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Elimination Chamber (2012)
Elimination Chamber (2012)
Elimination Chamber (2012)
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Elimination Chamber
Sheamus holding a crown with a logo on the bottom stating "WWE Elimination Chamber"
Promotional poster featuring Sheamus with the Elimination Chamber Structure in the background
PromotionWWE
DateFebruary 19, 2012 (2012-02-19)
CityMilwaukee, Wisconsin
VenueBradley Center
Attendance15,306[1]
Buy rate178,000[2][3]
Pay-per-view chronology
← Previous
Royal Rumble 		Next →
WrestleMania XXVIII
Elimination Chamber chronology
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2011 		Next →
2013

The 2012 Elimination Chamber (known as No Way Out in Germany) was the third Elimination Chamber professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It took place on February 19, 2012, at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Six matches were contested at the event, five of which were broadcast on the pay-per-view while the other was a dark match. In the main event, John Cena defeated Kane in an Ambulance match. There were two matches contested inside the Elimination Chamber. In the first, which opened the show, CM Punk defeated The Miz, Chris Jericho, Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, and R-Truth to retain the WWE Championship, while in the second, Daniel Bryan defeated Santino Marella, Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, Big Show, and The Great Khali to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.

The event garnered 178,000 pay-per-view buys, down from 199,000 buys the previous year's event received.

Production

[edit]

Background

[edit]
The event was held at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Elimination Chamber is a gimmick pay-per-view (PPV) produced every February by WWE since 2010—in April 2011, the promotion ceased going by its full name of World Wrestling Entertainment, with "WWE" becoming an orphaned initialism.[4] The concept of the show is that one or two main event matches are contested inside the Elimination Chamber, either with championships or future opportunities at championships at stake.[5] The 2012 event was the third Elimination Chamber and the first to be held since the end of the first brand split in August 2011.[6] The event was scheduled to be held on February 19, 2012, at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Tickets went on sale on December 17, 2011.[7][8]

The previous year, the show was promoted as "No Escape" in Germany as it was feared that the name "Elimination Chamber" may remind people of the gas chambers used during the Holocaust. For the 2012 event, the show was promoted as "No Way Out".[9][10]

Storylines

[edit]

Elimination Chamber featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds, plots, and storylines that were played out on Raw, SmackDown, and WWE Superstars—WWE's television programs. Wrestlers portrayed heroes or villains as they followed a series of events that built tension, and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.[11][12]

The first match was announced by Interim Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis on January 30 on WWE's website featuring WWE Champion CM Punk defending his title against Dolph Ziggler, Chris Jericho, The Miz, R-Truth, and Kofi Kingston. The following week on Raw, Jericho won a Six-Pack Challenge featuring all six Elimination Chamber participants to earn the right to enter the match last.[13]

On the February 3 episode of SmackDown, it was announced by SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long that there would also be an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship originally featuring Daniel Bryan defending his title against Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, Big Show, Mark Henry and Randy Orton.[14] The same night as the announcement, Henry would be removed from the match and suspended indefinitely by Long after he threatened him. In reality, Henry had hyperextended his knee the previous week. Later in the night, The Great Khali was announced as Henry's replacement.[14] On the February 13 episode of Raw, Orton suffered a legitimate concussion during a match, which was blamed in storyline by Bryan hitting him in the head with the title.[15] On the February 17 episode of SmackDown, a battle royal was held to determine Orton's replacement, which was won by Santino Marella, enabling him to enter the match.[16]

John Cena and Kane began feuding in December 2011, with Kane targeting Cena due to his T-shirt slogan, "Rise Above Hate". To play psychological games with Cena, Kane began targeting Cena's friend Zack Ryder and his on-screen girlfriend, Eve Torres, attacking Ryder and cornering Eve in a variety of situations, all in an effort to make Cena "embrace the hate".[17] On the February 6 episode of Raw, an ambulance match was announced for Elimination Chamber between Kane and Cena.[18]

Event

[edit]
Other on-screen personnel
Role: Name:
English Commentators Michael Cole
Booker T
Jerry Lawler
Spanish Commentators Carlos Cabrera
Marcelo Rodriguez
Backstage interviewer Josh Mathews
Ring announcer Justin Roberts
Referees Mike Chioda
John Cone
Scott Armstrong
Jack Doan

Before the event aired live on pay-per-view, Hunico defeated Alex Riley in a dark match.

Preliminary matches

[edit]

The first match to air on pay-per-view was the Elimination Chamber match between reigning champion CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, Chris Jericho, Kofi Kingston, R-Truth, and The Miz for the WWE Championship. Punk started off the match with Kingston. Punk sent Kingston into a pod and performed a Suplex on Kingston onto the chamber floor. Ziggler entered at #3, targeting Punk. R-Truth entered at #4, being eliminated by Punk after a diving elbow drop. Next was Miz followed by Jericho, who won the right to enter last after winning a Six-Pack Challenge on Raw. Jericho eliminated Ziggler after a Codebreaker and eliminated Kingston after forcing Kingston to submit to the Liontamer. Jericho was then knocked out after a roundhouse kick by Punk, leading to him falling out of the chamber (which had been opened to let Kingston out after he was eliminated) and accidentally landing on a camera man, knocking them out in the process and causing the latter to be deemed unable to continue by the ringside trainers, but this implies whether this method eliminated Jericho or not. Punk and Miz were the final two, after Punk kicked out of the Skull Crushing Finale, Punk performed a G.T.S. on Miz to score the final fall and retain his championship.

Next was the Divas Championship match between reigning champion Beth Phoenix and Tamina Snuka. After a back-and forth-contest, Snuka would performed a Samoan drop to set up the Superfly Splash. Phoenix countered by superplexing Snuka from the top rope. Snuka then scored a superkick-Superfly Splash combination to Phoenix, leading to a close near-fall. Phoenix performed a Glam Slam on Snuka to score the pinfall and retain her title.

CM Punk and Daniel Bryan defended their respective titles of WWE Champion and World Heavyweight Champion in Elimination Chamber matches.

Next was the Elimination Chamber match between reigning champion Daniel Bryan, Big Show, The Great Khali, Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, and Santino Marella for the World Heavyweight Championship. Barrett and Big Show were the first two in the ring, attacking one another. Rhodes entered at #3, who worked with Barrett for much of the match, attempting to slow down Big Show. Marella entered at #4, who immediately got attacked by Big Show. Khali entered at #5 and managed to dominate for a while but soon got speared by Show straight away and pinned. Show climbed Bryan's pod, ripping off the chains and attacking him. When Bryan got out, Rhodes and Barrett immediately attacked Show. After a DDT by Rhodes and a driving elbow drop from Barrett, Rhodes pinned and eliminated Big Show. Rhodes was eliminated by Marella after a roll-up, which led to Rhodes assaulting Marella with a Cross Rhodes. Barrett was eliminated by Marella, following a diving headbutt by Bryan. The final two were Bryan and Marella, who scored a close near-fall after performing The Cobra. Marella was shocked that Bryan had kicked out and while he was in shock, Bryan forced Marella to submit to the LeBell Lock, retaining his championship. After the match, Sheamus ran in and attacked Bryan in retaliation for Bryan spitting on him on the previous episode of SmackDown. This indicated that Sheamus had selected to challenge Bryan for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXVIII, which Sheamus won the right to do after his victory in the Royal Rumble match.

Next was an impromptu United States Championship match between Justin Gabriel (with Hornswoggle) and champion Jack Swagger (with Vickie Guerrero). Gabriel gave Swagger an intense challenge but Swagger eventually applied the Ankle lock and made Gabriel submit to retain the championship.

Main event

[edit]

The main event was the Ambulance match between John Cena and Kane. They fought out of the ring for most of the match where Cena attacked Kane repeatedly with the steel ring steps. As he attempted to give Kane an Attitude Adjustment off the ring steps through the announce table, Kane countered and chokeslammed Cena through the table instead. With Cena down, Kane placed him onto a gurney and loaded him into the ambulance. Before Kane could shut the door, though, Cena fought his way out of the ambulance and took the fight to the top of the vehicle, where he finally finished off Kane with an Attitude Adjustment off the ambulance onto the equipment area. Cena then loaded Kane into the ambulance to score the victory.

Reception

[edit]

The Canadian Online Explorer gave the event a mixed review with an overall rating of 5 out of 10. The Elimination Chamber matches were particularly praised, with the WWE Championship match given an 8 out of 10 rating and the World Heavyweight Championship match a 9 out of 10. In contrast, the United States Championship match was criticized as it "seemed to be shoehorned into the card" and was given a 2 out of 10. The Divas Championship match and the Ambulance match were given a 4 out of 10.[19]

Results

[edit]
No.ResultsStipulationsTimes
1DHunico (with Camacho) defeated Alex Riley by pinfallSingles match[20]—
2CM Punk (c) defeated The Miz, Chris Jericho, Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler (with Vickie Guerrero), and R-TruthElimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship[21]32:39
3Beth Phoenix (c) defeated Tamina Snuka by pinfallSingles match for the WWE Divas Championship[22]7:19
4Daniel Bryan (c) defeated Santino Marella, Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, Big Show, and The Great KhaliElimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship[23][24]34:04
5Jack Swagger (c) (with Vickie Guerrero) defeated Justin Gabriel (with Hornswoggle) by pinfallSingles match for the WWE United States Championship[25]3:48
6John Cena defeated KaneAmbulance match[17]21:20
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match
D – this was a dark match

Elimination Chamber entrances and eliminations (WWE Championship)

[edit]
Eliminated Wrestler Entered Eliminated by Method Time
1 R-Truth 4 CM Punk Pinfall 11:38
2 Dolph Ziggler 3 Chris Jericho Pinfall 21:15
3 Kofi Kingston 2 Chris Jericho Submission 26:58
4 Chris Jericho 6 N/A Unable to continue 28:09
5 The Miz 5 CM Punk Pinfall 32:39
Winner CM Punk (c) 1

Elimination Chamber entrances and eliminations (World Heavyweight Championship)

[edit]
Eliminated Wrestler Entered Eliminated by Method Time
1 The Great Khali 5 Big Show Pinfall 19:25
2 Big Show 1 Cody Rhodes Pinfall 24:37
3 Cody Rhodes 3 Santino Marella Pinfall 25:00
4 Wade Barrett 2 Santino Marella Pinfall 30:37
5 Santino Marella 4 Daniel Bryan Submission 34:04
Winner Daniel Bryan (c) 6

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Elimination Chamber (2012)

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Elimination Chamber (2012) was the third (PPV) event in the series produced by , held on February 19, 2012, at the in , , in front of an attendance of 15,306 fans. The event featured wrestlers from both the Raw and SmackDown brand divisions, following the suspension of 's in 2011. It showcased six matches, including two high-stakes matches—one for the on Raw and one for the World Heavyweight Championship on SmackDown—along with bouts for the , , and WWE Tag Team Championship, plus a grudge-settling ambulance match. The card opened with the Raw Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship, where champion CM Punk defended against Chris Jericho, Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, R-Truth, and The Miz; Punk retained the title after eliminating The Miz last at 32:39. This was followed by Beth Phoenix defending the WWE Divas Championship against Tamina Snuka, retaining via pinfall after a Glam Slam at 7:19. The SmackDown Elimination Chamber match saw World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan retain against Cody Rhodes, The Great Khali, Santino Marella, The Big Show, and Wade Barrett, surviving until the end at 34:04 after AJ Lee's interference helped eliminate Barrett. Additional matches included Jack Swagger defeating Justin Gabriel to win the WWE United States Championship in 3:48, Epico and Primo retaining the WWE Tag Team Championship against The Usos via disqualification at 9:34, and the main event ambulance match where John Cena overcame Kane at 22:21 to end their rivalry. A dark match saw Hunico defeat Alex Riley prior to the broadcast. The event served as a key precursor to , with the Elimination Chamber winners earning title opportunities; however, both champions Punk and Bryan retained, setting up defenses against and , respectively. It drew a buyrate of 178,000, reflecting solid interest in the chamber format's intensity and the star power involved.

Production

Background

The 2012 Elimination Chamber was a pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), serving as the third installment in the series. It took place on February 19, 2012, at the in , , drawing an attendance of 15,306 spectators. The event was included in WWE's official 2012 PPV schedule, which comprised 13 events and was publicly released on December 29, 2011, positioning Elimination Chamber as the follow-up to the Royal Rumble and a key buildup to . Production for the event emphasized the signature structure, a double-ringed steel cage match format originally introduced in in 2002 and adapted for PPV main events starting in 2010. The was selected as the venue due to its central location in the Midwest, facilitating strong regional attendance for 's post-Royal Rumble touring schedule. marketed the show heavily on its Raw and SmackDown programs, with promotional segments highlighting the high-stakes chamber matches as title defenses that would shape storylines. The event generated 178,000 PPV buys, reflecting solid commercial interest amid 's transition toward platforms. Key production milestones included the announcement of the card's cornerstone matches in early 2012. On the January 30, 2012, episode of Raw, Interim Raw General Manager revealed the Raw match for the , pitting champion against challengers , , , , and . This six-man structure was designed to showcase intense eliminations and rivalries stemming from recent Raw episodes. Similarly, the SmackDown match for the World Heavyweight Championship was confirmed on February 2, 2012, featuring champion Daniel Bryan defending against , , , , and a finalist from a won by . These announcements integrated ongoing brand-specific feuds, with creative decisions led by WWE's production team under Triple H's growing oversight as Executive Vice President of Talent Relations. Additional undercard bouts, such as the main event ambulance match between and Kane, were added to balance the show with non-chamber action, addressing fan feedback on variety from prior events. Production logistics involved transporting the 16-foot-high, 10-ton structure to , a process refined since its PPV debut to ensure safety and spectacle. The event was broadcast live on PPV in , with international markets receiving it under the title No Way Out in due to regional branding adjustments. Overall, the production aimed to deliver a transitional PPV that advanced multiple championship narratives toward while capitalizing on the chamber's brutal, unpredictable format.

Storylines

The primary storylines heading into revolved around the and World Heavyweight Championships, with both titles defended inside the Elimination Chamber structure to determine the respective champions entering season. On Raw, Champion , who had held the title for over three months since defeating at , faced a gauntlet of challengers in the Elimination Chamber match: , , , , and . Punk's reign had been marked by defenses against top stars, but Jericho's return at the 2012 intensified the pressure, as the veteran immediately targeted Punk, claiming the champion was a "knockoff" version of his own style and vowing to reclaim gold at . The other entrants represented a mix of past champions (Miz), rising heels (Ziggler and , who had feuded with Punk earlier in the year over concert disruptions and personal slights), and the high-flying United States Champion Kingston, adding unpredictability to the lineup. Jericho solidified his role by winning a Six-Pack Challenge on the episode of Raw against Punk, Miz, Ziggler, , and Kingston, earning the advantage of entering the Chamber fifth. On SmackDown, World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan defended against , , , , and in the second match. Bryan had shockingly won the title at by cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase on immediately after the latter retained against , capitalizing on the exhausted champion for a quick submission victory. This opportunistic win fueled Bryan's "Yes!" movement among fans but drew ire from the locker room, positioning the Chamber as a test of his legitimacy against a diverse field: the vengeful former champion , masked heel Rhodes (seeking redemption after a string of losses), the technical Barrett (returning from injury with a chip on his shoulder), the dominant Khali, and underdog Marella. Marella secured his unlikely spot by outlasting a on the February 17 episode of SmackDown, eliminating Justin Gabriel last in a surprise finish. The victor was set to face top contender at 28, with Sheamus having built momentum through dominant victories and verbal barbs aimed at Bryan's tenure. The non-title main event stemmed from a personal vendetta between and Kane. Kane had returned dramatically on the December 12, 2011, episode of Raw, attacking Cena without provocation and airing vignettes mocking the top star's "Rise Above Hate" mantra, urging him instead to "embrace the hate." The Big Red Monster escalated by targeting Cena's ally Zack Ryder, choke-slamming him through stages and pallets on multiple Raws, culminating in pushing Ryder's wheelchair off a ramp on the January 30 episode, sidelining the Internet champion. Cena, initially holding to his positive ethos, intervened repeatedly but grew increasingly aggressive, leading to an Ambulance Match stipulation after Kane ambushed him post-Royal Rumble. The feud also involved Ryder's on-screen girlfriend , whom Kane attacked on the February 13 Raw, further blurring lines and testing Cena's resolve. In the Divas division, Champion defended against . Phoenix, a dominant force since winning the title from in January 2012, had expressed frustration on Raw with the lack of worthy challengers after defenses against Kelly and . Tamina, leveraging her athletic heritage as the daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, emerged as the surprise contender, showcasing power moves in recent matches to earn the opportunity and highlight the division's evolving strength. The Tag Team Championship bout pitted champions Epico and Primo (accompanied by ) against . Epico and Primo had captured the titles from Air Boom ( and Evan Bourne) on January 15, 2012, at a live event. built their challenge through victories on SmackDown, earning the title opportunity and underscoring the push for high-energy action in the tag division.

Event

Preliminary matches

The pay-per-view featured four preliminary matches outside of the signature bouts: a defense, a defense, a defense, and an ambulance match. Following the Raw Elimination Chamber match, Divas Champion Beth Phoenix defended her title against Tamina Snuka in a singles match. Phoenix controlled much of the action with power moves, including a military press slam, before securing the victory by pinning Snuka with the Glam Slam at 7:19. Subsequent to the SmackDown Elimination Chamber match, United States Champion Jack Swagger, accompanied by Vickie Guerrero, defended against Justin Gabriel, who was accompanied by Hornswoggle. The match ended quickly when Swagger applied the ankle lock submission hold, forcing Gabriel to tap out at 3:48 to retain the title. Next, Epico and Primo, accompanied by , defended the WWE Tag Team Championship against . The match saw high-energy action with near-falls, but ended in disqualification when Primo used the title belt on at 9:34, allowing Epico and Primo to retain. The event closed with an ambulance match pitting against Kane. The competitors engaged in a brutal extended brawl that spilled into the crowd and backstage areas, culminating in Cena delivering multiple Attitude Adjustments to Kane before placing him inside the ambulance and shutting the doors to win at 22:21.

Raw Elimination Chamber match

The Raw Elimination Chamber match was a six-man contest for the , featuring defending champion against , , , , and . The match structure followed the standard format: two participants began in the ring, with the remaining four starting in bulletproof pods surrounding the ring, released at five-minute intervals. CM Punk and Kofi Kingston started the bout, trading holds and strikes in a fast-paced exchange that highlighted their athleticism. Punk targeted Kingston's midsection early, but Kingston countered with high-flying maneuvers, including a springboard clothesline. At the five-minute mark, Dolph Ziggler entered first from his pod, immediately aligning loosely with Kingston to double-team Punk, who sold a leg injury from prior attacks. The action intensified as R-Truth joined at the ten-minute mark, bringing chaotic energy with his unorthodox offense, such as a corkscrew elbow on Ziggler. The Miz entered third at fifteen minutes, shifting alliances and focusing on Punk with signature moves like the Reality Check. The final entrant, Chris Jericho, debuted at twenty minutes, quickly asserting dominance by clearing the ring and executing a Lionsault on multiple opponents. Key moments included Kingston's Trouble in Paradise kick on Ziggler and Punk's resilient comebacks despite the mounting pressure. The match lasted 32 minutes and 39 seconds, building to a grueling climax.
EliminationCompetitor EliminatedBy WhomMethodTime Elapsed
1Springboard elbow drop12:02
2Codebreaker22:31
3Walls of Jericho submission26:32
4Kick to the head (knockout)28:10
5 (GTS)32:39
CM Punk secured the victory by pinning The Miz after the Go To Sleep, retaining the WWE Championship as the sole survivor. This win solidified Punk's reign, which had begun controversially at Survivor Series 2011, and set the stage for his ongoing feud with Jericho.

SmackDown Elimination Chamber match

The SmackDown Elimination Chamber match was contested for the World Heavyweight Championship, featuring champion Daniel Bryan defending against five challengers: Big Show, Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, The Great Khali, and Santino Marella. The match structure followed the standard Elimination Chamber format, with two participants starting in the ring and the remaining four enclosed in pods along the chamber walls, entering at five-minute intervals. This bout served as the penultimate match on the card, highlighting the brand's top heavyweights and underdogs in a high-stakes environment. Big Show and began the match at the opening bell, trading heavy strikes and grapples in a physical exchange that emphasized their size advantage. entered third at the five-minute mark, injecting technical prowess and interference tactics into the fray. followed fourth, bringing comic relief with his unorthodox offense, while The Great Khali's entry fifth added raw power. Champion Daniel Bryan, as the final entrant at the 20-minute point, was immediately targeted, including a dramatic pod breach by Big Show that heightened the chaos. The crowd in Milwaukee's responded enthusiastically, particularly rallying behind Marella's improbable surges. The eliminations unfolded as follows, showcasing a mix of brute force and opportunistic pinning:
OrderEliminatedBy WhomMethodTime Elapsed
1 followed by pinfall19:25
2Pinfall after an elbow drop24:18
3Roll-up pin24:18
4Headbutt followed by pinfall30:37
5Daniel BryanLeBell Lock submission34:04
Key highlights included Marella's surprising run to the final two, where he nearly upset Bryan using his signature "Cobra" sock puppet for near-falls, drawing significant crowd pops. Bryan ultimately submitted Marella to retain the title, solidifying his reign amid ongoing "Yes!" chants from supportive fans. The match lasted 34 minutes and 4 seconds, praised for its pacing and underdog narrative despite the uneven athletic levels among participants.

Aftermath and reception

Storyline continuations

Following Elimination Chamber, the Raw brand's primary storyline centered on the . retained the title in the match by pinning last after earlier knocking out , solidifying his status as champion heading into 28. On the subsequent episode of Raw on February 20, overcame a field of nine other competitors in a to earn a match against Punk at WrestleMania, intensifying their personal rivalry that had been brewing since Jericho's return at the Royal Rumble. Jericho's taunts and psychological tactics continued in the weeks leading up to the event, positioning the match as a clash between Punk's straight-edge persona and Jericho's history as the first man to defeat him for the title earlier in his career. On the SmackDown brand, World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan successfully defended his title in the match, surviving until the end to submit last after a series of submissions and eliminations, including an early pinfall loss for . Immediately after the match, winner attacked Bryan, escalating their feud that had seen Bryan spit in Sheamus's face on the prior SmackDown and win via disqualification. This assault confirmed Sheamus's choice to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship at 28, with subsequent episodes building tension through non-title confrontations and Bryan's alliances, including with , who proposed to him on Raw. The storyline highlighted Bryan's "Yes!" movement gaining momentum amid mounting pressure from Sheamus's brute force. The ongoing feud between and Kane concluded with Cena's victory in the Ambulance Match, where he slammed Kane into the vehicle and shut the doors to win after a grueling brawl that spilled outside the ring. This outcome cleared the path for Cena to refocus on his marquee matchup against The Rock at 28, a blockbuster announced months earlier as "Once in a Lifetime." On the February 20 Raw, Cena addressed the WWE Universe, vowing to defeat The Rock and reclaim his spot at the top, while The Rock was scheduled to return the following week to respond, maintaining the high-profile hype without further interruptions from Kane. A marquee rivalry between and , initiated by Undertaker's in-person return and challenge on the January 30 Raw, advanced when Triple H accepted on the February 20 Raw, stipulating it as a match to settle their long-standing history from previous encounters. The buildup involved mind games and promos, with later appointed as special guest referee, adding layers of personal animosity tied to their and DX pasts. Undercard storylines also progressed toward . and , who had clashed in the SmackDown , continued their animosity, leading to a singles match at where Rhodes mocked Show's career while allying with Damien Sandow. Similarly, Kane, fresh off his loss to , targeted in retaliation for past interferences, setting up an explosive Match stipulation for . In the Divas division, Beth Phoenix's retention over Tamina led to a non-title match at alongside against and ; Phoenix lost the title to Eve on the February 24 episode of SmackDown. dynamics advanced as well, with Primo and Epico's reign challenged by teams like and , who scored a non-title win on Raw, leading to their eventual title loss to Kofi and at Over the Limit in May.

Critical reception

The 2012 Elimination Chamber pay-per-view received mixed reviews from wrestling critics, who generally commended the high-profile matches for their entertainment value and in-ring action while lambasting the undercard for lacking substance and excitement. of the awarded the Raw brand's match for the , involving , , , , , and , a rating of 3.25 stars, praising its pacing after an initially slow start. He rated the SmackDown brand's match for the World Heavyweight Championship, featuring Daniel Bryan, , , , , and , higher at 3.5 stars, highlighting the surprise involvement and finish with Marella as a standout moment. The co-main event match between and Kane earned 3 stars for its physicality and story progression toward . Other reviewers echoed this sentiment, noting the event's reliance on the Chamber stipulations to carry the show. Kevin Pantoja of 411Mania gave the overall a 4.5 out of 10, describing it as "poor" and criticizing the non-Chamber bouts as "straight filler" that failed to engage, though he acknowledged the Chamber as "very entertaining throughout" at ***½ stars and the World Heavyweight version as solid at ***¼ despite early boredom. A analysis rated the event 5/10, faulting its predictability and lack of surprises, with the comment that "all of the right people won but it was boring," while still recognizing the Chambers as that prevented a lower score. The event's reception underscored its role as a transitional show building to , with critics appreciating how the outcomes advanced key storylines—such as John Cena's WrestleMania program with The Rock and CM Punk's continued title reign—but decrying the uneven quality that made it one of the weaker pay-per-views of the era. Lower-rated matches, like the Divas Championship bout between and Tamina (2.25 stars from Meltzer) and Jack Swagger vs. Justin Gabriel (1 star), were seen as symptomatic of WWE's inconsistent booking outside the main attractions.

Results

Match listings

The Elimination Chamber 2012 pay-per-view event consisted of six matches, highlighted by two Elimination Chamber matches for the WWE Championship and World Heavyweight Championship, respectively.
No.ResultStipulationTime
1CM Punk (c) defeated Chris Jericho, Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, R-Truth, and The MizElimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship; Punk and Kingston began the match, with Ziggler entering first (after 5:00), R-Truth second (after 10:00), The Miz third (after 15:00), and Jericho fourth (after 20:00). Eliminations occurred as follows: R-Truth by Punk (11:40), Ziggler by Jericho (19:17), Kingston by Jericho (25:31), Jericho (referee stoppage after kick by Punk, 27:15), and The Miz by Punk (32:34).32:34
2Beth Phoenix (c) defeated TaminaSingles match for the WWE Divas Championship7:16
3Epico and Primo (c) defeated The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) by disqualificationTag team match for the WWE Tag Team Championship9:34
4Daniel Bryan (c) defeated Big Show, Cody Rhodes, The Great Khali, Santino Marella, and Wade BarrettElimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship; Big Show and Barrett began the match, with Rhodes entering first (after 5:00), Marella second (after 10:00), Khali third (after 15:00), and Bryan fourth (after 20:00). Eliminations occurred as follows: Khali by Big Show (16:33), Big Show by Rhodes (22:39), Rhodes by Marella (23:07), Barrett by Marella (30:39), and Marella by Bryan (34:05).34:05
5Jack Swagger (c) (with Vickie Guerrero) defeated Justin Gabriel (with Hornswoggle)Singles match for the WWE United States Championship3:05
6John Cena defeated KaneAmbulance match21:20
A dark match preceded the event, where Hunico defeated .

Elimination Chamber details

The match format, a signature stipulation in events, involves six competitors: two starting in the ring and four enclosed in steel pods along the chamber's walls. Entrants enter at five-minute intervals, with the last person eliminated determining the winner; in championship bouts, the victor retains or claims the title. At Elimination Chamber 2012, held on February 19, 2012, at the in , , two such matches headlined the card, one each for the Raw and SmackDown brands. The Raw Elimination Chamber match was for the , contested by champion against , , , , and . The match lasted 32:34, with and starting the bout. Subsequent entrants joined in this order: at 5:00, at 10:00, at 15:00, and at 20:00. Eliminations occurred as follows: was eliminated by via an elbow drop from the top rope; was eliminated by with a Codebreaker; was eliminated by via the Walls of Jericho submission; was eliminated by referee stoppage after a kick by ; and was eliminated by with the Go To Sleep (GTS). retained the as the sole survivor.
EliminationCompetitor EliminatedEliminated ByMethodTime Elapsed
1Elbow drop11:40
2Codebreaker19:17
3Walls of Jericho25:31
4Referee stoppage (kick)27:15
532:34
The SmackDown Elimination Chamber match was for the World Heavyweight Championship, featuring champion Daniel Bryan against , , , The Big Show, and . This bout ran for 34:05, beginning with and The Big Show in the ring. The entry sequence continued with at 5:00, at 10:00, at 15:00, and Daniel Bryan at 20:00. The eliminations proceeded in this manner: was eliminated by The Big Show via a ; The Big Show was eliminated by ; was eliminated by with a roll-up pin; was eliminated by via a flying headbutt; and was eliminated by Daniel Bryan with the LeBell Lock submission. Daniel Bryan retained the World Heavyweight Championship.
EliminationCompetitor EliminatedEliminated ByMethodTime Elapsed
1The Big ShowSpear16:33
2The Big ShowCombined attack22:39
3Roll-up23:07
4Flying 30:39
5Daniel BryanLeBell Lock34:05
These matches determined the challengers for the respective championships at , with both champions advancing undefeated in the structure.

References

  1. https://www.thesmackdownhotel.com/events-results/ppv-special/wwe-elimination-chamber-2012
  2. https://www.wwe.com/shows/eliminationchamber/2012
  3. https://www.sacnilk.com/news/WWE_Elimination_Chamber_%25282012%2529_Results_Winners_Matches_Venue_Attendance
  4. https://www.cagesideseats.com/2011/12/29/2669412/wwe-2012-pay-per-view-schedule-is-all-set-with-13-events
  5. https://www.wrestlezone.com/news/247689-wwe-posts-official-2012-pay-per-view-events-calendar
  6. https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=72735
  7. https://www.espn.com/wwe/story/_/id/21442373/the-origin-wwe-elimination-chamber-how-everything-went-wrong-turned-all-right
  8. https://bastionblogger.com/2019/12/24/elimination-chamber-2012/
  9. https://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2012-01-30
  10. https://www.wrestleview.com/wwe-raw-results/30054-raw-results-1-30-12/
  11. https://411mania.com/wrestling/updated-participants-announced-for-smackdown-elimination-chamber-spoilers/
  12. https://www.wwe.com/shows/eliminationchamber/2012/santino-elimination-chamber
  13. https://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2012-02-06
  14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXrIyz9CCrY
  15. https://grantland.com/features/john-cena-kane-elimination-chamber/
  16. https://www.wwe.com/shows/eliminationchamber/2012/phoenix-tamina-divas-championship
  17. https://www.profightdb.com/cards/wwe/elimination-chamber-3912-14977.html
  18. https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/wwe/wweppv/eliminationchamber/eliminationchamber12/
  19. https://tjrwrestling.net/review/the-john-report-wwe-elimination-chamber-2012-recap/
  20. https://www.wwe.com/shows/eliminationchamber/2012/smackdown-elimination-chamber-2012
  21. https://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2012-02-20
  22. https://www.wwe.com/videos/sheamus-lets-his-actions-do-the-talking-by-taking-out-world-heavyweight-champion-daniel-bryan
  23. https://www.iwnerd.com/dave-meltzer-star-ratings-wwe-elimination-chamber-2012/
  24. https://411mania.com/wrestling/kevins-random-reviews-wwe-elimination-chamber-2012/
  25. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1072507-wwe-elimination-chamber-2012-a-full-review-of-the-event
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