REVIEW: Elimination Chamber 2019 ends with phenomenal main event won by Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan and Kofi Kingston finished off an already great pay-per-view

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Photo courtesy of JBZA2003 - CC BY 2.0

World Wrestling Entertainment put on their 10th annual Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, an event that over-delivered and ended with an instant classic.

Aaron Jackson

World Wrestling Entertainment put on its tenth annual Elimination Chamber pay-per-view Sunday, an engaging event that ended with an instant classic.

There were seven matches on the card, five of which I found entertaining.

Kickoff Show

Before the main show began, the kickoff show featured cruiserweight champion Buddy Murphy defending his title against challenger Akira Tozawa.

The first half of the match lacked in action, picking up in the second half as Tozawa hit multiple high-flying moves. Tozawa attempted to lock Murphy into a submission, but he got out of it, hitting back with his finishing move, the “Murphy’s Law slam,” for the win.

This was a very solid match to get fans amped up for the main show.

Sasha Banks and Bayley win the inaugural WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

The main show began with the first of the two Elimination Chamber matches and featured strong showings from multiple tag teams.

Billie Kay and Peyton Royce, also known as The IIconics, entered the match fourth and eliminated the team of Carmella and Naomi before getting eliminated themselves after the team of Nia Jax and Tamina each delivered a “Samoan drop” to pin them for the three count.

The match ended with the two teams who started Sasha Banks and Bayley versus Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose.

Banks ended with her Banks Statement crossface submission move, forcing Deville to tap out. After the match, the crowd at the Toyota Center in Houston was chanting “You deserve it” to the new champions.

The Usos defeat Shane McMahon and The Miz to win the Smackdown Tag Team Championship

The next match on the card presented many aerial maneuvers. McMahon hit a coast-to-coast leap from one side of the ring to the other on Jimmy Uso, but got superkicked when he tried it on his brother Jay.

Jay hit a splash from the top rope and Miz came in to break up the pin. Once McMahon regained his composure later in the match, he hit a diving elbow drop on Jay through the announcer’s table, taking himself out in the process.

Miz later hit his finisher, the skull-crushing finale, on Jimmy. However, Jimmy kicked out and rolled up Miz for the victory, making him and Jay six-time champions.

Finn Balor defeats Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush in handicap match to win the Intercontinental Championship

Lashley and Rush tormented Balor throughout the bout until an unexpected tag in by Rush changed the match. After taking down both men outside the ring, Balor brought Rush back in to perform the diving stomp Coup de Grace for the victory, leaving Balor to once again get a run as champion.

Ronda Rousey defeats Ruby Riott to retain the Raw Women’s Championship

During what felt like the definition of a squash match, Riott spent ample time outside the ring looking anxious to go inside the ropes. Rousey made quick work hitting her signature Piper’s Pit maneuver and then submitting Riott with the armbar for the victory.

After the match, Charlotte Flair was watching the contest at ringside and came in and stared down her Wrestlemania opponent. It was at this time both women noticed an injured Becky Lynch on crutches making her way down to the squared circle.

Lynch took down both women with her crutches before being taken away by security. Lynch is currently undergoing a storyline 60-day suspension and was replaced by Flair last Monday as Rousey’s opponent for her title at Wrestlemania.

Baron Corbin defeats Braun Strowman in No Disqualification match

In the only boring match on the card, Lashley and Drew McIntyre interfered, helping Corbin assault Strowman The men would triple powerbomb the so called “monster among men” through two stacked tables to help give Corbin the victory.

Daniel Bryan retains the WWE Championship

In the best contest of the night, AJ Styles entered the match fourth and hit his phenomenal forearm finishing move on Samoa Joe to score the first elimination.

Later in the match, Bryan eliminated Jeff Hardy with a running knee after Hardy performed a swanton bomb dive to Styles off the top of the pod. Styles was next eliminated after Randy Orton hit him with an RKO off the top rope.

Orton tried the same with Kofi Kingston, who countered and hit his finisher, the Trouble in Paradise kick, to eliminate Orton. Kingston, who replaced an injured Mustafa Ali in the match, was now in the final two and had champion Bryan in his sights.

Both men hit their respective finishers and kicked out, leaving fans on the edge of their seats. Bryan hit the running knee once more, retaining his title.

This was the most exciting Elimination Chamber match since 2010, when Shawn Michaels took out the Undertaker. The 2019 match brought me back to the past and got me genuinely excited, even though I would have preferred Kingston to come away with the victory.

Overall, Elimination Chamber 2019 was a solid pay-per-view. For a show that isn’t even advertised as one of the biggest of the year, this event was very enjoyable and is definitely worth a watch if you get the chance.