What’s the story?
This week’s episode of WWE SmackDown Live kicked off with the announcement of the six participants in the Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship at the pay-per-view event of the same name.
In case you didn’t know...
John Cena and AJ Styles were both previously announced as participants in the match. The Elimination Chamber event is scheduled for February 12th, 2017.
The heart of the matter
The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view will be headlined by the Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship. John Cena will defend his newly won WWE Championship against AJ Styles, and four other worthy competitors.
SmackDown started with a backstage segment involving Shane McMahon, Daniel Bryan, and AJ Styles.
Also read: The reason behind WWE bringing back Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber match came up, and the four other entrants--besides WWE Champion, John Cena and former WWE Champion, AJ Styles--were announced: The Miz, Dean Ambrose, Baron Corbin, and Bray Wyatt.
Keep in mind that Bryan and McMahon hinted at the former WWE Champion, Styles, receiving a one-on-one rematch for the WWE Championship as well.
What’s next?
This Elimination Chamber match will be the main event of SmackDown Live’s last pay-per-view event before WrestleMania 33, which will happen almost two full months later.
The man that walks out of the match as WWE Champion will be headed for a clash with Royal Rumble winner Randy Orton at WrestleMania.
Sportskeeda’s take
These are definitely the top six guys on SmackDown Live right now, outside of Orton. A case could possibly be made for Dolph Ziggler to be in the match, but with his current storyline, it doesn’t really fit.
What we’re left with is a match involving four former WWE Champions, as well as two men yet to win the ultimate prize in WWE, in Baron Corbin and Bray Wyatt.
While all six men would make for interesting options to walk out of the Elimination Chamber as WWE Champion, it’s probably a foregone conclusion that Bray Wyatt walks out of the Chamber as the victor and the new WWE Champion.
The Bray Wyatt/Randy Orton storyline has been one of the more consistently entertaining things on SmackDown Live since it started, and it deserves to have a proper blowoff at the Showcase of the Immortals.
However, the match doesn’t need the championship, as there’s enough of a story there to hook people.
Regardless, it should be a tremendous match at WrestleMania. Wyatt has suffered tremendously from poor booking during his time in WWE, but winning the WWE Championship and hopefully keeping it at WrestleMania could be what solidifies Bray Wyatt as a legitimate main eventer for years to come.
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