Road to WrestleMania and that sort of thing. Still do not understand the point of having two Elimination Chambers on this PPV...

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CM Punk vs. Chavo Guerrero for the ECW Title is going to open the show...

 

Blow-by-Blow: Punk kicks right at the start, then gives Chavo a back elbow. After a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Punk, Punk misses a charge to the corner, so he can get kicked off the ring apron. Chavo knocks Punk down for two, before giving him a few weak kicks. A Chavo drop-toe hold leads to a cover for two, so he gives Punk a back suplex, before applying a body scissors. Punk slingshots Chavo into the corner, for a knee and a backdrop. He then misses a charge, but his powerslam gets a two count. He tries the GO TO SLEEP, but Chavo rana's out and follows it up with a tornado DDT for two. A Punk enziguri gets two after Chavo did the Eddie "shake your shoulders" taunt, before Punk does said taunt and tries the three amigos, to quite a bit of heel heat. I don't think Punk should've done that. Anyway, he only was able to give Chavo two suplexes, before the knee and bulldog combination at the corner for two. A big kick puts Chavo out, but after a cover, Punk places Chavo on top. Chavo kicks Punk away and climbs the turnbuckles, but Punk crotches him. Now Punk tries to give him a frankensteiner, but Chavo holds the rope so that Punk goes to the canvas all by his lonesome, FROG SPLASH, Chavo retains his gold at 7:15. Nice reception for his win, btw.

 

Match Analysis: Basically, just a standard Tuesday night on ECW matchup. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Good for an ECW Title match on PPV, I guess. **1/4. Would've liked Chavo to have more matches with length as champion, but hey, can't get everything you want.

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After a video of some Edge/Rey stuff...we have Mike Adamle with Rey Mysterio. He talked about his torn bicep and whatnot, before Floyd Mayweather showed up. Pumped Rey up a bit.

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Next, we've got...THE ELIMINATION CHAMBER. This is the Smackdown version. Meaning, we've got MVP vs. The Great Khali w/Ranjin Singh vs. Finlay vs. Batista vs. Big Daddy V w/Matt Striker vs. The Undertaker.

 

Blow-by-Blow: Batista and Taker will start the match. I'm not too enthused about this one, but it'll probably be okay. They slug it out, but Taker wins that battle by tossing Batista over the top, onto the steel which rests beside the ring. Batista hits Taker with a big boot to knock him in, then his clothesline gets a one count. Taker goes to a boot choke, then stomps away, before the Batista comeback. A Batista back elbow gets two, and then they both give each other a big boot, as the third entrant comes in...that being BIG DADDY V. V chops both of them, before giving Batista a clothesline and Taker a bodyslam. V gives Taker a samoan drop, before slamming Batista and knocking Taker outside of the Chamber. Yeah, seriously. I don't think that was supposed to happen. Anyway, V avalanches Taker at the steel siding, then does the same to Batista back in the ring. Batista responds with a spinebuster on the fatso, before clotheslining him over the top and onto the steel. Taker DDT's V on the steel floor, and V gets pinned by Batista at 9:08.

 

#4 enters, and that's the GREAT KHALI. He can't wrestle, you know. Taker tried to chokeslam Khali, but the big man stopped it and choketossed him for a two count. Khali clotheslined Batista for two, and applied the HEAD CRUSH.. No for the submission, because Batista broke it and SPEARED him. Taker boots Batista, and applies the GOGOPLATA on Khali at 12:38. Of course, Khali tapped.

 

Taker boots Batista, before covering him for two. Now #5 enters, and that's FINLAY. Taker boots him and whips him into the buckle, but Taker misses a charge to the corner. Finlay tosses Batista out, and hits the CELTIC CROSS on Taker, only getting a two count. Batista slingshots Finlay into the cage, but Taker clotheslines Batista for a two count. Finlay tosses Taker out, and rams him into the cage before another two count. Now he rams Taker into the glass on one of the individual pods, which knocks it out. Ouch. Batista rams Finlay into the post, before a muscle buster for two. MVP enters at #6, well, really, he doesn't want to enter. But Taker made him enter. Batista misses a charge at Taker, so MVP boots Batista, and then Taker. Got a two count. MVP takes a chain out of his bodysuit, and chokes Finlay with it...for a two count. MVP then punches away on Taker which also gets a two count, and it also made Taker bleed. MVP climbs on top of a pod to get away from Taker, but Taker CHOKESLAMS HIM DOWN TO THE CANVAS. Well, MVP's done. Finlay pins him at 22:30.

 

Taker misses an elbowdrop on Finlay, and soon after that happens, Hornswoggle's head appears in a space between the Chamber and the Ring. Ha! He tosses the shillelagh to Finlay, who hits Batista with it on a Batista Bomb attempt. BUT, Taker just chokeslams Finlay onto the steel at 24:12. He's gone, just like that.

 

Now that Batista's bleeding, I decided it's time to note that Michael Cole keeps talking about concrete. OVER AND OVER AND OVER. Batista gives Taker the BATISTA BOMB, but it only gets a two count. After a 10 punch in the corner by Batista, Taker gives him a LAST RIDE. Like you didn't see that coming. I hate that spot so much now...cover got two, btw. Batista tosses Taker to the floor on a Taker TOMBSTONE attempt, and then, they fight. Batista torpedo's Taker into the cage once, but on the second try, they both fall backward and the ropes help reverse the hold into Taker's TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER position, bam, three count at 29:26. The Undertaker's goin' to WrestleMania!

Match Analysis: Wasn't the best, but the match had good enough action and quality highspots. All you could expect from some of the guys in this match, and Batista/Taker is always good. The match would've likely been junk had they not been the first two in. I'll go with **1/2.

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Edge is with his lackeys, he wants them to step it up tonight. BUT, Theodore Long comes in, and says that those two are banned from ringside. That's too bad!

 

After some footage of Maria and Ashley at the Playboy Mansion, we move on to...

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Mr. Kennedy vs. Ric Flair in a Career Threatening Match. If Flair loses, he retires.

 

Blow-by-Blow: We begin, with a Kennedy shoulderblock. Then, he mocks Flair by strutting. How rude. Flair chops away and struts himself, until Kennedy applies a headlock. Flair shoots him into the ropes and gives him a hiptoss, before chopping away a bit more. Kennedy dropkicks Flair in the knee, and applies a half-crab. Flair's selling is still good, but it's sad to watch him wrestle. Kennedy rams the leg into the apron, before applying one of my favorite moves...THE RINGPOST FIGURE-FOUR! Kennedy covers Flair for two back on the inside, before applying the regular FIGURE-FOUR. I like that Lil Naitch is reffing this matchup. Flair makes it to the ropes, before Kennedy gives him a rolling fireman's carry slam for two. Flair chopblocks Kennedy after a few seconds of time wasting, then does another, before a FIGURE-FOUR attempt. No to that, as Kennedy pushes Flair into the corner before a rollup for 2. Old ass hangeth out. All the way out... Flair gives Kennedy a kneebreaker, but Kennedy rolls him up for two before something else could happen. Flair with the trip, Flair with the FIGURE-FOUR, and Kennedy taps at 7:14. Flair's got a microphone...limousine ridin', jet flyin', kiss stealin', wheelin' dealin' son of a gun called the NATURE BOY. WOOO!

 

Match Analysis: Better than at the Rumble. Other than that, there's not a hell of a lot you can say. *1/2.

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Finlay's being iced down in the back, before Vince McMahon comes in. Vince's son is going to feel the pain when he faces Vince in a steel cage match on Monday Night RAW.

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Our first big title match is Rey Mysterio vs. Edge, for guess what, the World Heavyweight Title.

 

Blow-by-Blow: Rey starts with an armwringer and flying headscissors, before a solid kick to the head. Edge misses a charge, but boots Rey anyway, knocking him to the floor. After an Edge baseball slide, he tosses Rey into the steps. Back in and Edge puts Rey in tree of woe position, but slides nut first into the post on his dropkick attempt. A Rey moonsault block follows, as Edge misses a charge and gets DDT'd after a Rey dive off the top for a two count. Edge can't sunset flip Rey, so Rey knocks him into the ropes and gives Edge a 619. His arm hurts, so it takes him a while to springboard...INTO AN EDGE SPEAR. Cover, it's over, Edge retains his title at 5:27.

 

Match Analysis: Rey had one arm. 'Nuff said. At least he made the match watchable and didn't hurt himself any worse, as far as I know. *3/4.

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Here comes the Big Show...which was a surprise for those in attendance. He grabs a mic, says that he'll be champion again. To prove it, he's gonna attack Rey Mysterio. The guy's in a chokehold, as the camera pans over to Floyd Mayweather in the crowd. The entourage is holding him back, but eventually, Floyd hops the rail and we see both Floyd and Show in the ring. Show goes down to Floyd's size, so Floyd pops him in the nose. 1-2-3-4, then he tries to run out of the building, with Show giving chase. Floyd got away, but Show's face shows the aftermath. His nose is torn up, but for some reason, I've got a feeling that there was a blood capsule or something in his nose. That's way too much blood there. Good angle, obv. Shane McMahon tells Show that what he did wasn't a very good idea. Ya think?

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After Mike Adamle runs down this next match, it's John Cena vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship.

 

Blow-by-Blow: They lock-up to start, and Cena covers Orton for two after a takedown. We've got dueling chants, as Orton kicks away at Cena, but Cena comes back with a facebuster for a two count. A Cena back elbow also gets two, but Orton kicks and punches away to knock Cena down. Cena rolls Orton up for two, but Orton comes back with a quick clothesline that also gets two. Cena drops Orton along the top, and follows it up with his top rope standing legdrop, getting another two count. Cena misses a charge to the corner, so Orton chokes away until an F-U attempt. Orton elbows Cena in the head and gives him a European uppercut which breaks Cena's attempt, then stomps all over Cena's body. Mainly on his pec and leg...cover got two. Orton misses a kneedrop, but he goes right to the sleeper, which eventually turns into a chinlock, as you'd figure. Once Cena gets out, he shoulderblocks Orton, and gives him a spin-out powerbomb, leading to the FIVE KNUCKLE SHUFFLE. Orton bails out, leading the two to fight on the outside. They make it in at the count of NINE, and Orton gives Cena the inverted backbreaker he loves so much. Cover got two. Orton places Cena on top, only to be pushed off when he tries to follow. Cena misses his top rope standing legdrop, so Orton gets ready for the RKO. Nope, that's not gonna happen, because Cena just pushed him away and applied the STFU. Orton reaches the ropes and bails out, asking the referee to count him out, because his knee hurts. When Cena turns around, we've got an RKO on the floor. Faker. Cena breaks the count at 9 when getting back into the ring, so Orton punches the referee to get disqualified at 15:49. After the match, F-U, STFU, then Cena leaves.

 

Match Analysis: Good chickenshit heel move right there. Completely understandable, helped set the Mania main event up really well. We'll go with **3/4...I still have to punish the non-finish even though I liked it.

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HHH and HBK are in the back...HBK prematurely apologizes for what's about to happen inside of the Elimination Chamber.

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Of course, now's the time for the RAW Elimination Chamber. Which is...HHH vs. JBL vs. Shawn Michaels vs. UMAGA vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Jericho.

 

Blow-by-Blow: Jericho and HBK will start things off. HBK shoulderblocks Jericho after a Jericho hammerlock, then they trade chops in the middle of the ring. HBK sunset flips Jericho for a two count, and after a pinfall reversal sequence, Jericho fires off a northern lights suplex for a two count. Shawn powers out to a backslide, but Jericho comes back with a clothesline and backbreaker. After shooting Shawn into the ropes, Jericho gets caught with a flying forearm, as HBK kips up...as usual. A Shawn inverted atomic drop is given to Jericho, but he misses the flying elbow off the top. Jericho with a facebuster, but misses the LIONSAULT. To the WALLS...but Shawn reverses and tries a SHARPSHOOTER. Nope to that as well, as Jericho rolls him up for two. After an elbowdrop and double collision, #3 enters. His name, UMAGA. Umaga hits both his opponents, tosses Jericho out, and clotheslines the both of them. He has Jericho up for a samoan drop, until Shawn jumps on top of UMAGA's shoulders. So instead, he samoan drops the both of them at once! Whoa. Umaga kicks Shawn out and headbutts Jericho, before following Shawn onto the steel and sitting on him. He now comes back in, gets the best after a slugfest with Jericho, but misses a flying headbutt off the second rope. Shawn elbowdrops Umaga from the top rope, and we get a KICKASS combination submssion move. Jericho's got the WALLS on Umaga, and Shawn's got the CROSSFACE on him. Yeah, awesome. #4 enters, that being JBL, which causes Jericho and Michaels to break the hold. Shawn's busted up pretty bad from the Jericho double collision earlier, which I decided to write down as JBL was giving Jericho a swinging neckbreaker. He puts the boots to Jericho, before giving him an elbowdrop for two. Umaga slams Shawn on the steel, while Jericho's giving JBL a swinging DDT, which gets a two count. JBL backdrops Jericho to the outside, as Umaga sends Shawn into the buckle and onto the steel. HHH comes in at #5, and goes right at Umaga. Knee to the face, before giving both Jericho and Umaga a spinebuster. He DDT's JBL for two, and when Umaga misses a charge on the outside, HHH tosses him into the glass on one of the pods. Jericho gives HHH a facebuster but misses the LIONSAULT, which leads JBL to give HHH the CLOTHESLINE FROM HELL. CODEBREAKER from Jericho on JBL, though, and JBL's out via pinfall at 13:45.

 

In response to his elimination, JBL brings in some chairs and hits everyone with them. Oh, except HHH. Funny how that works out. Jericho's bleeding now, as #6 enters. That's Jeff Hardy. He works over Umaga, before dropkicking Shawn and giving Jericho a front suplex. He launches off Jericho's back into Umaga with Poetry in Motion, before giving a Whisper in the Wind to the former DX members. Umaga superkicks Hardy to end his little run, before giving Jericho a catatonic. Heh. HHH winds up in tree of woe position, so Umaga launches Shawn into HHH, sending Shawn upside down and headfirst into HHH's nuts. Umaga charges HHH through the glass via his ass, then goes back in, only to be given SWEET CHIN MUSIC. CODEBREAKER, PEDIGREE, SWANTON OFF THE TOP OF A POD, and Umaga's gone after the Jericho pin at 19:45.

 

After SWEET CHIN MUSIC on Jericho, Hardy pins him at 19:54. That was fast.

 

TWIST OF FATE on Shawn, but HHH tosses Hardy out before the pinfall. Instead, HHH gets the pinfall on Shawn after a PEDIGREE, at 20:25.

 

We're down to HHH and Hardy. Good. HHH tosses Hardy over the top, but Hardy pushes HHH into the chamber and gives him a DDT on the steel, causing HHH to bleed. HHH tries a PEDIGREE on the outside, but Jeff backdrops HHH back into the ring. Hardy misses a SWANTON, so HHH PEDIGREES him. ONLY GETTING TWO. Surprised by that. HHH grabs one of JBL's chairs that was left behind, but Hardy gives him a lowblow. HHH reverses a TWIST OF FATE attempt, PEDIGREE, and it's all over at 23:55. HHH goes to WrestleMania! Show's over, of course.

 

Match Analysis: Not only was that the best match I've seen (emphasis on seen) from the WWE in 2008, that was the best PPV match I've seen from them since watching the current product on WWE 24/7. IMO, it was better than HHH/Orton in Last Man Standing, which was fantastic. Just watch the match if you don't believe me. Great drama which wasn't spoiled by knowing who was gonna win, great highspots, no drop in pacing...just great. ****1/2.

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Rating: Good. Originally, I had Orton/Cena rated a little bit higher than I should have, but I knocked it down a bit.

 

Best Segment: The RAW Elimination Chamber

 

Worst Segment: Flair/Kennedy. It's really too bad.

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I want to review SNME #31 and get it up by tomorrow afternoon, but I won't be able to. The US is playing England at Wembley, and I'm not going to miss that. I'll try to get it up tomorrow night so that I can move on to something else. I'm probably going to review the Nick Bockwinkel matches that get posted too, because those aren't going to be found elsewhere.