Now that the Royal Rumble is over, Monday Night Raw is riding the Road to WrestleMania straight to Elimination Chamber. Tonight features three matches two determine half of the chamber’s entrants, while also featuring first-time match-ups like Asuka vs. Sasha Banks and John Cena vs. Finn Balor.
Opening Segment
After a night that ended with the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble and the surprise appearance from Ronda Rousey, Stephanie McMahon kicks off the show. She calls down Asuka (the winner of the Rumble match) and before asking her which champion she wants to face at WrestleMania, she makes another huge announcement. In four weeks, Alexa Bliss will defend the Raw Women’s Championship in the first-ever all-women’s Elimination Chamber match.
Asuka then starts to make her point, but she does it and Japanese. She then claims that she will be “the champion” at WrestleMania, but then she does not specify which one. The Empress of Tomorrow is interrupted by Sasha Banks who claims to be ready for Asuka, so Stephanie McMahon makes the match official.
Braun Strowman vs. Kane – Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match (Last Man Standing Match)
Earlier tonight on social media, Raw General Manager announced that three matches tonight will be determining half of the entrants in the men’s Elimination Chamber match. The winner of that chamber match takes on Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania.
The brawl heads to the announce table area and Strowman tips the entire structure onto Kane. Obviously, the Big Red Machine was not going to get up, so the referee called off the match. This also means that Strowman is the first confirmed member of the Elimination Chamber match. Winner (via referee stoppage): Braun Strowman
Elias vs. Woken Matt Hardy – Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
In immediate succession, we get the second Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match. Whoever wins has a lot of destruction lying ahead. Not only do they have to deal with the dangerous chamber, they also have to deal with Braun Strowman before even thinking about possibly facing Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. Both Elias and Matt Hardy barely lasted in the Royal Rumble with each man only being in the match for a few minutes.
Matt Hardy seems to have the match won when Bray Wyatt’s sounds and light flickering distracts him. Elias counters with a jumping boot to Hardy’s face and finishes him off with Drift Away. After the match ends, Bray Wyatt appears on the Titantron and just laughs at Hardy and his defeat. Winner: Elias
The Miz (c) (w/The Miztourage) vs. Roman Reigns – Intercontinental Championship
Last week on Raw 25, The Miz captured the Intercontinental Championship for the eighth time when he defeated Roman Reigns. This is Reigns’ contractually obligated rematch for the title and he built some momentum last night when he eliminated the Miz from the Royal Rumble. Reigns would go on to be in the final two, with SmackDown Live’s Shinsuke Nakamura winning the match.
The Miztourage keeps annoying Reigns to the point where Reigns throws Bo Dallas into the ring to spear him. Right after Dallas is laid out, The Miz rolls up the Big Dog to retain his title. Winner, and STILL Intercontinental Champion: The Miz
The Revival vs. Heath Slater & Rhyno
After a quick loss to Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson last week, The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) is looking to get back on track. Dash and Dawson defeated Gallows and Anderson last night on the Royal Rumble Kickoff Show and look to pick up a victory over the first-ever SmackDown Tag Team Champions.
Heath Slater and Rhyno start picking up momentum when the Man-Beast is hit with a nasty chop block. The Revival immediately hits him with the Shatter Machine, scoring an impressive win. Winners: The Revival
Sasha Banks vs. Asuka
In a bit of a surprise, a WrestleMania worthy match is taking place on Raw tonight. Both Sasha Banks and Asuka had great performances in the Royal Rumble. Banks entered at #1 and lasted for almost an hour, while Asuka entered at 25 to win the whole thing. Including the Rumble, Asuka is still completely undefeated in WWE and Banks looks to make history yet again by being the only woman to defeat her.
A very hard-hitting match comes down to who can out-submit the other. Banks locks in the Bank Statement but Asuka slips out of it and locks in the Asuka Lock, giving Banks no choice but to tap out. Winner (via submission): Asuka
Sheamus & Cesaro (c) vs. Titus O’Neil & Apollo Crews (w/Dana Brooke) – Raw Tag Team Championships
Last night, Sheamus and Cesaro defeated Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan to become four-time Raw Tag Team Champions. On their quest to retaining the gold, they lost two consecutive matches to Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews. Now that Sheamus and Cesaro are the champions, Kurt Angle has recognized Titus Worldwide’s previous success and has granted them a title match.
After shoving Crews shoulder first into the ring post, The Bar hit the double White Noise to take out a surprisingly tough opponent in Titus Worldwide. Winners, and STILL Raw Tag Team Champions: Sheamus & Cesaro
Finn Balor (w/Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) vs. John Cena – Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
The main event for tonight’s episode of Raw is the third and final Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match. Elias and Braun Strowman have already qualified for the Universal Championship #1 Contender’s chamber match, and this will determine the third entrant. Like the clash between Asuka and Sasha Banks earlier tonight, this is the first one-on-one encounter between John Cena and Finn Balor.
Cena has done almost everything there is to do in WWE, but he has not held the Universal Championship. Balor, on the other hand, was the first-ever Universal Champion when he defeated Seth Rollins at SummerSlam 2016.
Cena gets more and more frustrated throughout the match every time Balor kicks out and every time he is booed by the crowd. Cena finally has enough and climbs to the second rope, hitting an elevated Attitude Adjustment to defeated the leader of the Balor Club and to enter the Elimination Chamber match. Winner: John Cena
