:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63061884/ECposter.0.png)
WWE returns to pay-per-view (PPV) — if your cable provider is carrying the event, of course — tomorrow night (Sun., Feb. 17, 2019) live from Toyota Center in Houston, Texas with its Elimination Chamber event starting at 6:00 pm ET with the Kickoff show leading right on into the main course at 7 pm ET on the WWE Network.
Set for the card: Two Chamber matches with the WWE and new Women’s Tag Team titles on the line, Ronda Rousey defending the Raw Women’s championship against Ruby Riott as WrestleMania opponent Charlotte Flair sits ringside, 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.
Elimination Chamber predictions
WWE Championship Elimination Chamber
Geno Mrosko: It’s almost amazing that this match not only didn’t have a far reaching story but until SmackDown this past week didn’t have a short term story either. It was just a match, for the title, in the Chamber. A clear bridge to the bigger event. Now, though, it’s all about Kofi Kingston and his pursuit of the title that has long eluded him. They’re not going to pull the trigger on putting the hemp strap on him, but he’s the only interesting part of this match. That’s pretty cool. Pick: Daniel Bryan
Sean Rueter: He’s waited eleven years and he ain’t waiting one more day. He won’t keep it for long, but strike while the iron is hot, WWE (and since I know your PR department will be involved, while it’s Black History Month). Pick: Kofi Kingston
Kyle Decker: Daniel Bryan is 1-0 in the Chamber when he’s champion. He knows how it is done. While I’d flip out if Kofi won after last Tuesday, Gaia will ensure that her chosen champion retains the hemp. Pick: Daniel Bryan.
Rev. Claire Elizabeth: God, after Tuesday I want Kofi to win the title so bad that I can taste it. But... it ain’t happening, not here in this match now. At Mania? Off-chance. Quick spring reign, maybe heading into SummerSlam? Sure! But not now. Now belongs to the man so eco-friendly he had to replace 50 years of tradition, of leather, gems, and gold-plated nickel steel, with hemp, and wood, and turquoise. Pick: Daniel Bryan
Cain A. Knight: This should be a great match, albeit very predictable. Styles won’t win because he’s already failed multiple times against Bryan and has smothered the championship scene too long. Orton won the gauntlet match and also beat Ali the week before, so reverse momentum theory says he will lose here. I can’t remember the last time Samoa Joe pinned or tapped someone out to win a match on PPV. Maybe June 2017? Kofi is never going to be pushed as a top guy in the singles division, and Jeff Hardy is clearly not being pushed right now. Bryan’s got this. Pick: Daniel Bryan
Stella Cheeks: Daniel Bryan has been doing some amazing heel work as of late. Even if he is right about everything (and he is), his smarmy, better-than-you attitude makes him one of the most detestable men on the roster. And, frankly, it’s nice to have a compelling heel as WWE champion instead of bland babyface (sorry but AJ was BORING as champ). Considering all this, it would make sense for Daniel to win, especially since Mania is around the corner, but after this week’s incredible showing by Kofi Kingston on SDLive I can’t get the image of Kofi as champ out of my head. GIVE ME KOFI VERSUS DANIEL AT MANIA. #PutTheWoodOnKofi. Pick: Kofi Kingston
Women’s Tag Team titles Elimination Chamber
Geno Mrosko: They’ve done a fairly good job of making me really, really not want any of the heels to win while also really, really wanting the babyface team to win. Pick: Sasha Banks & Bayley
Sean Rueter: This one is all about cynicism vs. hope. Big part of me absolutely believes Nia Jax & Tamina or Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville could get the nod here due to cross-over value and or WWE’s love of a good troll job (first ever Women’s Money in the Banks anyone?). But damnit, give this to them and everyone who’s followed them since NXT, double damnit! Pick: Sasha Banks & Bayley
Kyle Decker: They’ve stacked the deck against Sasha and Bayley by giving them the first entry and playing up a shoulder injury for Sasha. While that could be choreographing their victory after overcoming the odds, I say they fight valiantly until the end before they lose to the one real team in this chamber: The IIconics. Pick: The IIconics
Rev. Claire Elizabeth: I’m kinda hoping Boss and Hug don’t pick the titles up until WrestleMania, to give the new belts a huge moment and establish them firmly in the WWE lexicon as a prize to be valued. So who gets the nod here and now then? I’ll go for the cheap pop (for myself), and pick the team that has a fellow South Jersey lesbian on it. Pick: Fire and Desire (Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville)
Cain A. Knight: I figure the plan is for Sasha and Bayley to defend the tag titles at WrestleMania against Trish and Lita. That doesn’t necessarily mean The Boss and The Hugger will get the job done on this night, but it’s the most straightforward path to follow. Pick: Sasha Banks & Bayley
Stella Cheeks: Charlotte was the first ever Raw Women’s Champion, Becky was the first ever SmackDown Live champion, to round out the Four Horsewomen firsts Bayley and Sasha should be the first ever WWE tag team champions! Pick: Sasha Banks & Bayley
Ronda Rousey vs. Ruby Riott
Geno Mrosko: Anything can happen in WWE, right? Yeah, no, I can’t even talk myself into an upset here. Pick: Ronda Rousey
Sean Rueter: She’d need a riot (with one or two ‘t’s) to break out to have a chance in hell of leaving Houston with that belt. Pick: Ronda Rousey
Kyle Decker: There’s more mystery in Charlotte watching at ringside than there is in the finish of this match. Pick: Ronda Rousey
Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Sally Stitches would have a chance here (that’s a reference for my fellow classic Freelance Wrestling fans, and if you’re not, look it up, great run of shows there), but Ruby Riott? This is gonna be a hell of a match but we ain’t getting a change. Pick: Ronda Rousey
Cain A. Knight: Ruby Riott is an impressive pro wrestler, and Ronda Rousey almost always delivers a quality match on PPV. I think this one will be a lot of fun, and hopefully Riott will be given a chance to shine in defeat. With that being said, the most notable thing here will be whatever post-match angle they run with Charlotte and/or Becky. Pick: Ronda Rousey
Stella Cheeks: lolololololololololol Pick: Ronda Rousey
Shane McMahon & The Miz vs. The Usos
Geno Mrosko: I guess I should be concerned about Jimmy Uso getting arrested this week, but the company doesn’t seem overly worried about it. They acted the same when Jey was arrested a while back. Still, this McMahon-Miz story is going somewhere and they’ll need the belts for another show. Pick: Shane McMahon & The Miz
Sean Rueter: The bad decisions that led to an arrest in Detroit don’t matter. What matters is how creative wants to get to that Miz vs. Shane match at ’Mania. Figure they need a few weeks to try to reclaim the straps while cracks show in their “friendship”, then a few more to build to April 7. Pick: The Usos
Kyle Decker: I’m thoroughly more excited about this match after their segment on SmackDown. I feel that Shane and Miz have one more win in them before they lose the straps and break up. That win coming against the Usos will be surprising since they’ve been presented as one of the best tag teams, but I bet McMiz figures it out this one time. Pick: Shane McMahon & the Miz
Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Guys. Guys. They’re the Best Tag Team in the World. Duh. Pick: Best Tag Team in the World (Shane McMahon & the Miz)
Cain A. Knight: Considering how much wasted talent is on the WWE roster, it’s extremely frustrating that WWE continues to put Shane McMahon in these important spots that could be given to loads of talented stars. Shane already used up every trick in his book - including last month’s Shooting Star Press - between WrestleMania 32 and WrestleMania 33; everything since then has just been that same tape on rewind. I’m tired of the boss’s son pretending to be a pro wrestler. It makes the rest of the roster look really bad, and that will probably include the mega-talented Usos when they sell for his terrible strikes and do the job here. Pick: Miz & Shane McMahon
Stella Cheeks: I LOVE the Usos. I LOVE The Miz. I couldn’t give two eff’s about Shane McMahon and frankly the fact that he is one half of the SDLive tag champions while SAniTy toils in obscurity is offensive. Is there any depth to the McMahon Ego? Pick: Miz & Shane McMahon
Bobby Lashley & Lio Rush vs. Finn Balor
Geno Mrosko: Balor is for everyone, but he’s still only one man, extraordinary as he may be. Pick: Bobby Lashley & Lio Rush
Sean Rueter: The Man of the Hour has to be here to be the man who takes the pin. Pick: Finn Bálor
Kyle Decker: This just feels like a lame stip to stretch this feud longer than it should be. But hey, we at least get to see Lio wrestle more. Pick: Bobby Lashley & Lio Rush
Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Can we somehow have Lio get the pin and the title? Can that be how this works? No? Darn. Anyway, I’m with Deck here— the stipulation exists solely so Finn can claim That Damn Numbers Game as a reason why he should get his totally-not-automatic-anymore rematch. Pick: Bobby Lashley & Lio Rush
Cain A. Knight: This is quite a drop off for Finn from last month’s match with Lesnar. The numbers game will be too much for Finn to overcome, after a match that will likely exceed expectations by a bit. Just please don’t have Lio piss his pants en route to a distraction victory. Pick: Bobby Lashley & Lio Rush
Stella Cheeks: If Finn doesn’t win this, then really, what is the point? Pick: Finn Balor
Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin
Geno Mrosko: Holy shit, who cares? Pick: Baron Corbin
Sean Rueter: Is there a management position for Corbin still on the line? If not, why does he still wrestle in business casual? Pick: Braun Strowman
Kyle Decker: Ah, yes. This match exists. Pick: Braun Strowman
Rev. Claire Elizabeth: No. Pick: A hole opens in the Earth and swallows us all into blissful oblivion
Cain A. Knight: I’d rather listen to Mojo Rawley talk to a mirror for ten minutes than watch this garbage. The PPV could instead feature Asuka vs. Nikki Cross, Rey vs. Andrade, or a triple threat between Truth, Rusev, and Nakamura. But instead we get Strowman vs. Corbin, because the new era is the same as the old era. Thank goodness they added the stip because a regular singles match between these two would be a contender for worst match of the year. Pick: Braun Strowman
Stella Cheeks: Wow, I thought I was excited for this PPV, but the further I get into these predictions, the more bored I become. Pick: Braun Strowman
Buddy Murphy vs. Akira Tozawa
Geno Mrosko: Pick: Buddy Murphy
Sean Rueter: Not sure who dethrones the Juggernaut. But much as I love him (AH!), I’m pretty sure it’s not Kevin Steen’s old Nightmare Violence Connection partner. Pick: Buddy Murphy
Kyle Decker: Listen, I don’t watch 205. So I’m just going to keep picking Buddy Murphy until he loses. Pick: Buddy Murphy
Rev. Claire Elizabeth: Tozawa beat the King of the Cruiserweights for his last title reign, he can handle one jacked Aussie, c’mon. In unrelated news, I have zero fear of throwing these picks away. Pick: Akira Tozawa
Cain A. Knight: Here’s a fairly safe prediction: this match will be awesome. Pick: Buddy Murphy
Stella Cheeks: Good match. Obvious outcome. Pick: Buddy Murphy
That’s how we see the card playing out.
How about you?