I thought it might be a good idea to break down the WWE title match at Elimination Chamber by ranking the contenders by odds, something sportswriters sometimes do when it comes to some golf tournaments. We'll do the same thing for the World title match following Smackdown.
Champion: CM Punk (6-1): The announcers stress that the odds are clearly stacked against the reigning champion entering the Chamber match, and history has shown that the title changes hands in these kinds of bouts on a regular basis. Punk has to survive on guile, savvy, and guts, knowing he has the biggest bullseye.
Challengers (listed in alphabetical order):
Chris Jericho (3-1): The last time Jericho was in the Chamber was in 2010, and, as he pointed out on Raw, he won, so he's looking for 2 in a row. A Wrestlemania match vs. Punk is all but assured, if the rumor mill holds true, so it's just a matter of who is the champion after this match.
Kofi Kingston (10-1): You'll remember that Kofi was screwed out of one Chamber match by a title-greedy Edge a few years ago, but that sort of shiznit ain't happening. On Raw, Kingston said he had been overlooked for too long, despite some championships and highlight reel efforts on his resume.
Michael "The Miz" Mizanin (15-1): Last year, Miz didn't have to sweat the Chamber, as he was the champ and defended the title in a singles match. Since losing the WWE title, Miz has only his overexposed, me-first persona to fall back on, and that act has gotten not only stale, but moldy.
R-Truth (25-1): People forget that as Ron Killings, Truth is a 2-time NWA champ. That's because anything accomplished away from the WWE's pocket universe isn't acknowledged unless it suits the company's needs. Truth is now a schizophrenic, brain damaged goof who would make Michael Cole lose his lunch if he won, given how Cole has repeatedly ripped into current World champ Daniel Bryan.
Dolph Ziggler (50-1): Some say Ziggler shot his wad at the Royal Rumble, losing to Punk, then entering the Rumble match and being eliminated by----wait for it----Kharma. His manager, Vickie Guerrero, is the most stale act in the WWE right now, but management doesn't know how to repackage her. Gee, what a shock. Punk's remark about John Laurinaitis having been on his knees begging on Raw would apply to Vickie as well, for more obvious reasons.......! If Ziggler's still in there at the end, it'll be a miracle.
Projected order of elimination:
1. Truth.
2. Miz.
3. Kingston.
4. Ziggler.
That would leave Punk vs. Jericho at the end, revisiting their 2007-8 feud. That's the matchup Uncreative wants at the end, as this will be the main event on the show, to set up the title match at Wrestlemania. The x factor, of course, is acting GM Laurinaitis, and his ambulance chasing flunky, David Otunga. If those two butt in where it's not needed, and Jericho doesn't need the help, having beaten Punk before, Punk is certain to be finally screwed, meaning he'll chase Jericho all the way to Miami.
Almost everyone picked Jericho to win the Rumble. I know I did, and instead, he was a bridesmaid, losing to Sheamus. This time, it will be different.
The pick: Chris Jericho wins the WWE title.
