The Return of Mr. V
Predictions for WWE Elimination Chamber
February 16, 2013
Written by: Mr. V of Wrestleview.com
The Return
First off, after talking to some people on staff and even around the area I feel that it is near time for me to present something in text form for all of you. I’ve been busy teaching some tremendous students and I did not have much time to type. Until now!
So during the return, let me type out what I am hoping to shoot for. Please hold me accountable readers, I tend to take breaks now and then.
The Teacher’s Predictions – Instead of me issuing a deep pick in the Predictions article (which you will see on February 17) I am going to provide just a bit of information as to why I feel will happen in the matches on a PPV Card. Now the Staff Predictions will still take place with a brand new points (and even longer) system so don’t worry if you take place regularly in the predictions game. Again, congrats to Wade Bradford, James Lacerenza, and Jordan Benterman on finishing in the top 3 in the standings last season.
Match of the Year Nominees – My good friends have been moderating The latest Match of the Year forum on Wrestleview. I’ve been watching about 5 matches per weekend and you will get a small take on why you should watch the match or you should probably pass on it. I have strict guidelines, so readers be certain that what I approve of will be time well invested.
The Generation Gap – Hogan vs. Cena? Flair vs. Triple H? Savage vs. Punk? Angle vs. Backlund? Who was the better wrestler? Well, thanks to Rocky Dominguez, an avid reader from the “Desk of Mr. V” columns, I have another idea. In this portion I will be very vague, but informative in which I will allow the readers (or anyone for that matter) a choice of three matches of a professional wrestler that I need to see. I will then sit back, provide a bit of analysis, and come up with a true winner. Storylines need not apply, as I am looking for strictly professional wrestling at its finest.
Now with the predictions, I take all personal bias aside. I don’t predict who the better wrestler is, but what would make more sense if one books the event. I might be right most of the time, and it is impossible to be right ALL the time. So just enjoy.
Now, let’s see what the Elimination Card showcases.
The Teacher’s Predictions
The Pre-Show: Brodus Clay and Tensai vs. Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes)
Words can’t describe how I feel about the direction of Rhodes Scholars. Personally, they should never tease the break-up to begin with as I thought they would be great adversaries to Team Hell No. But I will give credit for re-grouping this team. They feed off of each other well and are one of the better teams in professional wrestling now. The team of Brodus Clay and Tensai is very odd which all started with a “dance-off” on Raw a few weeks back. Remember all that build that Tensai received when he was introduced? It’s all a distant memory with no strong push during that span outside of the first few weeks. As for Clay, all he does is dance.
I don’t expect this match to be very good, but I do expect an adequate showing by Rhodes Scholars. However, with Tensai and Clay continuing their union I think they roll the dice and give TENSAI and CLAY the victory. The better wrestlers sadly will not prevail.
Six Man Tag Team Match: The Shield (Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Seth Rollins) vs. Ryback, John Cena, and Sheamus
The WWE invested a lot of time on The Shield since their debut and for months they reeked havoc on anyone that was unjust. It was one thing to get a win over Ryback and Team Hell No, but now they are going up against Ryback and the two most popular guys in the company. It’s a heck of a push for guys like Ambrose and Rollins, who spent years in other promotions such as Ring of Honor and Combat Zone Wrestling.
We should know what to expect with Cena. He is the top guy that will probably not pinned. I just won’t believe that especially with Cena getting primed for WrestleMania. Sheamus’ direction is a bit confusing, but one thing certain is that he is still at the top of his level. Ryback still needs work, but again the WWE invested a lot of time in him. When these superpowers of the WWE (all either at the main-event level or potential) go head-to-head, I just can’t believe that The Shield come out on top. Look for CENA/SHEAMUS/RYBACK to finally put a dent in The Shield’s armor.
Elimination Chamber Match: Jack Swagger, Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan, Kane, Mark Henry, and Randy Orton are battling to become the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship
With this pick, I am just going to run down our contestants.
Swagger – I think the aggressive side is good for him. The last few times I watched him were ok, but not great. But he now has a solid mouthpiece for him in Zeb Colter (who is Dutch Mantel). While this should be his best showing in 2013 I do not see any chance of him winning the Chamber. Too soon to make him a main event guy again.
Jericho – Now Y2J is an interesting pick. He can wrestle any type of match and perform well. In my opinion, he is going to be the MVP of this show. Heck, he may even be one of the first two men to participate in the Chamber match. His all-day attitude and his vast array of movesets puts him as a favorite to win the match.
Bryan – Last Year, he was a winner in a Chamber match. This year, I don’t think he has a chance. Either he will cost Kane the chance for the big prize, or the other way around. Bryan would be a great wrestler to start this match off, but don’t expect him to be the winner.
Kane – Same format with Bryan, I just don’t see him in contention. He will pull off some good spots and add a hint of power, but with his potential feud with Bryan already in the works I see a bigger picture with Team Hell No. So he is out of the equation.
Henry – He is the dark horse candidate to win the Chamber match. Henry will bring the power and brutality that the WWE demands in this type of match. His gimmick is no-nonsense which adds a bit of a different variable. His only setback is that he just returned recently to the WWE after injury. Will he hold up? That is a question to be answer this weekend. Just because there is no true story with him, I say he is out of the running.
Orton – He will be one of the (if not THE) most over coming into the match. If Jericho does not set the tone to this match, it will be him. He has the gimmick that will have lasting power in this match, but I am not sure how he will pan out. He is another favorite to win the match and face the champion, It’s just a wait and see for The Viper.
Not too in-depth, but here is my predicted order of Eliminations.
1st Man Out: Henry – While he could win, I just see him being in there the least. Too much of a risk.
2nd Man Out: Bryan – I think Kane costs him the opportunity, just like how Bryan eliminated Kane at the Rumble.
3rd Man Out: Kane – He will get distracted and either Orton, Swagger, or Jericho gets a cheap victory.
4th Man Out: Swagger – I think they really want to rebuild him for the better. If he is out early, why do you push him?
5th Man Out: Orton – While I could see him winning, I think the hot hand is CHRIS JERICHO and I think a Jericho vs. Del Rio, Big Show, or even a Dolph Ziggler match is more money for Mania at the moment.
Winner: Chris Jericho.
Divas Championship: Kaitlyn defends against Tamina Snuka
Kaitlyn was a bit rushed in winning the championship due to Eve Torres’ departure. However, in the short time span I think Kaitlyn has improved greatly since her days on NXT. The title is the reward. Tamina is her opponent and she can obviously match Kaitlyn with her power but when it comes to charisma I think more people would treat Kaitlyn as the favorite in this match.
I’m here to write that Kaitlyn is a better chaser than champion. In a match that will possibly last about five minutes, I say TAMINA SNUKA wins her first Divas title. It makes more sense from a booking standpoint.
United States Championship: Antonio Cesaro defends against The Miz
Say what you want, but I think this match (outside of the Chamber) could be the best match on the card. Sure, The Miz almost injured CM Punk but let’s not forget that he can really hype up this kind of match. I enjoy the transition of character and now there is a following for The Miz (well-earned). The Miz does not need the glamour and I feel is settled in nicely in the middle of the card for the WWE.
To me, the faces of the mid-card are the Intercontinental Champion and the United States Champion. Antonio Cesaro is a GREAT mid-card champion. Sheer wrestling alone, Cesaro is one of the best the WWE has to offer. Also, he is adding a bit more European elements to his gimmick, which worked for him in Ring of Honor and Chikara among other companies.
I think ANTONIO CESARO wins easily. It makes sense. The Miz can lose and people will know who his is. Cesaro is defined by the United States Championship. There is nothing wrong with that.
World Heavyweight Championship: Alberto Del Rio defends against The Big Show
I think this weekend will end the cat-and-mouse game between The Big Show and Del Rio. It’s fun while it lasted and they had some good contests, but this is the payoff. Both had an advantage since Del Rio defeated Big Show at The Royal Rumble. Show clobbered Del Rio’s ring announcer, while Del Rio painted Show orange. Again, the feud and story was great. But now both wrestlers have bigger fish to fry.
In my opinion, this is the hardest match to predict. So with that I am going to stick with the champion, ALBERTO DEL RIO. I think Del Rio still has a lot to provide as a babyface and his stock is on the rise. The Big Show needs to take a step back because, well, the gimmick is getting a bit worn out. Furthermore, I think Show needs to just work around another level for a bit. He is still a draw, but now we need to see less.
WWE Championship: The Rock defends against CM Punk
On The Teacher’s Lounge, I voiced my displeasure on giving the title to The Rock. I understand that money talks and The Rock is the biggest draw they have. But what does that say to the full-time roster? To CM Punk?
Now, the stipulation is that if The Rock gets DQ’d or Counted Out he drops the title. Will this happen? Many can only hope. I see CM Punk working throughout the match, but can The Rock hold his own in another 20-minute contest?
There are so many questions and only a few exclamatory moments. However, from the booking sense one has to go with THE ROCK. I know the clichéd pro wrestling fan does not want to watch Cena vs. Rock II for a WWE Championship, but it is likely that we will witness a rematch. Why?
Money.
Oh, and one more thing. Keep an eye on the Wild Card in this PPV, Dolph Ziggler. Expect him to cost Jericho a potential championship match via distraction in the Elimination Chamber or even CASH his case against Del Rio.
Those are my picks, now how about yours? To be part of our predictions game, send your picks to:
E-Mail: mistervwv@hotmail.com
Twitter: @TheMisterV
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