Wrestling

Elimination Chamber 2018 live stream: Time, TV schedule, and how to watch WWE PPV online

There are two themes for WWE Elimination Chamber 2018: opportunities, and firsts

Updated Feb 25, 2018, 4:00 PM UTC

The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event has a tendency to be one of WWE’s more intense events of the year, because of the namesake match that features a foreboding structure of steel, chain, and plexiglass, and numerous WWE superstars fighting inside it, vying for either a major championship or a title opportunity.

This year’s Elimination Chamber event features a bit of history as well: for the first time ever, women will compete inside the Chamber, with the WWE Raw Women’s Championship on the line on Sunday. The men will be vying for a shot at the Universal Championship at Wrestlemania against Brock Lesnar, and they too will have some minor history, with seven men inside the Chamber for the first time instead of the traditional six. It’s a big night in WWE, and that’s not even all of what’s at stake.

History

For the first time ever, the WWE Raw Women’s Championship will be at stake inside the Elimination Chamber — and reigning champion Alexa Bliss is very upset about it. Faced with the prospect of facing five women who are eager to end her long tenure as champion in a match where the only rules of engagement is that there are no rules of engagement. Anything goes inside the cage, and with the likes of Sasha Banks, Bayley, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, and Mickie James inside that huge steel structure, Alexa Banks is bound to have a very long, unpleasant night.

History is also being made in the form of the men’s elimination Chamber match, which thanks to the late inclusion of Seth Rollins will see seven men compete inside the Chamber for the first time ever. Rollins was the standout when he, Roman Reigns, John Cena, Elias, Finn Balor, Miz, and Braun Strowman had an epic gauntlet match this mast Monday night on Raw, but it was Braun who won the match in the end with a trademark display of his sheer, intimidating power.

Opportunity

Of course, whoever wins the men’s Chamber match is setting themselves a date at Wrestlemania to face Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship. But there’s other big opportunities at stake on Sunday night as well, and they’re happening all over the roster.

Asuka, winner of the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match, is set to take on Nia Jax for a crack at the Raw Women’s Championship at Wrestlemania, against whoever comes out of the women’s Elimination Chamber match with the title. The undefeated Asuka has cut a burning swath through the Raw women’s division since she arrived, and has several big wins over Nia during their time at NXT — but this is a very different, very seasoned Nia Jax compared to the woman she faced almost two years ago. Of note, Asuka still has not cashed in her Royal Rumble victory declaration to say who she’ll be facing at Wrestlemania, so even if she loses, she can still switch brands to SmackDown and challenge Charlotte — or force her way into Nia Jax’s match and make it a Triple Threat.

The reason why Asuka couldn’t make her declaration at the Rumble is because she was interrupted by the arrival of Ronda Rousey, and the former UFC champion and megastar will finally be putting pen to paper and signing her official Raw contract at Elimination Chamber. This is a big opportunity for Rousey and WWE alike to shine, and it’s going to near very close watching to see where her potentially sun-bright career goes from here.

There’s one other match on the main card, and it comes thanks to opportunity granted by sheer work and determination. Titus Worldwide’s Titus O’Neil and Apollo have won three out of four matches against the WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Sheamus and Cesaro of late, and while The Bar aren’t eager for round five, the match was set this week with the titles on the line. Titus Worldwide has had a rather bumpy history since the team’s formation, with Crews coming up short in several big singles opportunity, but paired with a former Tag Team Champion in Titus, and this potent pairing might just have what it takes to knock off The Bar.