WWE’s Elimination Chamber was the brand’s final premium event before WrestleMania. All roads now lead to Inglewood, California for the two-day event at the SoFi Stadium in early April.
Here is a look at what we learned from Elimination Chamber, and what we may have to look forward to at this year’s WrestleMania.
Will Cody Rhodes End Roman’s Reign?
Roman Reigns extended his streak as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion with a victory over Sami Zayn in the main event at Elimination Chamber. With the help of Jimmy Uso and Paul Heyman, the defending champion was able to get the better of the Canadian in front of his home supporters in Montreal after a thrilling fight.
The next man to get a shot at Reigns’ titles is Cody Rhodes. He won that right at the Royal Rumble back in January, the event which marked the return of the American Nightmare following a long-term injury. After going in as the 30th contestant, he was the last one standing in the ring.
Rhodes is going to try and do what many WWE wrestlers have failed to do since the Tribal Chief won the WWE Universal Championship at Payback in August 2020: pin the champion in the ring.
This fight will be the biggest in Rhodes’ career. The two-time Intercontinental champion will fulfill a dream if he is to win the biggest belts in the WWE’s “The Showcase of the Immortals”.
Surprise Guests
WrestleMania has a history of celebrities being part of the card. Mike Tyson was the special guest referee for the main event between Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin in 1998, while in 2022, global superstar artist Bad Bunny teamed up with Damien Priest to defeat The Miz and John Morrison in a tag team match.
Logan Paul’s appearance at Elimination Chamber this year could indicate he will meet Seth Rollins in a match. The pair have been involved in wars of words on social media. Rollins will not be happy with the way his match ended for the Intercontinental Title in Montreal as Paul interfered in the fight, costing him the chance to win the belt.
It is not just Logan who has featured on the WWE over the last few years, his younger brother Jake has also been involved in storylines. Jake Paul is set to meet Tommy Fury in a boxing match before WrestleMania. As of February 26th, Paul is the -138 favorite in sports betting for that fight. Should Logan get his chance to face Rollins at WrestleMania, the internet personalities will both be involved in two of the biggest pay-per-view events of 2023.
Asuka Gets Her Shot at Bianca
Two-time Raw Women’s Champion Asuka will get the chance to hold that belt once again when she meets Bianca Belair at WrestleMania. The Japanese wrestler won the women’s Elimination Chamber match this year, defeating Carmella, Liv Morgan, Natalya, Nikki Cross, and Raquel Rodriguez.
Asuka missed out on choosing her opponent at WrestleMania when she finished third at the Royal Rumble. That privilege went to Rhea Ripley who then chose Smackdown champion Charlotte Flair for her title shot at the event.
Belair is the second-longest Raw women’s champion in history behind Becky Lynch. She will be hoping to get past Asuka in her next title defense, and then overtake Lynch’s record later this year.
Unfinished Business with Edge and The Judgement Day
Edge and his wife Beth Phoenix defeated The Judgement Day’s Finn Balor and Ripley in a mixed tag team match, but the feud is likely to continue beyond this event, especially after the way this contest transpired.
This is a rivalry that stretches back to Extreme Rules last October. Ripley attacked Phoenix with a chair, while the other members of the group forced Edge to watch. The Rated R Superstar returned at Royal Rumble to confront Dominik Mysterio, Balor, and Priest in the ring.
Edge has featured at 13 different WrestleMania events in his career, winning eight matches. He may get the chance to beat that record in either a singles match with Mysterio or another mixed tag team match with Phoenix in his corner.
This year’s WrestleMania will be the 39th of all time. It is set to have one of the highest attendances in the history of the event.
