Elite Sports NY’s resident professional wrestling expert, Kevin Flynn, gives us a sneak peak at Sunday night’s WWE Elimination Chamber.
By Kevin Flynn
The Elimination Chamber will take place in Corpus Christi, Texas on May 31st and will feature six matches, including two matches in the Elimination Chamber itself.
Normally, the hellish looking structure is reserved for the World Title, but as the WWE looks to its future stars, the two matches will put the Tag Team Titles on the line and the Intercontinental Championship in the other match. The Elimination Chamber contest has six opponents in which two start off against each other and the other four combatants are locked in a pod until their timer goes off. One extra combatant joins every few minutes until all the players have entered.
Now let’s take a look at each of the six matches and tell you who we think is going to win:
Neville vs Bo Dallas
Neville originally beat Bo Dallas for the NXT championship and then began the longest NXT Championship reign until late last year, when he lost to Sami Zayn at NXT Revolution.
Bo has been put on the back burner for a bit and a victory for him here could reignite the feud between the two. Neville does have an injured knee and the last few weeks, Bo Dallas has been attacking it after Neville’s matches. I could only see Neville beginning his run here despite the injury and that crown wants to see his signature move, the Red Arrow.
When Neville wins, I do Bo-Lieve that Dallas will play the role of the sore loser and attack Neville after his defeat.
WINNER: Neville with the Red Arrow
Paige vs. Naomi vs. Nikki Bella for Divas Championship
This match is interesting for the sheer fact that its Naomi’s to lose. Naomi is the best athlete of the three and she just turned on both of the ladies, and created an allegiance with Tamina Snuka, who is playing the Bodyguard role.
The problem for the three women in this match is that the women of NXT are putting on tremendous matches night after night. One or more of the women from NXT could make a showing here and help out Paige for the victory, since Nikki has her sister Brie Bella in her corner and Naomi has Tamina. Could be Sasha Banks or Charlotte, (Ric Flair’s daughter)
……But maybe that will be tomorrow night, when RAW takes place in San Antonio, Texas. I’ll stick with the new champion in Naomi.
WINNER: NAOMI, New Divas Champion
U.S. Champion John Cena vs. NXT Champion Kevin Owens
John Cena is an anomaly. The guy is quite possibly the hardest working wrestler to ever grace the squared circle. He has granted more wishes for the Make-A-Wish foundation than any athlete alive today. He sells a ton of merchandise for the WWE, and rarely misses an event.
Even with a part-time acting gig. Yet, there are people out there in masses who despise the guy. They constantly want someone else to step into his role and “Be the Man” for the WWE.
Enter Kevin Owens. 15 years in the independent wrestling circuits and his push is here. He hit Cena with his big move two weeks in a row. This match is not for the U.S. title nor the NXT Title.
It’s just a match between two guys who needed to have a wrestling mark’s dream match. So John could do the favors for Owens here and take a loss, albeit a controversial one.
WINNER: OWENS
Elimination Chamber Tag Team Title Match
New Day (Champions) vs. Cesaro & Tyson Kidd vs. Prime Time Players vs Ascension vs. Los Matadors vs. Lucha Dragons.
New Day has some serious heat going into this. The fans are really getting behind hating them. They have been great as the heels, and none of the teams here have enough of a streak to unseat them.
Los Matadors and Lucha Dragons are the high flyers. The Ascension is not ready yet and are in there to prove themselves. Cesaro and Tyson Kidd are the premier athletes in this match and the world has been waiting on the Prime Time Players for a few years now. But the New Day has the power of three wrestlers and all three will be involved to keep the titles on them.
Look for a big move from Kofi, Kidd and the Dragons to wow the crowd.
WINNER: NEW DAY remains Tag Champs.
Intercontinental Championship Match
Dolph Ziggler vs. King Barrett vs. Ryback vs. Sheamus vs. R-Truth vs Rusev?
Daniel Bryan suffered another bad neck injury and had to relinquish his Intercontinental Championship title, putting an end to his reign. So there will be a new champion coming out of this match.
Reports are coming from everywhere that Rusev is injured and will be out indefinitely.
Enter Bray Wyatt. Wyatt has been feuding with Ryback for the past few weeks and will somehow eliminate the big guy in this match. Sheamus might be out for a bit as he just landed the role of Bebop in the upcoming movie, TMNT2.
King Barrett’s intercontinental reign ended at Wrestlemania when he lost a 6 man ladder match to Daniel Bryan. He just won King of the Ring tournament, so I can’t see it being him as the new champion. Dolph just aligned with Lana, and Lana is extremely over. So my thoughts are most certainly with Dolph Ziggler winning this match, but I have to be a little controversial here.
I’m rooting for R-Truth. THIS GUY IS THE MOST ENTERTAINING OF THE SIX PARTICIPANTS!! Truth was the driving force behind the Wrestlemania Ladder match when he kept stealing the title. Time to reward the guy with a good title run!!
WINNER: DOLPH ZIGGLER
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match
Dean Ambrose vs. WWE Champion Seth Rollins
I smell an upset. No one on the planet is as popular as Dean Ambrose right now. He is a mix of Stone Cold Steve Austin’s raging against the powers that be and the insanity of Mick Foley with some crazy bumps and moves here. There is no Roman Reigns on the card, and the WWE desperately wants t make him be loved by the fans.
What better way than to help his brother from the Shield win the World Title. It will prove his worth and make the fans happy. The marks booed when they were forced to watch him win the Royal Rumble, which forced WWE to change the direction of the main event from WrestleMania.
Now if the writers give the fans what they want, all will be right with the world. They can have the golden boy, Seth Rollins win it back tomorrow night on RAW.
WINNER: New Champion, Dean Ambrose