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At the top of the hour, Orton was shown staring into space with disgust before Shawn Michaels came out to his standard “Sexy Boy” theme music. Michaels bounced to the ring and posed as Orton stared down at the floor.
Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels — Elimination Chamber qualifying match
The bell sounded and they had a brief stare down before locking up. Orton drove Michaels to the corner, then he broke and Michaels glared at him with his John Wayne ice-cold look. Orton met him with an equally-icy glare before missing with a right hand and Michaels landed a knife-edge chop to the chest. Michaels then hit a neckbreaker and teased the superkick, but Orton bailed to the floor. Michaels followed and the chase was on back into the ring where Orton teased the spike DDT, but Michaels blocked, landed a chop, and went up top where he hit a flying cross-body block for a two count. Orton then sent Michaels upside down in the corner before hitting the fallaway backbreaker to focus his attack on Michaels’s lower back, which prompted Michael Cole’s standard back injury history lesson.
Orton slowed things down with a focused attack as the announcers talked about both men being in a fragile state of mind. Orton then took Michaels up top, but Michaels knocked Orton off the top with forearm strikes before hitting a flying elbow drop. Michaels then went to the corner to tune up the band at 6:00, but Orton ducked and teased the RKO, only to have Michaels hit an atomic drop and chop combo twice. Michaels then flew off the ropes with a trademark flying elbow smash. He was about to do the classic kip up, but Orton grabbed him in mid-air and rolled up Michaels for the surprise pin and the win.
Post-match: Orton walked out of the ring pleased with himself in his own way while Michaels fought himself on screwing up again. Orton’s music stopped and Michaels walked around the ring in frustration. Michaels ripped off his wrist bands and stomped out of the ring muttering to himself. The announcers talked about it being a frustrating 24 hours as Michaels disappeared in the back.
Winner: Orton at 6:37 to qualify for the Elimination Chamber match. Only went seven minutes, but it felt like a longer match. Great storytelling from both men and a great finish with the flurry at the end before Orton made the big counter. If only someone would roll up Cena on the “You Can’t See Me” hand wave. Michaels’s post-match storytelling was well done to hook viewers on what’s next.
Backstage: Ted DiBiase stopped Randy Orton and congratulated him on the win before apologizing for what happened last night. He said he can’t speak for Cody, but he’s sorry. Orton then got in his face and simply glared at him without saying a word. Orton as the silent assassin is great. Orton walked off, then DiBiase made a pouty face to sell his confusion.
