This week we moved to the next step on the road to WrestleMania with focus switching to this month's Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event. GiveMeSport looks back and counts down the ten best non-chamber matches in the event's history.

10

The Shield vs John Cena/Ryback/Sheamus (Elimination 2013) 

With Royal Rumble winner John Cena set on a collision course for a WWE Title match at WrestleMania 29, keeping him busy in the interim was this very early indication of what was to come for The Shield. The trio had only debuted in the November but put on an entertaining six-man outing against the baby face trio of Cena, Ryback and Sheamus- something that would become their trademark in their early days. The ending too, where Roman Reigns speared a waiting Ryback who had Rollins on his shoulders primed for a the Shellshock, was a fun way to give the three newbies the victory. 

9

John Cena vs Kane (Elimination Chamber 2012) 

Ambulance matches are a hard sell to pull off, given the ending lacks a proper moment for a crowd to pop, but these two veterans managed to showcase one of the better examples. Slap bang in the middle of the Kane, Cena and Zack Ryder story, the match was sluggish, spot heavy and culminated in Cena giving The Big Red Machine a showstopping AA off the top of the ambulance. Leaving Cena to go on to WrestleMania and face The Rock in their first 'Mania outing. 

8

Mickie James v Becky Lynch (Elimination Chamber 2017) 

A rare highlight from Mickie’s underutilized second run with WWE is this match with a Becky Lynch before she was The Man. The two women were the sideshow act (luchador gimmicks and all) to Alexa Bliss’ title defence against Naomi later that night but the pair put on an excellent bout, oozing ring-chemistry that left you wanting more from the pair in the future. 

7

The Miz vs Jerry Lawler (Elimination Chamber 2011) 

The most sports entertainment match on this list, where Jerry ‘The King Lawler’ was given a shot at the WWE Championship, a title he never held in his illustrious career. Opposing him was The Miz, riding high as the top heel in the company and easy-to-dislike foe for Lawler, who was still very much a big favourite on the commentary desk in 2011. The match didn’t have high expectations, but it overdelivered. With The King delivering all his signature spots, giving the crowd the chance to believe with some near alls, before ultimately succumbing to a Skull Crushing Finale from the champ. 

6

Daniel Bryan vs Drew Gulak (Elimination Chamber 2020) 

Heavily influenced by Daniel Bryan, this match and story with Drew Gulak was a perfect example of how to make a mark with an underused talent. Following Bryan’s lost to The Fiend at Royal Rumble, Gulak began to start watching all his matches and claimed to notice weaknesses in the former world champion’s arsenal. The engaging relationship led to a match between the pair in the Elimination Chamber opener, where Gulak got to show what he can really do between the ropes. Fifteen minutes that ultimately convinced WWE to re-sign Gulak when his contract expired later that year.

5

Randy Orton vs Luke Harper (Elimination Chamber 2017) 

A bit of a coming out party for the late Luke Harper, in a story where fans were chomping at the bit to see him included in the culmination of the story at WrestleMania. Orton and Harper had been at each other’s throats since The Viper won the Royal Rumble and it came to head at Elimination Chamber in a match that proved just what a talented performer Johnathan Huber was. Orton may have got the win, but the momentum really was with Harper. If only WWE had pulled the trigger and added him to Orton and Bray Wyatt’s WrestleMania match, it may have saved all of us from the projected maggots and cockroaches. 

4

The Rock vs CM Punk (Elimination Chamber 2013)

The Rock ending Punk’s 434-day reign as WWE Champion at the Royal Rumble had spilt the WWE fans, but Punk would seek revenge in this Elimination Chamber rematch - with the added caveat of Rock losing the belt if he got disqualified or counted out. The two put on another must-see affair, with The People’s Champ tasting his own Rock Bottom through an announce table before all types of shenanigans ensued. In the end though it was The Great One who retained and went on to face John Cena at WrestleMania. 

3

Kevin Owens vs John Cena (Elimination Chamber 2015)

The John Cena US Championship Open Challenge remains a highlight of Cena’s WWE career and perhaps the very apex of that run was his clash with NXT Champion Kevin Owens. Answering Cena’s call on Monday Night Raw, KO got in the face of Cena and laid him out like no other ‘challenger’ had done previously. It led to this match at a May Elimination Chamber event, where Owens not only hung with WWE’s very best but beat him clean in the middle of the ring. A monumental introduction for Kevin Owens and an NXT call-up moment that has yet to be bettered. 

2

Dean Ambrose vs Seth Rollins (Elimination Chamber 2015)

The Shield implosion at the hands of The Architect was on full display here as Seth Rollins put his WWE Championship he’d cashed in on at WrestleMania 31 on the line against Dean Ambrose. Rollins was aided my J&J Security and Kane, while Roman Reigns was banned from ringside, further stacking the deck against Ambrose. Yet it almost wasn’t enough for Rollins, who was pinned by his former Shield stablemate after a Dirty Deeds, only for the match to be awarded to Ambrose through a disqualification and allowing Seth to keep hold of his championship. Even if the Lunatic Fringe did leave the building that night with Rollins’ title in his stolen possession.

1

The Shield vs The Wyatt Family (Elimination Chamber 2014)

Not only is this the best non-chamber Elimination Chamber match in the event’s history, but it’s also the best match to ever grace an Elimination Chamber card. The face-off between the two popular groups had fans pumped before a punch was even thrown and the energy rarely dropped a beat from that moment on. Gang warfare in it’s finest form, the killer blow came from The Wyatts, as Bray Wyatt pinned Roman Reigns to give his family the win. When you look at what would then take place for both trios at WrestleMania, this really should have been the match that was booked on the grandest stage of them all.