source: WWE
This week, we saw a LONG and eventful gauntlet match along with more action leading up to Sunday’s Elimination Chamber.
source: WWE
7-Man Gauntlet Match
Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins vs. John Cena vs. Elias vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz vs. Braun Strowman
Winner: Braun Strowman
The gauntlet match kicks off with Roman Reigns being interviewed in the center of the ring by Charly Caruso, where he says it’s his time to win and he’s not threatened by being in such a grueling match just before the Elimination Chamber.
Rollins leaps off the top rope and gives Reigns a sling blade, and he limps across the ring, emphasizing a weak left leg. Reigns gains control via a drive by to Rollins’ head on the apron. Rollins tosses Reigns into the turnbucklee, but Roman bounces off and fires a Superman Punch at Seth. Roman goes for a spear and is countered, and Seth goes for a curb stomp and is countered. Rollins gets the quick roll-up and eliminates his Shield counterpart from the gauntlet match.
It is apparent that WWE may actually be knocking Reigns down a peg—or at least making it look like it. By getting Reigns out of the way early on in the gauntlet, it would harm his character and not make him look to good, that is, if he were anyone but Roman Reigns. I’m glad they did this, because Roman isn’t harmed by losing once when he wins all of the time.
source: WWE
As soon as John Cena enters the ring, Rollins takes him down in an attempt to eliminate him from the match. Cena and Rollins exchange blows, and Cena holds Rollins across his chest and delivers a modified stunner. Seth Rollins is visibly exhausted and beaten, but it barely impacts his performance. Rollins puts up a good fight, but when he jumps off the top rope, Cena grabs his foot and traps him in the STF.
Taking the match out of the ring, Cena sidesteps Rollins on the apron, sending him shoulder-first into the post. Hurt, Rollins dodges Cena and Cena goes shoulder-first into the steel steps. Both men barely make it into the ring, avoiding the countout. John captures Seth in an AA after Rollins has been in the match for 50 minutes, and, somehow, Rollins kicks out.
Cena climbs to the top rope, but Rollins grabs him and gives him a Falcon Arrow. Cena kicks out and puts Seth in the STF two more times, but Rollins doesn’t give up. Rollins delivers an AA to Cena, but Cena kicks out of his own move. Rollins delivers a curb stomp to John, finally finishing him off.
source: WWE
Elias rushes to the ring and doesn’t take his time to sing before trying to take advantage of a damaged Rollins. When commercial ends, Renee interviews Cena in one screen while Elias beats up Seth Rollins (this is a cool feature). Rollins fights back with chops and punches.
Elias hits Rollins with a Drift Away, finally eliminating him from the gauntlet. Elias looks good for eliminating Rollins, who lasted 65 minutes in the match, beating both Reigns and Cena in an amazing fashion. His endurance does not and will not go unnoticed by fans and superstars alike as fans in the arena chanted “thank you Rollins” and “we want Rollins” after his departure. He gained respect from everyone, if he didn’t already have it.
source: WWE
Finn Balor enters the gauntlet as Rollins is interviewed backstage. Rollins says that his hour-long battle means nothing if he loses at the Elimination Chamber. Balor kicks Elias into the barricade, and Elias responds by sending Balor shoulder first into the ring post. Elias works on Balor’s left arm in an arm bar.
Balor delivers a Coup De Grace to Elias’ damaged ribs (from when he was hit with a bass by Braun Strowman), getting the victory. The Miztourage comes out to the ring, and Miz attacks Balor from behind with punches and kicks. Miz sends Balor shoulder first into the barricade, gaining him the advantage.
Elias is interviewed backstage, where he claims he will pick up the scraps by entering in last in the Elimination Chamber match, beating everyone like he just did Rollins.
Finn sends Miz back and forth across the ring into the turnbuckles, and after dodging a clothesline, Balor jumps over the top rope and onto the Miztourage. He kicks Miz on the side of the face before climbing to the top rope. Both Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas get on the apron and distract him, and after Finn eliminates them both, the Miz capitalizes and gets the pin.
source: WWE
Miz celebrates until it dawns on him who’s entering the gauntlet last, and Braun’s theme hits. He backs out of the ring and is chased by Strowman, who catches him after he runs through the audience. He tosses Miz over the barricade and into the ring.
Braun throws the Miz around over and over like a toy. Backstage, Finn Balor notes that the Miztourage will be locked out of the chamber on Sunday, and on Sunday, he will win the Elimination Chamber and go on to face Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania. Back in the ring, Braun gives Miz a brutal dropkick.
Strowman essentially lays waste to Miz with a running powerslam, earning him the victory. Braun is interviewed by Charly Caruso on the stage, stating he doesn’t fear the unknown—the unknown fears him. He calls out Lesnar, saying he’s gonna get these hands at Wrestlemania. Braun goes back to the ring, attacking the Miztourage. He sets his eyes on the Miz, who runs up the ramp and backstage. Strowman tosses him back out toward the ring, giving him more running power bombs and leaving the carnage as he walks out.
This match lasted an hour and 45 minutes, making it the longest match in WWE history. Having Strowman win it seems predictable, but if that’s the price to pay for so much storytelling in one match, then so be it.
This match was fantastic and full of surprises—no one expected Rollins to last so long, for Roman to be eliminated so early, or for it to last nearly two hours. However, it kind of harms other superstars to allow the main event to take up almost two thirds of the show so close to Elimination Chamber—after all, the pay per view is on Sunday.
source: WWE
Nia Jax attacks Asuka
Asuka states that she controls her own destiny, that is winning the championship at Wrestlemania. She claims that Nia likes to talk, and she will be shut up on Sunday. She’s interrupted when she’s attacked by Jax, but not before getting some offense in herself. Nia delivers a couple leg drops before going backstage.
The build to this feud has been pretty good. While I assume that Asuka will win at Elimination Chamber to keep her winning streak, I still think Nia Stands a chance. This bout seems like as close to a fair fight as possible (except maybe if Asuka faces Charlotte).
source: WWE
The Bar (Sheamus and Cesaro) vs. Titus Worldwide (Titus O’Neil and Apollo)
Winners: Titus Worldwide
Early on, Titus gets the advantage, but when he tags in Apollo, the Bar gains control by knocking Apollo out of the ring. Sheamus and Cesaro double team Apollo with kicks when Cesaro is tagged in, and deliver a clothesline together when Sheamus is tagged in.
Even though the Bar controlled most of the match, Apollo somehow gets a roll-up pin on Cesaro, earning Titus Worldwide the upset victory yet again.
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt share a promo
Wyatt appears in a vignette, claiming he will beat Hardy at Elimination Chamber when he is interrupted by a Matt Hardy vignette. They go back and forth, and Wyatt says that Matt will burn, and in response, Matt says that Bray will be deleted.
This was a cool format for a promo for these two men. It was weird, but it kept your attention. These two will put on a good match, but it seems like fans don’t care as much; they seem to only care about Matt’s “delete” gimmick.
source: WWE
Sasha Banks, Bayley and Mickie James vs. Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville and Alexa Bliss
Winners: Sasha Banks, Bayley and Mickie James
Alexa and Mickie start out the match, but Alexa changes her mind and tags in Sonya before any action starts. Mandy Rose taunts Bayley after they’re both tagged in, and in response, Bayely drives her into the corner and gives her a suplex.
When Mandy goes to the corner, Alexa tags herself in. She attacks Bayley before tagging Deville, in and Deville traps bailey in a chokehold. Bayley turns it into a pin, but Sonya kicks out, and Mandy intervenes to stop Bayley from tagging in a partner. This just distracts Deville, allowing Bayley to tag Sasha, but the referee doesn’t see it.
Bayley gets back in and tags in Mickie James, who beats up both Rose and Deville. Mandy catches Mickie in an abdominal stretch and prevents her from tagging in Bayley or Sasha. Sonya Deville does the same, getting between Mickie and Sasha and slamming her to the ground. She chooses to tag in Mandy, upsetting Alexa, and Absolution work together to suplex James.
A fresh Sasha and Alexa get in the ring, and Sasha regains the advantage for her team, giving Alexa a double knees to the face from the top rope. Mandy interferes during the pin, but Bayley eliminates Mandy. Sasha rolls Alexa into the bank Statement and Alexa taps, allowing Sasha to get the victory for her team.
After the match, a brawl ensues as Absolution lays waste to the other team, but then they turn on Alexa. Mickie James comes to Alexa’s aid, and they double DDT Sonya Deville. This bears the question: is there an alliance here?
This was a good match to both close out the show and preview the first-ever Elimination Chamber. The ending was unexpected, and it leaves fans questioning Mickie James’ fate at Elimination Chamber.
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