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WWE presents its next pay-per-view - Elimination Chamber - this Sunday.
Both titular matches inside the structure have world title implications. The RAW Chamber Match is for the WWE Championship, while the winner of the SmackDown Chamber Match will face Universal Champion Roman Reigns later on the show.
There is a lot of intrigue surrounding the latter, with several Superstars possibly winning inside the Elimination Chamber and meeting The Tribal Chief at the event. This could be a really well-told one-night story, with the endgame ideally being another major challenge that Reigns has overcome.
Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, King Corbin, Cesaro, and Jey Uso will all do battle for the Universal title shot at Elimination Chamber. But how will the match go? What major spots can we expect inside the Elimination Chamber? How will each Superstar get eliminated? But most importantly, who will win?
This list will cover all of the above, with a few last-minute predictions for the SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match on Sunday.
#5 Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn start the Elimination Chamber Match
Out of every possible pairing in the SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match, none of them have the history Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn share. Besides, the chemistry between them is off the charts. WWE would be smart to begin the Elimination Chamber Match with the two frenemies.
Owens and Zayn have barely wrestled each other in their current alignments, making a feud between them a very intriguing prospect. The start of this match could be used to tease it. Besides a potential exchange, both Superstars would make perfect starting entrants for the Elimination Chamber.
The past few months have shown Kevin Owens to be a fighter who always gets up no matter how much the odds are against him, so needing to go through every other participant in this match is very on-brand for KO. Meanwhile, Sami Zayn is SmackDown's resident conspiracy theorist.
Him being forced to start the Elimination Chamber Match would add to the content that his documentary crew is filming. It's even possible that Owens eliminates Zayn early on in the match. This would be the perfect set-up for a match between them at WrestleMania 37. They are destined to "fight forever."
#4 Possible spots in the SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match
There are several creative spots WWE could book in the SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match. Unlike its RAW counterpart - which may feature some spooky shenanigans involving The Fiend - the action here will mostly be work-rate based. Here is the possible order in which the Superstars exit their respective pods.
Cesaro may be the first man out of his pod and is heavily showcased, based on the push he has been getting on SmackDown. King Corbin could be next and is unlikely to have much of an impact on the Elimination Chamber Match. He delivers his impressive offense but is eliminated after taking moves from all the babyfaces in the match.
Cesaro, Kevin Owens, and Daniel Bryan team up on Corbin to send him out of the Elimination Chamber. This keeps the 2019 King of the Ring somewhat strong in defeat. Meanwhile, Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman pull some strings backstage to ensure Jey Uso is the final man to enter the match.
Owens will likely jump off the top of a pod, as he loves taking high-risk moves. However, he is eliminated shortly afterward. Sick of the sight of him, Reigns invades the Elimination Chamber and attacks Owens. This allows Uso to pin him. Alternatively, an already eliminated Sami Zayn could cause KO's elimination, setting up their WrestleMania program.
#3 Jey Uso attacks every remaining participant after getting eliminated from the Elimination Chamber Match
Jey Uso may have Roman Reigns' help at Elimination Chamber, but he is still unlikely to win the match. Despite all the advantages he is given, the six-time Tag Team Champion cannot get the job done. Uso could eliminate Kevin Owens, but that's about it for him. He is taken out by either Daniel Bryan or Cesaro.
However, based on Uso's new character as the second to The Tribal Chief, he wouldn't take kindly to his elimination at all. He re-enters the Elimination Chamber and batters both Superstars with a chair. Whether he is eliminated at that stage itself or earlier in the match, Jey Uso is likely to attack every remaining participant following his elimination.
He may be in a prominent position on SmackDown, but Uso desperately needs some heat back. His last victory was at the start of November. Elimination Chamber could allow that to happen to some extent, especially with Jimmy Uso possibly nearing his return. The Usos could clean out the SmackDown tag team division.
Anyway, Jey Uso's elimination leads to a final two of Daniel Bryan and Cesaro. How will that go?
#2 The ending exchange between Daniel Bryan and Cesaro inside the Elimination Chamber lasts over five minutes
There is no better final two for the SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match than Daniel Bryan and Cesaro. The two of them have been linked with each other for weeks now, whether it is in a match with each other or against each other. Bryan and Cesaro have demonstrated excellent chemistry between them.
The two in-ring wizards should get enough time to showcase their magic, more so than they got in the last few weeks. Bryan has already done so much to elevate Cesaro to a near main-event level, so Elimination Chamber could complete the job. Their exchange at the end of the match goes above five minutes.
Bryan is perceived as the favorite, as he has won two different Elimination Chamber Matches. This would stack the odds further against The Swiss Superman, who will have entered the match earlier than the five-time WWE World Champion. This is where Cesaro proves his desire and passion for wrestling, as he has mentioned on Talking Smack.
Daniel Bryan is no stranger to exciting finishes to Elimination Chamber matches. Both of his victories in this match came as a heel, following intense near-falls. He nearly lost to Santino Marella in 2012, before Kofi Kingston came close to thwarting him ahead of WrestleMania 35. Will the third time be the charm inside the Elimination Chamber?
#1 Cesaro wins the SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match, but loses to Roman Reigns
Yes, the third time is the charm. Cesaro will win the SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match. For starters, WWE needs to strike while the iron is hot. The Swiss Superman has been magnificently built up to earn himself a push to the top of the card. He has beaten Daniel Bryan clean twice, so he should absolutely repeat the feat when there are stakes.
Also, the subsequent Universal Championship match will happen at Elimination Chamber itself. This is perfect for Cesaro, who does not have much of a history with Roman Reigns. Meanwhile, a match between Bryan and Reigns would require weeks to be properly built to. There are many layers in that story, too many to be fitted into one night.
After defeating five other Superstars inside the Elimination Chamber, Cesaro would face The Tribal Chief for the Universal title. He will not win the belt, but he would certainly get much more over as a result. He could take Reigns to his limit in a 15 to 20-minute stormer of a match before ultimately being put down.
Elimination Chamber is Cesaro's night. He is set to finally show WWE and its fans just how brilliant he is. From his magnificent technical ability in the ring and unbelievable strength to his underrated mic skills, Cesaro has all the tools to become a main-event star in WWE.
Now, he has the opportunity as well. Sunday could be the turning point in Cesaro's WWE career.
