Era of Wyatt Begins at Elimination Chamber

The era of Wyatt is upon us, and it was born at the Elimination Chamber as the Eater of Worlds saw off five other competitors within the barbaric structure to capture the WWE Championship.

A crushing "Sister Abigal" manoeuvre on AJ Styles wrapped up the bout to set up a massive showdown with cult brother Randy Orton at WrestleMania. Another title also switched hands on the night as Naomi finally struck gold with a triumph against Alexa Bliss.

Above image and feature image: WWE.com

Mojo Rawley and Curt Hawkins were first to enter the ring at the Talking Stick Resort Arena, with a high-paced kick-off show bout going in favour of the recently-promoted competitor. The writing was on the wall when he wobbled Hawkins with a forearm, following that with vicious impact as he hit a tilt-a-whirl power-slam for the three count. On paper it showed that at times the brand divisions can lead to weakened cards, however these two performed well nonetheless.

Image: WWE.com

Getting the pay-per-view kicked off were the women, with an unprecedented 3 bouts from the division scheduled on the bill. The legendary Mickie James went one-on-one with revolution pioneer Becky Lynch - and it was "The Irish Lass Kicker" who left her opponent irate by seizing the moment with a roll-up pin. That followed a series of submission attempts starting with the Irishwoman's armbar and then her opponent's pin reversal. It's safe to say we haven't seen the end of this saga yet.

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@BeckyLynchWWE vs @MickieJames was AWESOME!!!! #EliminationChamber ☘️🔥🔥

— Charlotte Flair (@MsCharlotteWWE) February 13, 2017

Handicap action was next in store as the tandem of Apollo Crews and Kalisto looked to silence the rebellious Dolph Ziggler. However, "The Show-Off" managed to gain a crucial upperhand by attacking the masked cruiserweight prior to the match, effectively making it a singles match for the most part as the Americans engaged in an even encounter. To the disarray of the former Spirit Squad member, Kalisto managed to hobble down to the ring at a crucial point in the match, getting a hot-tag and managing to finish off Ziggler. While the team may have won, they wouldn't leave Phoenix in good health - as the heel went to work with a steel chair, leaving Apollo in ruins. We have our seeds planted for a WrestleMania, pre-show bound, feud.

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EXCLUSIVE: After what transpired with @ApolloCrews & @KalistoWWE at #WWEChamber, the LAST thing @HEELZiggler wants to do is TALK... pic.twitter.com/eWyLSZgB7Q

— WWE (@WWE) February 13, 2017

"Turmoil" was the very best way to describe the tag team championship contest which saw American Alpha prevail against the rest of the tag team division. Breezango and Beauty and the Man Beast started off the action, with one spear from Rhyno enough to dispatch the fashion police. Continuing with the recurrent pantomime theme, the Vaudevillains were also seen off by Slater and Rhyno, before the new look Usos ended their run. It was then time for the showdown between the reigning champions and the Samoans, with the blood boiling between the rivals spilling over into a brawl. Eventually, Gable and Jordan were able to dispatch the Polynesians although that wouldn't be the last of it, as the twins unleashed a beating and essentially made it easy-pickings for the last time to enter: The Ascension. They dominated for a majority of the remainder, only until the defending champions pulled it out of the bag and took them out. It was a sensational showcase of the talent, but a limited one too. The Usos are most likely next in line for a shot at American Alpha, after that though it begins to get repetitive.

Image: WWE.com

Image: WWE.com

Man American Alpha are so good. A legit throwback tag team. #WWEChamber

— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) February 13, 2017

Nikki Bella finally got her hands on Natalya when the two looked to settle their differences in a grudge match, but when all was said and done we may have more questions than answers. It ended in a double count-out which culminated a match with mimicking family submissions, back-and-forth, and typical heel versus face action. As both scrapped outside the ring, the referee counted down, and Nikki was unable to get back into the squared circle in time as her Canadian foe stopped her. But ending the night on top would be the Fearless one, nailing a huge spear on the ramp. Match endings and situations like this are really for SmackDown, and at times this event felt like an amped-up version of the Tuesday night show.

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Randy Orton may have had his ticket punched to the main-event of WrestleMania 33, but he didn't sit back on a night where his potential opponents went to war in the barbaric chamber structure. He would have his hands full with now estranged Wyatt family brother Luke Harper, and it proved to be a hard-hitting, ferocious contest which left spectators in Phoenix dazzled. The original member was out to prove his quality as an individual competitor - he did that, and then some. Taking the fight to The Viper from the off, the drop kicks and clotheslines left the snake rattled and the fight would spill to the outside as well, with a big slam on the announcer's desk. With the crowd in full voice chanting "This is awesome", they traded shots as they got back to their feet. Harper went for a discus clothesline, but it was countered as the former world champion nailed an RKO for the pin. The valiant effort from Harper sets him up for brighter things in the future, having held his own so well as an individual competitor. The man who beat him, Randy Orton, has WrestleMania on his plate and is as big a threat as ever.

Image: WWE.com

Image: WWE.com

Best match of Luke Harper's WWE career. A loss does zero damage. This man is a star. #WWEChamber

— Mikey (@LesnarSupport) February 13, 2017

SmackDown's women's championship was up for grabs in the co-main event, and it saw an ending to the reign of Alexa Bliss. Naomi finally realised her dream by defeating "The Wicked Witch" in a memorable bout. Her athleticism certainly threw off the champion and she even hit her signature move early in the fight for a near fall. Alexa's progression continued though as she showed her skills and controlled large chunks of the title fight. It appeared she was zeroing in on the victory, but there was just nothing putting Naomi away - and she then turned the tide by countering a top-rope move, and executing a moonsault to take the title. The era of Bliss comes crashing to an end, an interesting move but you have to be happy for Naomi, she is returning to her home state for WrestleMania as the champion.

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going to bed tonight with a smile on my face not only bc I am now a champion but from all the ❤️ & support WE did it #wweuniverse #glowmob

— Trinity Fatu (@NaomiWWE) February 13, 2017

The debut of a streamlined new Elimination Chamber structure was followed by the entrances of six of SmackDown's top stars to do battle for the top prize in sports entertainment, the WWE championship. Defending champion John Cena went into the bout with the odds stacked against him, and saw his prospects diminish further when he had to start the match. Fittingly, he shared the square circle with his rival and the man he beat at the Royal Rumble to tie Ric Flair's record for most title reigns, and it proved to be a hot start to the bout. Tit-for-tat once again, before Dean Ambrose was let free and went high-risk. He made Styles and Cena accustomed to the steel by slamming them into the chain link on multiple occasions, and Bray Wyatt's eventual inclusion only made the match more sadistic. He was flying and tore through the opposition, before Corbin followed similar. One last person was to enter, and it was The Miz. The Lone Wolf was waiting for him though - to his own detriment, as out of nowhere Ambrose came and got the roll-up to eliminate the largest superstar in the Chamber. Refusing to go easily, Corbin rampaged and attacked the former Shield man, letting out all his frustration even with numerous officials attempting to stop him. That made it all straightforward for Miz to pin a helpless, unconscious Dean Ambrose and we were down to four superstars. It was all going so well for The Awesome One right until he fell into the arms of John Cena - having went on a hot streak where he had the champion and Bray Wyatt at the receiving end of some vicious, Daniel Bryan mocking, kicks. The CeNation Leader caught him mid-air for the crossbody, rolled through and nailed the Attitude Adjustment to end his run. Looking to seize the moment, AJ Styles and Bray Wyatt then both teamed up and went after the champion, although that relationship was bound to end soon and it did when they engaged in a striking matchup. Cena was able to rally and hit a double Five Knuckle Shuffle, and he was reading to dispatch Bray Wyatt when a Sister Abigail counter ended his record-tying reign. AJ Styles and Bray Wyatt were left, with a new WWE Champion now guaranteed. They went toe-to-toe, reversal after reversal, as the brutal grounded style of Wyatt attempted to deny the air-frenzy brought to the table from Styles. Ultimately, a springboard forearm was countered into a Sister Abigail, and the three-count resulted in the start of the Wyatt era, his first ever signles title in WWE and it was a big one. WrestleMania 33 bound - the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. A fantastic chamber match - disappointing to see how Corbin's bid ended, but bravo to putting Bray Wyatt over.

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And then, the reality struck. Standing at the top of the stage, looking on, was the man who has earned the right to face the champion: Randy Orton. It's going to be a spectacular storyline going into WrestleMania 33, where the brothers will fight in Orlando - or will they?

Image: WWE.com