Bobby Lashley to Defend WWE Championship in Elimination Chamber After Beating Lesnar

Tyler Conway @@jtylerconwayFeatured Columnist IVJanuary 31, 2022

Bobby Lashley stands in the ring prior to his fight during the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Crown Jewel pay-per-view in Riyadh on October 31, 2019. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Bobby Lashley won't have to wait long for his first big challenge as WWE champion.

WWE announced Lashley will defend the championship in an Elimination Chamber match during the Feb. 19 event in Saudi Arabia.

WWE @WWE
BREAKING NEWS: <a href="https://twitter.com/fightbobby?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fightbobby</a> will defend the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWETitle?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWETitle</a> in an Elimination Chamber Match at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWEChamber?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWEChamber</a> in Jeddah on Saturday, Feb. 19.<a href="https://t.co/qVm3NVWRLk">https://t.co/qVm3NVWRLk</a> <a href="https://t.co/wgmqRfsJOK">pic.twitter.com/wgmqRfsJOK</a>

During Raw on Monday, it was announced that Brock Lesnar would be one of Lashley's challengers:

WWE @WWE
WOW. <a href="https://twitter.com/BrockLesnar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrockLesnar</a> won't get his rematch for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWETitle?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWETitle</a> tonight, but he WILL be one of 5️⃣ Superstars challenging <a href="https://twitter.com/fightbobby?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fightbobby</a> for the gold inside the Elimination Chamber on Feb. 19! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWERaw?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWERaw</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWEChamber?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWEChamber</a> <a href="https://t.co/1PJF7DBJHl">pic.twitter.com/1PJF7DBJHl</a>

The rest of the field filled out as the night went on, as Seth Rollins, Austin Theory, Riddle and AJ Styles were also added to the Elimination Chamber match.

WWE @WWE
Who ya got at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWEChamber?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWEChamber</a>?<a href="https://twitter.com/fightbobby?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fightbobby</a><a href="https://twitter.com/BrockLesnar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrockLesnar</a><a href="https://twitter.com/SuperKingofBros?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SuperKingofBros</a><a href="https://twitter.com/WWERollins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WWERollins</a><a href="https://twitter.com/austintheory1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@austintheory1</a><a href="https://twitter.com/AJStylesOrg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AJStylesOrg</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWERaw?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWERaw</a> <a href="https://t.co/BhlFU5sMIn">pic.twitter.com/BhlFU5sMIn</a>

Lashley is coming off a controversial win over Lesnar at WrestleMania, taking advantage of interference from Roman Reigns to win his second WWE championship. The Reigns interference put a slight cloud over a Lashley-Lesnar match that was 15 years in the making.

Lashley's first defense of the championship will serve as the titular match for WWE's first venture to Saudi Arabia of 2022. The company has been holding events in Saudi Arabia since 2018 despite widespread criticism of the country's history of oppressing women and other human rights violations.

WWE is under contract to hold two events per year in Saudi Arabia through 2027.

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