WWE Elimination Chamber 2019 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

WWE champion Daniel Bryan's path to WrestleMania 35 would roll through Sunday's Elimination Chamber match, in which he defended his title against Kofi Kingston, Jeff Hardy, Randy Orton, Samoa Joe and former champion AJ Styles.

Bryan and Joe started the match, renewing a competitive rivalry that stretched back to their days in Ring of Honor. Before the bell, referees ushered Erick Rowan to the back, ensuring he would not have an impact on the outcome.

Bryan tried to avoid locking up with Joe, but to no avail. When he did, he threw a nasty chop at the chest of The Samoan Submission Machine and paid dearly for it, enduring chops of his own.

Joe grounded Bryan and trapped him in a submission, only for the champion to escape and deliver a dropkick to the knee. He followed up, sending his opponent shoulder-first into the edge of a pod.

Bryan repeatedly thwarted Joe's offense as Kingston entered the fray at No. 3. The champion treated him similarly, dropping a knee across the back of his head. Meanwhile, Joe blasted him with another sickeningly loud chop to the chest.

The champion sought sanctuary at the top of a pod, but Kingston leaped to the top and pounded away. With Bryan and Joe down below, The New Day member threw himself off the cage with falling senton, wiping both opponents out and doing damage to his own back in the process.

Styles entered the match fourth and wasted little time unloading on longtime rivals Joe and Bryan, including a nasty open-hand slap to the champion.

As Bryan scaled the cage, trying to escape the onslaught from the former champion, Styles delivered a Phenomenal Forearm that knocked him to the floor.

Styles and Kingston paired off before Joe reinserted himself into the fray. It would be a short-lived burst for The Samoan Submission Specialist, who fell prey to the Phenomenal Forearm and was dispatched. Samoa Joe eliminated.

Jeff Hardy entered the match next and unloaded on Styles with a flurry of rights and the double legdrop to the midsection of The Phenomenal One. Hardy launched himself over the top rope and onto Bryan, who immediately clutched his knee.

Hardy and Styles paired off for an ugly, botched spot, while Bryan worked over the arm of Kingston across the ring. The Charismatic Enigma returned to the top of a pod and delivered a Swanton onto Styles, who was laying across the top rope. As he recovered, Hardy was met by the running knee from Bryan, who sent him packing. Jeff Hardy eliminated.

Orton entered the match, stalking his prey like the Apex Predator he prides himself on being.

At one point, Styles tried for the Phenomenal Forearm, but The Viper caught him on the top rope and drove him to the mat with an RKO for an elimination. AJ Styles eliminated.

Orton set Kingston up for the RKO but caught a charging Bryan with a powerslam. Kingston answered with Trouble in Paradise to The Viper and eliminated him. Randy Orton eliminated.

The match came down to Kingston and Bryan as the crowd came alive, firmly behind the 11-year veteran. 

The competitors traded kicks before The New Day man delivered SOS for a quality near-fall. Chants of "Kofi" erupted throughout the arena.

Bryan got a momentary reprieve, sending Kingston face-first into the steel post. The titleholder unloaded with a series of corner dropkicks, but a last-gasp effort from Kingston nearly earned him the championship following yet another dramatic two-count.

Outside the ring, Kingston tried for a bulldog into one of the pods, but Bryan sent him crashing into it. Back inside the squared circle, The Beard delivered a running knee that turned his opponent inside out. Still, it was not enough to keep his opponent down. 

Doubt painted the face of Bryan as the crowd erupted in support of the babyface. Frustrated, he stomped the face of Kingston but could only keep him down for two. A series of roll ups ensued, but neither could score the win. Bryan tried to apply the LeBell Lock, but Kingston tried desperately to fight it off. He did.

The Superstars teased a superplex from the top of the pod, interrupting each other periodically to bash the other's head into the plexiglass side of the structure. A big kick from Kingston finally sent the champion to the mat.

Kingston missed a cross body block from the top, and Bryan delivered another running knee to win the match and retain his title. Kofi Kingston eliminated.

"The air has been completely sucked out of the Toyota Center," Corey Graves stated in the most accurate declaration of the night. Bryan celebrated his title defense having entered at No. 1.

Kingston was left in the ring after the match and was immediately joined by Big E and Xavier Woods. Chants of "thank you, Kofi" poured from the stands as his teammates helped him to the back. The New Day stood tall at the top of the ramp to close out the show.

Bryan retained his title over Orton, Hardy, Styles, Joe and Kingston

This was already a strong match before Bryan and Kingston squared off as the final two competitors. Once that happened and the drama reached a fever pitch, it approached Match of the Year level.

Kingston capped off the greatest week of his career from an in-ring perspective with a performance that had the WWE Universe ready to accept him as their champion. He easily could have won this match—and the title—and the booking decision would have been accepted with open arms.

Not because Bryan is not an effective champion. Nah, the decision would have been embraced because fans have a strong connection to The New Day, respect Kingston and appreciate the unexpected.

The outcome was the right one, especially if the creative team already has WrestleMania plans for Bryan. How WWE management can look at Tuesday's SmackDown Live and Sunday night's show and not recognize the raw, emotional connection fans have with someone like Kingston is inconceivable.

The question is what the company does about it now.

If Kingston slinks back into the midcard as one-third of an incredibly over tag team that has kind of achieved everything there is to achieve in that division, all of this is for naught.

WWE Creative should, for once, strike while the iron is hot and give the veteran Superstar something significant to do. Let him and his New Day mates prove they can succeed in singles competition while not diminishing or decimating their team.

Let New Day exist while giving its individual stars the chance to shine, beginning with Kingston.

He has earned it, fans are ready to get behind him, and with no other obvious contender for the top prize in WWE on the horizon, now is the time to go all-in with a guy who has earned the push.