WWE Elimination Chamber 2011 Review

From August 13, 2011.

Match 1: Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston
The red hot Alberto Del Rio opens up the show against Kofi Kingston. Kingston is probably the biggest roller coaster wrestler in the WWE. Just when you think he's in for a push, it stops and this happens a lot. He's in an odd position here as he faces the 2011 Royal Rumble winner. Nice back and forth wrestling from the two throughout with some nice near falls as well but Del Rio eventually makes Kingston submit to his deadly submission finisher. Good match but that's as far as it goes, not much to say other than Del Rio is looking strong headed into WrestleMania.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Rating: **1/2

Match 2: Elimination Chamber - World Heavyweight Championship - Edge (c) vs. Kane vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Wade Barrett vs. Rey Mysterio vs. The Big Show
We get a nice video package to introduce us to the dangers and brutality that the Chamber brings. We start off with Mysterio taking on Edge in a 2009 Elimination Chamber rematch. Here we go! Both men have some good action inside the Chamber to which both Barrett and Kane enter the fray. Things are getting loose but once a mad Drew McIntyre enters, all hell is unleashed! McIntyre actually shows some emotion and destroys Rey Mysterio by literally tossing him through the glass! He and Barrett then team up against Kane but McIntyre turns on Barrett and slams him through one of the pods! McIntyre looks like an absolute beast in here! Action is breaking loose all over the place and mayhem is ensuing. The final person to enter is The Big Show and goes right after Barrett and single handedly takes him out by tossing him through a pod, chopping him, and finally landing a huge right hand! Great sequence but the pod breaking while still awesome, is getting a bit tiresome. Everyone tries to eliminate Show but to no avail, Show is seemingly indestructible until Kane lifts up Show and slams him! McIntyre tries to take out Kane right after but he gets slammed for his troubles too and gets eliminated! We are down to just Edge, Mysterio, and Kane! Mysterio and Kane go at it until Mysterio hit's a 619 on Kane. Mysterio slingshots himself onto Kane but Kane catches him until Edge comes out of nowhere and pummels Kane and Mysterio with a Spear and Kane is gone! Incredible elimination done beautifully by all three men. We are now down to Edge and Mysterio, the same match up with saw that ended the 2009 edition of this show. The two go back and forth for at least 7 minutes and they tore the house down! Reversal after reversal, kick out after kick out, and all of it was done perfectly with great selling and great storytelling. The one on one ending contest between these two not only was fun and high paced, but it all made sense with both men going to the well with their finishers desperately trying to win the match. The frequent kick outs didn't bother me because of the stakes that were involved and how dramatic the match was. Mysterio goes to the top rope and tries to take out Edge but he lands a Spear to get the win! Could not have asked for a better finish. After the match, Del Rio comes out to attack Edge before Christian comes out to make the save. What can you say about this? These types of matches never get old. Incredible action throughout with Mysterio and Edge being the MVPs. The pods breaking is getting repetitive but the spots here were passable and all made sense due to the intensity or hatred that was going on. Definitely one of the best Chamber matches I've ever seen with an amazing ending from Edge and Mysterio.
Winner: Edge
Rating: ****3/4

Match 3: WWE Tag Team Championships - Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov (c) vs. The Corre
Justin Gabriel & Heath Slater of The Corre challenge for the Tag Team Championships here in what is basically a filler match for the show. The Corre also have a powerhouse in Ezekial Jackson at ringside to help them out. This was just a basic match you would normally see on television with Gabriel landing a 450 Splash on Kozlov to get the win and capture the titles. Didn't want to get into too much detail here since it's really not much but it's nice that the belts are finally off Marella & Kozlov.
Winners: The Corre
Rating: 3/4*

Match 4: WWE Championship - The Miz (c) vs. Jerry Lawler
In his long and storied career, Jerry Lawler has never captured the WWE Championship but here he is in 2011 challenging The Miz for that very title. Lawler has definitely upped his game as of late and I have no problem with him being involved in a marquee match for the PPV, he's earned it. Riley gets involved for a few parts of the match including pulling Lawler's leg which leads to the referee throwing him out. This allows Lawler to gain control of the match and eventually tosses Miz onto a loudmouth Michael Cole. However, Miz shows why he is the WWE Champion as he takes out Lawler and picks up the win. After, Cole runs in and raises Miz's hand. Surprisingly good match with a lot of drama with Cole's involvement and the near falls at the end.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: **1/2

Match 5: Elimination Chamber - John Cena vs. Randy Orton vs. John Morrison vs. R-Truth vs. CM Punk vs. Sheamus
This is the main event and it is the Raw Elimination Chamber with John Morrison and Sheamus being the first two to start. The two go at it with Sheamus mostly dictating the pace until Randy Orton is unleashed from his pod and he is like a crazed animal. Orton immediately takes control of the match as he slams Morrison through a pod and landing a DDT to Sheamus to the outside and onto the steel platform! Orton looks like a million bucks right about now! Orton completely dominates the match as CM Punk gets his chance to enter the fray but the door malfunctions and he cannot enter. This leads to Orton attacking Punk before he can even get out which leads to Orton eliminating him quickly with an RKO! However, the anonymous Raw GM makes the decision to reinstate Punk back into the match due to the malfunctioning. Punk is ecstatic to be back in the match. After, Orton's pace gets slowed down by Sheamus who takes out both him and Morrison. Not a fan of the malfunctioning door but it makes the fans hotter for both Orton and Punk. The next participant of the match is John Cena but Sheamus goes right after him and takes him out before Cena can even begin the match. Unusual and interesting way for Cena to kick off the match, I like it. This leads to Sheamus once again dictating the pace of the match and tries to employ the same strategy of attacking Cena to R-Truth but it backfires as Truth takes out Sheamus and even tosses him onto the steel grate. Truth runs into the ring and tries to gain control of the match but Sheamus kicks him square in the mouth and pins him to eliminate Truth! Weak showing by Truth but Sheamus looked like an absolute beast. After Sheamus gets beaten down, Orton then takes control of the match and tosses Morrison once again through a pod. The pods breaking is getting old but again, still really awesome. It's now time for Punk's release as Orton is the only one standing! Orton goes right to the pod but Cena tries to take out a blinded Randy Orton but Orton counters with an RKO on the grate! Sheamus comes in now and takes out Orton but Punks then takes out Sheamus! This leads to Punk taking advantage of things by landing a GTS on Orton and eliminating him! After, Punk mocks Orton as Orton walks out the Chamber. Phenomenal move by Punk. Things then pick up soon after when Sheamus and Morrion once again go back at it back on top of one of the pods! Sheamus wants to toss Morrison off the pod but Morrison tosses him down first! Morrison then climbs to the inner top part of the dome! Morrison drops himself on Sheamus and gets the pin! That was one of the craziest Chamber moments I have ever seen. The execution of Morrison falling on Sheamus was not done to it's best but still an amazing and dangerous moment. We are now down to Punk, Cena, and Morrison. Hell is breaking loose between the three when later, Morrison sees Cena sitting down next to the pod which makes Morrison go for a knee to Cena's face but Cena moves and Morrison destroys himself through a pod! Morrison is looking like a star in here! His star crashes later when he gets nailed with a GTS by Punk and is eliminated! Great performance. Right after, Cena lands an Attitude Adjustment on Punk from the inside of the ring and onto the steel platform to get the win! Cena earns himself a WWE Championship match against Miz at WrestleMania. Amazing match and definitely one of the best Chamber matches ever.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ****1/2

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
The Chamber matches delivered and let's be honest, that's all that really mattered. The middle of the show kind of dragged for a bit but the two long Chamber matches made it worth it. Great performances from everyone in the Chambers.
Rating: 8.5/10