Just like No Way Out 2008, No Way Out 2009 featured two Elimination Chamber matches and just like last year, this show was amazing!
Match 1: Elimination Chamber – WWE Championship – Edge (c) vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Vladimir Kozlov vs. The Undertaker vs. The Big Show vs. Triple H
This is how you book an Elimination Chamber match. When I heard The Undertaker’s music start off the show, I was totally shocked. I thought that this would be the main event match but once Edge was the first man eliminated, the pieces of the puzzle finally went together. After Jeff Hardy eliminated the WWE Champion, things got intense, and may I remind you that this was in the first 5 minutes of the match. Once Edge was eliminated, the two big heels entered the match where they battled it out until Triple H entered. Finally, The Undertaker entered as he and Triple H were the two last remaining men in the Chamber. The two then wrestled in around 5 minutes and they filled up those 5 minutes with back and forth action that left me on the edge of my seat. Triple H finally hit a second Pedigree on The Undertaker to win the WWE Championship once again.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ****1/2
Match 2: No Holds Barred – Shane McMahon vs. Randy Orton
Going into this match, my expectations were very high but at the same time, I was worried how this match would turn out considering the show is now PG. However, I can say with my head up high that this match was a bloody brawl that kids should not watch! In regular Shane McMahon fashion, things got out of hand. From the leap off the top rope onto an announcer’s table, a superplex through a table, a Coast to Coast, and other vicious moves, Orton picked up the victory after landing a surprise RKO on Shane McMahon. Although this is the PG era of the WWE, this match was bloody and violent. It was good to see Shane back in the ring and it was even better to see him put over Orton like this.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/2
Match 3: ECW Championship – Jack Swagger (c) vs. Finlay
After two amazing and brutal matches, this one had absolutely no chance of winning over the crowd. I think this match would have been a lot better if it were to be placed as the opener. As for the match itself, it was just slow and a huge crowd killer with nothing special really happening. Swagger hit his Gutwrench Powerbomb finisher to put away Finlay and retain his ECW Championship.
Winner: Jack Swagger
Rating *1/4
Match 4: Shawn Michaels vs. John “Bradshaw” Layfield
Shawn Michaels has a perk of making old wrestlers look amazing and he did that in his match with JBL. At this point, JBL is pretty much finished but you wouldn’t know that by watching his match with Michaels here. With a lot at stake in this match, the two told a great story of Michaels fighting for his freedom and JBL fighting for Michaels. A good match and a good send off for the main event.
Winner: Shawn Michaels
Rating: **
Match 5: Elimination Chamber – World Heavyweight Championship – John Cena (c) vs. Edge vs. Mike Knox vs. Kane vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho
Before the match took place, Edge attacked Kofi Kingston and took his spot in the Chamber. Jericho and Mysterio then started the match as they battled all over the Chamber until Kane and Knox were unleahed from their pods to slow the action down a bit. Mysterio then hit a Seated Senton off the top of one of the pods to eliminate Kane and Jericho hit a Codebreaker to eliminate Knox. After, Edge entered and the three men all fought until the World Heavyweight Champion entered the match. Cena looked dominant but was stopped after a 619, a Codebreaker, and a Spear which then eliminated him from the match. The match then goes into top gear and it just takes off as we are now bound to crown another World Champion! Mysterio and Jericho went after another but Mysterio was too much for Jericho as Mysterio pinned Jericho with a roll-up and now it’s a one on one match between Edge and Mysterio, a repeat of their No Way Out 2008 match. Edge and Mysterio then went after another in back and fourth action where every near fall was closer than the last one. Mysterio then hit a reverse 619 on Edge but Edge threw Mysterio into a pod and Speared him to win the World Heavyweight Championship in an incredible way! I didn’t think it was possible to top the first Elimination Chamber match but this one did just that. The part of the match where Knox and Kane were in it were very slow but it’s hard to complain about that when they were in there for a short period of time. When Edge and Cena entered, the match didn’t look back as the four remaining men in the match brought their game.
Winner: Edge
Rating: ****3/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
I didn’t think this year’s No Way Out would top last years but it did as the two Elimination Chambers were heart pounding beauties. The rest of the card was decent to good but it’s hard to say they were time wasters as those matches gave credibility to Swagger, put over Orton as a monster heel, and ended the great Michaels/JBL feud. If you are interested in checking this PPV out, then do it. No Way Out 2009 is a great PPV and should be checked out by everyone.
Rating: 9/10
