Walker Stewart
- Feb 26, 2021
- 9 min read

2021 WWE Elimination Chamber Results and Reviews

Updated: Apr 4, 2021

Note: This article was originally posted on Blade Job Pro Wrestling.

Another day, another WWE pay-per-view... and also another killer professional wrestling product. Whip out your guns, we're shootin', brother. It's review time, baby!

The (pre-)show begins.

Taking place on February 21, 2021, at the WWE ThunderDome in St. Petersburg, Florida, this is the first-ever Elimination Chamber PPV amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. It's time to get straight into it.

Ricochet vs. John Morrison vs. Mustafa Ali vs. Elias

It is announced on the pre-show that Keith Lee has suffered an undisclosed injury, and would not be medically cleared for the WWE United States Championship contest scheduled for the main show. The winner of this match would replace Keith Lee in the championship contest. I didn't enter this match interested by any means, but I ended up completely enthralled by the end of it. It was a serviceable match, and it got the job done. In the end, John Morrison rolled up Mustafa Ali for the three-count in 7 minutes and 10 seconds.

Result: John Morrison defeated Mustafa Ali, Elias and Ricochet via Pinfall (and advances to the WWE United States Championship match) in 7:10.

Match Rating: 2.5 Stars

The show begins.

The show officially begins with a video package documenting the brutal nature of the elimination chamber structure. I always enjoy videos that put over the brutality of one of my favorite match types of all time. We then move into our first match-up.

WWE Universal Championship #1 Contender's Elimination Chamber Match: Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Jey Uso vs. King Corbin

There were some very interesting things verbalized between opponents on this night of professional wrestling. For example, Kevin Owens enters first and walks directly into his pod. Sami Zayn then makes his entrance and antagonizes Owens within his pod, leading to Owens... shoot-headbutting the pod?! Okay, Kevin... Calm down. Sami Zayn's documentary film crew is still following him around, but a referee sends them away from ringside, which Zayn vehemently argues against. The conspiracy continues...

Daniel Bryan and Cesaro start off this match with minutes of pure technical wrestling, and it reminded me of how deeply I admire both of these men's in-ring ability. Next, King Corbin enters the match and dominates quickly until Sami Zayn's pod is released. Zayn then cries claims of conspiracy towards the referee, who was opening the pods. Corbin antagonizes Zayn, leading to Zayn closing the pod door on Corbin's attacks. In some of the most satisfying camerawork ever, our vision pans over to the pod door behind Sami Zayn, where "The Swiss Superman" Cesaro is awaiting Zayn. Cesaro tosses Zayn around with intensity.

After some more brawling throughout the chambers, Zayn begins to climb up one of the pods to escape Cesaro... only for Cesaro to follow right after him (very smart, Zayn!) The two men scale the side of the chamber, leading to Cesaro smashing Zayn's head into the chamber and stomping him down; dropping Zayn to the chamber floor. Cesaro then did some pull-ups on the ceiling, and that was the definition of "a flex."

Our first elimination! Cesaro drops down to the floor and hits King Corbin with the Swiss Swing, only to directly lock in the Sharpshooter, causing Corbin to tap out.

Kevin Owens was next out of the pod, and he immediately begins standing off against Sami Zayn.

Jey Uso then enters the ring and faces off against Kevin Owens, the two had been warring for months now. Owens managed to hit a moonsault off the top of a chamber pod onto the four other competitors. Owens then hit Stunners on Zayn, Cesaro, and Uso, pinning Zayn off of the maneuver.

As Zayn was forced out of the elimination chamber, Jey Uso took advantage of this and utilized the chamber door to wear down the arm of Kevin Owens. Uso crushed the arm of Kevin Owens in the chamber door and superkicked him 4 separate times. Uso then tosses Owens back into the ring, hits him with one final superkick, and pins Owens for the elimination. Uso then later pinned Cesaro off a Superfly Splash, and now it is Daniel Bryan vs. Jey Uso. Uso attempts another Superfly Splash on Daniel Bryan only for Bryan to get his knees up, blocking the attack. Bryan lands a running knee strike on Uso and pins him for the three-count in 30 minutes and 20 seconds.

This was an incredible way to start off the show, and got me very excited to watch the rest of the product. I watched this show with my friend Nathan, an individual who had never witnessed professional wrestling before, and Nathan absolutely adored this match-up... and he was not alone. Great match and I believe the right man won!

Result: Daniel Bryan defeated Jey Uso, Cesaro, Kevin Owens, King Corbin and Sami Zayn via Elimination (and earns a WWE Universal Championship match later in the night) in 34:20.

Match Rating: 4.5 Stars

WWE Universal Championship Match: Roman Reigns (c.) vs. Daniel Bryan

Oh, did I mention that the match Bryan earned is happening right now? This surprised me at the moment, but after seeing the main event match, I understand why this decision was made. Roman Reigns makes his entrance and watches Daniel Bryan struggle to make it back to his feet. The bell rings and Roman attempts a spear only for Bryan to reverse the maneuver into the "Yes! Lock." Reigns powered out of this maneuver, only to lock in a guillotine chokehold and retain the WWE Universal Championship in 1 minute and 32 seconds.

Result: Roman Reigns defeated Daniel Bryan via Submission and retains the WWE Universal Championship.

Match Rating: 3 Stars

Sidenote: While this championship match may have been short and somewhat lackluster, I believe that it did a great job at selling the idea of Bryan winning and making Reigns look like a true badass. In this regard, I believe my rating is more than justified.

After the match-up, Roman Reigns turns right into a spear from none other than "The Ultimate Opportunist," Edge! Edge announces that he has chosen the WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns, to contend for his title in the main event of WrestleMania. I am very happy with this decision, and I hope Edge manages to defeat Reigns at 'Mania.

WWE United States Championship Match: Bobby Lashley (c.) vs. Riddle vs. John Morrison

This match was better than it had any right to be. Bobby Lashley starts off the match attacking Riddle. Morrison attempted to join into the fray only to upset "The Almighty," himself. This match was very high-octane and very entertaining. Morrison had a lot of great spots in it. No doubt, this match would have been a banger if Keith Lee hadn't been removed, but Morrison did a great job on an alleged short-notice. Finish-time - Riddle grabbed MVP's crutch and attacks Lashley with it, only to throw him outside of the ring and pin John Morrison to win the WWE United States Championship in 8 minutes and 40 seconds.

This match was great and was way better than I ever expected it to be.

Result: Riddle defeated Bobby Lashley and John Morrison to win the WWE United States Championship.

Match Rating: 3.5 Stars

WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Match: Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler (c.) vs. Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks

Next up, we have the impromptu women's tag team championship match of Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler taking on Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks. This match was fairly lackluster and had nearly no build to it. The match ended with Carmella's sommelier, Reginald, making his way to ringside with a champagne bottle. Reginald urges Banks to smash the bottle over Jax's head. The referee catches wind of this and blocks the attack. This distraction gives Jax the opportunity to land a Samoan Drop and pin the WWE SmackDown Women's Champion, Sasha Banks, in 9 minutes 35 seconds.

This match was decent, but I had very little interest in it. (I would like to point out that Nia Jax has now pinned WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Sasha Banks and WWE RAW Women's Champion Asuka within days of each other. How has she not earned a women's championship match?!)

Result: Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler defeated Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair via Pinfall. Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler retain the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships in 9:35.

Match Rating: 2 Stars

We're taken backstage to a shot of Mr. Money In The Bank, The Miz, conversing with MVP. We can't hear what is being said. The shot fades away.

WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match: AJ Styles vs. Drew McIntyre (c.) vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton vs. Sheamus

It's time for the main event of the evening, it is time for the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match. It's the sequel to your favorite segment of this article: "Awkward Pod Conversations." (No, I'm not referring to The Blade Job Wrestling Podcast with Walker Stewart and Ethan Karnes, but you should check that out too! #BladeJobBrand.) Kofi Kingston makes his way down to ringside, but peers over his shoulder from time to time fearing an impending attack (shoutout to Edge attacking Kofi Kingston in that one Elimination Chamber they were in.) As Orton makes his entrance, Kofi begins shouting at Randy about his thighs. Kingston was infatuated with the thick thighs of Randy Orton, and I completely understand why. They are, of course, very thick.

Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton start off this match, calling back to their past feud. Kingston makes his way out of the pod, only to score a quick, shoddy pinfall over the Randy Orton. This was a shock elimination, and it caught me off-guard. I, however, was very pleased with this! Randy Orton is eliminated.

AJ Styles turns to Omos, who is at ringside (despite the referee disallowing Zayn's camera crew from remaining at ringside #ScrewJobBrand) and tells Omos to rip the back of the pod door off. Omos complies and rips the pod wall off, only for Styles to rush around the ring, through the door, and into the ring while Orton is landing "goodbye-RKO's" on Kingston and Hardy. Styles tried to score a cheap victory, attempting pinfalls and both Kingston and Hardy, but both men kicked out. Omos is eliminated, and Styles is furious.

After an extended period of competition, Sheamus enters the match and hits Kofi Kingston with a Brogue Kick, pinning him. Kofi Kingston is eliminated from the match. A series of maneuvers then leads to Drew McIntyre hitting Jeff Hardy with a Claymore. Jeff Hardy is eliminated from the match.

A great sequence occurs where Sheamus lands a Brogue Kick on Drew McIntyre, but before he can attempt a pinfall, AJ Styles comes in out of nowhere with a Phenomenal Forearm. Sheamus is eliminated from the match.

It is now AJ Styles vs. Drew McIntyre. Styles quickly attempted a maneuver from the top rope, only for McIntyre to catch him with a Claymore in mid-air. Drew McIntyre pins the phenomenal one for the victory.

This match was a great one. It didn't manage to outclass the opening contest of the pay-per-view, but it was still incredibly entertaining. I, however, am an Elimination Chamber mark and cannot legally rate any chamber match beneath four stars. I believe McIntyre winning was the correct move.

Result: Drew McIntyre defeated AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Kofi Kingston, Sheamus, and Randy Orton via Elimination and retained the WWE Championship in 31:10.

Match Rating: 4.5 Stars

Drew McIntyre celebrates in the middle of the ring, only for none other than the former WWE United States Champion, Bobby Lashley, to rush the ring and spear Drew McIntyre. You know what's coming next - and it's AWESOME!

WWE Championship Match: The Miz vs. Drew McIntyre (c.)

The Miz runs down to ringside and cashes in his Money In The Bank briefcase. McIntyre makes it to his feet, only for The Miz to drop him with his signature DDT. One... two... kickout! The Miz looks shocked, and Drew McIntyre looks incredibly strong. The Miz lifts Drew McIntyre, and drops him with a Skull Crushing Finale. The Miz pins Drew McIntyre and wins the WWE Championship for the second time in his career in 31 seconds.

I am beyond elated for the result of this match-up. The new WWE Championship looks incredible on The Miz, and I hope he carries it into WrestleMania (please don't let him drop the belt to Bad Bunny, though. Anything but that, PLEASE!)

Result: The Miz defeated Drew McIntyre via Pinfall and wins the WWE Championship in 0:31.

Match Rating: 3 Stars

Final Grade: B+

Overall, this pay-per-view is a great example of WWE television today. It's either completely boring (a la, any match with Nia Jax in it,) or completely enthralling (such as every other championship match on this show. I believe that the correct people won these matches and that everything was booked well. I know that many were upset that Cesaro did not win the elimination chamber match, but I believe that Bryan was the correct winner. If Cesaro had won, and been destroyed the way Bryan had been, people would have complained of Cesaro being "buried." Daniel Bryan is an already established name that could suffer a devastating loss and still not lose the faith of the fans. Riddle winning the WWE United States Championship is a great decision, and I'm especially happy that it has seemingly pushed Bobby Lashley into world championship contendership (just as a mid-card title reign should do.) Finally, despite, the unpopularity of this opinion, I believe that The Miz is the right guy to hold the WWE Championship right now - in fact, I believe that The Miz elevates the belt itself; and for that, I am excited to witness the future. This was a stellar pay-per-view, and it is one that you should go out of your way to watch!

Did I miss something? Do you agree/disagree with a take of mine? Let me know in the comments below or reach out on Twitter @BladeJobPW!

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