WWE Elimination Chamber 2017: Best Booking Options for Chamber Match

WWE Elimination Chamber 2017 needs to succeed where Royal Rumble failed.

By having Randy Orton emerge as the victor of the 2017 Royal Rumble match, WWE played it too safe. It chose to elevate an established star, shining the spotlight on a man who has long been warmed by it. The missed opportunity stung.

WWE can counteract that with what unfolds inside the Elimination Chamber at the Feb. 12 pay-per-view.

John Cena is set to defend the WWE Championship inside the steel structure that's also known as Satan's Prison. Bray Wyatt, The Miz, Dean Ambrose, Baron Corbin and AJ Styles will all battle Cena in that chamber. The winner will earn the right to face Orton at WrestleMania 33.

All the pieces are in place to catapult a number of emerging wrestlers, tell an intriguing story amid the steel and set up a compelling showdown at WrestleMania. 

Showcase for Rising Stars

When WWE draws up the events inside the Elimination Chamber, making the up-and-comers look great should be its top priority. 

SmackDown has been the land of opportunity since last July's brand split. It has spotlighted Heath Slater's underdog rise and made Corbin look like a contender. That trend needs to continue at the upcoming PPV.

Whoever eliminates Cena will benefit from that big moment.

Not only would it provide excitement for the bout by guaranteeing a new champion, but it would also give one Superstar a feat to brag about. Corbin should do the honors. The Lone Wolf could more than make up for his recent SmackDown loss to the champ by ousting Cena from the Elimination Chamber.

Corbin has looked more and more like he belongs in the main event picture. The image of him standing over a fallen Cena after taking the champion out of the match would further push him in that direction.

Another possibility is to have Wyatt go on a rampage during the bout.

The Eater of Worlds has long been an underutilized monster. He talks of destruction, only to get flattened by the hero.

Inside the chamber, though, he could make a statement about how dangerous he is by taking out Styles, flinging Ambrose through one of the pods and generally inflicting pain on anyone in reach.

Subplots Aplenty

WWE will have so much to play with in terms of narrative when SmackDown's stars chase after Cena's gold. There are a number of stories involving the six competitors worth exploring.

Corbin and Ambrose have had issues of late. The Lone Wolf attacked the intercontinental champ during a Lumberjack match before Royal Rumble, for one.

When they meet inside the Elimination Chamber, WWE could further this feud by having them brawl atop the structure's steel grates. The audience should want to see them continue to fight once the match is over.

The Wyatt Family drama should come into play, too.

Luke Harper could look to interfere, trying to prevent his former stablemate from achieving victory. Orton could then come to the rescue. A scrap outside the Elimination Chamber would be a fun addition to all the chaos inside it.

WWE also has to exploit prior bad blood. The Miz and Ambrose, Styles and Cena and Wyatt and Ambrose all have history with each other. The Cena-Styles dynamic is especially intriguing. The Phenomenal One is coming off a title loss to Cena. He should be so focused on payback that he stumbles in the match, keeping his eyes off his competition as he pursues The Face That Runs the Place. 

Wyatt as the Winner

The ideal choice as the man left standing is Wyatt. The Eater of Worlds vs. Orton is the WrestleMania matchup that makes the most sense.

Those two were enemies before joining forces, and with The Wyatt Family falling apart, thanks to Harper's exit, the tension that follows could easily lead to a full-scale implosion. Wyatt could look to prove he is the alpha of the group, growing angry when Orton refuses to obey him anymore.

Besides the ready-made story for this bout, WWE has to go in this direction to build for the future.

So many of WrestleMania's most high-profile matches are likely to feature Superstars on the way out. Goldberg and Brock Lesnar are sure to face off at the event. Shane McMahon, Undertaker and Triple H may get big bouts, too.

Pushing Wyatt into that mix with the WWE title in his hands is the kind of forward-thinking move WrestleMania needs.

The Eater of Worlds' career would change forever with a victory in Satan's Prison. He would announce himself as one of WWE's top stars. Should Cena retain, on the other hand, the result would set up a match with Orton that has zero electricity.

Elimination Chamber is better off serving as the site for Wyatt's coronation.