WWE Elimination Chamber Review - March 8, 2020

​By Graham "GSM" Matthews

kickoff Show: The Viking Raiders def. Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins

I had no interest in watching the Kickoff show before, but once this was announced earlier in the day, I couldn't help but tune in! In all seriousness, I have no idea what the rationale was behind booking this bout. Neither team have been on Raw a hell of a whole lot since losing the Raw Tag Team Championship, and considering both teams are face, it was an odd dynamic. I was glad it was kept on the shorter side and Viking Raiders went over as they should have, but this was the epitome of a Kickoff match that can be easily skipped over.

Daniel Bryan def. Drew Gulak

I wouldn't be surprised to find out that this match was Bryan's idea. He's been spinning his wheels for weeks (presumably because WWE isn't ready to start his WrestleMania storyline yet), so he might as well feud with Gulak in the meantime. I never believably bought into the possibility of Gulak winning, but he put in an incredible effort here. I loved how he focused on Bryan's previously injured neck with all of his submissions and hard-hitting offense, only to pass out to the "Yes!" Lock in the end. I'd be completely down for a match on SmackDown this coming week.

United States Champion Andrade def. Humberto Carrillo

These two never cease to have quality matches together, but Carrillo is struggling to get over with the audience. The crowd sat on their hands for a majority of the match but came alive down the stretch once they picked up the pace. I'm actually happy Andrade is seemingly walking into WrestleMania as United States Champion (he could always drop it on tomorrow's Raw), but I don't know how Carrillo earns another shot at the strap after coming up short of winning it so many times.

SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Miz & John Morrison def. The Usos, The New Day, Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode, Heavy Machinery, and The Lucha House Party in an Elimination Chamber Match

The last tag team Elimination Chamber match five years ago was a total mess, but I thought this was a significant improvement. The issue was that it wouldn't have made sense for Miz and Morrison to lose the tag titles a week after winning them, yet champions have retained their titles inside the Chamber so frequently over the last decade that it's hardly an impressive feat anymore. I liked the layout for the most part, though I found it humorous that Lucha House Party got eliminated immediately after doing cool stuff. Otis and Ziggler got to further their feud and the final stretch was enjoyable, but it definitely wasn't among the most memorable Chamber matches I've ever seen.

Aleister Black def. AJ Styles in a No Disqualification Match

You had to know The Undertaker was going to make his presence felt at some point after Styles heavily teased interference from The O.C. before the bout in a backstage segment. What was weird was that Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows were at ringside the entire time; why didn't they interfere sooner? This lasted a little longer than it needed to as it dragged for a while, but they made good use of the stipulation and eventually got the crowd engaged in the action. Black gains more from the win than Styles would have. I'm really hoping this sets up Undertaker and Black vs. The O.C. in a Handicap match at WrestleMania.

Raw Tag Team Champions The Street Profits def. Seth Rollins and Murphy

Street Profits just won the titles this past week on Raw, so it would have been ridiculous for them to drop them so soon. Although the outcome was never in doubt, this was an entertaining outing as these teams continue to work well together. It's a shame the crowd was as quiet as they were, but at least they popped for Kevin Owens laying Rollins out afterward. Expect Rollins to agree to face Owens at WrestleMania tomorrow night on Raw.

Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro def. Braun Strowman in a 3-on-1 Handicap Match (Zayn Won the Intercontinental Championship)

This feud has been a complete dud for months and I figured the outcome was a forgone conclusion, but apparently not. The story was that Strowman was trying to get his hands on Zayn, and in the shock of the century, Zayn pinning Strowman to win his first title on the main roster. I'm a Sami Zayn fan, but he's been booked to look like such a loser over the past year or two that it's a mind-boggling move so close to WrestleMania, especially since the plan appeared to be Strowman vs. Sheamus for the Intercontinental Championship. Maybe Strowman gets the belt back on Friday night and we still get that match at 'Mania, but this came completely out of nowhere. The Handicap matchup itself was exactly what you'd expect it to be, for those who care.

Shayna Baszler def. WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Asuka, Liv Morgan, Natalya, Ruby Riott and Sarah Logan in a Raw Women's Championship No. 1 Contender's Elimination Chamber Match

It'd be difficult to discuss this as a match because Baszler dominated from start to finish in record-setting time. The early goings were decent, but it was all over once Baszler entered the fray. She tapped out Logan, Riott and Natalya within minutes before waiting for the other ladies' pods to open. There was no reason for this matchup to happen in the first place and Baszler winning was virtually guaranteed, so I didn't mind how WWE went about booking this, but those dead periods were what bothered me the most. Baszler proceeded to squash Mogan, and although Asuka looked competitive, she too suffered the same fate as everyone else. I'd be shocked if Lynch walks out of WrestleMania still the Raw Women's Champion at this point.

Overall Show

The build for this pay-per-view was absolutely atrocious, and although this event exceeded my low expectations, I realize that isn't saying much. Everything was fairly predictable I felt, though Zayn winning the Intercontinental Championship was random. The match quality was pretty solid on the whole, but I maintain that this show was a waste of time and completely pointless by and large. I was entertained while watching the show, but if you didn't tune in live, you didn't miss much.