THE RAGER! Chambering Expectations (Daniel Bryan, John Cena, Cesaro)

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So we’ve finally reached Elimination Chamber. It honestly feels like we’re so far removed from Royal Rumble considering how much has happened in the days after and how quickly things have seemed to cooled. Bryan didn’t win the Rumble, Punk left and wrestling fans were in a frenzy but that all seemed to die down within the past couple weeks. I’m sure WWE is quite happy about that, just a few pesky CM Punk chants (although I’m sure we all have March 3rd circled on our calendars). But the great thing that’s come about in these few weeks is the push Cesaro has been getting lately. Sure, Cesaro may not be on the top card of a stacked Wrestlemania 30 but this is a great time to get momentum and fan reaction.

Kick-off Show: CoDust vs Curtis Axel & Ryback
There are pay-per-views where I really try to defend the pre-show booking and attempt to understand the reasoning as to why they chose a specific match with certain wrestlers. I have no defense for this. Sure, CoDust is a certain draw but there is no excuse for the other two…there’s never an excuse for them. On behalf of everyone here at THE RAGER, I sincerely apologize.

Darren Young vs Titus O’Neil
Not quite sure this feud has built to a level that would dictate having match on a PPV but then again, they might not make the Mania card so I can understand moving it along now. Perhaps I would feel differently if I watched Smackdown but it just doesn’t seem like fans are enough behind this rivalry just yet. I do like Titus, though and I’m eager to see if he will be able to do much as a singles competitor. Darren Young has potential and I will admit that he’s come a long way since his very rough NXT debut but he’s still got some work.

Tag Team Championship Match: New Age Outlaws(c) vs The Usos
Maybe Usos finally win their first tag team championship here. It would be huge for them to put away legends and would cap off a big push over the last few months.

Intercontinental Championship Match: Big E(c) vs Jack Swagger
Was there some sort of contractual exchange that said that if Cesaro was put into a championship match then Swagger would have to be in one as well? Sure, I haven’t been as hard on Swagger lately but I just assumed it was because Cesaro makes everyone around him appear golden. Unless he does a lot to impress me in the near future, I think Swags should be confined to just Tag Team action because been when he’s best utilized. There’s no shame in it. I do think it’s going to be a while before Big E drops the IC belt and even then, it’ll probably be done so he can move up.

Batista vs Alberto Del Rio
Nothing about this is appealing to me. Perhaps Del Rio can pull some sort of magic out of a hat that’ll make this match salvageable but I’m not putting much hope into it. Honestly, I’m expecting this to quickly end long before Batista can get winded. Just a strong showing to try to convince the fans that the right man won the Rumble.

The Wyatt Family vs The Shield
Easily the match most people will be anticipating with an abundant amount of excitement and for good reason considering how nuts everyone went when it was teased just before Survivor Series last year and considering the huge response they got for the stare down. Ultimately, I think the match will come down to the growing dissention in the Shield leading to their defeat and we’ll get the triple threat match at Mania. If Wyatt is going to ultimately face Cena at Mania this year, there’s no way the Wyatts will be losing this match.

Elimination Chamber Championship Match: Randy Orton(c) vs Christian vs Daniel Bryan vs John Cena vs Cesaro vs Sheamus
First of all, the most obvious thing that will happen is that Bray will find a way to magically appear in the chamber or at least distract Cena for the second PPV in a row. It’s not the greatest way to lead into a Mania match but it’s completely plausible that WWE would take that route. Also, one can assume the Authority will have some sort of hand in making sure Daniel Bryan doesn’t win. That’s right, multiple run-ins/goofy distractions. It’ll be something that’ll pour fuel into a Daniel Bryan vs HHH match or (fingers crossed) Daniel Bryan being added to the WWEWHC match at Mania with Orton and Batista. The latter of course dependant on if they go the triple threat route with Shield at WM30 because WWE apparently believes that if more than one triple threat match occupies the same PPV card then Kthulhu will rise from the depths and write terrible reviews of the WWE Network. Cesaro is my dark horse and sentimental favorite but I do realize how much of a huge longshot that is. However, how many of us actually thought Swagger would win last year? Stranger things have happened, friends.
As for Christian, he probably won’t make it out of the chamber without getting broken in some way which takes care of booking him for anything Mania-related. Randy will probably end up winning due to shenanigans and Sheamus…who cares.

I always have high hopes for EC because I love chamber matches, they’re a lot of fun and this PPV always fall on my birthday weekend so it almost feels like a present. In the WWE PPV holiday metaphor, Elimination Chamber is birthdays…although the last year’s was pretty awful but I’ve had bad birthdays as well. Like the time my great-grandmother passed away the morning of my birthday party. Or the time my ex decided to start one of the biggest fights we’ve ever had on the night of my birthday while my friends were over at my apartment (I equate that to Swagger winning last year).

Either way, I’m going to enjoy my birthday chamber (that sounds way more sexual than I originally intended) and I hope EC is enjoyable, we all could use a good pay per view right now.

Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do twice,
Chris

The Answer: GO WATCH HOUSE OF CARDS!

Chris is a writer from Fayetteville, NC. He's the co-creator of Irrelevant But Awesome Productions which produces podcasts you all know and love like Classy Ring Attire, Trashy Ring Attire and The Disney Magic Podcast. You can keep up with everything on twitter by following @IBAStudios and @CWSanders39