Byron Saxton hosted the WWE Elimination Chamber post-show press conference from backstage at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The full video, as well as highlights, can be found below.
* WWE United States Champion Austin Theory kicked off the press conference by boasting about his journey to WrestleMania 39. He also issued the RAW Open Challenge, which we covered at this link.
* Next up were WWE Hall of Famers Edge and Beth Phoenix. Edge was asked if he had previously stated that he planned to retire in Canada and if the how had caused him to reconsider those statements. Edge claims he is not making any firm decisions. He went on to say that he had been retired for 9 years and was now able to work with the woman he had married and had children with while retired. He stated that they are having a great time. He also stated that they had never used the Shatter Machine before using it on Balor. He praised his wife for her performance in her first match in a year and a month. Edge stated that he is overjoyed with everything and has no plans to retire.
Beth was asked about working these big matches now instead of competing on the road as a regular. She discussed how the division is becoming more diverse, and how her preparation reflects the current women’s division. Beth knew she needed to put in the effort and train hard in order to compete. She appreciates living with another professional wrestler with whom she can train in the ring. When Beth met Ripley at the Mae Young Classic, she praised her and knew she was special. She was overjoyed to be able to wrestle Ripley. Edge joked about getting a black eye from a Ripley punch.
Edge was asked about his life after retiring from the ring. He’d like to contribute his brain to WWE, but he’d also like to do more acting. He talked about working with wrestlers from different generations, from WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk to Seth Rollins, and how he’s just taking things one step at a time these days. Edge then accepted Theory’s Open Challenge, which we covered at this link.
* Next up was WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H. The event felt like WrestleMania, he said. He thanked the fans for their support and the performers for their standout performances. He stated that he is rarely not impressed, but this was the night he felt like everyone came to deliver with their A-game on, everyone came to deliver with a statement to make, and that is what makes these events so special.
He expressed gratitude to the Bell Centre, as well as the city and people of Montreal. He stated that there was a point at the Gorilla Position when the crowd was deafening, and that this is what makes things special. He spoke about the event’s success and the records set, which we covered at this link. According to Triple H, Montreal has proven to be one of the best WWE cities in the world. He then became emotional when discussing how he felt having WWE Hall of Famer Pat Patterson in the building. He imagined Pat watching the show and said he would have sat there with tears in his eyes, expressing his excitement for it. He stated that this was something Patterson would have appreciated in his hometown.
Every match delivered, according to Triple H. He thought the Women’s Elimination Chamber match was one of the best he’d ever seen in the Women’s Chamber. There were a lot of breakout stars in The Men’s Chamber. He mentioned Bronson Reed, Johnny Gargano, Theory, Damian Priest, and Seth Rollins, but forgotten Montez Ford. He praised the entire Bloodline, including Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, and Kevin Owens, calling them the icing on the cake and something special. He can’t get enough of them. He praised Zayn as someone truly special, a performer who, in some ways, reminds him of WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley for the way he connects with the crowd through various emotions. He said it’s difficult to put into words, but Zayn is truly unique, an incredible performer, and he can’t say enough good things about him.
Triple H predicted the biggest WrestleMania ever, and it’s hard to believe it’s finally here. This was a special night for him, but he can’t wait for WrestleMania 39 because it’s going to be incredible. He was asked how he made the transition from the ring to the office so smooth and maintained his level of excellence. He talked about the importance of passion and stated that if he had anything, it was passion. Some people lose that passion, but it never fades for him. He still loves it the same way he used to think Chief Jay Strongbow was the greatest thing he’d ever seen. Nothing beats WWE and professional wrestling when done properly. He went on to say that no one could have watched the show and left the arena without thinking it was something truly special and something they’d want to return to.
Triple H was asked if he approves of the WWE sale. He stated that it is dependent on who is buying it, what the offer is, and what the outcome is. He said he stays out of it, which isn’t a cop-out answer, but he has the best job in the world, he helped create the magic in some way, and to him, that’s the best job on the planet. He said he’s fine as long as they get to do this, create it the way they do, do their jobs, and go out and put their passion on display. He stated that it is what it is.
Triple H was asked about Zayn’s reaction one night and how that affects how he’s booked the next night in the same arena. He acknowledged Zayn’s big pops and stated that sometimes you just have to trust your instincts and feel it. On Friday night, he predicted that Saturday night’s reaction would blow the first one out of the water.
* Sami Zayn took the stage next. On his way out, Triple H hugged him. Zayn only had time for a few questions because his lengthy responses were all over the place, for which he apologized. When he first sat down, he stated that he felt strange and that this could be a recurring theme in his answers. He admitted that the show ended on an unhappy note, but he’d be lying if he said it didn’t affect him. Sami described it as a dream come true, that it was surreal, that it was everything you could want, and that the storybook ending has a specific ending, but that is not what happened. He stated that he can’t sit here and pretend that there isn’t a small part of him that wishes he could have given everyone a happy ending. He told the people, himself, his family, Montreal, and that story… He is aware of what this is, as are we all, but some of it is true.
When looking out at the crowd at the end of the match, Zayn said he thought, “this is not fun,” because he could see the pain on people’s faces, and not in a storyline way. He mentioned hometown hero and UFC Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre, who was in attendance, and said GSP was the benchmark star who belonged to the city and was treated like no other by the city, and while there was real buzz in the arena, it felt like GSP came back to Montreal to lose, which is a bummer, even though this was a great fight.
Zayn was asked if WrestleMania would return to Canada. He explained that it boils down to a lot of business matters that are above his pay grade, but the secret is out and everyone knows about Montreal. He stated that because of the crowds, every wrestler and fan knows Montreal is one of the best wrestling cities. Zayn admitted to being biased, but he believes Montreal is world-class. When asked about the Bloodline storyline coming together, he stated that he believes it could happen in Montreal. He mentioned how he first met Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns last year in Montreal, and how they had instant chemistry on-screen, which was amplified by being in this city. He stated that the storyline required that specific moment, and it was one that marked the end of the story. According to Zayn, this is the content era, and simply being good is no longer enough. He believes that the storyline with The Bloodline has created moments that people will remember in five or ten years.
