Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.

This week, Jonathan Maldonado, Ben Guest and Callum Wiggins will be giving their thoughts on this Sunday's Elimination Chamber main event for the #1 contender to the Universal Championship, the Women's first chamber matchup and what to expect from Ronda Rousey's contract signing.


MALDONADO: For now, I'm still convinced Braun Strowman will find his way into the WrestleMania main event. I'm feeling a screwy finish at the Elimination Chamber to keep this rolling. Even if the outcome is a clean Roman Reigns victory, I'm not convinced that'll be the end of discussion for Universal Title contenders. With seven participants for the first time, the EC has potential to end in unpredictable fashion. I can imagine Reigns and Strowman the final two in the ring when suddenly The Monster Among Men brings down the entire structure on Reigns or even the both of them. That'd be one hell of a spot to pull off and I might be asking for too much...

GUEST: First off, Roman is still winning. Sorry to break it to everyone, but he's walking out of WrestleMania as champion. Accept it. I'm interested to see how the seventh person is integrated. I assume three people are starting the match (making The Miz's #1 spot even less important), but having two people share a pod and fight to stay in longer could be fun.

WIGGINS: There are only two potential winners of this Elimination Chamber match, Roman Reigns or Braun Strowman. Reigns will be in that Universal Championship match at WrestleMania one way or the other. Plus, the fact he's never entered a Chamber before, let alone won the match, makes it all the more likely it will be another milestone victory in the never-ending saga of "How to Get Roman Reigns Over". I don't imagine the additional man in the match will make much difference, unless they find a space in the chamber to add another pod. Regardless, I doubt we'll see all seven men in the match at the same time, so it should follow the pattern of most Elimination Chambers prior (if it ain't broke, don't fix it) with Strowman clearing the ring as the final entrant.


MALDONADO: Alexis Bliss will retain here, but I have no idea where to go following the match. Ronda Rousey's introduction and Asuka's pending decision make the Women's Division as a whole a very unpredictable and fascinating part of WWE programming right now. Do we really believe Asuka's first WrestleMania moment is best served across from Alexa Bliss. As much as I love Bliss, I have a hard time believing she's up to delivering a possible classic, the way Sasha Banks clearly indicated on a recent Raw.  

GUEST: This should be fun and I'm glad they let the younger stars compete along with Mickie James to add a veteran presence. I think they're sticking with Alexa Bliss, but would not be at all surprised if we get Sasha Banks vs. Bayley at WrestleMania. For me, those three and Nia Jax will make up the Raw Women's title match at Mania, but I'm not quite sure which combination of them it's going to be. As for Asuka, I'm increasingly suspicious that they're setting up Asuka vs. Charlotte as a big marquee women's match. They're certainly two of the best in the company.

WIGGINS: First of all, I hope that this is an exciting showcase for the Raw's women's division, particularly for those like Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville who need a point to prove. As for the outcome, here's how I see it breaking down: By hook or by crook, Alexa Bliss retains the Raw Women's Championship, probably by pinning Bayley again, in the opening match on the card. Then, later in the show, Bliss inadvertently costs Nia Jax in her match against Asuka, causing their break-up and feud all the way up to WrestleMania. Meanwhile, Asuka jumps ship to SmackDown Live to inject some much-needed life into its women's division by feuding with Charlotte.


MALDONADO: Rousey needs the highest profile WWE can offer, and that is on Monday nights. While I prefer for her to end up in the championship picture come WrestleMania, I understand for storyline purposes why she will end up in a tag team match with a partner-to-be-named against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Going over The Authority in your WrestleMania debut is a hell of a way to crash the party, but I don't imagine fans will get to see the full potential of a legitimate UFC fighter on display and that's a bit unfortunate. As my contemporaries mention below, she seems to be here for the long haul so patience is a virtue for the newest superstar.

GUEST: WWE still consider Raw to be the "A" brand and in that regard, Ronda HAS to be there. I'm now convinced we're getting Ronda and Angle vs Triple H and Stephanie at Mania, before she challenges for the title at SummerSlam. With Ronda signing a multi-year deal, there's no need to rush matches against the likes of Charlotte and Asuka, so they can take their time and build Ronda into these dream matches and let her early matches be more storyline based while she improves her ring-work.

WIGGINS: Brand split or not, Raw is still the "A" show, which means Ronda Rousey was always going to end up here. And based on the quality of both brands currently, Raw is undoubtedly the best place for her right now. With Rousey signed to Raw, it appears the rumors of a match against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon at WrestleMania are true. Won't be a classic match, but certainly won't hurt her popularity if she pops McMahon's arm out of its socket. But her partner? Kurt Angle? Shane McMahon? The Rock? Personally, and if he can't find a spot in the Universal Championship match, I'd team Rousey up with Braun Strowman to resume his rivalry with Triple H from Survivor Series and give him a big WrestleMania moment.