Tomorrow night will be the last of the Raw-brand PPVs in Paradise, NV.  Elimination Chamber has built up an impressive lineup for it’s Male Elimination Chamber match and hasn’t done so poorly for the Women’s match either.  And there’s a bunch of filler matches in between.  Let’s get to it!

The Kickoff

Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. The Miztourage

Matt:  I wish either of these teams were switched in for a tag title shot, because I still don’t know how Titus Worldwide and Apollo seem magically thrust into contention for everything.  In any event, I would like to see Gallows and Anderson continue to pick up steam, and with the rumored AJ Styles move to Raw, it’d be cool for the entire “Club” to have a lot of momentum when it comes.  Gallow and Anderson.

Jeremy:  It’s nice to see that The Miztourage actually still own wrestling gear.  They’re going to get killed though.  Axel eats a Magic Killer for the win.

The Main Card

Raw Tag Team Champions Cesaro & Sheamus vs. Titus Worldwide

Matt:  I know I’m on top in our recaps, but I have to agree with what Jeremy says below.  I think Sheamus picks up the pinfall though.  Sheamus and Cesaro retain.

Jeremy:  There’s no way Titus Worldwide is heading into Wrestlemania as Raw Tag Team Champions unless it’s part of a master plot to unify the tag titles in the post-single brand PPV era.  My guess is this is an easy win to help us come down from one of the two Elimination Chamber matches. Cesaro gets the pin on Titus to retain.

“Woken” Matt Hardy vs. Bray Wyatt

Matt:  The vessel known as Matt Hardy has crossed space and time to DELETE Bray Wyatt, and he will finally do so tonight.  Matt Hardy.

Jeremy: This feud is getting a little long in the tooth. I hope this is the definitive end but I bet it bleeds into Wrestlemania. They’ll probably both be in the Andre and eliminate each other. Maybe a call-up will give both these guys a new opponent to work with. Probably not though. I love Woken Matt but he needs those vignette from the compound to make this work. Matt Hardy picks up the pin here.

Ronda Rousey’s official Raw Contract Signing

Matt:  This will be the setup for the first ever Women’s Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal match for Wrestlemania.  This is my hope because 1) there’s no way in hell The Rock has time to do Wrestlemania with 92 movies and a season of Ballers to film while simultaneously doing photo shoots for Under Armour and the press junket for Rampage and 2) you think you’re going to riot if Roman wins the belt at Mania?  If they even consider thrusting Rousey directly into title contention I’ll lose it.  They pulled that shit with Bazsler on NXT, they’re not going to shit all over the good things they have going on Raw or Smackdown right now by leapfrogging her to the front of the list.  So my prediction is that during her contract signing, both Women’s Divisions come to the ring and surround it lumberjack style, prompting Stephanie to announce the Andre for Women.

Jeremy:  We will hopefully see what actual match they have in store for us for Mania.  I’m thinking it’s some sort of variation of the tag team match they teased at Mania 31.  I somehow doubt Rock is involved but I don’t know what other Superstar can just fit in his place.  If Samoa Joe wasn’t so closely aligned with Triple H, I would think he’d be a great fit.  He lacks the star power but I’m sure he can impress everyone. Maybe she teams with Kurt Angle? It allows him to get a bit of revenge with Steph emasculating him. Someone will flip a table.

Asuka vs. Nia Jax

Matt:  Some part of me so desperately wants to see Nia Jax get a massive win.  She was starting to get momentum and character development, then Enzo had to screw it up.  She was in such a good place on NXT before they sort of jumped the gun on her call-up (Apollo Crews as well), but she’s getting her footing and she’s starting to become more personable (Alexa Bliss is definitely helping).  That being said, I need her to get a big win some other way, because she’s definitely not getting a clean win on Asuka.  In a random turn, I think I’ll predict that Nia Jax finds a way to get Asuka disqualified so she gets the win but it doesn’t count against Asuka’s streak.  Nia joins the Title Match at Mania where she can turn on Bliss to become Women’s Champion.  I also like that this could set up a future No-DQ title match for Asuka to win the belt, maybe at Summerslam.

Jeremy: There’s no way that Nia is going to beat Asuka clean here.  If Asuka’s undefeated streak is going to end, it’ll be at a big 4 show.  Not at a random Raw or B-Show.  However, I do think that Nia is going to end up in some sort of match for a title at Wrestlemania.  Technically Asuka hasn’t declared which champion she is facing.  She could win this and challenge Charlotte.  Meanwhile, things could further break down between Nia and Alexa and they end up in a triple threat for the Championship.  Whether that means Alexa is the champion or if she’s getting her rematch at Mania.  Asuka wins with an armbar.

The first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber Match

Matt:  In a shocking turn of events, Mandy Rose will be facing Asuka and Nia Jax at Wrestlemania…..I’m kidding, I’m kidding.  Could you imagine how great Graves’ commentary would be though?

1. Mickie James and Mandy Rose start.  I believe this because they are both fodder later anyway.  Mickie is winning, to the excitement of Alexa, when Sonya’s pod opens.  They quickly team up and eliminate Mickie James.
2. Sasha is next to the party.  She’s taking a bit of a beating when Bayley’s pod opens.  I’m giving Alexa the champions advantage here because it only seems reasonable.  Sasha locks Mandy in the Banks Statement and Bayley hits the Bayley to Belly simultaneously for double eliminations.  Sasha and Bayley stand, waiting for Alexa’s pod to open.
3. While Sasha trash talks, Bayley spins and lands a Bayley-to-Belly on the Boss to eliminate her.  It’s just Bayley waiting for Alexa now.
4. Our newly aggressive Bayley will get the upper hand, but when she fails to get the pinfall after a Bayley-to-Belly, she’ll put it all on the line and go to the top of the pod for an elbow drop, which she will miss, and Alexa will score the pinfall to retain.  

Alexa will now face Asuka and Nia Jax at Mania (because the build of Alexa trying to save her friendship to help her at Mania will be awesome), and Sasha Banks and Bayley will either square off or be part of some kind of Four Horsewomen thing.  I’ll hope for the former.

Prediction posts are fun!

Jeremy: I don’t really have a reason but I think Sasha is winning this. Whether she walks into Mania as Champion is another story.

1. Alexa and Sonya start.
2. Mandy Rose joins the match. It looks dicey for Alexa for a bit.
3. Sasha Banks enters and reluctantly teams with Alexa. They eliminate Sonya.
4. Mickie James joins the match. Alliances shift and Mickie and Alexa take on Rose and Banks. Mandy Rose goes down.
5. Bayley enters the match. She teams with Bayley and eliminates Bliss. We will have a new champion.
6. Banks hits Bayley with a cheap shot and takes out the Hugger, potentially setting up a Mania feud.
7. We are down to James and Banks. Sasha hits her with a Banks Statement and is your new Women’s Champion, at least for today.

Men’s Elimination Chamber Match (Winner to face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title at WrestleMania)

Matt:  If Braun Strowman is going to lose this match, it is going to be because six other men get the pinfall on him simultaneously in a dogpile scenario.  Still, I think he could lift all six of their body weights to stand and deliver a six-man stacked running powerslam.  He can flip ambulances, he can destroy all six of these people.  I want to see the Monster Among Men on the Marquee for Wrestlemania.  I want to see the Monster Among Men win the fucking Universal Title at Wrestlemania, which he should have won on three other occasions already because he’s the single greatest thing going on in WWE right now.  The only acceptable alternative to this, for me, is if John Cena goes full bad guy and scrapes and claws his way to a win so he can get #17 before he hangs it up.  He’s getting old folks, and I think he’s earned the right to take Flair’s crown before we get to the point where Sasha Banks has 19 days as Champion in 18 Title Reigns.  Let’s predict the orders.

1. The Miz, Rollins and Roman will start.  With the momentum that Miz has I think the logical move is to have him go out early with two other guys teaming up against him.  This also works best for me because if Roman is going to run the table, it needs to legitimately be running the table from square one.
2. Strowman is going to come in because Strowman can take Roman and Rollins 2-on-1 all day, any day.  They’ll fight it out for a while before they’re joined by John Cena.  No eliminations will take place for a bit.  Finn Balor will join the fray.  At this point, I want the shock move to come from Roman being eliminated, I’d like for it to be by Balor because Balor needs the nudge, but I’ll assume it’ll be Strowman to set up Strowman-Roman’s “I’m Not Finished With You” Volume 92 at Summerslam where Roman will win the Universal Championship.
3. Elias enters and is abruptly eliminated by John Cena.  Elias will have his guitar and chair in his pod so that he can serenade the Las Vegas crowd like the muscular Wayne Newton that he is, the guitar will inevitably be his downfall.
4. The chair will be just another thing Braun Strowman uses to maim his opponents, as he will hit the running powerslam on Rollins through the chair to eliminate him.
5. Balor, Cena and Strowman remain.  I’m conflicted here, but I think this portion goes on for a while before Cena starts my predicted Ruthless Aggression transformation, eliminating Balor with an AA off the top of one of the pods.  We’re down to Big Match John and Strowman.
6. I don’t care how this one ends, in all honesty.  If Strowman or Cena win, I think I’ll be happiest with the outcome, but let’s assume it’s Strowman.

Jeremy: Let’s just get this out of the way: Roman Reigns is winning this with a spear to Braun Strowman. That being said, with that Gauntlet match they setup the plausible possibility of any of these guys winning and being a worthy opponent to Brock. What that means is when Roman does win it, he has a lot of great matchups in store for him down the line. Here’s my elimination calls:

1. The Miz, John Cena, and Finn Balor start. The Miz eliminates Balor to setup a feud between the Club and The Miztourage and The Club
2. Seth Rollins enters the chamber.
3. Roman Reigns enters the Chamber. Rollins and Reigns team up to take on Cena. Strowman enters the match. Cena, Rollins, and Reigns team up against Strowman. Braun still manages to eliminate Cena.
4. Braun eliminates The Miz.
5. Rollins and Reigns subdue Strowman. Reigns takes advantage and attacks Rollins. Seth is eliminated setting up a post Mania (or Mania) feud.
6. Elias enters the match. He gets a near fall on Roman but Braun comes to and eliminates Elias.
7. Roman hits a spear on Strowman for the win.

Final Thoughts and Crazy Predictions

Matt:  During the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match, Nikki Cross comes through the crowd.  She does not play into the finish, her crazy ass just climbs to the top of the cage and watches, laughing maniacally.  This should be the close of the show.  100%.  #NikkiCrossforWomensChampion.

I think John Cena will win the Elimination Chamber with…..Ruthless Aggression.  Big Match John doesn’t get it done anymore, so Cena is going back to his roots as the Doctor of Thuganomics to get #17 on the grandest stage of them all.  #HeelTurnCena.  After his victory in the chamber, I think The Undertaker turns up and hits a chokeslam on him, as we’re en route to a Triple Threat Match for the Universal Championship.  Cena’s Last Stand vs The Undertaker’s Streak Redemption vs The Reigning, Defending, Undisputed Universal Champion, Buhrahck Lesnar.

Jeremy: Really if anyone wins besides Roman, that will be a major shock. So here goes: Seth wins the EC match. They book an impromptu Money in the Bank match which Roman wins and we have a reverse Wrestlemania 31, with the exception that everyone will be expecting it.