Leading up to tonight’s Elimination Chamber pay per view, the GuysNation Wrestling Round Table was assembled to discuss the event.
Rob: Who’s your prediction to win the RAW Elimination Chamber match?
Jeremy: I’m predicting Punk retains to set up Jericho/Punk at Wrestlemania.
@AnotherIWCJerk: I always hate trying to pick one winner in a match with more than two people, so I’m just gonna go for the obvious and say the finish will involve Punk and Jericho, keeping their feud going into WrestleMania. This might be an exception to my “I hate hot potatoing the belt between PPVs” because I could see Jericho walk out with the belt, too.
@HEELcolgan: I predict CM Punk to win the RAW elimination chamber. I think Punk should win to provide an alternative to babyface Sheamus in chase mode against heel Daniel Bryan so Jericho can be in chase mode as a heel. To do this Punk needs to win in a way that doesn’t decisively beat Jericho which makes it tricky. Scenario 1: Jericho could be rolled up at the start of the match and be the first eliminated say by Kofi to prove he’s not an afterthought and perhaps attack punk at the end of the match after he’s won. Scenario 2: Jericho could eliminate the majority of the participants, last eliminate say Kofi after an intense battle and CM Punk sneaks up behind him and hits the GTS/rolls him up. Or Scenario 3 which I think is most likely Jericho’s pod doesn’t open and Punk capitalises on this, having an unfair advantage a la Randy Orton to CM Punk last year except with no anonymous General Manager to save Jericho.
Robert Aitken (@RobertAitkenBR): It might sound crazy to have been said after the constant passing of world titles last year, but both world champions will retain at Elimination Chamber. CM Punk will have some trouble from Kofi Kingston, who will have an amazing spot in this match, and Dolph Ziggler, who could win this match this time next year. The Miz and R-Truth will cancel one another out. Chris Jericho will be the top contender to come out of this match, setting up a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania between two men who claim to be the best in the world.
Rob: If it were up to you, who would win the RAW Elimination Chamber match?
Jeremy: I would have Jericho go over and win the title to add a little extra fire Punk/Jericho at Wrestlemania. I’d definitely make this a long-term WWE title feud.
@AnotherIWCJerk: CM Punk. You can’t be “Best in the World” without winning at least one Chamber match, right?
@HEELcolgan: I’m going to be extra adventurous and say if it were up to me Punk would be fighting Johnny Ace… his current WWE name is too hard to spell by the way and I’m too lazy to use Google. In this fantasy booking world of mine, before Punk retains against Johnny, Jericho would win the #1 contenders elimination chamber like Undertaker at No Way Out 2008… do your history kids. 😉 So after a highly entertaining Punk/Ace match, Jericho brutally beats Punk down and vows to win the championship at Mania… proving he is the Best in the World at What he does.
Rob: How surprised were you to find that Santino Marella was replacing the injured Randy Orton in the Smackdown Elimination Chamber match?
Jeremy: I was a little surprised. Honestly though, Santino is over. The fans enjoy Santino, so it’s not a huge thing to have him compete in a title match in my eyes. Plus you have to consider the fact that the Smackdown Chamber lineup is painfully thin.
@AnotherIWCJerk: Part of me wasn’t really shocked by this. Considering my Twitter timeline exploded Tuesday night/Wednesday morning with reactions, I had lots of time reading through everything to get used to this fact. With the little time we now have between now and the PPV, I suggest you look up Santino’s stuff from OVW. He SHOULD be in the main event on talent alone. With his current gimmick, not so much. I wouldn’t be surprised, however, if he gets taken out before he can officially enter “Satan’s Prison.”
@HEELcolgan: Very surprised! After watching Smackdown I kind of agree with the decision, the whole angle felt exciting with the wildercard gimmick being a once in a lifetime chance and a very hot Fresno crowd for Santino. I find what Rob says very interesting in that he’s got main event skill and must watch some old OVW stuff. I’d like to see a strong showing from Santino who could do what we all hope Ryder will, finish with the comedy and have a more serious gimmick that showcases his good in ring skills. However with Johnny Ace’s announcement to “change the game” looming – (check @wwerawgm ‘s twitter), it seems very likely that Santino will be getting replaced either by Del Rio, Mysterio or Christian. Maybe Christian to win and set up a resume to his feud with Sheamus before he got injured.
Rob: Would you instead have replaced Randy Orton with Drew McIntyre or David Otunga?
Jeremy: Possibly Otunga. He’s coming into his own as a nice dickbag character.
@AnotherIWCJerk: Drew McIntyre, maybe. Otunga, no. When I heard Orton was out, I was personally hoping for a return of either Alberto Del Rio or Christian.
@HEELcolgan: Yes to both, Drew had a very good showing in last years Elimination chamber and with his talent, the sky/wwe management is the limit. As for David Otunga my twitter account is modelled after his love of travel mugs and he even follows me! Haha I really dig his act of bowties, travel mugs, his music and great physique so yes I would have replaced Orton with Otunga.
Rob: Who’s your prediction to win the Smackdown Elimination Chamber match?
Jeremy: Daniel Bryan. It makes the most sense. I can’t feasibly see him dropping the title to any other person in this match, because this chamber line-up is the exact opposite of “star-studded.”
@AnotherIWCJerk: Daniel Bryan. Nobody else in that match is World Championship-caliber. Not yet, anyway.
@HEELcolgan: Daniel Bryan. With ratings being up, his fantastic promo this past week on Smackdown and the great matches he constantly produces there is no need for WWE to take it off him. Plus he ‘keeps on winning!’
Robert Aitken (@RobertAitkenBR) It might sound crazy to have been said after the constant passing of world titles last year, but both world champions will retain at Elimination Chamber. Daniel Bryan will somehow find a way to make it past two gigantic men, two rising stars and whoever ambushes Santino Marella for a spot in the Chamber.
Rob: If it were up to you, who would win the Smackdown Elimination Chamber match?
Jeremy: Daniel Bryan. I didn’t give a shit about Bryan when he first debuted because I don’t follow the indie circuit and I don’t care about the indie circuit, plus the character just seemed so bland and awkward on the mic. But then came the heel turn, and he’s suddenly become an incredibly hateable heel. Major improvement in my eyes. He gets better each and every week, and he finally seems to be finding his footing in the WWE.
@AnotherIWCJerk: Daniel Bryan, but probably on just personal bias alone.
@HEELcolgan: Very tough one. I love the Smackdown roster and think Show’s, Henry’s and Bryans work rate and mic skills over the last half of the year have been amazing. They all deserve a Wrestlemania world title match. So I would have wanted probably Henry to win the chamber asserting his dominance and continuing the hall of pain and then face Bryan or Show at Mania. It’s a shame he got injured.
Rob: Assuming John Cena doesn’t win the RAW Elimination Chamber, who do you think Sheamus will face at WrestleMania?
Jeremy: Cena isn’t in the chamber match as far as I know. He’s competing against Kane in an Ambulance Match.
@AnotherIWCJerk: I don’t think we’ll get Cena overkill Sunday night. We know he’s headlining WrestleMania, and there isn’t anything we can do about it.
@HEELcolgan: Haha how funny would that be if Cena beat Kane and won the Chamber in the same night. It has to be Daniel Bryan, I love Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett but I really couldn’t see either of them headlining mania this year, perhaps next. Although Cody’s promise of “doing an Ultimate Warrior” (not in that way, filthy people) makes me mark out like a Striker (Rumble 2011 reference – “Its a mark out moment, I’m marking out bro!”).
Rob: Will Triple H relent and agree to a match with The Undertaker for WrestleMania?
Jeremy: Of course. They’re casting seeds of doubt so that when Trips finally does agree, it’ll be a major announcement. I think this storyline has potential, and I’m one of the few that really enjoyed Trips/Taker at Wrestlemania last year.
@AnotherIWCJerk: Of course. Taker/HHH Part 8,003 is gonna happen whether we like it or not. I hated their match last year, and I’m not looking forward to a rematch this year. Next!
@HEELcolgan: It will be interesting to see how we get there after Triple H’s great interaction with/defiance against Shawn this week. But I really think we will get it and I am delighted, hopefully with Shawn as referee. Their match last year stole the show and had me on the edge of my seat in anticipation and excitement. I think the thing that makes it so exciting about Trips fighting Taker is that not only are they going to have a great match but the fact that Trips has all that pull backstage gives a glimmer of doubt that Taker might lose to feed Trips ego.
Rob: What’s your preference for the Money In The Bank match: it should only be on WrestleMania, it should only be at its own pay per view, or it can be on both?
Jeremy: I much prefer it as a gimmick match for Wrestlemania. It’s a good reason to throw guys together if they have no current storylines, and it’s usually early in the PPV event to hype people up and get them ready for the big matches later in the show.
@AnotherIWCJerk: I think they can use Money in the Bank for both WrestleMania and a separate PPV. Make the ‘Mania match exciting by doing like I suggested with the Royal Rumble (no previous World title holders, if you didn’t read it), but maybe finally have the MITB winner lose. I missed having MITB at WM last year, it pretty much solidified the fact that it was a crappy show from top to bottom.
@HEELcolgan: I loved Money in the Bank at Wrestlemania. I love the Money in the Bank PPV. At the moment I’m undecided whether it should be included at Mania. On the one hand it adds an exciting, unpredictable match to the show but on the other we’ve got an awesome PPV that’s one of my favourites devoted to it. I was discussing this with my friend the other day and he said that its better just having it at Mania as there is only one holder which makes things less chaotic and the Money in the Bank more prestigious. In addition the PPV will always be remembered as it has the classic Cena/Punk match which would be a fitting way to end the PPV series. Definitely food for thought… #undecided.
