What a time to be a pro-wrestling fan, especially if you follow multiple promotions. Just last week WWE gave us Super ShowDown while AEW gave us Revolution. But the PPV action isn’t over, at least not quite yet, as this weekend we have the Elimination Chamber.

Over the past decade, Elimination Chamber has become a regular PPV on the Road to WrestleMania. It’s usually among the final stops of putting the final pieces together for all the big matches and feuds we can expect to see on the Grandest Stage of Them All.

At the time of writing, there are seven matches confirmed for the show, including two Chamber matches and four title matches. Some fans may find this show a little low on Star power as the likes of Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch and Bray Wyatt are all currently absent. But there should still be a lot to enjoy here, especially if you’re a fan who enjoys WWE’s gimmick matches.

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Elimination Chamber match
The Miz & John Morrison (C) vs New Day (Big E & Kofi) vs Heavy Machinery (Tucker & Otis) vs The Uso’s (Jimmy & Jey) vs Lucha House Party (Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik) vs. Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode

The Wells Fargo Center had previously advertised a six-man Chamber that included the likes of Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Ziggler, presumably to crown a #1 contender for the Universal title. WWE obviously scrapped that match because Roman simply challenged Goldberg and instead we have this Tag Team Chamber match, that has pretty much come out of the left field.

WWE don’t have the best track record when it comes to Tag Team Chamber matches, that’s probably why they’ve only had two, and the one in 2015 was easily one to forget. So I really hope WWE have learnt from that mistake. A big issue in the brand split era is that the individual shows don’t tend to have a deep enough roster to fill out this kind of match, and I realistically think there are only three teams in this match who could win. Those being, Miz & Morrison, New Day and The Usos. We now know that Ziggler and Roode will be the final team to enter the match, but I don’t think their chances of winning are all that high.

At this point, I predict that Miz & Morrison will retain the titles, even if they have to rely on nefarious deeds in order to do so. My thinking is that Miz & Morrison are still really early in this title run, granted, it’s not out of the question but I would be surprised. They’re a clever heel team together, so I can see them escaping as Champions, but I daresay there will be unfinished business between them, the New Day, and The Usos come WrestleMania.

Prediction: The Miz & John Morrison

Intercontinental Championship 3-on-1 Handicap match – Braun Strowman (C) vs Shinsuke Nakamura, Cesaro & Sami Zayn

The Intercontinental Championship certainly felt like an afterthought in 2019. Shinsuke Nakamura had a 201-day reign with the title, but it feels like he barely defended it, especially on PPV. I really hope that’s something the WWE rectify in 2020. Likewise, Braun Strowman has been severely damaged in a short period of time in WWE. Having had countless shots at the Universal title, but always coming up short (and what did Tyson Fury’s match do for anybody?),  Braun’s first-ever singles title feels long overdue.

I like Shinsuke, Cesaro and Sami as singles talents (hell, I quite like Sami as a manager with Shinsuke), but I think the three of them are wasted in this group together. And what’s worse, I have a feeling the three of them could look quite weak coming out of Elimination Chamber, as I find it very unlikely that Braun would get dethroned here, especially so early in his run.

Although imagine if the trio of heels were to pick up the win, WWE hasn’t clarified who would get the title. Presumably, it would be whoever picks up the pin, and that could make for a very entertaining spot as Shinsuke, Cesaro and Sami all turn on each other when they have a chance to beat Braun, because of their egos and they each want to walk away with the title, and it ends up costing them the match.

Prediction: Braun Strowman

Daniel Bryan vs Drew Gulak

I think it’s quite jarring that Bryan can go from a feud so intense and personal, like the one with “The Fiend”, to what he’s doing right now. Bryan’s matches against the likes of Heath Slater, but it’s being masterminded by Drew Gulak, just feels so thrown together, and surely someone like Bryan should be in a programme of a higher calibre. Regardless, we can only play the hand we are dealt with.

On the most recent episode of SmackDown, Daniel finally had enough of Gulak’s smugness in claiming he knows all of Bryan’s weaknesses and challenged him to put his money where his mouth is. Credit where it’s due, this is a great PPV spot for Gulak to be in (his Cruiserweight title reign feels like a distant memory now), although there is a chance this could get bumped to the pre-show. All in all, this really should be another night at the office for Daniel Bryan.

Prediction: Daniel Bryan

United States Championship match – Andrade vs Humberto Carillo
Andrade returned to action at Super ShowDown PPV after reportedly being suspended, and seamlessly stepped back into his feud against Humberto Carillo and Rey Mysterio, with his seat being kept warm during his absence by Angel Garza.

This has been one of the more intense and personal feuds on RAW in recent months, with both Andrade and Humberto attempting to DDT each other onto the concrete arena floor. Then you factor in that Humberto is legitimately the cousin of Angel Garza.

Andrade is so perfect as a heel, that I personally can’t imagine him as a face, but it means he is nearly always a threat, especially when he has Zelina Vega (and lately Garza, too) in his corner. For that reason, I think Andrade will escape this show with the US title intact. Although I have a feeling that a big title win for Humberto isn’t that far away, just not quite yet.

Prediction: Andrade

RAW Tag Team Championship match
The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) (C) vs Seth Rollins & Murphy

I was stunned to see the Street Profits capture the Tag Team Titles on the most recent episode of RAW, considering they’d come up short in Saudi Arabia. Granted, there was a lot of subtext on RAW because it was billed as a final opportunity for the Street Profits, and they needed the help of Kevin Owens to win.

The Monday Night Messiah demanded a rematch and he also said that Owens can have a match against him at any time with any stipulation. This presumably means a big match at WrestleMania, but I’m intrigued as to what the stipulation could be.

The Street Profits need the win here to solidify themselves as a strong tag team, especially as they needed help from Owens on RAW. I also see The Profits leaving Philadelphia if for no other reason than it keeps Rollins out of the tag team picture and available for a big Mania singles match against KO.

Prediction: The Street Profits

No Disqualification match – AJ Styles vs Aleister Black

Styles played the dastardly heel to great effect on the ‘go home’ edition of RAW. After a match between Styles and Black had previously been advertised, AJ revealed that Aleister hadn’t read the small print correctly, and had to go through Gallows & Anderson first, which meant that AJ could pick up the scraps in that eventual match with ease.

There’s no mistaking that Aleister Black is a great talent, although I would argue that he probably has a rather low ceiling on the main roster. That said, this is a great PPV spot for Black to be in against somebody like Styles. I’d be willing to hedge my bets and suggest that this could be the match of the night. When it seems likely that we’re going to see Styles vs the Undertaker at Mania, I would argue that Styles needs to win here in order to keep his booking as strong as possible before his date with the Deadman.

Prediction: AJ Styles

Elimination Chamber match – Winner challenges Becky Lynch for the RAW Women’s Championship at WrestleMania: Natalya vs Ruby Riott vs Shayna Baszler vs Sarah Logan vs Liv Morgan vs Asuka

Now surely, this will be the main event of the show. In all honesty, I’d much rather have switched Becky Lynch for Baszler, have this Chamber be a title match – Becky’s final hurdle before Mania – while Shayna earns the right to be #1 contender in another match.

This seems to be the most predictable match on the card and I don’t really think WWE could pull off a swerve here unless they change one of the participants at the last minute. I can’t see Asuka winning, because we’ve seen Asuka vs Becky to death. Likewise, a Natalya win doesn’t have any steam either. None of the former Riott Squad are built up enough for a WrestleMania title match. That leaves Shayna Baszler as the only likely winner, especially as WWE have already kicked off this feud between her and Lynch, and the two seem destined for quite the collision course.

Prediction: Shayna Baszler

All pics and videos courtesy of WWE