Last night on WWE Monday Night Raw, the stage was set for the Elimination Chamber PPV in less than 3 weeks, which has become one of the biggest shows of the year, and Alberto Del Rio picked his title shot for Wrestlemania 27.
The major happenings last night were:
- Alberto Del Rio picking the World Heavyweight Title for his shot at Wrestlemania and attacking Edge.
- They ran another champion via champion match again with Edge and Miz, this time with a "there must be a winner" stipulation. Edge won by spearing Miz while he was distracted by John Cena, who was on a house microphone in the crowd taunting him.
- There was a video showing the feet of a guy in a black trenchcoat in a ghost town or something as spooky music played. It ended with a screen that said "2-21-11," which is the Monday night right after the Elimination Chamber PPV. Most likely The Undertaker, but could it be Sting? It was definitely less grandiose than the usual Undertaker return videos. By the way, while it's awesome, this alleged Wrestlemania poster featuring Sting is a fake.
- A 7 man "Raw Rumble" where the winner would face The Miz for the WWE Tile at Elimination Chamber and the other six wrestlers would be slotted in the Elimination Chamber match itself at the PPV, with the winner of that match getting the WWE Title shot at Wrestlemania. Jerry Lawler eliminated Sheamus with John Cena's help to win the shot at Miz. The match also included Randy Orton, R-Truth, John Morrison, and CM Punk, so they will join Sheamus and Cena in the Chamber.
With the Rumble winner Wrestlemania title shot set in stone and the Raw Chamber match being for that Wrestlemania title shot, I really hope we don't get a second Chamber match this year. Doing two Chamber matches for the title was a much worse idea than just one for the title shot than the Rumble winner didn't pick. Since they already shot an angle for Del Rio vs Edge and the Wrestlemania website already lists it as being scheduled, it looks like they may have seen the light. Since their plans change so often, I wouldn't bet money on...anything they do, though. Dave Meltzer is under the impressions that there will be a World Heavyweight Title Chamber match but it wasn't hinted at on Raw, but I pray he's wrong, as I don't recall them putting the Wrestlemania title match w/ the Rumble winner on the website so soon in previous years. Smackdown this Friday has Edge & Kelly Kelly vs Dolph Ziggler and Laycool with Ziggler winning the title if either member of the opposing team submits or is pinned, so who knows what they're thinking with that title.
As far as the WWE Title goes, as much as I'd like to see Lawler beat Miz and defent the title against CM Punk or Sheamus in the Wrestlemania main event, I doubt we'll see it. That said, being realistic along with keeping in mind that the theme of the angle is Lawler never having a match at Wrestlemania and not Lawler chasing the WWE Title (especially since they've pointed out his AWA World Title win in promo videos), I figure that Michael Cole will screw Lawler again and the match at 'Mania will be Lawler vs Cole. It's gotten to the point where Cole will end up needing to get what's coming to him in a match, and Lawler is by far the best guy in the company to get an entertaining match out of him. He's basically the same wrestler he's been for decades, and has always been able to get good matches out of the greenest rookies, cowardly managers like Jimmy Hart, etc. A good match with Michael Cole should be a piece of cake.