Welcome to another edition of WWE Heat Index, wherein we discuss the interest level for the various feuds heading into the pay-per-view events. This time around, we’re focusing on Elimination Chamber 2020 coming this Sunday night.
The way this works is a gauge range of Scorching, Hot, Lukewarm, Temperate, Chilly, Cold and Freezing. The hotter, the better, as that indicates your level of excitement, anticipation and faith that it will be good.
Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section to let everyone know what your thermometer reads for each feud as I tell you what my thoughts are below!
Without further ado, let’s get started!
Women’s Elimination Chamber Match: Natalya vs. Liv Morgan vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Asuka vs. Ruby Riott vs. Sarah Logan = Chilly
Why did WWE think the Roman Reigns thing was such an obvious outcome that they nixed that Elimination Chamber, yet they’ve made such a concerted effort to put Shayna Baszler over as the one and only person who could possibly win this match and feud with Becky Lynch and this match still stands?
Baszler’s great. Asuka’s wonderful. Nattie’s rock solid. The Riott Squad will bog down this match and the whole thing will be pointless as we know The Queen of Spades is winning. It’ll take up 30-40 minutes and nobody will need to have sat through it.
Prediction: Shayna Baszler wins.
No Disqualification Match: AJ Styles (c) vs. Aleister Black = Lukewarm
On paper, this would be awesome. Both are fantastic to watch. But AJ Styles is dealing with an injury that they’re keeping him on ice for and this is not a Black/Styles feud. It’s entirely about doing something to kill time between Undertaker moments.
Don’t get me wrong. The Undertaker is my #2 favorite of all time. But that does hurt my hype for this match when I think the whole thing might be just Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson beating down Black until The Phenom makes the save and screws over Styles with one move again.
Prediction: Aleister Black wins.
United States Championship Match: Andrade (c) vs. Humberto Carrillo = Freezing
I didn’t care about this feud 20 matches ago. They even just did two more of these in the past week or so, too. I’ve said all I have to say about this long ago.
Prediction: Carrillo probably wins, but I think that will be a major mistake.
Intercontinental Championship 3-on-1 Handicap Match: Braun Strowman (c) vs. Cesaro, Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura = Hot
Some people might not be too big on this, but I actually dig it. Strowman is one of the biggest people on the roster and a rare instance of believability that he can beat three legit stars.
I’m sure a good portion of fans will think Strowman winning puts Cesaro, Zayn and Nakamura low on the totem pole, but let’s be honest, they weren’t all in contention for the main event of WrestleMania anyway, no matter how great they are. Plus, if they dominate most of the match, they won’t look too bad and I think this could be a good way to get The Monster Among Men back on track.
Prediction: Braun Strowman wins.
Raw Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits (c) vs. Seth Rollins and Murphy = Temperate
I like these guys, so I wish I could be on the Hot side of this. But we just saw this exact same match twice in the past few days. The only way I can be excited about three matches in a row is if they’re so good that I can’t get enough of them, and those two weren’t anything special.
This is another situation, too, that is just happening so they can repeat the same angle they’ve already done, with Kevin Owens getting involved. They’re doubling down on the same beat, which is lazy storytelling. Repetition isn’t the same thing as taking twists and turns on a story. Quantity ≠ quality.
Prediction: The Street Profits win.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Elimination Chamber Match: John Morrison and The Miz (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode vs. Heavy Machinery vs. Lucha House Party vs. The New Day vs. The Usos = Hot
Why is this happening? I think it’s a mistake they’re not looking ahead at. We know they’ll book a multi-team match for WrestleMania and by doing this, they’re making that match seem less interesting by proxy.
Once you’ve seen all these teams inside a steel cage gimmick match, how is it going to feel more exciting to see less teams in a normal match? It’s stupid.
With that being said, I do still think this is going to be a good match, considering the talent involved. I’m excited to see that, but I’m not excited to see WWE try to spend the next 5 weeks convincing everyone that they didn’t screw up and then getting mad at the fans for not being more excited at this flub or blaming Morrison, The Miz, The New Day and The Usos for not having more heat.
Prediction: John Morrison and The Miz win.
Daniel Bryan vs. Drew Gulak = Hot
It’s a shame this isn’t happening at another time in the year and with more focus on it, as I’m a big fan of both these guys and feel like they could have an amazing match together. However, I’m not confident at all WWE will give them the spotlight they deserve.
Still, on paper, this has a ton of potential to steal the show and be the best match on the card, so I’m going to be Hot for it and hope for the best.
Prediction: Daniel Bryan wins.
Those are my thoughts, but how do you feel about these particular feuds? What’s hot and what’s cold in your mind? Fill us in on your point of view in the comments below!
