Credit: WWE.com

Bleacher Report's WWE Staff Predictions for Elimination Chamber 2021

The Doctor Chris Mueller

Six wrestlers enter the Elimination Chamber; only one leaves. That is the entire premise of the titular match of Sunday's pay-per-view. It's simple but fun.

WWE has opted not to book a women's Chamber bout this year and will instead feature men's contests with a direct influence on the top titles in Raw and SmackDown.

Here is a look at the card, according to WWE.com:

Let's see how the Bleacher Report staff members think everything will go down. Here's our lineup of contributors:

Erik Beaston

Raw Chamber

Q: If McIntyre retains the WWE title and avoids The Miz cashing in his briefcase, would you prefer he turned heel or remained a babyface through WrestleMania 37?

He should stay babyface. Suddenly turning just for the sake of turning, with no real rhyme or reason, would stink of the desperation booking WWE has been guilty of in the past. Plus, he's been surprisingly great as the lead good guy. There's also a greater supply of heels for him to work with than there are babyfaces ready to contend.

                                

Asuka vs. TBD

Q: Which member of the Raw women's roster would you like to see challenge Asuka for the title based on recent booking?

Recent booking of the Raw women's division has been poor, to say the least. Charlotte Flair is really the only option who could believably contend and is not named Shayna Baszler. And, for better or worse, she has played second fiddle to Nia Jax. Since WWE is hellbent on focusing on The Queen, just get it over with and give her the title match.

                               

Everyone

Q: On a scale of 1-10, where is your level of excitement for this event? 

One. This show has been so thrown-together, lacking any real engaging storylines that it doesn't really feel like one of the last big events on The Road to WrestleMania. That the Raw main event consists of guys who have been overexposed for the last decade doesn't help and nor does the absence of a compelling women's match. Thankfully, we have the SmackDown match to prop up the show.

Donald Wood

Raw Chamber

Q: If you were booking a title change in this bout, which of the five challengers would win?

Sheamus. With McIntyre as the clear favorite to win the match, the best possible swerve would be to have The Celtic Warrior use his leverage as the final entrant into the Elimination Chamber and steal the title from a champion who entered first. Then, at Fastlane, McIntyre could overcome his foe in an even bout, thus winning the championship back and entering WrestleMania 37 with the title.

                             

Lashley vs. Lee vs. Riddle

Q: Based solely on your personal opinion, who do you want to see leave with the U.S. title?

If WWE Creative gave me the book—which would be a bad idea—I would have Lee beat Riddle for the United States Championship, while Bobby Lashley wouldn't be involved in the finish. That would set up a Fastlane match between Lee and Lashley, which would have a non-finish that leads to the blowoff bout at WrestleMania.

                                

Everyone

Q: On a scale of 1-10, where is your level of excitement for this event? 

Five. While there is no doubt the Elimination Chamber matches will be excellent based simply on the talent involved, the predictability of the show and the overall lack of impact on The Road to WrestleMania if McIntyre and Reigns successfully defend drops the appeal considerably.

Jeff J

SmackDown Chamber

Q: If you had to pick one of the six men in this match to win the universal title from Reigns and face Edge at WrestleMania 37, who would it be and why?

Cesaro. A deserving wrestler with insane strength and work rate who fans love and would offer a compelling story going into Mania: ending the Tribal Chief's reign and now looking to end Edge's rejuvenated career.

                             

Reigns vs. SD Chamber Winner

Q: If Reigns was going to lose the title here, who would be the most satisfying option to defeat him? 

Jey Uso. The reluctant resident on the Island of Relevancy winning the Chamber match and then stripping the title from Reigns to become the new "head of the table" intrigues me. He was forced to bend the knee in a series of emotional matches and now has a chance to reclaim his dignity and exact revenge.

                                

Everyone

Q: On a scale of 1-10, where is your level of excitement for this event? Elaborate.

Seven. My main level of interest is to see who Edge will choose. I think every other champion's challenger will reveal themselves quickly. Some interesting pairings and solid matches, but I'm ready for the 'Mania run.

Graham Matthews

SmackDown Chamber

Q: Why do you think WWE did not book a women's Elimination Chamber match this year?

As much as I wanted to see a women's Chamber match this year, I guess it didn't make sense for WWE to book one given the current landscape of the Raw and SmackDown Women's Championship pictures. Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair is virtually a lock for WrestleMania, and Asuka was supposed to defend against Lacey Evans. That said, a women's tag team Chamber contest could have been possible with talent from Raw, SmackDown and NXT.

                                   

Asuka vs. TBD

Q: If Asuka had defended the title inside the chamber, which five women would you have booked to face her? 

A Raw Women's Championship Elimination Chamber would have made sense if the division wasn't such a mess at the moment. If there was one, I would've preferred to see Asuka defend against Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Alexa Bliss and Peyton Royce. They've all mostly been in the mix lately and would have had a great match.

                                 

Everyone

Q: On a scale of 1-10, where is your level of excitement for this event? 

I'd probably say a six, if only because the Chamber matches have potential. Otherwise, this is a pointless pay-per-view on paper. The build has felt rushed, and the undercard is almost nonexistent. It could easily exceed expectations, but it doesn't look like there will be too many major storyline developments.

Anthony Mango

Raw Chamber

Q: Do you think The Miz will cash in his MITB contract after the match? If so, will he win the title?

No. I can't see The Miz holding the title at WrestleMania, which would mean he'd either lose his cash-in, rendering it pointless, or he'd have to drop it to someone else around Fastlane. If that's the case, WWE is better off putting the belt on Sheamus so he can drop it to McIntyre at WrestleMania instead of giving it to The Miz just for the sake of a swerve.

                                  

Lashley vs. Riddle vs. Lee

Q: Do you think WWE will ever book Lashley to win a world title? 

After the love story with Lana being so horrendous and then transitioning into the best run of Lashley's career with The Hurt Business, I don't count anything out at this point. I don't think it will happen, though, as there always seems to be bigger fish to fry. But I wouldn't mind him having a courtesy run with the belt at least once, especially if he sticks with MVP as his mouthpiece.

                                 

Everyone

Q: On a scale of 1-10, where is your level of excitement for this event?

Six. It looks like a total mess for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, that chaos produces some amazing twists and turns; other times, it's just an absolute wreck of a show. I'm hesitant to think WWE will pull this off and more leaning toward it being awful, but I'm hoping I'm wrong and this isn't the turning point to make The Road to WrestleMania a chore to get through.

Chris Mueller

SmackDown Chamber

Q: Do you think WWE picked the best six Superstars for this match or is there anyone you would sub in for anyone else? 

If we are talking about ways to make the match more exciting, subbing out King Corbin for Kalisto or Murphy would have been the way to go. When taking storylines into account, the only other person who would have made sense to include is Shinsuke Nakamura. For the most part, all six people WWE picked belong in this bout.

                                  

Roman Reigns vs. SD Chamber Winner

Q: What do you think of this storyline with Reigns bullying management into letting him have an easy title defense? Does it make him look good or WWE management look weak? 

It makes Reigns look intimidating, but the sneakiness of how he plans to retain the title doesn't do much for me. It's not a bad storyline, but if Reigns is as good as he says he is, he should be able to defend the title in the same fashion as McIntyre. It makes sense, but it's not a satisfying story.

                             

Everyone

Q: On a scale of 1-10, where is your level of excitement for this event?

It's at about five. Both Chamber matches and the U.S. title bout should be fun, but WWE hasn't done enough to make it seem like any of the champions have a chance to lose, which could lead to some surprises nobody saw coming. This is one of those situations where I am keeping my expectations low so it won't be hard for WWE to meet them. 

Predictions

All respondents' predictions are represented by their initials next to their choices.

   

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