WWE Elimination Chamber: Only One Surprise

On Saturday evening, Randy Orton and Rhea Ripley emerged victorious from their respective men’s and women’s Elimination Chamber contests, securing their opportunities to vie for WWE championships at WrestleMania 42 this coming April.

Orton triumphed over Cody Rhodes, Logan Paul, Trick Williams, Je’Von Evans, and LA Knight, aided by key interventions from WWE Undisputed champion Drew McIntyre and the recently returned Seth Rollins. For the women’s Elimination Chamber bout, Ripley overcame Tiffany Stratton, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Raquel Rodriguez, and Kiana James, marking her seventh consecutive appearance at WrestleMania. This victory sets up Orton to face the victor of Friday’s “SmackDown” title showdown between McIntyre and Rhodes, while Ripley is slated to contend with WWE women’s champion Jade Cargill.

Furthermore, CM Punk successfully defended his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Bálor for a second time. Adding to the night’s successes, Punk’s spouse, AJ Lee, also departed Chicago’s United Center with new gold after forcing Becky Lynch to submit in their Women’s Intercontinental Championship match.

Below are the key observations from the WWE Elimination Chamber event held in Chicago.

---

Ripley’s victory: deserved yet expected

While Rhea Ripley’s anticipated triumph wasn’t detrimental, it failed to elevate the contest.

Unsurprisingly, Ripley secured the women’s Elimination Chamber victory. Was there ever an alternative? The result became even clearer following Ripley’s forfeiture of the women’s tag titles on “SmackDown” just the prior evening.

Despite its foreseeability, this trajectory was essential for Ripley. Considered by many the premier talent on the roster, her absence from a world title challenge at WrestleMania would have been incongruous. Nevertheless, it would have enhanced the experience if WWE had injected uncertainty by presenting another female competitor as a credible contender. Ultimately, the result served its purpose. One hopes that future Elimination Chamber events will feature less transparent conclusions, offering genuine suspense to the audience rather than merely confirming predetermined outcomes.

---

AJ Lee’s return to championship status

Lee now holds a championship, but can she effectively lead the women’s division?

Lee secured her inaugural singles victory since concluding her ten-year hiatus last year. While her re-emergence in WWE, contributing to a women’s division she significantly advanced, has been well-received, she now bears the responsibility of a title previously held by the formidable in-ring talent, Lynch. The initial excitement surrounding Lee’s return has subsided, and her future evaluations will be based on her performance.

Lee’s confrontation with Lynch was competent, yet her ring rust was evident during the encounter. Lynch, for her part, demonstrated excellent professionalism in elevating Lee, showcasing outstanding in-ring command. However, Lee will now proceed into the WrestleMania season without Lynch. Anticipation builds around how WWE will manage her upcoming rivalry. Her record against Lynch now stands at 3-0, encompassing a mixed tag team match, Survivor Series: WarGames, and their recent singles competition. The identity of Lee’s initial title challenger and her potential interactions with emerging roster talents remain to be seen.

---

Could Finn Bálor’s heel persona be concluding?

The encounter between Punk and Bálor fulfilled a dual objective. Primarily, it provided Punk with a triumphant return to Chicago before his championship defense against Roman Reigns at the WrestleMania 42 main event. Punk’s victory was anticipated, but his homage to the Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls’ starting lineup presentation, featuring The Alan Parsons Project’s “Sirius” and announcer Ray Clay, was a highlight.

The contest unfolded as a robust struggle, with Punk and Bálor engaging in a deadlock until Punk delivered his second Go To Sleep of the evening to secure the victory, celebrating subsequently in the ring with his spouse, AJ Lee.

The secondary aim might have been to transition Bálor into a fan-favorite character, separating him from the Judgment Day faction. Bálor had hinted at a departure from the group for several weeks, insisting on competing against Punk without the assistance of Dominik Mysterio or JD McDonagh. Bálor suffered a solitary defeat, and, in an uncharacteristic display for a villain, he extended a handshake to Punk post-match. This action appears to strongly foreshadow his exit from the group, potentially ushering in a fresh chapter for Finn Bálor within WWE.

---

The narrative between Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes may continue

Orton’s return to WrestleMania comes as a shock.

Rhodes was widely considered the undeniable favorite to clinch the men’s Elimination Chamber match, setting him up for a WrestleMania main event against his adversary, Drew McIntyre. However, McIntyre unexpectedly intervened, assaulting Rhodes when only he and Randy Orton remained. Orton seemingly came to Rhodes’ aid, delivering an RKO to McIntyre. Yet, just as Rhodes believed the threat was neutralized after executing a Cross Rhodes on McIntyre, he was struck by an RKO from Orton. Merely three seconds later, Orton found himself on the path to WrestleMania, aiming for his fifteenth world championship.

Orton’s opponent remains uncertain, as “SmackDown” general manager Nick Aldis, exasperated by McIntyre’s persistent meddling in matches, declared that McIntyre must defend his Undisputed Championship against Rhodes this Friday. A Rhodes versus Orton clash at WrestleMania presents an intriguing and novel pairing. Their history, stemming from Orton’s mentorship of Rhodes within the Legacy stable over ten years ago, could make for a compelling narrative. If Rhodes were to defeat McIntyre for the Undisputed Championship on Friday, it would be a strategic move. However, this raises questions about McIntyre’s role at WrestleMania.

---

Seth Rollins makes his awaited return

Following several weeks of hints, the identity of the mysterious masked individual was at last unveiled as Seth “Freaking” Rollins.

The former figurehead of The Vision exacted retribution by delivering a curb-stomp to Logan Paul, executing a deceptive masked identity swap beforehand. Rollins’ intervention ostensibly deprived Paul of a victory in the Elimination Chamber bout. Rollins then unmasked, disclosing his identity, prompting speculation about the trajectory of this storyline.

Regrettably, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed are currently out of action due to injuries, complicating the initial creative direction. Rollins and Paul previously clashed at WrestleMania 39, where Rollins emerged victorious. Repeating this matchup three years later appears less than ideal, but WWE’s available options for Rollins are currently limited.

One hopes this marks the conclusion of repetitive masked individual storylines.

---

Danhausen joins the WWE roster

Danhausen’s presence was disclosed inside the enigmatic box featured prominently in recent “Raw” and “SmackDown” narratives.

The unveiling of the peculiar goth-inspired persona elicited bewilderment among the audience. Superficially, his slender physique and distinctive face paint don’t immediately convey exceptionalism. However, one must witness Danhausen’s peculiar behavior to grasp his popularity on the independent wrestling circuit. His dramatic comedic style appeals to a specific palate, and WWE faces the challenge of introducing him to their wider fanbase. Danhausen’s essence is anything but simple; his entire presentation is steeped in irony. He has, in past interviews, described himself as “Conan O’Brien inhabited by a demon,” an apt portrayal of a wrestler noted for spontaneous Pee-wee Herman dances during matches. While his appeal may not be immediately apparent, Danhausen is ideally positioned to amplify his unique character. Patience is key.