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WWE Elimination Chamber 2021 may not have been the final stop on the road to WrestleMania 37. But the show certainly shook things up in advance of the company's biggest event of the year.
The pay-per-view featured two Elimination Chamber Matches with championship implications. By the end of the night, though, events inside the mammoth structure were far from the only talking points of the evening.
A card full of action crowned new champions and launched fresh feuds. Plus, by the end of the night, the first official match for WrestleMania was confirmed.
Here are five takeaways from WWE Elimination Chamber 2020.
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#5 The SmackDown Elimination Chamber match showcased the quality of the blue brand's main event scene
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The pay-per-view opened up with a fantastic Elimination Chamber Match. Six SmackDown Superstars competed for the opportunity to challenge Universal Champion Roman Reigns later in the evening.
Daniel Bryan ultimately took the victory by pinning Jey Uso. The win marked a third career triumph inside the Elimination Chamber for Bryan. He went the distance in the match, as he was one of the competitors who started the bout.
Bryan and Cesaro opened up the contest with several minutes of hard-hitting exchanges. The third entrant, King Corbin was the first competitor eliminated, after he submitted to a Sharpshooter from Cesaro.
The Swiss Superman continued his strong start to 2021 with a standout performance throughout his time in the match. At one point, Cesaro kicked Sami Zayn off the side of the Chamber, sending him crashing to the floor.
Zayn had a great showing in the bout by consistently selling the dangerous environment. In one memorable moment, he desperately tried to stay in his own pod. Zayn successfully underlined his strengths as a performer many times on Sunday night.
Kevin Owens provided his own memorable moment during the match when he hit a moonsault from the top of one of the Elimination Chamber pods.
Owens didn't win the match, but did manage to pin Zayn after a Stunner. His elimination at the hands of Jey Uso could be revisited by WWE after Elimination Chamber. Uso trapped Owens' arm in the Chamber door prior to defeating him with a frog splash. KO will surely want revenge for in the coming weeks.
Uso also ended Cesaro's stint in the match before Bryan pinned him to end the match after almost 50 minutes.
Bryan quickly lost to Reigns in a match that immediately followed the Elimination Chamber bout. But his efforts should not be overlooked. The Tribal Chief has business elsewhere during WrestleMania season, and he also has a whole host of Superstars to work with moving forward.
Everyone involved in the SmackDown Elimination Chamber match proved that they belong in the main event. Cesaro, in particular, has a future as a legitimate headliner if he's booked strongly enough.
#4 Riddle captured his first WWE singles title at Elimination Chamber
Riddle raised singles gold for the first time in his WWE career at Elimination Chamber.
The 35-year-old is a former NXT Tag Team Champion, but he now holds his first solo prize. He defeated Bobby Lashley and John Morrison in a Triple Threat Match for the WWE United States Championship.
Lashley entered WWE Elimination Chamber as the reigning champion while Morrison won the right to replace an injured Kevin Lee in the match on the Kickoff Show.
Toward the end of the match, Riddle broke up a Hurt Lock submission by Lashley on Morrison using MVP's crutch. A second shot with the crutch sent Lashley out of the ring, and Riddle seized his opportunity.
With Lashley in no position to get involved, Riddle nailed Morrison with the Bro Derek to pick up the win.
Lashley's United States Championship reign is over after a impressive run of 175 days. Whether he will seek to regain the belt remains to be seen. Either way, Riddle now has some gold to take with him on the road to WrestleMania.
Keith Lee, having missed his own opportunity because of an injury, will surely be keen to challenge the new champion sooner rather than later. The title win for Riddle adds some fresh possibilties to WWE RAW's mid-card scene.
#3 Edge confirmed his intention to challenge Roman Reigns at WrestleMania during the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view
Edge definitely made his presence felt at Elimination Chamber.
After he hesitated to pick which title he will challenge for at WrestleMania, The Rated-R Superstar made his decision public on Sunday night. He had teased possible matches with WWE's three world champions, but he officially targeted one of them on Sunday night.
Right after Roman Reigns choked out Elimination Chamber Match winner Daniel Bryan to retain his Universal Championship, Edge stormed the ring.
He nailed Reigns with a massive Spear and emphatically made his choice without saying a word.
WrestleMania will again be a two-night event this year. Edge squaring off with Reigns is sure to occupy a featured spot on the card. Edge last main evented WrestleMania in 2008, when he lost to The Undertaker. 13 years later, he will be eager to reverse those fortunes.
The battle between Edge and Reigns will make for must-see television in the build-up to the event. This rivalry should also deliver in the ring. As of this writing, there are less than seven weeks remaining until the two stars clash at the Showcase of the Immortals.
#2 Bobby Lashley took out Drew McIntyre at Elimination Chamber
It didn't take long for Bobby Lashley to shift his focus after he lost the United States Championship at Elimination Chamber.
Drew McIntyre retained his WWE Championship in the Elimination Chamber he outlasted five challengers. After the victory, McIntyre didn't have any time to celebrate because Lashley quickly attacked him.
This vicious assault suggests that the two stars will feud at some point in the near future. Lashley unsuccessfully challenged McIntyre for the title at last year's Backlash pay-per-view, but their rivalry ended shortly thereafter.
Lashley has been one of WWE's most protected Superstars from a booking perspective since his loss to McIntyre. The 44-year-old has rarely suffered a clean loss over the last 12 months. It seemed like WWE had bigger plans for Lashley, and WWE Elimination Chamber might have been the first step.
By taking McIntyre out, Lashley regained momentum the same night he lost his the United States Championship. He also firmly placed himself at the center of the conversation ahead of Monday night's episode of RAW.
WWE has one last pay-per-view before WrestleMania 37. Fastlane 2021 takes place on March 21, and it will likely feature a showdown between Lashley and McIntyre. After a year of dominance, The Almighty deserves this latest main event opportunity.
#1 The Miz successfully cashes in his Money In The Bank briefcase at Elimination Chamber
The Miz is now a two-time WWE Champion after he successfully cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase at Elimination Chamber.
The Miz hit a Skull-Crushing Finale on a practically unconscious Drew McIntyre to win the title. The win echoed his first WWE Championship victory, as he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Randy Orton to become the champion in 2010.
McIntyre had already survived an Elimination Chamber match to emerge with the belt. But the combination of both Lashley and The Miz proved to be too much for him.
Inevitably, McIntyre will want a rematch for the WWE Championship sooner rather than late. Regardless, the cash-in at WWE Elimination Chamber allows WWE to move on from the 2020 Money In The Bank briefcase.
Otis first won the case in May 2020, but he lost it to The Miz after a match at the Hell In A Cell pay-per-view last October. The Miz lost his initial cash-in match at WWE TLC, but he regained the briefcase due to a technicality.
The Miz has been one of the most consistent performers on WWE television over the last decade. So it's surprising that it has taken roughly ten years for The A-Lister to win another world championship.
Aside from a rematch with McIntyre, The Miz also still has an ongoing issue with rap star Bad Bunny. The current WWE 24/7 Champion made an appearance early in the evening at Elimination Chamber. He slapped the future WWE Champion in the face. A tag team bout between Bad Bunny and Damian Priest and The Miz and John Morrison remains a natural fit for all involved.
For now, though, The Miz will focus on his singles career. Just as he did in 2010, The A-Lister has used the Money In The Bank briefcase to achieve WWE Championship glory.
