We are well on our way down the Road to Wrestlemania, and for the first time since 2014, the WWE Championship will be defended inside the company’s “most savage creation”, The Elimination Chamber.
The Smackdown-exclusive PPV will be held on February 12th at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, AZ and will be main evented by one of the most stacked Chamber matches in history.
This past Tuesday on Smackdown Live and its post-show Talking Smack, four matches were made for the event. Let’s take a look at the scheduled matchups now and make some predictions!
Here is the complete list of WWE Elimination Chamber 2017 matches and predictions.
Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James
Mickie James has claimed to have laid the foundation for the Women’s Revolution of WWE, and now the five-time WWE Women’s Champion gets her chance to prove it against the first-ever Smackdown Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch.
After aligning herself with current Smackdown Women’s Champ Alexa Bliss upon returning to the company, James has made it clear her first target is Smackdown’s most popular female superstar. After weeks of ambushes from James and Bliss on Lynch, Becky finally gets her hands on the woman who cost her her title rematch a few weeks ago.
Prediction: Becky Lynch defeats Mickie James
Dolph Ziggler vs. Apollo Crews and Kalisto
Dolph Ziggler has a brand new attitude, and Kalisto and Apollo Crews have been feeling its wrath for weeks now. After several attacks with a chair on both men over the past several weeks, Dolph Ziggler will finally have to face the music in a two-on-one handicap match against the two friends.
Given The Showoff’s new attitude, Ziggler is going to have to do whatever he can to survive this match. He’s used weapons after losing frustrating matches against the two, and has cheated to beat Kalisto on multiple occasions. Dolph is going to need all of those tricks and maybe more on Sunday.
Prediction: Dolph Ziggler defeats Apollo Crews and Kalisto
Nikki Bella vs. Natalya
An intense and personal rivalry that has escalated greatly over the past month, this match has been long overdue. The two former best friends and Total Divas co-stars’ relationship has gone South in a hurry, fueled by jealousy and rage, and is set to culminate at Elimination Chamber.
Ever since being outed as the person who attacked Nikki Bella at Survivor Series, the two veterans have been going at it everywhere from merchandise booths to parking lots and trading insults, including Natalya saying that Nikki rode her boyfriend’s, John Cena, coattails to the top of the women’s division.
The tension of this feud boiled over this past Tuesday night on Smackdown Live as General Manager Daniel Bryan had enough and put the two in a match with each other at the PPV in two weeks.
Prediction: Nikki Bella defeats Natalya
Tag Team Turmoil Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Titles (American Alpha vs. The Usos vs. Vaudevillains vs. Breezango vs. Heath Slater and Rhyno vs. The Ascension)
This match is sure to be a lot of fun! American Alpha won the SmackDown Tag Titles a few weeks ago from The Wyatt Family but have only defended them once, a few weeks later against The Wyatts. This lead to the promo they did on SmackDown Live this week, claiming they felt nobody wanted to step up to the plate and try to take the titles from them.
So Gable and Jordan decided to go out to the ring and issue an open challenge to any team from the blue brand for a Tag Team Title matchup. Instead of one team answering the challenge, multiple teams made their way to the ring, leading to an all out brawl between the six teams.
Later that night, American Alpha appeared on Talking Smack with Renee Young and GM Daniel Bryan to discuss the tag title scene and Shane’s plan for them at Elimination Chamber. The tag team turmoil match was made and Alpha couldn’t have seemed more up for the challenge.
Prediction: American Alpha are the last team standing and retain the Smackdown Tag Team Titles.
Luke Harper vs. Randy Orton
Nothing like some brotherly love! Randy Orton and Luke Harper have been enemies ever since Orton joined the Wyatt Family back in late 2016. They had several confrontations while both were a part of The Wyatt Family, but now that Harper has left the family, the turmoil has risen to new heights.
Bray Wyatt has also shown his true colors over the past few weeks, clearly choosing to side with The Viper on several occasions. However, this Sunday, Harper finally gets his hands on Orton, free from Wyatt’s “spell”, for the first time in a singles match. Can Harper avenge the past few weeks or will Orton continue to have Harper’s number?
Prediction: Randy Orton defeats Luke Harper
Smackdown Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. Naomi for the Smackdown Women’s Title
Alexa Bliss’s first title defence on a PPV will happen at the Elimination Chamber PPV, and it will happen against one of the hottest Superstars on Smackdown Live right now, Naomi. Over the past couple weeks, Naomi has picked up several pinfall victories over the champion, one at Royal Rumble and one this past week on SmackDown.
However, both of those came during tag team matches, so seeing these two go one-on-one with the title on the line is something Daniel Bryan thought Naomi deserved.
Prediction: Alexa Bliss retains the Smackdown’s Women’s Title defeating Naomi.
Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Championship: WWE Champion John Cena vs. AJ Styles vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose vs. The Miz vs. Baron Corbin
This should be one of the best Elimination Chamber matches in the history of the company. All six of these men have been the MVP’s of Smackdown Live since the brand split, and it only makes sense these are the six guys they’d put in this match.
Cena and Styles have had one of the greatest feuds in WWE history over the past six months. On the other hand, Bray Wyatt won the 5-on-5 match between Raw and Smackdown at Survivor Series and was in the final three of the Rumble.
Ambrose was responsible for bringing the WWE Title to Smackdown Live in the first place and carried the brand at first, The Miz has resurrected his career on Tuesday nights (specifically on Talking Smack), and Baron Corbin has made a huge name for himself in a very short amount of time in the WWE.
Before SmackDown Live got underway this past week, Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon announced their plans for the Elimination Chamber Championship matchup:
The WWE Championship has not been defended inside the demonic structure since 2014, so this match will definitely bring back the Chamber match and PPV in a big way.
Prediction: Bray Wyatt wins the Elimination Chamber Match and becomes the new WWE World Champion
WWE Elimination Chamber 2017 Rumours and Predictions for Other Matches
One rumour that has been doing the rounds since Cena won the Title at the Rumble is that he will drop it shortly after at the Elimination Chamber. That rumour has done nothing but pick up steam since Tuesday’s Smackdown Live.
Considering Cena will be facing off against Rumble winner, Randy Orton, next week on Smackdown Live, many people believe that means we won’t get that matchup at Wrestlemania.
If Cena does lose the title, most expect it to be to Bray Wyatt. Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton makes the most sense, storyline wise, for the main event at Wrestlemania considering the tension that’s been building in the group and has been expected ever since Orton joined The Wyatts back in November of 2016.
This would mean that Bray Wyatt finally gets his hands on the WWE Title that has eluded him his entire career.
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