Match 1: No Way Out 2009 - WWE Championship - Elimination Chamber - Edge (c) vs. The Undertaker vs. The Big Show vs. Vladimir Kozlov vs. Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy
Last time I probably watched this match was the last time I reviewed it in 2009 where I gave it a ****1/2. If you're interested, you can click here to read the original review. Let's see how it holds up. Much like the 2008 edition of No Way Out, the 2009 edition also featured two Elimination Chamber matches loaded with the company's top names. The SmackDown edition kicked off the show as Edge faced off against Jeff Hardy to begin the match. In the biggest swerve possible, Hardy rolls up Edge and eliminates him before another entrant even enters the match. Awesome way to open up the match as Edge scrambles around in disbelief after. We are now guaranteed a new WWE Champion and the suspense has gone up another level. Vladimir Kozlov and The Big Show would soon enter the match as they took turns beating up Hardy and somewhat slowed the momentum of the match here. However, once The Game and The Deadman were in, it was a show. Kozlov was eliminated first with a Last Ride while Show was eliminated afterwards after a Pedigree from Triple H and a Swanton Bomb off a pod from Hardy. While it was fun to watch Hardy put up the underdog fight as I'm sure many were rooting for him to win after his short title reign, Undertaker put him away with a Tombstone and the fight was down to himself and Triple H. As much as I wouldn't have minded seeing Hardy win, the exchange between The Undertaker and Triple H was what took this match to another level. After kicking out of the first Pedigree, The Phenom was not able to kick out of a second one as Triple H is once again the WWE Champion. Afterwards, The Undertaker exits the chamber and gives The Game a glance of respect. Definitely one of the best matches to ever open up a WWE PPV. Loved having Edge lose in the very beginning of the match and loved seeing the two legends close it out in a very underrated exchange. However, my ****1/2 rating from 2009 still stands. I hate myself for saying this... I just wish there was blood.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ****1/2
Original Rating: ****1/2
Match 2: No Way Out 2009 - WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Elimination Chamber - John Cena (c) vs. Mike Knox vs. Kane vs. Edge vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho
I loved this match when I first viewed and heralded it as one of my favorite Elimination Chamber matches of all time with a ****3/4 rating. Again, link here. The first Chamber match of the night held its own, let's see how this one goes. Like the first Chamber match, this one was also packed with big names... and Mike Knox. Cool moment before the match that has basically become an iconic moment for the Elimination Chamber as Edge ambushes Kofi Kingston from behind and locks himself in a pod to insert himself in the match as a disgruntled Rey Mysterio tried attacking Edge for his dirty move. However, the pod would eventually lock and Edge is competing in his second Chamber match of the night. Loved how this match was constructed with Mysterio and Chris Jericho leading the way with Kane and Knox following suit before they fairly quickly suffered eliminations. This opened the door for a faster match with the stronger competitors being the only factors. Once Edge entered the match, Mysterio set his eyes on him and soon after, Cena entered and looked to do the same against Edge. However, ANOTHER swerve of the night went down when Cena fell victim to a Codebreaker, a 619, a Spear and finally... an elimination. At this moment, everyone realized we were going to crown another new world champion as the looks on the faces of everyone in the ring told an amazing story. Jericho would be eliminated by Mysterio soon after which meant one thing, it went down to Mysterio and Edge as Mysterio would try to avenge Kofi Kingston's lost spot in the match. This is some crazy, crazy drama. So many nearfalls that nearly made you think Mysterio was going to pull off the biggest win of the night until Edge catapults Mysterio into a pod and followed it up with a Spear! Edge steals the show. Michael Cole nicely points out how Edge attempted a Spear in the start of the show led him to losing his WWE Championship but a Spear at the end of the show would be the reason he wins the World Heavyweight Championship. The show concludes with Edge looking like a maniac as The Ultimate Opportunist strikes again. Another incredible match for the night with some of the most brilliant booking the WWE has ever seen. Just a shame they didn't follow this up with a Edge vs. Mysterio feud afterwards.
Winner: Edge
Rating: ****1/2
Original Rating: ****3/4
Match 3: Elimination Chamber 2010 - WWE Championship - Elimination Chamber - Sheamus (c) vs. John Cena vs. Ted DiBiase vs. Randy Orton vs. Triple H vs. Kofi Kingston
Just like how I watched the Elimination Chamber matches from No Way Out 2009 for the first time in nearly a decade, I'm doing the same for the ones here at Elimination Chamber 2010. You can read my original review of the show by clicking here. Nice mixture of new comers to the Chamber along with guys who have had much experience inside the crazy structure. With Sheamus starting off the match against Kofi Kingston, he had his work cut out for him as his WWE Championship was being placed in a higher level of danger. Gotta quickly note how much I loved seeing Kofi look behind him before approaching the chamber as he was ambushed on his way the previous year. Solid action in the ring with Ted DiBiase and Randy Orton forming an alliance on their way to take out everyone in their path. By the time the final entrant entered the match in John Cena, nobody had been eliminated. However, the biggest swerve and coolest moment of the match saw Cody Rhodes come in with a pipe to hand over to Orton. Instead, DiBiase gets his hands on it and drills both Orton and Cena with it! DiBiase pins Orton for the first elimination as the crowd goes nuts. Loved the look on Orton's face as he could not believe what just happened. Hell was awaiting DiBiase. After this, the eliminations came fast and felt super rushed with the final two going down to Cena and Triple H. Cena quickly locked in an STF to submit The Game and win the WWE Championship. Much like how Cena won his first Elimination Chamber match, he had someone waiting for him afterwards... Definitely enjoyed this match much more than the last time I viewed it but not the best Chamber match by any means. Again, the eliminations at the end felt rushed and almost as if I didn't have enough time to digest what each one meant. Even still, another solid Elimination Chamber match to add to the list.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ****
Original Rating: ***1/2
Match 4: Elimination Chamber 2010 - WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Elimination Chamber - The Undertaker (c) vs. Rey Mysterio vs. John Morrison vs. Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk vs. R-Truth
If you're interested in reading my original review of this Chamber match from 9 years ago, the link is once again right here for the clicking. Interesting dynamic here with Edge awaiting the winner of this match after winning the Royal Rumble a month earlier. Surely, Jericho has to walk out with the title... right? I think it's essential to note that this is the Chamber match in which the fire from The Undertaker's entrance engulfed him as he made his way to the ring. Interesting to watch him pour bottles of water on himself as part of his body was burned from the fire. Unlike the last Chamber match, the eliminations didn't all wait until the end of the match as CM Punk was quick to eliminate R-Truth before anyone else even entered. Nice way to differentiate the matches from each other instead of making this one feel like a recycled version. Unfortunately, the dead St. Louis crowd was as quiet as you could imagine for most of the match and it really lowered much of the drama that was happening inside the structure. With Punk and Mysterio being eliminated first, it came down to The Undertaker, Chris Jericho and John Morrison. Undertaker was able to Chokeslam Morrison onto the steel grate and roll him back into the ring for the pin. Jericho had been dodging The Deadman throughout the match but had nowhere to go now. However, Shawn Michaels appears from under the steel grate and lands a Sweet Chin Music on The Undertaker. Jericho capitalizes on the situation and in shock, pins The Phenom as Jericho stares right into the face of Michaels. After all the wars they have had, Michaels ends up being the reason why Jericho finally wins his first Elimination Chamber match en route to capturing the World Heavyweight Championship. The show brilliantly ends with Michaels stoically staring at a prone Undertaker. Enjoyable main event with a spectacular finish that has been remembered so well after all these years. However, my gripe with the crowd being so uninvolved with the match took out so much of the passion I had for the earlier Chamber matches in the years past.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Rating: ***3/4
Original Rating: ***3/4
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