Well this is unexpected. Only two weeks since Payback and we have another major WWE event! This time we definitely can’t call it a pay per view since it’s supposed to be an exclusive WWE Network event. After reports came out that WWE didn’t want to run Elimination Chamber anymore, it looks like it was all to use the event as a surprise. The “old arena/new arena” thing was clearly a diversion. What makes this a welcome surprise is the Chambers used to only be used for world title matches and now they are giving it for the Intercontinental championship and the Tag Team championships. It’s a nice change of pace and the performers involved are a great mix to keep the matches exciting. Shaking up expectations is definitely needed today when WWE Raw ratings are some of the worst in 17 years. WWE needs to get this “Athletic Era” of WWE over because while it appeals to the hardcore base, it hasn’t been creating the new fans they had hoped it would. A big reason? The athletes tend to stay in the midcard. With the Chamber being used for the midcard talents and Ambrose/Rollins getting to work on its own, it defies expectations and makes this an intriguing event.
Elimination Chamber 2015 Kick-Off is on the WWE Network at 7PM EST, 4PM PST with event time starting at 8PM EST, 5PM PST.
WWE ELIMINATION CHAMBER 2015
ELIMINATION CHAMBER KICKOFF
DANIEL BRYAN ON MIZ-TV
WILL BRYAN GET IN A PHYSICAL ALTERCATION
Aaron and Adam: Yes
Shawn, Sean and Jeff: No
THOUGHTS by Adam Contant: My guess is that with Tough Enough debuting on June 23rd, WWE has strategically placed both a panelist from the new season against a competitor from an earlier season. Mix in the early history between these two from their stint as a reluctant mentor/rookie duo and you’ll likely see some sparks fly, ending with a running knee and YES! Chants ringing throughout the arena
WWE DIVAS CHAMPIONSHIP
PAIGE VS. NAOMI VS. NIKKI BELLA (c)
WINNER
Aaron: Nikki Bella
Shawn, Adam, Sean and Jeff: Naomi
THOUGHTS by Shawn Wilken: After defeating the Bella twins in tag team competition last month, Naomi has seen her stock go up and it could culminate in a title win tonight. The extra dynamic of Paige in the match making this a triple threat complicates things, but it also makes it harder for a champion to retain or fight off two hungry women instead of one.
NON-TITLE MATCH
JOHN CENA VS. KEVIN OWENS
WINNER
Aaron, Adam and Sean: John Cena
Shawn and Jeff: Kevin Owens
THOUGHTS by Sean Garmer: I expect this to be great and I hope this is treated as a big time match and not some nothing opponent for Cena. I would think that WWE wants this feud to go a little bit. If Owens hadn’t signed a WWE contract recently, I was going to say that Samoa Joe could show up to cost him the match, but now it is probably more likely that Owens just gets frustrated and disqualifies himself in some way.
ADRIAN NEVILLE VS. BO DALLAS
WINNER
Aaron, Adam, Sean and Jeff: Adrian Neville
Shawn: Bo Dallas
THOUGHTS by Shawn Wilken: Working on the story of Neville wrestling with an injured leg, the advantage is in favor of Bo Dallas. Whether the people Bolieve in him or not, Dallas could pull off the upset, which sets his run on the right path, or we could get a nice tease of the brothers uniting in an interesting bond if Bray Wyatt decides to aid Bo in the win.
WWE TAG TEAM ELIMINATION CHAMBER
LOS MATADORES VS. CESARO/KIDD VS. THE ASCENSION VS. LUCHA DRAGONS VS. PRIMETIME PLAYERS VS. THE NEW DAY (c)
ELIMINATION ORDER
Aaron: Los Matadores, The Ascension, Primetime Players, Lucha Dragons, The New Day
Shawn and Sean: Los Matadores, The Ascension, PrimeTime Players, Lucha Dragons, Cesaro and Kidd
Adam: Primetime Players, Los Matadores, Cesaro/Kidd, The Ascension, Lucha Dragons
Jeff: Primetime Players, Los Matadores, Ascension, Lucha Dragons, Cesaro/Kidd
WINNER
Aaron: Cesaro/Kidd
Shawn, Adam, Sean and Jeff: The New Day
THOUGHTS by Adam Contant: The New Day are WWE’s hottest tag team act right now, largely due to their cowardly heel tactics that have made them easy to hate. Nothing would infuriate WWE fans more than to see The New Day somehow escape the chamber with their belts in tact. While the obvious choice is to have Cesaro and Kidd in there at the end, I think WWE will move away from them and move the Lucha Dragons into a summer feud with the New Day. The Dragons will need to overcome some odds at the end and the only other heel team to pair them off with along with the New Day is the Ascension. Los Matadores are the obvious choice to be eliminated first, so the Darren Young and Titus O’Neil will bite the dust first in an effort to mess with that expectation.
WWE INTERCONTINENTAL ELIMINATION CHAMBER
KING BARRETT VS. R-TRUTH VS. THE RYBACK VS. DOLPH ZIGGLER VS. SHEAMUS VS. ???
WHO WILL BE RUSEV’S REPLACEMENT:
Aaron: Bray Wyatt
Shawn, Sean and Jeff: Stardust
Adam: Sami Zayn
ELIMINATION ORDER
Aaron: R-Truth, Dolph Ziggler, King Barrett, Bray Wyatt, The Ryback
Shawn: R-Truth, Ryback, (Rusev replacement – Stardust), Dolph Ziggler, Barrett
Adam: King Barrett, R-Truth, Bray Wyatt, Dolph Ziggler, Sheamus
Sean: R-Truth, King Barrett, Replacement, Dolph Ziggler, Ryback
Jeff: R-Truth, Star Dust, Ziggler, Barrett, Sheamus
WINNER
Aaron, Shawn, Sean: Sheamus
Adam: Sami Zayn
Jeff: Ryback
THOUGHTS by Jeff DeHaan: I’m not even a real big fan of Ryback, but since his return to the whole “Feed me more” gimmick he has managed to get back into the fans good graces again. And he has stuck it out for a while and deserves a reward. If it were up to me I’d rather see Ziggler win it, as a fan of his, but for some reason I see Ryback getting the gold here.
WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
DEAN AMBROSE VS. SETH ROLLINS (c)
WILL KANE TURN ON SETH ROLLINS
Aaron: Yes
Shawn, Adam, Sean and Jeff: No
WILL ROMAN REIGNS GET INVOLVED
Aaron, Shawn, Adam, Sean and Jeff: Yes
WINNER
Aaron: Dean Ambrose
Shawn, Adam, Sean and Jeff: Seth Rollins
THOUGHTS by Aaron Wrotkowski: The WWE decided to make this “big event” out of nowhere and surprise everybody. Because of this, the card was haphazardly shuffled together in order to give people something exciting. I think the WWE looked at the main event and realized they needed to do something exciting to change the way the summer was going. The Seth Rollins situation is too typical. If Kane finally turns on Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns gets involved, Seth Rollins and The Authority have a thousand excuses to why they lost. It gives Ambrose a short run at the top before dropping it at SummerSlam or seeing how long it can go.
Thanks for joining us, see you at Elimination Chamber 2015!
Photo by Craig Melvin
