WWE Elimination Chamber Flops and Hits: Brock Lesnar seals his champion vs. champion match against Roman Reigns, big title rematch confirmed for WrestleMania

WWE Elimination Chamber is in the history books, and we are back on the road to WrestleMania. Four title matches were scheduled for the show, but only one of them changed hands.

Interestingly, one title bout was also canceled as The Usos attacked their challengers The Viking Raiders before the SmackDown Tag Team Championship bout.

We saw a few epic performances at the WWE premium live event, but there were also a couple of questionable booking decisions.

Here, we look at the biggest flops and hits from Elimination Chamber 2022. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

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#6 Hit at Elimination Chamber: Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar walked into the Elimination Chamber intending to take back his WWE Championship, and that’s exactly what he did.

The Royal Rumble winner wanted to face Roman Reigns in a champion vs. champion match at WrestleMania. He got his wish, but there were quite a few twisted moments in the highly-entertaining match.

The main event of the show saw an epic Men’s Elimination Chamber bout involving six top RAW Superstars. Seth Rollins and Austin Theory started the match while Bobby Lashley, Brock Lesnar, Riddle, and AJ Styles were in the pods.

Theory pushed Rollins to his limit until The Architect fired back by mauling his opponent against Lashley’s pod. The structure broke open and The All Mighty got hurt, which led to him being removed from the match.

Riddle entered next, and he took the fight to Rollins. Both superstars brawled for a long time, but The Original Bro eventually managed to take Seth Rollins out of the equation, at least momentarily.

AJ Styles then entered the match and engaged in an epic bout with Riddle as both superstars played to their respective strengths. At one point, the RK-Bro member even managed to put all three opponents down he prepared to deliver an RKO.

Then it was time for Lashley to enter, but he was not in his pod. An irate Brock Lesnar then broke open his structure and entered the match to wreak havoc inside the cage. He immediately eliminated Rollins and Riddle in quick succession.

Soon after that, he eliminated Styles and was left alone inside the squared circle with Theory.

The Beast Incarnate then chased Theory all around the ring while the latter ran around screaming for his life. He tried to hide in a pod, but Lesnar kicked right through the same.

Austin Theory did have a moment to shine when he landed a low blow and gained a momentary advantage over Brock Lesnar. Still, the latter was quick to restore balance inside the Elimination Chamber.

Following that, we saw Theory trying to escape the Elimination Chamber, but Lesnar had other plans. He climbed behind his opponent and slammed him against the structure repeatedly. Following that, he delivered a brutal F5 while standing at the top of the pod.

The Beast Incarnate then pinned Vince McMahon’s protégé to win the WWE Championship.

Lesnar might still face Lashley in a title rematch ahead of WrestleMania as the latter technically didn’t get to defend his title in the Elimination Chamber match. It will be interesting to see how Brock Lesnar is now booked with the WWE title on the road to WrestleMania, especially now that he will return to targeting Universal Champion Roman Reigns.

It would be unfair not to admit that The All Mighty deserved a better title run. But in the end, we are going back to babyface Brock vs. heel Reigns in a champion vs. champion match. Is WWE planning a title unification at some point?

#5 Flop at Elimination Chamber: Goldberg’s underwhelming match, potential retirement?

The first match of Elimination Chamber saw Goldberg challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal title. This match was in the making for two years, and the creative team did a decent job building up the encounter in the limited time period. However, the payoff was quite underwhelming at the show tonight.

Reigns vs. Goldberg started quite well, but the energy dropped within the first couple of minutes. It was evident that both superstars were buying time inside the squared circle to extend the match duration.

There were a few good spots in the bout, but it all eventually ended with Reigns holding Goldberg in his signature submission maneuver. The WCW icon eventually faded out, allowing The Tribal Chief to retain his title at Elimination Chamber.

It was expected that the match would go this way, but the execution was far poorer than we had previously imagined. To put things into perspective, Goldberg was much better during his match against Bobby Lashley.

He can’t be blamed entirely as the age is catching up with the Hall of Famer, and it might be the right time for him to hang up his boots. This could very well be his last match and it would be a right way to go out, especially considering that he technically put over a modern-day superstar.

As for Roman Reigns, he could marvel at the fact that he defeated another big name to extend his historic title reign. But it begs the question, was it necessary to book this clash barring financial motivation at Elimination Chamber?

There are other SmackDown Superstars who could have used the title feud against the biggest heel in the company. For instance, if Reigns wasn’t going to lose his title, then wouldn’t it have been better to have him engage in a brief feud with someone like Sheamus, who could use a good return to the title picture?

#4 Hit at Elimination Chamber: Bianca Belair

The women’s Elimination Chamber match saw six RAW Superstars, including Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley, Alexa Bliss, Doudrop, Liv Morgan, and Nikki A.S.H. lock horns in an excellent bout.

Their in-ring encounter was entertaining from start to finish, and we saw several instances riddled with subtle story-telling that helped elevate the overall narrative inside the squared circle.

Nikki and Morgan kickstarted the Elimination Chamber match and engaged in a well-balanced encounter. Then came Doudrop, and the three superstars started taking turns to dominate the match.

Rhea Ripley then arrived and went straight for her former tag team partner Nikki A.S.H. She even eliminated Nikki to well and truly settle their betrayal. Belair’s introduction saw her teaming up with Ripley. At times they delivered multiple entertaining spots together.

Alexa Bliss was the last to enter the match. It was surprising to still see her compete under the same gimmick, and she managed to eliminate Morgan.

Following that, Belair took complete control of things in her hand. She first competed against Ripley and eliminated her from the match. Following that, The EST of WWE set her sights on Bliss.

Both superstars engaged in a compelling back and forth before Bianca Belair hit her finisher to seal the victory at Elimination Chamber. She is set to challenge the RAW Women’s Champion at WrestleMania 38.

This will be her road to redemption since losing her title in under thirty seconds at SummerSlam last year. She will look to get her revenge against Becky Lynch when they meet for the title match at The Show of Shows this year.

#3 Hit at Elimination Chamber: Lita

WWE Hall of Famer Lita returned to singles action at Elimination Chamber. She challenged Becky Lynch for the RAW Women’s Championship in an epic showdown between the veteran and a current superstar.

This is exactly how a match between top names from different generations should be booked. Their bout was solid from start to finish, and Lita came close to dethroning Lynch on more than one occasion.

We saw Big Time Becks go back to her usual tactics, such as taking assistance from the ropes to retain her title, but that didn’t work. Lita was at her best inside the ring and looked far from rusted throughout the match.

She was clever to stay one step ahead of the top heel from RAW, and it paid off for most of their clash at the premium live event.

In the end, Becky Lynch used a picturesque Manhandle Slam to seal her victory and successfully defend her title against her teenage ideal. Lita shared an emotional moment with fans following the match at Elimination Chamber as the crowd chanted her name in unison.

Now that Big Time Becks has picked up another huge victory, she will turn her attention towards Bianca Belair, whom she will face at WrestleMania 38.

#2 Hit/Flop at Elimination Chamber: Naomi impresses but big mistake with the finish

At Elimination Chamber, we saw Naomi team up with Ronda Rousey to take on Charlotte Flair and Sonya Deville in a tag team match.

On the last episode of SmackDown, a unique stipulation was added to this match that would require Rousey to compete with one hand tied behind her back. It was done to make things even as Deville had seemingly injured her hand as well.

However, in the match, it was revealed that this was the WWE official’s ploy to gain an unfair advantage as she tore open the cast to reveal her true intentions.

All four superstars did well in the bout that eventually ended with Rousey forcing Deville to tap out. It was a good match, but Naomi was the real star inside the squared circle.

It spoke volumes about the former champion’s prowess when she outshone Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey at Elimination Chamber. Her offense was creative, and there were times when she single-handedly dictated the momentum in the match.

It would have been better to have her pin Deville so that their feud could end on SmackDown. Naomi’s performances in the last few weeks have been commendable, and she deserves to be a part of a better booking on the blue brand.

The Elimination Chamber premium live event should have marked the end of her ongoing rivalry, following which the creative team should have capitalized on her recent form as a babyface.

That said, repetitive bookings are bound to get frustrating for Naomi at some point in the future. Wouldn’t it be better to include her in The Bloodline and extend the faction’s domination over the women’s division as well? It is certainly an idea that the writers should explore on SmackDown.

#1 Honorable mention from Elimination Chamber: Madcap Moss

At Elimination Chamber, Madcap Moss faced Drew McIntyre in a Falls Count Anywhere match. It was evident that The Scottish Warrior would pick up an important victory. However, it was Moss' performance that stole the show.

The SmackDown Superstar showed his resilience against a top performer in the company. In one of the spots, he landed awkwardly on the head but continued to give his best inside the ring after a brief break.

It was a great move on Happy Corbin's part to pull his friend out of the ring as Moss needed some time to recover from the spot. McIntyre also ensured that he made his opponent look equally strong throughout the match.

The match ended with the former WWE Champion using a Claymore to seal his victory on the show. Soon after, he sent a warning to Corbin that the two superstars might be involved in a feud leading up to WrestleMania.

Drew McIntyre has been feuding with Madcap Moss and Happy Corbin since last year. The Scottish Warrior and fans don't particularly admire Moss' jokes. He undoubtedly deserves accolades for his performances inside the ring. With the right booking, he could become a top superstar in the future.