Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Filthy Tom Lawlor is back with tons to talk about in the aftermath of Elimination Chamber! The John Cena heel turn, all the matches and angles, WrestleMania, LA Knight and Smackdown, and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Tag: elimination chamber
B&V: Elimination Chamber and Collision!
Bryan & Vinny & Craig are back with tons to talk about as we review two great shows, WWE Elimination Chamber with one of the great turns in wrestling history, and AEW Collision from Saturday night! A fun show as always so check it out~!
WOL: WWE Elimination Chamber fallout & John Cena’s heel turn
Image: WWE
Saturday’s WWE Elimination Chamber saw one of the biggest moments in recent years take place as John Cena turned heel at the end of the night after winning the men’s Chamber match.
I talk about that and more on today’s Wrestling Observer Live.
This now sets up a “babyface” Cody Rhodes versus a “heel” Cena, a dynamic nobody thought would happen.
I break down the entire Elimination Chamber card that saw a lot of angles leading into WrestleMania, including Jade Cargill returning and attacking Naomi at the beginning of the women’s Chamber match and how Liv Morgan has become a key player in the women’s division.
Plus, notes from the press conference, AEW Collision highlights, a preview of AEW Revolution, and more!
Click here to listen or watch on YouTube
WOR: CENA TURNS HEEL, Dave goes to Collision
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including JOHN CENA TURNING HEEL at Elimination Chamber, an awesome angle to cap off an awesome show, plus Dave went to Collision and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: John Cena turns heel
6:43: WWE Elimination Chamber recap
29:08: WWE SmackDown notes
31:37: AEW Collision recap (includes ROH spoilers), Arena Mexico notes
Bianca Belair wins Elimination Chamber match, earns WWE WrestleMania title shot
Bianca Belair has secured a WrestleMania 41 title shot.
By winning the women’s Elimination Chamber match on Saturday night, Belair has earned the right to challenge for the Women’s World Championship at WrestleMania this April. She will be facing either Rhea Ripley or IYO SKY for the belt. Ripley is the current champion but has a title defense against SKY on Raw this coming Monday.
Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss, Roxanne Perez, Bayley, and Naomi were the other participants in the women’s Chamber match. The last three remaining at the end were Belair, Morgan, and Bliss. A Twisted Bliss almost eliminated Belair, but Morgan immediately pinned Bliss after she hit the move. Belair and Morgan then went back and forth until Belair got the victory with the KOD.
In storyline, Belair had to overcome an emotional start to Elimination Chamber. She watched on from her pod as the returning Jade Cargill beat down Naomi, with it being indicated that Naomi was Cargill’s mystery attacker who took her out in November 2024. Belair & Cargill were the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions when Cargill was forced out of action. Naomi replaced Cargill as Belair’s partner, but they recently dropped the tag titles to Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez.
A confrontation between Belair, Ripley, and SKY took place on the stage after Belair’s win. If Ripley retains against SKY, Ripley vs. Belair at WrestleMania will be the first time they have ever faced off in a televised one-on-one match on the WWE main roster.
WrestleMania 41 is being held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 19 and Sunday, April 20.
Jade Cargill returns at WWE Elimination Chamber, mystery attacker revealed
Jade Cargill is back — and it looks like the identity of her attacker has been revealed.
Before returning tonight, Cargill had been away from WWE programming since being taken out by a mystery attacker in November 2024. She returned at the start of Elimination Chamber with revenge on her mind. As Liv Morgan and Naomi were about to begin the women’s Elimination Chamber match, Cargill’s music hit and she made her way down to the ring. WWE teased that she was going to go after Morgan, but Cargill beat down Naomi instead.
The indication given was that Naomi is turning heel and was Cargill’s mystery attacker. Cargill’s beatdown included kicking Naomi into a Chamber pod and slamming the cage door into her head. Naomi was then stretchered out and removed from the Elimination Chamber match.
From her Chamber pod, Bianca Belair was emotionally distraught watching the attack. Belair & Cargill were the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions at the time Cargill was taken out last November. In Cargill’s place, Naomi teamed with Belair as her new partner. They dropped the belts to Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez recently.
Cargill did have a legitimate injury when she was temporarily written off WWE TV last November but is now cleared to compete.
WOL: The Rock and Soul Express
It’s time for Wrestling Observer Live.
Tonight’s WWE Elimination Chamber in Toronto should answer some questions and set the table for WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas just a little over a month away.
While six contenders want a shot a Cody Rhodes’s WWE Championship, The Rock wants Cody’s soul.
Friday’s WWE SmackDown ended with Rock gifting Cody a new truck, the promise of an easier schedule so Cody can spend more time with his family, and more.
Plus, I talk the late Don Coss, Ricky Saints’ NXT debut, and an AEW Collision preview. Check it out.
WWE Elimination Chamber preview & predictions: Everything’s coming up Cena
WWE presents Elimination Chamber tonight and by the time it’s over, we will know a lot more about what this year’s WrestleMania card is going to look like.
It might not be the most exciting match type, but WWE has solidified the Chamber as a pivotal stop on the road to WrestleMania. Not only do the winners challenge for a World title at the company’s biggest weekend, but several non-title storylines usually develop as well. Saturday from Toronto should be no different.
Below are previews, betting odds, and predictions for each match on tonight’s Elimination Chamber from Rogers Centre (7 PM Eastern Peacock and Netflix):
Men’s Elimination Chamber match: John Cena vs. CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Logan Paul vs. Damian Priest vs. Seth Rollins
Most fans will be going into this match assuming that Cena will win and they’ll likely be correct.
Cena is currently listed as a -375 favorite which is significant considering there are five other wrestlers in the match. This would lead to Cena challenging Cody Rhodes for the undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania and him having a chance to win a World championship for the 17th time. It might be a little predictable, but it’s a feel good moment the fans want and will send them home happy.
Somewhat surprisingly, McIntyre has the next highest odds of winning. He’s listed as a +210 underdog but I don’t see it happening. McIntyre has his story feuding with everyone who has ever been loosely aligned with Roman Reigns. A win here and a program with Rhodes doesn’t seem consistent with his story leading up to now.
Punk (+300 underdog) is the next highest favorite in the match which at least makes a little more sense than McIntyre. Punk vs. Rhodes has been teased in a few segments, but Punk already has two other angles going on right now. Paul Heyman still owes him a favor for helping the original Bloodline team in WarGames at Survivor Series. That favor feels like it will have to do with Reigns at WrestleMania. Also, Punk was eliminated from the Royal Rumble by Paul, and an angle between the two of them is building as well. Punk’s dance card is too booked up to win Saturday.
After Punk, the oddsmakers aren’t giving anyone else a chance. Rollins is a +5000 underdog, Paul is at +6600, and Priest has the longest odds of them all at +10,000.
Prediction: Cena
Women’s Elimination Chamber: Liv Morgan vs. Bianca Belair vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley vs. Naomi vs. Roxanne Perez
According to the oddsmakers, the favorite to win the women’s Chamber match is Belair. In fact, at -450, she is listed as a bigger favorite to win her Chamber match than Cena is in the men’s.
I think the oddsmakers are incredibly wrong on this one. Belair’s storyline leading to WrestleMania is with Jade Cargill. Somebody is getting revealed as Cargill’s attacker pretty soon and regardless of where that angle goes, Belair is going to play a big part in it. She won’t be available for a storyline with Ripley leading into Mania and isn’t going to win the Chamber match on Saturday.
The next highest odds belong to Morgan at +400, but I consider her winning to be far more likely than Belair. Perhaps the reason why her odds aren’t as strong is the feeling that her feud with Ripley is over. They had three matches, and Ripley won two. But I think there is one more match left in the story if they want it. It was one of the hottest angles of 2024 and elevated Morgan significantly. However, Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez winning the Tag Team titles doesn’t bode well for Morgan being put into a significant singles storyline so soon after.
Which takes us to my big money pick for this month’s PLE. I do not recommend placing wagers on wrestling, but if I did, I’d put a little money on Bliss (+700) coming out of the Chamber with the win. I predicted Jey Uso to win the Royal Rumble at +2500 odds last month, just saying.
We haven’t been given too much of an idea as to what her story heading into Mania is, but a match between Bliss and Ripley seems like a big deal. Like, a generational clash of sorts. If they don’t go back to Morgan vs. Ripley for Mania, I think this is the direction they head.
Naomi is listed as a +800 favorite, but she won’t win for the same reasons Belair won’t. And nobody is giving Perez (+1600) or Bayley (+2500) much of a chance.
Prediction: Bliss
Will Cody Rhodes Decide To Be The Rock’s champion?
This segment was set up with an at-times confusing angle on WWE SmackDown two weeks ago. During a promo in which he seemed to switch back and forth between babyface and heel, Rock told Rhodes he wanted to elevate him into an even bigger star. So like, with more Instagram followers and stuff, I think. Then he gifted Rhodes a truck and a weight belt on last night’s show. You know, typical wrestling stuff.
I am not certain WWE knows where this angle is going. It feels like Rock is being shoehorned in, and they are finding a way to include him in something that they have been building without his involvement. This stuff between Rock and Rhodes could play into Rhodes vs. Cena at WrestleMania, perhaps with Rock being a guest referee. Regardless, it doesn’t sound as though Rock is going to wrestle at Mania this year. I hope they have a plan, but I’m worried they don’t.
Rhodes will turn down Rock’s offer and this will upset Rock, but what happens next is anyone’s guess.
Prediction: No, Cody Rhodes will not decide to be The Rock’s champion
Unsanctioned match: Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
When you add everything up, no two friends have ever been as terrible to each other as Zayn and Owens have been to each other.
Owens is a -220 favorite to win, and I think he will.
Neither Zayn nor Owens appears to have anything lined up for Mania so I’m assuming that whatever they do here leads to something else for Las Vegas. Most likely, Owens wins, tries to end Zayn’s career, then Zayn comes back and they do a big blowoff at Mania.
Owens and McIntyre’s origin stories are pretty similar. They were both turned bad guy when they were cheated out of World championship victories by Reigns, and now they have to watch all the people they considered allies or friends forgive Reigns. Owens’ feud with Rhodes was about that, everything McIntyre has been doing lately is about that, and it’s the catalyst for this renewed rivalry between Owens and Zayn as well. There’s something oddly satisfying about multiple angles being born out of one big one.
Prediction: Owens
Tiffany Stratton & Trish Stratus vs. Nia Jax & Candice LeRae
Trishy and Tiffy Time are massive favorites to win, listed at -2500.
Of course, with Stratton vs. Charlotte Flair official for WrestleMania, the likelihood of her losing here seems small. I imagine Flair will be on commentary or in attendance for the match, and we will get some type of staredown or something after.
There’s a chance they build up a future angle with Trish for Mania here, but the main focus is going to be on Stratton and her angle with Flair.
Prediction: Stratton & Stratus
WOR: Lawsuits, WWE employee compensation, Raw recap, news
Image: WWE
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including the Endeavor merger lawsuit, WWE employees upset with compensation changes, ratings, Arena Mexico Friday, AEW and NXT previews, the fall of PRIDE, the Raw report, Elimination Chamber, and tons more.
A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: New details on Endeavor lawsuit, WWE employee morale down
11:52: Arena Mexico update, ratings
17:28: UFC this weekend, lineups for this week, Pride episode of Dark Side of the Cage
33:18: WWE Raw recap, WWE Elimination Chamber lineup
We’re Live, Pal: AEW Grand Slam thoughts, wrestling culture discussion
It’s another episode of We’re Live, Pal as Andrew Zarian and I talk about what’s going on in wrestling today, available in audio form or free on YouTube (below).
We compared Vince McMahon and SNL’s Lorne Michaels before also discussing the following:
- Wrestling culture being so tribalistic and wondering if it can change
- Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay as babyface heroes
- Adam Copeland as a not-so-great babyface hero
- WWE Elimination Chamber matches
- Some of the head-scratching matches for WrestleMania so far
You can also follow the show account on X.
For website subscribers, you can click here to listen (sub needed).
Toronto to host WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 stadium show
A former WrestleMania venue is set to host WWE Elimination Chamber 2025.
The company revealed today that Elimination Chamber will emanate live from Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Saturday, March 1, 2025. Ticket information has not been announced yet, but fans can sign up to receive pre-sale details when they become available.
Rogers Centre (formerly known as the SkyDome) hosted WrestleMania VI in 1990 and WrestleMania X8 in 2002. In 1999, Raw had the largest crowd in show history with more than 40,000 fans attending an episode at the SkyDome.
“Canada is an amazing place to host our biggest Premium Live Events, with its passionate fans and rich history that spans decades,” Paul “Triple H” Levesque said in a press release. “On the heels of a record-breaking Money In The Bank this past July, we are excited to return to Toronto for an even larger event in 2025.”
The United Kingdom was originally rumored to be the front-runner for Elimination Chamber 2025 before Toronto emerged as the destination. This marks the second straight year that the PLE has been an international stadium event. Back in February of this year, Elimination Chamber took place from Perth, Australia.
Elimination Chamber 2025 is taking place on the road to WrestleMania 41 with just over a month between the events.
WWE bringing Elimination Chamber to England
WWE’s recent run of international PLEs will apparently continue as a new report out Thursday has next year’s Elimination Chamber event heading to England.
First reported by WrestleVotes and also confirmed by Bryan Alvarez, the show will take place this March with Birmingham and Manchester as the front-runners for the show. The venues were not reported, but are likely either the Utilita Arena Birmingham or the AO Arena, respectively.
It will be the final PLE before WrestleMania at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Once finalized, it will be the fourth-straight Elimination Chamber event to take place on international soil and also the fourth overall in the 15 Chamber events.
The first took place in February 2022 in Saudi Arabia, followed by Montreal, Canada, in February 2023, and Perth, Australia, in February 2024. It’s unknown if holding an event in March would mean the creation of a new PLE for February.
WWE/TKO leadership has been increasingly vocal about site fees, but it’s unknown at this time how much of a factor that is in deciding between the two cities.
Wrestling Observer Live: WrestleMania, Elimination Chamber, tech issues, Filthy Tom
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez is back, and there is nothing like coming home from vacation and everything goes wrong. Lost power so nothing works, nobody can connect, and so Bryan is on solo for 40 minutes talking more WWE allegations, the Rock returning for more dates leading to Mania, Elimination Chamber and more. Tom finally joins us for the final segment. HEY, IT WAS A FUN SHOW AS ALWAYS SO CHECK IT OUT~!
The (not) Bryan & Vinny Show: WWE Elimination Chamber, Ospreay-Oku
No Bryan, no other people, just Vincent Verhei reviewing WWE’s Elimination Chamber show from Perth, Australia.
The show had few surprises but lots of good wrestling, especially with the help of fast-forwarding. WrestleMania matches are set for Becky Lynch, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, and Rhea Ripley, with clear plans for Bianca Belair, Randy Orton, Logan Paul, and LA Knight as well.
We also have reviews of the brilliant Will Ospreay-Michael Oku match from Revolution Pro, one of the best matches you’ll see in all of 2024, and Bryan Danielson’s Dream Match of the Week, this time against Jun Akiyama on Collision. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Wrestling Observer Radio: Elimination Chamber, injury updates, WON awards, Collision, tons more
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including updates on Bronson Reed, Raquel Rodriguez and Sammy Guevara, Elimination Chamber results and thoughts, the Observer Awards, New Japan, Collision, AEW and WWE ratings and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: Why Bronson Reed missed Elimination Chamber, other injury notes
5:43: WWE Elimination Chamber recap, Raw lineup
26:26: Wrestling Observer Awards thoughts
41:31: NJPW weekend shows
55:45: UFC from this weekend
1:02:06: AEW Collision recap