Tonight, the WWE presents its second pay-per-view of the year as the Elimination Chamber emanates live from the Target Center in Minneapolis as part of the road to WrestleMania XXX on April 6. This month's pay-per-view is highlighted by the six-man Chamber match pitting WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton against John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Cesaro and Christian. Here are some predictions along with the latest rumors and possible spoilers for Sunday's show.
Elimination Chamber kick-off pre-show match-Goldust and Cody Rhodes vs. Ryback and Curtis Axel:
Before the pay-per-view goes live, the WWE will have this tag match to warm the crowd up. There have been rumors that the Rhodes brothers may be heading towards a breakup and that the seeds could be planted here. Axel and Ryback are two guys that the company has tried to push in the past but for whatever reason it hasn't quite worked out with them.
The tag division has been great as of late, which of course means that the WWE is likely going to dismantle it soon as we've already seen with the Darren Young and Titus O'Neil nonsensical breakup. The Shield is also headed towards splitsville soon according to reports, and while it's not definite the WWE may want to pit the Rhodes brothers against each other 20 years after Bret Hart and Owen Hart had one of the best opening matches in the history of the company at WrestleMania X.
The plans aren't set in stone, and it would be nice to see Rhodes and Goldust continue their recent exciting run as partners together, but now that the straps are off of them it seems like the WWE will want to push Rhodes as a singles star again sooner rather than later. They may not break up at the show but there may at least be some cracks forming with WrestleMania six weeks away.
The Pick: Axel and Ryback get the win, but the dissention between the Rhodes brothers becomes the bigger story.
Cody Rhodes was involved in the 2012 Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Six-man Tag Team Match-The Wyatt Family vs. The Shield:
This would be the perfect choice for an opener as six-man tag action is always exciting, though it is possible that the Intercontinental Championship could kick off the show as well. This is an interesting dynamic since both of these teams are billed as heels, but these are six of the most interesting guys that are currently in the company so it should prove to be a great contest.
The WWE has been hell bent on pushing Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt, so look for these two guys to stand out during the match. It has been rumored that the WWE may do a triple threat between The Shield members at WrestleMania XXX as long as they don't add Daniel Bryan into the match for the title between Randy Orton and Batista. With that in mind, this could be the pay-per-view where the animosity within The Shield comes to a head.
Roman Reigns' push is expected to be coming soon and the WWE has already planted the seeds for the breakup, so it seems as though this is as good of a time as any to split the group. If the WWE indeed does split up the Rhodes brothers at this show, I'm not so sure that they'd pull the trigger on The Shield breakup on the very same night to have two teams disbanding but it remains to be seen.
Either way, The Shield is splitting up soon while The Wyatts could use the rub of a victory, especially with Bray Wyatt being rumored to take on John Cena at WrestleMania. The Wyatt Family winning is the obvious choice and exactly what will happen.
The Pick: The Wyatt Family stands tall.
The Shield was involved in a six-man match at this event last year, taking on Cena, Sheamus and Ryback.
Singles Match-Darren Young vs. Titus O'Neil:
It was surprising that the WWE split up this team as they were pretty popular and a part of the resurgent tag division in the WWE as of late. This match might not be given a lot of time since the WWE is stuffing six matches--including the Chamber match that is expected to be at least an hour long--into the show. It will be interesting to see if the WWE wants to give Young some revenge after O'Neil screwed him over or if he'll get the Marty Jannetty treatment and lose to his heel former partner. The WWE looks to want to legitimize O'Neil as a heel, so he'll likely get the win.
The Pick: Titus O'Neil beats his former partner.
Intercontinental Championship-Big E (c) vs. Jack Swagger:
Speaking of teams breaking up, I've enjoyed The Real Americans but it looks like Swagger and Cesaro could possibly be the next team to split since the WWE has been putting them in singles action more and more and teasing a rift with them and Zeb Colter. Big E is well-liked backstage by WWE officials and it also doesn't hurt that he has a fan in John Cena.
This should be a good match and could even have the potential to steal the show on Sunday night as both of these guys are pretty good in the ring and should have an entertaining clash. It seems as though the WWE is intent on pushing Big E, and I believe he'll carry the IC strap into WrestleMania while Swagger and Cesaro will likely be placed in a big tag team match for the tag titles.
The Pick: Big E retains the IC Title.
Jack Swagger won the Chamber match in 2013 to earn the right to fight for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXIX:
Tag Team Championships-New Age Outlaws (c) vs. The Usos:
The New Age Outlaws surprisingly reunited to end the reign of Goldust and Cody Rhodes, and the up-and-coming Usos are coming after the belts tonight. The Usos have been a huge part of the revitalized tag division and are fun to watch in the ring. It will be a nice clash of styles when the Outlaws and their grounded attack take on the high flying Usos.
The Outlaws are definitely transitional champions that are being used for the WWE to transfer the belts from one face team to another without actually having The Usos face the Rhodes brothers. While I believe The Usos will achieve their crowning moment of winning the tag titles, it seems like a big moment like this should happen at WrestleMania XXX and not at the Elimination Chamber.
I predict that the WWE will likely make The Usos look strong and valiant in this match only to fall to The Outlaws either by cheating or a DQ/countout finish leading to The Outlaws and Usos either partaking in a rematch in New Orleans or being two of many teams that will square off in a big tag match at the show. The Usos time will come, but it isn't going to be tonight.
The Pick: The Outlaws walk out of Minneapolis the champs by hook or by crook, only to fall at WrestleMania.
The tag titles were last defended at this pay-per-view in 2011 when Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel defeated Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov.
Singles Match-Batista vs. Alberto Del Rio:
Alberto Del Rio is reportedly upset about his position in the WWE's creative plans as of late as the former WWE Champion now feels as though he is being used as fodder for the returning "Animal" to barrel through on his way to WrestleMania XXX. Del Rio reportedly had backstage discussions with some of his peers about his frustration and may leave when his contract expires soon.
Outside of a murmur of rumors that Del Rio may face Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania, his name hasn't appeared in the rumor mill for the April 6 show while Batista has been rumored to main event it ever since it was first leaked that he would return, and he won the Royal Rumble to guarantee it. It will be interesting to see if Del Rio is a professional about his match with Batista or if he tries to out-work him during it.
Batista is set to face Orton at the biggest event of the year--though the plans may have changed it still seems Batista will be in the main event in some capacity--so the end to this match is obvious. Batista needs to look strong going into WrestleMania, so while Del Rio may give him some competition and put up a good fight, "The Animal" will walk out with momentum.
The Pick: Batista beats Del Rio and marches on to WrestleMania with momentum.
Batista fought in his first Chamber match back in 2005 at New Year's Resolution in a losing effort:
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match-Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus vs. Cesaro vs. Christian:
The WWE has reportedly thought about mixing up their plans for WrestleMania this year due to the unfavorable reactions at the Royal Rumble and Daniel Bryan being so over. Some of the rumored main event scenarios include Orton vs. Batista one-one-one, Orton vs. Batista vs. Bryan, Orton vs. Batista vs. Brock Lesnar and Lesnar vs. Batista. Lesnar has also been rumored to face The Undertaker while Bryan was rumored to take the departed CM Punk's spot against Triple H.
With the plans up in the air, this match will probably go a long way in showing what the WWE is thinking creatively as it builds towards the biggest show of the year. According to various reports, Lesnar is expected to be in the house as this show emanates from his home town of Minneapolis. It was rumored that Lesnar may take out one of the wrestlers in the match and take his spot in the Chamber. That wrestler would likely be Christian.
Christian and Cesaro have the worst chances of winning, as its doubtful Christian will even appear in the match and while the WWE seems high on Cesaro and have made him look good, he isn't ready to be the face of the company especially with the biggest show ever approaching. Kane said in a recent interview that Lesnar would be at the show, however he apparently mis-spoke and Lesnar may not appear.
Lesnar could still prove to be key in this match, as the WWE could conceivably have him come in as a surprise entrant and win the match in order to shakeup their WrestleMania plans. Lesnar being added to an Orton/Batista mix or going one-on-one with Batista in a battle of powerhouses is much more intriguing to me than Orton vs. Batista one-on-one. If Lesnar does win, 'Taker may take on Sting who is rumored to be close to signing with the WWE. The company has downplayed signing Sting as being a priority, but it's possible they are just blowing smoke in order to make a 'Taker/Sting clash a surprise again.
Bryan is in the same boat as he is more over than anyone else in the company right now and could conceivably escape Minneapolis the champion. Still, if the WWE were to put the strap on Bryan, the best time to do it would be WrestleMania. With Bryan still having a storyline involvement with Kane it's likely that Kane or Triple H himself interfere in the match in order to screw Bryan and set up a WrestleMania program.
As for Cena, it is expected that Bray Wyatt and the rest of The Wyatt Family will have a hand in costing him the match. The match could very well come down to him and one other superstar before the lights go out and provide a long enough distraction for Cena to get hit with a finisher and lose, since the match is in a cage and it may be tough for The Wyatts to interfere. Either way, the Wyatts will likely be involved to set up the Cena vs. Bray Wyatt match on April 6.
Orton is the defending champion and the WWE has really made it look like Orton is behind the eight-ball, even posting an article on WWE.com about how Orton has entered five of these matches but hasn't won a single one. The WWE pushing Orton as the underdog makes me believe that they'll keep the title on him and likely go with the original plan of having Orton face Batista no matter what the fans or internet community wants to see at the biggest show of the year.
The only three people I could see winning are Orton, Bryan or Lesnar if he does appear. With The Undertaker booked to return to the big Monday Night RAW the next night where the company launches the network, it will be interesting to see if he has a hand in this match. While the plans for WM are up in the air, I'm going to play it safe and say the WWE sticks to its original plans meaning Orton goes over here.
The Pick: Randy Orton retains the title and goes on to headline WrestleMania XXX.
John Cena won the Chamber in 2011:
The first Chamber match took place at the 2002 Survivor Series:
The Elimination Chamber emanates live tonight from the Target Center in Minneapolis as the WWE continues to build towards the WrestleMania XXX pay-per-view on April 6 in New Orleans.
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