Photo Source: WWE.com
Another week, another set of outside the box predictions for the week in WWE. Elimination Chamber is a few days away, but the competitors in the men’s match will meet in a Gauntlet Match on Raw.
One of my favorite pastimes as a WWE fan is to try and guess what’s going to happen in the future. I don’t go out of my way to spoil myself. But trying to get into the heads of the creative department is a good way to kill some time.
Last week, the tea leaves proved to be more on target than the crystal ball. Not only did Drew Gulak and Tony Nese have, for my money, the better match on 205 Live this week, but Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin were added to the Fastlane main event.
As far as Seth Rollins, he kinda sorta almost built himself a brand new feud. He just ticked off four other guys en route to getting himself added to the Elimination Chamber Second Chance Qualifier. And his “co-victory” with Finn Balor may lead to something between those two in the future – they have their own history, you know.
Because the tea leaves worked so well last week, I planned on trying to read them again. Trouble is, I caught a touch of something at my day job, and needed to drink some tea. Bye bye, tea leaves. But I think I figured out what the problem was with my crystal ball. Wires crossed, blown flux capacitor, plutonium, something like that. So we’re giving that a try this week!
Here are some outside the box bold predictions for WWE for the week of Feb. 19, 2018.
I’m Your Buddy, Guy
The big news outside of Raw and SmackDown this week concerns 205 Live. The final two first round matches in the championship tournament organized by Drake Maverick are scheduled. In the first, Mustafa Ali takes on Jack Gallagher. In the other, you’re going to have a new favorite wrestler.
Buddy Murphy will make his 205 Live debut against Ariya Daivari. Murphy is going to open a ton of eyes when he steps into the ring, because it’s been so long since anyone has seen him outside Total Divas. My bold prediction is that by the time the match is over, there’s going to be plenty of new Buddy Murphy fans.
It wasn’t too long ago I was opining that Murphy may be a superstar who could consider the “Cody Rhodes route,” leaving WWE to try and strike it on his own. You know, make a name for himself on the independent scene, and probably join the Bullet Club along the way. But since I wrote that, Murphy is being hyped as the next big thing in the cruiserweight division. So it looks like he’s in for the long haul.
A match between Murphy and Daivari is going to be unbelievable. Murphy will be out to prove he belongs, and Daivari is one of the most seasoned and capable performers in the cruiserweight division. It’s a recipe for success for everyone involved, especially Murphy.
SmackDown’s Top 10 List Actually Gets Meaning
It’s not a stretch to say the Top 10 List on SmackDown Live has been poorly thought out. A good idea on paper, the execution has thus far been lacking. The initial list, as pointed out by Cageside Seats, was full of babyfaces. No one seems to know much about the list, not even the superstars who are on it. Becky Lynch, for example, wants to know how often the list gets voted on.
Clearly, the answer isn’t every week. Because last week, there was no update to the list. Not to mention that the first championship match announced since the creation of the list features the number one superstar – WWE Champion AJ Styles – defending against four guys not on the list at all.
This all means there’s nowhere to go but up for the Top 10 List, and the superstars on it. If I had to venture a guess, I’d say that this week will feature an update to the list. Perhaps Tye Dillinger falls out of the number 10 spot – and enters into a feud with whoever bumps him. Maybe Mojo Rawley?
Or what about more superstars besides Randy Orton having their place on the list questioned? Jinder Mahal is already needling Orton over being number 9. Why wouldn’t, say, The Riott Squad, come at Becky Lynch for being number 8? There’s a six-woman tag match between The Riott Squad and Charlotte (#2), Naomi (#4), and Lynch – wouldn’t Ruby and company play mind games that Lynch is the “weak link”?
Maybe we’ll get superstars campaigning for votes on the list. Perhaps someone on the list will actually get a title shot. But something will happen to make the Top 10 List actually mean something.
The Best Gauntlet Without Thanos
Just six days before the Elimination Chamber pay per view, the participants in the Men’s Chamber Match will face off in a Gauntlet Match on Raw. Yes, all seven superstars – John Cena, Roman Reigns, The Miz, Finn Balor, Braun Strowman, Elias, and Seth Rollins – will line up and enter one at a time until one man is left standing. It’s basically the Elimination Chamber, just without the accessories.
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Gauntlet Matches are tricky things – sometimes they’re exciting, and other times there’s no drama and everything is too predictable. But with the cast of characters involved with this one, I’d say predictability isn’t something to worry about.
There are a few things I wouldn’t expect to happen on Raw this week. I don’t see Reigns winning the Gauntlet – he’s going to win the whole thing at Elimination Chamber. It’s also highly unlikely that we get through this one without Strowman flipping over at least three large objects.
What I do expect is that the whole thing is an all-out, nothing held back, chaotic affair. By the time the dust settles on Raw, all seven superstars will look better than when the show started. I also wouldn’t put it past WWE to set something up so that the winner of the Gauntlet Match is the second-to-last entrant, entering just before Elias. Maybe the loser enters at number two, behind The Miz?
Whatever random stipulations are added, the Gauntlet will without a doubt be the unpredictable highlight of Raw.
Next: Ranking the Chances of Each Participant in 2018 Men's Elimination Chamber Match
What do you think is a bold prediction for WWE this week?