WWE: Top Five Single Performances in the Elimination Chamber

The Elimination Chamber has become one of WWE’s most dangerous match stipulations since being introduced at Survivor Series in 2002.

At 16 feet high, 36 feet in diameter, consisting of two miles of chains and 10 tons of steel – wrestlers are never the same after leaving Satan’s Structure.

At first, the stipulation saw only singles male superstars participate, but that extended to tag teams in 2015 – while the first women’s bout occurred in 2018.

WWE has held 26 Elimination Chamber contests, 85 superstars have stepped inside it, and 170 superstars have been pinned or submitted.

The event is an important stop on the road to WrestleMania – it has been that way since becoming a stand-alone pay-per-view in 2010.

The 2021 event is two weeks away, so now is a good time to look at some of the best single performances inside the Chamber.

5. CM Punk (February 2012)

This match was one of the biggest threats to CM Punk’s historic 434-day WWE Championship reign.

He defended the richest prize in the company against The Miz, R-Truth, Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, and Chris Jericho at Elimination Chamber 2012.

To make his task harder, “The Voice of the Voiceless” started the match, meaning he would have to go the distance if he wanted to retain his strap, and that is what he did.

At the time, Punk was embroiled in a feud with Jericho.

The latter won a Six-Pack Challenge on Raw to earn the right to enter the Chamber last. He vowed to take the title from Punk, but the Chicago native had other ideas and struck Jericho with a roundhouse kick that rendered the first-ever Undisputed Champion unable to continue.

With Jericho gone, Punk and The Miz were the final two participants. After several near-falls, including Punk kicking out of a Skull Crushing Finale, the exhausted champion sent “The A-Lister” headfirst into one of the pods and hit him with the Go To Sleep to retain his title.

Punk showed grit here, as he wrestled for over half-an-hour to hold on to the WWE Title. He was probably upset that his match was bumped from the main event again — John Cena and Kane went on last — and he performed like he had something to prove.

4. The Undertaker (February 2008)

The “Demon from Death Valley” and Satan’s Structure made for a perfect combination at No Way Out 2008.

The Undertaker, Batista, The Great Khali, and Big Daddy V weighed a combined 1,500 pounds, the most body mass in Chamber history. Finlay and Montel Vontavious Porter are not small men either.

A shot at Edge’s World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXIV was on the line.

Nobody was going to stand in The Undertaker’s way; he was determined to get another shot at The Big Gold Belt.

“The Deadman” was on a war-path in this match. He made Khali tap out with the Hell’s Gate, pinned Finlay after a Chokeslam on the steel floor, and secured the win after hitting Batista with the Tombstone Piledriver

The Undertaker started the match, scored the most eliminations, and won the whole thing by beating one of the biggest stars of that era.

It was a dominant performance from the veteran, who then went on to dethrone “The Rated R Superstar” at The Grandest Stage of Them All to capture his sixth world title.

3. Edge (February 2009)

At No Way Out 2009, Edge created history by becoming the first man to compete in two Elimination Chamber matches in the same night.

Edge’s night did not get off to the best start. He lost the WWE Championship to Triple H in his first appearance but left KeyArena as the new World Heavyweight Champion as the show went off the air.

The “Rated-R Superstar” was not scheduled for this match but that did not stop him from attacking Kofi Kingston, locking himself in a pod, and taking his spot. Nobody had attempted this before — Edge’s audacity had no bounds.

Edge was the second to last to emerge from the pod. Only John Cena, the current champion, was left to enter the fray.

In a surprise turn of events, Cena was the third man eliminated after Edge pinned him with a Spear. A loud gasp from the WWE Universe filled the venue. The leader of the Cenation was gone; he followed Kane and Mike Knox to the locker room. Only Edge, Chris Jericho, and Rey Mysterio remained. The master of the 619 pinned Jericho with a cradle but Edge was the fresher of the two and took Mysterio out with a Spear to become to win the title.

The Canadian pinned two of the greatest superstars of all time to win a match he was not supposed to be in.

He certainly lived up to his “Ultimate Opportunist” nickname on this historic night in Washington.

2. Shawn Michaels (November 2002)

This performance is included because it was Shawn Michaels’ second match back after a four-year absence.

His match against Triple H at SummerSlam three months earlier was brilliant. It would be difficult for Michaels to repeat that kind of performance, but he did.

Survivor Series 2002 was the first Chamber match. Consequently, nobody knew what to expect in this environment. These men had to set the standard for future Chamber contents, and all of them held up their end, especially “The Heartbreak Kid”.

This match meant more for Michaels. The World Heavyweight Champion heading into this match was Triple H, his former best friend who stabbed him in the back five-months earlier.

Michaels entered the match 25 minutes in and eliminated Chris Jericho. Rob Van Dam, Kane, and Booker T also were gone, so the San Antonio native was left alone with the man who betrayed him.

Michaels selling was superb; it looked like he was in legitimate pain every time he struck “The Game” and vice versa.

The finish came when the first Grand Slam Champion in WWE history reversed The Pedigree and hit Sweet Chin Music to score the clean fall and the World Heavyweight Title. This was a fitting conclusion to the inaugural Chamber match — Madison Square Garden was rocking.

It was the culmination of a four-year journey for “The Showstopper”. The pay-per-view went off the air with confetti falling from the top of the arena. It was a great visual for what turned out to be Michaels’ last solo title win.

1. Shayna Baszler (February 2020)

At last year’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, Shayna Baszler obliterated Sarah Logan, Ruby Riott, Natalya, Liv Morgan, and Asuka in 21:00 minutes to become the number one contender to Becky Lynch’s Raw Women’s Championship.

Not only did “The Queen of Spades” dispose of her competition in short order — only one Chamber match has ended quicker — but she also became the first superstar in history to eliminate everyone in the contest. It was a sight to behold.

Baszler was the fourth woman to leave the pod, and she later tapped out Logan, Riott, and Natalya in the space of three minutes. Liv Morgan was next to go, meaning Asuka was the only woman standing in the former NXT Women’s Champion way of the title match she craved so badly.

Asuka put up a fight but, ultimately, was no match for Baszler. Baszler applied the Kirifuda Clutch to her foe, who was unresponsive, leaving referee John Cone with no choice but to call for the bell.

It was a ruthless display from Baszler, the most impressive in the Chamber’s 19-year history. It may never be duplicated.

It is a shame to see how she is being treated on Raw 12 months later. She deserves more than being beaten by Lana and Dana Brooke.

WWE should watch this match as a reminder of what Baszler can do and book her like the beast she is.