Whilst there has been minimal time to develop any storylines since the Royal Rumble, quite a lot of the matches are well booked as they are either a continuation of storylines which had been set up prior to the Rumble, or they are literally just putting every viable challenger into a match and seeing what happens.
Mickie James v Becky Lynch
Mickie James seems to have been brought back to lend a bit of experience to the women's division. They tried her out with a match at NXT against Asuka to make sure she could still hold her own before she started interfering in Lynch v Bliss matches as La Luchadora. Since her call up she's not been on the winning side in a match and she needs a victory to keep her seeming like a threat.
Prediction: Mickie James
2 on 1 Handicap Match:
Apollo Crews & Kalisto v Dolph Ziggler
I don't see much point in having this match just so the two babyfaces can beat on Ziggler, so he'll end up getting the victory somehow, presumably with the use of one or more chairs. I can't see this being very exciting either, unless Ziggler pulls out some of the great characterisation that we saw him do during his heel turn.
Prediction: Dolph Ziggler
Nikki Bella v Natalya Neidhart
This story has been going on for some time. Natalya attacked Nikki to take her spot in the Survivor Series match back in November. The first time that they were set to hook up they started brawling before the match started and it never officially kicked off with the two of them being separated. They've been given quite a bit of airtime to progress this which is a sign of how well the blue brand has been booking their women's division. As for the match itself, we know that Nikki is the longest reigning Divas champion of all time. Nattie held the same belt back in 2010 but hasn't had as high a profile as Bella. Even though she's a member of the Hart Dynasty, she could do with the victory and the rise in her profile much more than Bella and for that reason, I think she'll take the win.
Prediction: Natalya Neidhart
Randy Orton v Luke Harper
The only way that a Royal Rumble winner would lose a match at the last PPV before Wrestlemania is due to outside interference. There's no way they're making Orton look week just before headlining the biggest event of the year. Bray Wyatt is the main guy who might interfere, unless Eric Rowan returns. He was due to be out for 4-6 months as of the end of September, so it's not unfeasible that he could make an appearance. Bray is still clearly on Orton's side, so I can't see him helping Harper to the victory. Orton has also beaten Harper recently on Smackdown. The best that we can hope for here is a match that elevates Harper and makes him actually look able to hang with Orton before he eats the pinfall.
Prediction: Orton
Tag Team Turmoil Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship:
American Alpha (c) v Heath Slater & Rhyno v Breezango v The Usos v The Ascension v The Vaudevillains
They need to get a few of the smaller teams over here. Heath and Rhyno likely won't go out victorious, so it would be good if they'd give the pinfall over them to one of the other teams rather than one of the two better teams in the match. I'd expect this to be The Ascension as they got the pinfall in the 12 man tag match this week.
Whilst the Alphas have said they want to come out at the start, I'd think it would be better if they entered in the middle, putting out every other team until the Usos come in at the end to reignite the rivalry that never really kicked off. The Alphas have only had the belts since December and are possibly the best tag team in the whole of WWE at the moment. However, they won't look weak if the Usos take the belts after they've had to fend off a large number of other teams first, so I can see that happening setting up a Wrestlemania rematch.
Prediction: The Usos
Predicted order of elimination: Heath Slater & Rhyno, Breezango, The Ascension, The Vaudevillains, American Alpha
Smackdown Women's Championship:
Alexa Bliss (c) v Naomi
I can't see Bliss dropping the title to Naomi here. She's likely to have Mickie James in her corner and whilst Naomi pinned Bliss at the Royal Rumble to set this up, I don't think she'll be taking the belt here. It should hopefully be a close match with Naomi showing off her athleticism but being cheated out of the victory. This should then set up either a rematch or some sort of multi-competitor match for Wrestlemania where I'd expect Bliss to lose the belt.
Prediction: Alexa Bliss
Elimination Chamber Match for WWE Championship:
John Cena (c) v AJ Styles v Dean Ambrose v The Miz v Baron Corbin v Bray Wyatt
We know that the winner of this will face Randy Orton at Wrestlemania. Therefore, a few of these competitors can instantly be discounted. Dean Ambrose will likely be involved in defending the Intercontinental Championship there. The Miz v Randy Orton just seems illogical at this point with both of them being heels (although Orton straddles the line) and the same can be said for Baron Corbin.
You therefore have Bray Wyatt - with a Wyatt family split being rumoured for a while and theories of Orton v Wyatt at Wrestlemania having been floated for a while. A better way to get that match for the belt would have been to give Bray the Rumble victory. Bray doesn't have the status of someone who is able to main event the big one which that victory would have given him. I think we can therefore count him out here.
You have AJ Styles. Whilst Styles v Orton would be a great match between two of the best in the business, and definitely high profile enough to take the main event with Styles carrying the brand for a while, again, these guys are both set up as heels. The WWE has experimented with heel v heel matches on both Raw and Smackdown recently as the opening match on the card. Those matches weren't really well received but Styles and Orton both have great followings despite being heels and this match could work.
And finally you have John Cena. The face that runs the place. The franchise player. And I have to say that I think he'll be walking out with his title intact here. A few reasons for this include the fact that his record equalling 16th reign would forever be remembered as a token reign if he lost the title 2 weeks last, and also that Orton was talking about the matchup on Talking Smack last week saying that fans want to see the match whether they know it or not. So, unfortunately, I have to think that Cena walks out with his hand raised here.
Prediction: John Cena
Predicted order of elimination: Ambrose, The Miz, Bray Wyatt, AJ Styles, Baron Corbin
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