Elimination Chamber 2014 Preview
Wrestlemania is six weeks away and tomorrow will determine a lot of what we’ll be seeing at the biggest show of them all.The kickoff match is a meaningless tag between Cody Rhodes/Goldust vs. Ryback/Curtis Axel. It’s kind of amazing that the Brothers have fallen as far as they have in just a month. They were the hottest act the tag division has seen in months and then it’s been thrown away for the sake of the New Age Outlaws. In 2014. Anyway there is zero reason for Ryback and Axel to win, which is why I think they will so we can get closer to Goldust vs. Cody which is allegedly a match everyone needs to see.
We’ll start the main card with the most obvious win ever: Batista beats Del Rio and you really shouldn’t need an explanation why. One thing though: We’re supposed to cheer a guy who put Del Rio in a neck brace and then attacked him while he was still injured after Del Rio was angry that Batista hadn’t earned any of his recent success. Why is WWE surprised people aren’t interested in Batista?
I’m going with the Outlaws to keep the titles. I have a bad feeling they’ll keep them on the old guys until Wrestlemania where they’ll be in some multi team match where the Usos will get them, because a team like the Outlaws just couldn’t lose a clean one on one match. Perish the thought. Sidebar on the Outlaws: I have no idea where the team is supposed to be going. The idea was supposed to be HHH pushing his friends, but the Outlaws won the match and rematch clean and have acted like faces the entire time. How does this benefit anyone but Gunn and Road Dogg?
Langston should beat Swagger, but I have a feeling he won’t. The Real Americans should be splitting, but there has to be a way to get Colter on Swagger’s side and away from Cesaro. Having Jack win a title while Cesaro comes up short would be a decent enough way, but I don’t want Cesaro being wasted on Swagger at Wrestlemania. We’ll go with Langston retaining to keep things from getting too messy.
Titus over Darren. Young is a decent enough wrestler, but there’s just nothing interesting about him. It’s refreshing to get a basic heel turn and blowoff match as a result though.
The big match of the evening is inside the CHamber and the most anticipated could be as well if there was ever a rematch. The Wyatts vs. Shield has the potential to steal the first half of the year and the build has been excellent. Bray vs. Reigns could be an outstanding collision which goes to show you what happens when you take two guys and build them up to the point where neither could conceivably lose. I’ll go with the Wyatts here in what should be more obvious that it is. One more note that I’ve been saying for the previous week: Bray vs. Reigns at Wrestlemania. Any takers?
That brings us to the big one. I think we can safely write off Sheamus, Cesaro and Christian (more on this later). Cena isn’t a likely winner due to the Wyatts as Bray vs. Cena seems to be set in stone. That leaves us with Orton vs. Bryan and Daniel is coming in with a bad shoulder courtesy of the Authority. Couple that with Orton losing most of his matches leading up to it and Orton is almost a layup to win.
However there’s one thing to remember: the Network launching on Monday. That leaves the door open for the very rare one night title reign or a surprise title change on Raw. I don’t think it’s going to happen, but if it does I’ll go with Cesaro on a very long shot.
Overall Elimination Chamber has the chance to be a solid show with the six man tag looking to be as easy of a great match as you’ll find. That being said, the show also has me worried about where things are going. For the life of me I cannot imagine Batista getting a one on one title shot against Orton at Wrestlemania. There’s a chance we might see that match on Monday instead, but something has to stop that match from happening. Bryan doesn’t have to be in the title match and facing HHH would be fine, but man alive Orton vs. Batista is just not going to do it for the main event of Wrestlemania. We’ll find out a lot tomorrow, but we’ll find out even more on Monday.
Thoughts/predictions?
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I still have a feeling Daniel Bryan wins the Title tonight and sets up a 3-Way at WM 30. If not then I am fine with Bryan vs HHH but if so that Match has to go on last and have Orton/Batista be in the middle of the Show so we don’t have a shitstorm.
Am I the only person half-expecting HHH to insert himself into the Batista/Orton match? The idea of an Evolution ‘dream match’ must surely be what he thinks fans have been waiting for
Oh there’s a good chance of it and there’s a good chance I’ll be one of them.
I have zero interest in Bryan/HHH. For one, it’s because we know it’s a replacement to CM Punk/HHH. I also had no interest in that one. This is Wrestlemania 30. Ten years ago, Cena, Batista and Orton started their big pushes. And they’re still there with very little difference except Batista’s break. Him picking up like 2010 didn’t exist for him doesn’t help. Sheamus is a welcomed fresh air. But Punk was always behind Cena when he was champion and Bryan has been the butt of WWE’s silly and unneeded insecurities. People want a change that actually sticks. Hogan didn’t last 10 years in WWE’s main event scene. Neither did Austin. It’s really become exhausting lately.
To be fair, Austin got hurt. Cena hasn’t. I’m guessing the belief that main eventers can only be on top for a few years came from Rock/Austin. They both left after only a few years, not allowing people to get ‘tired’ of them.
Batista put him in a neck brace after Del Rio attacked him mid-sentence, Batista even said he didn’t have a problem with him though.
Then he attacked him when he was in a neck brace. That’s not very nice.
Well, he is The Animal.
I think we’ll be seeing your favorite match at Mania: Triple Threat! Why would you not have the hottest act in the company in the main event of the biggest show of the year, especially when nobody wants to see the alternative, Orton vs Batista.
Also, I don’t like Reigns vs. Wyatt at Mania. It’ll be a big match down the line, but I think Wyatt has much more to gain going one on one with Cena at the biggest show of the year.
The thing that worries me is Bryan’s popularity. It’s still big but it’s slipped a bit in the last few weeks. I have a feeling that’s what WWE might be hoping for so they don’t have to put the title on him,
But could they REALLY think Orton vs Batista is a good idea? Bryan’s popularity may have slipped a bit, but it’s still miles ahead of the reaction Batista’s been getting.
Honestly I’m just worried they might actually go with Bryan vs Kane at Mania, but they couldn’t possibly do that right?
Yes, they could.
Word on the street is that Vince promised Disney that Batista would be champion (I’ve even heard rumors that it’s why the belts were unified but I don’t buy that) because it’s good publicity for Guardians of the Galaxy. You know, because the MARVEL movies need more publicity. I digress.
Anyway, yeah it seems like that’s where they’re going because a movie coming out in four months needs to get hyped at Wrestlemania in April.
Kane vs. Bryan is going to happen, though I’m not sure it’s happening at Wrestlemania. I actually hope it’s HHH vs. Bryan, just to see if HHH will do the job. If he doesn’t, I’ll have enough material to keep this place going for 100 years.
The other thing working for it is the Network. WWE is going to get a lot of people watching Wrestlemania because they’ll be new Network subscribers. Based on that, they can throw any main event they want out there and it’s basically costing the fans ten bucks.
I could live with Triple H vs Bryan if Bryan doesn’t get in the title match, but if they’re planning on Kane vs Bryan and then Bryan vs Triple H at Extreme Rules I wouldn’t be shocked. Triple H prefers to lose when only 1/10 of the amount of people are watching. I see the crowd shitting all over Orton vs Batista though, especially if they plan on putting it on last.
Bryan Should win the title at wrestlemania period. There is No reason not to do so. At this point the only reason they wouldn’t do so is spite. Wrestling Triple H is insufficient.