Early WWE Elimination Chamber 2022 Match Card Predictions
The Road to WrestleMania 38 runs through the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia on February 19 with Elimination Chamber, headlined by the show's namesake match in which Bobby Lashley will defend the WWE Championship.
A card containing several contests with considerable implications for The Show of Shows will continue the most significant stretch of the WWE calendar.
Who will emerge victorious from the announced matches and why? Find out now with these early predictions for the pay-per-view.
Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Championship
Bobby Lashley will defend his newly regained WWE Championship in the Elimination Chamber match against Riddle, Seth Rollins, Austin Theory, AJ Styles and Brock Lesnar.
On paper, it's a loaded field with a number of competitors who could conceivably walk away with the title.
Styles spent 2021 stuck in a tag team with Omos and is likely to enjoy a more significant run in the lead-in to and through WrestleMania season, while Theory is in the midst of a storyline mentorship with Mr. McMahon. Rollins is fresh off a title match with Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble, and Riddle is one-half of a popular tag team who can slot in and out of main events seamlessly.
Then there is Lesnar, The Beast Incarnate and the Superstar poised to challenge Reigns for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania. Does WWE go ahead with the teased title vs. title match, booking the highest-stakes main event in event history?
While it would be nice to imagine a scenario in which Lashley does not drop the WWE title less than a month after winning it, the fact that we have already seen Lesnar-Reigns multiple times and a special stipulation will be imperative to it being accepted in the top spot on the 'Mania card, suggests a win for The Beast is most likely.
Prediction: ...and NEW WWE champion, Brock Lesnar.
Universal Championship Match: Goldberg vs. Roman Reigns
After their clash for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 36 was canceled when Roman Reigns removed himself from the card amid COVID-19 concerns, The Tribal Chief will put his title on the line against Goldberg in the co-main event in Saudi Arabia.
The veteran adds star power to the card and provides the show with another marquee bout alongside the Elimination Chamber match. It also brings finality to a feud that was teased but never followed up.
Much like the proposed 2020 contest, the outcome is not in question.
Reigns will defeat the Hall of Famer, retain his title in a short, physical battle and continue his march to a potentially defining WrestleMania 38. As of now, this will be the final match of Goldberg's current WWE deal.
Prediction: Reigns retains his Universal Championship.
Raw Women's Championship Match: Lita vs. Becky Lynch
Lita's return to WWE television prior to the Royal Rumble PPV hinted at one last run, presumably with Charlotte Flair.
Creative audibles changed that, though, and the Hall of Famer will now challenge Becky Lynch for the Raw Women's Championship.
The trailblazing competitor is unlikely to capture the belt but is poised to deliver a performance that reminds fans of why she is one of the most influential women in wrestling history.
Lynch should win, and a tainted victory should not be out of the realm of possibility. What should be discounted, though, is an upset win that would throw the women's title picture into disarray ahead of WrestleMania.
Prediction: Lynch retains the Raw Women's Championship.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match: The Viking Raiders vs. The Usos
If there was any indication that The Viking Raiders are not seen as being on the same level as The Usos, one need look no further than Friday's SmackDown, when Jimmy steamrolled Erik for a quick victory via a top-rope splash, in which the heel flashed a "1" mid-flight to add insult to injury.
Erik and Ivar are a fresh matchup for Jimmy and Jey, and the bout should be really strong if given time, but the lack of momentum on the side of the challengers makes them a long shot to dethrone The Bloodline tandem.
Where The Usos go from here is the question.
Prediction: The Usos retain.
Drew McIntyre vs. Madcap Moss
Drew McIntyre returned in the men's Royal Rumble match with a vengeance, unleashing an ass-kicking that included the elimination of Madcap Moss and Happy Corbin.
At Elimination Chamber, he will battle Moss in the culmination of their rivalry, when we can expect a match similar to that of their contest at Day 1.
Moss will look competent in battle, delivering a performance that continues to hint at a star beneath the idiotic dad jokes and suspenders. McIntyre will fight from underneath and ultimately deliver the winning Claymore, kicking off his journey to the biggest show of the year with a win.
How Moss rebounds and what WWE does with Corbin will determine their place on the 'Mania card, while McIntyre figures to feature in a relatively prominent role on April 2-3.
Prediction: McIntyre wins.