Why the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match is the most unpredictable in recent memory

It was announced on last night’s WWE RAW that Bobby Lashley would defend the WWE Championship inside the Elimination Chamber. His challengers are Austin Theory, Riddle, AJ Styles, Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar.

The Elimination Chamber premium live event is typically one of the more predictable shows on the WWE calendar. This is because the matches for WrestleMania are either already set or there is a clear plan. However, that is not the case this year and almost anyone can win this match.

Let’s start with the two long shots in the match, which are Theory and Riddle. Theory has been getting a substantial push the past couple of months after being featured on screen with Vince McMahon. There is no chance that he will walk into WrestleMania as WWE Champion at this point in his career. A showdown with the returning Shane McMahon seems much more likely.

As for Riddle, his path to WrestleMania seems pretty clear at this point. While there were conflicting reports of him being the originally planned winner of the Men’s Royal Rumble Match. It seems obvious that he will be facing Randy Orton at WrestleMania when RK-Bro inevitably implodes. However, there is an outside chance that the match could be for the WWE Championship if the company goes that route.

AJ Styles and Seth Rollins have a chance to walk out of the Elimination Chamber as WWE Champion. Styles has no clear feud heading into WrestleMania at this time, so winning the title and feuding with someone like Edge at The Showcase of the Immortals isn’t too far-fetched.

Meanwhile, Seth Rollins has a couple of routes he can go down. Based on the finish of his match against Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble, Rollins has unfinished business on WWE SmackDown. He can also either go for the Tag Team Championships with Kevin Owens, or feud with him. This is based on their interaction last night where Rollins didn’t stick up for Owens when he wanted Rollins to get Owens into the Chamber Match without having to qualify.

That leaves Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley. Lashley just won the WWE Championship after Reigns cost Lesnar his match at the Royal Rumble. Lesnar challenged Lashley for a rematch the next night on RAW, but Lashley declined. With WWE reportedly having no plans for the WWE Championship, they may just go ahead and have a title unification match at WrestleMania between Reigns and Lesnar.

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Lashley is the most interesting person in the match. Lashley’s booking over the past year has not been that of a transitional champion, which he would be if he loses at Elimination Chamber. However, as mentioned above, WWE has no plans for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. So it isn’t out of the question WWE takes the title off of him and puts it on Lesnar for the Unification Match with Reigns. Or someone else with a clearer path to WrestleMania 38.

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