Best and Worst Booking Decisions of WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 Results
The Road to WrestleMania 41 stopped in Toronto Saturday night for WWE's annual Elimination Chamber premium live event, headlined by the men's and women's same-titled matches.
Two Superstars cashed their ticket to The Showcase of the Immortals, while undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes made a career-altering decision, and Jade Cargill and Randy Orton made vengeful returns.
On a night of noteworthy storyline developments, which booking decisions stood out as the best and worst of the night?
Find out in this recap of the show.
Best: Jade Cargill's Explosive Return
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Jade Cargill made an explosive return to WWE in Toronto, interrupting the opening moments of the women's Elimination Chamber match by making a beeline for the squared circle and attacking Naomi, seemingly paying off a months-long "whodunnit" storyline.
The Storm brutalized Naomi, sending her former friend and teammate into the plexiglass and steel chains of the chamber pods before slamming her head in the structure's sliding door.
It was an emphatic return for the former women's tag team champion that doubled as a noteworthy moment to open the show and set the stage for a women's program that is not centered around a championship.
That it also set the stage for Bianca Belair's emotional journey through the night's first Chamber match only enhances how strong a creative decision it was to kick off with Cargill's return.
Best: Bianca Belair Is Headed to WrestleMania
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Bianca Belair advanced to WrestleMania and a shot at either Rhea Ripley or Iyo Sky and the Women's World Championship by way of her victory in the women's Elimination Chamber, despite a rash of emotions that clouded her vision early.
The EST of WWE watched as Jade Cargill returned from the attack that sidelined her in November and lashed out at Naomi.
The woman with whom Belair won her first women's tag team title brutalized the woman who stepped in and helped her continue her reign with the gold, and The EST was relegated to the role of spectator.
That booking decision created an emotional journey for the popular babyface to embark on in pursuit of another 'Mania title opportunity and gave fans a reason to invest in her.
Now on the Road to WrestleMania 41, she will have the chance to further solidify herself as the best big-match performer in WWE while advancing her unbeaten streak at The Showcase of the Immortals to 5-0.
To do so, Belair will have the unenviable task of challenging either Ripley or Sky in a match that will be one of the best on the card.
If the opponent is The Eradicator, it will set up a match years in the making between the two women who best represented the second wave of NXT women's division competitors and became major stars in their own right.
Worst: Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens Didn't Take Place at WrestleMania
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The Unsanctioned match pitting friends-turned-enemies Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens was a superb display of brutality and violence that played on the decades-long love-hate relationship between them.
Zayn aggressively sought revenge for the betrayal that left him nursing an injured neck following a package piledriver, while KO unleashed months of frustration on a man he once considered his closest ally.
The result was a brilliant contest that wrapped up the latest chapter in the rivalry with a nod to previous entries as Owens delivered consecutive powerbombs to the ring apron to put Zayn away and score the win.
Even worse was how quickly the match was put in the rearview mirror with the return of Randy Orton, which was logical from a narrative standpoint but put a damper on the battle of attrition Owens and Zayn had just been through.
Worst: Drew McIntyre's Early Exit
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Yes, it's clear to see Drew McIntyre's narrative is currently defined by his obsession costing him key victories on his path back to championship gold.
Even with that understood, his early elimination from the men's Elimination Chamber match felt premature.
There were ways to get there without him being ousted as quickly and seemingly inconsequentially as the Scot was.
Sure, McIntyre beat down Damian Priest afterward, adding credibility to expectations that he would battle The Street King at WrestleMania following his Royal Rumble elimination at the hands of the former world champion.
Still, it felt underwhelming, a word that has not been used in reference to The Scottish Warrior often over the last year and a label he certainly does not deserve.
Best: John Cena's Unforgettable Heel Turn
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For over two decades, John Cena has been the bastion of good in WWE. He has been unwavering in his belief in the creed of hustle, loyalty and respect, doing what was right even through the toughest of times.
That was not the man fans witnessed betray Cody Rhodes in the closing moments of the Elimination Chamber premium live event, though.
Minutes after cashing his ticket to WrestleMania 41 and a match with The American Nightmare for the Undisputed WWE Championship, Cena shockingly attacked and joined The Rock in beating down Rhodes before standing side-by-side with The Final Boss and rapper Travis Scott to close out the broadcast.
Longtime fans begging for a Cena heel turn applauded while others rained down on him with chants of "You sold out." The smiling face that had been plastered across WWE promotional items for the last 20 years was replaced by a menacing, untrustworthy one.
Like Hulk Hogan in 1996, Cena betrayed the loyalty and love fans have had for him since he rose to main event prominence in 2005. Now, the most important thing he can do is explain his actions and set the stage for one of the hottest main event matches in recent memory in Las Vegas on April 19-20.
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