WWE Elimination Chamber 2018: Full Card Predictions After Royal Rumble

It's easy to forget about WWE Elimination Chamber 2018 with all the focus on WrestleMania 34 at Sunday's Royal Rumble.

The WrestleMania sign loomed over the ring during the pay-per-view. The winners of the two Royal Rumble matches earned prime spots at the megashow thanks to their victories. And even Ronda Rousey pointed at said sign in a played-out symbolic gesture.

The Royal Rumble set up or teased a number of WrestleMania bouts, but what of the contests for the Raw-branded show set for Feb. 25?

Someone has to earn the No. 1 contender's spot for the Universal Championship. The Bar will need new challengers after reclaiming the Raw tag team titles. And a battle of the red brand's two most out-there characters is clearly brewing.

The following is a projection of the Elimination Chamber card based in part on what we saw at the Rumble in Philadelphia.

Matt Hardy vs. Bray Wyatt

Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt were so focused on fighting each other they didn't seem to notice they eliminated each other from the Royal Rumble.

Their feud has been underwhelming in terms of creativity, but it's clear WWE is committed to it. The two strange men continue to confront each other, continue to collide on the air. Their match at Raw 25 was far from the climax.

A bigger, more hyped bout is coming. 

A showdown at Elimination Chamber is bound to lead up to that. Hardy can score a victory to make up for his loss to Wyatt in New York. A (pre-taped) rubber match at WrestleMania at The Wyatt Family Compound would then follow.

Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali (Cruiserweight Championship)

Enzo Amore's recent release means the cruiserweight division has no champion. Last week, Daniel Bryan announced that 205 Live will get a general manager this coming Tuesday and that the situation regarding the vacant title will be addressed.

Whether 205 Live goes with a tournament to crown a new champ or some series of qualifier matches, Cedric Alexander is likely to be at the center of it all.

He was already the No. 1 contender and geared up for a showdown with Amore at the Royal Rumble when the now-former champ was forced out. It only makes sense for him to be in the title mix moving forward.

On Jan. 23, Alexander and Mustafa Ali tore down the house. WWE may wish to recapture that magic on PPV before going for a more traditional face-against-heel matchup. Ali or Alexander vs. Hideo Itami for the belt would be a potential show-stealer in New Orleans.

The Bar vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson (Raw Tag Team Championship)

It's hard to make sense of the Raw Tag Team Championship picture.

Jason Jordan and Seth Rollins may not even be a team by the end of the week. At the Royal Rumble, Jordan left Rollins to fight The Bar by himself. A head injury left Jordan unable to contribute, costing the champs their titles. 

Should Rollins grow more irritated with him than he already is, a breakup is a safe bet.

The Revival got the win over Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson on the pre-show of Sunday's PPV. The dynamic was odd, though, as it wasn't clear if The Balor Club was supposed to be heels or babyfaces.

If WWE is going to push them as the latter, they stand a good chance of being the ones to face Cesaro and Sheamus for the gold at Elimination Chamber.

Alternative options are limited. Heath Slater and Rhyno occupy the lowest rungs of the division. Titus O'Neil and Apollo Crews aren't a lot higher than them. 

Women's Elimination Chamber (Raw Women's Championship)

Credit: WWE.com

Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley vs. Mickie James vs. Nia Jax vs. Sasha Banks vs. Sonya Deville

After clashes in a Hell in a Cell match, a Money in the Bank ladder match and now the Royal Rumble, the women's division's next frontier to conquer is the Elimination Chamber.

Fans thought it might happen last year, but the women didn't meet inside the steel battlefield. That is poised to change in February. 

It's likely Royal Rumble winner Asuka goes after SmackDown's Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania because that's such a big-money match. Raw's situation then remains more up in the air. The Elimination Chamber match, though, is an easy way to settle everything.

Should WWE want to switch champs ahead of WrestleMania, it can do so here. Or else, Bliss could cheat her way to holding on to the gold, elevating her status as a result. The match could also start the Bayley vs. Banks rivalry amid all the chaos sure to come. 

Plus, the company hasn't been shy about marketing the women's revolution. There's a chance to make more history and create more buzz. WWE is liable to take it.

The only question, though, is whether Rousey gets involved. One would imagine WWE would want to save her in-ring debut for WrestleMania. She could interfere in the Chamber bout or emerge afterward to challenge the titleholder.

Men's Elimination Chamber (Universal Championship No. 1 Contender)

Braun Strowman vs. Elias vs. Finn Balor vs. John Cena vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins

Shortly after Shinsuke Nakamura won the men's Royal Rumble, he told fans he was going after AJ Styles and the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. That revealed what SmackDown is doing with its world title at the big event, but what's ahead for Raw's top prize is clear. 

The Elimination Chamber can decide who will face Brock Lesnar at The Show of Shows.

The six-man match would allow Raw's top stars to converge in one spot. Cena and Elias can continue their rivalry, Balor can build on the momentum he created by being the Rumble's Iron Man and Strowman can add another moment of destruction to his resume.

This would allow WWE to craft the expected Reigns vs. Lesnar matchup with little effort. The Big Dog would simply outlast his competition in the Chamber and earn one more shot at the champ.