WWE Elimination Chamber 2012 Predictions: John Cena and Stars in Need of Wins

It is absolutely vital for WWE to ensure that its big stars look strong heading into WrestleMania . Sunday's Elimination Chamber pay-per-view is the last major event before wrestling's Super Bowl. With that in mind, there are several superstars who would benefit from wins on Sunday.

Obviously not every wrestler is going to come out looking great, but those with big  Mania angles have to. There are only four matches officially announced on the card, and while a few unadvertised bouts are sure to take place, most of the stars reside in the Chamber matches.

Here are three competitors who must win at Elimination Chamber in order to build momentum toward WrestleMania.

John Cena

John Cena has been bested by Kane throughout their feud, which has centered on Kane trying to get Cena to embrace hate.

He has largely been unsuccessful to this point, but his apparent plot to turn Cena and Zack Ryder against each other on Monday worked. Kane once again threw Ryder off the stage, so there is reason to believe that Cena will enter their ambulance match on Sunday with a lot of rage.

It isn't yet known why Kane wants Cena to embrace hate or what it truly means, but I believe we will see a new side of Cena at Elimination Chamber. He needs to resume his feud with The Rock after Sunday, as the road to WrestleMania will truly heat up, so Cena's match with Kane on Sunday figures to be a feud-ender.

The best way to go about ending the feud is for Cena to beat down Kane while using dirty tactics we don't normally see out of him. This won't lead to a heel turn, but it will lead to a new attitude and an improved character, which will bode well for his feud with The Rock.

Daniel Bryan

With Randy Orton out of the SmackDown Chamber match, it almost looks like a foregone conclusion that Daniel Bryan will retain the World Heavyweight Championship.

For the sake of both Bryan and WrestleMania, that is precisely what should happen. Some haven't enjoyed Bryan's title reign because he hasn't gotten by solely on his wrestling ability, but his sneaky heel persona is highly entertaining and has earned him a much better fan reaction.

It appears as though CM Punk and Chris Jericho will be feuding over the WWE Championship, so Royal Rumble winner Sheamus figures to challenge the World Heavyweight Champion. Bryan has almost exclusively feuded with big men since winning the title, so facing Sheamus would continue that.

Both Bryan and Sheamus are excellent workers, so they have the potential to put on a great match on the big stage. Bryan is the only logical choice to win on Sunday.

Chris Jericho

There isn't much mystery when it comes to the RAW Chamber match. Either CM Punk is going to retain the WWE Championship or Chris Jericho is going to win it.

It would be a major shock if Punk and Jericho didn't face off at WrestleMania, so one of them has to come away from Elimination Chamber with the title. Punk winning wouldn't be a disgrace or anything, but Jericho would benefit much more from a Chamber win.

Punk has been made to look better than Jericho for the most part, and since he is the champ, he can stake claim to the "best in the world" moniker. If Jericho wins the strap at Elimination Chamber, though, he can then claim that he is the best in the world.

That will result in Punk doing everything in his power to reclaim that label. Punk will be going over at WrestleMania in all likelihood, so having him do so as the challenger will make it that much more special.