The Elimination Chamber lands in Perth, Australia with major implications for WrestleMania 40. Two titular matches are booked for Saturday to determine No. 1 contenders for the world heavyweight championship and women's world championship.
Six male and female superstars will be trapped in their respective Chambers as they look to lock down title shots at WrestleMania. There are a lot of strong contenders in both divisions but each match has its frontrunner. Drew McIntyre and Becky Lynch are the favorites to return stateside victorious. They'll need to overcome the likes of Randy Orton, Logan Paul, Bianca Belair and/or Naomi to do so.
The winner of the men's Elimination Chamber match will face Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40 but the women's world champion could change from now until then. Rhea Ripley is sure to receive a tremendous ovation on home soil as she defends her title against Nia Jax. The outcome of that match will set the stage for what's to come.
There's one more match booked for the event as undisputed tag team champions Damian Priest and Finn Balor of Judgement Day take on British Strong Style members Pete Dunne and Tyer Bate. Plus, Cody Rhodes and Rollins are expected to make an appearance on "The Grayson Waller Effect" as Waller gets his own homecoming in returning to Australia.
Plus, there was a late addition on Friday when WWE announced that The Kabuki Warriors would defend the women's tag team titles against Indi Hartwell and Candice LaRae. The Kabuki Warriors, made up of Asuka and Kairi Sane who are also members of Damage Control, won the titles in late January. It's their second run with the titles after previously holding the crown in 2019 before Sane's departure from WWE in 2020.
It's bound to be an exciting night with so many moving parts. Let's take a look at who the CBS experts predict will come out ahead on Saturday. The event streams live on Peacock at 5 a.m. ET on Saturday with a kickoff show beginning one hour before.
2024 WWE Elimination Chamber predictions
Men's Elimination Chamber Match -- Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton vs. Bobby Lashley vs. LA Knight vs. Kevin Owens vs. Logan Paul
Given the match is to determine who goes on to challenge for the world heavyweight championship at WrestleMania, you have to break it down to who makes sense to go on to such a high-profile match. The only man involved here who has been central to the story of world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins has been McIntyre. The Scotsman has been on Raw every week talking about how he is coming for Rollins and the title. No one else has that level of engagement with the title. For that reason alone, it feels like McIntyre is the only sensible choice here. Pick: Drew McIntyre wins (Brent Brookhouse)
No one in the men's Elimination Chamber match deserves a world heavyweight title shot at WrestleMania as much as McIntyre does right now. Not even Knight, who the WWE will hopefully strap a rocket to in the next 12 months. McIntyre has been a marvel on the microphone, holding his own against CM Punk, Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. He's also one of the most fleshed out characters on the roster, a heel with understandable motives. A cheap win over Rhodes on Raw is a promising sign that WWE is ready to make McIntyre more than the guy who falls just short. It's time for McIntyre, who captured his first WWE title in an empty venue at WrestleMania 36 during lockdown, to have a true WrestleMania moment. Winning the Elimination Chamber is a good start. Pick: Drew McIntyre wins (Shakiel Mahjouri)
Women's Elimination Chamber Match -- Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair vs. Liv Morgan vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Naomi vs. Raquel Rodriguez
Rhea Ripley vs. Lynch at WrestleMania 40 is a no brainer. They are two of WWE's most popular and talented women. It's also a match WWE has been slowly building to over the last eight months. Having Lynch win the Elimination Chamber is the most straight forward route to a WrestleMania showdown, plus it showcases Lynch's competitive edge. Pick: Becky Lynch wins (Mahjouri)
WWE has been locked in on Becky Lynch's new storyline of being one of the best women to ever grace the promotion's ring but suddenly struggling to find success. That leaves two obvious paths for Lynch in the Chamber. Either she gets the win and breaks the skid or she suffers another loss and continues to question whether she still "has it." Belair is a great talent but feels kind of out of the picture with Ripley. Stratton, Naomi and Rodriguez don't really make sense as challengers for Ripley at WrestleMania. That leaves Morgan, who has a built-in story with Ripley where she was sidelined by the champion or Lynch, who is trying to prove she is still a top player. I'll lean toward Lynch getting the big match at WrestleMania. Pick: Becky Lynch wins (Brookhouse)
Women's World Championship -- Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Nia Jax
WWE has a weird history of having wrestlers in their hometowns or home countries lose rather than have a big moment. It's not all the time but it's often enough to cause anyone to take pause on thinking Ripley will be handed the win in front of an excited Australian audience. Still, Ripley has been such a workhorse for the company and has fully come into her own as an elite talent during this championship run. I don't see WWE taking the belt off of her this close to WrestleMania in favor of Jax. That said, Jax has history with Lynch and Lynch vs. Jax at WrestleMania works well. I'm getting a feeling we don't get a clean result here and could see Ripley vs. Jax vs. Lynch at WrestleMania. Pick: Rhea Ripley wins by disqualification (Brookhouse)
If you're going to book Ripley vs. Lynch at WrestleMania 40, the most convenient path requires Ripley to successfully defend her title against Jax. This is going to be a big night for Ripley. She returns to her home nation of Australia for the first time as a WWE superstar and world champion. Jax's career has had a remarkable glow-up since her groan-inducing return at the 2023 Royal Rumble. It feels like a big match and that's a great launching pad for Ripley to WrestleMania. Pick: Rhea Ripley wins (Mahjouri)
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship -- Judgment Day (c) vs. Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate
Dunne and Bate winning would be a major shocker. They are a fresh main roster act taking on established, popular champions with WrestleMania in sight. Simply being in this position is a victory for Dunne and Bate. This match is more about making Judgment Day look strong and showcasing the challengers potential than anything. Expect Balor and Priest to retain their titles en route to a WrestleMania showdown, likely against R-Truth and The Miz. Pick: Judgment Day wins (Mahjouri)
