Much like Money in the Bank, WWE Elimination Chamber got its namesake PPV event in 2010. Prior to the rebranding, chamber matches were held under the No Way Out banner in 2008 and 2009. The iconic gimmick match has also been featured at two of WWE’s “Big Four” pay-per-view events: Survivor Series 2002 and SummerSlam 2003.
Since 2010, with the exception of 2016, WWE has annually held the Elimination Chamber PPV. While the chamber match has mostly been the highlight of the show, there have been few exceptions where a non-chamber match turned out to be even better.
Let’s take a look at the five best non-chamber matches at WWE Elimination Chamber.
The Shield vs. John Cena, Ryback, & Sheamus
On a PPV with The Rock versus CM Punk as the headlining act, this six-man tag team match emerged as the match of the nigh at WWE Elimination Chamber 2013. The pre-match brawl between the six man showed the threat Shield posed to the babyfaces.
The Hounds of Justice did a great job isolating their opponents working together like a well-oiled machine. Ryback got a pretty big pop for his hot tag. However, he’d be the one to eat the pinfall from Roman Reigns following a spear.
Kevin Owens vs. John Cena (Elimination Chamber 2015)
Kevin Owens is one of the few heel superstars in WWE history to get a clean win over John Cena. The Prizefighter met the Cenation leader one-on-one at WWE Elimination Chamber 2015. This was a non-title match even though both men were champions at the time
Owens was in the middle of his monster run as NXT Champion when he clashed with then-United States Champion Cena. This match focused heavy on wrestling psychology with Owens surprising Cena by pulling off some innovative moves from his arsenal.
The surprise clean win over a monster babyface in Cena really put KO over with the WWE Universe big time.
Daniel Bryan vs. Drew Gulak
A masterclass on submission and technical wrestling came courtesy of Daniel Bryan and Drew Gulak at WWE Elimination Chamber 2020. The American Dragon really got to showcase his technical intensity from his ROH days in this match.
Gulak has always been underappreciated despite being one of the very best at his craft. Here’s hoping he is utilized to his potential in Shawn Michaels NXT where he’s mentoring the No Quarter Catch Crew.
Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Match – Elimination Chamber 2023)
When it comes to best crowd reactions, Elimination Chamber 2023 is clearly up their with some of the best live crowds in WWE history. The whole atmosphere in Montreal, Canada, was electric for their hometown hero Sami Zayn against Roman Reigns.
The former Honorary Uce had chosen his best friend over The Bloodline in the build to this match. Sami received a hero’s welcome as he arrived in the ring for this epic match. With his wife and son watching from ringside, the superstar had nothing but win in his mind.
Unfortunately for Sami, Roman proved to be too much with his controversial antics. The usual interference angle did not take away from the action and the atmosphere that made this outing one of the best WWE PPV matches of 2023.
The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family (WWE Elimination Chamber 2014)
The 2014 Elimination Chamber is often remember for the spectacular six-man tag team outing featuring The Shield and The Wyatt Family. These two stables crossed paths on RAW to a blistering pop from the crowd. This was on a night where CM Punk and Daniel Bryan left the six men to duke it out in the ring.
The Minneapolis crowd was red hot from start to finish for The Shied versus The Wyatt Family. Seth Rollins was clearly the MVP of this match with how flawless he worked from bell to bell. The Architect had some crisp dives and tons of other offense to slow down the much bigger members of The Wyatt Family.
Truly one of the greatest non-chamber matches in the history of WWE Elimination Chamber!
Honorable Mentions
- The Rock vs. CM Punk (Elimination Chamber 2013)
- Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose (WWE Elimination Chamber 2015)
- Randy Orton vs. Luke Harper (Elimination Chamber 2017)
- Bobby Lashley vs. John Morrison vs. Matt Riddle (WWE Elimination Chamber 2021)
Also read: Seth Rollins’ Best WWE PPV Matches
