Roman Reigns (C) def. Goldberg – Universal Championship
This was literally every Goldberg match since he’s come back. A spear here, a spear there, maybe a Jackhammer, maybe not. The end result was never in question, it was just a matter of how quickly Roman would finish him off, and it was about 5 minutes. It didn’t overstay its welcome, Goldberg got his paycheck, and Roman continues to reign. That’s all this was. A brief pit stop to WrestleMania. **
Bianca Belair def. Alexa Bliss, Rhea Ripley, Doudrop, Liv Morgan and Nikki A.S.H – Elimination Chamber Match
This match was just okay, in my opinion. There seemed to be a bit of a rapid fire elimination style in this match. There really wasn’t enough time to absorb a lot of the eliminations, and it just seemed to go by quick. There was nothing wrong with the actual style of match, but it just felt like complete filler if that makes sense. Belair was the perfect choice to headline Becky. Not only is she the most believable challenger, but she also feels like she has some unfinished business with Becky from the last time they went on one on one, so I do like the decision. The match did not feel like an epic, nor was it built like one, but all women put in a solid effort so you can’t be too disappointed. Becky vs. Bianca should be great at WrestleMania. ***
Ronda Rousey and Namoi vs. Charlotte Flair and Sonya Deville – Rousey Has ONe Hand Tied Behind Her Back
I didn’t really pay much attention to this match because much like the opener, the finish of the match was going to be highly predictable. The match would be spent having Ronda adjust to having one arm and potentially scaring Charlotte at the thought of what Ronda can do with two arms. The in-ring action itself was pretty okay, but again, nothing too special. I did like Ronda’s creativity in performing some of of her one-handed moves, but Sonya and Deville were more or less after thoughts, so I can only get so involved in the match when you can already tell what the plan is from a mile away. **3/4
Drew McIntyre def. Madcap Moss – Falls Count Anywhere Match
I don’t really understand Corbin. It’s a Falls Count Anywhere Match. You and Madcap should be jumping Drew from the moment that bell rings. Hell, why not go onto of Moss every time he goes for a pin for extra leverage? Usually, it’s the babyfaces that are the idiots and the heels that are smart ones. It was not so in this case. This match was basically cartoon car crash, but it was a pretty damn good one. Although I can’t help that the prevailing story of this match is going to be Drew’s Alabama Slam that had Moss land right on his skull. I don’t think Drew did anything wrong but that Madcap tilted his head a little. I’ll need to see a replay. Either way, this was a very physical match that actually showcased Moss’ best attributes as well. While it looks like we are heading for a McIntyre/Corbin collision at WrestleMania, I’m not sure they would be able to top this one. I really dug this more than I thought I would. Not amazing, but definitely more than what I was counting on. ***1/4
Becky Lynch (C) def. Lita – RAW Women’s Championship
Well I’ll be dammed, Lita still has something in the tank. Actually, from what I saw, it looked like she has quite a bit left in the tank. Lita pulled off an absolutely amazing performance. I read a report that Elimination Chamber was going to have some twists and turns we weren’t expecting, and for a while, I actually thought that one of those twists was going to be Lita inexplicably dethroning Becky. I was really buying it for a second. That’s how good she was. Her first “real” match since Survivor Series 2006, and she looked absolutely incredible.
Becky, as always, looked stout and controlled the pace very well. I think what I loved most about the match was that the structure was kept so simple. Everything from the impactful moves, to the rest holds and big moments was paced simple, and sometimes, the best matches have just that. They didn’t try to do too much, and they certainly didn’t try to do a style of match to help convince the audience that Lita still got it. They wrestled this match as if this was 2006, and in a way, it kind of was. I don’t know if this is Lita’s send-off, but seeing how good she looked, it’s hard to think WWE wouldn’t at least consider her sometime in the near future for another match with the likes of Flair, Banks, Belair, Bayley or someone else. If it is a send-off, this was the way to do it, not what took place 16 years ago. Bravo. ****
Brock Lesnar def. Bobby Lashley (C), AJ Styles, Riddle, Austin Theory and Seth Rollins – WWE Championship (Elimination Chamber Match)
*sigh*
Sometimes, if you expect the obvious, the disappointment will not set in. But once again, just like the opener, we all knew what was happening. Brock was not going to be one of the two to start the match. He was going to come out last, and he was going to start the rapid fire eliminations just like the Royal Rumble, and that he was going to win. It was only a matter of the order in which they were eliminated. What I find interesting is that they protected Bobby by writing an injury angle. Does this mean he somehow inserts himself into Reigns/Lesnar because Lashley never got pinned? I wonder what his WrestleMania arc will be, because there’s no way Lashley walks away quietly from this. As for the other four, they were all just spotholders. Rollins, Riddle, AJ and Theory were all just there to be lined up for Lesnar.
Again, I am not even mad Lesnar won the title again. I just wanted to see a proper chamber match, not a 15 minute sprint. Unfortunately, that is what we got. What I will say was the F-5 spot onto Theory was pretty damn impressive. Past that, this was a highly forgettable sprint as we quickly awaited what Lesnar would do. The result of this match has really made me think how Roman’s COVID diagnosis at Day 1 ha affected things, because since then, Lesnar has won two WWE Titles and the Royal Rumble. I don’t know, I’m just not on fire to see Roman/Lesnar once again, and I certainly am not a fan of it being title for title. But with Brock, it is what it is. That’s how it’s been for years, and this does not change anything. Unfortunately, this pit stop to WrestleMania was really a bummer. **1/2
Conclusion:
I don’t know, man. Elimination Chamber 2022 is really a mixed bag. There were certain matches that exceeded expectation such as the women’s championship match and McIntyre/Moss. Then, there’s the two chamber matches themselves which were largely uneventful in the grand scheme of everything. I must also say it’s worth noting that it’s 2022, and Goldberg and Lita are in world title matches and Lesnar is still winning the WWE Championship. Yes, this is 2022 and not 2003. And this is in lieu of Stone Cold apparently returning for a match against Kevin Owens. WWE will really suck up everything they can from legends of the past until they are wheelchair bound. If you have a few hours to burn, this show isn’t the worst thing in the world, but this entire PPV just felt like a formality towards WrestleMania. So, thumbs in the middle I suppose.
