WWE’s final pay-per-view stop on the Road to WrestleMania goes down on Saturday when the Elimination Chamber comes to Montreal. The card is loaded with big matches, which all have significant implications for April’s two-night WrestleMania event.
Two matches are set to take place in the iconic Elimination Chamber. Six women will battle with a shot at Bianca Belair and the Raw women’s championship on the line. On the men’s side, Austin Theory will defend his United States championship once morest five other men inside the chamber.
Plus, the epic main event is set to see Roman Reigns defend his undisputed universal championship once morest former teammate Sami Zayn in Zayn’s hometown. The saga that has become The Bloodline reached a boiling point at Royal Rumble when Reigns pushed Zayn to strike his former friend Kevin Owens with a chair while Owens was defenseless. Instead, Zayn struck Reigns and led to an incredible moment that seems to have the faction splitting at the seams.
Let’s take a closer look at who our CBS Sports experts predict will come out on top at WWE Elimination Chamber, which begins Saturday at 8 p.m. ET from Bell Centre in Montreal and streams live on Peacock.
2023 WWE Elimination Chamber predictions
Undisputed WWE universal championship — Roman Reigns (c) vs. Sami Zayn
At any other point in the year, it feels as though there’d be a bit more unpredictability to how this match might play out. Zayn is as hot a babyface as WWE has had in a long time because of the masterfully crafted Bloodline storyline. The crowd in Montreal will be incredibly hot for Zayn and an upset championship win would be an all-time moment in WWE history. The reality, however, is that Reigns’ long run with the titles is not going to end this close to WrestleMania. The real question is if things play out in a way that alters the WrestleMania main event. Will something happen that inserts Zayn into that match, turning the match between Reigns and Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes into a triple threat? That’s still to be seen. Reigns vs. Zayn should have a great atmosphere and tell a good story, but it would be a legitimate shocker if Zayn left Montreal with the titles. Pick: Roman Reigns retains the titles — Brent Brookhouse (also Shakiel Mahjouri)
Elimination Chamber match for a shot at the Raw women’s championship at WrestleMania — Asuka vs. Liv Morgan vs. Nikki Cross vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Natalya vs. Carmella
The return of “Evil Asuka” has been a devilish treat. Her makeover at the Royal Rumble elicited a big fan response and she has been booked well since, picking up good wins and showing a return to her old dominance. Asuka is certainly the most credible competitor in this Chamber match and her new gimmick needs to be protected. All acts cool off so it’s imperative that WWE continues to present this unhinged version of Asuka as a threat. With WrestleMania on the horizon, Asuka is also the safest choice for a smooth build to a title match on the biggest show of the year. Pick: Asuka wins — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
Elimination Chamber match for the United States championship — Austin Theory (c) vs. Seth Rollins vs. Montez Ford vs. Damian Priest vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Bronson Reed
There aren’t a ton of credible winners heading into the match. Johnny Gargano has largely been a comedy act since returning, Rollins recently lost the title and seems tied to a possible WrestleMania outing once morest Logan Paul, Priest is a secondary stable member, Reed does not have the momentum — nor have the fans shown any interest in him on Raw — to enter WrestleMania as a defending champion and Ford is one-half of a struggling tag team. If anyone were to dethrone Theory, it would likely be Ford. There is certainly desire in seeing what the athletic, fan-friendly superstar might do as a breakout singles star. Ultimately, WWE seems somewhat committed to Theory’s reign and a credible challenger is on the horizon. Theory told CBS Sports in August “he’s pretty confident” that he would face John Cena at WrestleMania. There aren’t many contestants in the Cena sweepstakes beyond Theory and Logan Paul. If we’re getting Theory vs. Cena, then the champion will certainly leave Elimination Chamber with his title in hand. Pick: Austin Theory retains the title — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
Edge & Beth Phoenix vs. Finn Balor & Rhea Ripley
The deciding factor in this match is that Ripley won the Royal Rumble and is heading to WrestleMania to challenge Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown women’s championship. Ripley has not wrestled since winning the Rumble and having her immediately lose momentum by dropping a match to Edge and Phoenix, a couple of established legends who are bulletproof at this point, would make no sense. Sometimes, it really is that easy to determine how a match will play out. Pick: Balor and Ripley win — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley
In all honesty, the most realistic option here may be to have the pair go to a no contest due to a wild brawl, allowing the rubber match to carry over to WrestleMania. There’s likely no bigger Mania match for either man available so blowing off the feud on the big stage may be the best option. Were I forced to pick either man to get the win, I’d have to side with Lesnar. Lashley has gotten over on Lesnar at basically every turn, including directly following Lesnar defeated him at Crown Jewel. At some point, a star like Lesnar gets the “get-right moment.” Pick: No contest or Brock Lesnar wins — Brookhouse
The outcome of this match depends on WWE’s WrestleMania plans. Candidly, the once fantasy feud has run its course but here we are. The hosses are split 1-1 in their series and a no-contest is in play should creative opt to conclude the trilogy at WrestleMania. If someone is getting the win at Elimination Chamber, I’m siding with Lashley. The Hurt Business never really got the run they deserved and there may be interest in reforming the faction. Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander were seen chatting backstage on Raw, MVP’s collaboration with Omos flopped and Lashley is in need of help. Having Hurt Business interfere in the match gives Lashley the upper hand, gives the group a big reintroduction and allows WWE wiggle room to stretch the feud to WrestleMania. Pick: Bobby Lashley wins — Mahjouri
