Randy Orton punched his ticket to WrestleMania 42, and possibly his fifteenth world championship, with a victory over Cody Rhodes, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, Logan Paul, and LA Knight within the Elimination Chamber. Orton will go on to face either Rhodes or Drew McIntyre in Las Vegas, after McIntyre interfered within the match to stop Rhodes from getting the victory.
After the match, an enraged “WWE SmackDown” General Manager Nick Aldis revealed on the post-show that on account of McIntyre’s actions, Rhodes can be getting one other shot on the Undisputed WWE Championship. Rhodes and McIntyre will face off for the title on Friday.
As for the Chamber, it was Rhodes and Evans to start out off the match, and “The American Nightmare” needed to work to maintain Evans grounded. Williams was the primary man out of the pods, and he stared down fellow “WWE NXT” alum Evans. Williams hit a double chokeslam to his opponents ahead of Paul joining the fray. The three men already within the ring went after Paul and began beating him right down to the delight of the gang and sent him through the plexiglass of a pod.
It was Knight out next, and he too went right after Paul. Paul climbed up the cage to the pod, and Evans scaled the cage after him, with Knight climbing up the opposite side. Evans and Knight worked together to throw Paul off the highest onto Williams and Rhodes below, then Knight hit a BFT to Evans on the highest of the pod.
Orton was the last man to enter the bout and he hit draping DDTs to Paul and Williams. A recovered Evans hit an enormous frog splash from the highest of the pod to Williams, but Paul jumped in and hit a Paul-verizer to Evans and eliminated him.
Rollins Returns, McIntyre Interferes
Knight slipped off the ropes, missing a move and was almost rolled up by Williams. He hit a BFT to the previous NXT Champion, but ran right right into a low blow from Paul and was eliminated. Williams missed the Trick Shot to Paul and walked right into a Cross Rhodes, but Paul stole the pin for his third elimination.
At that time, a masked man tried to enter the Chamber by scaling the cage, but officials grabbed him and revealed the would-be attacker to be one other random guy. Nevertheless, a second masked man walked through the open Chamber door and delivered a stomp to Paul and revealed himself to be a returning Seth Rollins, who then walked right back out after Rhodes pinned Paul.
The door to the Chamber was still open and McIntyre waltzed in to hit Rhodes with the title belt and beat him down. With the champion out of the best way, Orton hit the RKO to McIntyre and Rhodes followed with a Cross Rhodes. Orton hit the RKO to Rhodes, then, nevertheless, and pinned him for the victory.