A trio of tantalizing title matches were added to WWE Elimination Chamber 2020 on the most recent episode of Raw, including Andrade vs. Humberto Carrillo for the United States Championship.
WWE Elimination Chamber 2020 will take place on Sunday, Mar. 8 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Before the Mar. 2 episode of Monday Night Raw, only two title matches were announced for the show with none of them being from the Red Brand.
However, WWE rectified that by announcing three title matches, including a United States Championship bout between Andrade and Humberto Carrillo, who have been feuding on-and-off again for months.
Although Andrade was suspended for 30 days due to a wellness policy violation, the feud between him and Carrillo did not miss a beat. This credit goes to Andrade’s manager Zelina Vega and Angel Garza, who was enlisted from NXT as assistance in sending a message to his cousin Humberto.
Carrillo pinned Andrade on the Mar. 2 episode of Raw in a tag team match, as he and Rey Mysterio, who initially lost the US Title to El Idolo at Madison Square Garden in December, teamed up against Garza and Andrade. It was Carrillo who picked up the decisive pinfall on Andrade, thus earning him this match.
However, here are three reasons why Andrade should come out on top this Sunday.
Let The Babyface Keep Chasing
Humberto Carrillo has all the tools to be one of the best babyfaces on Raw in 2020, which is undoubtedly why Paul Heyman has done his best to push the former 205 Live superstar in the Red Brand’s mid-card scene.
Although Carrillo has been chasing Andrade for some time now, it would be better for him to get his big title win at WrestleMania 36. There’s nothing wrong with Carrillo winning the championship at the Elimination Chamber Pay Per View, but since Andrade only just returned from a suspension, why not be a little bit more patient with Carrillo’s win?
Carrillo and Garza did a great job of advancing this rivalry during Andrade’s absence, but there’s nothing quite like the heel dynamic between Andrade and Zelina. Although it’s a familiar sight to see them both cheating to win, it’s incredibly effective and would light yet another fire under Carrillo, who has made massive strides as a character over the course of the first two months of 2020.
Like many babyfaces, it seems as though Carrillo is at his best when he’s chasing a goal, and there are few goals more ambitious that ending an Andrade title reign. The man is money with a championship around his waist, and he knows it. He’s willing to do anything to protect his title, including threatening the careers of others, as Carrillo has known all too well.
Too Soon For Andrade To Drop The Title
Prior to his return at Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia, Andrade had been suspended for 30 days due to a wellness policy violation, losing via disqualification to Humberto Carrillo on the Jan. 27 episode of Monday Night Raw. He was then pinned by R-Truth in a Gauntlet Match at Super ShowDown, which was probably an extension of the punishment from Vince McMahon beyond the suspension.
So Andrade has served his punishment for violating the wellness policy, which could have been for any number of reasons. Now that El Idolo is back, there’s no reason to punish him again by having him drop the title for the sole purpose of making a third statement. And that’s especially true if it comes as the cost of the storyline, which has seemingly been about putting over Humberto Carrillo at WrestleMania 36 as one of Raw’s best babyfaces.
It’s only been about a week since Andrade returned from his suspension, and fans should get to see one more month of him as the United States Champion. He’s elevated the title so much as a heel, and if he drops the title at WWE Elimination Chamber 2020, it’ll be too soon since his return.
Andrade needs to continue to do more as a champion to help Carrillo, Garza, and the others involved in this storyline. That will enable his reign to do the most for both the championship and the brand as a whole.
Don’t Alter This WrestleMania-Worthy Story Yet
Raw has been strong on the storyline side over the past couple of months with Paul Heyman in charge. There have been some major issues with the show’s booking, such as messing with Liv Morgan’s momentum or the indefensible booking of Ricochet, but, by and large, the show has been entertaining and more sensible than in years past (not a high bar, but whatever!)
Randy Orton vs. Edge, Drew McIntyre vs. Brock Lesnar, Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins, and Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler are four of the major stories heading into WrestleMania 36, but the story around the United States Championship has been just as fun to watch, if not more so.
Zelina Vega and Andrade have always been incredible together, and the addition of Angel Garza has added so much in recent weeks. Garza is a natural star who is one of the most charismatic wrestlers on any roster; he has just as bright of a future as Andrade.
Because Garza was only added to the plot when Andrade was off television for most of February, we need to see this storyline extended. Humberto Carrillo winning the championship at WWE Elimination Chamber 2020 doesn’t stop the story, but it does alter it. Carrillo is no longer facing the odds, because in Vega, Garza, and Andrade, the babyface is up against a formidable trio who are on the same page.
I don’t want this story to end before WrestleMania, especially since it becomes even better with Andrade on the show full-time as a champion while working with the dynamic of Garza’s inclusion. There are more moving parts now, and the story should actually crescendo as a result of the events at Elimination Chamber.