Toronto and the wrestling world are still buzzing from last night’s events. WWE brought its last show before WrestleMania 41 to the Six, and it was an incredible night of wrestling. Both Elimination Chamber matches were fun, and the tag and unsanctioned matches added their own importance to the party. Then, of course, there was the kick heard around the world that closed out the night.
Now that Elimination Chamber is over, it is full steam ahead to April 19th and 20th. Las Vegas will host WrestleMania, and what happens in these next few weeks will go a long way to ensuring a successful Grandest Stage for WWE. Some paths have already been carved out, and others look murky. Let’s see what direction WWE should be keeping their talent going towards WrestleMania 41.
Road to WrestleMania 41
The Corporation Vs Cody Rhodes
The biggest story coming out of last night’s show is the heel turn that we never thought we would see. John Cena turning on Cody Rhodes was a massive shock with the action being something that no one could have predicted. It sets up all sorts of interesting possibilities on the road to WrestleMania 41.
For starters, it looks like we will be getting a revamped version of the corporation taking on the conquering hero. Austin and McMahon is the best example of this, and while it’s been attempted multiple times, it has never been duplicated. This current program has the potential to match, if not surpass Austin and McMahon.
There will be a need for explanations, in the coming weeks, but Cena’s silence could do more good than harm. Not justifying his actions will incense the audience even more. It would be the best way to dig into his heel turn and fill the seven weeks before we hit WrestleMania 41.
Tiffy Stratton and Charlotte Begin Their Journey To The Grandest Stage
This has been decided for a few weeks now, but WWE has only dipped its toe into the pond, so to speak. They have kept both wrestlers at arm’s length since the Royal Rumble, and now that Tiffy has vanquished her old foes the time is now to ramp things up.
The promo trains that could take place over the next few weeks will not be enough to hold this feud. Charlotte has been strangely weak in that department, and it wouldn’t be enough to hype their championship match. There needs to be some physical confrontations, along the way, that lean in the favor of Stratton. WWE making Stratton seem the lesser would be a mistake and could turn the audience against this match quickly. Charlotte needs to be brought down a peg, or two, by the WWE Women’s Champion in advance of their WrestleMania 41 clash.
Rhea Ripley & Bianca Belair Engage In A Feud Of Respect
Bianca Belair winning the Elimination Chamber, in hindsight, was the right call. She is a legitimate threat to Rhea Ripley’s World Championship and matches up well against the champ at WrestleMania 41.
Ripley should get past Iyo Sky, and when she does, WWE can start putting the gears into this feud that will be one of the best in years. Belair and Ripley are both babyfaces, but this is what this angle needs. There are so many traditional heel/babyface matches that this will be a refreshing break. It will be fun to see them weave a tale of who is the better wrestler, as they have both been dominant during their runs. Seeing which way the fans lean on this journey will be very interesting.
Along the way, it would be smart for WWE to book some tag matches where they sow the seeds of mistrust between the two. Having some accidental confrontations would be perfect and add a layer of drama to their match on the Grandest Stage at WrestleMania 41.
Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest Will Go To Battle
Following the drama that unfolded after the Royal Rumble everyone was unsure of what direction WWE would take Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest. There was a rumor that these two would meet at WrestleMania 41, but with McIntyre’s backstage meltdown, many suspected a shift in the booking. Of course, this could have all been a red herring considering how the Elimination Chamber panned out.
McIntyre was rolled up by Priest, and then he aided in the elimination of the Archer of Infamy. So, it looks like WWE is going to go ahead, as planned, and was just fish-hooking us over the past few weeks, well done.
This might seem like a throw-away match, but if done well will be a highlight of WrestleMania 41. McIntyre’s character work, over the past year, has been some of the best of all time, and Priest is no slouch himself. They should try and turn this into as personal a story as they can to build up the hype. Also, both men share very physical styles and should mesh well together in the coming weeks.
The Viper Looks To Punt Kevin Owens
The return that we all kind of expected to happen took place at Elimination Chamber. When Kevin Owens was primed to end Sami Zayn’s career, Randy Orton made his return to WWE taking the fight to the Prizefighter. It was something we all expected but was nonetheless an awesome sight.
Leading up to their eventual WrestleMania 41 showdown will be great no doubt, but it is what needs to be teased throughout the build that will make or break this feud. We saw it teased on Saturday, and it needs to keep happening. Randy Orton needs to bring back The Punt and eventually use it. He and Kevin Owens are two of the most sadistic wrestlers on the roster. We saw firsthand what Owens is capable of, and history tells us that Randy Orton will have no problem matching Owens. But The Punt needs to be the focal point of the angle.
The Punt is only used in the most extreme of situations, and this is right up there. Orton lost months of his career due to Owens backstabbing him and that move would be the only logical endpoint. It should be what carries this program over the coming weeks on the Road to WrestleMania 41.
Jade Cargill Explains Her Actions
It was a shock to see Jade Cargill make her return and force her way into the Elimination Chamber. What was more shocking was that she veered, at the last second, and turned her violence towards Naomi. For months now, WWE has been leading us to believe that Liv Morgan was responsible for the attack on Cargill, but it looks like Naomi may have been the culprit.
The attack on Naomi was vicious, so much so that Cargill wouldn’t have done it if Naomi wasn’t guilty. Still, we are in the lurch as to the true motivations behind the attack, but one would have to believe that Naomi was the guilty party. It’s safe to say that the world deserves an explanation and it shouldn’t be too long before we get one from Jade Cargill.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
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