6 competitors from the first-ever Men's WWE Elimination Chamber match: Where are they now?
Elimination Chamber is just around the corner, and all eyes are on the two Chamber matches. The men's match will see Seth Rollins, Logan Paul, Damian Priest, CM Punk, John Cena, and Drew McIntyre aiming to punch their ticket to WrestleMania 41.
However, before Elimination Chamber became a standalone premium live event, it was a hellish match that became a feature at several other iconic PLEs. In fact, the structure first debuted at Survivor Series way back in 2002.
It has been a whopping 23 years since then and, much like the current format, there were six competitors involved. The superstars in question were vying for the World Heavyweight Championship but the big question is, where are they now?
#6. Rob Van Dam is on a WWE Legends contract
The first superstar on this list is Rob Van Dam. Coincidentally, he was also the first one to be eliminated from the Chamber. He is currently on a WWE Legends contract and was even inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame four years ago.
Outside of WWE, he has established his own cannabinoids company and has even made the occasional in-ring return, both at AEW and Pro Wrestling NOAH. Van Dam was eliminated from the inaugural Elimination Chamber match by none other than Booker T.
#5. Booker T is one of the voices of NXT
Next on the list is Booker T, who was the next superstar eliminated from the match. At the time, King Booker was a WCW legend and one of the best in the business, but he fell short in the Chamber.
Nowadays, he wears many hats in the pro wrestling business. He runs a wrestling school, has a podcast, and, perhaps most importantly, is one of the voices of NXT alongside Vic Joseph and Corey Graves. He sure has come a long way since the first Elimination Chamber match.
#4. Kane currently serves as Mayor of Knox County
Next up, and the third superstar eliminated from the Elimination Chamber match in 2002, is Kane. The Big Red Machine dominated the match but was dispatched thanks to the joint efforts of Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and Chris Jericho.
Since then, Kane has gone on to achieve incredible feats, with his most notable accomplishment coming in the world of politics. He is currently in his second term as Mayor of Knox County.
#3. Chris Jericho is the only active wrestler on this list
Chris Jericho, or Y2J, was the penultimate elimination from the 2002 Elimination Chamber match and was also one-half of the tag team champions at the time.
His performance was exceptional on the night, and he is the only active wrestler on this list. At the age of 54, he is currently signed to AEW, where he is the leader of The Learning Tree.
#2. Triple H is currently overseeing WWE amid "his" era
Triple H was the final man to be eliminated from the match and was the World Heavyweight Champion going into it. He kicked off the match with RVD and managed to stay in the hellish structure till the end before being eliminated by his best friend, Shawn Michaels.
Now, The Cerebral Assassin is the "big boss" in WWE. Serving as the promotion's CCO, he is leading it through what is being called the "Triple H Era." And, so far, he is doing a stellar job.
#1. Shawn Michaels won the Elimination Chamber in 2002 and now runs NXT
Last, but not least, is the winner of the inaugural Men's Elimination Chamber match, Shawn Michaels. The Heartbreak Kid outlasted everyone and pinned his good friend Triple H to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
It was his last world title reign, but his career certainly didn't go downhill. He continued to thrive and is now in a backstage role overseeing NXT, and serves as Senior Vice President of Talent Development in WWE.