Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Bayley vs. Mandy Rose vs. Mickie James vs. Sonya Deville vs. Sasha Banks (Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship)
Reactions: The inaugural Women’s Money in the Bank match was a letdown. The first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble was a treat. But how about the initial Women’s Elimination Chamber match? It ended up being a solid contest full of some death-defying moments and good storytelling. Bayley and Sonya got things started and delivered some decent back and forth action. Once Mandy ran into the ring, her and Sonya smartly worked together to ground Bayley. The match as a whole got even more intense once Banks exited her pod. Banks added some extra fire to the match due to her assault on Absolution and partnership with Bayley. Mickie kept the intensity going as she pulled off a great maneuver by hopping off one of the cell ceilings right onto Sonya. Mickie’s sudden elimination following that moment made things even more interesting from that point forward. Bliss played her role as the scared champion well here as she made sure to steer clear of Banks and Bayley. She eventually got caught, but Banks heeled it up by turning on Bayley moments later. What followed was a series of triple threat action that ended with a surprising roll-up pin from Bliss to Bayley. Banks and Bliss continued their beef afterwards, which led to an exciting moment that saw a Twisted Bliss off the top of a cell countered into a Bank Statement. Bliss’ craftiness saved her and caused Banks to eat a top-rope DDT, which brought the first Women’s Elimination Chamber to a satisfying close. Good stuff here!
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Braun Strowman vs. Elias vs. Finn Bálor vs. John Cena vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins vs. The Miz (Elimination Chamber Match for a WWE Universal Championship Match at WrestleMania 34)
Reactions: This match was all about establishing Strowman as the man to beat. Before he left his pod, Finn, Rollins, Miz, and Cena engaged each other in some fun exchanges. The match was fine during that period, but it got far more interesting when Strowman climbed into the fray. Not only did Strowman stake his claim as the most powerful man in WWE, he managed to break a record by eliminating the most men during an Elimination Chamber match. All the other men who entered before him made sure to target each other from time to time, but they were forced to team up and further weaken “The Monster Among Men.” I came out of my seat when Strowman ended up eating a bunch of finishers and still didn’t get beat! Strowman went on a pinning spree as he fed Running Powerslam’s to his competition until he and Reigns remained as the final two competitors. While the match’s final moments were indeed predictable, it still resulted in a fun close to a chaotic match. Reigns held on for dear life, landed his finishers on Strowman to finish him, and stamped his ticket to the main event of ‘Mania 34. While the Women’s Elimination Chamber proved to be a good time, this Elimination Chamber proved to be a bit more enthralling.
Rating: 3 & a Half out of 5 Stars
Match of the Night
Braun Strowman vs. Elias vs. Finn Bálor vs. John Cena vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins vs. The Miz!
Final Verdict
Due to the shorter collection of matches booked for this PPV, Elimination Chamber 2018 proved to be an easy watch. The less hyped matches did nothing to make this show any better, but at least its main bouts proved to be worthwhile. Both Elimination Chamber bouts were good to almost great thanks to the combined efforts of the male and female talent involved. Alexa Bliss held onto her title and looks to be on a collision course with Asuka (who also competed in a fine match of her own), Strowman won MVP honors for his excellent performance, and Reigns finally got his ‘Mania 34 rematch with Brock Lesnar. Ronda Rousey’s contract signing segment was a bit lackluster, but it still served its purpose in setting up her ‘Mania 34 matchup. Overall though, Elimination Chamber 2018 ended up being a decent show.
Final Score: 3 out of 5 Stars
