WWE Elimination Chamber 2018: Best Possible Finish for Each Contest
With WrestleMania 34 right around the corner, every Superstar on the Raw roster is looking to make the biggest impact possible at WWE Elimination Chamber 2018 on Sunday.
As has been the routine in recent years, the pay-per-view will host two Elimination Chamber matches, including one with women for the first time. The Raw Women's Championship will be on the line in that bout, which features six of Raw's finest female competitors.
The stakes are arguably higher in the men's matchup, where the winner will earn the right to contend for Brock Lesnar's Universal Championship at WrestleMania 34. That match will also make history, as it will see seven stars battle it out for the opportunity to headline WWE's Show of Shows.
Even the undercard has several matches that could be compelling, including Asuka vs. Nia Jax. Additionally, "Woken" Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt will settle their score, while Sheamus and Cesaro defend the Raw Tag Team Championships against Titus Worldwide.
Here we will look at the best possible finish to each match on the card to ensure the event lives up to the fans' lofty expectations.
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs. The Miztourage (Kickoff Match)
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WWE confirmed Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows vs. The Miztourage as the Kickoff show match for Elimination Chamber early Friday. The announcement was met with apathy from fans on social media.
While Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel play their roles as The Miz's lackeys remarkably well, they are hardly a threat to any tag team on the Raw roster. After all, The Balor Club has spent the past month feuding with The Revival, so this match holds no meaning.
On the bright side, Anderson and Gallows have been much better since aligning with Finn Balor at the onset of 2018. They have yet to re-enter the Raw Tag Team Championships picture, but that should happen immediately following Elimination Chamber.
Thus, it would be ridiculous for Anderson and Gallows to fall short of victory Sunday versus a tandem so low on the totem pole. A win wouldn't fix their act overnight, but it would be the first step in getting them back to where they need and deserve to be at: the forefront of the Raw tag team division.
Anderson and Gallows must be booked to defeat The Miztourage in clean fashion. It should be kept short and sweet to ensure it doesn't overstay its welcome.
Sheamus and Cesaro vs. Titus Worldwide (Raw World Tag Team Championship)
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Titus Worldwide is no stranger to the Raw Tag Team Championships picture. In fact, following the group's victories versus Sheamus and Cesaro in January, Titus O'Neil and Apollo earned themselves a golden opportunity on the Jan. 29 edition, but they were unsuccessful in claiming the gold.
The teams rekindled their rivalry six days ahead of Elimination Chamber in what appeared to be an exhibition for Sheamus and Cesaro. However, Titus Worldwide found a way to upset the Raw tag team champs yet again and thus secured a second shot at the straps at Sunday's pay-per-view.
Although Apollo is an incredible athlete, his alliance with O'Neil has done him zero favors. He will continue to fly under the radar until he is allowed to shine on his own, but for now, he can benefit from having strong showings in important outings such as this one.
Sheamus and Cesaro have been the saviors of Raw's depleted tag team scene for more than a year, so keeping the titles on them through WrestleMania 34 is crucial. Titus Worldwide have nothing to offer in the role as champions, whereas the duo known as The Bar can feud with the likes of The Revival and The Balor Club going into 'Mania.
None of these teams' matches have been exhilarating, but look for Sheamus and Cesaro to get a good enough contest out of Titus Worldwide before they retain their titles.
'Woken' Matt Hardy vs. Bray Wyatt
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Fans were initially excited about the possibility of Matt Hardy feuding with Bray Wyatt under his Woken persona late last year. Unfortunately, the rivalry has largely fallen flat, if only because they have yet to do anything out of the ordinary.
It doesn't help that they haven't jelled in the ring, either. Their Raw match from November was subpar, while their rematch on Raw 25 was hardly an improvement.
Without a stipulation in place for their impending outing, it likely won't be a contender for Match of the Night. That said, it is imperative Hardy avenges his loss to Wyatt and get back to his winning ways.
The "Woken" Matt Hardy character has barely scratched the surface in WWE, and suffering yet another defeat at the hands of Wyatt would essentially establish him a glorified enhancement talent. While the same can be said for The Eater of Worlds, he is far beyond the point of repair after enduring years of bad booking.
A war on the Wyatt or Hardy Compound at WrestleMania would be something special, but in the meantime, a Hardy victory is the only outcome that makes sense.
Asuka vs. Nia Jax
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From Sasha Banks to Bayley to even women's champion Alexa Bliss, Asuka has run through everyone who has stepped up to challenge her dominance since her arrival on Raw back in October. That said, Nia Jax might pose the biggest threat to her historic undefeated streak to date when the two clash at Elimination Chamber.
It won't be any ordinary outing, as not only Asuka's streak will be on the line but also her chance to contend for either the Raw or SmackDown Live Women's Championship in a singles match at WrestleMania 34. While she will go on to 'Mania to vie for championship gold no matter what, Jax would join her in whatever title match Asuka is a part of at the event with a victory Sunday.
Jax has been a force to be reckoned with on Raw over the past two years, but Asuka is still a much bigger priority. The former NXT women's champion has been built up so strongly that having her lose anytime soon would be a waste, so there's no need for Jax to beat her at Elimination Chamber.
Asuka's victory is virtually guaranteed, but Jax's Road to WrestleMania should become much clearer following Elimination Chamber.
It would make sense for Asuka to move to SmackDown Live to target SmackDown women's champion Charlotte Flair while Jax faces Bliss for the Raw Women's Championship at 'Mania. Both bouts can be accomplished without Jax handing Asuka her first one-on-one loss in WWE.
Raw Women's Championship Elimination Chamber Match
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Alexa Bliss has had a stranglehold on Raw's women's division for nearly a year, and no one has been able to put an end to her ruthless reign as women's champion. Don't expect that to change at Sunday's Elimination Chamber pay-per-view despite the odds being stacked against her.
The first women's Elimination Chamber match is stacked with star power between Bliss, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Mickie James, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. Rose and Deville are the most cohesive unit out of all those ladies, but they are the least likely to take the title.
James has been an afterthought for her Raw run, so that essentially leaves Bliss, Bayley and Banks as the only realistic candidates to come out on top. Bliss vs. Nia Jax for the Raw Women's Championship at WrestleMaina 34 has seemingly been penciled in for months, so the championship isn't likely to be changing hands here.
On paper, though, Bliss vs. Jax isn't as WrestleMania-worthy as Bayley vs. Banks. Granted, Bayley and Banks could collide at the April extravaganza without gold up for grabs, but it would add so much more to the match if it were a title bout, which is why one of them should win the women's Chamber.
Of the two, Banks would be the perfect choice to capture the belt after eliminating Bayley and cementing her heel turn at long last.
Universal Championship No. 1 Contender's Elimination Chamber Match
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For an entire year, Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship has seemingly been set in stone for WrestleMania 34. To think WWE would deviate from that plan so close to the epic event would be absurd, to say the least.
There are those who aren't in favor of Reigns dethroning Lesnar as at WrestleMania, but no other option makes as much sense. The Miz and Elias are nowhere near being on Lesnar's level, while Braun Strowman has had his shots at the strap and has lost every time.
John Cena has no business being in the universal title picture, and Balor is still working his way back up the ladder. Aside from Reigns, Rollins is only Superstar that could realistically walk into WrestleMania as the No. 1 contender, but that would leave The Big Dog without a marquee match on the card.
The result of this Chamber isn't in doubt, but the bout could still plant the seeds for various matchups we might see at WrestleMania. Lest we forget, Strowman and Miz have unfinished business, meaning they could be on a collision course toward 'Mania.
The three-time WWE champion's victory inside Satan's Prison is all but confirmed, and whether the WWE Universe likes it or not, it's the best possible finish for Sunday's show's loaded main event.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
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