WWE Elimination Chamber 2017: Reactions & Review

Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Naomi (WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship)

Reactions: The combination of a heated back & forth match and a shocking result all combined to make this match better than we envisioned. Bliss’ strong heel character work matched up well with Naomi’s colorful comeback offense. Bliss and Naomi started off hot and never slowed down from that point forward. We can’t lie, though. The action got a bit sloppy near the end, which docks a few points off this matchup. But we can’t knock both ladies too much since they kept the crowd alive even after they just viewed an awesome Orton/Harper match. Naomi looked great out there and she shocked us when she laid in a match finishing Split-Legged Moonsault. We’re sad to see Bliss’ title reign come to close, but at the same time we’re overjoyed to see Naomi finally win a title. We’ve very much looking forward to the SD Live Women’s Championship situation at ‘Mania 33 now.

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Randy Orton vs. Luke Harper

Reactions: Luke Harper has always stood next to Cesaro as one of WWE’s more underrated Superstars. He exudes a strange charisma about him and he tends to perform at a surprisingly high level against high profile opponents. Harper put on a satisfyingly good match against an always game Orton here. What made this one stand out to so much was its gradual buildup into some truly exciting closing moments. Both men used the announce table on the outside to lay in more damage on each other, which was a nice attention to detail (Orton did it first and Harper decided to return the favor later on). After that big Superplex spot, this match kicked into its most standout moments. Harper landed two vicious Superkicks, Orton almost knocked Harper out with an Apron DDT, Harper shot through the middle rope at Orton with a tope suicida and both men got locked into a striking exchange. We hopped out of our seat when Orton blocked Harper’s Discus Clothesline and countered it with a match winning RKO. This heated contest further proved just how good Harper is and we hope he gets better opportunities further down the line. Orton looked as fluid as he’s always been and we can’t wait to see him look just as smooth at ‘Mania 33.

Rating: 3 & a Half out of 5 Stars

John Cena (c) vs. AJ Styles vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Baron Corbin vs. The Miz vs. Dean Ambrose (Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Championship)

Reactions: First things first – the new look of the Chamber looks pretty as hell! So there’s that. Anyways, its been a while since we were treated to an Elimination Chamber match, so we were very much looking forward to this SD Live contest within the demonic structure. When it was clear that AJ and Cena were going to start this bout off, we knew we were in for something special. As expected, both men kicked this Chamber off on a very high note. They hit all the familiar but always entertaining notes that have been featured in all their other bouts. Ambrose entered in next and started off all the crazy moves that incorporate the Chamber. That wicked Elbow Drop off the top of the pod onto Cena was pretty cool. Cena took another scary bump when AJ punched him right off his foothold after climbing the chain link fence. Corbin’s heated entrance and spirited offense on every man also added some extra energy to this match. Him and Ambrose’s altercation told a nice mini-story that will hopefully lead to a future ‘Mania 33 IC Title match. The Miz played up his slimy heel role to a T and had the crowd reacting to his constant mocking of Daniel Bryan. But what stood out the most was AJ’s exciting offense and Bray’s combination of mind games and big moves. Bray’s massive title win at the end of this incredible main event did enough to make this SD Live event even more memorable. All six Superstars pulled off an awesome Elimination Chamber match here.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars