WWE will present the 2013 Elimination Chamber pay-per-view this Sunday from the New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. The road to WrestleMania 29 continues with WWE Champion The Rock vs. CM Punk in the main event.
Welcome to WNZ’s third pay-per-view predictions feature with Marc Middleton and Colin Hunter. Here’s how we think the pay-per-view will unfold, and why. Let us know what you think and post your own predictions below.
Pre-show: Brodus Clay and Tensai vs. Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow
Marc: I hate to see Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow split up only to lose every singles match they wrestle so hopefully they get a win here. But it seems like more focus is on the new comedy team of Tensai and Brodus Clay. They probably get the win and will unfortunately dance a lot.
Colin: I might be the only grown-up on earth who actually enjoys the pairing of Tensai and Brodus Clay. Tensai was obviously going nowhere with his “monster faux-Asian heel” schtick, so I think a comedy pairing with Brodus has some fun mid-card potential (along the lines of the Santino-Koslov “odd couple” gimmick). That said, Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow are even more entertaining, and they belong together as a team. Hopefully this will serve as a reminder that, as a team, they’re greater than the sum of their parts. My pick: Rhodes Scholars win via clever rulebreaking, which won’t damage the goofy appeal of Tensai and Brodus.
Divas Title: Kaitlyn vs. Tamina Snuka
Marc: Tamina can’t lose too many more times before it’s hard to take her serious. Maybe with The Rock back, now Tamina gets her run with the title? I predict a win for Tamina.
Colin: The last time we saw these two throwdown, it was in an lumberjill match that was so unwatchably awkward, even the commentators mocked it. Let’s hope this one is at least passable. With few other viable contenders for the title, perhaps Tamina gets cheated out of a win here, leading to a triumphant, long-overdue victory via Superfly Splash at WrestleMania. Perhaps her famous dad could even be at ringside for that, providing a nice full-circle WrestleMania moment. So Kaitlyn squeaks out another win this Sunday.
United States Title: Antonio Cesaro vs. The Miz
Marc: The Miz has been just awful since turning babyface. Cesaro has been more than awesome since debuting on WWE TV. Another win for Cesaro here.
Colin: Every time it seems like The Miz is getting another burst of momentum, he stalls just as quickly. The endorsement of Ric Flair was meant to give him a turbocharge, but it seems to have fizzled already. Cesaro, on the other hand, is all kinds of awesome. The “big swing” with which he smashed Miz into the ringside barricade Monday was one of the WWE highlights of the year. The Miz badly needs a win here, but the smart money is on Cesaro.
World Heavyweight Title: Alberto Del Rio vs. Big Show
Marc: Del Rio is probably going to WrestleMania to defend the title and there’s no telling what kind of WrestleMania moment Big Show will have this year. They just did two stipulation matches with Del Rio and Show so hopefully they have something interesting planned for this match. Maybe this is where Dolph Ziggler finally cashes in? Del Rio will retain here and Ziggler just may cash in.
Colin: It’s time for this feud to reach its conclusion. We’ve seen Big Show buried under a table and duct-taped to the bottom rope. The enraged giant has entertainingly been punching anyone within arm’s length lately, which has helped build to this rematch. I agree with Marc’s prediction that Ziggler cashes in on the winner, but disagree about his victim. Big Show gets his long-sought revenge against Del Rio by landing a perfect WMD and winning the title. But Ziggler blindsides the exhausted giant and scores a win for the title. Fans in the arena (and on the internet) go bonkers.
Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns vs. John Cena, Ryback and Sheamus
Marc: I think The Shield should win here but that doesn’t mean WWE will do what’s best for the long term. I just don’t see three of their biggest stars getting beat on the Road to WrestleMania. It would be cool to see a twist to The Shield, maybe a new member that helps them get the win or something. But Team Cena will probably get the win here.
Colin: In their second “official” match, The Shield square off against three of the biggest stars in WWE. The purveyors of vigilante justice will use every underhanded technique at their disposal (you can hide a lot of foreign objects in those SWAT team outfits they wear). But a win for the Shield seems unlikely against the company’s golden boys. Cena and pals squeak out a win, but suffer a brutal beatdown afterward.
Elimination Chamber Match: Chris Jericho, Jack Swagger, Daniel Bryan, Kane, Mark Henry, Randy Orton
Marc: It’s a shame there’s only one Chamber match this year but they’ve got some potential angles here. We could see the split of Kane and Bryan here, leading to something at WrestleMania. Henry could destroy everyone. Jericho is the Chamber veteran and always pulls something nice off. I can see a Jack Swagger vs. Alberto Del Rio feud now that Swagger has Uncle Zeb at his side. Could Swagger win the Chamber and face Del Rio at WrestleMania? Maybe Jericho wins and faces Dolph Ziggler if he cashes in? This one is hard to call but I’ll go with Jericho.
Colin: This is probably the toughest match to call, since there are compelling reasons for a number of the competitors to come out on top. Jericho has the most experience inside the Chamber, though his win-loss record doesn’t yet reflect it. The repackaged Jack Swagger has been impressive, and his pairing with Zeb Coulter suggests a long-term plan for the characters. Mark Henry, however, seems like the strongest bet. He’s been on a warpath lately, and a win here would solidify the idea that the World’s Strongest Man is back as a main event monster. So that’s my prediction, though I’m not willing to wager any money on it…
WWE Title: The Rock vs. CM Punk
Marc: This one is easy, right? The Rock retains and hopefully we get an appearance by The Undertaker to set up Punk vs. Taker at WrestleMania. WWE could really shake things up by having Punk get the title back but I think they’re pretty set on the big money maker for WrestleMania – Cena-Rock II for the WWE Title.
Colin: An intriguing stipulation was added to this match on Raw this week: if Rock is disqualified or counted out, he’ll lose the title. Perhaps this was just tacked on as a way to keep people guessing, but expect it to factor into the match. Could Rock lose by countout, perhaps due to interference by Cena? Does a Rock-Cena rematch at WrestleMania necessarily have to be a title match? Or could Punk win here and challenge the Undertaker to a title-versus-career match? I’ll bet against the odds here and optimistically go for a shocking title win by Punk.
Quick Recap:
• Tensay & Clay vs. Rhodes Scholars
Marc: Tensai & Clay
Colin: Rhodes Scholars
• Kaitlyn vs. Tamina
Marc: Tamina
Colin: Kaitlyn
• Miz vs. Cesaro
Marc: Cesaro
Colin: Cesaro
• Show vs. Del Rio
Marc: Del Rio
Colin: Show
• The Shield vs. Team Cena
Marc: Team Cena
Colin: Team Cena
• Elimination Chamber
Marc: Chris Jericho
Colin: Mark Henry
• Rock vs. Punk
Marc: Rock
Colin: Punk
source: wrestlenewz