Alexa Bliss Retains Title in First-Ever Women’s Elimination Chamber Match

History was made on Sunday night at WWE Elimination Chamber as the show opened with the first-ever women’s incarnation of the famed match.

Sonya Deville and Bayley began the match with the other four women (Mandy Rose, Sasha Banks, Mickie Jamies, and Alexa Bliss) locked in their respective pods. Every five minutes, one of the other women would be released from their pod and enter the bout.

Mandy Rose was second to enter the match, just as Bayley had Deville locked in a sleeper hold. Rose was able to help out her teammate by forcing Bayley to break the hold with her entrance, but only briefly, as Bayley fought back and took on the Absolution duo. It wasn’t long though, as the numbers game was too much as Absolution double teamed Bayley until the next entrant was released.

Sasha Banks came in next, evening up the odds. She quickly helped out her longtime friend, going after Mandy Rose and absolutely destroying her in the process. Deville came to her assistance but took a pounding as well. Graves pointed out the error in Banks’ strategy, noting she should have taken out Bayley while she was vulnerable.

Bayley and Sasha got some teamwork in too, picking apart Deville until Mandy Rose broke that up and worked over Banks. That didn’t last long though, as Banks hit a Banks Statement out of nowhere as Mandy tapped out as the first elimination. They showed Bliss smiling in her pod, as she continued to wait her entrance.

Mickie James was in next. She immediately went after Banks and Bayley and got some near falls on both of them before Deville came in and slowed her down. Deville and James fought on the outside, with James giving Deville a hurricanrana on the outside of the cell. This lead to the first high flying spot of the match as Bayley and James climbed the chamber side by side. Bayley was knocked off and James climbed on top of one of the pods. She jumped, taking out Deville and pinning her for the second elimination.

Soon thereafter, Bayley gave James the Bayley to Belly and pinned her for the third elimination. Bliss was beside herself in her pod, seeing her ally pinned before she even entered the match. Banks and Bayley caught their breath and awaited Bliss’ entrance into the match. As the buzzer went off, Bliss tried to hold her pod door closed, then exited the opposite side and climbed up the cage. Banks and Bayley followed her. As a fight developed on one pod, Banks kicked Bayley off and smirked, shocking the crowd.

Bayley went after Banks, throwing her hard into a pod. As Bayley was distracted yelling at her friend, Bliss took advantage and blindsided Bayley. She worked over Bayley in the ring with Banks taken out on the outside.

Sasha then re-entered the ring and charged Bayley. By this point, it was pretty clear that Bliss would be retaining and a Banks/Bayley feud was on the horizon outside the title picture.

Bliss re-entered the picture, giving Bayley a superplex out of the corner. Banks followed that up with a splash on Bayley from the top rope for a near fall. A few minutes later, Bayley hit a Bayley to Belly out of the corner on Banks. Bliss then ran in and rolled up Bayley from behind for a pinfall. Bliss then immediately covered Banks for a near fall.

Bliss went for the Twisted Bliss but Banks got her knees up. They fought to the outside, where Banks went for a knee, Bliss dodged it, and Banks got her leg tangled in the Chamber. After hitting banks with a Knee to the back of the head, Bliss climbed on top of a pod. She hit the Twisted Bliss off the top of the pod on the outside of the ring.

Alexa Bliss will enter WrestleMania 34 as RAW women’s champion. Nia Jax and Asuka will face off later in the show for the chance to face her in New Orleans.