In just under six hours from now WWE fans the world over will be tuning in to the promotions latest Pay-Per-View event, WWE Elimination Chamber from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Four matches have been scheduled to take place this evening. Tamina Snuka vs Beth Phoenix for the Divas championship, Kane vs John Cena in an ambulance match and of course, the two Chamber matches themselves. Daniel Bryan will defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, Big Show, The Great Khali and surprise entrant Santino Marella. In the WWE Championship match CM Punk will have to battle Chris Jericho, Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, R-Truth and Kofi Kingston to retain his title.
On Friday nights Smackdown event Randy Orton was officially ruled out of the Elimination Chamber match for Bryan's World Heavyweight Championship and a wildcard battle royal ensued where wrestlers from any brand of the WWE were invited to compete, with Ortons spot in the match up for grabs. In a surprise turn Santino Marella prevailed and was added to the match-up at the Pay-Per-View. I can't help but feel as though this arguably questionable decision from the WWE to include Santino in this main event match will result in yet another twist at this evenings show. Will Santino compete in the match or, as we have seen in the past, will another Superstar forcefully take his spot? Will Mark Henry, not scheduled to compete at the event, take the spot in the match that he desires? Could there even be a surprise return at the show? Christian has teased his attendance at this evenings show via his Twitter account. One thing is for sure, I think a Superstar attacking Santino to take his spot in the chamber is a highly probable twist. I dont think I'm alone in thinking that this match simply does not look strong enough and may just go to show how thin on the ground Smackdowns current roster really is. Unless the WWE inject some kind of shock or twist into this one then this match could very well be a 'Chamber of Horrors'. Unless this happens I can't see anyone in this match taking the title from Bryan apart from maybe Big Show. The feud between the two certainly doesn't look to be over yet.
The chamber match for the WWE Championship looks to be shaping up to be much the stronger match. On a recent edition of Raw, an Elimination Chamber debate was held in the ring which, as often happens with these kind of spots such as talk shows, contract signings, press conferences etc, quickly broke out in violence. Kofi Kingston coming out on top on the night. Kofi looked like a real contender for a major championship somewhere down the line. Fans would argue that he has done for years but I felt that this was the first time Kofi had really been showcased as a potential world champion. R-Truth has never been to the top of the mountain but has found himself over with the fans of late. The Miz and Dolph Ziggler are former world champions and both look set to have further runs with the belt in the future. However I feel that in the run-in to Wrestlemania, there is a much more interesting story brewing between Chris Jericho and CM Punk. Both claim to be the "best in the world" and whether Punk comes out on top tonight or Jericho takes Punk's title in the chamber, this outcome could be the lighting of the fuse for these two men to perform together on the grandest stage of them all. I think the majority of wrestling fans would agree that Punk vs Jericho at Wrestlemania would be a dream match.
The WWE Divas division has been nothing short of woeful for quite some time now, I'm sorry to say. Despite the WWE having a number of impressive women wrestlers, the division seems to lack greatly in comparison to the TNA Knockouts division. It seems that whatever WWE are seen to neglect or do poorly TNA will highlight, and the Knockouts division is simply eclipsing the Divas. However tonight there is a womens match I am genuinely looking forward to. Beth Phoenix has been the most physically dominant Diva in the WWE for some time now and is definitely the "safe" bet when it comes to putting the championship on someone while WWE regroups and attempts to find a direction for the division. Her opponent tonight, Tamina Snuka, has impressed over recent weeks and looks ready to hold the title. A physically dominant woman herself as well as a competent high-flyer, the daughter of the WWE Hall of Famer "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka could well be the new face and the new direction that the womens division needs. Beth has held the title well but is quickly running out of challengers she hasn't already beaten and with her partner Natalya currently being handed a ridiculously goofy gimmick that makes arguably the most technically sound womens wrestler in the company a joke and a comedy act, Tamina could be the way to go.
The WWE seemingly have had to face a problem head on as of late. How exactly do you turn John Cena heel? For years now Cena has been recieving split responses from the WWE Universe. Over time the boos have gotten louder from some sections of the audience but the cheers from others, including his younger fanbase, refuse to die. John Cena is still a huge draw for WWE, probably their biggest, but large sections of the audience turning against him could very well be explained by the lack of any real progression in his character. Cena is an old fashioned babyface, a superhero, a good guy and the good guy has certainly prevailed over the years. Now Kane has returned and vowed to make Cena "embrace the hate" and confront the WWE Universe who now boo him. The real challenge facing the WWE, I would imagine, would be to turn the women and children in the live audiences against him and lately his close friend Zack Ryder and Ryders girlfriend Eve Torres have featured heavily in the angle. Following an attack from Kane in which Cena was able to narrowly rescue Eve, the couple shared an intimate moment but were caught by Ryder. The already injured Ryder was then further injured by Kane when his wheelchair was pushed off of the stage to the floor. It seems the WWEs latest tactic to complete Cena's heel turn is to involve a woman and a love triangle. Some fans may grumble but if it works, it works. Cena seeks to avenge Ryders injury at the Elimination Chamber event where he meets Kane in an ambulance match. Could this match be a turning point in the evolution of John Cena? Will he embrace the hate? Will Cena then go into Wrestlemania as a heel?
Regardless of what happens in these four matches tonight, regardless of what, if any, involvement the Royal Rumble winner Sheamus has in the show and regardless of what other matches may or may not be added, one thing is for sure. The road to Wrestlemania should start to look even clearer by the time Raw goes on air tomorrow night.
