Elimination Chamber Matches through the years
WWE.com celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Elimination Chamber with a comprehensive photo history of ever Elimination Chamber Match in history.
The Elimination Chamber: the final, vicious obstacle on The Road to WrestleMania.
Ten years ago, the Elimination Chamber Match was born at Survivor Series 2002, where Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Kane, Rob Van Dam and Booker T clashed for The Game's World Heavyweight Championship.
The rules are painfully simple: two Superstars begin the contest, with the remaining four sealed in pods. At regular intervals, a random pod will open and a new competitor joins the fray. The last man standing wins.
Chris Jericho becomes the first Superstar to be thrown through a pod in this contest, courtesy of Kane.
What ceilings? Rob Van Dam takes to the skies, targeting a prone Triple H in the first Elimination Chamber Match. Ironically, Van Dam was also the first Superstar ever eliminated from the Chamber, by Booker T.
It took a Pedigree from Triple H and a Lionsault from Jericho to keep Kane down long enough for a pin.
Jericho and Michaels tied for the most eliminations in this Elimination Chamber Match, each coming up with two.
The Showstopper lived up to his name, outlasting his five challengers to claim Triple H's championship.
The first Elimination Chamber Match was also the first time this contest ended in a title change. It would not be the last.
The second Elimination Chamber Match, at SummerSlam 2003, pitted Triple H, Goldberg, Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash and Randy Orton against each other.
Once again, the contest would decide the World Heavyweight Championship, which The Game had since reclaimed.
Jericho only notched a single elimination in this match, while Goldberg dominated the evening with three all to himself.
The King of Kings retains his title this time, making this the first Chamber Match where a championship is successfully defended. It is also the shortest Elimination Chamber Match ever, clocking in at under 20 minutes.
The Game celebrated with his Evolution stablemates, Randy Orton and Ric Flair.
Shawn Michaels serves as the first - and only - guest referee in Elimination Chamber Match history at New Year's Revolution 2005.
Though it's the third Elimination Chamber Match in WWE history, it's the first one in which a vacant title - the World Heavyweight Championship - is up for grabs.
The pod keeps Superstars locked inside - sometimes for their own protection, it seems.
Along with Edge, Batista made his Elimination Chamber Match debut, and notched the most eliminations of the night with two.
Evolution again came to support its champion; this time Batista hoisted his teammate atop his shoulders in celebration.
The WWE Championship was defended in the Chamber for the first time at New Year's Revolution 2006, with four Superstars making their debuts inside the structure: John Cena, Kurt Angle, Carlito, and Chris Masters.
The Devil's Favorite Demon returned to the Elimination Chamber for the first time in four years at New Year's Revolution.
Incidentally, this was also the first Elimination Chamber Match that involved neither Triple H nor the World Heavyweight Championship,
Cena would only score one elimination in this match, of Carlito.
Cena ultimately prevailed, making this the first Elimination Chamber Match where the WWE Championship was successfully defended, and the first time a competitor had won in his first Chamber appearance since Triple H in 2002.
Big Show, Bobby Lashley, Rob Van Dam, Test, CM Punk and Shelton Benjamin met at December to Dismember 2006 for the first and only ECW World Championship Elimination Chamber Match in history.
This was the first Elimination Chamber not to involve Shawn Michaels in any capacity.
It was, however, the Elimination Chamber debut of Big Show and CM Punk, among others.
This was also the only Elimination Chamber Match that featured "Extreme Rules," where each pod was outfitted with its own weapon. Here, Big Show wields the infamous "Barbie."
The battle ultimately came down to Lashley and Big Show, and the challenger proved too much for The World's Largest Athlete.
Lashley won the match, taking Big Show's ECW World Championship in the process.
This was the first, last and only time the ECW Championship was decided inside the Elimination Chamber.
The SmackDown/ECW Elimination Chamber Match at No Way Out 2008 featured the Chamber debut of The Undertaker.
The Deadman fought Batista, Finlay, The Great Khali, MVP and Big Daddy V for a World Heavyweight Championship opportunity at WrestleMania XXIV.
Undertaker dominated the contest, eliminating Finlay, The Great Khali and Batista.
The Phenom found victory in the Chamber in his very first appearance, only one of four Superstars to do so.
Six Superstars battled for a WWE Championship opportunity at WrestleMania XXIV in the Raw Elimination Chamber Match at No Way Out 2008.
Contesting for the honor were Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Umaga, Chris Jericho, JBL and Shawn Michaels.
Jericho had the most prolific performance of the night, eliminating JBL and Umaga but ultimately fell to Jeff Hardy.
High risk maneuver nets zero gain, as The Cerebral Assassin avoids a Swanton Bomb.
A strong showing by Jeff Hardy couldn't halt The Game, who earned his spot in a Triple Threat Match against WWE Champion Randy ORton and John Cena at WrestleMania XXIV.
The Deadman returned to the Chamber at No Way Out in February 2009, challenging for Edge's WWE Championship.
Other competitors in the SmackDown brand contest included Big Show, Jeff Hardy, Triple H and Vladimir Kozlov.
In 2009, Edge became the first WWE Champion to be eliminated first in an Elimination Chamber Match, and the first ever eliminated before a pod opened.
Undertaker and Triple H tied for the most eliminations that night, with two apiece.
A Tombstone Piledriver nearly seals the deal for The Phenom ...
... But two Pedigrees from The King of Kings ultimately keeps his demonic foe down for a three-count.
Triple H walks away with the WWE Title, making him the first Superstar to have won both World Titles inside the Elimination Chamber. It is also The Game's record-setting fourth victory in such a contest.
John Cena defends his World Heavyweight Championship later that night against Chris Jericho, Kane, Mike Knox, Rey Mysterio, and Edge, who incapacitated Kofi Kingston in the locker room and took his place in the match.
This was Cena's only Elimination Chamber Match appearance where he did not eliminate a single Superstar.
Rey Mysterio dazzles in his Elimination Chamber Match debut, scaling the inside of the cage ...
... While putting his unique ground game to use against Chris Jericho.
Mysterio goes on to eliminate both Jericho and Kane from the match, tying Edge for most eliminations.
This stat makes our head spin: No Way Out 2009 represents the first time one Superstar has competed inside two Elimination Chamber Matches in one night.
A vicious Spear from The Ultimate Opportunist puts the Cenation leader down for the count.
Edge wins Cena's World Heavyweight Championship.
2010 marks the first year the Elimination Chamber received its own pay-per-view event.
Randy Orton, John Cena, Triple H, Kofi Kingston and Ted DiBiase all challenge for Sheamus's WWE Championship.
With Orton and DiBiase both in Raw's Elimination Chamber Match, the dissolution of The Legacy follows very soon afterward.
Cena emerges victorious, with the WWE Title in hand as his prize.
The SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Championship marks Chris Jericho's sixth entry in an Elimination Chamber Match.
Rey Mysterio, R-Truth, John Morrison and CM Punk joined Jericho in challenging for The Undertaker's World Heavyweight Title.
Punk's "pipe bomb" makes its Elimination Chamber debut.
Interference from Shawn Michaels incapacitates The Phenom and allowing Jericho to take The Deadman's championship.
Jericho's 2010 victory moves him into first on the all-time eliminations list, with 8 overall.
The series of events would set HBK's historic WrestleMania matches with The Undertaker in motion ... and eventually end in Michaels' retirement.
In 2011, Raw's Elimination Chamber Match features CM Punk, Sheamus, John Cena, Randy Orton, John Morrison and R-Truth.
The prize: A chance to challenge for The Miz's WWE Title at WrestleMania XXVII.
Morrison electrifiies in the Chamber, scaling the inside of the structure ...
... Then descending from above to eliminate The Celtic Warrior.
Cena's victory - his third - ushers him into second place for most all-time Elimination Chamber Match victories.
Edge puts his World Heavyweight Title on the line in SmackDown's Elimination Chamber Match against Rey Mysterio, Kane, Wade Barrett, Big Show and Drew McIntyre.
Barrett drives The Rated-R Superstar into the cold, unforgiving steel.
Mysterio dials up a 619 on The World's Largest Athlete.
The Rated-R Superstar clinches his second Elimination Chamber Match victory in one of his final title defenses before retiring due to injury.
Christian makes a dramatic return from injury in this match, attacking Alberto Del Rio. The Essence of Excellence attempted to cripple Edge following the contest.
