Oakland, Calif. – At WWE Elimination Chamber, World Heavyweight Champion Edge outlasted Big Show, Rey Mysterio, Kane, Wade Barrett and Drew McIntyre to emerge victorious from the mind-altering abyss that is the Elimination Chamber Match for the second time in his career. It was the first time in more than five years that the sitting champion had retained his title in such a match. Afterward, when Alberto Del Rio laid siege on the 11-time World Champion, it was Christian who carried out a surprise rescue. Match photos

Edge and Rey Mysterio began their barbaric match of mayhem, knowing that their four additional foes were waiting to be released into the insanity one-at-a-time from their respective pods, every five minutes in random order. The only way for any of the SmackDown elite to win the World Title was for all of his opponents to be eliminated by pinfall or submission.

As The Rated-R Superstar battled The Ultimate Underdog amidst the twisted steel, Wade Barrett entered No. 3. All three Superstars survived long enough to see the monstrous Kane entered No. 4. As the treacherous carnage continued, Drew McIntyre emerged No. 5. Big Show was the last to enter, sending Superstars flying in every direction.

The World’s Largest Athlete eliminated Barrett first, blasting him with the knockout punch. Kane then went down second after Mysterio hit him with the 619, Edge hit the Spear and Kane finished him off with the chokeslam. McIntyre was defeated moments later with a second chokeslam by The Devil’s Favorite Demon. Then, as Mysterio was upside-down – hanging from Kane with amazing athleticism – Edge Speared both of them, leading to The Ultimate Opportunist to The Big Red Monster.

After an extremely intense final showdown between the same two Superstars that started the match, Edge finally reigned supreme, hitting the Spear on Mysterio in mid-air.

Moments after Edge defended his title in epic fashion, his WrestleMania opponent, Alberto Del Rio, attacked the war-torn champion. But, his onslaught fell short when an irate Christian – making his return from an injury he suffered at the hands of Del Rio last September – charged to the ring to save his former tag team partner, bringing the ecstatic WWE Universe to its feet.

The groundwork of the sadistic showdown was set on the Feb. 4 edition of SmackDown. While Edge automatically was granted access as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion, Mysterio, McIntyre and Barrett all captured their place in a series of Elimination Chamber Qualifying Matches. Although then-“acting” SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero also inserted her boyfriend, Dolph Ziggler, into the fray, the true GM Theodore Long returned to fire the bleach-blond Superstar on Feb. 18. Teddy made the earth-shattering announcement that Big Show would replace him just moments before Sunday’s match began.

Edge’s triumph in the Elimination Chamber solidified his main event match with No. 1 contender Del Rio on The Grandest Stage of Them All. After the assault by his No. 1 contender, The Master Manipulator will definitely be looking to Spear apart his aristocratic adversary’s moment of “destiny” in the weeks to come.