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The 2021 edition of Elimination Chamber has a promising match card. We will see some of the top performers in WWE stepping inside the ThunderDome with the sole intention of gaining momentum as we inch closer to WrestleMania. While all of the Superstars deserve to be at the top, a few of them need their respective victories a little more than their counterparts.
In this article, we will take a look at five WWE Superstars who desperately need to win at Elimination Chamber.
#1 Cesaro (Elimination Chamber match to determine Roman Reigns’ next challenger)
One of the two Elimination Chamber matches scheduled for the pay-per-view will feature six SmackDown Superstars battling it out for a shot at Roman Reigns’ Universal Championship. The booking is well-balanced between the good and bad guys with Kevin Owens, Daniel Bryan, and Cesaro as the babyfaces and Sami Zayn, Jey Uso, and King Corbin as the heels.
The winner of this Elimination Chamber match will challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship later in the night. Regardless of his opponent, Reigns will have an advantage since he would be fresh compared to the Superstar, who emerges victorious after a gruesome battle against some of the business' best names.
Since it is doubtful for Reigns to lose his championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, his challenger should also be allowed to leave with a part of the win. The biggest heel in the promotion should be challenged by a babyface who is being billed as an underdog, and Cesaro perfectly fits into that mold.
He has gained a lot of momentum on SmackDown over the last few weeks. His exceptional matches against Daniel Bryan paved the way for his face turn. Cesaro has a lot of momentum ahead of Elimination Chamber, and it would be monumental for him to enter the world title picture – something that he has deserved for a long time in WWE.
Cesaro should be booked strongly inside the Elimination Chamber. The creative have relied heavily on this stipulation to push underused Superstars, and they have done well in their last few attempts. This year should not be any different as a dominant run from Cesaro would help establish him as a genuine threat to Reigns’ championship reign.
Despite losing to Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber, Cesaro will still win the sympathy of the WWE Universe, who will root for the talented Superstar in the coming weeks. This will ultimately lay the ground for a title feud between him and Reigns, leading to a well-balanced match at Fastlane. This booking will add more to Reigns’ heel persona. No matter how you see it, this booking decision presents a win-win case at the upcoming pay-per-view.
#2 Drew McIntyre (Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship)
On Sunday night, Drew McIntyre will step inside the Elimination Chamber to defend his WWE Championship against five former WWE Champions. This includes Randy Orton, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Kofi Kingston, and Sheamus. While this booking ensures an unforgettable in-ring battle, it should be McIntyre who gets to walk away with the title.
McIntyre has had a great run with the title last year, and he has already feuded with Randy Orton and AJ Styles. While Jeff Hardy and Kofi Kingston would make for exciting challengers, the current direction on WWE RAW indicates an intense rivalry between Drew McIntyre and Sheamus after Elimination Chamber.
The two former best friends became enemies after Sheamus betrayed McIntyre. The fans have eagerly waited for their rivalry, and WWE decided to prolong it by avoiding that match at Elimination Chamber. If McIntyre retains his championship, he will have enough time to feud with Sheamus, and the two can lock horns for the WWE Championship at Fastlane, the final stop before WrestleMania. Sheamus deserves his hands on the world title, and the personal history between these two Superstars demands a better build-up before any title change.
#3 Keith Lee (United States Championship match at Elimination Chamber)
At the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, Keith Lee will square off against Riddle and Bobby Lashley in a triple-threat match for the latter’s United States Championship. Unless he has to miss the event, Lee should be allowed to walk out with the title. He had one of the most promising debuts on the main roster, but he has lost a lot of momentum in the last couple of months.
Lee has delivered a good performance in many matches that have helped establish him as a credible threat on the RAW roster. It appears that it is going to be a while before he enters the world title picture again. As a result, Elimination Chamber would be the right place to remind us about his caliber.
This title win could also lay the ground for Lee’s heel turn on WWE RAW. Bobby Lashley recently revealed that he would like to see Lee as a member of The Hurt Business. Lee’s addition to the most dominant stable on the Red brand will account for an interesting prospect, and it could all start with him brutalizing Riddle at Elimination Chamber. This will also help the creative protect Lashley while simultaneously ensuring that Riddle continues to despise The Hurt Business.
#4 Roman Reigns (Universal Championship match at Elimination Chamber)
Roman Reigns’ victory at Elimination Chamber might seem like the easiest prediction on paper. However, he needs this victory just as much as any other Superstar mentioned in this list. The Tribal Chief is enjoying a great run as a heel, and his title reign has played an essential part in the portrayal of his arrogant self. He needs that gold to rest on his shoulder, at least until WrestleMania.
Reigns has not yet defended his championship by picking a clean victory over any of his challengers. That could change at Elimination Chamber as he will already have a massive advantage over whoever has to face him after a brutal qualifying match. Reigns might walk out as soon as the Elimination Chamber match ends without even allowing his challenger to catch his breath.
That said, we still can’t rule out an interference as fans expect Jimmy Uso to make his return and confirm his allegiance to The Head of the Table. This secret weapon would make for a great surprise at the pay-per-view. Finally, a successful title defense for Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber will finally prompt Edge to pick the Universal Champion as his WrestleMania opponent.
#5 Shayna Baszler (Women’s Tag Team Championship match alongside Nia Jax at Elimination Chamber)
Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax will look to defend their Women’s tag team titles at Elimination Chamber against Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair. Out of all the Superstars in this list, Baszler is the one who stands to lose the most if she loses her gold in this match. She has struggled to gain the right momentum on the Red brand for a long time now.
A dominant performer like her deserves to be on the top of the roster, especially if you consider how great she can be as a heel. Instead, she has been involved in underwhelming storylines that have done little to help her growth on WWE RAW. She should be allowed to continue her title reign alongside Nia Jax, and they should be booked well at Elimination Chamber.
Both Banks and Belair can afford to lose as it would lay the ground for their impending feud ahead of WrestleMania. The loss at Elimination Chamber could turn Sasha Banks into a heel with subtle inputs from Reginald. As for Baszler and Jax, they should use their run as the champions to strengthen the women’s tag team division in WWE.
