8 Things You Learn Re-Watching The First WWE Elimination Chamber Match

3. Shawn Michaels Was Very Well-Protected

Shawn Michaels Elimination Chamber 2002
WWE.com

The inaugural Elimination Chamber was won by Shawn Michaels, who picked up his first World Championship in almost half a decade in the process. This dry stretch wasn’t a huge surprise, as Survivor Series 2002 was only his second match in four years. It was a remarkable return for The Heartbreak Kid.

But boy was he protected in this match. Michaels was the last to enter, and he did very little upon entering. His initial flurry was ended quickly by Kane, and HBK spent the majority of his time lying on his back or selling on the outside. This isn’t a knock in the slightest, as he was still feeling his way back in, but it is clear that he was told to do as little as possible. This didn’t stop him bleeding.

Michaels wasn’t the only one who was rusty when it came to his performance. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler seemed to make more mistakes when it came to calling HBK’s moves than any other, even making the major error of failing to call Sweet Chin Music on two occasions. instead becoming mildly excited by what was simply called a Superkick.

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.