WWE Elimination Chamber PPV Results: 2-25-18
Results courtesy of
PWTorch.com (direct link to Keller's complete report).
(1) WOMEN’S ELIMINATION CHAMBER MATCH
Ring introductions took place. The announcers talked about this being a historical moment. Coach added the sports-like talk about how every athlete deals with big-deal firsts in their career, and for each woman in this match, it’s one of them. The bell rang 17 minutes into the show as Bayley started against Sonya Deville. There was some Rousey talk early. The timing of this event being in Vegas, essentially the capital of UFC fights, is perfect. When Deville launched Bayley, Bayley grabbed the Chamber’s chain fence and climbed. Deville pulled her down. Bayley, though, took over offense until she missed an elbow drop.
Mandy Rose entered third. Bayley went right after her, which Graves said was “rude” because she didn’t have time to even fully exit her pod. Bayley rallied against both heels at first. Deville ended up spearing Bayley onto the hard platform outside the ring. Coach wondered if Deville and Rose would now turn on each other. Cole said they should work together until they’ve eliminated everyone, then deal with each other. They did just that.
Bayley entered fourth and evened the odds. Graves predicted Sasha would turn on Bayley right away. Sasha, though, went after Deville at ringside with running double-knees. Coach noted this gave Bayley a much-needed breather.
Coach is adding so much to commentary by not playing a character or being a goof. The ESPN persona and sports-like approach is really adding to the commentary. He’s letting the wrestlers be the personalties and he’s there to amplify what the wrestlers are doing, not get himself over or banter in a jocular way that ends up being a distraction.
Back in the ring, Rose clotheslined Banks and then planted her on the mat. Instead of going for the pin, she gloated and set up a butterfly suplex, but Banks escaped and hit the Back Stabber and then rolled into the Back Statement. Bayley cut off Deville’s attempt at the save. Rose tapped. Graves said Rose was the first women to ever be eliminated from a Women’s Royal Rumble and now the Women’s Elimination Chamber.
Next out was Mickie James. The overhead shot of the Chamber during the suspension seconds before the pod lights up and opens for someone is really slick. Mickie wet to work on all three other worn out workers. Eventually Sasha rolled her up from behind, but Mickie rolled through for a two count. She then hit a neck breaker. Mickie kipped up a minute later, but ate a knee from Deville. Mickie came back with a head scissors. They showed Alexa watching from the pod, the last entrant. When Sasha grabbed at Mickie as she tried to climb the cage, Mickie kicked her. Bayley then climbed alongside Mickie and they fought each other. Cole wondered where Mickie was going because there’s no escape and it’s not in the rules. Mickie then leaped off the top of a pod onto Deville with a Thesz Press for the pin.
As Mickie celebrated, Bayley attacked her. She hit a Bayley-to-Belly on Mickie for the sudden win. Graves said this is bad news for Alexa. Cole said having three eliminations before she even entered the match is a good thing because it increases her chances. Bayley and Sasha just stood and rested and waited for Alexa’s pod to open.
When Alexa’s pod opened, she didn’t come out and tried to keep a door closed. She escaped out the other side and climbed to the top of the pod to try to run from Sasha and Bayley. As she walked along the middle support beam of the Chamber, Bayley and Banks approached her from both sides. Bliss dropped down to the mat, but so did Bayley and Banks. Bliss climbed back up. She went back to the roof of her pod where Sasha took a shot at her. Sasha then turned and stomped on Bayley to knock her down. Graves said, “Man, I’m tired of being right.” Cole said it’s every woman for herself. Coach said. “I don’t know that it was heinous. I think it was just necessary.” As Banks pursued Bliss, Bayley charged at Banks from behind. Bliss then surprised Bayley from behind and took control against her as Banks recovered from being knocked down.
Banks cut off Bayley at one point and attacked her aggressively in the corner. Bayley flipped Banks upside in the corner in the Tree of Woe. Coach said he likes Bayley’s intensity. She climbed to the top rope, but Bliss met her and superplexed Bayley. Banks recovered and leaped off the top rope onto Bayley with a frog splash for a near fall. Banks continued to beat on Bayley as Bliss recovered on the other side of the ring. Bayley surprised Banks with a B2B off the ropes. Bliss popped up and rolled up Bayley for a surprise three count.
It came down to Bliss and Banks. Bliss covered Banks, but Banks kicked out. Bliss went for a Twisted Bliss, but Banks lifted her knees and then took over offense with a series of knees at ringside. Bliss avoided a running knee and then yanked Banks hard to the mat. Cole said that’s the aggressive streak that has made Bliss four time champion. Bliss climbed to the top of a pod. She landed a Twisted Bliss at ringside. Banks countered into a Bank Statement. She rolled into the ring to try to get a legal submission, but Bliss escaped. Bliss gave Banks a DDT off the top rope a minute later for the win.
WINNER: Bliss in 36:00. (***3/4)
That worked. It told a good story. I wouldn’t say it was off-the-charts good or above good expectations, but it was really good. The Absolution pair, the least experienced, lost in the first phase of the match. The Mickie-Bayley-Banks action was good and included the Bayley vs. Banks action. Then Bliss entering and trying to run from the two babyfaces was a satisfying final third.
(2) THE BAR (Sheamus & Cesaro) vs. TITUS WORLDWIDE (Titus O’Neal & Apollo w/Dana Brooke) – WWE Raw Tag Team Title match
The Bar jump-started the match with an attack before the bell. Apollo and Titus came back quickly and cleared the ring of the heel duo. Apollo then leaped off the top rope onto both of them at ringside. Cesaro grabbed his right ankle. The ref rang the bell once it was Cesaro vs. Apollo in the ring. Sheamus created a distraction to help Cesaro take control against Apollo. Cole and Coach briefly discussed whether “game plan” is one word or two. Cole looked it up and corrected Coach after a brief debate. Titus eventually rallied. He caught Cesaro leaping off the top rope, but Cesaro slipped free and tagged in Sheamus who surprised Titus with a neck snap over the top rope. Titus came right back with a Clash of the Titus after some gloating by Sheamus leading to a two count. The announcers said Sheamus made a misstep and should have stayed focused. Apollo flip dove onto both heels at ringside, then landed a crossbody on Sheamus off the top rope for a two count. Sheamus lifted his knees on a standing moonsault and scored a two count. Meanwhile, Cesaro threw Titus into the ringpost. Apollo gave Sheamus an enzuigiri, but Cesaro secretly tagged in and clipped Apollo’s knee. The Bar then finished Apollo with a double-team move.
WINNERS: Sheamus & Cesaro in 10:00 to retain the Raw Tag Titles. (**1/2)
This was okay.
(3) ASUKA vs. NIA JAX – If Jax wins, she’s added to WrestleMania Women’s Title match
Graves said Jax has been living up to the title of the Irresistible Force and he predicted Asuka’s streak ends tonight. Graves said Asuka might compete not to lose rather than win. Jax overpowered Asuka at the start. Asuka landed a spinning elbow, but Jax headbutted her. Jax tossed Asuka across the ring with a Biel throw. She charged, but Asuka sidestepped her. Jax went over the top rope but landed on her feet on the floor. Jax then took over. They showed Bliss watching on a monitor backstage. (It’s bad for Bliss’s eyes to watch a screen that giant from just six inches away.) Jax gave Asuka a backbreaker and then a splash in the corner. Cole said only one women in history has won her first four PPV matches in WWE – Fabulous Moolah – and Asuka can tie that record tonight.
Asuka came back with a guillotine at 3:00. Jax escaped with a modified jackhammer, then hit a Samoan Drop. Asuka avoided a running legdrop and hit a Shining Wizard and then scored a two count. Both were slow to get up. Asuka got up and landed two kicks for a near fall. When Jax lifted Asuka on this second rope, Asuka slipped free and went for a sunset flip. Jax then went for a corner butt-splash, but Asuka moved. Coach said she took too much time. Graves said she was trying to get momentum and some height before crashing down. Jax knocked Asuka hard to the mat seconds later when the collided. Jax flip dove onto Asuka, who rolled out of the way, but the splash still landed on her legs. Asuka avoided a charge in the corner by Jax. Asuka then applied her signature Asuka lock mid-ring. Jax lifted and Asuka and rammed her into the corner, causing a break of the hold. Graves wondered if doubt was entering the mind of Asuka. Coach said Jax might be doubting herself. Graves said she isn’t doubting herself at all. Asuka countered a Jax powerbomb seconds later and jackknife pinned her.
After the match Jax attacked Asuka during her post-match celebration. She threw her into the ringpost and then speared her into the ringside barricade and into the time keeper’s area. Coach called Jax “the sorest loser I’ve ever seen.” Jax marched to the back. They cut to Bliss laughing giddily backstage.
WINNER: Asuka in 8:00. (**1/4)
Smart that they kept Asuka’s undefeated streak in place. The match was pretty short, but not too short for the story they told. The leverage pin along with the post-match attack kept Jax pretty strong.