By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Elimination Chamber 2021
Aired February 21, 2021 live on WWE Network and pay-per-view
Tampa, Florida at Tropicana Field
WWE Elimination Chamber Kickoff Show result: John Morrison defeated Mustafa Ali, Ricochet, and Elias in 7:10 in a four-way match to earn a spot in the U.S. Championship match on the main card.
A video package opened the main card… Pyro shot off on the stage and around the set. Michael Cole welcomed viewers to the show and credited Triple H with the creation of the match and noted that Eric Bischoff introduced it to the world. Corey Graves checked in as Cole’s color commentator. Greg Hamilton was the ring announcer for the opening match…
1. Daniel Bryan vs. Jey Uso vs. Cesaro vs. King Corbin vs. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens in an Elimination Chamber match for a WWE Universal Championship match. Cole and Graves called the match. The four men who started in the pods were introduced, and then Chamber video package aired. Bryan and Cesaro made their entrances as the first two entrants.
Bryan backdropped Cesaro over the top rope onto the covered area outside the ring. Bryan leapt from the top rope and hit Cesaro with a flying knee. Bryan sent Cesaro back inside the ring and then gave him a missile dropkick that led to a pin attempt. Bryan applied an armbar. Cesaro rolled onto him and got a two count, forcing Bryan to release the hold.
Powell’s POV: My hope going into the match was that they would have Bryan or Cesaro go the distance, put up a helluva fight against Reigns, and earn a rematch at Fastlane. I’m not sure if that’s what they have in mind, but it started with the right entrants to start.
The third entrant in the match was King Corbin at 5:25. Corbin went right after Cesaro. Bryan tried to intervene, but Corbin ran him into the steel chains that make up the Chamber wall. Corbin hit both opponents with a Deep Six and covered Bryan for a near fall. Corbin rolled onto Cesaro and covered him for a two count as well.
Corbin picked up Bryan while standing on the outside and then ran his knee into Zayn’s pod. Corbin and Zayn jawed at one another. Corbin shoved Cesaro into Zayn’s pod. “Keep him away from my pod,” Zayn shouted. Corbin wrenched Bryan’s left leg around the ring post and then stood on his neck in front of Uso’s pod.
The fourth entrant was Sami Zayn at 10:30. Corbin went to Zayn’s pod, but Zayn held the door closed. Bryan hit Corbin from behind. “That’s what you get,” Zayn said while laughing at Corbin. Cesaro approached Zayn from the open panel behind him. “What the hell?” Zayn asked before Cesaro roughed him up. Bryan ended up running Zayn into the steel chain wall multiple times.
Zayn rallied and went for a Helluva Kick on Bryan, who moved, causing Zayn to kick Owen’s pod. Corbin superplexed Bryan back into the ring. Zayn DDT’d Cesaro outside the ring, then followed him back inside the ring and covered him for a two count.
Outside the ring, Zayn ran at Cesaro, who hoisted Zayn onto the top of an empty pod. Cesaro followed Zayn onto the pod and worked him over with uppercuts. Zayn climbed the steel chain wall to avoid Cesaro, who followed him and ran his head into the chains. Zayn held on by one arm. Cesaro used the chain roof to pull himself up to deliver a kick that sent Zayn crashing to the outside. A short time later, Cesaro forced Corbin to submit to a Sharpshooter.
King Corbin was eliminated by Cesaro in 17:45.
The fifth entrant was Kevin Owens at 18:15. Zayn tried to tell Owens that “they” don’t want them in the match because they are not the poster boys. Zayn said they should work together like old times. Owens grabbed Zayn and ran him into a pod wall. A short time later, Owens performed cannonballs on each opponent, then asked Uso if he was watching.
Zayn came back with a suplex on Owens. Cesaro performed a Popup Uppercut on Zayn. Bryan hit Cesaro with a running knee. Owens gave Bryan a Popup Powerbomb that left all four men down. Owens got up and had a run of offense on all three men.
The final entrant was Jey Uso at 23:05. Owens went right after Uso and shoved him into the chain wall multiple times. A short time later, Owens performed a moonsault off the top of a pod onto all four opponents. Owens hit Bryan and Cesaro with Stunners. Zayn went for a Helluva Kick on Owens and missed, then Owens gave him a Stunner and pinned him.
Sami Zayn was eliminated by Kevin Owens in 25:30.
Zayn left the Chamber. Uso closed the door on right arm of Owens, then blasted him with several superkicks. The officials opened the door and freed Owens. Uso threw another superkick and then followed up with a top rope splash and scored the pin.
Kevin Owens was eliminated by Jey Uso in 26:50.
Cesaro and Bryan fought while Uso sold outside the ring. Bryan avoided a Popup Uppercut and caught Cesaro in a backslide for a two count. Bryan threw a kick to the head of Cesaro and covered him for another near fall. Bryan stomped the head of Cesaro several times, then went to the corner for his finisher.
Cesaro cut off Bryan’s running knee, but Bryan dropped him with a kick. Bryan went up top and sold a left knee injury while doing so. Cesaro hit Bryan with several uppercuts, then climbed onto the middle rope and put Bryan on his shoulders. Cesaro performed a gutbuster from the middle rope, then grabbed Bryan by his bad leg and gave him a single leg Swing that Uso broke up with a superkick. Uso went up top and frgosplashed and pinned Cesaro.
Cesaro was eliminated by Jey Uso in 32:50.
Uso performed a frogsplash on Bryan, but only got a two count. Uso went to the top of a pod and went for another splash, but Bryan put his knees up. Bryan blasted Uso with a running knee and then pinned him to win the match…
Daniel Bryan pinned Jey Uso in 34:20 to win the Elimination Chamber and to earn a same night shot at the WWE Universal Championship.
Powell’s POV: A good Chamber match that followed the formula that I hoped it would. It’s good to see Bryan get a meaningful win again after all the losses he’s taken recently.
The Chamber structure was raised. Bryan was still lying on the mat when Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman made their entrance…
2. Roman Reigns (w/Paul Heyman) vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Universal Championship. Cole told the story that Reigns knew his challenger would be “beaten to hell” inside the Chamber match. Reigns took his usual sweet time getting to the ring despite the circumstances.
Once in the ring, Reigns went for a spear, but Bryan countered into the Yes Lock. Reigns broke free and punched Bryan repeatedly with his gold gloved hand. Reigns powerbombed Bryan. Reigns threw more punches to the head of Bryan. Reigns applied a guillotine submission hold and the referee called for the bell…
Roman Reigns defeated Daniel Bryan in 1:35 to retain the WWE Universal Championship.
After the match, Reigns celebrated his victory. Suddenly, Edge speared him, then pointed at the WrestleMania sign. Edge knelt down with his arms behind his back and said something to Reigns. Edge stood up and looked at the WWE Universal Championship belt. Edge looked down at Reigns and pointed at the WrestleMania sign, then pyro shot off around the sign while the broadcast team hyped Reigns vs. Edge for the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania…
Powell’s POV: That wasn’t much of a match and they didn’t really go with the story of Bryan putting up a helluva fight before losing, but they can obviously still have a rematch at Fastlane given the circumstances. It would be a terrific match, but it’s going to feel a bit anticlimactic if they do now that Reigns vs. Edge is set for Mania. They’ll have to work hard to make viewers think there’s a chance of Bryan winning and facing Edge instead.
Cole and Graves spoke at ringside about Reigns vs. Edge at WrestleMania. They shifted to talking about Bad Bunny’s involvement in WWE and his appearance on Saturday Night Live…
Backstage, Sonya Deville told Bad Bunny that winning the 24/7 Title was impressive. She started to tell him that she was there if he needed anything, but The Miz interrupted. Miz asked Bunny what he was doing there. Bunny pointed out that he’s 24/7 Champion, then asked Miz if he’s a champion. Miz shoved Bunny, who responded with a slap. When Miz turned around, Damian Priest was standing in front of Bad Bunny. Miz left the scene, then Priest and Bunny laughed and shook hands…
3. Bobby Lashley (w/MVP) vs. Riddle vs. John Morrison in a Triple Threat for the U.S. Championship. Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, and Samoa Joe were on commentary. MVP used a single crutch to get to the ring following his knee injury on Raw. Morrison stood back while Lashley dominated Riddle to start. Once Lashley backed off, Morrison attacked Riddle.
Lashley tossed Morrison into the other corner and then performed a shoulder block. Riddle put Lashley in a sleeper, but Lashley shook it off and sent Riddle to ringside. Lashley worked over Morrison and put him in a Torture Rack before running him into the ring post. Riddle took a running leap off the steps and dove at Lashley, who caught him and suplexed him on the floor.
A short time later, Riddle and Morrison decided to work together. The duo roughed up Lashley in a corner of the ring for a moment, but Lashley came right back with a single-arm spinebuster on Morrison, and then he dumped Riddle with a slam. Lashley fist-bumped MVP, then charged at Riddle, who was able to dump Lashley to ringside.
Morrison and Riddle took turns hitting Lashley with moves on the floor. Morrison ran Riddle into the ring post, then threw him back inside the ring and covered him for a two count while Lashley was still down on the floor. Riddle rallied with an offense flurry on Morrison that concluded with a suplex into a bridge for a near fall.
Lashley returned to the ring and was hit with a ripcord knee by Riddle, who followed up with a Floating Bro. Morrison attacked Riddle and then hit Lashley with Starship Pain and covered him for a two count. MVP asked Morrison if he really thought he could beat the All Mighty. Morrison rolled to ringside and argued with MVP, then stole his crutch.
Morrison tried to hit Lashley with the crutch, but Lashley ducked it and put Morrison in the Hurt Lock. Riddle grabbed the crutch and hit Lashley with it twice, then performed Bro Derek on Morrison and pinned him to win the match and the title…
Riddle defeated John Morrison and Bobby Lashley in 8:40 in a Triple Threat to win the U.S. Championship.
Powell’s POV: More domination from Lashley for the majority of the match. I suspect that the idea was to free him of the championship without having him factor into the finish so that he can challenge Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. I suspect that Keith Lee would have won this match had he been able to work this show.
The WrestleMania video aired. We are 48 days away… The broadcast team hyped WrestleMania while a graphic showed the dates and listed it as being available on the Peacock streaming service…
4. Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler vs. Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair for the WWE Women’s Tag Titles. Cole and Graves called the match. Cole officially announced Reigns vs. Edge for WrestleMania. In between entrances, Banks and Belair were interviewed by Kayla Braxton on the Gorilla Position set. Reginald interrupted and praised both women and said they would win the title. He said he would put a bottle of his finest champagne on ice. Belair teased that she might make her WrestleMania decision too.
Banks was isolated by the champions early on. Belair eventually tagged in and was put in a Kirifuda Clutch, but she backed Baszler into her corner. Banks made a blind tag. Belair slammed Baszler to the mat, then Banks performed a top rope frogsplash and covered her for a near fall.
Belair performed the KOD on Baszler and had her pinned, but Jax pulled Belair to ringside to break the pin. Back inside the ring, Belair threw punches at Jax and tried to hoist her up, but she couldn’t lift her. Jax got a near fall on Belair when Banks broke up the pin. Banks made another blind tag while Jax performed a Samoan Drop on Belair.
Banks hit Jax with a meteora and covered her for a near fall. Reginald walked out with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. Banks went for the Bank Statement, but Jax reached the ropes. Reginald slid the champagne bottle to Banks. The referee spotted Banks with the bottle. Banks tried to explain that she didn’t do anything wrong. Jax clubbed Banks and then put her down with a Samoan Drop and then pinned her…
Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler defeated Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair in 9:35 to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Titles.
Powell’s POV: A forgettable match. It looks like Reginald is messing with Banks on behalf of Carmella. It remains to be seen whether this is setting up something at Fastlane or if they are going to add Carmella to the Smackdown Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania. Barring a title change this week, we will be getting Jax and Baszler vs. Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez for the WWE Women’s Tag Titles on the March 3 edition of NXT TV.
An ad aired for Fastlane. Cole and Graves hyped that Fastlane would be on WWE Network (internationally) and on Peacock…
MVP was shown talking to The Miz, who had his hand on the Money in the Bank contract… The Chamber structure lowered and then a video package was shown…
5. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus vs. AJ Styles (w/Omos) vs. Randy Orton vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Jeff Hardy in an Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship. Phillips, Saxton, and Joe called the match. Sheamus earned the right to be in the last pod to open. The first two entrants were Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton. Orton took a lap around the ring and had a moment with each wrestler in a pod. Hardy hit Orton with a splash from the middle rope and covered him for a two count.
The third entrant was Drew McIntyre at 4:25. McIntyre worked over Orton and ran him into the steel chain wall, then shoved his face against it. McIntyre tossed Hardy to the outside area and suplexed him. McIntyre picked up Hardy and ran him headfirst into a pod wall. Orton caught McIntyre coming through the ropes with a DDT and covered him for a two count. Orton worked over Hardy, then dropped McIntyre with a sidewinder backbreaker and covered him for a near fall.
The fourth entrant was Kofi Kingston at 8:30. Orton got the better of Kingston briefly, but Kingston rolled onto him and pinned him.
Randy Orton was eliminated by Kofi Kingston in 8:55.
Orton delivered RKOs to the entrants before leaving. Styles told Omos to get him out of his pod, so Omos ripped the pod wall off.
The fifth entrant was AJ Styles, who ran in and covered Kingston and then Hardy for two counts. Adam Pearce came out and ejected Omos from ringside while Styles protested from inside the Chamber. Kingston rallied by monkey flipping Styles into the Chamber wall.
Kingston returned to the ring and put McIntyre in a submission hold, but McIntyre powered out with a suplex. Sheamus was shown standing with his hands on the pod wall and his back to what was happening inside the ring. McIntyre suplexed Kingston against the Chamber wall. McIntyre gave Styles a high back body drop.
The final entrant was Sheamus at 15:45. Sheamus immediately went face to face with McIntyre, who punched him. McIntyre and Sheamus traded punches. McIntyre ended up clotheslining Sheamus over the top rope and went with him. Kingston ended up diving onto both of them a short time later.
At 21:20, McIntyre set up to suplex Sheamus from the top of a pod. Styles and Hardy slipped under them to turn it into a tower of doom spot. Styles and Hardy went for pins. Kingston leapt from the top of a pod with a trust fall dive onto his opponents. Kingston covered Sheamus for a two count, then covered Hardy for a two count, and then covered McIntyre for just a one count.
Kingston went for another trust fall dive, but Sheamus caught him. Sheamus followed up moments later with a Brogue Kick and then he pinned Kingston.
Kofi Kingston was eliminated by Sheamus in 23:35.
Hardy hit a Twist of Fate on Sheamus, and then another on McIntyre. Styles went after Hardy and also ate a Twist of Fate. Hardy removed his shirt and climbed to the top of a pod and performed a Whisper in the wind on McIntyre and Sheamus, who were outside the ring. Hardy returned to the ring and performed a Swanton Bomb on Styles. McIntyre blasted Hardy with a Claymore Kick and pinned him.
Jeff Hardy was eliminated by Drew McIntyre in 25:15.
Sheamus caught McIntyre with a kick and covered him for a near fall. Sheamus barked at the referee about the count. Sheamus hoisted up McIntyre, who slipped away and hit him with a Glasgow Kick. Sheamus came right back with White Noise, but he couldn’t make the cover. Styles performed a springboard flip onto McIntyre and covered him for a two count.
Styles performed a springboard 450 splash on McIntyre for another near fall. Sheamus hit Styles with kidney punches and took issue with his failure to put away McIntyre. Sheamus hit Styles with the clubbing forearms and then ran him into the Chamber wall. Sheamus threw Styles back inside the ring and then went up top and came down with a clothesline.
Sheamus set up for his finisher, but McIntyre dropped him with a Future Shock DDT. McIntyre sold as he backed into the corner, then he got up for his finisher, but Sheamus blasted him with a Brogue Kick. Styles hit Sheamus with a Phenomenal Forearm and pinned him.
Sheamus was eliminated by AJ Styles in 30:15.
The final two entrants were McIntyre and Styles. Styles went for a Phenomenal Forearm, but McIntyre caught him with a Claymore Kick on the way down and the pinned him.
Drew McIntyre defeated AJ Styles, Sheamus, Kofi Kingston, Jeff Hardy, and Randy Orton in 31:10 in an Elimination Chamber match to retain the WWE Championship.
McIntyre celebrated with his WWE Championship while replays were shown. Suddenly, Bobby Lashley appeared and speared McIntyre. Lashley worked over McIntyre. The Miz ran out and ring announcer Mike Rome announced that Miz was cashing in the Money in the Bank contract.
6. Drew McIntyre vs. The Miz for the WWE Championship. The referee waited for McIntyre to stand up and then called for the bell. Miz put McIntyre down and got a near fall. Miz followed up with a Skull Crushing Finale and scored the pin…
The Miz defeated Drew McIntyre in 0:30 to win the WWE Championship.
Powell’s POV: Great, we now have one of the weakest WWE Champions in history. And that’s coming from someone who has been a Miz defender over the years. I can’t imagine that Miz will be going to WrestleMania as champion, so I assume that this is their way of moving the belt to Lashley, who will then defend against McIntyre at WrestleMania.
I will be teaming up with Jake Barnett for an Elimination Chamber audio review that will be available later tonight for Dot Net Members. Let me now what you thought of the show by grading it and by voting for the best match below.
BOOO HISS BOO I hope Miz loses the title soon
Do you know that pro wrestling is scripted entertainment.
MIZ IS CHAMPION BECAUSE HE IS A GOOD COMPANY MAN. VINCE MCMAHON NEEDS MORE TYPES OF WORKERS WHO REPRESENT WWE IN THE MCMAHON FAMILY’S VISION.
I am glad that wwe ride itself of malcontents like dean ambrose and cm punk.
Maybe this is a way to finally get the WWE Championship around the waist of Bobby Lashley. Lashley and Miz had some kind of “business arrangement” hence why Lashley came out and seemingly randomly kicked the crap out of Drew McIntyre prior to Miz just so happening to cash in the briefcase. Lashley also did nothing to stop Miz from cashing in (to perhaps claim the title for himself) which leads you to believe Lashley will get a title opportunity in return and could win the championship from Miz.