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World Heavyweight Championship Match:
Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. The Big Show
World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio will put his title on the line against The Big Show, the man he beat for the belt.
The road to Elimination Chamber
Alberto Del Rio had multiple chances to win the World Heavyweight Championship when it was around Sheamus' waist, but came up short on four separate pay-per-views (PPV's), Over the Limit (May 20, 2012), Money in the Bank (July 15), SummerSlam (Aug. 19), and Night of Champions (Sept. 16). At the time, it looked like he may not have another opportunity to win the gold.
The Big Show defeated Sheamus at Hell in a Cell (Oct. 28, 2012) to win the World Heavyweight Championship. Show would then retain in a pair of rematches against Sheamus at Survivor Series and TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs. The giant looked set to begin a long, dominate run.
However, he made a grave mistake when he chose to bully Ricardo Rodriguez, Alberto Del Rio's personal ring announcer and amigo. Show knocked Ricardo out with a WMD on the Dec, 28 episode of SmackDown, which he followed up by humiliating the ring announcer on the following Monday Night Raw (Dec. 31) in a championship match.
Del Rio made the giant pay in a Last Man Standing Match on the Jan. 11 episode ofSmackDown. By tipping the announcers on top of Show, "The Mexican Aristocrat" won his first World Heavyweight Championship.
Show would be granted a rematch at Royal Rumble (Jan. 27), again with the Last Man Standing Stipulation. Del Rio would prove to be the more cunning of wrestlers, this time tying Show's legs to the bottom rope with duct tape. "The World's Largest Athlete" was too worn out to free himself and was unable to answer the ref's ten count, allowing Del Rio to retain the championship.
Show took his frustrations out on the champion and his ring announcer of the next few weeks. on the Jan. 28 episode ofRaw he tied Del Rio to the ropes with duct tape while he assaulted Ricardo before attacking Del Rio himself. On the following SmackDown (Feb. 1), Show laid out Ricardo backstage with a WMD.
Del Rio would do his best to get even with the former champion. He attacked Show in the giant's hotel room on the Feb. 4 episode of Raw and dumped paint on Show's head on the following SmackDown (Feb. 8). These acts seem to have enraged Show, and now Del Rio will have to face the giant's wrath come Sunday.
What's at stake?
Alberto Del Rio has two victories over The Big Show, but there will be some who claim he "cheated" to win. While using one's surroundings to win a Last Man Standing Match is perfectly within the rules, it does not lead to the most convincing of victories. This is Del Rio's chance to pick up a decisive victory. He has yet to pin or submit Show; come Elimination Chamber, that all could change.
The Big Show is looking to return to championship form. Del Rio has spent the past two months humiliating Show. Now is the chance to get even. A dominate win here would not only bring the championship back into his colossus hands, but would prove that Del Rio's victories were nothing but flukes.
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Can Alberto Del Rio retain the World Heavyweight Championship in a One-Fall Match? Or will The Big Show's wrath prove too much to handle? The only way to know is to watch the Elimination Chamber TOMORROW NIGHT and keep checking back with us throughout for anything and everything you might have missed!