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WWE Elimination Chamber 2019: Results, Highlights, and Review

By Patches Chance

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WWE Elimination Chamber was our next to last stop on the Road to WrestleMania, and it came with high stakes and championship implications. While we’ve still got several weeks, and Fastlane, before WrestleMania arrives, superstars who could leave Elimination Chamber with gold greatly increased their likelihood of walking into WrestleMania with those same titles.

With most of the hype for Elimination Chamber focusing on either the WWE Championship or Women’s Tag Team Championship matches, it wasn’t clear going in whether or not the whole event would be something special. There was sure to be history made in the women’s tag match, but what else? Would this be an Elimination Chamber to remember?

Thankfully, the answer to that was a resounding yes. It wasn’t an event without flaws, a few of which were truly problematic, but it delivered where it counted most. Elimination Chamber kept fans engaged, both live in the arena and those watching at home, all the way to the end of the show. Even if things didn’t go as some fans wanted, there was no doubt how invested everyone was.

Going the Distance

The opening match of the night was the Elimination Chamber for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. This was the most anticipated match going into the night, and involved the majority of Raw and SmackDown’s women’s roster. In the buildup to this match, we saw each brand pit three teams against each other to decide who would start the match.

After taking the fall in their respective matches, the teams of Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose and Sasha Banks & Bayley were stuck starting a match where the luck of the draw can have a huge impact on the likelihood of being victorious. That’s what made their losses on Raw and SmackDown so meaningful, but neither team was going to let the odds get in their way.

Every team involved fought hard, continuing to persevere as more and more competitors entered the fray. The first time to go was Naomi and Carmella, falling after an impressive double pin combo from The IIconics. Unfortunately for Billie Kay and Peyton Royce, their luck ran out only a few minutes later then Tamina & Nia Jax eliminated them. That duo continued their rampage, then eliminating Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan of The Riott Squad.

Tamina and Nia Jax looked completely in control, but their four remaining opponents banded together to take down the powerhouse pairing, eliminating them and leaving only two teams. The very two teams that started the match were the final ones left. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville went down fighting, but it was Sasha Banks and Bayley who emerged victorious with a historic win to become the first WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Before we get to the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match, we have to touch on the other matches the night saw. While a PPV branded as Elimination Chamber understandably keeps much of the focus on the titular matches, there were five others throughout the night. The Kickoff Show had a fantastic match between Buddy Murphy and Akira Tozawa, continuing the trend of the cruiserweights trying to steal the show before it even begins.

The Usos took on The Miz and Shane McMahon in a contest that seems odd on paper, but proved to be a truly great tag team match. The Usos proved once again why they are one of the greatest tag teams of this generation, defeating “The Best Tag Team in the World” to become the new SmackDown Tag Team Champions. This marks the sixth reign as tag champions for The Usos, a record only reached by three other teams in WWE: Edge & Christian, The Dudley Boyz, and The Hardy Boyz.

The night also saw Finn Balor capture the Intercontinental Championship from Bobby Lashley in a Handicap Match. While the match itself was decent, it remained constrained by the weird stipulation which ultimately proved to be Lashley’s undoing. Balor pinned Rush, capturing the title without having to pin Bobby Lashley in the process. Braun Strowman also fought Baron Corbin in a No Disqualification Match, losing thanks to interference by Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley.

More from WWE

The night’s only other match saw Ruby Riott take on Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women’s Championship. If you’ve read this far, you’ve probably spent more time on this article than Ruby Riott got to spend challenging Ronda Rousey. After less than two minutes, Rousey made Riott tap out. It was a pitiful moment considering the match Ruby Riott deserved to have, and the fact that the event ended with more than enough time to spare.

After the win, a confrontation between Rousey and Charlotte Flair was interrupted by the suspended Becky Lynch. “The Man” hobbled her way to the ring on crutches, barely getting in and getting to her feet before going into full asault mode. Lynch began wailing on Charlotte Flair with a crutch, eventually turning and delivering several shots to Rousey as well. This heated rivalry has been pushed up yet another notch, and WrestleMania can’t get here soon enough.

Will Kofi Kingston make it happen inside the Elimination Chamber?

For many fans, that was the question going into Elimination Chamber. After Mustafa Ali was removed from the Elimination Chamber because he wasn’t medically cleared to compete, few could’ve seen the week that Kofi Kingston has had. His hour-long gauntlet performance on SmackDown Live opened the eyes of many and reminded fans just how fantastic the veteran is inside the squared circle.

That meteoric rise continued at Elimination Chamber. The match was started by WWE Champion Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe, but Bryan kept doing everything in his power to keep the fight from really starting. When Kofi Kingston entered at number three, the arena was on fire and there was no hiding for Daniel Bryan.

The fight continued to intensify with each entrant, as AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, and Randy Orton also each had their eyes set on leaving as WWE Champion. The first elimination and dashing of hopes came after a Phenomenal Forearm by AJ Styles took out Samoa Joe. A few minutes later, Daniel Bryan knocked off Jeff Hardy with a running knee. Styles looked poised for an amazing night, but caught an RKO outta nowhere that eliminated him from the equation.

With only three men left, Kofi Kingston went at it with his longtime rival Randy Orton. Memories of their bitter clash years ago came flooding back, but this time it was Kofi Kingston who would get the best of “The Viper.” After hitting Trouble in Paradise, Kingston pinned Randy Orton to solidify the final two as Kingston and WWE Champion Daniel Bryan.

Much like Kingston’s impressive gauntlet performance, it was clear that Kofi just refused to go down. There were near falls, even one after a running knee, where it was truly shocking to see Kofi Kingston kick out and stay in the fight. He got extremely close to capturing the WWE Championship after a Trouble in Paradise on Bryan, but things ultimately didn’t go as The New Day’s elder statesman wanted.

After climbing to the top of one of the Elimination Chamber pods, Kofi Kingston came flying off towards the ring with a death-defying splash. Kingston went high risk, and Daniel Bryan made sure he paid for it. Bryan slipped out of the way and let Kingston crash hard to the mat. “The Planet’s Champion” followed the moment up with another running knee to pin Kofi Kingston and retain his WWE Championship.

Quick Hits

  • The cruiserweights deserve so much more than the Kickoff Show.
  • The IIconics played absolutely fantastic heels in the Elimination Chamber.
  • The heartfelt speech after Sasha Banks and Bayley won capped off a truly historic moment.
  • The Miz completely lost it backstage after losing the titles, possibly planting the seeds of a clash with Shane McMahon in the future.
  • Weird stipulation or not, Finn Balor is the Intercontinental Champion. That’s just too sweet.
  • Rub Riott deserved so much more than a minute and a half long squash.
  • Kofi Kingston deserves to be WWE Champion, and should challenge Bryan at WrestleMania 35.

Next. Including Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania is the Best Option. dark

Match Results

  • Buddy Murphy def. Akira Tozawa to retain the Cruiserweight Championship
  • Bayley & Sasha Banks def. Carmella & Naomi, Mandy Rosse & Sonya Deville, Tamina & Nia Jax, The IIconics, and The Riott Squad to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions (Order of Elimination: Naomi & Carmella by The IIconics, The IIconics by Nia Jax & Tamina, The Riott Squad by Nia Jax & Tamina, Nia Jax & Tamina by Banks & Bayley and Rose & Deville, Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville by Sasha Banks & Bayley)
  • The Usos def. The Miz & Shane McMahon to become the new SmackDown Tag Team Champions
  • Finn Balor def. Lio Rush & Bobby Lashley to become the new Intercontinental Champion
  • Ronda Rousey def. Ruby Riott to retain the Raw Women’s Championship
  • Baron Corbin def. Braun Strowman
  • Daniel Bryan def. AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Kofi Kingston, Randy Orton, and Samoa Joe to retain the WWE Championship (Order of Eliimination: Samoa Joe by AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy by Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles by Randy Orton, Randy Orton by Kofi Kingston, Kofi Kingston by Daniel Bryan)
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