SEScoops Previews WWE Elimination Chamber 2014

Tonight’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view marks the end of an era for WWE. After nearly 3 decades of presenting their top shows exclusively on pay-per-view, the company is dramatically changing their business model by moving the monthly Sunday night shows to the highly anticipated WWE Network subscription service. For that reason, it’s historic event and will set the stage for April’s WrestleMania XXX. Overall it’s a card with two strong matches on top and a few undercard matches that will advance storylines and give us a glimpse of what’s to come on the Road to WrestleMania.

Here’s our 5 Point Preview for WWE Elimination Chamber 2014:

5. Batista vs. Alberto Del Rio

Batista returns to singles action for the first time since 2010. This feud has been brewing on Twitter since before Batista returned at the Royal Rumble. During a segment on RAW featuring Alberto Del Rio, Batista asked ‘who is this guy?’. Del Rio responded with a dig at Batista, which led Batista to call him a “C level star “in a “B level era.”  Their feud has since spilled over onto television, with Batista destroying Del Rio every time.

With Batista challenging for the WWE World Heavyweight championship at WrestleMania XXX and Alberto Del Rio’s contract expiring soon, expect Batista to go over strong.

4. Intercontinental Title Match: Big E (c) vs. Jack Swagger

Big E will actually put his Intercontinental Championship on the line, something we haven’t seen very often in 2014. The buildup for this match has been lackluster at best, while Swagger has been protected in recent weeks.  Swagger looks strong and has his eyes on the prize. Both Swagger and Cesaro are challenging for gold at Elimination Chamber and have a chance to solidify themselves as strong players on the roster.

3.  Darren Young vs. Titus O’Neil

Darren Young finally gets his chance to get revenge on his former tag team partner, who has gotten the best of him since their breakup. Titus O’Neil has gotten a lot more air time to develop his character since going solo and it’s clear that he’s the one that WWE sees more potential in. Will Titus get the win and move on to bigger things, or will Darren Young be victorious to continue this feud?

2. The Shield Vs. Wyatt Family

The Shield and The Wyatt Family will finally square off in one of the most anticipated matches in a long time. WWE’s two biggest heel factions will collide in a dream match that fans have been hoping for since the Wyatt Family debuted last year.

Both teams are captained by men who have breakout singles potential. Even though Roman Reigns has been pegged as WWE’s newest “chosen one,” the dissension we’ve seen from The Shield could very well be their downfall. Bray Wyatt is rumored to be facing John Cena at WrestleMania XXX, while Reigns’ next move is more of a wildcard. The Shield could lose this match due to infighting while still keeping Reigns strong. For that reason, a win by the Wyatt Family seems more likely.

WWE has done a great job of building tension between the two groups, with them finally getting physical in the closing segment of Monday’s RAW after weeks of teasing. Whatever the result, this is going to have ‘big match’ feel to it, which is what it’s all about.

1. Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

The 2014 WWE Elimination Chamber match is shaping up to be a good one. Randy Orton has been portrayed as the vulnerable champion since the Royal Rumble, losing high profile matches to almost all of the participants. John Cena is always a threat, Daniel Bryan is the ultimate underdog and Cesaro’s stock has been rising much like WWE’s. Sheamus and Christian could be looked at as filler and are the least likely to walk out a champion, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a big impact in how this match plays out.

Whoever walks out with the gold has Batista waiting in the wings. Perhaps the most interesting takeaway will be whether the winner actually wrestles Batista in the main event of WrestleMania. Orton vs. Batista has been the rumored WrestleMania main event for months – but will the WWE Universe accept this? Will WWE actually proceed with this planned match? With the huge groundswell of support behind Daniel Bryan, there’s a strong possibility that Elimination Chamber will not be the final word regarding the WWE title picture headed into Mania.

Join us here tonight for our Live Coverage of WWE Elimination Chamber. Nobody does pay-per-view live results like SEScoops – and tonight will be no exception. Live Coverage begins at 7:30pm (Eastern) with the PPV Kickoff Show – and we’ll have the Chat Room open all night so you can discuss the show in real time with the other readers. We’ll see you here tonight!