The Men’s Elimination Chamber Match Prognosis: It’s Gonna Be Roman

Brock Lesnar needs an opponent for WrestleMania. The Raw brand has the opportunity to perform on the Elimination Chamber PPV this year. It was easy enough to figure out how to decide who would challenge for the Universal Championship. The only problem with the whole setup is that it’s easy enough to figure out who’s going to win.

It’s going to be Roman Reigns. This has been reported by every wrestling insider since last year’s WrestleMania. Brock was going to hold onto the Universal Championship for a year, and then the Big Dog would knock him off his throne at WrestleMania. The first part is set in stone. Now it’s simply a matter of Roman holding up his end of the bargain & dispatching of his opponents inside the Elimination Chamber.

Does anybody have a chance of proving the insiders wrong? Will Brock Lesnar face somebody not named Roman Reigns at WrestleMania? Let’s take a look at the participants & see if one of them has a chance…

Finn Balor
Age: 36
Height: 5’11
Weight: 190 lbs.
Titles Held: WWE Universal Championship, NXT Championship

Why He’ll Win: Balor has been earmarked for big things in WWE since his arrival. He’s had an up & down tenure on the main roster, but now seems like as good a time as any for him to take the next step up towards immortality. Paul Heyman is a big Balor fan & I can see him pushing for the Demon being the one to take the title off of his client. Also, he’s over.

He’s not Roman Reigns.

John Cena
Age: 40
Height: 6’1
Weight: 251 lbs.
Titles Held: WWE Championship (13 times), World Heavyweight Championship (3 times), WWE United States Championship (5 times), WWE Tag Team Championship (2 times), World Tag Team Championship (2 times), Royal Rumble Winner (2008, 2013), Money in the Bank Briefcase Holder (2012)
Elimination Chamber Record: 3-3

Why He’ll Win: He’s John Cena. He has the second-most Chamber victories & has been in the second-most Chamber matches. Few men know the structure as well as he does. It also has to be noted that Cena is chasing history. His next major championship will break Ric Flair’s record of sixteen. What better time to do it than at WrestleMania against Brock Lesnar, a man that broke in at the same time as Cena & has been a major thorn in his side throughout his career? You can never count this man out, except for one simple fact that stands in his way.

He’s not Roman Reigns.

Elias
Age: 30
Height: 6’0
Weight: 217 lbs.
Titles Held: None

Why He’ll Win: The dude can carry a tune. Elias has been a pleasant surprise ever since his arrival on Raw & has become one of WWE’s most entertaining performers. I’m calling BS on Wikipedia’s weight for him, he’s been in the gym a lot the last few months & seems to be taking this push seriously. He’s done well with the likes of John Cena & a victory here would be just the kind of thing that WWE likes to do from time to time to throw people off the scent.

He’s not Roman Reigns.

The Miz
Age: 37
Height: 6’2
Weight: 221 lbs.
Titles Held: WWE Championship, WWE Intercontinental Championship (8 times, current), WWE United States Championship (2 times), WWE Tag Team Championship (4 times), World Tag Team Championship (2 times), Money in the Bank Winner (2010)
Elimination Chamber Record: 0-2

Why He’ll Win: Miz doesn’t have a good history inside the Chamber, but surely he’s learned something from his previous experiences. Going in at #1 is a tall order, but if anybody can rise to the occasion on a big stage, it’s Miz. OK, honestly, I’m stretching here. Miz’s performance in last year’s Chamber match was abysmal & made me feel foolish for wasting keystrokes on reasons why he could win.

He’s not Roman Reigns.

Seth Rollins
Age: 31
Height: 6’1
Weight: 217 lbs.
Titles Held: WWE World Heavyweight Championship (2 times), WWE United States Championship, WWE/Raw Tag Team Championship (3 times), NXT Championship, Money in the Bank Winner (2014)

Why He’ll Win: The Architect has suddenly remembered who he is. After settling for tag team gold for the past several months, Rollins has insinuated himself back into the Universal title picture. He went over an hour in the Gauntlet Match on Monday & scored victories over Roman Reigns & John Cena. He didn’t get the win at the end, but he gained more momentum than anybody else. Rollins has a track record of success at WrestleMania with a Money in the Bank cash-in & a victory over Triple H to his credit. The Kingslayer could very well end up leashing the Beast.

He’s not Roman Reigns.

Braun Strowman
Age: 34
Height: 6’8
Weight: 385 lbs.
Titles Held: None

Why He’ll Win: Because he should win, for heaven’s sake. The Monster Among Men has been on fire for the past few months & has caught on with the fans like few in recent memory. He dominates in the ring to the delight of the crowd. He connects with the audience on the microphone. If I had the Raw booking pencil I’d have him run through every single guy in this match & then obliterate Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. WWE has the chance to build a huge star here. I’m still not 100% sure how it happened, but Braun can be the guy. He has “it”.

There’s only one problem…

Why He’ll Lose: He’s not Roman Reigns.

Roman Reigns
Age: 32
Height: 6’3
Weight: 265 lbs.
Titles Held: WWE World Heavyweight Championship (3 times), WWE Intercontinental Championship, WWE United States Championship, WWE Tag Team Championship, Royal Rumble Winner (2015)

Why He’ll Win: He’s Roman Reigns.

Why He’ll Lose: He probably shouldn’t, to be honest. Balor, Miz & Elias have no real business winning. Rollins is kind of a dark horse pick that wouldn’t be the worst idea. Cena is always an option. I would love to see Strowman win & find out if he could get even hotter feuding with Beastie Boy Brock during WrestleMania season. It might be his time.

If now isn’t Roman’s time, it never will be. The guy has headlined the last three WrestleManias. The conclusion seems to be at hand, and it results in the Big Dog conquering the Beast and attaining his destiny as Emperor of WWE forever more. This is what the company has built towards for years now. We can argue all day & night over whether it’s been successful or not. We can argue over whether the build has worked, or whether Roman’s the right guy. The money’s been coming in hand over fist. The crowd reaction hasn’t been there. There are salient talking points for each side of the discussion.

As much as I would like to toss it all aside & let Braun Strowman run over everybody, staying the course is the prudent decision. It’s time to finish the Rise of the Roman Empire.

If it doesn’t work, Braun can create the Fall of the Roman Empire.