 to come, but it comes at the cost of the strong cohesive focus that had been a hallmark of the last few shows.
Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy cut dueling promos on why they needed to win at Elimination Chamber with both certain of victory and wary of the consequences of defeat in their unending war.
Conclusion: This was a one-match show more than just about any other Raw could be with a two-hour gauntlet match. Luckily, that match was good enough to carry the entire show which felt a bit underwhelming in comparison the rest of the night. Even the main event just came off as filler after the first match high.
I am happy to give WWE credit for such a dangerous and original move. It is rare the theme of an entire night is so clearly defined. This was the longest match in Raw history and will be remembered for a long time to come. Perhaps WWE just didn't feel they had to do anything else after booking this match.
Pacing is important in enjoying a three-hour show, and that is where this Raw failed. I will likely remember this show better than just about any other in 2018 to come, but it comes at the cost of the strong cohesive focus that had been a hallmark of the last few shows.
