WWE often uses the language of stories, with execs and performers alike framing themselves as being in the business of “creating moments”. Alongside a night of lively and often brutal in-ring action, John Cena’s long-awaited-and-yet-still-completely-shocking heel turn produced a singular moment at this year’s Elimination Chamber that will rightly adorn highlight reels for years and years to come.
Women’s Elimination Chamber Match – winner, Bianca Belair: The women’s chamber match started hot with a returning Jade Cargill coming down to wreck Naomi before the match could really get underway. As an inciting event, this yielded a bunch of great outcomes: 1) the Bianca / Jade / Naomi storyline moved forwards with a probable heel turn on the way for Naomi, 2) we didn’t have to deal with the silliness of a tag team participating in the Elimination Chamber as singles competitors, and 3) Bianca Belair returns to the singles division just in time for a marquee match at WrestleMania.
Outside of this angle, the women’s chamber match was not especially driven by wider storylines but it more than delivered with compelling in-ring storytelling helmed primarily by Liv Morgan. The timing and spots were great throughout, but Morgan taking the year’s most brutal hair whip from Belair and then later using Bianca’s braid to lock her hands and pin Alexa Bliss was exceptional. And Roxanne Perez didn’t look out of place amongst all the former world champs who made up the rest of this match for even a second.
Tiffany Stratton & Trish Stratus def. Nia Jax & Candice LeRae: This was poor. With very little build, this match felt like a vehicle for a good vibes hometown outing for Stratus and a chance for her to give Stratton some shine, too. Which is fine in principle, but this match never moved beyond a very basic house show feel because it didn’t have a clear in-ring story and completely lacked flow of any kind.
Tweener characters can and do work in pro wrestling, but it feels like Stratton desperately needs an angle to clarify her character now that she’s champion (preferably before she meets Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania). Stratton’s problem isn’t as severe as Lyra Valkyria’s, but let’s get both of these great performers some more character development soon, please!
Lastly, I’m as thrilled as anyone to see Candice LeRae get a PLE spotlight, but nobody came out of this one looking good sadly.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – JANUARY 11: during NXT at WWE Performance Center on January 5, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by WWE/WWE via Getty Images)Unsanctioned Match – Kevin Owens def. Sami Zayn: This hard-hitting blood feud match was framed by some stellar production choices that really sold the ‘unsanctioned’ element. Between ring announcer Alicia Taylor’s introductory disclaimer, referee Rod Zapata’s muted all black outfit, and the “lights out” low lighting, the overall presentation felt unique – and was more than matched by the horrifying brilliance Owens and Zayn gave us here.
At times uncomfortable viewing, this match had table spots, a barbed wire chair, and of course, apron bombs galore. But while Owens and Zayn went extremely hard on the violence, they also gave us character throughout. With vengeance, betrayal and hesitation all in the mix, both performers delivered ‘conflicted’ performances that drew on their shared history whilst remaining totally intelligible in the moment. Owens picking up a somber win here puts him in a great position heading into a showdown with the returning Randy Orton.
Men’s Elimination Chamber – winner, John Cena: Like the chaotic final moments of this year’s men’s Royal Rumble, the men’s chamber match was filled to the brim with bad vibes and delicious mutual hatred flowing in all directions. It’s a fantastic energy to take in, and every performer brought the requisite intensity to this to keep this chamber match utterly captivating.
The action was packed with brilliant character moments – from Drew McIntyre once again losing focus because of a personal vendetta, to bemused OGs Punk and Cena teaming up on the bratty Seth Rollins. Rollins then grinning through the cage after costing Punk the match, despite himself having lost the match is 11/10 hater behavior.
And like Perez in the women’s chamber match, I also have to give (regrettable) props to Logan Paul as a performer. He’s improving with every appearance, he’s nailed everything he’s been given so far, and he kept his cool among all the seasoned vets in this one.
Segment: The Rock purchases one soul at the going rate, everybody gets more sage than they bargained for: This went from “Oh, of course, The Rock has to headline a show he’s not even wrestling on” to “Ohhhhh, it’s happening!!” in a flash for me.
I can’t help but feel that lessons from last year’s WrestleMania season have been put into drastic and decisive action this year. When The Rock returned and wanted to headline instead of Cody, running on a platform of just doing his greatest hits, he got booed. And not in an intentional storyline, getting heat kinda way. The Rock got booed because fans didn’t want him to take Cody’s spot. To his and the booking team’s immense credit, they pivoted, created the ‘Final Boss’ iteration of his character, and built one of the most satisfying WrestleMania stories of all time.
Up until Elimination Chamber, John Cena’s vibe has also been ‘greatest hits’ with the only very loose story element being “will Cena win a 17th world title?” His heel turn here moves him from Greatest Hits Cena to a new iteration of his character – one that’s so desperate to break the title reign record that he’s prepared to embrace the one thing he’s always pushed back against: entitlement.
The other booking coup here lies in aligning Cena with The Rock. Certain fans have dreamed of a Cena heel turn for so long that there might have been a danger of ironic cheering breaking out (as when Becky Lynch turned on Charlotte Flair to immense cheers, and with massive fan support went on to create “The Man”). Centering Cena’s turn on Cody goes some way to preventing that, but the alignment with The Rock practically ensures it. The Rock has great heel heat as The Final Boss and his position on the TKO board makes Cena a corporate sellout – the worst kind of heel.
In addition to cementing Cody as the Sting of his generation (overly trusting), this story’s setting up a perfect generational passing of the torch – especially when it comes to being a superhero to kids. For all the flak Cena’s received throughout his career from some portions of the WWE audience, he’s held an unwavering appeal with younger fans. Cody and Jey Uso are the first male wrestlers in some time to garner that same adulation (which is also to say, to sell that volume of merch).
Cody getting a grand moment of defiance before then garnering tremendous sympathy as a result of Cena’s bloody beatdown makes him look great – and really reignites his character and drive ahead of WrestleMania. And super props to Cody and Cena for making those belt bumps look fantastic (a lost art!).
And not to brandish the silliest of slogans, but this really was cinema. Pairing Rock’s Godfather-like gestures with Cena’s exquisite expressive control, that moment where we all found out before Cody was pitch perfect (and captured gorgeously in ink here by the brilliant Lauren Moran).
Curtain Call: Compared to last year, this year’s WrestleMania seems to be shaping up with a mixture of shorter and longer term storyline builds. Not having the full card obviously locked, from the viewer’s perspective, is keeping things fresh and also definitely suits the new-to-Netflix scenario WWE is in this year.
Like this year’s Royal Rumble matches, the two chamber matches here were different enough in feel that the show didn’t drag. The women’s match was all about the in-ring action and spots, while the men’s was all storyline and character – and both proved compelling. Outside of Cena’s shocking turn, Owens and Zayn might’ve stolen the spotlight on the night because, as ever, they brought the in-ring together with the character in a uniquely devastating encounter.
2025’s Elimination Chamber will of course be remembered as the night John Cena turned heel, and outside of Travis Scott’s bizarre inclusion, it’s hard to imagine a better execution than what Cody, Rock and Cena delivered on the night.
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