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The Elimination Chamber match is one of the most iconic match types in wrestling history, and it has been a staple in WWE ever since it was introduced in 2002. The Elimination Chamber match had more value added to it when Shawn Micheals made the comeback of his career by spectacularly winning the inaugural match.
But over the years it seems like The Elimination Chamber is less of a match type that stands as a truly special attraction, as WWE has made it a pay-per-view for the sake of selling tickets, which has comprised its value.
But credit has to be given where it's due, and this year's Elimination Chamber pay-per-view's match card feels like it warrants the chamber's use, as we will see six of the best superstars from Smackdown Live challenge each other for the WWE Championship inside the structure.
And we will also see the first ever WWE Women's Champion crowned at the event, as three teams from Raw and three teams from Smackdown Live will battle each other to determine this historic result.
But even with all those historic matches and exciting encounters on the card, no WWE pay-per-view would be complete without WWE pulling the rug from underneath our feet, so do expect some sort of surprising decision to be made by the creative team.
Whether these decisions are surprising in a good way or just shocking enough to get you frustrated, making these sort of decisions is so embedded in WWE's fabric it hard not to expect it at this point. So what shocking decisions could we see at the Elimination Chamber?
#1 The Usos Get Squashed
The tag team of Shane McMahon and The Miz is a pairing, not many thought they ever wanted to see on WWE TV. But after months of witnessing Shane and Miz take up many segments on Smackdown Live discussing their daddy issues and dreams for the future, it's safe to say that this was a pairing WWE should have never booked.
This team of Shane O Mac and The Miz have taken the spotlight of the tag team division away from a team like Sanity who really need a shot at the Tag Team Titles right now. Nevertheless, it seems like Shane and Miz could be in line for an even bigger push at Elimination Chamber as their opponents, the Usos could be in line for anything but a push.
You might have heard by now that Jimmy Uso was arrested for allegedly having disorderly conduct with a police officer, and this just happens one year after Jey Uso was arrested for driving under the influence. Which leaves the WWE Universe asking one important question, will The Usos compete at the Elimination Chamber?
Well according to past experiences it seems like they very well could, as during Jey's DUI charge last year, the Usos were expected to compete against Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable at the Royal Rumble, and even though their outside controversy seemed like it could take away their chance to compete at the Royal Rumble, it didn't.
But we all know that WWE is a company that views their public image as a high priority and both Jimmy and Jey getting arrested in a span of almost one year could see the company possibly punish the for former tag team champions.
As shocking as this sounds but it is a possibility we could see Shane and The Miz squash The Usos at the Elimination Chamber as a form of WWE punishing them. While there's a chance that might not happen, the company has done so with many wrestlers in the past, so this could not be ruled out.
#2 Ronda Gets Screwed
Ronda Rousey was brought in by Vince McMahon for one reason only, to legitimize women's wrestling in the WWE. For many years women's wrestling was non-existent part of WWE's plans, as many fans dubbed women's matches as 'bathroom breaks,' but that all changed when the rise of NXT occurred.
Triple H and his brilliant team were creating a new wave of ultra-talented individuals, and it is due to that the NXT system we have stars like Bayley, Sasha Banks, Ember Moon, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair lighting up our screens every week.
So if WWE has all that talent, then why bring Ronda to the forefront of this evolution? Well, the answer is simple, Ronda is mainstream and mainstream stars sell tickets. So we could be sure that Rousey will be going to Wrestlemania right?
You could bet your bottom dollar she will. Also, it is a strong possibility that we will see Ronda in the first-ever women's Wrestlemania main event, as women's wrestling is the hottest it has ever been, and possibly ever will be in the WWE.
But that is Wrestlemania, a pay-per-view that is two months away, and in this revolving narrative surrounding Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Ronda Rousey, WWE needs to keep fans gripped. Furthermore, they have done that so far by replacing Becky with Charlotte at Wrestlemania, having Becky take on the McMahon Family, so could we see another shocking sight at the Elimination Chamber?
Well if WWE is going for a wild booking ride to Wrestlemania, we could see the shocking sight of Ruby Riott snatch the Raw Women's Title from Rousey at the Elimination Chamber, and this would be a decision that actually benefits everyone involved.
The Riott Squad possibly winning all their matches at the pay-per-view could see all members of the group with gold at the end of the night. There is an argument to be made that if Ruby wins the Raw Tag Team Title, it will elevate Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan's potential Women's Tag Team Title win, as a group is only as strong as its leader.
While Rousey, on the other hand, will have her first chance to grow as a character before the WWE Universe's eyes, as we have seen the badass version of Rousey, we have seen the prizefighting version of Rousey but what about the version of Rousey we have yet to witness, the one that gets up after being knocked down?
Furthermore, this will open up so many possibilities for Becky and Charlotte, as the last pay-per-view before Wrestlemania is Fastlane, and on that night we could see any one of these women possibly challenge Riott for the Raw Women'ss Title.
And who knows after that match ends if it will be Riott, Charlotte, Ronda or even Becky walking into Wrestlemania as the Raw Women's Champion? WWE has so many booking routes to take if they make this shocking decision, and with the way they have been booking this programme so far it could be a possibility.
#3 The Legend Ends
"Get These Hands", this was a phrase that meant something a long time ago before WWE watered down its value to slap it on a t-shirt, and to be honest that is not a problem, because that is how business works, and WWE is business that has to sell tickets, merchandise, subscriptions and so many more things to survive.
But when it comes to the handling of certain of their characters they can't handle them the same way one would handle a business, as the of core wrestling was built on passion, the passion the bookie has for his work and the passion the fans have for the product.
And when it comes to Braun Strowman, it seems the passion has evaporated from WWE and the man himself, no more do we see a fresh-faced seven-foot-tall monster bursting through those curtains to give us a spectacle we have never seen before, but now we see a superstar that is stuck on repeat.
The car flipping antics of the big man has sadly become stale, and now fans don't seem to care about Braun Strowman anymore. Therefore, at Elimination Chamber will we see Strowman beat Baron Corbin in their no disqualification match? Well, if this was 2017, you could bet on it, but now it seems likely that Corbin will pick up this win.
And yeah that might seem far fetched to many, as Corporate Baron Corbin picking up a win over Braun Strowman seems like something WWE would never do, but we also thought they would make Strowman a Wolrd Champion by now, so never say never.
Also, the fact that this match has now become a no DQ match, the writing is on the wall, Drew McIntyre will interfere in this match which will most likely lead to Strowman eating defeat. Whether WWE is using this match to set up a Wrestlemania encounter between McIntyre and Strowman, the most shocking thing that could happen in this match will be Strowman losing yet another pay-per-view match.
#4 Never Cross The Prizefighter
Kevin Owens is the most flexible wrestler in WWE today, and while most might not rate him higher than AJ Styles, Seth Rollins or even Drew McIntyre, the facts don't lie Owens could quite possibly be more important to WWE than all those superstars mentioned. Which other men in WWE could say that they went from being World Champion to being thrown off the stage while inside a portable toilet and still fans respect them?
Well not many if we are being accurate, Owens just has that sort of charisma and character ability to be an important cog in WWE's machine. While fans don't like to admit it not every wrestler can be a main eventer, as for the show to be well balanced, there need to be jobbers that add credibility to bigger stars, there need to be workhorses that when called upon can put on a classic, there need to be placeholder champions that keep the seat hot for another megastar to take the title to higher heights, wrestling needs all of this and Owens is all of that.
So it is no surprise that rumours have broke out last week after WWE aired a bowling alley segment featuring Owens, the company is considering bring back KO as their next top babyface. Babyface Owens might sound like a terrible idea, cause how do you take one of the most relatable heels of the last decade and make him into a babyface?
Well, it isn't that hard for the company when KO gets cheered like a conquering hero every time he goes into the ring, and with the way, Owens was written off television with Lashley turning heel and destroying him this seems like a possibility. Furthermore, what is the possibility of KO returning at the Elimination Chamber and costing Lashley his title?
That is a decision that most would not see coming, as KO is not slated for a return up until Wrestlemania, well that is a high possibility, as WWE loves to misdirect the fans. So KO beating the crap out of Lashley and costing him his title is only the most logical booking plan for KO's return, but that happening at the Elimination Chamber could be shocking to most.
#5 The Hype Man Gets Lucky
Why does WWE do certain things that make no sense, why do they make certain decisions that don't benefit the narrative, and why do they make last minute changes that should not have been made in the first place?
These are questions WWE fans ask themselves every day, but to be honest, WWE is a company that has a plan in place most of the time, and while fans don't understand it as yet, Lio Rush's involvement in the IC Title match at the Elimination Chamber could be more important than we realize.
On the surface, it seems as Lio's inclusion in this match could just be a tool to stack the deck against Finn Balor, cause if WWE wants him to walk away with the gold then overcoming not one but two heels to do so would be a perfect way to book things.
But it seems likely that Balor's coronation as IC Champion would be saved for a bigger stage like Wrestlemania, so where does that leave the theory Rush's involvement of being more than it actually seems, well, if WWE is going for a huge surprise we could see the hype man become the main man at the Elimination Chamber.
Rush winning the IC Title at the pay-per-view would be a huge surprise, as WWE is so set on Lashley being built up as an unrelenting force it seems not even Finn Balor's recent push can stop him.
Another reason why this push may be warranted is due to rumours that WWE is supposedly setting up Kevin Owens vs Bobby Lashley for Wrestlemania, so if the previous point actually proves to be true, then WWE could make KO cost Lashley the IC Title and hand it to an unwilling Rush. It will be the perfect revenge for KO, and it will be interesting to see how Lashley copes after seeing his hype man with the gold.
#6 Kofi Climbs The Mountain
Who is the most underrated superstar in WWE today? Some might say Dolph Ziggler, they might say Samoa Joe, but almost everyone agrees that Kofi Kingston is a superstar that is possibly the best-underused talent WWE has had over the last decade.
When Kofi burst onto the scenes back in 2008 as a Jamaican that loved surfing and having a good time, no one really thought this man would be able to ascend and break through the walls of his generic gimmick, but oh boy we were wrong.
WWE clearly had plans for the young star, as his battles with a very hot Randy Orton put him on a level many thought he could never reach. Who could ever forget Kofi's boom drop on Orton from the stands and who could ever forget Kofi's push being ended abruptly due to a silly in-ring incident with Orton?
This was a turning point in Kofi's career, and even though he went on to moderate success as an IC Champion, US Champions and even Tag Team Champion, no one really knew what his initial push entailed, maybe a World Title shot?
Who knows, but none of that matters anymore, as it seems WWE could be giving us what they should have done the years ago, Kofi as a potential World Champion. Now it is very easy to get carried away by WWE booking Kofi as an absolute world beater on Smackdown Live when they had him wrestle one hour in the high stakes gauntlet match.
But it just seems like a surprise is coming at the pay-per-view, as it seems WWE has finally found a way to use The New Day on this road to Wrestlemania. Therefore, Kofi actually has a chance at this point to be the future WWE Champion is shocking enough but the sight of Kofi winning the title will be more than shocking.
#7 The Wyatt Family Reunited
The Wyatt Family and The Shield are two of the biggest and best creations WWE has produced over the ten years, as the booking, the superstars, the lightning in the bottle feeling these two teams managed to capture is amazing, and we might never see that again. But we all know the story of how poor booking ruined both these teams in some shape or form but now let us focus on the positives with these teams initial runs.
Both teams were booked like world beaters with charismatic leaders and motivations fans could actually understand, but it was The Wyatt Family's run Wactuallylly put a lot of work into, and the one feud that happened at the height of Bray Wyatt's white hot run was his war with Daniel Bryan.
Many people say that the Yes Movement was overrated and how Daniel Brayan was an average wrestler who got lucky as the WWE Universe anointed him as their hero during a time when John Cena type wrestlers ruled the roost. But that is actaully half the truth, as Bryan's run to the top was due to fans pushing to the main event as they were sick of WWE's prototypical heroes, but it was actaully Bryan's fueds that cemented him a fan favorite.
And to be exact it was two feuds in 2014 that made Bryan a white-hot babyface, the first was with The Shield and the second was with the Wyatt Family. Daniel Bryan's run with The Wyatt Family was some of the best bookings of Brayn's pre-WWE Title programme, as this was a programme people thought WWE concocted to hold Brayn from going to the main event of Wrestlemania and challenging for the WWE Title.
So this fued had everything from a Royal Rumble classic to Bryan even joining The Wyatt Family, WWE constructed an amazing starting point, a successful second act and an ending that gave us one of the biggest pops in Raw history.
So if WWE pair a returning Bray Wyatt with Daniel Bryan, it will be one of the best decisions they could make at the Elimination Chamber. While many people believe that Wyatt is better off challenging Bryan for the title, the truth is that Bray needs to be rebuilt and by pairing him with Bryan will allow that to happen.
