5 possible outcomes for the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match

WWE Royal Rumble marks the beginning of the Road to WrestleMania. While this year's Royal Rumble was largely a hit-or-miss, there were two major events on the show that dramatically altered the course for both RAW and SmackDown post-Rumble.

Ronda Rousey returned after almost three years away and won the women's Royal Rumble match. Second, Brock Lesnar lost the WWE title to Bobby Lashley after interference from Roman Reigns but emerged as a surprise entrant in the men's Rumble match and won it.

The following night at RAW, Lesnar chose The Tribal Chief as his WrestleMania opponent, then entered himself into this month's Elimination Chamber match in an attempt to turn Mania's main event into a title vs. title bout.

After a series of qualifying matches at RAW, all the participants for the WWE title at the Elimination Chamber were revealed: current champ Bobby Lashley, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Matt Riddle, Austin Theory, and of course, Brock Lesnar.

Elimination Chamber is one of the most unpredictable match types in the business, as the probability of winning is equally hard for each participant. Given the caliber of talent involved in this year's edition, it has the potential to steal the show. It will certainly lead to some interesting storylines on the road to WrestleMania.

Let's delve into five possible outcomes of the Elimination Chamber match ranked based on their impact on the WrestleMania card.

#5. Brock Lesnar wins and challenges Roman Reigns in a title vs. title match at WrestleMania

Judging by the rumors circulating online and the fact that a title vs. title match has been referenced many times on TV recently, this is the most likely outcome for the match. At the same time, this is the least interesting direction WWE can go right now and might even be detrimental to the product. If this scenario plays out, we get nothing new.

Lesnar has already chosen The Tribal Chief as his WrestleMania opponent after winning the Royal Rumble match. This means Lesnar vs. Reigns will happen at WrestleMania whether Brock holds the title or not. So The Beast winning the title brings nothing new to the table.

Further, it will deprive Mania of an actual WWE Championship match. Given the amount of talent in the company at present, this would be a missed opportunity to elevate younger stars on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

A championship vs. championship match would mean a sort of title unification at WrestleMania, with the winner holding both titles moving forward. This is rarely a good thing, as it simply equates to fewer opportunities for rising talent.

#4 Bobby Lashley retains the WWE Championship

If somehow Brock Lesnar fails to capture the title at the Elimination Chamber, which will happen only with the interference of Roman Reigns in the match, Bobby Lashley winning the match is the second most logical and likely outcome for the match.

Bobby Lashley is involved in only one major storyline at present, i.e., the one with Brock Lesnar, and Lesnar is already booked for WrestleMania.

So Lashley retaining his title will open the doors to many possibilities for WrestleMania. There is a huge list of WWE Superstars on RAW awaiting a shot at the title, the likes of Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and Finn Balor. It might be a one-on-one match or a multi-man match, the possibilities are endless.

Also, as Bobby Lashley is currently in the best shape of his life and having a great run in WWE, he very well deserves to go into WrestleMania as a champion.

However, there are other more interesting outcomes for the WWE Championship match which will spice things up on the road to WrestleMania.

#3 AJ Styles/ Austin Theory wins the WWE Championship

Out of all the outcomes, the possibility of either AJ Styles or Austin Theory winning is the least likely one. The reason?

Well, Austin Theory, although receiving somewhat of a push from WWE, is in the early stages of his career and still needs time before transitioning into the world title picture.

On the other hand, AJ Styles is a veteran, one of the best to step inside the ring. But he is currently not being pushed the way others in the match are and is, therefore, the least likely choice to become the WWE Champion.

However, if WWE can pull off a swerve and make one of these two superstars the WWE Champion, the possibilities are huge. Thanks to a stacked roster of top-tier competitors, fans could be treated to some great matches.

#2 Seth Rollins becomes the new WWE Champion

Seth Rollins is one of the top superstars today in the company and is currently having a great run. He recently beat Roman Reigns, albeit by disqualification, at the Royal Rumble Premium Live Event.

As per the rumors, he would have already been crowned the champion on the Day 1 event had Brock Lesnar not entered the match. However, he is one of the best in-ring performers of this generation, and the company trusts him to carry the title. Therefore, it is possible that he will leave the Elimination Chamber as the champion.

This is the third most likely outcome if Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley fail to capture the title, and it will also be an interesting one. The outcome will most likely set Kevin Owens as his opponent at WrestleMania due to their ongoing storyline. Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins is a WrestleMania-worthy match and will be a serious match of the night contender.

#1 Matt Riddle wins his first WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber

Love him or hate him, Matt Riddle's in-ring skills can't be questioned and Riddle winning is the outcome that fans will love the most. His partnership with Randy Orton, known as the RK-Bro, is presently the hottest thing on RAW, and fans seem to love it. Matt Riddle also seems ready for a world title push, and with Randy Orton by his side, he will prove to be a formidable champion.

He could possibly go on to have a 5-star match at WrestleMania with AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Bobby Lashley, or even with Randy Orton. The possibility of Randy Orton turning on Riddle after he becomes the world champion and challenging him for a WrestleMania match for the title is what makes this outcome the most interesting one.

RK-Bro, although immensely popular, has run its course, and there is nothing more for them to do at RAW as a team. If Riddle ends up capturing the title at Elimination, better get ready for the splitting of RK-Bro.

Randy Orton vs. Matt Riddle is a money match that the company would like to play at WrestleMania.

No matter who wins, the championship match will be an exciting contest.

Let's see how things unfold in the Elimination Chamber.