Six men step into the Elimination Chamber on Sunday, Feb. 12 with not only the WWE Championship on the line, but also a place in the main event at Wrestlemania 33 in April.
After John Cena won the belt away from AJ Styles at Royal Rumble last week, he’s putting it back on the line right away with five others gunning after it. AJ Styles – the former champ – is joined by Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose, Baron Corbin and The Miz to try and win the WWE Championship and a date with Randy Orton at Wrestlemania.
WWE did a great job putting the Elimination Chamber together because any one of the six superstars would make for a good championship run leading into Wrestlemania, and I can’t predict exactly who might win.
But, here are my predictions of who will leave Phoenix with the belt from least likely to most likely.
6. Baron Corbin
Of the six superstars, Baron has the least amount of notoriety, but there’s been a decent push for him recently on SmackDown. Just having him in Elimination Chamber is a continual steady push for his character, and I don’t expect him to walk away with the gold.
However, don’t be surprised to see him pin one or two superstars before he’s knocked off. Baron’s time for a championship run is coming. This go round is to test him out with audiences on a big stage.
5. Dean Ambrose
Dean Ambrose is a fan favorite, so WWE takes advantage of any opportunity to put him in front of a camera that it can. He’s the reigning Intercontinental champion after a short rivalry with The Miz so I don’t expect Ambrose to walk out of Elimination Chamber with two belts.
Plus, I think something may happen in the chamber itself that could set up an Intercontinental championship defense rivalry. Ambrose will have a match at Wrestlemania – it just won’t be in the main event.
4. AJ Styles
And the Dean Ambrose situation brings me to No. 4. AJ Styles and Ambrose had a rivalry for the WWE Championship that ended at Tables, Ladders, and Chairs. And then they had an “unfinished business” match on SmackDown this week. However, that match got wrecked by The Miz and Baron Corbin, who were both ringside to promote Elimination Chamber at the commentary table. Corbin and The Miz scuffled, which distracted Ambrose, and Styles got the pin.
After AJ Styles successfully defended the WWE Championship against Dean Ambrose, I think the shoes may switch at Wrestlemania where Ambrose has to defend the Intercontinental Championship against Styles. So look for something to go down inside the Elimination Chamber that re-ignites the rivalry between Styles and Ambrose. Maybe even a third superstar gets involved, like Baron Corbin, and we get a triple threat Intercontinental Championship at Wrestlemania.
3. The Miz
There’s no one in WWE better with a microphone than The Miz, in my opinion. I could listen to that guy talk all day. He’s so entertaining, and he’s become one of the company’s most reliable heels.
The Miz has had tons of championship runs during his time, and he’s also had unheralded rivalries with Randy Orton on cable. But we’ve never had the chance to see The Miz vs. Randy Orton as the main event at Wrestlemania.
I don’t know if there’s enough time to build up this rivalry and get people hyped before April 2, but it’s a different match than the usual, but it still has two superstars with stacked resumes. Plus, who wouldn’t want to see Maryse – The Miz’s wife – ringside to help him cheat his way to victory over Randy Orton?
2. John Cena
After fans overtly booed Roman Reigns at the end of Wrestlemania 32, WWE seems to be playing it safe with the main event this year. While no one is exactly thrilled to see John Cena vs. Randy Orton part 698, it’s a long-standing WWE rivalry with two of the company’s biggest names.
If Cena retains the title at Elimination Chamber, it’s super easy to build Wrestlemania 33 around John Cena vs. Randy Orton. But, it also shows a lack of creativity on the part of WWE if this is the match we get.
1. Bray Wyatt
The most intriguing Elimination Chamber victor would be Bray Wyatt because he and Randy Orton are tag team partners. And with the current storyline of disorder in the Wyatt Family involving Luke Harper, Randy Orton, and Wyatt, having the culmination of that conflict as the main event at Wrestlemania would be an epic ending.
The storyline started when Wyatt and Orton lost their tag team championship belts. Fellow Wyatt Family member Luke Harper and Randy Orton have since been brothers at war, with Wyatt essentially siding with Orton. Luke Harper got a slice of revenge when he attacked both of them in the Royal Rumble, and then he sided with John Cena in an impromptu tag team bout.
Having Bray Wyatt win the Elimination Chamber would be the way to go if WWE wanted to add to the chaos of this “house divided” storyline. It’s also the sort of match that shows the WWE really does care about its fans. This is the kind of match that’s specifically for people who watch SmackDown every week. It would show the fans that WWE is worried more about delivering a quality product than just getting pay-per-view buys.
