Ranking the Last 10 WWE Elimination Chamber PLEs
WWE returns to Canada on March 1 for its Elimination Chamber premium live event with one of the most star-studded cards in recent memory, headlined by the same-titled men's match for a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship.
With a card that also features the women's Elimination Chamber match and a non-sanctioned showdown between Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, it promises to be one of the best in the event's long history.
In anticipation for the 2025 edition, relive the last 10 Elimination Chamber events, ranked from worst to best in terms of overall show quality and significance.
10. Philadelphia, 2020
1 of 10
Just days before the pandemic lockdown, WWE presented one of its most underwhelming editions of Elimination Chamber with a show that never clicked and failed to capture the full attention of a typically red-hot crowd in Philadelphia.
Shayna Baszler tore through the competition in the main event, eliminating all five opponents and cashing her ticket to WrestleMania 36 in a match that worked conceptually but bored in execution.
The undercard, though solid on paper, never reached its full potential and the result was a show that landed with a thud, doing little to create buzz or excitement for the upcoming 'Mania card.
When a show that features Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles, Seth Rollins and a tag team Elimination Chamber including The New Day and The Usos fails to hit, you know it's an off night in the City of Brotherly Love.
9. Paradise, Nevada, 2018
2 of 10
The biggest criticism of the 2018 Elimination Chamber PLE is that nothing happened.
Despite a star-studded main event that included Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and John Cena, fans were left underwhelmed by a show that was expected to lay the groundwork for WrestleMania 34.
Reigns predictably won the men's Chamber match, only to be steamrolled by Braun Strowman in the closing moments, and the rest of the card did little to drum up excitement for the upcoming Showcase of the Immortals.
A lack of story advancement from the opener to the closer, and an uninspired creative direction, helped make the show one of the biggest disappointments on this list.
8. St. Petersburg, Florida, 2021
3 of 10
The 2021 Elimination Chamber ended not with a bang but a whimper as The Miz cashed in Money in the Bank and defeated Drew McIntyre to win the WWE Championship.
Such an angle should have helped enhance the show and earn it a higher ranking on this list, but it was merely an excuse to get the title off of the Scot and onto Bobby Lashley, who defeated The A-Lister shortly thereafter.
With that moment, the show failed to maintain the excellence it started with when Daniel Bryan defeated Cesaro, Jey Uso, Kevin Owens, King Corbin and Sami Zayn to earn a WWE Championship shot, only to lose that match to Roman Reigns immediately after.
A middling midcard on the night did not help, either.
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7. Saudi Arabia, 2022
4 of 10
Sure, Bianca Belair cashed her ticket to WrestleMania 38 and a rematch with Becky Lynch for the Raw Women's Championship, but that was one of the only shining spots on the first Elimination Chamber pay-per-view to emanate from Saudi Arabia.
Other matches on the card included the thrilling squash of Goldberg by WWE champion Roman Reigns, the latest chapter in Drew McIntyre's feud with Baron Corbin that saw him square off with Madcap Moss, and Brock Lesnar do the bare minimum en route to another WrestleMania main event.
Lynch and Lita tore the house down for the Raw women's title, but that match did not have enough historical significance to justify a higher spot in our rankings.
6. Houston, 2019
5 of 10
Like so many of the other Elimination Chamber events in the first half of the last decade, the 2019 edition was a one-match show.
In the main event, Daniel Bryan retained the WWE Championship against Kofi Kingston, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Randy Orton and Samoa Joe in a match less about the titleholder and more about the sudden rise in popularity of Kingston, who rode that momentum to WrestleMania 35 and a the biggest win of his career.
That marquee match was by far the best on the card, but it wasn't the only one of significance.
In the night's opening contest, Bayley and Sasha Banks made history by becoming the first duo to capture the Women's Tag Team Championship, besting Carmella and Naomi, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville, Nia Jax and Tamina, The IIconics and The Riott Squad.
The historical significance of that match helped elevate what was an otherwise nondescript card beyond the others in the bottom half of this list.
5. Corpus Christi, Texas, 2015
6 of 10
With Seth Rollins defending the WWE Championship against Dean Ambrose at the top of the card, the 2015 Elimination Chamber PPV featured the intercontinental and tag team titles up for grabs in the namesake matches.
The New Day escaped with their tag team gold, and Ryback defeated the likes of Dolph Ziggler and Sheamus, among others, to leave Corpus Christi, Texas with the IC belt.
What elevated the show past others directly beneath it on this countdown, though, was the Match of the Year candidate between John Cena and Kevin Owens that made a star of the latter.
A brilliant, dramatic match brimming with near-falls, it lived up to expectations and announced to the world that KO was a competitor to be taken seriously at the highest level in WWE.
Still one of the better matches of the last 10 years, it occurred in the middle of the greatest in-ring stretch of Cena's career.
4. Perth, Australia, 2024
7 of 10
Rhea Ripley returned home to Australia in 2024 for a high-profile defense of her Women's World Championship.
Mami defeated Nia Jax in the night's main event, a match around which the entire show was built. A good, hard-fought one built around The Eradicator running up against a bigger, stronger and more furious opponent, she downed The Irresistible Force and cashed her ticket to WrestleMania 40.
Becky Lynch did the same with her victory inside the Elimination Chamber, where she beat Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Naomi, Raquel Rodriguez and Tiffany Stratton.
A breakout performance by Stratton, an underrated matchup between The Judgment Day and New Catch Republic, and Drew McIntyre's coronation as the No. 1 contender to the World Heavyweight Championship inside the Chamber served to strengthen what was a quality show in the key opening and closing positions.
3. Phoenix, 2017
8 of 10
The 2017 show, like others on this list, is notable for one match.
But when that one contest happens to be one of the greatest Elimination Chamber matches of all time, it immediately elevates the 2017 show into the top three of our countdown.
That Randy Orton and Luke Harper tore the house down shortly before the Chamber contest certainly didn't hurt.
The Viper defeated the enforcer of The Wyatt Family in a match that continued the third-generation's flirtation with the dark(er) side just moments before Bray Wyatt defeated John Cena, Baron Corbin, AJ Styles, The Miz and Dean Ambrose to capture the WWE Championship.
That Elimination Chamber match, thanks to stories at play and the era-defining talent in it, immediately ranked as a Match of the Year candidate and serves as one of the greatest victories in Wyatt's career.
A top-heavy broadcast, it also saw the likes of Becky Lynch, Naomi, Alexa Bliss, American Alpha and Natalya compete in matches that did not live up to the lofty expectations that accompanied them.
Still, the top of the card was good enough to make up for it and earn its spot here.
2. Minneapolis, 2014
9 of 10
The 2014 Elimination Chamber premium live event is another top-heavy entry on this list, but those two matches are extraordinary.
First up, The Shield squared off with The Wyatt Family in a battle of trios that would inform the immediate future of WWE.
A contest with some goosebumps-inducing build, it showcased six of the brightest young stars in the company in a Match of the Year candidate that ended with Wyatt, Harper and Erick Rowan beating Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns somewhat to the surprise of fans.
Moments later, Daniel Bryan's journey back to the WWE title continued as he joined John Cena, Cesaro, Christian and Sheamus in challenging Randy Orton inside the Elimination Chamber.
The leader of the Yes! Movement would again fall short of his goal, but fans were treated to another Match of the Year candidate, brimming with future Hall of Famers.
An otherwise underwhelming undercard proved inconsequential, even if it did see the return of Batista to singles premium live event competition for the first time in four years.
1. Montreal, 2023
10 of 10
The images of Sami Zayn entering the Bell Centre in Montreal for his showdown with undisputed WWE universal champion Roman Reigns are unforgettable.
The hometown hero took center stage for a date with the biggest star in WWE, in front of the friends and family who supported him on his journey to superstardom and never allowed the enormity of the moment to get to him.
Zayn turned in a performance as good as any in his career, while Reigns was the classic bad guy everyone wanted to see get his comeuppance.
The Tribal Chief would ultimately reign supreme, thanks to outside interference from Jey Uso, but there was no denying the emotional roller coaster the competitors took the fans on during the match's 32 minutes.
A hidden gem of a contest that saw Edge and Beth Phoenix defeat Finn Bálor and Rhea Ripley, not to mention a surprisingly strong Elimination Chamber match for the United States Championship that saw Austin Theory narrowly avoid defeat, only enhanced the best Elimination Chamber PLE of the last 10.
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