The last SmackDown Live PPV before Wrestlemania 33 came to us from Phoenix, Arizona. Every SmackDown Live title was defended on the show other than the WWE Intercontinental Championship. 6 men entered the all-new Elimination Chamber structure but who left as champion?
Pre-show
Mojo Rawley vs Curt Hawkins
Mojo Rawley and Curt Hawkins faced off in the pre-show in a match no one really wanted to see. Mojo started off strong as he hit Hawkins with a low tackle sending him reeling ot of the ring. Mojo heads out and stops Hawkins from climbing out of the arena and rolled him back into the ring. As Rawley rolled back into the ring, Hawkins regrouped and hit Mojo with a kick.
Hawkins then followed Mojo out and sent him crashing into the apron before rolling back into the ring and waiting for the referee to count Mojo out. Mojo just beat the count but Hawkins took control.
Hawkins targeted Mojo’s head before hitting him with a snap vertical suplex. He followed up with a headlock but Mojo broke out of it quickly after hitting Rawley with a jawbreaker. Rawley then did his own version of “Hulking up” before planting Hawkins face-first into the mat for a nearfall.
Hawkins soon hit back with a Downward Spiral but Rawley just managed to kick out. Hawkins then looked to hit Mojo with a running knee but Mojo pushed him back into the turnbuckle before hitting a running forearm. He follows it up with a spinning powerslam for the win.
Mojo Rawley def. Curt Hawkins
Main Card
Becky Lynch vs Mickey James
Mickey James finally makes her return to singles competition in WWE as she faces Becky Lynch. The women locked up as soon as the bell rang. Becky and James continued their collar-and-elbow-tieup as they rolled outside the ring before they let go and rolled back into the ring to avoid the countout.
James hit a sweet armdrag before before the two women traded armlocks. Becky then hit an armdrag that sent James crashing out of the ring through the ropes. As Mickey climbed back up to the apron, Becky Lynch hit her with a jumping sidekick and followed it up with a running forearm.
Becky rolled James back into the ring and the wily veteran took advantage by hitting Becky Lynch with a snap DDT for a nearfall. Mickey targeted Becky Lynch’s arm before booting her in the face for another 2-count.
James then grounded Becky with a hammerlock as she continued to put pressure on Becky’s arm. Becky hit back with an uppercut but James hit her with a high kick before driving her shoulder-first into the ringpost. James then hit Becky with a hurracanrana ad followed it up with a modified headlock. Becky managed to escape and hit an armdrag before the two women traded forearm strikes.
Becky followed up with the Bexploder Suplex for another 2-count. As James recovered in the corner, Becky went for a running forearm. James dodges the forearm and went to the top rope to hit a shooting senton for a nearfall.
Becky regrouped and hit James with a spinning kick before following it up with a dropkick from the top turnbuckle for another nearfall. Mickey James then hit Becky Lynch with a Mick Kick but Becky kicked out thanks to Mickey James delaying the pin.
Becky went for a Disarmer all of a sudden but Mickey James managed to maneuver out of it. Becky then changed her tactic and rolled James up in a Jackknife cover to pick up the win. Great match to start off the show.
Becky Lynch def. Mickey James
Dolph Ziggler vs Apollo Crews and Kalisto
Ziggler attacked Kalisto on his way out, sending him crashing into the monitor and taking him out. So, this match was a one on one match after all.
Crews wasn’t happy with Ziggler actions and he rushed to the ring and tackled Ziggler before hitting him with a snap suplex. Ziggler hit back with a Hangman’s Neckbreaker on the middle rope to take control. Ziggler followed it up with another Hangman’s Neckbreaker, this time on the mat.
Dolph followed it up with a jumping elbow drop for another 2-count before locking in a necklock. Crews went for a roll-up but Ziggler easily kicked out and went back to work at Apollo Crews. Ziggler then hit a Guillotine drop before going for the cover once again. Ziggler then locked in another necklock which Crews eventually turned into a pinning attempt but only for another 2-count.
At this point we saw Kalisto come back out. Crews took advantage and hit Ziggler with an Enzeguiri. Kalisto came in and hit Ziggler with a spinning headkick before Crews cane in and hit a spinning powerbomb for the pinfall.
Apollo Crews and Kalisto def. Dolph Ziggler
Ziggler took out Kalisto after the match before taking out a chair and going for Crews’ ankle, tring to snap it.
The crowd chanted “Thank you Ziggler” as Dolph walked out of the arena.
American Alpha (C) vs Heath Slater & Rhyno, The Usos, Breezango, The Ascension, The Vaudevillans (Tag-Team turmoil match for the SmackDown Live tag-Team Championships)
Heath Slater and Rhyno and Breezango start us off.
Fandango and Slater start off the proceedings as they locked up in the middle of the ring. Slater hit an early armdrag and followed it up with an atomic drop before Fandango tagged in Breeze. Slater hit Breeze with another Atomic Drop before tagging in Rhyno.
Breeze hit Rhyno square in the jaw before Rhyno took him down with a shoulder tackle followed by a spear in the corner turnbuckle. Slater got tagged back in at this point and Fandango took him down by the feet from the outside as Breezango took control for the first time.
Fandango hung Slater up on the ropes as he and Breeze hit a simultaneous boot to Slater’s cranium. Slater tried to hit back with forearms followed by a rolling pin attempt by Fandango stayed up and showered Slater with Fashion tickets.
Fandango then tried to roll Slater up but Rhyno had tagged himself in by then. He hit the unsuspecting Fandango with a Gore before pinning him.
Breezango are eliminated
The Vaudevillains are in next
Aiden English and Simon Gotch pounded Rhyno at ringside before Heath Slater hit them with a crossbody from the top turnbuckle. The Vaudevillians then regrouped as Gotch hit Slater with Muay Thai knees before tagging in English.
Rhyno hit Gotch with a Gore before Slater hit Aiden English with a DDT for the win.
The Vaudevillains are eliminated
The Usos are in next
Slater and Jimmy Uso were the legal men as the match started. Slater got hit by an early sidekick before he tagged Rhyno in. Jimmy Uso sent Rhyno crashing into the turnbuckle as Jey Uso tagged himself in. He hit a side press and went for a cover but only got a 2-count. Rhyno got back up and hit Jey Uso with a clothesline before both men made tags.
Jey Uso hit Slater with a really nice Samoan Drop and went for the cover, only for Rhyno to break it up. Slater looked to roll Jey Uso up but Jimmy hit him with a Superkick to the jaw to pin him.
Rhyno and Heath Slater are eliminated
American Alpha are in next
These two teams started brawling on the entrance ramp itself efore going to the ring. American Alpha hit The Usos with Stereo German Suplexes before Gable hit a diving crossbody on Jey Uso for a 2-count. Jey Uso hit back with an uppercut before the Usos hit Chad Gable with a double team for the nearfall.
Jimmy Uso then drove Gable sternum-first into the turnbuckle before Jey Uso hit him with a cheapshot from the apron. Jimmy then tagged in Jey who hit Gable with a sidekick to the gut. Jey tagged himself back in as Gable hit back with a running forearm before both men made tags.
Jordan came in hot and took on both Usos. He hit Jimmy Uso with a belly-to-belly before Alpha looked to double-team Jey. Jey tried to roll Jason Jordan up but Gable came and hit him with an incredible pinning combination to pin him.
The Usos are eliminated
The Usos blindsided American Alpha after getting eliminate and they absolutely wasted Jordan and Gable.
The Ascension are out next
American Alpha are laid out as Konnor and Viktor enter the ring. The Ascension hit Jordan with the Fall Of Man but Gable somehow broke up the pin.
Konnor then tossed Gable onto the ropes and out of the ring as Konnor and Viktor pounded Jordan in the corner. Viktor hit Jordan with a jumping knee as Konnor covered him for another 2-count before tagging in Viktor. Jordan hit back with a huge belly-to-belly suplex before tagging Gable back in.
American Alpha then hit Viktor with the Grand Amplitude out of nowhere as Gable pinned him for the win.
The Ascension are eliminated
American Alpha are still the SmackDown Live Tag-Team Champions
(An interesting thing we noted during this match was The Revival teasing their main roster debut on Twitter while the match was going on)
Nikki Bella vs Natalya
The two women went nose-to-nose as this match began and Nattie taunted her with Cena’s signature “You can’t see me” taunt. Nattie then took Nikki down with a headlock but Nikki hit back with a cross-armbreaker but she couldn’t lock it in properly.
Nattie took Nikki down once again with a waist-lock takedown before kicking her right in the cut. Nikki then locked in a kneebar as Nattie rolled out of the ring. Nikki then headed to the apron and hit a flying clothesline before Nattie called for a timeout. After baiting Nikki in, she drove Nikki into the ring post.
Nattie rolled Nikki back into the ring and hit a snap suplex before booting Nikki in the corner. Natalya then locked in a headlock before taunting Nikki once again. Nikke broke out of it and locked in a STF but Nattie reached the ropes. Nikki followed it up with a couple of dropkicks.
However, Nattie took back control once again and looked for the Sharpshooter but Nikki broke out and hit a nasty forearm for a nearfall. Nikki went for the Rack Attack 2.0 but couldn’t hit it and had to settle for a Spinebuster instead. She followed it up with a springboard Enzeguiri for another 2-count.
Nattie regrouped once again and hit Nikki with a snap superplex from the top rope. Nattie finally managed to lock in the Sharpshooter after the superplex but Nikki countered it into a STF. The STF looked deadly but Nattie managed to reach the ropes.
The two of them continued to brawl at ringside as the referee counted both of them out.
Natalya and Nikki Bella got counted out
Nattie hit Nikki Bella with a forearm after the referee’s call and walked away. Nikki followed her and hit her with a spear on the entrance ramp before Natalya ran away.
Randy Orton vs Luke Harper
Harper and Orton locked up as soon as the match began. Harper then took Orton down with a shoulder tackle as Orton rolled out of the ring. Harper followed him out and hit him with right hands before sending him crashing into the barricade. Back inside the ring, Harper hit Orton with a dropkick before heading to the top turnbuckle.
Orton got up and hit Harper with a forearm, sending him crashing down onto the floor. Orton then planted Harper back-first into the announcer’s table. He then rolled Orton back in and covered him for a 2-count. Orton then locked in a headlock before hanging Harper out to dry on the top rope.
After posturing for the crowd, Orton went back to work on Harper. Orton sent Harper crashing into the ring-post but he exploded out of the corner and took Orton down. Orton then went for the draping DDT but Harper reversed with a Guillotine before catapulting Orton into the middle rope.
As Orton recovered outside, Harper went for a suicide dive only to be met by a forearm. Harper knocked Orton back down and went for another attempt at this suicide dive, this time hitting it. He then sent Orton back-first onto the announcer’s table. Orton hit back with a Powerslam on the floor but didn’t catch it as clean as he would have liked.
Harper and Randy then headed to the top rope as ‘The Viper’ hit a superplex. Orton then went for the RKO but had to change it up into a Full Nelson Slam after Harper had countered the initial RKO attempt. Orton followed it up with the Draping DDT before signaling for the kill.
Harper hit Orton with two Superkicks out of nowhere but only got a nearfall out of it. Harper then countered another RKO attempt and hit a sitout Powerbomb for another nearfall. Harper and Orton then traded uppercuts before Orton countered a lariat attempt from Harper into an RKO before finally pinning Harper. A great match.
Randy Orton def. Luke Harper
Alexa Bliss (C) vs Naomi (for the SmackDown Women’s Championship)
Naomi rolled Alexa up as soon as the match began for the 1-count. Naomi followed up with forearms before hitting Alexa with a bulldog into the turnbuckle. Naomi then went a springboard but Alexa caught her and send her crashing into the mat.
Alexa countered another Bulldog attempt from Naomi and sent her crashing into the turnbuckle. Alexa then stepped on Naomi’s hair in her trademark spot before locking in a headlock. Naomi countered with an armdrag before Alexa transitioned an armdrag from the top rope into a rolling pin for a 2-count. Naomi hit back a thunderous headkick to ground Alexa.
Naomi followed it up with an Enzeguiri and followed it up with a Blockbuster for another 2-count. Naomi then hit an incoming Alexa Bliss with a Rear View for the nearfall. Alexa then grabbed onto the ropes to avoid Naomi and then hit her with a cheapshot as the referee tried to get Naomi off Alexa.
Bliss followed it up with clubbing forearms and headed to the top rope. Naomi met her there with a stinging kick and went for a suicide dive but Bliss hit her with a forearm. Naomi then caught her with a double-footed Jawbreaker and went for the split legged moonsault but Alexa rolled out of the way.
Alexa then tried to pin Naomi by leveraging her foot against the ropes but the referee caught her. Alexa then headed to the top rope for the Sparke Splash but Naomi got her knees up. Naomi then hit the Split Legged Moonsault for the win. And we have a new SmackDown Live Women’s Champion.
Naomi def. Alexa Bliss
John Cena (C) vs AJ Styles, The Miz, Dean Ambrose, Baron Corbin and Bray Wyatt (Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship)
Dean Ambrose, Baron Corbin, The Miz and Bray Wyatt entered the pods as Styles and Cena started us off.
The crowd were loud and boisterous as the bell rang and Cena and Styles locked up. Cena took Styles down with a shoulder tackle before the two men locked up once again. Styles hit Cena with an early low kick to the calf and followed it up with an Argentine Backbreaker for a 2-count. Styles then signaled for the Styles Clash but Cena reversed it into a backbody drop before hitting a sunset flip powerbomb.
The two men then traded strikes before Cena went for an STF. Styles pushed Cena away and hit him with an Ushi Goroshi. Cena hit back with a series of shoulder tackles before planting Styles back-first onto the mat.
The 16-time world champ signaled for the 5 Knuckle Shuffle as the countdown began for the next entrant and Dean Ambrose came in.
Ambrose sent Cena facr-first into the steel chain link before doing the same to Styles. Ambrose then hit a release vertical suplex to Styles on the unforgiving steel. Ambrose then climbed up on top of the pod and hit Cena with a flying clothesline.
As Styles tried to suplex Ambrose, Cena came in and hit them with a double German Suplex as the obligatory “Let’s go Cena, Cena sucks” started. All three men were down after this, as Ambrose took Styles down with a clothesline.
The countdown began again as Bray Wyatt came in.
Wyatt came in and levelled Ambrose and Cena before hitting Ambrose with a suplex. Wyatt then launched Styles into the chain link. Styles then hung Wyatt up on the ring post and hit him with a legdrop on the outside.
Cena came in and went for an AA to Styles on the steel but Syles reversed before he and Cena climbed the steel chain link. They traded strikes perched on the chain before Styles sent Cena crashing into the steel.
Styles and Ambrose then traded strikes on top of the pod before Ambrose went for a flying clothesline on Wyatt, who countered. Wyatt then perched Ambrose on the top turnbuckle. Styles came in at this point as we got a massive spot as Ambrose sent both Wyatt and Styles crashing into the mat.
The countdown started again at this point as Corbin came in.
Corbin immediately attacked Ambrose and sent him face-first into the steel chain link. Ambrose went to hit a running Bulldog but Corbin reversed it with a Deep Six. Corbin then sent Wyatt face-first into the pod before hitting him with a massive boot.
He followed it up with a modified STO to Wyatt before Corbin hit Styles with the End Of Days. Cena came in at this point and locked in the STF before Corbin hit the End Of Days. Ambrose came in with a dropkick at this point before the pair sent each other crashing into the chain links.
Ambrose looked to hit the Dirty Deeds but Corbin broke out of it easily. Ambrose then headed to the top rope but Corbin pushed him face-first into the chain link.
The countdown began again as the Miz came in, sort of. He didn’t leave the pod.
With Corbin distracted, Ambrose rolled him up to eliminate him.
Baron Corbin is eliminated
Corbin attacked Ambrose from behind and sent him crashing through the pod! He then proceeded to grind Ambrose’s face against the pod before hitting the End of Days. The referees finally got Corbin out of the ring after this relentless attack.
Miz came in at this point and eliminated Ambrose.
Dean Ambrose is eliminated.
Miz started copying Daniel Bryan’s Yes chants after this and followed up with the Yes Kicks to Wyatt and Cena. He then hit both men with a double dropkick as Styles came back in. Miz hot Styles with Yes Kicks in the corner as all 4 men were now in corners.
Miz hit all three men with running dropkicks before hitting Cena with the Awesome Clothesline in the corner. Miz headed to the top rope after this but Wyatt dragged him down. Miz replied with a Skull Crushing Finale to Wyatt on the steel.
Miz then made the mistake of attempting a crossbody on Cena who hit Miz with an AA to pin him.
The Miz is eliminated
Wyatt and Styles then double-teamed Cena before Wyatt hit Styles with a forearm. Cena then countered a Senton before planting both Wyatt and Styles before hitting a double 5 Knuckle Shuffle. He then hit Wyatt with an AA before Styles hit him with a Styles Clash for the 2-count.
Styles then got hit with an AA for the nearfall. Cena then hit both men with a crossbody from top of the pod before Wyatt countered an AA into a Sister Abigail to pin John Cena clean.
John Cena is eliminated
Styles and Wyatt were now the last two men remaining. Wyatt hit clubbing forearms to the back of AJ Styles’ head before sending him back-first into the turnbuckle. Styles hit back with a sliding dropkick to take Wyatt’s feet out from under him.
Styles then reversed a Sister Abigail into a roll-up for a nearfall. Styles then hit him with a strike combo which Wyatt immediately countered into a clothesline for another nearfall. Styles then hit a Pelle Kick and followed it up with a running knee strike. Styles didn’t go for the cover after it and slowly rolled up of the ring.
Styles hit a Springboard 450 splash for a nearfall but he caught a knee from Wyatt somewhere in there. Styles then went for a Phenomenal Forearm which Bray Wyatt reversed into a Sister Abigail. Wyatt then pinned Styles to win his first ever WWE Championship.
Bray Wyatt def. John Cena, AJ Styles, The Miz, Dean Ambrose and Baron Corbin
Orton came out after Wyatt’s win and the two of them faced off.
