WWE Elimination Chamber 2015 Review: Biggest Stars of the Night
The WWE Elimination Chamber pay-per-view is literally built around the idea of one man being above the rest, so when reviewing what happened at the 2015 event, there should be some distinct lines drawn.
This is a show featuring over 25 Superstars fighting for nearly every championship in the company and some pretty valuable bragging rights as well, but only a few names can find success.
Daniel Bryan's absence opened up a void with the Intercontinental Championship to be filled by one of six competitors in one of the Elimination Chamber matches. Who walked away with the gold?
NXT champion Kevin Owens has been making a name for himself in the developmental brand, but at this event, he was set to face the flagship of the company. Did he hold his own or did John Cena further cement his dominance and supremacy above all others in WWE?
Despite Cena's legacy, Seth Rollins would argue that there is nobody who equals him on the roster at the moment. Dean Ambrose, on the other hand, had a shot at dethroning the so-called "Architect of a Dream." Which man walked away with the means to call themselves the top of the food chain?
Factoring in not only wins and losses, but the caliber of everyone's performances and the overall story being told, it's time for us to look back on WWE Elimination Chamber 2015 and review the biggest stars of the night.
5. Sheamus
1 of 5
Despite losing the match, Sheamus stood out as the biggest star in the Elimination Chamber match for the Intercontinental Championship.
True, Mark Henry was the literal biggest, but The Celtic Warrior was booked as the one to truly pay attention to more than anybody else.
By blocking his pod from opening, Sheamus illustrated that he can back up his brute strength—which he also showcased here—with some dangerous intellect that could cause a lot of problems for the other competitors.
After eliminating Henry and Dolph Ziggler, Sheamus put up a good fight against Ryback and almost had the title in his possession before falling to The Big Guy.
He doesn't have the championship under his name, but Sheamus will definitely continue to be a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the midcard title scene.
4. The New Day
2 of 5
Not only was The New Day going into Elimination Chamber as the current champions, they also left with the titles still in their possession, which earns them massive points toward getting a spot on this list.
All three members were able to compete in the match, which is something that has never been done before.
There were impressive performances from The Ascension and The Prime Time Players, in particular, for getting some eliminations despite not being booked particularly strong over the past few months, but they still came up short against the champions.
Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and Big E are very much over with the crowd and were the absolute stars of this match, so it was inevitable for them to retain.
Extra points are awarded to them for winning in a fashion that they would never normally be able to do, as all three of them stacked on top of each other to hold Titus O'Neil down.
3. Ryback
3 of 5
If winning a regular match can be a big deal and coming out on top of an Elimination Chamber match is even more important, there are considerably more bonus points awarded to Ryback for winning the Intercontinental Championship in the process.
This is his first championship since joining WWE, even though he went through an impressive undefeated streak for quite some time and has wrestled in numerous main events over the years.
Ryback could have easily been just another strong man who puts someone over to help them look more credible, as he's done time and time again, but he was able to break out of that repetition Sunday night and take the spotlight for himself.
There's no telling what the future has in store for The Big Guy, but having Daniel Bryan endorse him as the new champion likely means that big things are coming his way.
2. Kevin Owens
4 of 5
John Cena has made it on this list almost every time for months on end but Sunday night, his spot was completely usurped by Kevin Owens.
The current NXT champion did not entirely dominate in squash match fashion, but he did assert his power in an extremely impressive performance.
To frame just how important this win is, just think about what actually transpired here: someone from developmental soundly defeated the top star from the past 10 years, and with a clean pin of all things.
This was also the first match Owens has ever wrestled on the main roster, and it took place on a pay-per-view rather than on a random episode of Raw or SmackDown.
He said it himself after winning the match that if anybody didn't know him beforehand, they certainly do now. Owens was the standout performer who pulled off several moves that nobody would have guessed he was able to do, such as his moonsault and Senton bomb.
After this pay-per-view, there is no reason to doubt that Owens will be a major player for the future. In fact, if he were to win the United States Championship or even Money in the Bank, the audience would likely accept it, despite him being a rookie to the main roster.
1. Dean Ambrose
5 of 5
While The New Day retained the Tag Team Championship and Ryback won the Intercontinental Championship, the same does not carry over for Dean Ambrose.
Even though Ambrose is seen holding the title in the picture above and a referee counted a pinfall in his favor over Seth Rollins, the final decision was altered.
Yes, Ambrose won the match, but by disqualification instead of the pin. Therefore, Rollins is still the champion, but for a brief moment, The Lunatic Fringe was announced as having achieved the pinnacle of the business.
One could argue that Rollins should be on this list because he is still the WWE World Heavyweight champion, but it's tough to make a case for him being a bigger star in this scenario over the true winner, in more ways than one.
Ambrose looks stronger than ever just for having that unofficial moment as champion, and he's going to be the only person who could potentially have more buzz about him than Kevin Owens come the next episode of Raw.
A rematch will likely take place at Money in the Bank to help settle who the rightful champion is, but for now, Ambrose can bask in glory with his stolen belt.
Who do you think were the biggest stars of the night? Are there any wrestlers left off this list that you feel should have been included?
Tell us your rankings and thoughts on the pay-per-view in the comments below!
Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.
