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Last week on Smackdown, Mustafa Ali faced Randy Orton in a really good match. However, he suffered a black eye after a stomp gone wrong from Orton. He was still good to go, but he then suffered a concussion over the weekend in a match against Samoa Joe. This means that he has been removed from the WWE Championship match at Elimination Chamber, which is this Sunday. This puts WWE in a tricky spot on what to do. They have less than a week to find a replacement for Ali in the Chamber match.
The match might seem like a straightforward victory for Daniel Bryan but it sure will be a great one. It seemed like a real opportunity for Smackdown's newest star to showcase his excellent abilities in the Chamber and possibly have a breakout performance. But now that he cannot compete, WWE must come up with a superstar as good as the former 205 Live men. Hopefully, this replacement is not as underwhelming as Mark Henry replacing Rusev in the 2015 Elimination Chamber match.
Here are three possible replacements for Mustafa Ali in the Elimination Chamber.
#3 John Cena
This is an unlikely choice, but it certainly would be a blockbuster one. John Cena is currently away filming a movie and is not expected to be back in WWE until the final stages of WrestleMania season. However, WWE could do a one-night thing like some of Cena's previous matches, on international stadium shows and at Survivor Series 2017. He would certainly garner a pop and be a welcome addition to this WWE Championship match.
The new padded floors of the Chamber makes it much safer, meaning the risk of injury is minimalised and Cena could go away and continue filming. This would also tie into a possible future storyline with Daniel Bryan, for the WWE title. Cena is one world title away from breaking Ric Flair's record of 16 championships, equalling the record at Royal Rumble two years ago. Funnily he lost that title two weeks later at Elimination Chamber.
Could it be in the Chamber where John Cena finally begins his quest for world title number 17?
#2 Rusev
Rusev is currently in a feud with R-Truth, working alongside Shinsuke Nakamura. But what if he turns his focus away from the United States Championship towards the WWE Championship? He remains one of the more popular superstars on the roster, despite turning heel on Smackdown for no apparent reason. Rusev, alongside Lana, has also voiced his displeasures at WWE when the couple appeared on Lilian Garcia's podcast, Chasing Glory.
It seems like WWE might do something to curb some of that unhappiness, by adding him to the Elimination Chamber match. The Bulgarian Brute could have a strong showing, solidifying his weird heel turn before embarking on a possible partnership with Nakamura. WWE failed Rusev massively in so many ways, ending Rusev Day way too soon and not going all in with him. A WWE title match on pay-per-view might be a decent consolation for him.
But then again, that has already happened before. Rusev deserves so much better than what he has now.
#1 Rey Mysterio/Andrade
After their excellent series of matches on Smackdown, which is not done just yet, Rey Mysterio and Andrade will always be linked together from now on. Their paths will cross more often than not and it will always remain gold. Another match between the pair is expected to be booked for Elimination Chamber, but now we could have an added stipulation. Mustafa Ali would have brought ridiculous energy and potential for incredible high spots in the Elimination Chamber match.
That is something that both Mysterio and Andrade could offer. So maybe, the winner of their imminent match at Elimination Chamber will go on to replace Ali in the main event. It adds stakes to the match, already flanked by their glorious chemistry with one another. Both Mysterio and Andrade are masters of endurance, meaning that there would be no problem for either of them to compete in two high-calibre matches in one night. One of these two could even be the star of the entire show.
Whether it is Andrade or Rey Mysterio, any one of these two would make Sunday's Elimination Chamber match a better one.
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