WWE Elimination Chamber 2017: Full Card Breakdown, Bold Predictions and More

This Sunday, SmackDown Live will present its final big show before WrestleMania, WWE Elimination Chamber 2017, with a promise of carnage. Six women will battle in a series of heated singles matches to settle their differences, and six men will step inside the steel structure known as the Elimination Chamber to decide who will represent the brand at WrestleMania as the WWE champion.

As it will be SmackDown's final chance to build toward the biggest night on the wrestling calendar, Elimination Chamber is guaranteed to be a vicious show where the whole roster attempts to prove itself worthy of competing on The Grandest Stage of Them All, even outshining its Raw counterpart.

This is the Elimination Chamber card as it stands on Thursday morning:

• Dolph Ziggler vs. Apollo Crews and Kalisto (Handicap)
• Nikki Bella vs. Natalya
• SmackDown tag team champions American Alpha vs. The Usos vs. The Ascension vs. The Vaudevillains vs. Heath Slater and Rhyno vs. Breezango (Tag Team Turmoil)
• Randy Orton vs. Luke Harper
• Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James
• SmackDown women's champion Alexa Bliss vs. Naomi
• WWE champion John Cena vs. AJ Styles vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Dean Ambrose vs. The Miz vs. Baron Corbin (Elimination Chamber)

Both American Alpha and John Cena will step into matches with massive odds stacked against them, and Alexa Bliss will battle a woman who has seemed to have her number of late in Naomi. It will be a night well worth the price of admission, as worthy champions will be crowned to stand tall among the legends in this business on a likely stacked WrestleMania card.

The following is a complete breakdown of the Elimination Chamber card, looking at the stories, stakes and likely results for all matches, along with bold predictions that could affect WWE on the Road to WrestleMania and beyond.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Apollo Crews and Kalisto (Handicap Match)

Credit: WWE.com

Story

Eleven years is a long time to work in any business, let alone WWE. Wrestling is a taxing experience that can leave a wrestler broken, especially when they cannot find victory. Dolph Ziggler has finally broken, and no one was prepared for what that would look like.

Ziggler has destroyed everyone in his wake and has refused to accept any loss. His two primary victims have been Kalisto and Apollo Crews, who he has repeatedly beaten down to the point of exhaustion. Now, his actions have come back to bite him, as he must fight both men at the same time in a handicap match.

Impact and Potential

Handicap matches are rarely great to watch, but Ziggler has put on some compelling matches in the format before. The problem here is that stacking the odds against a heel does not often make for a compelling story. If WWE can use this match to make all three men more relevant, it could be an impressive showcase.

Right now, Ziggler is the one who seems most likely to take a step up, while Kalisto and Crews continue to feel a step off on the roster. While both are young talented stars, it is hard to imagine this match helping them much in a win or loss. It would just be nice for this to somehow lead to all three getting on the WrestleMania card.

Predicted Result: While Ziggler is more likely to take a major role on SmackDown going forward, no team should ever lose a handicap match. Ziggler can take an unfair loss here due to his overconfidence. Winners: Apollo Crews and Kalisto.

Bold Prediction: Crews will win the Intercontinental Championship by the end of 2017.

Nikki Bella vs. Natalya

Credit: WWE.com

Story

When Nikki Bella defeated Natalya to become the captain of Team SmackDown at Survivor Series 2016, she could not have expected what would come of the result. Natalya quietly spiraled out of control, leading to her secretly attacking Bella and taking her out of the Survivor Series match.

Once Natalya's true nature was revealed, the relationship between the two plummeted to the point where The Queen of Harts has spent every waking moment verbally antagonizing Bella. The two have also brawled around the ring numerous times, making this match a formality.

Impact and Potential

The first of three women's matches on the card, this may be the most physically intense bout of the trio, with both women already showcasing that this rivalry can only be settled in a pure brawl. While the two have rarely had a great match together, this is the first time they have had a strong story behind their contest to rely upon.

If the widespread rumor of Bella's impending retirement is to be believed, this will be one of the biggest matches left in her career. She should have ample opportunity to shine and perhaps put on one of the best matches of her career alongside Natalya, who has always been an underrated performer, given her body of work and technical ability.

Predicted Result: Bella may be on her retirement tour, and Natalya has dominated the feud so far, but in order to prove The Queen of Harts' words false, Bella must defeat Natalya here. Winner: Nikki Bella.

Bold Prediction: With Bella's rumored retirement after WrestleMania, Natalya will be forced to turn face again to balance out the roster.

SmackDown Tag Team Championship (Tag Team Turmoil Match)

Credit: WWE.com

Story

When American Alpha did the unthinkable and pinned Randy Orton to capture the SmackDown Tag Team Championships, it signaled a changing of the guard in the division. However, it also left American Alpha atop a division that did not seem ready to challenge it. Thus, it set an open challenge to anyone on the roster to step up.

It turned out that every single team on the roster was ready to step up, leading to a furious brawl. The only fair way to answer this situation was to let everyone get a shot, so it was announced that American Alpha would battle The Usos, Heath Slater and Rhyno, The Ascension, The Vaudevillains and Breezango in a Tag Team Turmoil match with the hope that the best duo would emerge with the belts.

Impact and Potential

The tag team division on SmackDown is in poor shape. There are enough talented teams to tell compelling stories, but half the division has been ignored since the draft. This match feels like a reset—a chance to showcase everyone and see who stands out before WrestleMania. If The Ascension, The Vaudevillains or Breezango steal the show, that team may be in line for a WrestleMania title match.

Hopefully one of them does because, otherwise, WWE will have to turn back to feuds that SmackDown has already used up—primarily American Alpha vs. The Usos. This may even be the match that decides what brand The Revival will be debuting for, as it is far past time the duo was wrestling on the main roster. American Alpha vs. The Revival is already a proven money match.

Predicted Result: American Alpha has not held the championships long, and no one else is ready to carry the titles. Winner: American Alpha.

Bold Prediction: The Revival will be the team to take the tag team titles from American Alpha.

Randy Orton vs. Luke Harper

Credit: WWE.com

Story

Bray Wyatt has always set out to recruit the most vicious in WWE to his cause without success. Randy Orton was Wyatt's latest project and seemingly his first true victory. Orton joined The Wyatt Family after one loss to Wyatt, and The Reaper of Souls was content. Luke Harper was more skeptical, causing dissension between the two.

Wyatt chose Orton over Harper, abandoning a man who had always stood beside him. It was the ultimate betrayal that needed to be answered physically. Orton now must battle a dejected Harper, whose only goal is to hurt Orton, even as The Viper prepares to main-event WrestleMania against the WWE champion.

Impact and Potential

Harper has always been one of the best untapped talents on the roster—a heavyweight who can move as fluidly as most cruiserweights. He even has solid mic skills that have gone largely unused. This feud with Orton may only be a transitional contest, but it could help catapult Harper into a larger role.

Orton and Harper are both quality performers in the ring who have yet to show whether they have chemistry together. This might be a sleeper hit as the only men's singles match on the card. The match may not mean much to Orton, but it could define Harper's potential as a babyface.

Predicted Result: Orton is going to be battling for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania, so it would hurt his credibility at the wrong time to lose. Winner: Randy Orton.

Bold Prediction: Harper will be a champion in 2017 longer than Orton.

Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James

Credit: WWE.com

Story

Becky Lynch had finally done it. After being drafted to SmackDown, she had climbed to the mountaintop and captured the SmackDown Women's Championship. She reigned for 84 days before she was forced to face the harsh reality of being a champion, as she crashed through a table and lost her title to Alexa Bliss.

Since then, Bliss has avoided Lynch at every turn with the help of the mysterious La Luchadora, revealed to be the returning Mickie James. The six-time women's champion has not minced words since, claiming Lynch's entire career is a product of James' success. James has returned to supposedly beat respect into Lynch, and she will get that opportunity at Elimination Chamber.

Impact and Potential

When James made her surprise return to challenge Asuka at NXT Takeover: Toronto, no one knew what to expect. The two put on a fantastic show, proving the almost-14-year veteran still had it. With both Raw and SmackDown still in need of quality female wrestlers, James was the perfect addition to the roster, adding a compelling veteran heel to the division.

Lynch has been SmackDown's best performer since the draft, and her match with James is almost guaranteed to be great. The two are both still working to prove something, and it has shown every time they cross paths. This will hopefully only be the first of many encounters between Lynch and James.

Predicted Result: James needs a solid victory in her first singles match since returning to WWE, and this rivalry could last long enough for Lynch to still win the feud. Winner: Mickie James.

Bold Prediction: James will win the SmackDown Women's Championship within the next six months.

Alexa Bliss vs. Naomi (SmackDown Women's Championship)

Credit: WWE.com

Story

When Alexa Bliss captured the SmackDown Women's Championship, it was a shock for many. No one expected that Becky Lynch would fall, particularly to a newcomer. Bliss has since proved to be a wily champion, taking every shortcut presented to her, but she has had one weakness: Naomi.

Since their surprise clash at No Mercy, Naomi has pinned Bliss three times in four encounters, including twice since Bliss won the championship. Bliss has continued to attempt to overlook Naomi, but now, she will be forced to put her championship on the line against her. If she falls one more time, she won't just be leaving with her pride shaken.

Impact and Potential

This match is a bit of an experiment. While two other women's matches with more proven performers play out, the match that should be the most high-profile with the title on the line will be a contest between developing talents. Bliss has done a great job of late as a performer but is still a rookie. Naomi has been around a long time but has only recently come into her own.

Hopefully this match is as good as it needs to be. Naomi has yet to capitalize on her athleticism to put on a quality match, and Bliss will need to prove herself as a worthy champion against more than just Lynch to remain champion. This will be the ultimate test of the division and its depth.

Predicted Result: Regardless of whether Bliss is ready to stand tall as champion for a while, Naomi is not ready for that mantle just yet. Winner: Alexa Bliss.

Bold Prediction: Bliss will not defend her championship at WrestleMania, instead competing in another multiwoman tag match on the pre-show.

WWE Championship (Elimination Chamber Match)

Credit: WWE.com

Story

John Cena is now a 16-time world champion, tying Ric Flair's long-standing record, but he will face an impossible task in his first title defense. Cena will be challenged by the best that SmackDown has to offer inside the Elimination Chamber: AJ Styles, Baron Corbin, Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose and The Miz.

Four men in this match have held the WWE Championship before, and even those who haven't all crave the opportunity of carrying that title into WrestleMania. The brutality each man will cause to hold the top prize on SmackDown will leave no one the same. This will be a war of six men who truly despise one another, all with one goal.

Impact and Potential

This is almost guaranteed to be one of the biggest and best matches of the year. The Elimination Chamber has rarely bred less-than-excellent contests, and the Superstars involved were responsible for many of the best matches of 2016. Cena and Styles alone are now responsible for three of the best matches in recent memory. While the quality here is certain, the winner is the true uncertainty.

Will WWE take the safe route with Cena vs. Randy Orton at WrestleMania, or will it go with someone new to battle The Viper? Even if the most likely story is told, it would be a dramatic shift if Wyatt captured his first singles championship in almost four years on the main roster. Whatever the result of this match, SmackDown will be altered significantly at its conclusion.

Predicted Result: The only match that makes sense for Orton at WrestleMania is against Wyatt, so The Eater of Worlds needs to capture the championship here. Winner: Bray Wyatt.

Bold Prediction: Only these six men and Orton will represent SmackDown on the main card of WrestleMania this year, with everyone else off the card or relegated to the pre-show.