Before the match, Eric Bischoff makes his way out to the ring
with a lead pipe and he’s handed a microphone. He says he’s making history in
Madison Square Garden. There are 2 miles of chains and over 10 tonnes of steel
to make up the Chamber and it could only come from his great mind. Every 5
minutes one of the chambers will be unlocked for the wrestler it contains to
enter the match. Eliminations occur by pinfall or submission and the Sole
Survivor is the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. They also show the rules on
screen just in case you can’t follow them.
Chris Jericho, (Saliva sing live at WWE World Restaurant for his entrance) Kane, Booker T and Shawn Michaels make their way out to the ring and are locked into their pods. Rob Van Dam makes his way out to wait in the ring for Triple H to enter. Ric Flair accompanies Triple H to the Chamber
Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler are on commentary for this match. Howard Finkel is our ring announcer.
TRIPLE H © VS. CHRIS
JERICHO VS. ROB VAN DAM
VS. KANE VS,
SHAWN MICHAELS VS. BOOKER T
(WWE World
Heavyweight Championship – Elimination Chamber)
WWE Survivor Series 2002 (17th November 2002)
They lock up, Triple H backs RVD into the
corner, but Rob Van Dam ducks a right hand, connecting with forearms and
leg kicks as the first 5-minute countdown begins.
Triple
H reverses an irish whip but RVD ducks the right hand and connects with a rolling
kick. RVD misses the enziguri but kicks Triple H in the face on the return, Triple H is sent across the ring, RVD ducks early and eats the knee smash. RVD
backdrops Triple H over the top rope onto the steel grate and Shawn Michaels
doesn’t look too upset that his former running-buddy is hurt. RVD stomps Triple
H on the outside and sends him into the chains. RVD uses the ring ropes to gain
more momentum to send the champion into the chains and it breaks open the door
for a cool visual. RVD points his thumbs for the crowd. Triple H is already bleeding
as RVD focuses on the cut and hits his shoulder thrusts to Triple H on the
outside of the corner before a monkey flip sends Triple H back on to the grate.
RVD crosses the ring to hit the Rolling Thunder over the top rope onto Triple H
and a clothesline over the top rope brings it back into the ring. RVD tells
Chris Jericho he’s #1 on his way to the top of the pod.
Chris
Jericho reaches through the ceiling of the pod and holds RVD in place whilst
Triple H gets to his feet. RVD fights off Triple H whilst kicking Jericho away,
slumping him down in the pod. RVD climbs down to the top rope and hits a
rolling senton to Triple H on the chamber floor. Triple H is sent into the
chains again, he falls through the ropes and gets knocked back into the corner,
where RVD beats him down. Chris Jericho enters the match while RVD is using his
boot to choke Triple H and walks into a heel kick from RVD. RVD sends Jericho
off the ropes but he ducks too early and gets kicked. Chris Jericho walks into
another kick to the face, a standing moonsault from RVD gets him a nearfall.
Chris Jericho reverses an irish whip but runs into a back elbow, RVD springs
off the middle rope with a thrust kick to Jericho before stomping Triple H a
little bit. Jericho is clotheslined over to the floor.
Chris Jericho
ducks a flying RVD who holds on to the chains and connects with a crossbody on
Jericho. That didn’t look comfortable. Triple H clothesline RVD down as JR
makes it clear that pinfalls and submissions must be inside the ring. Chris Jericho stomps on RVD and hits a back suplex. Rob Van Dam immediately kicks
out of the foot on the chest and fights to his feet, separating both opponents.
Triple H reverses an irish whip, RVD ducks a right hand but not the Harley Race-like High Knee. Chris Jericho hits a back senton and covers but only
gets 2. Jerry Lawler says you have to work together temporarily in the match
and that we won’t see many saves from pinfalls. Jericho holds RVD so Triple H
can get some free shots in. Chris Jericho mocks Shawn Michaels with some crotch
chops as RVD is dumped through the ropes. Triple H and Jericho send RVD’s back
into the chains, RVD rolls under the bottom rope but Jericho brings him back
out and they send RVD into the chains again.
Chris Jericho connects with chops in the corner
and sends RVD into the turnbuckles. Triple H sends Jericho into the corner and
RVD rolls over his back, Jericho’s shoulder hits the ring post as RVD knocks
Triple H down, Jericho runs into a heel kick but Triple H cuts RVD off with a
DDT. Booker T enters the match, knocking Jericho down with right hands
as Triple H is punching RVD on the mat. He knocks both heels down with kicks and
clears the ring, celebrating with a Spinaroonie. He faces off with Rob Van Dam
before they exchange shots. RVD is sent off the ropes but rolls over Booker T’s
back, RVD ducks a right hand but runs into a spinning back kick for a nearfall.
Booker T chops RVD but RVD avoids getting slammed and knocks Booker T down with
a kick for 2. Booker T sends RVD into the corner but walks into a back elbow,
RVD runs into a back kick, giving Booker T another nearfall.
Triple
H knocks Booker T back and sends him across the ring. Booker T kicks Triple H
in the midsection and connects with the Scissors Kick but Jericho knocks him
out of the ring before he can capitalise. Rob Van Dam hits Triple H with a
dropkick and climbs to the top of an empty pod. He hits the 5 Star Frog Splash,
landing on Triple H’s throat. Earl Hebner checks on the champion as JR
is talking about RVD’s knee or ankle failing on him. Booker T hits a Missile
Dropkick on RVD and covers, eliminating RVD first. The MSG crowd aren’t pleased
with that so he covers Triple H to try and make it up to them. Hebner is slow
to get there for the count and Triple H kicks out at 2. Jericho knocks Booker T
down and chokes him in the corner with a boot. Jericho connects with chops in
the corner and sends Booker T across the ring to set up the bulldog. Booker T
rolls out of the way of the Lionsault but Jericho lands on his feet, Booker T
hits a Spinebuster and trips up Hebner. Booker T is slow to cover again, and
Jericho kicks out at 2.
Kane
makes his way into the ring with right hands for Jericho and Booker, Booker T
goes over with a backdrop and gets sent into the top turnbuckle. Kane connects
with a back elbow and sends Booker T across the ring, following with a
clothesline. Jericho is sent over to the floor, Kane follows, and he sends
Jericho’s head into the chains before Jericho is sent through the “bulletproof
plexiglass.” Kane gets back in the ring, knocking down Triple H on his way to
Booker T in the corner. Booker T reverses an irish whip but Kane counter the
hook kick, Booker T slips out of the back of the Tombstone attempt but Jericho
connects with a low blow as he sets up fot the Scissor Kick. Kane hits the
Chokeslam followed by a Lionsault by Jericho to eliminate Booker T. Triple H is
being kept at bay by Kane. Kane sends Jericho over the top rope as I notice
Jericho’s bleeding. Chris Jericho fights back and tries to climb the Chamber
wall. Kane stops him going too far with various strikes and throws Chris
Jericho back into the ring!
We’re about a minute from Shawn Michaels
completing he match as Kane connects with knees to the midsection and a suplex
to Jericho, covering for 2. Kane misses the elbow drop and Jericho knocks him through
the ropes. Triple H makes it to the top turnbuckle and gets slammed back in the
ring by Kane, he’s managed to stay in the background most of the match, only
getting involved when he had to since Jericho entered. Chris Jericho kicks Kane
so he doesn’t get Chokeslammed and the fans chant for HBK who is warming up in
his pod. Chris Jericho hits a missile dropkick on Kane so everyone is down as
Michaels makes his way into the match. Shawn Michaels backs Kane and
Jericho off with right hands, Jericho is sent off the ropes into a backdrop and
Kane runs through Michaels with a clothesline. Shawn Michaels is sent off the
ropes, he ducks a clothesline and hits his forearm but doesn’t kip up. Kane
sends Michaels upside down in the corner, Kane looked like he wanted to follow
with the clothesline but stopped himself in time.
Chris
Jericho is lifted in a chokehold and slammed to the mat, Kane signals for a Chokeslam
and hits all 3 opponents with one. Jericho even jumped into it from the top
rope. Kane walks into a Superkick from Shawn Michaels leaving everyone down.
Triple H hits a Pedigree on Kane which puts him in position for Jericho’s Lionsault.
Chris Jericho covers and Kane is out of the match. Shawn Michaels sends Jericho
across the ring but ducks too early, he gets kicked and a clothesline over the
top sends him onto the steel grate with his surgically-repaired back. Shawn
Michaels is sent into the Chamber wall, Triple H connects with right hands and
the heels are trying to bust him open. They seem to achieve their goal as
Jericho squashes himself against Michaels in the ropes. Triple H sends Michaels
over to the grate and grinds his face against the chain links.
Triple H sends Shawn Michaels into the glass
pod as Jericho and Triple H work over HBK, focusing on his cut. They’ve already
mentioned Montreal in 1997 by the way. Chris Jericho connects with more rights
to Michaels back in the ring. They go back to the outside, Michaels blocks being
sent into the chains, instead driving Jericho into them. Triple H is
clotheslined back into the ring as he makes his way to the action, Michaels
tries to piledrive Jericho on the floor but is backdropped, Michaels crawls
back in the ring and Triple H meets him with right hands. Shawn Michaels is
sent off the ropes, he knocks Triple H down with a forearm. Shawn Michaels kips
up but Chris Jericho catches him with the Bulldog. Chris Jericho hits the
Lionsault 1,2, NO! Shawn Michaels kicks out of the second cover so Jericho sends
him into the corner. Chris Jericho runs into a boot in the corner. Shawn
Michaels hits a moonsault from the top rope, but only gets 2 because Hebner was
slow to position.
Shawn
Michaels puts The Walls of Jericho on Chris Jericho, but Triple H breaks it up
with a DDT. Chris Jericho covers but Triple H wants to eliminate Michaels.
Triple H and Jericho exchange right hands, Jericho is sent off the ropes into a
clothesline. Jericho reverses the irish whip but runs into the Facebuster, Triple
H covers but only gets 2. Chris Jericho counters the Pedigree into the Walls of
Jericho, Triple H crawls to the ropes but Jericho walks him back to the middle
of the ring where Shawn Michaels can’t resist the temptation to hit the Sweet
Chin Music on Chris Jericho! Shawn Michaels covers to eliminate Jericho and leave
the match down to the former DeGeneration-X. They exchange groggy right hands,
Triple H has been in the match from the beginning and Shawn Michaels has been
double-teamed since he got into the match. Shawn Michaels stumbles into a
spinebuster by Triple H for a nearfall. Triple H backdrops Shawn Michaels over
the top rope to the steel floor.
Shawn
Michaels reverses an irish whip and sends Triple H into the chain links. He
tries for a Pedigree but Triple H trips him and Michaels is catapulted into one
of the pods. Triple H brings it back to the ring and covers Shawn Michaels, but
he only gets a nearfall. Triple H knocks Michaels down with a right hand and tells
him to get up. Shawn Michaels drags himself to his feet. Triple H connects with
right hands, Michaels answers with some of his own and sends Triple H off the
ropes. Michaels ducks too early and Triple H hits another Facebuster then
clotheslines Michaels over the top rope. Triple H sets up a Pedigree on the
steel grate but gets catapulted into the chain links in the Chamber wall. Shawn
Michaels clotheslines Triple H back into the ring and climbs to the top of one
of the pods. Shawn Michael hits the Elbow Drop, he crawls over for the cover,
but decides to get to his feet. He sets up the Sweet Chin Music on Triple H but
it gets caught. Triple H hits the Pedigree! Triple H exhaustedly covers
Michaels, 1, 2, NO! Triple H argues with Earl Hebner as Michaels gets to his
feet. Shawn Michaels backdrops out of another Pedigree attempt and hits the
Sweet Chin Music for the win.
WINNER: SHAWN MICHAELS (NEW WWE World Heavyweight Champion)
This match has the inenviatable
task of being the first of it’s kind. Rob Van Dam injuring Triple H at about
the midpoint meant the champion couldn’t be involved in many spots throughout.
The final 3 had the trope of “2 heels want to take out the babyface and turn on
each other” but that’s a minor gripe. Everyone played their part in the match
and we got some memorable spots to make the match a memorable main event. [****]
8.25/10
Shawn Michaels celebrates with his new Championship while confetti falls from the ceiling.
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