Jack Swagger won the No. 1 Contender's Elimination Chamber Match

NEW ORLEANS  —The self-professed “Real American” Jack Swagger made pre–Presidents Day fireworks in the brutal World Heavyweight Championship No. 1 Contender’s Elimination Chamber Match. Swagger emerged victorious over five other former World Champions to earn the right to challenge Alberto Del Rio and headline WrestleMania 29! ( MATCH PHOTOS | EXCLUSIVE WITH SWAGGER AND COLTER)

Prior to the vicious battle, at least two people in the New Orleans Arena thought such an outcome was a foregone conclusion. Swagger and “great American” Zeb Colter laid down the gauntlet, belittling the patriotism of the people of the Big Easy and the entire nation before claiming, in no uncertain terms, that the pay-per-view would serve as the starting point for the journey to “Jack Swagger’s America.” Colter said that his compatriot “… was going to set things straight inside the Chamber and win one for the ‘good guys.’ … We the people!”

As his elite competition began to join them in “The Belly of the Beast,” however, Swagger’s American Dream looked as if it might quickly descend into a Chamber nightmare.

Only one thing was for certain in such an unpredictable showdown: the rules. Two Superstars would begin the match, with their four opponents locked inside individual pods. Every four minutes, a pod would open, releasing another competitor into the fray. If anyone was defeated at any point during the match, they would be eliminated from the match by pinfall or submission. And the carnage wouldn’t stop until only one Superstar remained.

The first two warriors to start the match were Daniel Bryan — who emerged victorious in the Elimination Chamber one year ago — and Chris Jericho — who has appeared in more Chamber Matches than anyone else. The two Superstars instantly took the fight to each other, trading submission attempts as they tried to get a quick elimination — before extending their fight to the painful, steel outer area of the battlefield for the first time. It would not be the last.    

Jack Swagger was first to emerge from the pod like a caged animal released. The “Real American” wasted little time using each inch of the unforgiving steel to make both Bryan and Jericho suffer. That was until Bryan unleashed a painful knee from above to send Swagger to the hard surface, writhing in pain.

Kane emerged next, making a momentary alliance with his fellow WWE Tag Team Champion, Bryan, to take down Swagger and Jericho. But when Bryan looked to double-cross The Big Red Monster with a surprise roll-up attempt, all “Hell” broke loose between them.

The action carried on with the four competitors until Randy Orton emerged from his pod with absolute serpentine aggression. Instantly cleaning house, WWE’s Apex Predator dropped Kane onto the steel grate with his trademark hanging draping DDT. As the smoke was still clearing from that devastating maneuver, Jericho and Orton rose above, delivering an incredible double superplex on Bryan and Swagger that left all five Superstars sprawled out on the battlefield!

That’s when the ferocious Henry was released from the pod, becoming the poster boy for annihilation. Just like that, Henry hit the World’s Strongest Slam on Bryan for the pin. He followed up moments later with a show of freakish force, hurling his adversary Randy Orton through a pod!

Henry wasn’t done there. When he and Kane went to war, the enraged Superstar hit a second World’s Strongest Slam, eliminating The Devil’s Favorite Demon.

Jericho and Swagger wisely begin working together to try and counter Henry’s relentless onslaught — treating The World’s Strongest Man to an excruciating double suplex on Henry onto the unforgiving steel!

Moments later, Jericho and Swagger were back at odds. But when Jericho tried to use the ropes to springboard onto the “Real American,” Henry caught him and hurled Y2J into the steel. He then used the six-time World Champion as a weapon, throwing him at back at Swagger.

Henry went to the well once too often, however, missing Swagger and Jericho when he tried to drop onto them from second rope. And after both his opponents launched a counter-attack, Orton re-emerged to RKO Henry for the three-count.  

Although eliminated, Henry was not done, opting to deliver World’s Strongest Slams to all three remaining Superstars, before SmackDown General Manager Booker T, Teddy Long and a slew of referees escorted him to the locker room.

From the carnage left behind, the three war-torn warriors battled on — matching one great move with another, over-and-over-again. Then, after delivering a double draping DDT on both men, Orton eliminated Jericho with the RKO.

As Orton was still rising from the pin, Swagger appeared from nowhere, rolling up The Viper for the monumental final pin! In his first appearance in the Chamber, Jack Swagger triumphed, setting him up to headline WrestleMania!

Six decorated Superstars had all entered the dreaded Elimination Chamber with one goal, to earn the right to challenge the World Heavyweight Champion and headline at the Showcase of the Immortals on April 7.

What resulted would be a concentration of ruthless competitors trapped in one confined space; specifically Jack Swagger, Mark Henry, Randy Orton, WWE Tag Team Champions Kane & Daniel Bryan and the Superstar who competed in more Elimination Chamber matches than anyone else, Chris Jericho.

But regardless of the tremendous odds before him, the ultra-aggressive Swagger — who had only returned to WWE on the Feb. 1 edition of SmackDown, following a long absence — would rise above. As a result, he will leap out of the Elimination Chamber and into the fire, as the stage is set for an international incident on The Grandest Stage of Them All, pitting the “Real American” against World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio.