The 13 Men and Women to Watch at WWE Elimination Chamber

Yes, 2017 was a great year for “Super Cena”—but the majority of his accomplishments occurred outside of the ring. He got down on one knee and proposed to the love of his life, Nikki Bella, at WrestleMania 33, and has landed a number of roles in Hollywood. But to stay relevant with the WWE Universe, Cena needs a big win. Victory at the Elimination Chamber would catapult him to the main event of WrestleMania 34.

While the “You Can’t See Me” star is intent on making his mark in Tinseltown, he no doubt still harbors a burning ambition to hold the World Title for a record-breaking 17th time.

Alexa Bliss has the Midas touch when it comes to WWE gold. She’s the first woman ever to hold both the WWE SmackDown and RAW Women’s Championship—and so there’s always a giant target on her back. In the first-ever Women’s Elimination Chamber, “Little Miss Bliss” will need to have eyes in the back of her head once more, because her title is on the line.

There will be five opponents eager to eliminate the Champion, so Alexa must survive them all to hold on. While the odds are highly against her, the WWE faithful has learned never to underestimate this pocket powerhouse.

Elias is going into the Elimination Chamber as a definite underdog, but that could prove to work in his favor. While other opponents will seek to get rid of the more established superstars like Cena and Roman Reigns, Elias could go unnoticed until the latter stages of the match. If that happens, Elias may be able to use his crafty ways to defeat his exhausted foes and pull off a massive upset. Brock Lesnar vs. Elias at WrestleMania 34? Never say never.

While hard work and determination brought prolonged success for Bayley as part of the NXT division, she’s faced choppier waters in the WWE shark tank. 2018 started out well enough for the “Hug Life” star, who won the WWE Women’s Championship and then successfully defended it at the “Show of Shows” last April—but a friendship with Sasha Banks now appears to be stalling her progress.

Consider last month’s Royal Rumble, when “The Boss” double-crossed Bayley and ousted her from the match. If Bayley can throw friendship out of the window at the Elimination Chamber, she could be a genuine threat as she works towards regaining the World Title.

Few WWE Superstars show the same passion as “The Boss.” Sasha Banks’ full-throttle style has gained her many fans, but sometimes throwing caution to the wind can backfire. The Elimination Chamber is perhaps the most dangerous structure in all of WWE, so if Banks is to derail Bliss, she is going to need to think with her head and not just her heart. There’s no doubt that Sasha has all the tools to walk out of the Elimination Chamber as the new Women’s Champion, as long as she doesn’t end up beating herself in the process. 

Many wrestlers frequently complain about never being given a fair opportunity to succeed. Others kick the door down without asking and take what they feel they deserve.

For the Miz, winning at the Elimination Chamber would be a slap in the face to established favorites like Reigns and Cena. Better still, his runs with the Intercontinental Championship have proved that he’s one of the most entertaining WWE Superstars on television. If The Miz survives the Elimination Chamber, you can bet your last dollar that he’d do anything to beat Brock Lesnar in New Orleans.

The fighting Irishman, Finn Bálor, made history at SummerSlam 2017 when he became the first-ever Universal Champion—but a crowded title picture has made it tough for Finn to reclaim the top spot after coming back strong from injury. During the last several months, Bálor has beaten the best, and now he needs to win where it counts. A match like the Elimination Chamber could really suit him too, as he’ll be able to use the Chamber structure to launch an aerial assault on vulnerable opponents.

James is now considered a WWE veteran—she made her debut 15 years ago, after all. In that time, the fiery country girl has done it all, holding WWE Women’s Championships on six occasions (including the WWE Divas Title). So it may come as a surprise to some of her younger counterparts that James is currently in the best physical shape of her career and hasn’t missed a beat. For James, the Elimination Chamber is a chance to prove that she still has what it takes to rock out at the top of the WWE mountain.

When Asuka won the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble in January, she earned the right to challenge either the SmackDown or RAW Women’s Champion at WrestleMania 34. On the February 5th episode of Monday Night RAW, General Manager Kurt Angle then announced a match between Nia Jax and Asuka to take place at the Elimination Chamber event. The stipulation: If Jax defeats Asuka, she would earn a future title shot too.

In addition, if Nia Jax is victorious, she will end Asuka’s record breaking undefeated streak. With everything on the line, we are watching this matchup very closely.

Rollins was victorious in a fatal five-way match held on Monday Night RAW to earn his spot in the Elimination Chamber. In the Chamber, he’ll be going up against familiar opponents like Finn Bálor, who handed Rollins defeat in the first-ever Universal Championship match at SummerSlam 2017.

Rollins will also have to get past his fellow Shield team partner, Roman Reigns, if he’s going to punch his ticket to WrestleMania 34. Many will recall how Seth Rollins cashed in his “Money in the Bank” briefcase to dethrone Brock Lesnar back at WrestleMania 31. Could lightning strike twice?

Bruan Strowman is a one-man wrecking machine who destroys anything that gets in his way, but the numbers could catch up with “The Monster Among Men” in The Elimination Chamber. Historically, wrestlers have teamed up to oust the biggest threats—and it’s hard to imagine a more physically imposing foe than Strowman. He has the size and power to obliterate his five opponents in the chamber, but only if he gets to them before they get to him.

Word on the street is that Reigns is favorite to take on Brock Lesnar in New Orleans, but the road to the “Big Easy” will be anything but. The Big Dog’s friendship with Rollins won’t mean anything when all is said and done, and Cena has a loss to avenge against Reigns as well.

To prove that the WWE is still his yard, Reigns will to have to dig deep and get past what could be his most difficult challenge to date—and that’s saying something for a man who beat The Undertaker.

The Judo Olympic medallist and former UFC bantamweight champion made her presence in WWE known at the Royal Rumble. But will she make her new career official by signing a contract in Vegas at the Elimination Chamber?

Ronda’s sporting legacy is of global interest, so the world’s media is going to be watching—and so, too, is the WWE women’s locker room, where some are already feeling a little overshadowed by Rousey’s media glare. We may find out what the future holds for Ronda Rousey very soon.