WWE Elimination Chamber 2020

WWE Elimination Chamber 2020

Philadelphia, PA - February 2020

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the WWE Universal Champion is Bill Goldberg, the WWE Champion is Brock Lesnar, the United States title is held by Andrade, the Intercontinental Champion is Braun Strowman, the SmackDown Women's Champion is Bayley, and Becky Lynch is the RAW Women's Champion. The RAW Tag Team Champions are the Street Profits, the SmackDown Tag Team Champions are The Miz and John Morrison, and The Kabuki Warriors are the recognized Women's Tag Team Champions.

On paper, the card for the 2020 Elimination Chamber looked...light. No Roman Reigns. No Brock Lesnar. No Bray Wyatt. No Becky Lynch, Charlotte, Bayley, or Sasha Banks. No Bobby Lashley or Drew McIntyre or Kevin Owens. If you thought the newly returned John Cena or WWE Universal Champion Bill Goldberg would be there, you'd be wrong on that too. This wasn't a B-level PPV, it was a C-level show with a huge set piece hanging from the rafters. Oddly, though, it is often when the WWE doesn't try to overload its card that you end up with a surprisingly solid show. The biggest question leading into this show wasn't who would win any given match - none were of real consequence - but rather whether the participants would overachieve and keep the notoriously rowdy Philly crowd happy.

The show opened up with the biggest bone that the company could throw to the ECW/RoH pro-wrestling die-hards: Daniel Bryan vs. Drew Gulak. As one would expect, these two kept things on the mat, trading submissions and suplexes and even taking some heinous bumps to the outside. It was an intense, physical contest that told the simple story of Gulak trying to prove himself against the best technical wrestler of his generation. Unfortunately, the match paled in comparison to Bryan's more historic, more emotional battles. Gulak's arsenal was excellent and Bryan did his best to make him look like a million bucks, but at the end of the day, this story works much better when the underdog is a babyface that we want to see "go the distance" against the more established star. Look no further than what AEW has accomplished with Darby Allin to see the difference. Allin has been riding a huge wave of popularity by standing toe-to-toe with not only AEW's top heels, but also by proving his mettle against company posterboy Cody Rhodes. Gulak proved he was tough and talented, but I didn't find myself liking him any more after the match than I did before. Bryan's clean win was the right call to make as he continues to be the company's best utility player, but when it was all said and done, no matter how good this match was, I was still far more eager to learn who Bryan will be wrestling at WrestleMania as opposed to whether or not Gulak ever gets another PPV match. I know some will call this a great match because of the technicality and Bryan's unselfishness, but this was a "Good Match for Good's Sake" if I've ever seen one and, personally, I'd rather see Bryan involved in actual storylines that are based on emotion and character, not just (admittedly terrific) grappling skills. (3/5)

Next up - the United States Champion Andrade defended his gold against Humberto Carillo. This match has been months in the making (according to the commentary and video package), but because I don't watch the weekly TV, I wasn't super interested in this match. While I really liked Andrade in NXT, I've been less impressed with his main roster run - mostly because he hasn't been given any sort of push. Against Johnny Gargano and Drew McIntyre and Roderick Strong, Andrade proved he could mix it up with a variety of opponents as he climbed the ladder, but since joining the main roster in 2018, he's been on-and-off TV and rarely given any sort of spotlight. This match was a step in the right direction as it allowed Andrade to solidify his US Title reign and gave him a decisive victory over a worker he has strong chemistry with. Unfortunately, despite his competency between the ropes, I'm just not a Carillo fan. Nothing about him screams "star" to me and, as we would find in the next match, he's probably not even among the top 5 best luchadores on the roster. This was certainly better-than-average with some nice callbacks to the genesis of this feud (which originated after Andrade dropped Carillo with a DDT [I think?] on the exposed concrete), plus the live crowd was definitely into it by the end, but I wouldn't call this a homerun. Here's hoping Andrade moves onto a feud against someone with a bit more personality. (3/5)

The first of two Elimination Chamber matches was next - The Miz and John Morrison putting the SmackDown Tag Team Championships on the line against Heavy Machinery, The New Day (Kofi and Big E), Roode and Ziggler, The Usos, and Lucha House Party. The match began with The Usos and The New Day, which was definitely the safest way to smart the match in terms of setting a pace and tone, but also the least creative. Things got much more interesting once Lucha House Party entered the match and, within minutes, attempted to steal the match with a variety of high-flying moves and at least one absolutely bonkers stunt by Lince Durado that saw him attempt to spring-board onto the Chamber's unforgiving, uncompromising wall and nearly demolish his own groin. The spot got a huge reaction from the crowd, even if it was a botch. The Miz and John Morrison were in next and occupied a strange position. Technically, they're heels, but like most anybody that returns after a lengthy hiatus, John Morrison is treated like a babyface and The Miz has inexplicably been flipped a half-dozen times in half as many years despite consistently being at his best when he's allowed to be a straight-up arrogant prick. Next in were the most over tag team in the whole match - Heavy Machinery. I'm not as high on these guys as others, but Otis has undeniable magnetism and this match finally allowed me to see how good Tucker could be - not only with his surprising agility (at one point he did a front-flip off of one of the pods to a huge pop), but also his character work and chemistry with Otis. Speaking of Otis, the less "comedy" he does the better in my eyes. The Caterpillar might pop the kiddies, but it's the type of gimmicky move that's been done to death. Even Cena stopped doing the 5 Knuckle Shuffle in every match. Here, Otis had his single best performance. His stalking of Ziggler (they're currently feuding over the hand of Mandy Rose) was intense and passionate and felt real and the audience reacted accordingly. Roode and Ziggler (especially) played their roles perfectly, showing ass and acting like cowards and drawing a ton of heat. The interactions between those two teams stole the match (despite Durado hitting an astounding shooting star press from the roof of the Chamber), which made the eventual finish a bit of a downer. Once these two teams (and the New Day) were eliminated, it came down to two teams that the audience wasn't/isn't sure how to respond to. Are the Usos heels or faces these days? I already wrote about the weird space The Miz and Morrison exist in. The pinning combination that the Miz and Morrison used to end the match was a thing of beauty, but it still wasn't enough for the champs not to feel overshadowed by Otis's departure (he essentially cost his team the match by charging through a chamber pod and onto the arena floor, leading to Tucker's elimination), Lince Dorada's crazy high-flying, and the heel work of Roode & Ziggler. Not a "must watch," but definitely a fun match. (3.5/5)

After a brief word from Nattie Neidhart, AJ Styles took on Aleister Black in a No DQ Match. This one started a little slow but got good quickly once AJ introduced a kendo stick into the mix. Styles wisely kept the pace deliberate in the early going, wisely not rushing things for a live crowd that was undoubtedly a little spent after the previous match. Black worked to set-up a table but sold leg damage the whole time, which made AJ's chair shots to Black's back and leg even more grimace-inducing. Between the big weapon strikes, Styles and Black both nailed some insane kicks and strikes too. Still, the crowd only seemed to care for individual moments with long stretches of relative silence between, a sure sign of a somewhat burnt out crowd. Even when Styles and Black start delivering their signature offense (and more) in rapid succession, the crowd barely came alive - which is a shame because both guys put on the best performances they've had in at least a year each (at least based on what I saw from them in 2019). My biggest issues with the match were its length (it did run a little long), the filthy finish, and the fact that, as the match wore on, the stipulation became less and less a part of the story, both guys opting to just use their normal offense rather than take advantage of all the "toys" at ringside. Still, put this match in front of a hotter crowd and find a way to keep The Good Brothers out of the proceedings and I'm not sure it isn't a Match of the Year candidate (though, the Undertaker's eventual arrival was an undeniably cool moment that popped the crowd huge). I'm not sure how Styles getting destroyed by Taker at two consecutive major shows (and taking the L here after an absolutely nasty Black Mass) is heating him up to challenge the Deadman, but whatever. (3/5)

The RAW Tag Team Championships were on the line next match, The Street Profits defending the gold against Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy. If the crowd was comatose for the previous match, they were D-E-A-D for this. Part of the problem was that the match was overshadowed by The Undertaker's appearance, but its important to remember that last year around this time, Seth Rollins was being positioned as a true main event level act. The indifference to this match from the Philly crowd suggested that the Monday Night Messiah gimmick is not connecting with the audience or drawing much heat. The Street Profits, meanwhile, feel like a "fun team" but not one that draws sympathy from the crowd very well, an update of Cryme Tyme but without the energy change of a Shad Gaspard hot tag. The action was particularly bad, but I can't remember a single moment aside from the out-of-nowhere appearance by The Viking Raiders and Kevin Owens eventually showing up to throw popcorn in Rollins face (which led to the best spot of the match - Seth getting pounced into the barrier by a rag doll). I'm expecting that this is all leading to an Owens/Rollins 1-on-1 match, which leaves Murphy out cold, while the AOP/Raiders/Profits will probably feud among themselves for the RAW Tag Team Titles, a feud that will probably be heatless because not a single one of these teams really seems all that over. This is hamster wheel booking at its worst, nobody gaining any sort of momentum or developing new elements to their characters. I was amazed to learn the match only ran 19 minutes when it felt like at least 25. I wouldn't recommend this to even the biggest Rollins fan. (1.5/5)

Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Cesaro challenged Braun Strowman for his Intercontinental Championship in a 3-on-1 handicap match. I was expected Strowman to somehow survive this, so I was pleasantly surprised by the finish - which saw Zayn orchestrate his first IC title win. This match was the antithesis of the bout that came before it. The heels did heel things to draw heat and keep the crowd engaged. Braun Strowman, who, at one point seemed like a surefire can't miss top guy, showed he still has some presence and ability to draw in the live crowd - not by hamming it up or being goofy, but by using his power and playing his role (the angry monster) in a believable way. Did Strowman look a little stupid for agreeing to this match without reading the contract? For his tunnel-vision and the poor judgment he showed by going after Zayn and not paying enough attention to Nak and Cesaro? Sure...but the Ultimate Warrior wasn't a brainiac, Sting got fooled by Ric Flair countless times, and Braun Strowman's gimmick isn't that he's a Cerebral Assassin, its that he's a one-man wrecking machine that can literally tear apart any guy on the roster as long as he gets his hands on them. Of course, the chemistry between Zayn and Strowman shouldn't be surprising. While the commentary team have failed to bring it up, Zayn was Strowman's first major feud. Unlike the previous match, this one didn't drag either, keeping the audience's attention for its full 9 minute run-time. While this wasn't a Match of the Year contender or anything, it felt like the kind of sprint the audience needed to get re-engaged in the show. (2.5/5)

Main event time - the Women's Elimination Chamber match to decide who will face Becky Lynch at WrestleMania XXXVII. Competing in this bout were three former teammates - Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, and Sarah Logan - as well as the two most dominant women in NXT history - Asuka and Shayna Baszler - and, rounding things out, Natalya. As one could've predicted, Natalya and Riott, two of the more experienced grapplers of the bunch (Riott's been working for nearly 10 years now), started things off and tried their best to win over the crowd with stiff shots and lots of pained grunts. Sarah Logan came in next and delivered an awesome running knee strike into Natalya that sent her into one of the pod walls. It was painful looking and stiff and got a huge, well-deserved response. This wouldn't be the only strong strike by Logan as she hit a knee to Natalya's face that also looked deadly. After the obligatory tower of doom spot, Shayna Baszler came in and the match became nothing more than a spotlight for the former NXT Women's Champion. Baszler came in and swiftly destroyed Riott, Logan, and even Nattie (who some might've thought would've gotten the opportunity to get a little more offense in). Baszler's dominance wasn't shocking, but what was surprising was the production team's bizarre decision to have her gloat in the ring for extended stretches instead of "working" the Chamber clock (the actual time between entrances in this and the first match were not all exactly 5 minutes by my watch). Left to just walk around the ring, Baszler seemed to run out of new ways to goad the crowd, expending way more energy than a cocky heel should. When Morgan eventually came in, Baszler destroyed her relatively quickly too, though not before swinging her by her legs into the pod wall in arguably the most vile, hardcore spot of the whole night. After dispatching Morgan (who got a huge babyface response), Baszler and Asuka spent a prolonged time jawing at each other through the glass before Asuka finally got released and we got a very brief "match" between the two. Asuka got to get some offense in, but it was still disappointing to see her have to put over Baszler so strong when she has, especially over the last few months, stepped up her game and re-established herself as the top 2 or 3 female in the company. The commentary team tried to push a (kayfabe?) shoulder injury as much as possible, but it was still somewhat disappointing to see her in the unenviable position of being slaughtered by Baszler in under 10 minutes. As a way to heat up Baszler, the match was a success and I do credit the women for trying to fit as many big, hard-hitting spots into the match as possible, but this still felt like more of an angle than a quality match. (3/5)


Despite a thin card on paper, Elimination Chamber 2020 was a modest success, effectively getting Shayna Baszler over as new top heel of the RAW Women's division, furthering the Kevin Owens/Seth Rollins storyline (which I couldn't care less about, but whatever), giving Sami Zayn a much-deserved spotlight, and adding some fuel to the AJ Styles/Undertaker feud in advance of WrestleMania XXXVI. And, if you were into some really good wrestling action, Gulak/Bryan, Styles/Black, and the Tag Team Elimination Chamber match were all good-to-great. With a Kwang Score of 2.43, I wouldn't call this a great show overall, but it had its moments...

FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand