Terri Runnels tries to get an interview with Eric Bischoff backstage after his match with Shane McMahon earlier tonight. He shoos her away and she passes Linda McMahon. Bischoff tries to stammer his way through a sentence but Linda slaps the ice pack off his face. Ric Flair is seen talking to Triple H backstage, trying to calm his nerves for the match tonight. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler are on commentary for this match.
The hype video shows highlights of the first Elimination Chamber match at Survivor Series 2002. Sherriff Austin made the rematch almost three weeks ago on Raw, announcing the participants Triple H has his Evolution teammate in with him this time to ensure he leaves the champion. It also shows Jericho cutting Kevin Nash's hair ready for his Hollywood debut in The Punisher movie. The Fink goes through the rules before Randy Orton enters the match. Kevin Nash follows, then Triple H and his cut-off leggings, to his own theme instead of Evolution. Goldberg's entrance starts from his dressing room and he slips at the top of the ramp.
The next entrant is Chris Jericho, with Shawn Michaels completing the set. They will be starting the match.
TRIPLE H (C) VS. KEVIN NASH VS. RANDY ORTON VS. CHRIS JERICHO VS. SHAWN MICHAELS VS. GOLDBERG (Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship)
WWE Summerslam 2003 (24th August 2003)
Jerry Lawler reminds us that Shawn Michaels won the only other Elimination Chamber at this point as JR says a “random selection coin toss” chose who started this match. I'm not sure how a coin toss would work with six people really. A tense lock up goes nowhere but Chris Jericho gets a standing headlock from the second one and transitions into a hammerlock. They exchange counters and Michaels elbows Jericho in the nose to break free. Shawn Michaels runs through Jericho with a shoulder tackle. Chris Jericho stays prone, Michaels springs back from the middle rope with an Asai moonsault but Jericho rolls through for an early nearfall. Michaels gets a nearfall from a backslide as the fans chant for Goldberg. Y2J takes Michaels down with a side headlock but is caught in a headscissors on the mat. Jericho moves to his feet and flips over into a Jacknife cover but Michaels bridges out at 2. They struggle to a stalemate on a backslide attempt so Jericho kicks Michaels low. Chris Jericho sends Michaels across the ring and sits down on a sunset flip attempt, Michaels rolls through giving them both another nearfall.
Chris Jericho slaps Michaels when they get to their feet, so I think play time could be over. Michaels slaps Jericho back and sends him off the ropes into a back body drop. Jericho's head meets the top turnbuckle but Michaels gets sent into the other corner, no he floats over Jericho, who just cushions the blow with his arms. Jericho trips Michaels but can't roll Michaels over for the Walls of Jericho, Michaels counters into an inside cradle for another nearfall. Chris Jericho plants Michaels with a bulldog, Michaels rolls out of the way of a Lionsault attempt but Jericho lands on his feet, although he may have tweaked his knee. Jericho knocks Michaels down with a clothesline and takes a breather against the top rope. The countdown begins as Jericho clotheslines Michaels down again and hits him with an ax handle off the top rope as Randy Orton enters the match. Orton ascends to the top rope as Jericho hits the deck from a clothesline. Shawn Michaels turns around as Orton hits a cross body off the top and gets a nearfall. Chris Jericho rolls out to the chamber floor as Michaels is sent off the ropes into a standing dropkick. Orton clotheslines Michaels over the top rope so Jericho pounces. Chris Jericho chops at Orton's chest. Randy Orton is sent across the ring but ducks a clothesline, hitting his version of a backbreaker on Jericho. I miss that move.
As awesome as it is though, it only gets Orton a 2 count this time, Shawn Michaels brings himself back into the match, keeping both Jericho and Orton at bay. Michaels turns his focus to Jericho, sending him across the ring but Michaels ducks too early for a back body drop, Michaels kicks him in the chest and a standing enziguri gets Jericho a nearfall. Orton hits Jericho with a standing dropkick and stomps him silly, Jericho gets a back elbow in but it makes little to no difference. Orton turns his attention to Shawn Michaels, but an RKO attempt is shoved off, Jericho catches Orton sending him over the top rope onto the steel grate. Jericho lifts Orton, dropping him back on the floor in a spot that looked awkward, but we see a relay of the backdrop on the other half of the screen to distract us. Jericho gets back in the ring like he's stopping a non-existent count out and slams Orton on the floor. Chris Jericho goes back to Shawn Michaels, catching a dropkick and turning over into the Walls of Jericho, Michaels endures the countdown to Kevin Nash coming into the match.
Kevin Nash sends Orton into the chain link and clotheslines Jericho down, who released his hold on Michaels. Two Dudes With Attitude reunite! clotheslines Jericho over the top rope and steps over to join him. Chris Jericho is hoisted onto Nash's shoulder and rammed into the chains. Orton and Michaels are brawling on the mat as Nash grinds Jericho's face against the chain-link wall and launches him back into the ring. Kevin Nash hits a sidewalk slam on Randy Orton for a nearfall. Chris Jericho is bleeding from the chain-link fence as we see Nash bring his old buddy Michaels to his feet. A short-arm clothesline by Nash gets another nearfall. Shawn Michaels is sent across the ring, he ducks a clothesline and a back elbow but runs into a stiff forearm by Nash. That was 20% of his moveset! Michaels knows Nash that well! Chris Jericho blindsides Nash but is sent for the ride into a big boot. Kevin Nash sets up for the Jackknife powerbomb but Michaels knocks him down with a superkick! Michaels collapses so Jericho takes advantage and eliminates Kevin Nash.
The fans return to chanting for Goldberg, cheering Nash's elimination since it's one less person THE MAN has to go through in the match. Orton clotheslines Michaels over the top rope as we see a replay of Nash getting eliminated. Shawn Michaels starts getting to his feet as Triple H's pod opens. Shawn Michaels hits Triple H with a superkick sending him back into his pod! Kevin Nash hasn't left the ring yet. He hits Jericho with a Jackknife and sends Orton into Shawn Michaels so the collide heads. Michaels is busted open now, Randy Orton receives a Jackknife courtesy of Kevin Nash before he finally heads to the back. Ric Flair is going apeshit at ringside and the only man in the match still on his feet is Goldberg in his pod. Shawn Michaels slowly crawls under the bottom rope to cover Orton but Orton gets his foot on the bottom rope at 2. He crawls over to Jericho and it's the same result. We see a replay of Michaels taking Triple H's jaw off before he could leave his pod. The three men in the ring get to their feet and exchange right hands on jelly legs. Orton knocks Jericho down then Michaels knocks Orton down and drops to his knees. Randy Orton seems to have the advantage, keeping Michaels and Jericho from getting too much momentum before Goldberg is released from his pod.
Goldberg storms into the match knocking everyone down with right hands, they have a lot more behind them with Goldberg being fresh in the match. Goldberg hits a military press spinebuster on Orton but Jericho and Michaels are there to team up on the new man in. Goldberg gets sent off the ropes but hits a double running clothesline knocking them both down. Randy Orton gets eliminated from a Spear by Goldberg, sending his heart into his throat. Chris Jericho knocks Goldberg down with a missile dropkick from the top rope and covers for a nearfall, Goldberg catches Jericho by the throat, lifting him and sending Jericho into the chains. Goldberg turns around into a right hand by Michaels but reverses an irish whip, sending Michaels into the corner so hard he almost gets caught in the Tree of Woe, but he drops to the mat. Goldberg's Spear sends Jericho through the pod on the outside! It's so nice we get to see it twice as Michaels hits a running forearm to Goldberg. Shawn Michaels kips up and hits the elbow drop from the top rope. Shawn Michaels sets up for Sweet Chin Music but Goldberg ducks. Shawn Michaels eats a Spear!
Triple H is on his feet in his pod, avoiding the chaos. Goldberg signals to Triple H as he eliminates Shawn Michaels with a Jackhammer. Chris Jericho is groggy and he gets to his feet. Goldberg sets up for the Spear, looking over at the champion. Another Jackhammer, another elimination. Leaving Goldberg alone with the champion. Ric Flair forces the pod closed from the outside, pushing his whole weight against it as he and Triple H flip Goldberg the bird. Goldberg smirks and kicks through the bullet proof glass! Triple H is backed into his pod with Goldberg, who unloads right hands on Triple H. Triple H is sent into one of the support beams, busting him open. Goldberg sends Triple H into the chains and grinds his forehead against them. Triple H starts fighting back, sending Goldberg into the chain-link, but Goldberg almost shakes them off. Goldberg stays planted on an irish whip attempt and clotheslines Triple H down. Triple H still hasn't stepped through the ropes yet. Just as I type that he is shoved through the ropes by Goldberg using his knee. Goldberg sets up for a Spear but Flair slides Triple H the sledgehammer from ringside, he sidesteps Goldberg and hits him with a sledgehammer for the cheap victory.
WINNER: TRIPLE H (STILL WWE World Heavyweight Champion)
There are the usual complaints with the match that Goldberg should have won, it shouldn't have been booked (have Goldberg go over one on one) and all of that, the match was also set out like the staff at WWE knew this. Goldberg looked dominant, getting his eliminations in some form of gauntlet reminiscent of his WCW matches, getting 50% of the eliminations. The fans were only interested in Goldberg, even during Michaels and Jericho's nice opening sequence. Triple H cheats his way to victory from doing next to nothing because he's not a fair man. – WORKRATE: 3.25/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT 2.25/5 OVERALL 6/10
Ric Flair enters the match with the championship belt, with Orton re-emerging from the back with a pair of handcuffs. Evolution stand Goldberg by the ropes and sends him over to the floor with two sledgehammer shots. They continue the assault on the outside, handcuffing Goldberg to the chain-link and punctuating the attack with a final sledgehammer shot.
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