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Obviously, Sandman vs. Bob Holly is no longer scheduled.
Rebecca interviewed Bobby Lashley backstage. They aired a Lashley package, showing how Paul Heyman has had it out for Lashley since he debuted. Lashley said he was "One Man, One Mission, ECW World champion."
They showed Test, Hardcore Holly, and ECW champion Big Show walking with Paul Heyman in the back.
They aired an Extreme Elimination Chamber match promo.
Paul Heyman made his way to the ring with his security force. Heyman put over how intense the Extreme Elimination Chamber was saying, "It's one things to make plans for it. It's another thing to stand under it." He praised himself, saying Hulkamania will die with Hulk Hogan, The "Whoos" will die with Ric Flair, but ECW will live on long after Paul Heyman is dead. I think a lot of people will be surprised if ECW is alive a year from now. He said that Sabu missed his chance to take part in the Chamber and the day of Sabu, Sandman, and Rob Van Dam is dead and over. He said 2007 is the rise of the global phenomenon ECW, led by The Big Show. He said tonight will be the crowning of Big Show's career and called for the Chamber to be lowered.
The match will start with two competitors in the ring and four in the pods with weapons. Sfter five minutes, a new competitor will be released. Another competitor will follow every five minutes after, with competitors eliminated by pinfall or submission. If WWE wants this show to be fondly remembered, they will need to lay it all on the line here, as the rest of the card (minus the opener) has felt like filler while waiting for the main course, which is hardly what ECW was ever about in the past.
Extreme Elimination Chamber: ECW champion Big Show vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Rob Van Dam vs. CM Punk vs. Hardcore Holly vs. Test
Big Show came to the ring first and practiced swinging a barbed wire baseball bat. Show was locked in the pod. Punk was second and immediately got into the face of Show, who was inside the pod. Punk was locked in with a steel chair. Test was third out, locked inside a pod with a crowbar. Lashley was out fourth, locked in with a table.
Rob Van Dam and Hardcore Holly are starting the match.
Van Dam and Holly began the match. RVD kicked Holly in the face and clotheslined him. Holly came back with a clothesline of his own, getting a one count. They battled to the steel outside the ring. Van Dam dove off the ropes towards Holly, who evaded it. Van Dam caught himself on the cage, then jumped at Holly. Holly moved and RVD caught the ropes. Holly slammed Van Dam on the steel and then into the cage's fencing. Holly went to the top and jumped off but RVD put his foot up. RVD ran across the ring and pulled himself over the top to the outside with Rolling Thunder on the steel. Van Dam tried to suplex Holly, who reserved and suplexed him into the ring. Van Dam and Holly battled inside the ring, culminating with Van Dam kicking Holly. Fans began chanting for CM Punk to be released. Holly got a near-fall on Van Dam
Third Competitor Released: CM Punk
Punk hit the ring and nailed Holly with the chair. He tried to do the same with Van Dam but was hit with a Van Daminator. RVD monkeyflipped Punk onto a chair. Punk hit a legdrop on a chair on RVD, then hit a springboard leg lariat on Holly. Van Dam was bleeding above his right eye. Punk slammed him into a chair that was wedged in between several turnbuckles. Punk went after Holly, who grabbed Punk and threw him upside down into the Chamber's fencing. Holly tried to get a pin on Punk, who kicked up. Heyman was screaming for Holly to eliminate someone. Van Dam, a bloody mess, laid on the mat fora long time.
Holly turned his attention on Punk, who kept kicking up. Holly picked up Punk for a suplex and draped him chest-first over the top rope. He sent Punk into the cage. Holly put Punk on the top rope and hit a superplex with both men standing on top of the ropes. Van Dam tried to sneak in a pin on Holly, who kicked out. Holly tried to get a pin on Punk, who kicked out as well. Punk came back with a big lariat on Holly.
Fourth Competitor Released: Test
Test nailed Punk with the crowbar and immediately went after RVD, working over his cut with it. Test choked Punk out against the ropes. Van Dam clotheslined Holly, then followed up with a reverse kick. Van Dam drilled Test with a chair, then slammed it over Holly, who was down in the corner. Van Dam hit the skateboarding dropkick with the chair on Punk. Van Dam went to the trop and hit the Five Star Frog Splash on Punk. He covered Punk and scored the pin.
CM Punk has been eliminated.
Test turned on Holly and laid him out. Van Dam took down Test with a kick. Van Dam climbed atop of the pod that contained Big Show, but Show grabbed RVD's foot. Test drilled RVD with a chair and destroyed him. He suplexed Van Dam into the ring. Test climbed atop of the pod and dropped an elbow on Van Dam's face, which was covered by a chair. Test pinned Rob Van Dam.
Rob Van Dam has been eliminated.
The crowd began chanting, "Bullsh**." There was a TNA chant as well, but WWE's production muted it.
Test pinned Holly with a big boot. Gee, that makes sense.
Fifth Competitor Released: Lashley
Paul Heyman's security laid out the person responsible for releasing Lashley, trapping him inside the pod. Lashley used the table inside as a spear to break the chains locking him inside the pod and climbed out. Lashley kicked Test away, then hit a clothesline into the ring. He went right after Test, beating him outside the ring into the fencing. He whipped Test into two pod, sending him into them and destroying them in the process. Test tried to nail Lashley with a chair and something went wrong with the timing. Lashley kicked it finally and suplexed Test. Lashley finally scored the pin on Test after a crowbar to the stomach and a spear. eliminating him with 40 seconds to go.
As Lashley waited for Big Show to be released, he threw a table and the chair at the pod.
Final Competitor Released: Big Show
Show came out, wielding the barbed wire bat. Lashley wielded the chair. Lashley quickly took down Show and drilled his head into the Chamber several times. Lashley got a mixed reaction playing to the crowd. Show was busted open. He whipped Show into a pod with Show crashing into it. Lashley went after Show, who tossed him into the ring with a Beal Throw. Show called for a chokeslam, but when he lifted Lashley, it was countered into a DDT. Lashley charged Show but was caught and tossed off. Lashley speared Show for the pin.
Your winner and new ECW World champion, Bobby Lashley.
***
Quick thoughts: This was easily the least memorable of any Elimination Chamber in the history of WWE. What a show. If WWE was looking to bury the ECW name, they certainly accomplished that here. They announce two matches for the show then bait and switch one of the competitors in the chamber. That match is also is built around weapons that are hardly used. They don't allow any of the old ECW characters to work in ECW style on the undercard. The opener is the only truly memorable thing and it doesn't feature anyone from the ECW brand. They eliminate their fastest rising star first out of the Chamber, just a week after he receives a star's reaction at Survivor Series while standing alongside the company's top babyface act in DX. Unless they want Punk to be as meaningless as the rest of the ECW undercard appeared to be tonight, there was no reason to kill him off the way they accomplished it tonight. The show ended 30 minutes early, the shortest WWE PPV in years. All this adds up to a future for the ECW brand that is murky at best and sad at worst. Wow. Paul Heyman said tonight that ECW would live on well after he was gone. I wouldn't place bets on that one because it certainly seemed like WWE doesn't want those letters to survive after watching this show.
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