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Welcome to things WWE subtly told us at Elimination Chamber 2021. It was a short PPV, lasting just two and a half hours. Being shorter than RAW is always a good thing, and while it wasn't the most happening PPV of 2021 so far, it ended with a big shocker.
Here is what WWE subtly told us, starting from the opening match - the SmackDown Elimination Chamber bout:
#5 Roman Reigns gets his WrestleMania to wish at Elimination Chamber 2021
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The SmackDown Elimination Chamber match opened the show. Unlike the RAW main event, the stakes were different. This would determine Roman Reigns' opponent on the same PPV.
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What we didn't expect, however, was Roman Reigns coming out right after the match. We assumed that the SmackDown Elimination Chamber match would open the show, while the Universal Championship match would end it.
The competitors on the field were King Corbin, Cesaro, Jey Uso, Kevin Owens, Daniel Bryan, and Sami Zayn. Jey Uso ended up getting the most eliminations on the night with two.
But it was Daniel Bryan who ended up getting the win, tying John Cena with three Elimination Chamber victories - the second most in WWE history after Triple H (4 victories inside the Elimination Chamber).
Cesaro was expected to win, but it was Daniel Bryan who walked out as the No.1 contender to the Universal Championship. It was clear that it was all for heat, and Daniel Bryan was the one who had to take the fall.
It's a bit unfortunate, especially since Daniel Bryan went through every competitor -starting the match with Cesaro. It was a hard-earned victory for him, but he was the sacrificial lamb, as Roman Reigns took just over a minute to finish him off.
Right after that, Edge speared Roman Reigns, making it clear that he was going to challenge for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 37. Soon after, the match was made official - making it the first bout announced on the card.
As for Cesaro, we will get back to him and what could potentially lie ahead for him post-Elimination Chamber.
#4 Riddle punches his golden ticket at Elimination Chamber 2021
As it turns out, John Morrison wasn't on our list of replacements for Keith Lee at Elimination Chamber 2021. We did mention the other three, however. Ultimately, it was Morrison who got the spot at Elimination Chamber, and it was a good pick.
Bobby Lashley was given a dominant display as usual. But it seems as though WWE went out of their way to protect him at Elimination Chamber 2021. The trio had a great match, with Morrison and Riddle teaming up to try and take out the Champion.
Ultimately, Riddle walked out the victor after smashing Bobby Lashley's back with MVP's crutch, allowing him time to finish an already damaged John Morrison. With that, Riddle won his first WWE main roster Championship.
Riddle has now punched his golden ticket to WrestleMania 37. Unless he loses the title between Elimination Chamber 2021 and the Showcase Of Immortals, we see him walking into the Grandest Stage Of Them All as the US Champion.
MVP was later seen talking to Money in the Bank winner The Miz, and after the main event of Elimination Chamber, Lashley attacked McIntyre, assisting The Miz in his big title win.
But what's next for Bobby Lashley after losing the United States Championship? Could the Brock Lesnar dream match finally be in order? How is he involved in the WWE title picture?
#3 A messy and pointless finish for the Women's Tag Team Title match at Elimination Chamber
On the SmackDown before Elimination Chamber 2021, we saw a six-person tag team match, where Royal Rumble 2021 winner Bianca Belair teamed up with SmackDown Women's Champion Sasha Banks and Reginald to face Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, and Bayley.
It was Reggie who got the pin on Nia Jax thanks to Banks and Belair, and he secured a Women's Tag Team title shot at Elimination Chamber in the process. The match at Elimination Chamber itself wasn't anything of note - except for the finish.
Reginald, for some reason, decided to come to Gorilla position and praise Sasha Banks once again. Again, for some odd reason, he came out with champagne in the middle of the match, and he inadvertently ended up costing Sasha Banks and Belair as it proved to be a distraction at the end.
It was a good decision not to have a Women's Tag Team title change at Elimination Chamber, especially since neither Banks nor Belair need it. We still expect the two women to compete for the SmackDown Women's title at WrestleMania 37.
#2 Still no luck for Cesaro at Elimination Chamber
Cesaro was penciled in as a potential favorite to win the SmackDown Elimination Chamber match. As you know, the stakes were different. Dave Meltzer had reported that Cesaro was originally going to get Shinsuke Nakamura's spot on the SmackDown gauntlet match last month, but it went to the 2018 Royal Rumble winner because The Swiss Cyborg hadn't agreed on a new WWE contract.
Either way, Cesaro had the most momentum of any competitor in that Elimination Chamber match, which opened the night as expected. However, fans expected his momentum to be carried onto Elimination Chamber. He had a good showing, but he ultimately fell short, getting eliminated by Jey Uso.
We wonder what's next for Cesaro. WWE was keen on pushing him ahead of Elimination Chamber, with rumors that he was going to be the winner. Daniel Bryan was the one who won the match, but it's not like Cesaro would have had a different outcome.
It's even possible that WWE purposely ensured that Cesaro didn't win the Elimination Chamber because it could ruin his momentum. Fans didn't have as big an issue with Roman Reigns squashing Daniel Bryan, although it did get him heat.
Hopefully, Cesaro's push continues on SmackDown post-Elimination Chamber.
#1 The WWE Championship implications at Elimination Chamber 2021
It's hard to believe that it actually happened, but at Elimination Chamber 2021, Drew McIntyre lost the WWE Championship for the second time. He retained it within the Elimination Chamber itself, facing a lot of adversity in the form of five former WWE Champions.
What we were surprised by within the Elimination Chamber match was the handling of Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy. We thought that the former would have an important role while the latter would get eliminated first. That wasn't the case. Orton was eliminated from the Elimination Chamber via roll-up from Kofi Kingston, and Jeff Hardy lasted much longer inside, putting on a good performance.
McIntyre overcame the odds, but post-match, Bobby Lashley launched an assault on him, seemingly re-entering the WWE title picture. It set up The Miz to successfully cash in the MITB briefcase. While we were slightly surprised at how things transpired at Elimination Chamber, we shouldn't be.
The Miz winning the WWE Title was a large possibility after the MITB briefcase was handed back to him by Adam Pearce. Despite having no momentum, The A-Lister is your new WWE Champion - winning it nearly 10 years after he lost it last time.
We expect Drew McIntyre to re-enter the picture, or he will have a marquee match of some sort at WrestleMania 37.
