Elimination Chamber 2020 Predictions

In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, we discuss the Road to WrestleMania and the Elimination Chamber.

First of all, what are your thoughts on Goldberg defeating The Fiend for the Universal Championship?

David Gibb: It’s not for me, and I don’t think it’s great for the business, but what do I know?

Chad Gelfand: It’s not surprising at this point, but it’s disappointing. As long as WWE treats Attitude Era performers and part-timers as bigger stars than current talent, that’s how the audience will perceive them. Then, WWE will say that it doesn’t have any stars. It’s a vicious cycle and self-fulfilling prophecy.

Anthony Mahalis: I was not too happy about Goldberg beating The Fiend. The Fiend and Reigns would have been a more enticing matchup. However, I guess the brass thought Goldberg was the bigger draw right now.

John Corrigan: I called it in my Konnan piece. It was a dumb decision and shows Vince McMahon hasn’t learned what ruined Bray Wyatt’s initial character.

Juan Bautista: It doesn’t make sense. The debate of which name has more star power is irrelevant. Goldberg won’t be present full time after Mania, while The Fiend has been ultimately damaged. Goldberg has already been beaten and to quote CM Punk: “I’ve seen this movie before.” It’s WrestleMania 33 all over again. Kevin Owens was handed straight to the wolves just like The Fiend. They both have been sacrificed to give the title to a storyline that doesn’t need it.

Matthew Smith: My first thought was just here we go again. I wanted to be mad, but did we expect anything different? Goldberg is nothing of what he used to be, but Vince wants him to get this negative reaction so Roman will look good at WrestleMania. I just hate that Bray had to suffer again because of it.

Steven Jackson: It makes no sense. Even if it was for the Middle Eastern fans, the decision still has implications in the West and it isn’t good booking. Completely pointless and stupid and sadly, Goldberg should know better than to stoop to this.

Goodwillie: Simply put, it is the right call. Goldberg is a bigger box-office attraction than The Fiend, and that’s crazy on some levels considering the investment WWE has put back into his character. Even with that, Bray Wyatt is a bad wrestler. He’s never been any good, has never improved and only seems to come out of big matches looking worse, even when booking is favorable. Crazy thing is, he still probably has some untapped star power, and heading into WrestleMania 37, WWE will need to make a decision one way or another about prioritizing the importance of talent over brand. Until WWE shows a want to do that, guys like The Fiend and Roman Reigns are always going to be working in the shadows of guys like Goldberg.

Would you rather John Cena face someone other than The Fiend at WrestleMania 36? If so, who?

Gibb: The Fiend is the perfect John Cena opponent right now. He’s still relatively hot as a character, and the fans still believe in him, even though they were disappointed by the title loss. His in-ring style and psychology should also mesh well with what John Cena – especially a somewhat rusty John Cena – likes to do.

Gelfand: John Cena vs. The Fiend works at WrestleMania. Bray Wyatt and John Cena have a lot of history with each other, and if The Fiend isn’t going to be Universal Champion, he needs a high-profile match.

Mahalis: The Fiend vs. Cena is intriguing, I guess. I prefer that matchup more than Cena/Elias or Cena/Corbin. However, if Cena beats The Fiend, stick a fork in him.

Corrigan: I’d rather John Cena challenge The Fiend for his record-breaking 17th world title, only to lose and further put over The Fiend. With that off the table, I don’t care about WrestleMania this year. I’m actually more interested in whether the show goes on in spite of the coronavirus.

Bautista: No one. John Cena doesn’t need to be at WrestleMania 36. His presence isn’t needed.

Smith: If done right, I actually want this match. It’s time for Big Match John to do the favor for Bray Wyatt. He always talks of loving the business and wanting others to succeed, well, now he has the golden chance to make up for two blunders WWE made with Bray Wyatt. After all, Bray should have won the first Mania match between the two. This one Bray must win or get ready to fall back to midcard status…at best.

Jackson: John Cena and Bray Wyatt have great chemistry so I’m actually excited for another match between the two of them. Realistically, I can’t see who else John Cena could face.

Goodwillie: No, I’ll quit while I’m ahead. Think about it: we almost got John Cena vs. ELIAS! In that sense, The Fiend is a big improvement (and a good rub for The Fiend), but I suppose in a perfect world I’d have booked him in a world title match or added him to a match that needed more star power. Of course, both scenarios would have required more time to properly build, and because Cena is only going to have a month to drum up hype, I have no problems with this match.

If WWE takes pay-per-views to ESPN+, will you still subscribe to WWE Network?

Gibb: I go back and forth on this. Really, I subscribe to the Network for the first five Clashes and TV from the ’80s – I don’t make an appointment out of watching the monthly shows anymore. With that said, dropping those shows does feel like it takes a big bite out of the general value and appeal of the Network.

Gelfand: Yes, for the video library. But I’m most likely not paying $50 for PPVs after spending $10 for every PPV for six years.

Mahalis: Ehhh, I would have to think about it. I do like the original programming and old PPVs better than the current PPVs, so I would consider keeping it.

Corrigan: Probably, although I did re-subscribe just for the Royal Rumble. I certainly won’t be paying to watch PPVs on ESPN+.

Bautista: The subscription price would need to go down. ESPN+ is $4.99 a month, which includes the full ESPN Films library and access to live events and exclusive shows. While the full video library of multiple companies is still available on the WWE Network for $9.99 a month, quantity doesn’t equal quality.

Smith: Not subscribed now.

Jackson: I don’t subscribe to the WWE Network.

Goodwillie: WWE taking current pay-per-views off the Network will have no impact on whether or not I remain a subscriber. I get that for many, that’s the sole purpose of having a WWE Network account. No so for me. I love the classic content and as a multimedia storyteller myself, the irreverent, NFL Films-style content they produce is just fantastic. I can’t get enough, and besides, where else are you going to get unseen backstage footage of a “Legend Killer” Randy Orton pretending to be the Tasmanian Devil?

Who wins the women’s Elimination Chamber?

Gibb: It can really only be Baszler or Asuka. Asuka is already a tag champ and Baszler is newer on the big stage, so I say Shayna.

Gelfand: Shayna Baszler seems to be the only one that makes sense for Becky to feud with at WrestleMania. They’re not going to have Shayna become a full vampire and then have her not face Becky.

Mahalis: Anyone other than Baszler makes no sense.

Corrigan: Liv MorgLOL JK. Baszler.

Bautista: It’s Shayna, right?

Smith: Unless they plan to make Becky vs. Shayna in a triple threat at Mania, I don’t see anyone but Baszler winning. For a company that hates “blood and guts” and S-words being said on TV, it sure doesn’t seem to mind Shayna doing it. WWE put too much into Shayna to have her not walk out of the Elimination Chamber and go on to face Lynch at Mania.

Jackson: I’m really hoping for a Shayna Baszler win and overall domination in the Elimination Chamber!

Goodwillie: Shayna Baszler in a squash, but what’s interesting to me is how when it comes to the Becky Lynch title match, everybody and their mother knows Shayna is going to step up as the challenger, but this match is happening anyway because there needs to be a storyline reason to justify it. With Roman Reigns on the other hand, as soon as The Observer reported Goldberg’s likely victory in Saudi Arabia, WWE scrapped the match entirely and simply had Reigns speak the match into existence on SmackDown. Is this what wrestling is coming to? People are going to prefer what they prefer, but give me the match to set up the match any day of the week.

Who wins the tag team Elimination Chamber?

Gibb: Wait, this is the other Chamber match? Uh, Usos, I guess.

Gelfand: Because they just won the titles, The Miz and John Morrison will somehow worm their way to victory.

Mahalis: Miz and Morrison retain. I’d like to see a TLC with those two, The New Day and The Usos at Mania.

Corrigan: Miz & Morrison in what is sure to be an Elimination Chamber clusterfuck.

Bautista: Miz and Morrison will win. Unless a game of hot potato ensues, the titles shouldn’t change this quickly.

Smith: This is going to be a mess. The first tag team Elimination Chamber was and this won’t be any different. It’s too many people at once with too much going on, and did we even have a build for this? Miz and Morrison retain here because besides The New Day, I don’t buy that any other team is good enough to win. This will be a terrible spot fest – I’d rather watch Reigns vs. Corbin in a 60-minute ironman match.

Jackson: I’d really like to see Miz and Morrison win and get back the momentum they had in the late 2000s.

Goodwillie: A lot of factors at play here. Do Ziggler and Roode need the titles to have a match with Heavy Machinery at WrestleMania? Yes? If so, they’re the pick. If not, I see Miz & Morrison retaining, setting up another title defense at WrestleMania. Of course, WWE always beats me to the punch on these pay-per-view builds. I was forecasting Miz & Morrison vs. New Day for WrestleMania a whole month ago, but of course they go ahead and give it away at Super Showdown. Now what? Probably a multi-team gimmick match.