This week, Monday Night Raw continues to build the card for Elimination Chamber. There are two qualifying matches for the men’s chamber match as well as a triple threat to determine who will enter the match last. Also, General Manager Kurt Angle announces the women challenging Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women’s Championship inside the structure.
Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt – Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
To kick off the show, Monday Night Raw changes things up by starting with a main event caliber match. Three Elimination Chamber spots have been filled through qualifying matches, with Braun Strowman, John Cena, and Elias picking up respective victories. The winner of this match will fill the fourth spot in the hellacious match. Last year, Bray Wyatt won the Elimination Chamber to capture his first, and only, WWE Championship.
Reigns manages to kick out of Sister Abigail and turns the match around, finishing the Eater of World off with a spear to qualify for Elimination Chamber. Winner: Roman Reigns
While Wyatt is down, Woken Matt Hardy approaches him from behind before hitting him with the Twist of Fate. Last week, Wyatt cost Hardy his chance to qualify for Elimination Chamber.
Finn Balor & Karl Anderson (w/Luke Gallows) vs. The Revival
Last week was not great for the Balor Club. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson lost a tag team match to The Revival, while Finn Balor lost in the main event to John Cena. Originally, Balor was supposed to face Dash Wilder one-on-one, but The Revival know that they are more than the sum of their parts, so they want this as a tag team match. Balor chooses to partner with Anderson for this bout, with Gallows at ringside.
Balor hits Scott Dawson with the Coup de Grace and while Anderson holds Wilder at ringside, Balor pins Dawson for the win. Winners: Finn Balor & Karl Anderson
Mustafa Ali & Cedric Alexander vs. Tony Nese & Drew Gulak
This match’s entire purpose is to promote 205 Live. A tag match of solid action but no build features the Cruiserweights from Tuesday nights, as well as new 205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick on commentary. Maverick started a Cruiserweight Championship Tournament with the finals taking place at WrestleMania. Alexander is the only member of this match to have competed in the tournament so far, having defeated Gran Metalik. Tomorrow night, Hideo Itami faces Roderick Strong while Kalisto takes on Lince Dorado.
After Drew Gulak nearly clotheslines Mustafa Ali out of the ring, Alexander tags himself in to finish Gulak off with the Lumbar Check. Winners: Mustafa Ali & Cedric Alexander
Women’s Elimination Chamber Participants Announcement
Last week, Stephanie McMahon announced another first-ever match for the women’s division: the Elimination Chamber match. The following five women will challenge Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women’s Championship inside the steel structure: Bayley, Mandy Rose, Mickie James, Sonya Deville, and Sasha Banks.
Nia Jax is noticeably absent from this list and that is because she has a different match at the Elimination Chamber event. Jax will face Asuka and if she wins, she will be added to the Raw Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania.
Alexa Bliss immediately storms down to the ring to call out hypocrisy. The men’s Elimination Chamber match does not involve Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, while the women’s match features the Raw Women’s Champion. Bliss accuses Kurt Angle of preferential treatment so Angle puts the decision up to the audience, who want Bliss to defend the title.
Asuka vs. Bayley
This match is a rematch almost two years in the making. Bayley was a dominant NXT Women’s Champion until she faced Asuka, who of course, capture the title and went on to hold it for over 520 days. Now in a different setting, Bayley is a former Raw Women’s Champion and she looks to be the first woman to defeat the Empress of Tomorrow.
Bayley keeps escaping the Asuka Lock, but the Asuka lands a surprise takedown into an armbar, forcing the former Raw Women’s Champion to tap out. Winner (via submission): Asuka
The Miz (w/Bo Dallas) vs. Apollo Crews (w/Titus O’Neil & Dana Brooke) – Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
With now four spots filled in the men’s Elimination Chamber match, there are only two spots left. The fifth spot could either go to the man with a lot to prove in Apollo Crews or Intercontinental Champion the Miz. Before the match, the Miz cut a promo planning to win the Elimination Chamber then becoming the first man to hold the Intercontinental Championship and Universal Championship at WrestleMania, “when” he defeats Brock Lesnar.
Crews tries to jump over Miz in the corner, but the Intercontinental Champion pushes Crews onto the ropes for a legal low blow. He then hits the Skull Crushing Finale to secure the penultimate chamber spot. Winner: The Miz
Sheamus & Cesaro (c) vs. Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns – Raw Tag Team Championships
Up until a few minutes before this match started, Sheamus and Cesaro were planning to defend their Raw Tag Team Championships against Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan. However, Jordan could not be medically cleared for the match, so Rollins got a great replacement in fellow Shield member Roman Reigns. The champions arguably have a slight advantage, considering Reigns competed in the opening bout against Bray Wyatt.
Even though Jordan is injured, he shows up at ringside to help out his former teammate. Sheamus and Cesaro try to escape and Jordan prevents it, but when Cesaro throws a punch, Jordan blocks and retaliates. As soon as Jordan makes contact, The Bar retains. This is the last time that Rollins is allowed to challenge the Bar for the titles and Jordan ruined it. Winners, and STILL Raw Tag Team Champions (via disqualification): Sheamus & Cesaro
Nia Jax vs. Irrelevant Wrestler
Leading up to her rematch against Asuka, Nia Jax needs to look like a monster while also not taking away from the women in the chamber match. This is why a wrestler no one knows is facing her.
Unsurprisingly, Jax wins in about a minute. Winner: Nia Jax
Sonya Deville (w/Mandy Rose & Paige) vs. Mickie James
Both Sonya Deville and Mickie James had decent showings in the Royal Rumble but were part of the 29 women who lost the match. Their next shot at glory comes in the chamber in just a few weeks when they challenge for the Raw Women’s Championship.
Despite the numbers games, Mickie James gets a quick victory with a roll-up. Absolution looks to assault the former Women’s Champion after the match but Alexa Bliss, of all people, saves James from the attack. Winner: Mickie James
Elias vs. John Cena vs. Braun Strowman – Winner Enters Elimination Chamber Last
Last week, all three men in this match qualified for the Elimination Chamber match. They compete in a Triple Threat match to determine who will enter the match last. This gives a huge advantage to the winner, skipping out on a lot of carnage before being the freshest participant in the ring.
Strowman powerslams Cena, then Elias immediately sends Strowman out of the ring and pins Cena to steal the win. Winner, and final Chamber entrant: Elias
