WWE Elimination Chamber 2014: Stars Who Will Shine in Defeat

Not only the victors will emerge from WWE Elimination Chamber 2014 as highlights of the event.

Antonio Cesaro, Roman Reigns and Sheamus will leave lasting impressions on the audience in defeat. Sheamus' history says that he thrives in the Chamber, even if "The Celtic Warrior" doesn't end up being the last man standing. For Reigns and Cesaro, their recent momentum points at them producing big moments as well.

None of these men are favored to win, though.

Bray Wyatt and his clan are likely to take down The Shield. The Wyatt Family doesn't have the internal issues that plague Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose.

WWE's recent decisions regarding Wyatt point at him and his crew winning as well. Wyatt won cleanly against Daniel Bryan at the Royal Rumble and then went after John Cena in what will reportedly lead to a WrestleMania between them, per F4WOnline (h/t WrestlingInc.com).

The Elimination Chamber match for the WWE title will send one man to face Batista at WrestleMania XXX. Randy Orton and Batista have been linked as foes in several reports including one from PWInsider, via WrestlingInc.com.

That makes Orton a man worth betting on to win. Recent fan backlash about Bryan not being in the WrestleMania main event has seemingly opened WWE's mind to other options, though. F4WOnline, via WrestlingInc.com, reports that Orton vs. Batista vs. Bryan is one of several WrestleMania matches being considered.

That leaves Cesaro and Sheamus without much of a shot to win the Elimination Chamber bout, which doesn't mean they won't be among the event's biggest stars.

Antonio Cesaro

The Real Americans appear to be headed for a split. That could mean either a face turn for Cesaro or that WWE could elevate his position.

When Jack Swagger battled Christian on the Feb. 3 Raw, Cesaro stood on the outside of the ring, disappointment hanging on his face, his arms crossed. Swagger lost, and Zeb Colter barked at him.

That follows an incident where he slapped Swagger during a match in order to inspire him.

Back in December, F4WOnline, via WrestlingInc.com, reported that "WWE is getting closer to turning Antonio Cesaro babyface." Should this still be the plan, the Elimination Chamber is a great time for him to have a career-defining performance.

A warrior-like showing where he lasts a long time in the Chamber and knocks his foes' heads back with uppercuts will help solidify him as a contender going forward should the company wish to push him up a few rungs.

Cesaro has also thrived against Cena and Bryan in previous matches.

Should he display some of the stellar chemistry that was the hallmark of Bryan vs. Cesaro last July, he'll be the talk of the Chamber match. Against Cena back in 2012, his aggressiveness and power helped those two compose a standout match.

His power will also be a major asset inside the Chamber.

Should anyone leap at him from the top of a pod or the Chamber wall, he'll rear back and clock him with his trademark European uppercut. It's also easy to imagine him tossing someone around that ominous structure.

He will be a gladiator in an arena lined with steel.

Roman Reigns

Even if the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view serves as another moment exposing The Shield's continued splintering and The Wyatt Family's coronation, look for Reigns to wow the audience.

WWE has shined the spotlight on him in a big way as of late.

At Survivor Series, he speared nearly the entire opposing team, en route to eliminating four Superstars. He followed that up with a record-breaking showing at the Royal Rumble. Reigns tossed out 12 wrestlers in the Rumble and was one of the last two men in that match.

Credit: WWE.com

Those are both clear signs that WWE has a surplus of confidence in him and wants to showcase him as a dominant force.

Expect to see more evidence of that in the war against The Wyatt Family. That bout promises to be a hard-hitting one where Reigns' spear will be among the most powerful weapons wielded.

Spearing an aging Rey Mysterio at Survivor Series is one thing, but it's going to be a jaw-dropping sight to see him fly shoulder-first into Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. While Wyatt should be the one to secure the victory, his cronies are sure to do much of the brawling.

The charging, roaring Reigns will be Harper and Rowan's toughest test yet.

Look for WWE to do its best to have both trios look strong but put special emphasis on Wyatt and Reigns creating lasting, violent images.

Sheamus

Unlike Reigns and Cesaro, Sheamus has already been at the top of the mountain. The former world champ and Royal Rumble winner doesn't need to be highlighted like those men, but the design of the Chamber is his ideal playground.

Sheamus has entered the Chamber twice before, once in 2010 and again in 2011.

Both times, he was a wrecking ball looking for walls. In 2010, he and Kofi Kingston began the match, and "The Great White" clotheslined him onto the steel apron around the ring and tossed him into a pod. The next year, he ground John Morrison's face into the Chamber wall and broke into Cena's pod to slug him again and again.

He has looked at home inside "Satan's Prison," combining his painful surroundings with his power in order to punish his foes. Expect that to happen once more in his third Chamber match.

Sheamus has had previous bad blood against Cena, Bryan and Orton. The result of that is familiarity in wrestling them all before, along with there being an added animosity.

His Brogue Kick will also propel him to the show's highlight reel. The sudden, destructive move can send someone into a Chamber pod or onto the steel surrounding the ring.

The brawler seems born for a match as vicious as the Elimination Chamber.

He and Cesaro will make it center stage, while Reigns does his damage in six-man tag team action. In the end, championships and victories will evade them, but Cesaro, Reigns and Sheamus will own the night.