5 most memorable Elimination Chamber moments

We’re less than a month away from the return of the Elimination Chamber, and that means one thing — chaos. The Chamber is one of the WWE’s greatest innovations.

The unique structure allows superstars’ creativity to shine and for some truly memorable moments to happen. For the sake of this article, we will stick to moments that occur inside the structure, between the bells, and that affect the match. So don’t expect the "Rated R" superstar cashing in on John Cena to make it on this list.

We’re less than a month away from the return of the Elimination Chamber, and that means one thing — chaos. The Chamber is one of the WWE’s greatest innovations.

Since the inception of the Elimination Chamber in 2002, there have been twenty-one such matches. The historical moments are endless but these are the best.

#5 John Morrison jumps off the top

The leap of faith!

When asked about John Morrison, most people usually remember two things - his look and his athleticism. We will focus on the latter as we recall his one of a kind fall in 2011. As a participant in the RAW brand Elimination Chamber, Morrison’s main adversary in the match was Sheamus.

Size those two up next to one another, and it’s easy to see who has the physical advantage. Morrison obviously knew this as well and took it upon himself to use his athletic ability to his advantage. Scaling the Chamber from the outside, Morrison would nearly find his way to the apex of the chamber over the ring.

As Sheamus looked around bemused at Morrison’s disappearance, he would look above him as Morrison rained from the heavens, and crashed down on top of Sheamus.

The fall didn’t look like much of a defined move at all, perhaps a crossbody. It would, though, garner Morrison the count of three over Sheamus, and get him one step closer to winning the Chamber match. In a career that shined early on in ECW, this will be one of Morrison’s greatest highlights in the WWE.

With the growing history of the Elimination Chamber match, it’s definitely notable that this moment still strikes whenever asked about why the concept of this match is great.

#4 Jeff Hardy's Stanton bomb off the pod

Hardy in action!

Any wrestling fan will know Jeff Hardy as one of the craziest superstars to ever lace up a pair of boots. Hardy has never been known to spare a ring, ladder, cage, or Elimination Chamber in his presence.

Taking part in the WWE Championship match in 2009, Jeff Hardy would resort to his usual tactics to gain a competitive edge over his opponents. Big Show had been decimating the likes of Undertaker, HHH, and Hardy — so, as Hardy fled to the top of a pod, Taker managed to get a superplex on Show.

This allowed HHH to come over, and land his patented Pedigree that set Show up perfectly for one of the most recognizable moves in all of wrestling. Hardy would pull himself up standing on the pod, so high in the air that he had to lean forward to avoid sticking through the roof of the Elimination Chamber.

At this point, everyone in the arena knew what to expect, and they reacted accordingly. The crowd roared as Hardy flew through the air, and landed a picture perfect Swanton Bomb. For Jeff, it was just another day in the office and doesn’t even place top ten in his craziest moments.

However, in Elimination Chamber history, it’s one of the more dangerous stunts, and it was completed to perfection. That being said, it’s not the craziest stunt on this list.

#3 Edge enters twice in one night

Edge walks out as champion!

Hall of Famer Edge would know this better than most as an eleven-time world champion. Edge walked into the No Way Out Pay Per View in 2009 as the WWE Champion for the Smackdown brand. However, he would not leave as the WWE champion, as Edge was the first person eliminated in the Elimination Chamber by opponent Jeff Hardy. Winning a championship in the WWE is always the easy part. Staying the champion is the hard part.

Edge’s shock was palpable, and some great camera work showed HHH, enclosed in his pod, laughing in the frame behind Edge, who was in the forefront of the shot. Edge’s exit guaranteed a new WWE Champion for the night. It would not be the end of Edge’s involvement in No Way Out though.

WWE’s brand split meant each show had a Chamber match. The RAW match for the World Heavyweight title would be the Main Event of No Way Out that year. As the match was starting, scheduled Participant Kofi Kingston made his entrance to the ring.

As Kingston neared the steps at the Elimination Chamber door, Edge would run down and blindside Kofi. Edge followed this attack up by throwing Kingston into the steel steps and finished it by using his signature Con-Chair-To move.

This attack would mean Kofi was unfit to compete in the match. Edge, ever the opportunist, would run in and steal the pod Kofi should have occupied. The match went on as otherwise planned, and wouldn’t you know it, Edge became the World Heavyweight Champion.

It remains one of the dirtiest displays of greed, but greatest displays of opportunism ever seen in WWE history.

#2 Goldberg causes mayhem

Goldberg taking care of HHH

One word comes to mind when thinking of Goldberg - domination. His domination usually comes about through a process of destruction, and it was no different in the Elimination Chamber at Summerslam 2003.

Once Goldberg’s pod opened as the fifth entrant, he tore through his three available opponents. He delivered hellish beatdowns to the likes of Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, and Chris Jericho.

It really showed that Goldberg was still the same force he was years prior in WCW. Perhaps the biggest part of this destruction came after Goldberg pressed Jericho over the ropes onto the steel. Goldberg would follow, and proceed to Spear Jericho through the pod!

This glass case that protected you from your opponents, shattered behind the force of a Goldberg spear. The glass didn’t break on the first impact, but personally, I believe that made Goldberg look even better as it legitimized how strong the glass was.

Goldberg picked off those three with ease before turning his attention to HHH, who was still in his pod. Not a problem for Goldberg though. With one swift kick, the glass of HHH’s pod door would cave in, and the destruction would continue.

Goldberg picked HHH apart without a problem as well until HHH would avoid a spear by using a sledgehammer and picking up the victory.

The match ended with Evolution leaving Goldberg as a bloody mess. But the 2003 Summerslam Elimination Chamber match will always be remembered for Goldberg’s display of destruction, not his being cheated out of a victory.

#1 Shawn Michaels goes too far

HBK looking at the fallen Undertaker!

At WrestleMania XXV, Shawn Michaels fell short of ending the Undertaker’s streak in one of the greatest Pro Wrestling matches ever.

It won the Slammy for Match of the Year. It was in that Acceptance Speech that Michaels’ made it clear he wanted one more shot at the Undertaker. Undertaker’s refusal drove Shawn crazy.

Competitively though, it was ruining Michaels. Losing the Royal Rumble meant he could not call his shot and fight then World Champion Undertaker at WrestleMania.

Shawn knew that if he won the Chamber, he could fight Undertaker at Wrestlemania for the rematch he would be due. Shawn wasn’t even able to qualify for the World Championship Chamber match.

With the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber match in full stride and no Michaels in sight, you’d start to wonder if he would have an impact. Undertaker and Chris Jericho were the final two participants in the match. Undertaker had the upper hand and was ready to put the match away.

This was where Shawn found his opportunity and rose from underneath the steel grating surrounding the ring. Michaels slipped into the ring behind Undertaker. Feeling the atmosphere shift, Taker would turn right into a Sweet Chin Music that handed the Deadman on a silver platter to Chris Jericho.

This storytelling hit another level just due to the recent history Jericho and Michaels had. This moment would lead to the rematch of the greatest Wrestlemania match of all time, and the end of Shawn Michael’s illustrious career.