WWE Elimination Chamber 2012: The Upside, Downside of All 6 Raw Competitors

The only thing standing between Kofi Kingston, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, The Miz, R-Truth and Dolph Ziggler and the elimination chamber is this week's SmackDown.

All six men are some of the WWE's best and brightest stars, and they have the potential to put on the best chamber match in WWE history.

Jericho is the chamber veteran going into the match, while the reigning champ Punk is 0-2 inside the hellish structure.

This past week on Raw, we got to see these six men square off in three singles matches which had some surprising results as well as some not-so-surprising results.

Here, I will take a look at all six men and what their upsides and downsides are heading into the chamber as well as rank their chances of winning the WWE title this Sunday.

Kofi Kingston

Upside

Kofi is one of WWE's most prolific high flyers, and his ability to perform risky spots has made him a mainstay in high-risk matches like Money in the Bank and TLC.

He is popular among kids and has always maintained a professional image with the company as well as worked hard to keep up with some of the top names in WWE.

Downside

Kofi unfortunately has a tendency to botch moves quite a bit due to his high level of risky and dangerous moves. His push with Orton a couple years ago was stalled when he failed to live up to high expectations.

Sometimes, his matches flow really well, and other times, it looks like he is struggling to find a groove with his opponent. Given the right partner, Kofi can have a five-star match, but the mark of a great wrestler is being able to have one with anyone.

Chances in the Chamber

While Kofi will be good for some high spots, I see him having virtually no chance of walking out this Sunday as champion heading into WrestleMania. He is not high-profile enough to pull off a main event on the biggest night of the year.

The Miz

Upside

I am a fan of the Miz for a few reasons. He is a high-profile name in the media who brings some needed exposure to wrestling, and he has worked his ass off to get where he is.

His time as WWE Champion was good for him, and I think he has the potential to get back to that same level if he pushes hard enough and doesn't make mistakes.

Downside

Miz is apparently not very well liked by some of the other wrestlers, and he has a pattern of having great runs which end in one bad match or one bad botch.

His gimmick is becoming stale, and he is no longer the in-your-face heel who demanded you pay attention the way he was a year ago. Jericho was right when he said Miz had degenerated into a carbon copy of himself.

Chances in the Chamber

Miz is highly unlikely to leave the Chamber as WWE champion after his recent string of bad luck. Between rumors of him being in the doghouse with WWE, his botch with Truth and his recent de-push, he seems likely to end up in the MITB match at Mania and not the main event.

R-Truth

Upside

R-Truth is one of the more engaging characters in all of WWE right now. His gimmick of being just a little bit crazy is nothing new, but he has taken it to a whole new level of funny.

His moment this past Monday of acting like he was running for office is just one in a string of great Truth speeches aided by his obsession with Little Jimmy.

Truth is a good hand in the ring, and I could see him becoming a full fledged main-event star in 2012

Downside

Truth has one wellness suspension in his recent history, and that could be keeping him from really being a part of the main event scene on Raw.

His high-risk style can result in the occasional botched move, and when his opponent is not prepared to help him, it can turn out bad like it did two weeks ago on Raw.

Chances in the Chamber

While I would be totally fine with an R-Truth victory on Sunday, I do not see it happening for a number of reasons. He is not involved in the current title feud with Punk, and for the most part, he is still in a feud with Miz.

If WWE really wanted to shock the world, then Truth would win, but I don't see it as a possible outcome right now.

Dolph Ziggler

Upside

Dolph Ziggler is one of WWE's future stars; there is no doubt about it. He may already be there, but WWE seems happy keeping him at arms length from the WWE title.

His in-ring skills are among the best in WWE, and his gimmick of being a cocky showoff suits him very well. With Vickie as a natural heat magnet, it makes ZIggler one of the better heels in WWE.

Downside

Ziggler has had Vickie for awhile now, and it may be time he ventured out on his own. For the most part, she is not a factor in his matches when she is at ringside these days.

He still needs to connect with the audience on some level. They recognize his true talent, but you don't see many Ziggler signs or shirts littering the audience.

Chances in the Chamber

If there was anyone but Jericho who had a chance of taking Punk's title this Sunday, then it would be Ziggler. He has come so close on so many nights to being Champion and has fallen just short.

I don't think WWE has the faith in Dolph to have him main event Mania yet, so having him win would probably mean he would lose it the next night anyway, and with his first world title reign lasting mere minutes, it would need to be longer to really give him the reign he deserves.

Chris Jericho

Upside

I am not sure if I really have to tell you what makes Chris Jericho so awesome. They guy has done it all in wrestling, and he doesn't need me to list his accolades for you to know his legacy.

Since returning, we have yet to see him really let loose, but I think the time is right around the corner this Sunday.

Downside

Since his return, his silent gimmick did little to win over any new fans, and since he started talking, he has fallen into his same old slow-talking gimmick.

His light-up jacket totally clashes with his persona now that he is no longer trolling everyone, but if I had that jacket made up, I would want to get some miles out of it too.

Chances in the Chamber

Jericho has the best chance of walking out as the new champion out of the five challengers. WWE is clearly setting up a feud for he and Punk to have going into Mania, so having him win the title would be something that added to the tension between them.

I do, however, think the more likely thing is that he will be disappointed like he was at the Rumble.

CM Punk

Upside

CM Punk is WWE's top guy at the moment, and he has legions of fans as his proof that he belongs there. Many have thought he deserved to be in this position for a long time, but he's here now, and that's what matters.

His skills in the ring are unquestionable, and his mic work is second to none. He has faced all of WWE's top guys, from Triple H to Undertaker to Cena to Orton, and now, it looks like he and Jericho will duke it out.

Downside

Sometimes, Punk's gimmick has the ability to appear self righteous and make him come out as the bully in the situation.

Some of the younger fans, or casual fans, may not see what makes Punk appealing to his hardcore fans.

Chances in the Chamber

I think we will see Punk retain this Sunday. He is on a hot streak, and WWE will probably want to keep him going strong heading into Mania.