Tossing Salt Presents:
WWE Elimination Chamber 2023
Thoughts & Predictions
February 17, 2023
DougMaynard.com

Tomorrow night, live from Montreal, Canada, is the WWE’s final Premium Live Event before Wrestlemania, and it’s going to be a big one, folks. The Bloodline story comes to a peak, plus two Elimination Chamber matches to boot. It’s a big night for the WWE and of course, that means it’s prediction time. I’ve got a feeling that an extra match or two will be added tonight on Smackdown and if that happens, I’ll come back and add predictions for those matches as well. Are you ready? Let’s do this.

Elimination Chamber Match – United States Championship
Austin Theory (c) versus Seth Rollins versus Damian Priest versus Johnny Gargano versus Bronson Reed versus Montez Ford

The best thing about this match in my eyes that it’s a pretty even playing field. Only Seth is a top-level star and the rest, the future of WWE just really starting to come into their prime. Vince McMahon would never have booked this match, but luckily for us, Triple H would and has. This is the future and looking at the names in this match, the future is looking mighty bright. From all the rumors I’ve been hearing, Seth is going to be fighting Logan Paul at Mania so that takes him out of the running. I like the idea of Priest winning, but since he and Theory are both heels, that doesn’t make much sense. I can’t see Ford or Reed winning here either so let’s go with Theory retaining the U.S. Championship and moving forward to defending that title once more at Mania.

Winner and STILL United States Champion: Austin Theory

Elimination Chamber Match for a shot at Bianca Belair’s RAW Women’s Championship at Wrestlemania
Asuka versus Natalya versus Rachel Rodriguez versus Liv Morgan versus Carmella versus Nikki Cross

If this was just another multi-woman match looking for a shot at Bianca, then it could be anyone’s match to win. These are six very talented women. But since the prize is Wrestlemania, that narrows things down a bit. The only woman who is worthy of a main event slot at the biggest show of the year in this match is pretty easy to see. No one is ready for Asuka.

Winner and NEW #1 Contender for Bianca Belair’s RAW Women’s Championship: Asuka

Edge & Beth Phoenix versus Finn Balor & Rhea Ripley

By the rules of Wrestling 101, this should be a big win for Edge and Beth. They’re the faces who were done wrong and are now looking for retribution. But Rhea is headed towards Mania and a loss on her record would not look good. The Judgement Day is on fire right now and a loss doesn’t make sense UNLESS there’s a swerve. Maybe we’ll see Rey Mysterio out there for a distraction to counter Con Dom? Maybe Edge will take up Gangrel on his offer to be in Edge’s corner to counter Judgement Day? There will be shenanigans taking place. I don’t want to see Rhea and Finn lose, but if there is a reason, they can claim it was a fluke, and doesn’t matter. Sounds like a plan to me.

Winners: Edge & Beth Phoenix

Bobby Lashley versus Brock Lesnar

This one will just be HULK SMASH! from start to finish as man meat slapping is everywhere. Will Lashley have MVP and The Hurt Business Faction with him? If he does, he might have a chance. No, he doesn’t have a chance. Watch The Beast run wild.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

WWE Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
Roman Reigns (c) versus Sami Zayn

And this is it, the big one. Does Sami pull the upset in his hometown and walk away as the new Head of the Table, the Undisputed Champion? Or does the Tribal Chief go into god mode and put Sami down once and for all? Roman should beat Sami. Let’s be serious here. But what about The Usos or Heyman? What about Solo? What about Kevin Owens or Cody Rhodes? Who will get involved and how? That’s where the real questions lay. Will Jey Uso help his friend win the biggest match of his career? Or will he prove that blood is thicker than friendship and he’s loyal to The Bloodline? There are so many ways this can go and that’s what is so great about it. Nothing is predictable. Roman should, in my opinion, still have that belt or at least one of them at Mania. How about Sami scores a win and then Heyman reveals that the contract is for just one title and not both? A swerve, but it makes sense and works. Yeah, let’s go with that. Sami wins in his hometown, but the legal mind of Heyman reveals Monday on RAW that the match was only for the WWE title and not for both. Sami keeps that belt while Roman goes on to defend the Universal Championship at Mania against Cody. Works for me.

Winner and NEW WWE Champion: Sami Zayn

And there you go with my thoughts and predictions for WWE Elimination Chamber, coming up tomorrow on Peacock and the WWE Network. So what are your predictions? Let me know in the comments or at my e-mail of Doug28352@yahoo.com, along with your thoughts and questions too. I want to hear from you.

And with that being said, I’m out of here, my friends. Be well and stay safe. Watch out for foreign objects and I’ll see you at the matches.

Ubuntu!