I don't typically review the Saudi Arabia shows that the WWE puts on as, at least initially, they seemed to exist almost "outside of cannon." However, this show was a bit different as it would help set the table for WrestleMania.
Kicking off the show, Roman Reigns defended his Universal Championship against Goldberg in a match hyped as "The Match We Were Supposed To Get Years Ago." This was about as good as one might've expected - meaning not very good at all. Reigns has put on some great performances over the past year, but he didn't seem fully invested in this and Goldberg has really lost whatever aura he still might've had 5 years ago. Reigns will go down as the only man to defeat Goldberg by submission (I think?) which was the only unpredictable element of a fairly ho-hum match that will hopefully be Goldberg's last. (2/5)
The Women's Elimination Chamber to find the number one contender for Becky Lynch's RAW Women's Championship next and featured Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Nikki ASH, Liv Morgan, Doudrop, and the returning Alexa Bliss. There was some really stiff moments in this match, including a nasty bump early on from Liv Morgan onto the steel chamber floor. Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair were the clear stars, though, and I'm thinking there's still a decent chance that Ripley will find her way into the Mania championship match. I'm still not a fan of the Nikki ASH gimmick and Alexa Bliss still doing the schizophrenic mentally unstable gimmick without Bray Wyatt around seems ill-fitting. I almost wonder if the WWE shouldn't have used Bliss's legit injury to write off the gimmick entirely as I'm just not sure there's anywhere left for this character to go. As other reviewers noted, this wasn't anything revolutionary or particularly special, but it was solid, well-paced, and the right amount of physical. (3/5)
Ronda Rousey and Naomi teamed up against Charlotte Flair and Sonya Deville in the next match. Rousey wrestled with one arm tied behind her back (as she had claimed she could defeat Deville this way), which led to Flair and Deville focusing on her left arm. Rousey did not look as explosive and energetic as she did a couple years back, though a bit of ring rust is to be expected and, again, she was working one with only one arm in a tag context (not something she did much of in her first run with the company). This felt a bit slow and overly long despite only being 9-10 minutes. This is not the type of match that will make Rousey's many detractors eager to see her as the star of the division for the next few months (if not longer). (1.5/5)
Madcap Moss vs. Drew McIntyre in a Falls Count Anywhere match was next. I said it about their match a couple months ago that this feels like a demotion for McIntyre more than a promotion for Moss (and Corbin), neither of whom seem like future main eventers of any kind right now. McIntyre, meanwhile, was headlining WrestleManias not too long ago but now seems to be stuck in the upper midcard, firmly a few steps down from not only Reigns and Brock, but Rollins and Lashley too. Anyway...Moss and Corbin beat down Drew to start the match and get the early advantage, but Drew rallied fairly quickly with a stiff clothesline and then another one to send Moss to the outside. McIntyre hit some chops and a big headbutt, but Corbin struck again only to get chased to the back. McIntyre slammed Moss against the picture wall and then attempted a powerbomb off the stage - wow, I must say, this match was much more action-packed and wild than I had expected (though I must admit to not being aware of the stipulation until the match began). Moss hit a fallaway slam on the ramp and continued his onslaught before sending Drew back into the ring. Moss went for something off the ropes but Drew flipped him with a hiptoss that Moss bumped huge for. McIntyre hit an overhead suplex and went for a splash in the corner, but Moss caught him - only to get reverse wheel-barrowed directly on the top of his head! That was insane and I can't believe Moss didn't get paralyzed. The match went on as Moss seemed to be okay, good enough to even take a couple more slams. At the very least, I wonder if Moss didn't suffer a concussion as he did not look good in the minutes after (though, considering he's actually a pretty good seller, he may have been okay). McIntyre looked for the spear through the barricade, but Corbin caught him with a chair to the back and then he and Moss sent Drew through it instead for a 2 count. Again, when you look this ineffective, its hard to see you as a main event-level act. Moss continued to sell the damage of the match as McIntyre climbed into the ring. Why wasn't Corbin attacking more if this was No DQ? That logic never sits right when you Corbin around for the entirety of the match and only picking and choosing when to interfere. McIntyre managed to hit a superplex, but only got 2. That move used to mean something, though, to be fair, that was over two decades ago. Moss and McIntyre traded blows back-and-forth and Moss went for the slide only for McIntyre to hit his patented DDT. McIntyre grabbed his sword and hit a Claymore with it in hand to get the W. This match started hot, featured some really good bumps and selling out of Moss, but then fell off the cliff in the end as all logic was thrown away and the good work they'd done earlier is cancelled out. (2.5/5)
Lita took on Becky Lynch for the RAW Women's Championship after yet another commercial break. Becky's heel turn has been a mixed bag to me as, while Becky is perfectly capable of drawing heat with her arrogance and ridiculous outfits, she's still Becky Lynch and she's still so charismatic that its hard not to root for her (and the Saudi crowd felt so too, giving her a very favorable pop upon her entrance). Lita was never a world class worker and she certainly didn't look any better here than in years past, though Lynch bumped and sold like crazy for her, doing everything necessary to keep this match on the rails. There was some telegraphing by Lita, Becky was noticeably (and sometimes audibly) leading the dance, and none of the sequences measuring up to what Becky has done with the likes of Charlotte or Asuka, but this was still very watchable and the crowd was into it from beginning to end. In Lita's time, this match might've been considered good - maybe even something resembling "great" compared to the other women's wrestling in the WWE at the time - but for what we're used to now, this was average-at-best, with too much spot calling, too many sequences that got stuck in molasses, too much "collaboration." I wouldn't quite call this a "Becky carry job," but at times it felt that way (for example, Lynch basically doing a somersault off the top turnbuckle for what was supposed to be a Lita head scissors). Becky hit her Manhandle chokeslam but only got 2, causing her to lose her cool. Lita used Lynch's temper tantrum to regroup and hit a Twist of Fate and then a moonsault for 2. Then, for no particular reason, Lita brought Lynch up in an awkward front headlock position only to eat another Manhandle. This was many fans' pick for the Match of the Night, but I found this too flawed to be considered anything beyond just average with maybe an extra half-point earned for the obvious emotion and the crowd's undeniable investment. (3/5)
This match was followed by the first of what will likely be many videos hyping the induction of The Undertaker into the WWE Hall of Fame. It was bound to happen one day and I guess it's better for it to happen before Taker's reputation gets dragged through the mud anymore. While Taker remains beloved by many, there has been an undeniable-if-still-slight "softening" of fan support for him in recent years, mostly due to Taker's political leanings and pro-police stance, but also because its becoming increasingly clear that Taker's reputation as the "locker room leader" coincided with a very, very toxic working environment.
The Usos jumped their opponents, The Viking Raiders, before their match even started, essentially cancelling out the match itself. I'm not going to "rate" the segment/angle as the show likely benefited from having this bout cut. Then again, why go through the trouble of spending even a few minutes promoting a match for a PPV and then cancel it? I mean, what used up the time that was originally allotted for them? The Taker video? Lita's post-match farewell to the Saudi fans?
Main event time - Riddle vs. Austin Theory vs. Seth Rollins vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles in an Elimination Chamber. The Elimination Chamber match from the infamous ECW pay-per-view, December to Dismember, is often considered the worst Chamber match ever, but this might've given it a real run for its money. Theory and Rollins started things off with Rollins doing his bizarre "dancing to music no one else hears" is good stuff to me, mostly because its weird and different and Rollins, for too long and in too many iterations, seemed to lack any real unique qualities to make me care about him as a heel or face. I don't see anything really special in Theory. Lashley got taken out early due to a kayfabe concussion (a fake injury that irks me just because wrestlers do suffer - and sometimes hide - real concussions all the time) but is reportedly actually taking some time off to deal with shoulder/neck damage dating back to his match against Lesnar at the Rumble. Speaking of Lesnar, he came in last and destroyed every one else in the match in short order, eventually even F5ing Theory off of a pod and onto the chamber floor. Aside from that, this was not only a tame a Elimination Chamber bout but it did absolutely nothing for anyone other than Lesnar, who once again came out of this looking like the only guy we should remotely care about. Even if you're a Lesnar superfan - and, at times, I might even admit to being one myself - this was a lackluster main event. (1/5)
With a not-so-hot Kwang Score of 2.17-out-of-5, not a single match I'd consider "must see," and arguably one of the weakest Elimination Chamber matches ever as the main event, this show is impossible to recommend (even to a modern WWE fan).
FINAL RATING - DUDleyville
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