Introduced in November 2002 by then-RAW general manager Eric Bischoff, the ominous Elimination Chamber has become one of WWE’s most memorable gimmick matches. This Sunday, at WWE’s Elimination Chamber 2017, WWE will host its 20th Elimination Chamber match. While the gimmick does lack the cache of the Hell in a Cell matches that preceded it, the unforgiving steel and glass structure adds a level of brutality and danger not seen with any other regular WWE gimmick match. 

This piece will look at some of the noteworthy numbers in Elimination Chamber history including standout individual performances, previous win percentages, star rating patterns and more. Be sure to check out Voices of Wrestling’s team preview of Elimination Chamber 2017 and discuss the event on our forums.

Most Appearances: 8

Before doing the research I had assumed this would be Triple H but believe it or not Chris Jericho leads the pack with 8. (Don’t worry, Triple H is tied for second with six. All hail)

Jericho participated in the first three Elimination Chambers: the inaugural Survivor Series 2002 chamber, SummerSlam 2003’s follow-up and 2005 New Year’s Revolution.

After taking a few years off, Jericho returned for 2008 and 2009’s No Way Out chamber matches and appeared on the 2010, 2012 and 2013 Elimination Chamber-branded PPVs, in chamber matches yet again.

Both Randy Orton and the aforementioned Triple H come in second place with six total appearances while John Cena and Kane tie for third with five. Of course, after Sunday, Cena will join Orton and Triple H in second place.

Remarkably, 60% of Elimination Chamber participants have only one appearance while only 24 participants entered The Devil’s Playground more than once.

Victories: 4

To the surprise of few, Triple H is the all-time leader in Elimination Chamber victories with four to his name: SummerSlam 2003, New Year’s Revolution 2005, No Way Out 2008 and No Way Out 2009.

John Cena is second all-time with three wins while the only other wrestler with more than one win is Edge.

12 other men have a single Elimination Chamber win: Jericho, Orton, CM Punk, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Daniel Bryan, Ryback, Jack Swagger, Bobby Lashley as well as The New Day—winners of the first-ever tag team elimination chamber at 2015’s Elimination Chamber PPV.

Highest Win Percentage: 100%

Five men have won an Elimination Chamber match each time they stepped in: Bobby Lashley, Ryback, Jack Swagger, Big E and Xavier Woods. Conspicuous by his absence is New Day tag partner Kofi Kingston who actually has three appearances in the Chamber but only one victory.  

Among wrestlers with more than one appearance, Triple H has the highest win percentage—66.7%—winning four times in his six appearances. Just behind him is John Cena, winner of three of his five Chamber matches.

Lowest Win Percentage: 0%

45 men have entered the Elimination Chamber without a victory but nobody has done it more without winning than Kane.

In five all-time appearances, Kane has zero victories—and a remarkably low output in those appearances, but more on that later. Not to be outdone, Sheamus, Big Show and R-Truth all have four appearances without a victory.

Despite appearing in eight Chamber matches, Jericho has only one victory, the lowest win percentage of any former winner.

Most Eliminations: 10

You don’t need me to tell you the Elimination Chamber is an elimination match but in case you forgot, well, it is. Pinfalls and submissions only, no DQs in Satan’s Structure.

Anyway, Jericho may have the lowest win percentage among previous winners but he can hang his hat on the most eliminations of all-time with 10. A byproduct of having two more appearances than his next closest peer, Jericho’s 10 will be put into a little more context shortly.

Triple H finishes second with seven total eliminations while The Undertaker, in only three appearances, has six total eliminations.


Least Eliminations: 0

22 Elimination Chamber participants failed to secure an elimination which seems like a big number but represents only 37% of all-time participants. This means the majority of entrants in an Elimination Chamber match will get an elimination, so always be ready for a surprise pinfall or submission.

Of those with the least eliminations, Wade Barrett is the most futile. In his three Chamber appearances the former King Barrett couldn’t muster up one stinking elimination.

Cesaro, Dolph Ziggler and The Great Khali are also multiple-time Chamber participants with no eliminations.

Highest Eliminations Per Appearance: 3

Never in a million years will you guess the two men atop the list.

The first, Goldberg, is a gimmie. Goldberg’s dominant SummerSlam 2003 chamber appearance is still remembered to this day. On that night, Goldberg eliminated Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho is succession leaving only Triple H and himself in the ring. Of course, Triple H hit him with a sledgehammer in the back of the head and pinned him. Better luck next time.

The second guy on the list… is…of course, Carlito. Yes, that Carlito. The apple guy. New Year’s Revolution 2006—famous for Edge’s Money in the Bank cash-in after the Elimination Chamber match—also saw complete domination from Carlito who eliminated three participants. Debate may arise with his inclusion on the list as Carlito teamed with Chris Masters in a double-pinfall on Kane. For the purposes of this study, we’re counting it as a full elimination for both.

Carlito also (shockingly) got a pinfall victory of Shawn Michaels and turned on his partner Chris Masters for his third and final elimination.

The Undertaker, Lashley, Ryback, Young, Konnor, Santino Marella and Test all tie for second place with two eliminations per appearance with Undertaker’s total of six leading the pack.

Fewest Eliminations Per Appearance: 0.25

I’m throwing out those with zero eliminations because that’s no fun.

Instead, let’s focus on R-Truth, who participated in four Chamber matches and mustered just one elimination — a pinfall victory over King Barrett at Elimination Chamber 2015.

Average Star Rating: 3.61

Using Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer’s five-star rating guide, the average Elimination Chamber match comes in a little over ***½ at 3.61.

Highest Star Rating: ****¼

Five Chamber matches received the ****¼ honor including the inaugural Chamber match.

The most recent one to receive the high mark was Drew McIntyre vs. Edge vs. Kane vs. Rey Mysterio vs. The Big Show vs. Wade Barrett from February 2011.

No Chamber match has exceeded the ****½ star mark and none has come close to the exclusive ***** club. Could Sunday change that?

Lowest Star Rating: **1/2

The rating low-end (**½) came at the most recent Elimination Chamber PPV in 2015, when Ryback, Sheamus, R-Truth, King Barrett, Dolph Ziggler and Mark Henry plodding their way through a painfully mundane Chamber.

The other Chamber match to receive to **½ was the infamous December 2 Dismember main event, the ECW World Heavyweight Title “Extreme” Elimination Chamber won by Bobby Lashley. A “great show with a great finish”

That’s it for today.

Be sure again to check out our WWE Elimination Chamber 2017 preview and head over to the Voices of Wrestling forums and discuss the event both in the build and during the show itself.