Written by Matthew Widdis
We open with a tribute graphic to the late Pedro Morales, (W)WWF/E’s first Latino world champion, current record holder for most total days as Intercontinental Champion, and the guy who couldn’t lose at Madison Square Garden in the interest of public safety.
We get a recap of Mr McMahon suspending Stone Cold Becky Lynch and replacing her in the main event of Wrestlemania with Charlotte Flair.
In ring
Charlotte Flair comes out to a chorus of boos. Charlotte explains to the fans that Vince McMahon made the smart business decision. The Queen turns the tables on the crowd by chanting “What?” in response to their “You suck!” before addressing Ronda. The Queen will be ringside during Elimination Chamber.
In the back
The announce confirms that Mustafa Ali is out of Elimination Chamber and will be replaced by a member of The New Day. Tonight, there will be a gauntlet match to determine who gets the final entry into the Elimination Chamber once the match begins.
The New Day is in the locker room discussing who is going into the match over pancakes, Francesa II Turbo, and some minor league hockey gear.
In ring
The Elimination Chamber hype videos for The IIconics, Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose, and Naomi & Carmella are played. After Carmella is done grooving to Mandy Rose’s music during the entrances, we’re off. The losers will start the Elimination Chamber match vs Bayley & Sasha Banks.
We start with Carmella and Peyton Royce who immediately tags in Mandy Rose. Mandy and Sonya start out with good double teaming on Carmella but she turns it around and gets Naomi in to the action. Sonya tries to rally with shoulder thrusts in the corner but gets two boots on the break. Sonya tries to dump Mrs Uso outside but Naomi lands on her feet and kicks Sonya in the head, following up with a split splash in the center of the ring. Kick out at two and Naomi tags Carmella back in. Sonya gets to work with knee strikes but Carmella spins out of her snapmare attempt for some trash-talkin’ and moonwalkin’. Carmella hits a helicopter headscissors, tagging Naomi in rotation. Sonya tags in Mandy who beats feet and can’t find a willing tag in the IIconic corner. Her run around the ring is blocked by Carmella and Naomi planchas onto her from the ring.
Mandy gets her face smacked against the ring apron (It’s the hardest part of the ring!) and sent in to tag Sonya. Sonya is immediately tossed into the corner for double team boots from Team Fabulous Glow and a Bronco buster from the fresh Carmella. Carmella hangs onto the ropes and kicks Sonya but Mandy holds her hair long enough for Sonya to recover and hit a spear on ‘Mella. Sonya gloats after a two count and gets Carmella into the corner for a Mandy tag and double boots team boots. Mandy gets an abdominal stretch and grinds her elbow into ‘Mella’s side. The Fabulous One hip tosses her way out but gets Mandy’s knee instead of her partner’s tag. Two count and Mandy locks in a straightjacket hold to wear Carmella down. ‘Mella gets back to her feet but is whipped down to her back. Mandy tags Sonya and hits a Hitman-approved snap suplex. Sonya complements with a sliding knee to the chest. When Carmella kicks out, Sonya goes to rear guard. She can’t get a choke so she works the body scissors to wear Carmella down. When Carmella bridges to put Sonya on her back, the New Jersey native gets aggressive… and sloppy. Carmella manages to turn over and hits some ground-and-pound on the MMA veteran before they lay each other out with crossbody blocks. The announce team mentions that The IIconics haven’t been in the match yet.
Mandy jets across the ring to knock Naomi off the apron and drag Sonya to the tag. It’s of little import, however, as Carmella makes the tag and Naomi springboards into the ring and on top of Mandy with a cross body. Jawbreaker, kip-up and a disaster kick. Sonya gets caught by the hair coming to the rescue and tossed over the top rope to the apron where Carmella is waiting with a Superkick. Split-legged moonsault by naomi and Mandy Rose takes the pin, sending my #1 and #2 picks (Boss & Hug Connection and Fire & Desire, respectively) to start the Elimination Chamber.
Winners by pinfall: Naomi & Carmella
Immediately after the match, The IIconics blindside Fabulous Glow and drive Naomi into the ringpost. After Peyton drives Carmella’s face into Billie Kaye’s knee, she gets the same treatment
An interview with Bayley from last night shows her saying that Sasha’s possible injury on Monday won’t keep her out of top competition. Nia Jax talks over Tamina for a bit. Liv Morgan and Kentucky Viking, Sarah Logan say that they have more loyalty for each other than any other team.
Mi… no… McMiz TV
The Miz & Shane McMahon come out to host McMiz TV with their special guests, The Usos! First they hype Miz & Mrs returning to television. Then they reveal that Shane McMahon will be on CBS’s hit show, NCIS:L !
The Usos make their way down to the ring. Shane-o-Miz invites them to sit but they prefer to stand. The crowd starts chanting for them but they say to give it up for The Best Tag Team in the World… but are they really? They play “the tag team test” and Jimmy is able to rattle off Jey’s favorite things in rapid succession. Miz turns it back on them by feeding Shane is preferences of color (blue,) minor league baeball team (Toledo Mud Hens for the cheap pop,) and food (quiche.) Jimmy has a bit of confusion about quiche vs (Ri)kish(i) but knows to take exception regarding Miz’s comments about Mandy Rose and the recent ploy to break up his marriage. When Jimmy takes a poke at Shane, he offers to put the twin mystique to the test and threatens to hit him so hard that Jey feels it.
Jey snatches Miz’s mic mid-sentence and they call out TBTTItW as pretenders but Shane and Miz hold up their titles, saying that that’s what’s real. The Usos hit stereo superkicks and walk off, ready for Elimination Chamber on Sunday. Fantastic segment. “Must see” even.
Daniel Bryan and Rowan come down to the ring. Daniel says that there are people who want him to lose his title at Elimination Chamber, prompting “Yes!” chants from the Toledo crowd. He says that they’re lying to themselves because they need him. He doesn’t want to be in the match but he is willing to make the sacrifice because… Awwww Toledo! Don’t you dare be sour! Clap for three potential Elimination Chamber participants and feel the power!
After some teasing, Kofi Kingston is revealed as the entrant and we get underway.
Daniel Bryan vs Kofi Kingston vs Samoa Joe vs Jeff hardy vs Randy Orton vs AJ Styles
Kofi stalks Daniel with the champ taking the ropes to reset. Kofi drops him with a shoulder block but Daniel hits his own and hits a headlock takeover. Some mat wrestling rolls Kofi into a stretch but Kofi rolls over for a two count and Daniel has to roll outside. Back inside, Kofi’s go-behind waistlock gets broken with a standing armbar but Kofi hits the ol’ Calgary kip-up sequence to bring Daniel down. They get to the corner and no clean break as Daniel hits body shots and whips Kofi across the ring. Kofi hits two arm drags to get back into control, however. He grinds the champ into the mat shoulder-first and hits a splash across his elbow. Daniel gets back up and hits multiple running knees to Kofi’s midsection. Kofi gets put into the reverse surfboard hold but slides back into a pinning predicament. Both men bounce off the ropes until Kofi hits a diving back elbow on Daniel for two. Kofi is sent over the top rope and to the floor. Kofi follows up with a Fosbury Flop onto Daniel. Daniel turns it around by running Kofi into the steel ring steps but only get a two count inside the ring.
Kofi is laced into the ring ropes like a spider’s web and Daniel hits a dropkick to his back. They grapple around the ring and Daniel is rammed head-first into the turnbuckle. Kofi tees off with punches but Daniel manages to suplex him belly first onto the top rope. A few kicks to the chest keep him there and Daniel hits a knee drop to his teetering opponent from the top rope for a two count. The (former) Yes Man drags Kofi into the center of the ring and goes up top. Flying headbutt!?!? Or is it a splash? It doesn’t matter because nobody calls the move and nobody is home on the mat. Kofi chops D-Bry down and hits a double legdrop and a somersault senton for a near fall. He sends Daniel into the corner but he backflips out as Kofi charges. Not to be outdone, Kofi bounces to the second and top ropes to hit a turning cross body that gets a two count. Kofi charges Daniel seated in the corner but Daniel hits a drop toehold to send him facefirst into the second turnbuckle. Tree of Woe and a sliding dropkick to Kofi’s face can’t keep his shoulders down for three. Daniel egts Kofi to the top rope for a belly-to-back superplex but Kofi rolls onto Daniel’s face on the way down! Both men get to their feet and trade chops with Daniel going down. A cover and a kickout sends Kofi to the apron. He springboards right into Daniel catching him in a butterfly powerbomb with an armbar but Kofi won’t let unlock his hands. The hold id broken and Daniel goes to repeated headbutts to drop Kofi to his knees and the Yes kicks (“Green kicks?”) keep him there. Even after the 20-minute mark, Kofi will not go quietly into that good night!
Kofi hits a Frankensteiner that leads to a series of pinning combinations. Daniel cinches in the Lebell Lock but Kofi gets to the rope. Daniel hits a pendulum dropkick to send Kofi to the floor and serves him up a side order of running knee off the apron. Daniel gets Kofi back into the ring and goes up top for another headbutt attempt. Kofi jumps up to nail a dropkick to the face! Kofi readies himself in the corner but gets taken off his feet by Rowan! Big E comes over and they battle but the referee ejects Big E and Xavier from ringside. Kofi protests but gets schoolboyed for two. Daniel hits multiple kicks but Kofi evades with a slip and a kick but is yanked off the apron by Rowan and tossed into the timekeeper’s area like a ball of paper. Referee doesn’t see it but knows something up and ejects Rowan. Daniel rushes to get Kofi back into the ring and rushes for the running knee but Kofi hit Trouble in Paradise! The WWE World Champion is eliminated.
Jeff Hardy is the next entrant. Kofi is drained but survives a jawbreaker and countering with a dropkick that sends Jeff to the outside. Kofi tries to use the ring steps to launch onto Jeff but he has it well scouted and ducks. Jeff turns it around and uses the steps as a replacement Matt Hardy to hit poetry in motion. Neither of them kill themselves on Francesca or the three foot bologna that the New Day left on the steps. Kofi goes back into the ring and Jeff’s shirt comes off. It’s Swanton time but Kofi rolls out of the way. Jeff hits a running forearm shot and goes for that Jeff Hardy trifecta: inverted atomic drop, double legdrop to the midsection, dropkick to the chest… but Kofi leans back! It doesn’t connect and Kofi tries for a pin but only gets two. Kofi catches Jeff’s leg but jeff hits the reverse enziguri mule kick to send him into the turnbuckle. Pendulum dropkick misses and Kofi starts to climb. Jeff gets to his feet and looks for a superplex. Fought off twice and Kofi hits a high cross body but Jeff rolls it through for two. Jeff ducks a Trouble in Paradise and looks for a Twist of Fate but Kofi hits the SOS for 1… 2… 3! Jeff Hardy is eliminated and Kofi Kingston could be on his way to being 2019’s Seth Rollins!
Samoa Joe’s music hits and The Destroyer comes out to face a battered but game Kofi Kingston. They trade strike combos but Joe sends Kofi into the corner and crushes him with a back elbow and the signature reverse enziguri follow up. Kofi kicks out at two and Joe takes it personally. He holds Kofi in the center of the ring with an abdominal stretch. Kofi tries to fight his way out, even attempting a hip toss but Joe has the inertia and clotheslines Kofi inside out. Another two count brings on the rear facelock to grind Kofi down. Kofi elbows out and oles Joe out of the ring. Joe tries to grab Kofi but Kofi planchas onto Joe!
Both men roll back into the ring at eight and Samoa Joe hits another thunderous clotheline but Kofi kicks out again! He backs Joe into the corner with punches but Joe grounds him with an inverted atomic drop. Joe grabs kofi’s wrists and starts to stretch him out but Kofi somersault kicks his way out. Big back senton by Samoa Joe can’t put Kofi away. Kofi goes for a springboard but Joe shoves him to the floor. Kofi continues to drag himself back into the match, beating the count and getting locked in a head vise by Samoa Joe. The announce team advise us that Kofi is now at the 45 minute mark. Kofi gets out with a dropkick and starts on the offensive but walks right into a Coquina Clutch. He’s grasping the air in front of him but… shades of Hart vs Austin! Kofi kicks off the middle turnbuckle and rolls over onto Samoa Joe for the three count! Kofi advances! Joe can’t believe it! He punishes Kofi with a massive Uranage in the ring and then a Coquina Clutch out on the floor.
AJ Styles is out to make the save for his opponent! AJ batters Joe halfway up the ramp. The refs send Joe to the back and AJ tries to rouse Kofi. The match gets back underway with Kofi barely able to stand. AJ doesn’t feel right about it and tries to talk Kofi down. Kofi is having none of it, though. He’s been pent up for eleven years and now he’s mushing AJ in the face. It works. The “animal side” of AJ that dropped Vince McMahon goes to work on Kofi Kingston. Kofi is beaten into the corner but kicks out of a backbreaker at the 52 minute mark. Shot into the corner chest first and Kofi kicks out again. AJ looks like he’s about to set up Styles Clash but hesitates. Kofi starts getting in shots but AJ catches a kick and sweeps the leg, followed by and elbow drop to the thigh and twists up the knee. Kofi gets to the rope. AJ tries to go back to the well but Kofi fights back. Roundhouse kick to the thigh drops Kofi like a hot potato. Snap suplex and a cover gets two. AJ tries again to convince Kofi to stay down but Kofi shocks him with multiple pin attempts until AJ hits a vicious-looking backbreaker and Kofi cries out in agony. AJ tries to get Kofi into position for the Phenomenal Forearm but Kofi begins kicking out AJ’s leg repeatedly. Both men are on the apron now and Kofi rushes. AJ slips back into the ring and Kofi ends up hitting a double knee strike on the ringpost! Kofi beats the ten count and AJ hits a splash in the corner. He sets up the Frankensteiner but Kofi holds on and AJ lands hard. Kofi hits a splash onto AJ’s back and gets a two count. At the 60 minute mark, Kofi tries for an SOS but gets caught in a calf crusher and has to tap out. The fans applaud him as Xavier Woods and Big E run down to collect their comrade and help him to the back.
On cue, Randy Orton’s music hits. AJ gets ready for him but he’s facing the wrong way. The Viper strike from behind and earns himself the final entry at Elimination Chamber. Predictable but classic and it’s all we have time for.
Winner: Randy Orton
Final Thoughts:
Two matches and two talk segments and it sure didn’t feel like we got shorted.
The last two weeks have really changed my predictions for the women’s tag match at EC. Bayley/Sasha still have to be the front-runners but I’m not counting anyone out from the Smackdown side.
Even if he doesn’t win at Elimination Chamber, even if they never explore his singles career much past tonight, Kofi’s performance tonight gives him a place in current day wrestling lore. Seemingly dismissed as an “also ran” who reached his pinnacle in a tag team stable, Kofi showed us what intelligent production combined with top shelf athleticism can do in just one hour. He very well could steal the show on Sunday.
As I write this, fans have been ravaging social media over the past 24 hours. They’re calling for Vince McMahon to retire (or “just die already” if they weren’t raised right.) They’re claiming to have cancelled their WWE Network subscriptions. They say that they’re going to scalp their Wrestlemania tickets. They’re so cute. It’s not often that I quote DJ Khaled but, “Congratulations. You played yourself.” Charlotte Flair not only makes the main event at Wrestlemania better (even if she ends up not being in it at all) but… She! De! Serves! It! *clap clap clapclapclap*
