WWE Elimination Chamber 2015: Early Predictions for Tag Team, IC Title Matches
It has been announced that the Elimination Chamber is making a return on May 31, 2015 as a special for the WWE Network.
In the past, this variation of a steel cage gimmick match has determined world champions as well as No. 1 contenders for those titles, but things are going to be a little different this time around.
Rather than the WWE World Heavyweight Championship being contested in the structure, there will be two matches on the card, with the Tag Team Championship and currently vacated Intercontinental Championship on the line.
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Both matches can be game-changers, as the former will be the first time more than six men are locked inside the cage, and the latter will determine who picks up one of the most prestigious titles in WWE history after a bout of inactivity.
None of the participants have been announced so far, and the repercussions of the 2015 Payback pay-per-view have yet to be felt, but there's still room for speculation.
Who will end up competing for these titles and possibly walking out with the gold?
WWE Tag Team Championship Elimination Chamber Match
At the very least, it can be assumed that The New Day will be featured prominently in this contest either as the defending champions going in or the rightful top contenders cashing in their rematch clause.
In somewhat similar of a scenario, Tyson Kidd and Cesaro will either have won their 2-out-of-3-Falls Match and enter with the belts, or they will still be hovering over The New Day, so their inclusion appears to be set.
The Prime Time Players referred to themselves as the next champions this week and despite not having the current track record to prove that they deserve it, they're a worthwhile enough team to justify adding them into the mix.
One good thing is that WWE doesn't only have three other teams, so there's a level of uncertainty as to which other ones could be in line for this opportunity.
The Lucha Dragons are still relatively new to the roster, but they are former NXT Tag Team champions and this could be a great way to let them sink or swim. There's also their fellow NXT brethren, The Ascension, who could be getting back on track with this new feud against Curtis Axel and Damien Sandow.
Don't rule out Macho Mandow and Axelmania, though. Despite being a silly duo, WWE could very well be putting more stock in this pseudo-reformation of The Mega Powers based off the reactions those two have been getting from the crowd.
Another reformation of a tag team from the past just recently took place with Luke Harper and Erick Rowan setting aside their differences to wreak havoc on the WWE roster. Look out for them to be the powerhouses if they are involved, which could lead to a great showing.
The Wyatt Family never was able to win gold, but it's not out of the realm of possibility for that to happen this time around.
Sadly, there's also Los Matadores. At best, Diego and Fernando can hope to be included in this match as the weak link that jobs out rather quickly. At worst, they won't even be viewed as valuable enough to offer that service and will sit this out.
Out of the many different teams currently on the roster, the most likely candidates to leave with the victory are The New Day and The Lucha Dragons.
Kidd and Cesaro have had their time and probably wouldn't have dropped the titles to begin with if WWE wasn't okay with giving another team the ball. The Ascension, The Prime Time Players and Los Matadores simply don't have a good enough track record to consider them proper threats.
With Harper and Rowan as well as Sandow and Axel, they have the benefit of being fresh, but that might also get in the way as WWE could be unwilling to take their pushes that far so quickly.
Either The New Day's optimism wins out or a new feud brews over Kalisto and Sin Cara emerging as true babyface champions.
WWE Intercontinental Championship Elimination Chamber Match
There is an even wider scope of talent that can be picked from to participate in the match to determine who succeeds Daniel Bryan as the next possessor of the Intercontinental Championship.
Still, four names that could be considered locks are Dolph Ziggler, Sheamus, King Barrett and Neville, who have all been interacting with each other quite a bit as of late.
Before Bryan's injuries put him out of action, Sheamus made his return to the active roster by specifically attacking him and Ziggler before setting his sights to Neville as well. These men have been all tied together in the midcard ever since.
When thinking about who could earn a shot at the vacated title, the King of the Ring tournament should showcase who WWE considers to be at that level right now.
These four men were joined by R-Truth, Stardust, Dean Ambrose and Luke Harper, so all of them could be likely contenders. However, if Harper is in the Tag Team Championship match, he can be ruled out, and Ambrose's involvement in the world title feud probably sets him in a class above the rest.
R-Truth and Stardust were both also fighting for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania this year, so if WWE wants to keep things simple, there's a good chance those two make up the final spots.
If other options are explored, it could be another duo that is feuding, such as Ryback and Bray Wyatt, or it could end up being random with folks like The Miz, Mark Henry, Fandango or even Rusev.
The safest bets for the next champion, though, are, of course, the biggest players. If there are no plans in place for Ambrose to win the Money in the Bank briefcase, he has perhaps the best shot to win because of his current position in the WWE hierarchy, sitting in the upper echelon.
Ruling him out, though, all eyes should focus on Sheamus.
King Barrett has his crown, so a title would be overkill. While great, Ziggler offers nothing to the landscape of WWE with the title that John Cena doesn't already bring to the table with his United States Championship.
Neville—another standout performer who has been having amazing matches since being called up to the main roster—is in a similar boat to Ziggler but also has the handicap of probably being too new to trust with that responsibility.
The lesser names involved don't have the odds in their favor because the recent booking has not pointed to them being viewed as assets, so there's no inclination that WWE would want to give that push to someone like R-Truth or Fandango.
The Celtic Warrior is being promoted heavily and has the credibility from his past to seem like a legitimate champion. As a heel, he will also be a stark contrast to Cena—something WWE frequently tries to do with the midcard titles.
There is still plenty of time for WWE to change things up and make things even more interesting, but as it stands right now, these are the men who look to be the focal points going into Elimination Chamber 2015.
Who do you think will end up winning? Are you excited to see the Elimination Chamber back? What do you think of these two titles being defended instead of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship?
Tell us your thoughts, booking ideas and predictions in the comments below!
Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.
