WWE ELIMINATION CHAMBER - February 12th, 2017

Matches

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WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match

Come Sunday, Feb. 12, WWE Champion John Cena will be in for a daunting task: Defending SmackDown LIVE’s top crown inside the most savage creation WWE has ever seen, the Elimination Chamber.

Fresh off winning his record-tying 16th World Title, The Champ will compete against the Superstar he defeated for the championship at Royal Rumble, AJ Styles, plus Bray Wyatt, Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose, Baron Corbin and The Miz, live on WWE Network. SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon announced the star-studded lineup on the Jan. 31 edition of SmackDown LIVE.

The infamous Elimination Chamber, with its chain-link walls, glass pods and steel floors, is diabolical to the core, and the rules for the war zone are as twisted as the structure itself.

Two Superstars will start the bout while the remaining four are enclosed in pods. After a regularly scheduled period of time, a pod will open at random, enabling a Superstar to enter the match. This will continue until all six competitors have been released. A Superstar can be eliminated at any time, via pinfall or submission only, and the last man standing will be declared the winner and WWE Champion.

Each challenger is hungry and uniquely qualified to take down The Cenation Leader. Styles wants to reassert himself as “The Champ That Runs the Camp,” and The Lunatic Fringe, who lost the WWE Title to Styles in September, looks to add another championship to his mantel. The Miz insists on being treated as an A-Lister, and winning Team Blue’s top title would support his claim, while a win for Bray Wyatt could strengthen The Wyatt Family’s grip on SmackDown LIVE, given Randy Orton’s eventual title opportunity at WrestleMania. Not to be overlooked is the unbridled brutality of the match’s least experienced, but perhaps most dangerous warrior, The Lone Wolf, who might just feel right at home inside the Chamber.

Which Superstar will navigate the perilous Elimination Chamber Match and emerge victorious? Don’t miss out when SmackDown LIVE presents its next brand-exclusive pay-per-view, WWE Elimination Chamber, live on the award-winning WWE Network Sunday, Feb. 12, at 8 ET/5 PT.

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SmackDown Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. Naomi

Naomi has already made Alexa Bliss pay for her disrespect, pinning the SmackDown Women’s Champion in consecutive tag team matches in the span of one week.

But if Naomi’s streak continues at WWE Elimination Chamber, where she faces WWE’s Wicked Witch in singles action, she’ll leave with more than just a sense of retribution; Naomi will also be champion.

Upon Naomi’s illuminating return to Team Blue on Jan. 24, Bliss made the mistake of suggesting a match against Naomi was beneath her. Yet, at Royal Rumble, Naomi scored the winning fall against the titleholder in a Six-Woman Tag Team Match, a feat she repeated days later teaming with Becky Lynch against Alexa and Mickie James on SmackDown LIVE.

Long respected for her dynamic abilities inside the ring, Naomi has yet to claim a title in WWE. Will she live up to her potential at WWE Elimination Chamber and catapult to the top of Team Blue’s Women’s division? Or can the cruel and crafty Alexa Bliss, perhaps fortified by her alliance with Mickie James, find an answer for her challenger?

Watch WWE Elimination Chamber live Sunday, Feb. 12, at 8 ET/5 PT on the award-winning WWE Network.

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Luke Harper vs. Randy Orton

This Sunday at SmackDown LIVE’s Elimination Chamber 2017 pay-per-view, Randy Orton will answer Luke Harper’s challenge, as The Viper goes head-to-head against The Wyatt Family’s estranged brother.

The utter distain between Orton and Harper has grown to a fever pitch in recent weeks. After much infighting, Bray Wyatt set up a match between them on the Jan. 24 edition of SmackDown LIVE in an effort to quell their unrest prior to Royal Rumble. But, moments after Orton emerged victorious in that contest, The New Face of Fear suddenly hit Harper with Sister Abigail. This only added fuel to the fire, as Harper showed when he attacked The Eater of Worlds the following Sunday in the Royal Rumble Match —a contest WWE’s Apex Predator ultimately won.

However, despite the recent rebellion by the once-loyal Wyatt Family member, it may not be as cut and dry a situation as it appears. In a puzzling turn of events on the following SmackDown LIVE, Harper teamed with WWE Champion John Cena against his alienated cohorts and had no problem locking horns with Orton, though he would not fight Wyatt at all. Though he did take down Wyatt the next week during Orton's match against Cena, this still begs the question: Does Bray Wyatt still have control over his outcast disciple? If so, could this this play into the outcome when Harper battles The Viper? Or will the dangerous Harper prove to be a devastating obstacle as Orton prepares to step into the main event at WrestleMania?

Find out when Orton clashes with Harper at Elimination Chamber at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on the award-winning WWE Network.

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Nikki Bella vs. Natalya

Natalya made things as personal as possible with Nikki Bella. She may well have to answer for that when the two Superstars go head-to-head at WWE Elimination Chamber, live Sunday, Feb. 12, only on the award-winning WWE Network.

The reborn “Queen of Black Harts” first took aim at The Fearless One when she ambushed Nikki at Survivor Series in November, forcing the former Divas Champion to vacate her spot on the SmackDown LIVE Women’s squad at that pay-per-view. Ever since being exposed as the culprit, Natalya has accused Nikki of riding her boyfriend John Cena’s coattails to success, while also distancing herself from her own famous lineage, particularly her “ex-uncle” Bret Hart. Somehow, in the midst of all of this, Natalya has found the time to administer some absolutely brutal sneak attacks on her fellow Total Divas star.

And now, WWE Commissioner Shane McMahon has had enough. In order to put a stop to the chaos and give each Superstar a chance to prove she can succeed outside the shadow of her family and loved ones, The Prodigal Son declared that two of Team Blue’s most decorated veterans will settle their score at WWE Elimination Chamber. Which woman will emerge victorious? Find out Sunday, Feb. 12, only on the award-winning WWE Network.

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SmackDown Tag Team Championship Turmoil Match

In their quest to become synonymous with tag team excellence, SmackDown LIVE Tag Team Champions American Alpha have welcomed all challengers, and they’ll get exactly that at SmackDown LIVE’s next pay-per-view, WWE Elimination Chamber.

After Jason Jordan & Chad Gable’s open challenge resulted in an out-of-control brawl on the Jan. 31 edition of SmackDown LIVE, General Manager Daniel Bryan declared on Talking Smack that American Alpha must defend the titles in a Tag Team Turmoil Match on Sunday, Feb. 12.

Their challengers include The Usos, Heath Slater & Rhyno, Breezango, The Ascension and The Vaudevillains, a formidable field of five tandems, with no fewer than four sets being former tag team champions.

The Tag Team Turmoil Match — the same type of bout that Jordan & Gable won on the Nov. 22, 2016, edition of SmackDown LIVE to move into championship contention in the first place — begins with two teams. Once one team is eliminated, a new duo enters the match. This continues until one team is left standing tall.

Can American Alpha continue to show their dominance in Team Blue’s division? Or will one of their challengers usurp the powerful pair?

Watch the turmoil live at WWE Elimination Chamber, Sunday, Feb. 12, at 8 ET/5 PT, on the award-winning WWE Network.

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Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James

Mickie James says she laid the foundation for WWE’s Women’s Revolution, but the veteran Superstar might want to worry less about claiming glory and more about the challenge that awaits her at WWE Elimination Chamber: Becky Lynch.

WWE.com has learned that the five-time WWE Women’s Champion goes one-on-one with the former SmackDown Women’s Champion this Sunday, live on the award-winning WWE Network.

For James, the match represents a chance to unleash years of pent-up rage that resulted from sitting on the sidelines and watching from afar as female Superstars improved their station in WWE. A decorated pioneer in the division, James boasts credentials that are beyond reproach, and her cruel antics since returning to WWE indicate she’s as wily as ever.

The Irish Lass Kicker, on the other hand, has a score to settle. James, while disguising herself as “La Luchadora,” cost Lynch dearly by interfering in her Steel Cage Match against SmackDown Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss. With her title opportunity gone for the time being, Becky will put her pursuit of the championship on the backburner as she looks to make Mickie pay for her meddling.

Can the reinvention of Mickie James continue this Sunday, or will Becky Lynch scorch the opposition with straight fire?

Don’t miss out when the revolutionary and the pioneer square off at WWE Elimination Chamber, live on WWE Network at 8 ET/5 PT.

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Apollo Crews & Kalisto vs. Dolph Ziggler (2-on-1 Handicap Match)

The weight of words matters, and Dolph Ziggler may just find that out the hard way. After perennially targeting Kalisto and his good friend Apollo Crews for weeks on SmackDown LIVE, and then boasting about his antics, The Showoff will take on both Superstars in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match at Elimination Chamber 2017.

Following his shocking betrayal of Kalisto on Jan. 10, Ziggler has waged several aggressive attacks against Kalisto and Crews individually, each time with the other Superstar coming to his friend’s aid. No help could be found on the Feb. 7 edition of SmackDown LIVE, however, when both Kalisto and Crews felt the wrath of a steel chair from Ziggler.

Then Ziggler, as he is prone to do, talked himself into a corner, telling SmackDown LIVE General Manager Daniel Bryan that he could defeat both Kalisto and Crews straight-up. With Team Blue being the land of opportunity, Bryan gave Ziggler just that chance, scheduling him for a 2-on-1 Handicap Match this Sunday.

Will The Showoff be able to back up his words and defeat two of SmackDown LIVE’s most promising talents in one fell swoop? Or, will the numbers game, in conjunction with the immense talent of Crews and Kalisto, result in a loss for Ziggler?”

Find out at WWE Elimination Chamber this Sunday, Feb. 12, at 8 ET/5 PT, live on the award-winning WWE Network.

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Mojo Rawley vs. Curt Hawkins (Kickoff Match)

Mojo Rawley’s heavy hands and explosive power meet the ring expertise of Curt Hawkins on this Sunday’s WWE Elimination Chamber 2017 Kickoff.

Rawley and Hawkins have had their share of volatile run-ins, including one recent locker-room showdown that was precipitated by Hawkins mocking Rawley’s friendship with New England Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Hawkins also took to Twitter to take potshots at not only Rawley, but Gronkowski as well, days after the Patriots’ Super Bowl victory, which earned the team an honorary WWE Championship in addition to the Vince Lombardi Trophy:

Yo, @RobGronkowski YOU DIDN'T EVEN PLAY! You're involvement in the #SuperBowl was kinda like @MojoRawleyWWE's NFL career: NONEXISTENT! pic.twitter.com/P5F2mGDK24

— Brian Myers (@TheCurtHawkins) 7 febbraio 2017

With boundless energy and strength to spare, Rawley is a supreme athlete and a dangerous threat to anybody on Team Blue’s roster. Yet, the former NXT Superstar sacrifices much experience to Hawkins, who may well view his Kickoff competition as a puppy who hasn’t yet grown into his oversized paws. Will Hawkins lean on his universally admired ring IQ to claim a big singles victory? Or will Mojo’s bruising physicality run roughshod over the former WWE Tag Team Champion, making Hawkins regret opening his mouth about Gronkowski in the first place?

Just as intriguing is the matter of whether Rawley will consult Zack Ryder, who is currently on the disabled list, prior to Sunday. As a former teammate of Hawkins and the Hype Bros partner of Rawley, Ryder possesses key insight into both Superstars’ strategies. Could that make the difference this Sunday?

Watch the WWE Elimination Chamber Kickoff when it airs live at 7 ET/4 PT on WWE Network. The Kickoff also streams live on WWE.com, the WWE App, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Google+.

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