WWE Elimination Chamber 2015: Most Intriguing Storylines to Track on Road to PPV

WWE Elimination Chamber is just two weeks after the Payback special. Conventional wisdom would say that two weeks simply isn’t enough time to properly develop angles heading into a pay-per-view.

On Monday night, WWE tossed conventional wisdom out the window.

Participants in each of the Elimination Chamber matches were not only announced but highlighted in such a way as to make the major players look strong. 

Dean Ambrose took matters into his own hands, getting a shot at Seth Rollins and the WWE Heavyweight Championship at the WWE Network special.

And of course, we got this: 

Between longer-running feuds and short-term creative booking on the part of WWE Creative, Elimination Chamber has plenty drama and excitement. All in all, WWE Elimination Chamber is, on paper, the best WWE pay-per-view of the year to date. 

As we get closer to May 31, these are the angles to follow. Each of these questions has more than storyline ramifications; their answers will go a long way in determining the direction of the in-ring product.

How does WWE plan to use the Intercontinental Championship going forward?

Credit: WWE.com

Since the beginning of 2015, we’ve seen the Intercontinental Championship used as a hot potato, a springboard for an old fan favorite and, most recently, a paperweight.

This match is supposed to crown an undisputed champion. Looking at the lineup for this match, however, one has to wonder if WWE Creative is going to do just that.

Dolph Ziggler and Rusev are fighting for a bigger prize: Lana. King Barrett has been booked inconsistently since first gaining the title upon his return to the roster, and R-Truth has been battling with Stardust in a number of inconsequential matches of late.

That leaves Sheamus and Ryback. Nick Paglino of WrestleZone noted in a May 18 report that Sheamus had been advertised as the champion at upcoming house shows. Sheamus could certainly lend some stability to that title, and a running feud with Ryback would be entertaining.

Will WWE let all participants in the tag team match shine?

Credit: WWE.com

There are a lot of ways WWE could go with the tag team championship match. The New Day and Cesaro and Kidd have been solidly booked since their feud began, and keeping the titles on either of these teams would be smart and safe.

But this shouldn’t be about who wins in the end; rather, it should be about advancing the tag team division. WWE needs to make its second-tier tag teams—Prime Time Players, The Ascension, The Lucha Dragons and even Los Matadores—look strong.

WWe should allow Titus O’Neil and Darren Young—a great team with great skills in and out of the ring—the chance to show they're on par with the top two teams in this match. Kalisto and Sin Cara should be given opportunities to show their high-flying repertoires. The size and strength of Konnor and Viktor need to be highlighted. Fernando and Diego should do something, anything.

In the end, it’s likely we'll see The New Day and The Brass Ring Club duke it out for the belts. But the other teams in this match can’t be used as cannon fodder; they'll need to be shown as worthy competition.

Will John Cena take the loss to Kevin Owens?

Credit: WWE.com

Never mind the WWE Heavyweight Championship match between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. The match between United States champion Cena and NXT champion Owens is the headliner at Elimination Chamber.

If this were a title match, there would be a sense of inevitability surrounding it. No matter how strong Owens was made to look, John Cena would not only win the match but would stand tall in the end.

Being a non-title match makes this an event unto itself. Anything can happen, much like how Brock Lesnar's re-signing with WWE on the eve of WrestleMania 31 opened the door to any possible outcome in the pay-per-view’s main event.

The question facing Cena and WWE Creative is simple: Are they willing to lay down to advance not only the career and character of Kevin Owens, but also the NXT brand? Or will Cena be made to look like the conquering hero, while Owens is shown to be not ready for prime time?

Jesse Collings of Wrestling Inc said it best: “If WWE truly cared about building stars and creating a feud that could propel their business upward, they would let Owens beat Cena, clean.”