The next pay-per-view (PPV) on the WWE schedule is the Elimination Chamber event set to take place on Sun., Feb. 23, 2014, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the company's annual beginning of the year showcase that features a cage match (or two) complete with pods and countdowns and, really, just the final stop before WrestleMania.
This one is historic because it represents the final pay-per-view (PPV) that will ever take place before the launch of the WWE Network.
We're now three weeks out from showtime and two matches on the card are official with one big rumor accompanying them.
- Elimination Chamber WWE world heavyweight championship match (Randy Orton vs. John Cena vs. Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Antonio Cesaro vs. Christian)
Cena, Sheamus, and Bryan all qualified by way of a disqualification win on Monday Night Raw this past week over The Shield. Cesaro and Christian got in by winning qualifying matches over Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger on Friday Night SmackDown just days ago. Rumors insist that this may not be the final line-up but this is where it stands now.
- The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family
The aforementioned disqualification win for Cena, Sheamus, and Bryan came by way of The Wyatt Family interfering in the match with The Shield. That pissed off Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Seth Rollins, respectively, and led them to demand retribution. Triple H attempted to block the booking of a match between the two but eventually relented and gave them what they wanted.
- Batista vs. Alberto Del Rio* (rumored, not official)
This is just a rumor right now but with Batista working a full time schedule without a cap on dates, like Brock Lesnar, it makes no sense not to have him work the card and pick up a clean victory in a mini-feud over a moderately strong act. Del Rio represents a former champion who can get present a mostly credible opponent to catapult "The Animal" to his big title match at WrestleMania 30.
That's the card so far, Cagesiders. You buying?