It feels like WWE just had a pay-per-view because… well, they did. But this is now the final big show ahead of WrestleMania and it will decide who is (and isn’t) going to “The Show of Shows.” The Elimination Chamber was a show still in motion this week as little had been planned prior, but it remains one of the fans’ favorites because of the prowess that the Chamber still carries all these years later. As always, the Last Word on Pro Wrestling has you covered with the full match-to-match preview.
No Disqualification Match
Aleister Black vs. AJ Styles
It’s interesting to think about what the outcome could be for this one after this past week’s episode of Raw. AJ Styles is preparing himself for a feud with the Undertaker but has also gotten himself into one with Aleister Black as well. Styles managed to become the first man on the main roster to pin Black. Although that came after both Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson had matches with Black and beat him down after. Now the rematch between these two is on but this time the match will be no disqualification. “The Dutch Destroyer” should be out for retribution. Styles may need to worry about more than he can handle, as the idea of no DQ makes it possible for anyone to show up. Yes, that means Black needs to have eyes in the back of his head with The OC lingering and can become involved.
A few questions arise, including; will the Undertaker show up? They will surely be answered and Styles will need to avoid fading to black while also thinking about “The Deadman.” It could be a tough night at Elimination Chamber for “The Phenomenal One.”
Daniel Bryan vs. Drew Gulak
Ring of Honor may be bringing back the Pure Championship but no match may fit the bill more than this match that happens to be on Elimination Chamber. Daniel Bryan will take on Drew Gulak for the first time in the WWE. This match could steal the show if you are a fan of technical greatness. The reason we even got here was that Gulak believes he sees weaknesses in the game of Daniel Bryan. Gulak has tried to get the likes of Heath Slater and Curtis Axel to get the better of Bryan by utilizing these weaknesses. At times, both men came close to victory. But the savvy former WWE Champion managed to walk out successfully both times.
Bryan told Gulak to put his money where his mouth was and out wrestle him if he believes these weaknesses are real. Bryan will need the win to try and move him into a WrestleMania position. While on the other side of the ring, Gulak will attempt to get the biggest win of his WWE career.
Raw Tag Team Championship Match
The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins) (c) vs. Seth Rollins & Murphy
The new champions, The Street Profits, will defend their championship for the first time since winning it on this past Raw. Seth Rollins demanded following his and Murphy‘s loss that they get their rematch on Sunday due to the interference of Kevin Owens. Both teams have a win over each other making this the grudge match between the two teams. There isn’t much story to it besides the tag titles being on the line at Elimination Chamber here.
United States Championship Match
Andrade (c) vs. Humberto Carrillo
One of the more confusing stories in all of WWE is this feud. Andrade returned from his 30-day suspension at Super Showdown and has been pinned twice now. He remains the United States Champion and will face Humberto Carrillo once again in a championship match. Carrillo had a shot at the Royal Rumble but failed to capitalize. With Angel Garza becoming Zelina Vega‘s newest client, it’s interesting to wonder if Andrade’s time as champion could be numbered with Vega focusing on her fresher, more impressive client. Time will tell, but one thing that’s for sure is that this can be the match stealer if given the time.
Intercontinental Championship Match
Braun Strowman (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Cesaro, & Sami Zayn
A handicap match for a championship is always a unique bout to consider and think about. Braun Strowman will defend his Intercontinental Championship for the first time at Elimination Chamber. It will be against former champion Shinsuke Nakamura, Cesaro, and Sami Zayn. What makes this matchup exciting is the idea of Sami Zayn returning to the ring. Zayn is one of the better wrestlers in the WWE but has been kept out of the ring for the most part since returning after WrestleMania in 2019.
If Strowman were to lose the championship, seeing Zayn being the one to pick up the win would be awesome to see. It would also be a very interesting curveball for the Zayn unit to decipher. Sure, the odds are stacked against Strowman, but it’s difficult to believe he’d drop his championship this quickly.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Elimination Chamber Match
The Miz & John Morrison (c) vs. The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Big E) vs. Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado) vs. The Usos vs. Dolph Ziggler & Bobby Roode vs. Heavy Machinery (Otis & Tucker)
This will be the second-ever tag team Elimination Chamber match with the winner walking out as the SmackDown Tag Team Champions. It’s a packed house of talent with a number of stories to tell inside the steel prison that is the Chamber. The Miz and John Morrison will defend their freshly acquired tag team titles against Heavy Machinery, Lucha House Party, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, The Usos, and The New Day. The stories to follow include Otis being able to get his hands on Dolph Ziggler for one. It’ll be interesting to see the focus of Otis on this one with Mandy Rose being at the center of it all.
Then there is the unsettled rivalry between Miz, Morrison, and The New Day. Overall, this match may be the superior Chamber in terms of excitement as tag teams being able to take center stage is always a good thing. In the tag team gauntlet match on Friday night, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode earned the opportunity to enter last in the Chamber after Heavy Machinery defeated the first four teams before the tag team champions beat them down following the match, leaving Ziggler and Roode a chance to sweep in and win. Ziggler even pinned Otis to earn the opportunity. Any team could walk out on top.
No. 1 Contender For Raw Women’s Championship Elimination Chamber Match
Shayna Baszler vs. Asuka vs. Natalya vs. Liv Morgan vs. Ruby Riott vs. Sarah Logan
The expected main event of the evening will decide Becky Lynch‘s WrestleMania challenger for the Raw Women’s Championship. It’s a big match as “The Man” not only the main event WrestleMania last year but is approaching one year as the champion. Whoever wins the Elimination Chamber match will have an even tougher attack ahead. Shayna Baszler is viewed as the favorite as she and Lynch have kicked off a feud without a match being official. The only two-time NXT Women’s Champion in history can make even more history by winning her first Chamber and going on to “The Show of Shows.” Asuka would be the second favorite heading in, as one-half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions has something to prove after coming up short to Lynch at the Royal Rumble.
The rest of the field is made up of Natalya and the former members of the Riott Squad, who have their own story to tell inside the Elimination Chamber. It’s interesting to think that these three women may be the downfall of each other. The winner of this match will be going to WrestleMania. Something all the wrestlers work towards every year.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. WWE fan? Check out the WWE Network to fulfill all of your WWE needs! Elimination Chamber airs at 7 p.m. EST.
