WWE Elimination Chamber 2018: Predicting Match Card, Most Likely Swerves at PPV

The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view on February 25 is one of the bigger Raw-exclusive events of the year because it could affect the WrestleMania 34 card drastically.

Not only will we see the usual half-dozen men step into the cage, made of chains and steel bars, but this year will see the women's division have its first Chamber match too.

Unfortunately for Alexa Bliss, she will have to defend her title against five other women, three of whom have been champions themselves.

The Elimination Chamber is the final PPV for the red brand before 'Mania on April 8. If management wants to make any major changes to the biggest storylines, the Chamber is the best place to do it.

Every PPV brings the possibility of title changes, heel and babyface turns, surprising victories from underdogs and swerves nobody sees coming.

This article will look at some of the more shocking things we might see at Elimination Chamber.

The Rest of the Card

As of this writing, WWE.com has listed three matches for the Elimination Chamber card. Here is a breakdown of each bout:

• John Cena vs. Elias vs. Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns vs. The Miz vs. TBA (Men's Elimination Chamber to determine the No. 1 contender for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania)
• Sasha Banks vs. Bayley vs. Mickie James vs. Sonya Deville vs. Mandy Rose vs. Alexa Bliss (Elimination Chamber for the Women's Championship)
• Nia Jax vs. Asuka

The rest of the card is up in the air, but we can make a few educated guesses about potential matches based on storylines.

The Bar will likely defend the Raw Tag Team Championships, but Jason Jordan's injury means Seth Rollins may be sitting this match out. WWE could always team him up with someone like Finn Balor, but it would be better to give another team the spotlight.

The Revival, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson and Titus Worldwide have all made progress in recent weeks, so any of those teams would be reasonable challengers. Even Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel could be thrown to Cesaro and Sheamus to give the champions an easy win.

Something else the WWE Universe would love to see get some attention is the feud between Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy. Their match at Raw 25 was a huge letdown for many fans, so they need a chance for redemption.

We may get a match from the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament, but it would likely end up stuck on the pre-show.

A Heel Turn Inside the Chamber

With the recent backstage interactions between Bayley and Sasha Banks hinting toward some tension, a heel turn for one of them looks like a strong possibility.

Assuming Banks would be the one to turn is the safe bet because she played a heel so effectively in NXT and for a short time on the main roster.

However, the more interesting outcome would see The Hugger turn to the dark side for the first time in her WWE career.

The company has thrown us for a loop before, and having the most kid-friendly Superstar turn into a villain would be shocking.

Carmella Cashes In Her Money in the Bank Briefcase

Carmella is a member of the SmackDown Live roster, and that's why having her cash in her Money in the Bank contract at Elimination Chamber would be such a surprise.

The Princess of Staten Island could make the jump to Raw thanks to some manufactured loophole in her contract about being able to challenge the champion on either brand.

It would be easy to explain why she moved to Raw. The only downside to doing this is how short her reign as champion would be. Asuka is going to challenge the Raw women's titleholder at WrestleMania 34, and she will almost certainly leave with the belt and her undefeated streak intact. 

Having Carmella cash in would be a standout moment at the PPV, but it would be even more satisfying if she cashed in on someone who just won the title from Bliss.

A storyline involving someone losing a championship moments after winning it has been done a few times, but it would be something new for the women's division.

Elias Shocks the World

WWE.com has a special article up from Anthony Benigno looking at every Superstar who has won an Elimination Chamber from the final spot.

It just so happens Elias earned the right to step into the structure last. The late entry is not a guarantee for victory, but it's as close as anyone can get.

Shinsuke Nakamura is already going to challenge the Superstar who leaves Fastlane with the WWE title at WrestleMania 34, so it would be safe to assume Brock Lesnar would end up facing one of the biggest stars in a Universal Championship match.

Reigns, Cena and Strowman are the obvious choices, but that doesn't mean Elias can't win the Chamber and end up in a Triple Threat or Fatal 4-Way at 'Mania.

The Drifter has been getting quite the push as of late. He might not be the odds-on favorite to have his hand raised at the end of the night, but neither was Jack Swagger when he won in 2013.

Nia Jax Hands Asuka Her 1st Loss

In addition to the first women's Chamber match, the PPV will also feature a singles match between Asuka and Nia Jax.

The safe bet would be Asuka because she is undefeated in WWE and is already scheduled to fight the Raw women's champion at WrestleMania.

Nothing says she has to stay undefeated. If WWE wanted to push Jax as the most dangerous woman in the division, it would have her beat Asuka at Elimination Chamber.

Jax is already suffering from a stale push and a couple of storylines ending prematurely, so she could use the boost a victory over Asuka would provide.

If she were to defeat The Empress of Tomorrow, Raw general manager Kurt Angle might be persuaded to add her to the title match at 'Mania to make it a Triple Threat.