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WWE Elimination Chamber 2021 had its fair share of twists at the pay-per-view. We saw two title change hands, and one of them featured a successful Money in the Bank cash-in. The pay-per-view also confirmed that Edge would challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania. Overall, Elimination Chamber set the tone for several feuds as we inch closer to WWE's biggest show of the year.
Although the show only featured a handful of matches, some of the Superstars ended up delivering memorable performances. On the flip side, there were also a few names who could have done better inside the ring. Here, we will take a look at Superstars who impressed us with their performance at Elimination Chamber and those who didn't.
However, before we begin, both Daniel Bryan and Drew McIntyre deserve a special shoutout for their brilliant performances in their respective Elimination Chamber matches.
#1 Impressed at Elimination Chamber: Jey Uso
Daniel Bryan deserves credit for his iron man performance inside the Elimination Chamber. However, Jey Uso’s performance at the pay-per-view deserves to start a dialogue in the WWE Universe. He was at his absolute best in inviting extensive heat, thereby playing his role of a heel to near perfection. From a storytelling perspective, Jey Uso delivered one of the best performances at the show.
The creative did well in booking Jey Uso in the Elimination Chamber. There was no doubt that he would hurt all his opponents to win the advantage for Roman Reigns. He took it a step further by explicitly targeting his opponents in a manner that will rub the fans in the wrong way. Jey Uso was brilliant in his portrayal of a crafty heel while competing inside the squared circle.
Jey Uso was the only Superstar who pinned two of his opponents inside the Elimination Chamber. First, he took down Kevin Owens after a brutal exchange that summarised the history shared between both these Superstars. Following that, he eliminated Cesaro just when the latter was gaining momentum inside the ring.
Both these spots made Jey Uso look like an ultra heat magnet during the Elimination Chamber match. Even though Daniel Bryan eventually pinned him, it would be safe to say that Jey Uso stayed true to his job inside the Elimination Chamber. He dominated his opponents and elevated them depending upon the direction of the match.
Jey Uso needed to deliver a good performance at Elimination Chamber after he missed Royal Rumble last month. WWE stated that he is back with a mission, and Jey Uso stayed true to that claim. More than anything, he proved once again that he is an essential part of Roman Reigns’ title reign in WWE.
#1 Flopped at Elimination Chamber: Mustafa Ali
At the Elimination Chamber Kickoff show, Mustafa Ali was booked in a fatal four-way match to determine the replacement for Keith Lee in the United States Championship match. Ali locked horns with Ricochet, Elias, and John Morrison in the match. The match delivered well considering that it was booked at the last minute. That said, Ali should have been booked better in this entire in-ring battle.
Ali had the RETRIBUTION members surrounding the ring, and they even helped him on a couple of occasions. Even Ali was involved in a few right spots in this match at Elimination Chamber. However, the match ended with Ali getting pinned as the RETRIBUTION members were distracted at ringside. The creative deserves a lion's share of the blame for this one as both Ali and RETRIBUTION ended up looking extremely weak.
This has been the case for RETRIBUTION over a long period of time. They were supposed to be a dominant stable on RAW, and now, they look like the least threatening group in WWE. Ali had a huge advantage at Elimination Chamber, but it amounted to absolutely nothing. It is evident that this stable desperately needs a better direction on RAW.
#2 Impressed at Elimination Chamber: The Miz
The Miz constructed the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view's biggest highlight with a successful cashing in of his Money in the Bank contract. Right before the WWE Championship match, a backstage segment showed The Miz and MVP engrossed in a discussion. This conversation also laid the groundwork for the exciting swerves awaiting the WWE Universe.
Drew McIntyre delivered a resilient performance as he successfully defended his WWE Championship inside the Elimination Chamber. However, his celebration was cut short by Bobby Lashley, who attacked the champion from behind and annihilated him inside the ring. Soon after that, The Miz walked out and cashed in his Money in the Bank contract.
It still took The Miz two finishers to pin McIntyre, but he managed to end the show with the WWE Championship resting on his shoulder. All of his struggles with the MITB contract finally paid off at Elimination Chamber, and it is bound to have a huge implication on the road to WrestleMania.
The most impressive part about the booking is that he still used his usual, sneaky ways to win the world title at Elimination Chamber. Not just that, The Miz also became the first-ever two-time Grand Slam Champion in WWE history. It would be safe to say that saving the MITB briefcase for all these months paid off well for the newly crowned WWE Champion.
#2 Flopped at Elimination Chamber: Reginald
Reginald was far from his influential self at Elimination Chamber. His presence at the ringside was uncharacteristically underwhelming, and it looked worse next to a mediocre Women’s tag team title match. While Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax’s successful title defense was not the problem, its overall execution was woeful. This match could have set the tone for an intense title feud between Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair.
Usually, Reginald impresses the spectators with his athletic abilities and mind games. Unfortunately, that was not the case at Elimination Chamber. In his brief ringside appearance, Reginald was seen walking out with a bottle of champagne. He then threw the bottle at Sasha Banks, suggesting that she should use it as a weapon.
However, Nia Jax seized the opportunity to attack the distracted SmackDown Women’s Champion from behind to secure the victory in this match. The only thing worse than Reginald’s questionable appearance at Elimination Chamber was Sasha Banks getting pinned. It did nothing to establish the feud between Banks and Bianca Belair for a title match at WrestleMania.
#3 Impressed at Elimination Chamber: Riddle
The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view saw Riddle square up against John Morrison and Bobby Lashley with the latter’s United States Championship on the line. Morrison won a fatal four-way match on the pre-show to earn a spot in this triple-threat match that was supposed to feature Keith Lee. This battle ended with Riddle winning his first title on the main roster after an impressive performance.
Riddle was involved in a feud with Bobby Lashley for a long time. He has often found himself on the wrong side of The Hurt Business and has also paid the price. At Elimination Chamber, Riddle’s exchange with Lashley looked intense. It certainly did justice to the history shared between these two Superstars on the Red brand.
John Morrison also did well during the match as he maintained the balance between the babyface and the heel during this title match at Elimination Chamber. The closing moments of this bout saw Morrison using MVP’s crutches to attack his opponents. Lashley hit him with a counter, and then Riddle picked up the same weapon to hit the champion from behind.
Since it was a no-disqualification match, Riddle’s move was completely legal. Lashley then rolled out of the ring, and Morrison was left inside, struggling with the aftermath of the Hurt Lock. Riddle used this opportunity to hit Morrison with a Bro Derek and pick his title victory. This booking also allowed the creative to protect Lashley at Elimination Chamber, who would then play an instrumental role in a huge title change at the end of the pay-per-view.
