WWE Elimination Chamber 2017 predictions: WWE title, Alexa Bliss vs. Naomi, more!

WWE returns to pay-per-view (PPV) -- if your cable provider is carrying the event, of course -- tomorrow night (Sun., Feb. 12, 2017) live from the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona with its Elimination Chamber event starting at 7:00 p.m. ET with the Kickoff show leading right on into the main course at 8 p.m. ET on the WWE Network.

Set for the card: An Elimination Chamber match for the WWE world championship, Alexa Bliss vs. Naomi for the SmackDown women’s title, and more!

Luckily for you Cagesiders, our staff of learned wrestling blowhards is here to help figure out just how the event is going to play out with predictions for each match on the card.

Let's get to it.

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WWE ELIMINATION CHAMBER PREDICTIONS

John Cena vs. AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin vs. The Miz vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt

Geno Mrosko: This is one of those times I don’t like knowing what I know, or think I know, or have been told. Whatever. That said, I like the idea of a Bray Wyatt title run, so let’s roll with it. Pick: Wyatt

Sean Rueter: Maybe... nah, damn dirt sheets, and a-holes like that Sean Rueter who regurgitate what the dirt sheets print and try to act like their little “analysis” or “commentary” bullcrap makes them real writers, have ruined this one for us all. Pick: Bray Wyatt

Kyle Decker: Wyatt is the easy choice here. But I’m not going to pick him. Not because I really don’t think he’s going to win but I really would prefer going another way. The Wyatt/Orton match at Mania isn’t doing it for me and I’d rather see Styles with the title at the big show. So I’m going with AJ here to set up Orton/Styles for Mania. Wyatt can feud with Harper in April. Pick: Styles

Cain A. Knight: For some reason WWE thought it was a good idea to have Randy Orton win the Royal Rumble match this year, and that decision telegraphs Bray Wyatt winning this chamber match. I still find it impossible to take Bray Wyatt seriously ever since John Cena and Undertaker took turns burying him in 2014 and 2015, but I guess it’s fine; I’d much rather Wyatt win than see Cena, Miz, or Corbin walk into WrestleMania 33 as the champ. Pick: Bray Wyatt

Reverend Kain: Hell with all y'all, I'm kayfabing it! Any of these six men would be fine champions. But if you look at the web of feuds and potential alliances, one man stands alone, far away from the squabble. Sure, he's feuded with Cena and Ambrose in the past, but both men are more occupied with thoughts of AJ Styles, the Miz, and Baron Corbin than they're thinking of thir old rival, the Eater of Worlds. Pick: Bray Wyatt

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Alexa Bliss vs. Naomi

Geno Mrosko: WWE tends to follow a pattern, so you can be reasonably certain that Naomi pinning Alexa in tag team matches leading up to this will make no difference in how this goes. Pick: Bliss

Sean Rueter: My prediction is... folks will pretend this is better than it is because they like the wrestlers involved. Pick: Alexa Bliss

Kyle Decker: I can’t imagine that Bliss isn’t holding onto the title here. Naomi feels like a stop gap program until we get to whatever WrestleMania plan is. Pick: Alexa Bliss

Cain A. Knight: My expectations for this match are low because neither performer is really well-versed in putting on good matches. Alexa is getting the typical booking where she loses multiple times to a new contender in the weeks leading up to the championship match, but there is very little reason to think she’ll actually lose the match that counts. This one is just a time-filler while they figure out how many women to include in the inevitable group championship match on the WrestleMania 33 pre-show. Pick: Alexa Bliss

Reverend Kain: Naomi is far from the nobody Bliss tries to present her as, but I don't think we're gonna see a title change here. I just hope the World's Strongest Pixie returns to form on the way and busts out that sweet Nodowa Otoshi again. Pick: Alexa Bliss

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American Alpha vs. The Ascension vs. The Vaudevillains vs. The Usos vs. Breezango vs. Heath Slater & Rhyno

Geno Mrosko: There is only one team here that is ready. Only one team that is willing. Only one team that is Gable. Pick: Alpha

Sean Rueter: They aren’t the longest reigning champs in NXT history for nothing. Plus, if this happens, maybe we’re one step closer to a DOUBLE MEAT REUNION. Pick: The Ascension

Kyle Decker: Alpha’s run with the title has been rather forgotten, like the rest of the division. So let’s start over. Have the heel Usos win here (they’ve been a great heel team when around) and have Alpha chase them going into Mania. Pick: The Usos

Cain A. Knight: At least 3 of these 6 teams are jobbers, and the other 3 have mostly been afterthoughts thus far in 2017. That probably explains why WWE is putting 6 teams together in one match on a PPV named Elimination Chamber, but not in an actual Elimination Chamber match. They just don’t think these teams are worth a 25-minute match. So instead they’ll do a quick 10-minute match where Alpha most likely retains, unless the Revival comes out as a surprise team at the end: Pick: American Alpha

Reverend Kain: Turmoils are kind of a crapshoot to pick because of the staggered entry, but Alpha aren't minute men, they'll go the whole hour if they have to, and I can't see any team besides maybe the Usos that could pick 'em off the top of the heap right now. Pick: American Alpha

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Nikki Bella vs. Natalya

Geno Mrosko: I’m thinking it’s at least possible this match doesn’t even happen, and they run an injury angle at some point in the evening. Assuming it does, Nikki has to get her win here. Pick: Bella

Sean Rueter: Echoing what my boss said, I don’t think this happens. Taking my own spin on things, I predict the way they write Nikki off involves the Sharpshootaaaaah. Pick: 2Paws

Kyle Decker: Nikki Bella is going to win this feud and I don’t see this feud continuing past this match. Pick: Nikki Bella

Cain A. Knight: I don’t really see why Nikki Bella would lose this match if they are building her up for something big at WrestleMania 33. And I’m pretty sure that Natalya can only beat Becky Lynch on PPV. Pick: Nikki Bella

Reverend Kain: Natalya is a formidable competitor, but she's become increasingly detached from reality over the course of this feud, and I can't believe she's gonna have her head screwed on tight enough to beat the Emerald Queen here. Pick: Nikki Bella

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Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James

Geno Mrosko: Could see this going either way — it is Becky we’re talking about — but will assume they go babyface win here considering booking elsewhere on the card. Pick: Lynch

Sean Rueter: Forgive my snark and lame attempts at jokes on the card’s other matches, but this one should be STR8 [I tried to put fire emojis here, but SBNation hates me]! Selfishly calling it this way because I want this feud to continue, so the WWE’s best baby should continue to have to chase. Pick: Mickie James

Kyle Decker: This is a tough one and could easily go both ways. Mickie James has just returned and should get a win to re-establish herself as a force in the division. As long as it’s not a squeaky clean win, Becky will be fine coming out of it. Pick: Mickie James

Cain A. Knight: I’m really looking forward to this match because Mickie and Becky are the two best female performers in WWE. This one is a challenge to predict because they both could really benefit from a win. My guess is that Becky wins because Mickie James is theoretically here to serve the 2013 RVD role of putting on exciting matches while putting over the younger stars. Pick: Becky Lynch

Reverend Kain: Let's first take a second to recognize that this is a veritable dream match, shall we? Like, Mickie's whole thing has been Becky supposedly trying to erase her legacy, and here we are adding a whole other wing to the building. Anyway, it's a prediction post, so... Pick: Becky Lynch

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Luke Harper vs. Randy Orton

Geno Mrosko: You might think they wouldn’t beat Randy Orton before WrestleMania 33 but they literally just did that on SmackDown this week, so don’t count anything out. Pick: Orton

Sean Rueter: Maybe... nah, I can’t blame Dave Meltzer, or myself, or anyone for this. Oh! Vince McMahon! I can blame Vince McMahon! Pick: Randy Orton

Kyle Decker: I would absolutely love Luke Harper to get a big win here. But I highly doubt the man who is going to main event WrestleMania is going to lose to Luke Harper one on one at the PPV prior. Pick: Randy Orton

Cain A. Knight: I am delighted to see that WWE is finally doing interesting things with Luke Harper. He is super talented and it’s too bad that it took them over 3 years to get to this point. That being said, I don’t expect him to win this match; he’s never been pushed as anywhere near the equal of Randy Orton, and this match seems like it exists more to prepare Orton for a future match with Wyatt rather than elevating Harper with a long-term plan in mind. Pick: Randy Orton

Reverend Kain: The Viper is meaner than ever, and with Bray turning his back on Luke, he's isolated. Unless Erick Rowan wants to show up and even the playing field, it's gonna be an RKO into the 1-2-3, yeah yeah yeah yeah. Pick: Randy Orton

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Dolph Ziggler vs. Apollo Crews & Kalisto

Geno Mrosko: Going to pick with my heart here and sincerely hope Crews and Kalisto lay a sustained beating on Ziggler that ends in a clean pin in the center of the ring and a hearty celebration over his lifeless body. Pick: Crews & Kalisto

Sean Rueter: Can this one also not happen like Nikki/Natty? Please? Pick: James Hogsworth

Kyle Decker: Whatevs. Pick: Dolph Ziggler

Cain A. Knight: What a stupid match. Ziggler just lost to Crews in less than 90 seconds this past week on SmackDown, so it doesn’t really seem like Apollo needs the extra help to beat him again. If WWE gives Ziggler the win here, it makes the babyfaces look awful and could potentially bury them because they have a clear and massive advantage. But having Ziggler lose his first PPV match as a heel could be a killer blow for his short-term push. Actually it’s WrestleMania season, so Ziggler will probably end up lost in the shuffle either way. Pick: Apollo Crews & Kalisto

Reverend Kain: Dragon Gate USA bros stick together, and Dolph seems to care more about hurting people than winning these days, so you'd think this would be an obvious win for the two over the one, but I got a feeling... Pick: Dolph Ziggler

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That’s how we see the card playing out. How about you?