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Brock Lesnar-Roman Reigns Wrestlemania Clash Leaves No Room for Anything Else

Feb 19, 2022

WWE's Elimination Chamber pay-per-view on Saturday from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was a fitting conclusion to this year's run to WrestleMania 38.

As expected, Brock Lesnar emerged with the WWE Championship after winning the main event, creating a champion vs. champion scenario with Roman Reigns at The Show of Shows come April 2-3. 

Thus, concluding a 'Mania season that was strictly about Lesnar and Reigns with little room for anything else. 

That will translate to the marquee event itself, too. 

WWE's booking to get to this point says it all. Lesnar initially won the title at Day 1, with Reigns' inability to go due to COVID-19 letting him get thrown into the Raw title match. He then dropped it at the Royal Rumble to Bobby Lashley, only to enter the men's Rumble match, win that, then win the Elimination Chamber, too, securing not just the main event of WrestleMania but also the red brand's top title. 

The mind wanders as to the how and why behind the booking with The Beast Incarnate, who could have simply held onto the title...or, not won it at all while sending Big E back to tag team purgatory in very Kofi Kingston-esque fashion. 

It's somewhat funny that this sort of booking was given to Lesnar. This is, after all, the booking WWE would need to give to an up-and-comer it wants to establish as a top guy. He didn't need any of it, but he got it anyway.

How the men's Elimination Chamber match itself unfolded was a good example of why the company is in this spot in the first place. It can't build legitimate Superstars who aren't part-timers besides Reigns because everyone is made to look so foolish, even on the biggest of stages. 

Seth Rollins, a guy who has wins over Lesnar, is easily on his way to the WWE Hall of Fame and has probably been the best thing going on the main roster for months, was easily dispatched by the former UFC star. And not only that, it's clear fans won't see him get inserted into the Lesnar-Reigns match now. 

AJ Styles, one of the best ever and a man who has had at least one classic with Lesnar, was discarded like a chump. Matt Riddle, who would've made for a shocking underdog story with star-making potential, endured a similar fate. And once it was just Austin Theory left, as fun as it was to see him attempt to escape the carnage, it was painfully obvious what the end result was going to be. 

Oh, and Bobby Lashley? The outgoing champion? Not only did he look weak by needing outside help to win the title back at the Royal Rumble in the first place, he bonked his head and didn't get to defend his title on Saturday (working with the presumption it was part of the storyline, which the spot with Theory at the end would seem to suggest). 

WWE is unafraid to double- and triple-down on what it wants to be—a company headlined by two guys, to the point both men's titles need to be wrapped up in the main event. All roads to 'Mania run through Reigns and Lesnar and that's fine, but some of its top Superstars and guys with company-carrying potential don't need to look like dorks along the way. 

The grander point is this hangs the rest of the 'Mania card out to dry. WWE needs to fill not one, but two nights. And the current bill is the top title match, plus Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair, a pair of matches that, while sure to be good, have effectively run their course in the past. 

What's Lashley going to do? Rollins? Styles? What are the stakes now that so much was invested elsewhere? Is Damian Priest with the United States title and Sami Zayn with the intercontinental belt enough to make the rest of the card worthwhile? How many celebrity and part-timer showcases will WWE throw in at the last minute? 

It's almost ironic that thanks to a rough build and lack of stakes, none of the potential WrestleMania contests appear to have meaningful ramifications. Fans have been told not to care about anything else and will treat it that way.

And on that ironic note, the main event itself is a no-win situation. If Reigns wins, he's got two titles and nobody looks like a threat; if Lesnar wins, ditto, but it seems obvious he's losing before disappearing again until the next 'Mania season. 

So what's the move? Lesnar derails a historic run? Or Reigns potentially gets both program's top titles and holds them for another year? Or is WWE going to back out of this and suggest only one of the titles is at stake? Or maybe neither of them? Backing out via either option now would sure make a lot of this build is for naught, though. 

Truthfully, this year's Show of Shows has always felt like a holding-pattern 'Mania. It's pretty blatant with Reigns' booking that they're hoping The Rock can come back one more time for a feud that ends at WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles. 

But that just makes it all the more unfortunate that WWE went to these lengths to throw so many resources into a match that seems to have a pretty clear result already and no great direction for the fallout. It's unfortunate that the company didn't use this chance to pull some memorable shockers in the face of such predictability. 

While WrestleMania 38 will be a two-night event with a lot of Superstars and buzz, WWE has again signaled by sacrificing the rest of its roster that the only thing that matters is the latest rendition of Lesnar-Reigns, and there's just about no time left to change that perception. 

Brock Lesnar Wins WWE Title at 2022 Elimination Chamber Before WrestleMania 38

Feb 19, 2022
FILE - In this March 29, 2015, file photo, Brock Lesnar makes his entrance at Wrestlemania XXXI in Santa Clara, Calif. Lesnar, the former WWE and UFC heavyweight champion, was selected Monday, June 27, 2016, as the cover superstar for the WWE 2K17 video game that is set for an Oct. 11 release. (AP Photo/Don Feria, File)
FILE - In this March 29, 2015, file photo, Brock Lesnar makes his entrance at Wrestlemania XXXI in Santa Clara, Calif. Lesnar, the former WWE and UFC heavyweight champion, was selected Monday, June 27, 2016, as the cover superstar for the WWE 2K17 video game that is set for an Oct. 11 release. (AP Photo/Don Feria, File)

Brock Lesnar won an Elimination Chamber match at the same-titled pay-per-view in Saudi Arabia on Saturday to become the new WWE champion.

The Beast Incarnate beat a star-studded field comprised of previous WWE champion Bobby Lashley, as well as Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Riddle and Austin Theory.

Lesnar's win cemented a title vs. title match at WrestleMania 38 against Roman Reigns, who retained the Universal Championship over Goldberg earlier in the night.

The match came down to Lesnar and Theory, and while the 24-year-old managed to stick and move for a while, The Beast eventually smashed him through a pod and hit him with an F-5 off the top of one to win.

Lashley was never eliminated from the match, but he still lost the WWE Championship since he was unable to enter.

Rollins powerbombed Theory through The All Mighty's pod, which resulted in medical personnel helping Lashley out of the Chamber. The announce team than said the titleholder was in concussion protocol, meaning he could not compete.

Saturday's bout was announced on Raw two days after the Royal Rumble, and it didn't sit well with Lashley or MVP that The All Mighty was being forced to defend the title in such a grueling contest.

Lashley became a two-time WWE champion at the Rumble when he defeated Lesnar because of interference from Roman Reigns.

The Beast challenged Lashley to a rematch on Raw because of the circumstances surrounding his loss, but the titleholder declined. That led to WWE official Adam Pearce allowing Lesnar to be part of the men's Elimination Chamber match.

Rollins was also granted entry to the contest after beating Reigns by disqualification in a Universal Championship clash at the Royal Rumble.

The remaining three spots were determined by qualifying matches on Raw, and they were all tightly contested affairs.

Theory edged out Kevin Owens, Riddle defeated Otis to get in, and Styles beat Rey Mysterio to qualify in spectacular fashion.

The men's Elimination Chamber match featured four Superstars who had been world champions before and two Superstars who were hungry for their first taste of world title gold as well.

Lesnar was just a few weeks removed from dropping the title to Lashley at the Royal Rumble, but now he is a world champion again for the 10th time in his WWE career.

The Beast made it clear he wanted to face Reigns in a champion vs. champion match at WrestleMania 38, and that can now become a reality.


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Roman Reigns Defeats Goldberg Ahead of Brock Lesnar Match at WWE WrestleMania 38

Feb 19, 2022

In a first-time-ever match, Roman Reigns defeated Goldberg at WWE Elimination Chamber in Saudi Arabia on Saturday to retain the Universal Championship.

The Tribal Chief continued his historic run by making Goldberg pass out via a guillotine choke.

The veteran got in plenty of offense during the short bout, but Reigns managed to survive a pair of devastating Spears:

After retaining the championship via a disqualification loss against Seth Rollins at the Royal Rumble, The Tribal Chief was in need of an opponent for Elimination Chamber.

He already had plenty on his mind with men's Rumble match-winner Brock Lesnar declaring he would challenge him for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 38, but his journey to The Show of Shows got even tougher on the Feb. 4 episode of SmackDown.

After Reigns and The Usos welcomed Paul Heyman back into The Bloodline, Goldberg made a surprise return to WWE, appearing for the first time since beating Bobby Lashley in a Falls Count Anywhere match at Crown Jewel in October.

The 55-year-old referred to The Tribal Chief as his next victim and challenged him to a title match at Elimination Chamber, which seemed to concern Heyman.

The contest was made official shortly thereafter due largely to the fact that it was a clash that was supposed to happen two years ago only for it to get canceled and not rescheduled.

Reigns and Goldberg were set to do battle at WrestleMania 36 with the Universal Championship on the line. Days before the event, though, The Tribal Chief opted out to be with his family amid the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WWE replaced Reigns with Braun Strowman, who beat Goldberg for the belt. And by the time the titleholder returned during the summer of 2020, the former world heavyweight champion was no longer in the mix.

The veteran returned to make the dream match a reality at Elimination Chamber, but it was Reigns who escaped with his title run intact.

The Head of the Table has now held the championship for well over 500 days, and he is set to defend it again in the main event of WrestleMania against Lesnar.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: profanity).

Updated 2022 WWE Elimination Chamber Match Card Ahead of PPV

Feb 18, 2022
Bobby Lashley greets the crowd ahead of his match during the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Crown Jewel pay-per-view in the Saudi capital Riyadh on October 21, 2021. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)
Bobby Lashley greets the crowd ahead of his match during the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Crown Jewel pay-per-view in the Saudi capital Riyadh on October 21, 2021. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)

For the first time ever, the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view will be held in Saudi Arabia when it emanates from the Jeddah Super Dome on Saturday.

Elimination Chamber is the final pay-per-view before WrestleMania 38, and it promises to have massive implications for the most important event of the year.

There will be both a men's and women's Elimination Chamber match to determine the WWE champion and No. 1 contender for the Raw Women's Championship, respectively. Also, the Universal Championship, Raw Women's Championship and SmackDown Tag Team Championships will be on the line in other bouts.

Here is everything you need to know about when, where and how to watch Elimination Chamber, as well as a full rundown of the match card and a closer look at some of the top bouts.

Where: Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

When: Saturday, Feb. 19 at 12 p.m. ET (Kickoff Show starts at 11 a.m. ET)

Watch: Peacock


Elimination Chamber 2022 Match Card

  • Elimination Chamber Match for WWE Championship: Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles vs. Seth Rollins vs. Riddle vs. Austin Theory
  • Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Goldberg
  • Raw Women's Championship: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lita
  • Elimination Chamber Match for Raw Women's Championship No. 1 contender: Bianca Belair vs. Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Doudrop vs. Nikki A.S.H. vs. Alexa Bliss
  • SmackDown Tag Team Championships: The Usos (c) vs. The Viking Raiders
  • Ronda Rousey & Naomi vs. Charlotte Flair & Sonya Deville
  • Falls Count Anywhere: Drew McIntyre vs. Madcap Moss
  • Rey Mysterio vs. The Miz

Top Elimination Chamber Matches to Watch

Men's Elimination Chamber Match

In what may be one of the most stacked Elimination Chamber matches of all time, Bobby Lashley will put the WWE Championship on the line against five of Raw's top Superstars.

Chief among his competition is Brock Lesnar, who is set to compete in an Elimination Chamber match for the first time in his illustrious career.

Lashley and Lesnar faced off at the Royal Rumble in a match Lashley won, although he benefited from interference at the hands of Universal champion Roman Reigns.

Lesnar went on to win the Royal Rumble match and has already declared that he will challenge Reigns for the Universal title at WrestleMania, but there could be another wrinkle involved.

The Beast Incarnate has made it clear he wants it to be a title vs. title match, and he can make that a reality if he wins the Elimination Chamber match.

Lesnar is a strong candidate because of that possibility, although it would create a unique situation and perhaps spell the end of the brand split.

If WWE intends to keep the brand split going, it would make sense for someone else to win the match, and it could be Lashley given the dominant run he has been on lately.

Regardless of who prevails, it could be an all-time great Elimination Chamber match because of the talent involved.


Women's Elimination Chamber Match

There have only been a handful of women's Elimination Chamber matches in WWE history, and for the first time ever, one will be contested in Saudi Arabia.

Six of Raw's top female Superstars will do battle inside the imposing structure, with the winner moving on to challenge for the Raw Women's title at WrestleMania.

Bianca Belair is undoubtedly the odds-on favorite, as she was recently screwed out of a Raw Women's Championship match at the Royal Rumble by Becky Lynch, who interfered in a Triple Threat No. 1 contender's match to ensure she didn't win.

The assumption is that Lynch will enter WrestleMania as Raw Women's champion, and if that happens, Belair would be her most logical opponent.

Belair beat Sasha Banks in the historic main event of Night 1 of last year's WrestleMania to become champion, and she didn't drop it until SummerSlam when Lynch made her surprise return after missing more than a year because of pregnancy and maternity leave.

Lynch won by taking a cheap shot and has been a heel ever since, and WrestleMania is the ideal time for redemption.

Even though all signs point toward Belair winning at Elimination Chamber, there are some other factors worth keeping an eye on as well, including the continuation of Rhea Ripley's build back toward the top of the card and Alexa Bliss competing in a match for the first time in months.


Becky Lynch vs. Lita

In a first-time-ever dream match, Lynch will put the Raw Women's Championship on the line at Elimination Chamber against WWE Hall of Famer Lita.

The bout will represent Lita's first one-on-one singles match since before her retirement in 2006, which adds an extra layer of intrigue to the proceedings.

Lynch and Lita have had some entertaining exchanges on Raw in recent weeks, and Big Time Becks has been painted as someone who is afraid that someone she looked up to will beat her for the title on the road to WrestleMania.

Despite that storyline, Lynch is a heavy favorite to retain since it is widely assumed she will defend the title at WrestleMania, likely against Belair.

Still, Lynch vs. Lita has the makings of a must-see match since it is two all-time greats wrestling for the first and possibly only time.

If Lita has a good showing, it isn't outside the realm of possibility WWE could use her more moving forward, including at WrestleMania in April.

It figures to be a true showcase for Lynch, though, and another feather in her cap entering the biggest show of the year.


Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: profanity).