Notes from the Nosebleeds #103
February 19, 2011
By: Matt O’Brien of Wrestleview.com
This Sunday comes another Elimination Chamber pay per view that will help set the stage for Wrestlemania. Both Chamber matches will include six participants fighting it out for a title, or a title match at Wrestlemania. The importance of these two matches is that they will set the stage for what will be the top title matches at Wrestlemania XXVII. Here is a look at the participants.
On the Raw side…
R-Truth
Most people are going to say that Truth has no chance of winning the match, but that really is not the point. He serves a purpose in the Raw Chamber as the third baby face whose defeat will grant the one who pins him momentum through the rest of the match. For Truth fans, it’s great to see him in a main event.
John Morrison
I know a lot of people still want to see Morrison get a shot at Miz at Wrestlemania but I really don’t care for that option. Morrison and Miz were a tag team for a little while a couple years back. Since then they have had several matches. It has been done. I don’t mean to offend anyone who wants to see this match, but I don’t think that Morrison is on the same level as Miz. He is very athletic and can do some pretty cool stuff, but some of it gets over the top. His Spiderman spot at the Royal Rumble was pretty ridiculous and his moves aren’t always a dead hit. Regardless of his athletic ability, it may be a long time before he gets to the main event. I could be wrong. We may very well see Miz and Morrison go at it at Mania, but at this time I don’t see that that does for anyone. Miz is new to the main event scene and if he goes to the main event of Wrestlemania he needs to go in there against a guy who is already established. As for Morrison, it does him no favors if he is put into a title match at Mania without a big star to beat.
CM Punk and Randy Orton
I lump these two together because I really don’t think either guy will win and get a one-on-one shot for the belt at Mania. Punk is a heel so a match against a heel Miz wouldn’t really work. As for Orton, he has already had multiple shots. A Mania match with Miz seems highly unlikely. I can honestly see Punk getting the win with the help of Nexus, but Orton somehow getting inserted into the Mania match, making it a triple threat. Orton-Punk has been a rumored match and with people talking about Cena-Rock instead of Cena-Miz, Miz will need one, if not two, viable challengers at Wrestlemania.
Sheamus
Again I do not see Sheamus coming out with the win unless WWE has something up their sleeve regarding Jerry Lawler or Triple H. Maybe they have Lawler go over Miz and defend the belt at Mania. Pretty doubtful, but one possible route. There is also a possibility of HHH coming back and somehow getting his hands on the title between now and Mania. More than likely Sheamus will be in this match to serve as the big, dominating guy.
John Cena
I really don’t see John Cena not winning this match. If he did then it would either be to set up a swerve to get him back into the match, or he is really headed to a showdown with Rock. A Cena-Miz main event could be one of the better Mania main events we have seen in a while. It’s a fresh match between two guys that work well together.
And on the Smackdown side…
Edge
It seemed like they would do some type of swerve before Mania came around and threw off the Edge-Del Rio match. That may still happen with Ziggler’s spot now up in the air to a mystery opponent, but everything seems to be building just right for the Edge-Del Rio match.
Dolph Ziggler (Just pulled from the match)
Ziggler looks to be out of the match and a replacement will probably be announced on Sunday. Let the speculation begin as to whom that will be. There’s Undertaker, Rock, Sting, and Norman Smiley just to name a few. Ziggler has been a real asset to Smackdown. He was used in 2009 as to get John Morrison over as the Intercontinental Champion, but when it came time for Morrison to drop the title, it was to McIntyre, not Dolph. Instead Dolph was used the guy to build the champion. He is being used in much the same way now for Edge. If you are going to put a new star like Alberto Del Rio in a Mania title match, he needs to face a credible champion, not one that just wins the belt a month before the show. Edge has been built as a fighting champion being tested up and down the road. Come Mania time, Ziggler will have done his job in setting up Edge-Del Rio.
Wade Barrett
It’s hard to believe that about a year ago most people had not heard of Wade Barrett. Today he is one of the top heels in WWE and has headlined a handful of pay per views. Not too bad for a first year. A rumored match with Undertaker now appears to be off, but Barrett will still play a role at Wrestlemania. If he plays the role of champion, it would be defending against Undertaker, forcing Alberto Del Rio to change his title match of choice to the Raw side.
Rey Mysterio
Of all the picks I really like the idea of Rey winning this match. He would be great as a defending champion going into Mania to defend against Del Rio. You have a guaranteed great match, and a history that would make for a great feud culmination at the grandest stage of all.
Kane
I liked Kane as champion and would like to see the title on him again soon. Putting the title on him this Sunday means a likely third Wrestlemania match with Undertaker. It makes sense, but the thought of these two together in ring again I am sure makes some groan.
Drew McIntyre
Like R-Truth, Drew plays a role in this match. Big Show is a bigger name that they could have put into this match, but they already had Kane as the big man for the Chamber. McIntyre’s next step is anyone’s guess. He will likely be at Mania, but not is a championship role. Well, World Championship role that is.
Those are your competitors going into Elimination Chamber this Sunday. As Wrestlemania continues to take shape, Sunday’s show will contribute a more concrete structure as to what we will see come Mania. Thanks for reading this week and I hope you will checkout The Notes from the Nosebleeds series on Wrestlemania matches. Next week will feature the first of a three week span of columns counting down my personal favorite twenty-seven matches. See you then.
Matt O’Brien
Columnist, Wrestleview.com
mattman5436@yahoo.com