Psyko’s WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 recap

Before I start the recap, I have to mention that I’m big enough to admit when I was wrong about something. In my last column, I wrote that I thought The Rock was hurting WrestleMania more than helping it, and I’ve got to say that after last night, I’m completely on board with what they have planned. I don’t know if this was always the plan or a last-minute audible, but it was a masterpiece, and I’m more invested in the WrestleMania main event than I would have been if it were a face vs. face match.

Now, on to the recap.

First, I need to mention what happened on the pre-show because Pat McAfee made such a big deal about it. I don’t want to get too political here, but WWE should have read the room before sending that poor girl out to sing the American national anthem. Anyone who follows politics knows how controversial Trump’s policies have been and how the United States has become one of the most criticized countries globally, especially after what happened Friday with the Ukrainian president. Trump and Vance clearly sided with Russia, and now Trump is starting an economic war—not just with Canada but with the entire world—on Wednesday. This war will hurt not only other countries but also the U.S. economy. So, it might not have been the best moment to have someone sing the American national anthem in Canada, and I feel bad for that girl, who was just doing her job. This wasn’t about disrespecting America but rather about expressing how people feel about the man running the country.

The show kicked off with the Women’s Elimination Chamber match, and what a way to start! The match began with Naomi and Liv Morgan, and just as it started, Jade Cargill made her return, attacking Naomi. This surprised everyone and got fans invested right away. The reactions from the other competitors made the moment even better—especially Bianca, who was almost in tears in her pod. Now, the big question is: Why did Jade attack Naomi?

The rest of the match followed the typical Elimination Chamber format. The first elimination was Bayley, which shocked me since I expected her to last longer, but someone had to go first. Next was Roxanne, who proved she’s ready for the main roster. She was followed by Alexa Bliss, leaving Liv and Bianca as the final two. After a fantastic back-and-forth, Bianca secured the win and punched her ticket to WrestleMania.

I have to say, Liv was the MVP of this match, and it looks like she’s heading into a program with Bliss in time for WrestleMania. I’m thinking Bliss will return to the Wyatt Sicks soon, leading to a tag match at Mania—Bliss & Nikki vs. Liv & Raquel for the tag titles. As for Bianca, I understand that they wanted to set up the dream match between her and Rhea, especially since Iyo isn’t winning the title on Monday. However, I would have given the Chamber win to someone else and had Bianca spin into a feud with Jade.

The next match was Trish Stratus & Tiffany Stratton vs. Nia Jax & Candice LeRae, and I felt bad for all four women because the crowd was burned out from the previous match. It took them a while to get back into it. This was your typical overbooked WWE tag match, and it dragged a bit, but the fans eventually got into it. In the end, the match made Tiffy look strong heading into her match with Charlotte at WrestleMania.

The third match was the unsanctioned fight between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, and this was my match of the night. These guys put on one hell of a fight, truly putting their bodies on the line for the fans. I kept asking myself, What is it going to take for one of them to lose? They went through tables, used chairs and trash cans, and fought all over the stadium. In the end, Owens won after hitting multiple powerbombs on the apron.

After the match, we got the return of Randy Orton, and what a pop! Now, we know what Owens’ plan for WrestleMania is.

The main event was the Men’s Elimination Chamber match, and I have to be honest—I need to rewatch this one because I zoned out for most of it. I saw the entrances and heard the bell ring with McIntyre and Rollins starting things off. By the time I tuned back in, CM Punk was getting curb-stomped by Rollins, and Cena took advantage to win the match. So, I can’t comment much on the action, but I do think they chose the right winner.

The post-match segment, though? Absolute perfection. Cena stood in the middle of the ring acting as he always does, and then we jumped straight into the Cody/Rock segment. Cody entered, shook Cena’s hand, and the two showed mutual respect. Then, The Rock, accompanied by Travis Scott, made his way to the ring.

Rock delivered one of his best heel promos in years, making himself look like the most egotistical boss in wrestling history, while Cena stood in the background looking confused.

Then, Cody gave his response to Rock: a resounding hell no. Fans went nuts. Cena played the cheerleader role, hyping up the crowd as Cody rejected The Rock. Cody and Cena hugged in the ring, and for a moment, it looked like the show would end with The Rock watching from the background as Rhodes and Cena showed respect. But no—that’s not what happened.

The Rock looked at Cena, gave him the signal, and bam—Cena hit Cody with a low blow. With that one move, we finally got something fans have been wanting for decades: a Cena heel turn. Cena went to town on Rhodes, and the segment ended with Rock whipping Cody multiple times with his weight belt, both men standing tall over the fallen champion.

Again, this was a masterpiece of a segment, executed to perfection. Now, there are two possible directions for WrestleMania:

* Cena wins the championship at Mania and holds it for the rest of the year while Rock throws obstacle after obstacle in Cody’s way, leading to Cody finally getting his rematch at Survivor Series—or even on Cena’s last night in the company.
* Cody beats Cena at Mania, and the feud continues for a few months, culminating at SummerSlam in August.

I don’t know which direction they’ll take, but suddenly, I’m very interested in what happens next. WrestleMania season is clearly heating up after last night.