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WWE: The 5 best Elimination Chamber Matches of all time

By Saksham Karakasia

WWE (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
WWE (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – JANUARY 08: WWE personalities Shawn Michaels (L) and Triple H throw glow sticks into the crowd at a news conference announcing the WWE Network at the 2014 International CES at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on January 8, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The network will launch on February 24, 2014 as the first-ever 24/7 streaming network, offering both scheduled programs and video on demand. The USD 9.99 per month subscription will include access to all 12 live WWE pay-per-view events each year. CES, the world’s largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 10 and is expected to feature 3,200 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 150,000 attendees. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – JANUARY 08: WWE personalities Shawn Michaels (L) and Triple H throw glow sticks into the crowd at a news conference announcing the WWE Network at the 2014 International CES at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on January 8, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The network will launch on February 24, 2014 as the first-ever 24/7 streaming network, offering both scheduled programs and video on demand. The USD 9.99 per month subscription will include access to all 12 live WWE pay-per-view events each year. CES, the world’s largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 10 and is expected to feature 3,200 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 150,000 attendees. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

4. Survivor Series 2002

Triple H (c) vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Kane vs. Booker T for the World Heavyweight Championship

WWE sure love throwing around the term “first-ever” a lot, don’t they?

Booking a match that’s a “first-ever” in wrestling is daring, to say the least. You’re never sure of what’s going to work in wrestling and considering the first iterations of wildly successful stipulations like Royal Rumble or Survivor Series, you can never tell what’s right or wrong. You have to have faith in yourself and the courage to stick to a concept and make it work.

However, some stipulations work from the off, like Hell in Cell or Money in the Bank, or like the subject of this list, the Elimination Chamber.

In contrast to the previous entry on this list that had a horrible conclusion that would lead to a big pay-off, this match had one of the most satisfying and heartwarming endings in Chamber history.

RVD started the match with the champion Triple H, who, in kayfabe, is the greatest Chamber performer in history. I mean, he’s literally won 4 of them. So, RVD looked very strong indeed as he beat the Game up.

Then, Jericho joined the match, but he was a dirty heel so he teamed with Triple H to beat up RVD, but RVD fought back and beat up both of them. Go RVD!

Booker T entered next and ran wild for a bit. He hit Triple H with an Axe Kick, and as Triple H was laying on the mat, that’s when disaster struck.

In what was the first of many innovative pod-related spots in history, RVD climbed the pod and hit a Frog Splash on Triple H, the only problem being his knee drove straight into Triple H’s neck crushing his larynx.

Now, we can all crap on Triple H’s reign of terror, how he was booked so strong for, well, most of his career, but you have to admit that this dude’s a badass. He embodies that old school, “finish the match” mentality better than most, and to think of all the injuries he’s worked through, two torn quads, and then this one.

So thank you, Mr. Lavesque, you made sure that the first-ever Elimination Chamber was a classic and you truly are as tough as they come.

Anyway, after that, the other wrestlers took over the match as Triple H took some rest in the corner. Kane came out and threw Jericho through the “bulletproof glass” of the pod for the “first time ever.” He also hit a Chokeslam on Booker T, then Jericho hit a Lionsault to eliminate Booker.

The final entrant was HBK, and this is the only time I’m going to mention it, in what was an extremely minor disaster compared to Triple H’s throat, but a disaster nonetheless, Shawn came out wearing a pair of very ugly brown trousers and what you might call a Soccer Mom’s haircut. He didn’t look like much of a sexy boy.

Shawn, being the greatest of all time, did some great things until Triple H had recovered enough to get back into the match, then everyone ganged up on Kane to eliminate him. Jericho locked Triple H in the Walls, but HBK superkicked him out of the match.

Then, we got the final two of Triple H and Shawn Michaels. Best friends, bitter rivals.

They had a nice mini-match, there was a brilliant near fall when HBK just barely kicked out of the Pedigree, he then hit the Sweet Chin Music to get the emotional win.

That image of him standing in the Chamber, tears in his eyes, blood on his face, the World title on his shoulder, is iconic. It’s just a shame it had to be in those trousers. (I’m sorry.)

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