WWE Elimination Chamber 2023: Grading every match
Elimination Chamber 2023 proved to be a worthy stop on WWE's road to WrestleMania 39. All five matches on the card were at least solid, with one, in particular, reaching legendary status.
Let's look at every match on this epic Premium Live Event from Montreal, grade them, and rank them from worst to best.
#5. Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley - WWE Elimination Chamber 2023
The match featured a lot of explosive action in just five minutes, as Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley both went on the attack. We saw spears and F5s galore before The All Mighty locked The Beast Incarnate in the Hurt Lock.
The finish of the match saw Lesnar low-blow Lashley, gifting him the victory. He then attacked the former United States Champion and the referee, hitting multiple F5s on both.
While the action wowed WWE fans, the finish was pretty disappointing. Considering this was the likely blowoff match between Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley, a disqualification was the worst possible outcome at Elimination Chamber.
Grade: B-
#4. Edge and Beth Phoenix vs. Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley
The mixed tag team match garnered quite a reaction from WWE fans at Elimination Chamber, suggesting it was a success.
From the rabid response to Dominik Mysterio's ringside antics to the heated showdown between Beth Phoenix and Rhea Ripley, a lot was going on here.
The women laid some heavy shots on each other and their respective male opponents. Edge and Finn Balor both took simultaneous powerbombs before they took the match home. The WWE Hall of Famer pinned his younger opponent after he and Phoenix hit a Shatter Machine on him.
There may have been a few rough spots throughout the match, but it did deliver well enough.
Grade: B
#3. Women's Elimination Chamber Match
Elimination Chamber opened with a fun contest inside the dreaded structure, as six women competed for a shot at Bianca Belair's RAW Women's Championship at WrestleMania 39. Asuka won the match, but she had to earn the victory. Every competitor contributed to the action.
Liv Morgan put in a great performance until her early elimination, taking bumps and flying all over the place. Meanwhile, Raquel Rodriguez showcased her power inside the Chamber. However, Carmella outlasted them to contest The Empress of Tomorrow in the final two.
The end saw Asuka stand tall as she set up a date with The EST of WWE at WrestleMania. The ideal outcome after a fun match.
Grade: B+
#2. WWE United States Championship Elimination Chamber Match
Johnny Wrestling launches @WWERollins off the #WWEChamber pod! 🤯
@JohnnyGargano https://t.co/rgP7TBRqMo
The best Elimination Chamber Match on the night by far; Austin Theory's successful US Title defense was excellent. He pulled his weight in a bout that featured several high spots. Everyone involved brought their best in Montreal.
Seth Rollins and Johnny Gargano kicked things off with a bang, with their chemistry shining through. A hurricanrana spot off the pod was the highlight of their exchanges. Meanwhile, Bronson Reed had a solid showing despite being eliminated first.
Damian Priest and Montez Ford were also great, with the latter taking quite the beating inside the Chamber. Ford had an injury angle and was helped out of the structure, which allowed Logan Paul to sneak in and attack Seth Rollins. This allowed Theory to pick up the win.
This improved the stock of all participants through in-ring action and set up a major WrestleMania match. Elimination Chamber bouts don't come much better in WWE.
Grade: A
#1. Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn - Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
Emotional ending to tonight's main event
@WWERomanReigns @SamiZayn @WWEUsos @HeymanHustle #WWEChamber https://t.co/hbqlBUR0F2
It had to be this. The main event of the Elimination Chamber was one of WWE's greatest matches in recent history. Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn put on a masterpiece in front of an all-time passionate Montreal crowd.
It took some time to get going from an in-ring perspective, but the fans did not slow down one bit. The tension kept on rising as Sami's wife was seated at ringside. The Tribal Chief taunted her while beating down his former stablemate.
Zayn kicked off multiple big moves, including the spear. This was when the WWE fans at Elimination Chamber started to truly believe. He hit a Helluva Kick on Reigns but to no avail, with the match featuring multiple ref bumps.
Jimmy Uso attacked Sami Zayn, while Jey Uso was conflicted. The former Honorary Uce accidentally speared his supposed ally before succumbing to another one from Roman Reigns.
While the ending disappointed the Montreal crowd, this match was a storytelling classic. It hit the right notes and was truly the night Sami Zayn became a bonafide main eventer in WWE.
Kevin Owens' post-match return made things even better and more emotional as the show went off the air.
Grade: A+
What did you think of Elimination Chamber 2023? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!