Conceived by former Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff, the menacing Elimination Chamber structure hung from the rafters of Madison Square Garden, taking our fans’ breath away as they saw the 10-ton structure for the first time. When it was lowered to the Garden floor, no one knew what to expect as the six Superstars chosen to fight for the World Heavyweight Championship entered the awesome device. Triple H entered the match as the defending champion, but was injured early in the match as Rob Van Dam’s Five-Star Frog Splash crushed The Game’s throat. Chris Jericho pinned Booker T, who earlier pinned RVD after a missile dropkick. Jericho then eliminated Kane, but succumbed to HBK’s Sweet Chin Music. Finally, The Showstopper superkicked his then-nemesis, Triple H, to win his fourth World Championship as celebratory confetti rained down in the World’s Most Famous Arena.

After his defeat in the first-ever Elimination Chamber, World Heavyweight Champion Triple H had Evolution in his corner to keep his title secure. Triple H even got teammate Randy Orton entered into the match as further insurance. Chris Jericho eliminated Kevin Nash after Sweet Chin Music by Shawn Michaels. As The Game tried to enter the match, he was superkicked back into his pod by HBK. Bill Goldberg entered the match last and eliminated Randy Orton. The former World Champion then speared Y2J through a Plexiglas pod, and eliminated HBK and Jericho in short order. Despite Ric Flair’s attempts to lock The Game’s pod, Goldberg busted through the Plexiglas and yanked Triple H out. As Goldberg set up The Game for a finishing spear, Flair slipped Triple H his trusty sledgehammer. The Cerebral Assassin clocked the charging Goldberg and picked up the winning pinfall. 

When the Elimination Chamber returned after more than a year’s absence, Shawn Michaels found himself entering the gothic steel structure for a third time – this time as a special guest referee. Triple H, Edge, Chris Benoit, Y2J, Batista, and Randy Orton entered the match in San Juan, Puerto Rico for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship.

Y2J eliminated Edge following a mouthful of Sweet Chin Music from referee HBK and a Lionsault. Batista then eliminated Benoit and then Jericho. But as Batista was set to powerbomb Orton, the Legend Killer delivered a low blow and vanquished him with an RKO. However, when the smoke cleared, Triple H outlasted his former Evolution teammate and claimed the World Heavyweight Title and his second straight win in “Satan’s Structure.” The Game is the only Superstar to win twice in the Chamber.

To kick off 2006 in Albany, N.Y., WWE Champion John Cena entered the Elimination Chamber and defended his title against Raw’s top five Superstars. During the match, Kurt Angle tried to make Cena submit to his Ankle Lock, but HBK delivered Sweet Chin Music to the Olympic champion and eliminated him. Carlito and Chris Masters teamed up to erase both Kane and HBK. However, the duo’s partnership wouldn’t last, as Carlito turned on Masters and low-blowed him for a quick pinfall. The cool Superstar wasn’t smart enough for Cena, who eliminated him to retain the gold in the Chamber. But Cena’s celebration was short-lived, as Edge used his Money in the Bank title contract to face the exhausted champion immediately after the Chamber was raised. The Ultimate Opportunist defeated the Chain Gang commander to steal the WWE Championship. 

In the first-ever ECW Extreme Elimination Chamber Match, weapons were added to the Chamber’s pods to be used by the combatants for Big Show’s ECW Championship. Bobby Lashley, Test, Rob Van Dam, Hardcore Holly (who replaced an injured Sabu) and CM Punk all fought the 500 pound giant in the 10 tons of steel, made more dangerous with a table, crowbar, steel chair and barbed-wire baseball bat all at their disposal. RVD’s aerial onslaught was too much for Punk. Test showed then-cohort Holly that he had no allegiances in the Chamber and crushed the Alabaman. He then vanquished Van Dam with his own brutal chair warfare. Bobby Lashley almost didn’t have a chance to enter the match as he was locked in his pod by Paul Heyman’s security guards. But he broke out and speared Test for the pinfall. Lashley then defeated Big Show to win the ECW Championship as a dejected Heyman looked on.