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WWE Elimination Chamber 2021 will feature two high-stakes, namesake matches. On one hand, Drew McIntyre will put his WWE Championship on the line against five former World Champions. On the other, six of the top SmackDown Superstars will battle inside the sinister structure to secure a Universal Championship bout.
The Elimination Chamber isn't a new concept. It has been around since 2002. Over the last 19 years, several elite performers have stepped inside the chamber. And it would be an understatement to say that once a superstar enters the steel structure, they don't leave it the same way.
It can't be denied that some of the best and most brutal Elimination Chamber matches took place in the 2000s. But one may wonder what the winners of the Elimination Chamber matches are doing these days? Are they retired or still performing?
To answer these questions, let's take a look at where every Elimination Chamber winner from the 2000s (2000 - 2009) is right now.
#6 Shawn Michaels (Won the inaugural Elimination Chamber match in 2002)
Shawn Michaels' in-ring return in 2002 was nothing short of miraculous. Instead of taking things slow, The Heartbreak Kid entered the first-ever Elimination Chamber match at Survivor Series 2002, barely three months after his first match in over four years.
Fortunately, The Showstopper got to enter the bout as the sixth entrant and only after Rob Van Dam and Booker T had already been eliminated. This bout was important for Shawn Michaels for more than one reason.
For starters, he won his final World Championship inside the inaugural Elimination Chamber match. Secondly, he got to share the ring with Triple H and Chris Jericho, two superstars Michaels would have stellar feuds against through 2003.
Long story short, Shawn Michaels won the match after pinning his friend-turned-foe, Triple H. Over the next seven and a half years, Michaels would participate in three Chamber matches without any success.
He ended up retiring from in-ring action in 2010. These days, the two-time Royal Rumble winner works for WWE NXT in a backstage capacity. He serves as a coach, contributes as a consultant, and oversees the international expansion of the black-and-yellow brand.
Additionally, Shawn Michaels also pops up on WWE TV from time to time to cut a promo or deliver Sweet Chin Music to a troublemaker.
#5 Triple H (Emerged victorious in Elimination Chamber matches in 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2009)
The Cerebral Assassin is credited as one of the masterminds behind the concept of the Elimination Chamber. Moreso, Triple H holds the record for most chamber wins.
Triple H's first win inside an Elimination Chamber match came at WWE SummerSlam 2003. It's interesting to note that The Game entered the bout in question injured. Therefore, his involvement in the match was kept minimal. In the end, the 14-time World Champion got an assist from Ric Flair and hit the sledgehammer on Goldberg to put him away and claim his first Elimination Chamber win.
Thanks to assistance from his Evolution stablemates Batista and Ric Flair, Triple H also won the third-ever Elimination Chamber match at WWE New Year's Revolution 2005. At WWE No Way Out 2008, The King of Kings toppled JBL, Chris Jericho, Umaga, Shawn Michaels, and Jeff Hardy to secure his third win inside the chamber.
And at WWE No Way Out 2009, Triple H won his last Elimination Chamber match and his second-to-last WWE Championship by pinning The Undertaker.
In 2021, Triple H serves as the EVP of Global Talent Strategy & Development for WWE. Additionally, he helms WWE NXT as an Executive Producer. And while these corporate roles caused The Game to slow things down in the ring, Triple H still performs in a part-time capacity.
His most recent in-ring outing came on the January 11, 2021 edition of Monday Night RAW against Randy Orton.
#4 John Cena (Won the Elimination Chamber match at WWE New Year's Revolution 2006)
John Cena has had his fair share of Elimination Chamber matches over the last 15 years. During the 2000s, the 16-time World Champion participated in two Elimination Chamber bouts. But he only managed to win one of them.
At WWE New Year's Revolution 2006, Cena defended his WWE title against Carlito, Chris Masters, Kane, Kurt Angle, and Shawn Michaels in an Elimination Chamber match. Despite the Cenation leader entering the match as the final entrant, he didn't get to escape it the easy way.
But even after suffering a beatdown like no other, John Cena was able to emerge victorious by pinning Carlito. But this Elimination Chamber is most memorable for its aftermath. After Cena had been through a gruesome bout, Edge cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on the spot to win his first-ever WWE Championship.
After thriving as the face of the company for over a decade, John Cena slowly transitioned into a part-timer in order to pursue a career in Hollywood. His acting career took off fairly quickly and today, the living embodiment of "Never Give Up" has worked on several big projects, such as the upcoming Suicide Squad and the Fast and Furious movies.
Currently, he is filming The Peacemaker, a series based on Cena's character of the same name from The Suicide Squad. This project has hindered his chances of appearing at WWE WrestleMania 37.
#3 Bobby Lashley (Won the Extreme Elimination Chamber match)
At December to Dismember, ECW got its own version of the Elimination Chamber match. The bout featured a weapon in each pod. Whenever a Superstar entered the match, so did the weapon in their pod.
Bobby Lashley, Rob Van Dam, Test, Hardcore Holly, CM Punk, and The Big Show participated in this match. In order to cap off a successful 2006, Lashley was required to win his first-ever Elimination Chamber bout.
Not only did The Destroyer win the match but he also had a dominant showing. From breaking out of the Elimination Chamber pod, despite being stopped by Big Show and Test, to eliminating both of these Superstars, his victory was a career-defining moment for the young star.
While Bobby Lashley hasn't participated in a second Elimination Chamber match yet, he is currently enjoying the run of his career. As a member of the dominant faction The Hurt Business, Bobby Lashley has managed to keep the United States Championship in his possession since August 2020.
#2 The Undertaker (Won his debut Elimination Chamber match)
WWE No Way Out 2008 was the first pay-per-view event to feature two Elimination Chamber matches. One of these matches featured Superstars from SmackDown and ECW. Among the SmackDown Superstars was The Undertaker.
The Phenom entered the match first and scored three eliminations to win his first-ever Elimination Chamber outing. This match marked the beginning of an incredibly successful year for The Undertaker, leading to his second WrestleMania main event.
The Undertaker participated in two more Elimination Chamber matches in 2009 and 2010, but couldn't manage to win either. After 2010, The Deadman significantly reduced his role as an active wrestler. He would continue to wrestle a handful of times every year, before participating in his final match at WWE WrestleMania 36.
At WWE Survivor Series 2020, The Undertaker's star-studded farewell ceremony took place. Additionally, he is expected to join Triple H and Shawn Michaels at WWE NXT and take over a backstage role.
#1 Edge (Lost and won an Elimination Chamber match on the same night)
Edge's Elimination Chamber experience at WWE No Way Out 2009 is talked about to this day. In fact, that was the night Edge showed the whole world why he earned the tag of The Ultimate Opportunist.
The event in question kicked off with Edge defending his WWE Championship against five SmackDown Superstars inside an Elimination Chamber. To everyone's surprise, The Rated-R Superstar was the first one eliminated from the match.
However, the night was young for Edge. The second Elimination Chamber match of the night was for the World Heavyweight Championship. Before that match began, the 11-time World Champion brutally attacked Kofi Kingston and took his spot. Not only that, but Edge also ended up winning that contest.
Edge had one more successful outing inside the Elimination Chamber at the namesake pay-per-view in 2011. 2011 was also the year in which the Rated-R Superstar was forced to retire from in-ring action.
Ten years later, Edge is once again at the top of the mountain. Tonight, he will be closely watching the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view to scout his next opponent. It's rumored that he will challenge for the Universal Championship at WWE WrestleMania 37.
