Elimination Chamber 2011: Two Excellent Chambers Deliver the WrestleMania Road

Alberto Del Rio and Kofi Kingston open the pay-per-view with a useful singles match that keeps Del Rio's Royal Rumble momentum intact while giving Kingston enough offense to remain competitive. Kingston creates the faster exchanges and repeatedly forces Del Rio to reset, while Del Rio's control comes through targeting the arm and slowing the pace before each comeback. The finish follows that structure cleanly. Kingston tries to create one final burst, Del Rio catches the arm and traps him in the Cross Armbreaker for the submission. There is no interference and no protected escape. The match is not built as a major attraction, but it succeeds as a crisp opener and reinforces Del Rio as a serious WrestleMania challenger.

The SmackDown Elimination Chamber is the event's strongest match because it combines excellent pacing with a championship story that never loses clarity. Edge and Rey Mysterio start together, Wade Barrett enters third, Kane fourth, Drew McIntyre fifth and Big Show last, creating a sequence of distinct matchup phases. Big Show eliminates Barrett before Kane removes both Show and McIntyre, then Edge eliminates Kane and the match narrows naturally to Edge and Mysterio. Their final stretch is outstanding. Mysterio survives the Spear, creates multiple 619 chances and appears close to stealing the championship before Edge catches him in mid-air with another Spear. Edge retains cleanly, and Christian's post-match return to save him from Del Rio adds a strong closing angle.

The Corre's tag-title victory is short and functional, with the championship change mattering more than the five minutes of wrestling used to deliver it. Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov enter as champions with a crowd-friendly power-and-comedy formula, while Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel work faster and keep the pace moving through quick tags. The challengers never need a long control segment because the match is structured around one decisive opening. Gabriel eventually lands the 450 Splash on Kozlov and scores the pin to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. The clean title change gives The Corre tangible credibility before WrestleMania season. The match itself is too brief to become substantial, but it avoids overbooking and accomplishes its primary purpose efficiently.

The Miz and Jerry Lawler produce a better WWE Championship match than the pairing initially suggests because the crowd is fully invested in Lawler's late-career challenge. Lawler wrestles from the veteran underdog position and creates believable near-falls by timing his offense around Miz's mistakes rather than trying to match the champion athletically. The biggest moment comes when Lawler lands the diving fist drop, only for Miz to reach the bottom rope and stop the count. Alex Riley's presence creates another layer of tension, but the actual finish remains clean. Miz survives Lawler's final push and lands the Skull Crushing Finale for the pin. The champion retains decisively, while Lawler receives a credible title-match performance without an artificial upset tease.

The Raw Elimination Chamber delivers a strong main event by using character rivalries and unusual Chamber moments to keep the long match from becoming repetitive. Sheamus and Morrison start, Orton enters third and CM Punk's pod malfunction creates a temporary elimination before the Anonymous Raw General Manager orders Punk back into the match. That ruling lets Punk later eliminate Orton and keeps their rivalry alive. Morrison's crossbody from the top of the Chamber to eliminate Sheamus supplies the match's signature athletic image, while Punk eventually removes Morrison. The final sequence is straightforward and effective: Cena survives Punk and hits an Attitude Adjustment onto the Chamber floor for the last elimination. The win cleanly sends Cena to WrestleMania XXVII for the WWE Championship.