On February 18, Bronson Reed will enter the Elimination Chamber, and WWE could very well book him to take the United States Championship off of Austin Theory. As it stands, the 31-year-old looks like a dark horse to do much of anything at the premium live event. On the January 30 episode of Raw, Seth Rollins and Johnny Gargano also qualified for the titular match. The last two participants will be decided next week, with Montez Ford wrestling Elias and Angelo Dawkins taking on Damian Priest, with the winners advancing to the Elimination Chamber match. These are all outstanding wrestlers, but it’s not exactly a who’s who of marquee-topping megastars.
That’s not a knock on anyone who has qualified this year. But consider the stakes of the 2022 edition of the event—the WWE Championship was on the line—and the names involved. Rollins, Theory, AJ Styles, Brock Lesnar, and Matt Riddle all took part in the main event of Elimination Chamber a year ago, and the outcome had significant WrestleMania ramifications. Having the United States Championship up for grabs in Quebec makes plenty of sense, but the door is open for Bronson Reed to announce his arrival as a main roster threat. WWE has already booked him like a monster, sending a signal that fans should be ready for a push.
Bronson Reed Would Shake Up The US Championship Scene
The most compelling aspect of Bronson Reed is that he isn’t Austin Theory, Seth Rollins, or Bobby Lashley. This trio isn’t to blame for their booking, and they’ve done everything they can to keep things interesting. Yet the enthusiasm is bound to dry up slowly when fans are exposed to the same small handful of interactions every week. That’s what has been occurring on Raw over the last few months. While the United States Championship scene felt fluid and fresh throughout the summer, it’s become a slog on Monday nights as of late. The finishes to some of their matches have been entertaining—we even called Rollins’ US Title win in early October perfect—but in general, there’s nothing new to see here. Austin Theory gets heat by playing the obnoxious heel champion. Rollins or Lashley comes out to set up a match. Rinse and repeat.
That’s why moving forward with Reed as United States Champion is a compelling option for WWE. He’s a fresh face on the main roster and would provide babyfaces with a new monster heel to contend with. That formula has worked wonders on SmackDown, where Gunther is in the midst of a potentially record-breaking run with the Intercontinental Championship. There’s no reason to think it wouldn’t work on the red brand too. Reed is a hard-hitting, athletic final boss and could help reset the US Championship picture as WrestleMania 39 draws near. There are another few reasons that fans should expect a big showing from the Australian native as well.
Bobby Lashley & Seth Rollins Are Occupied Elsewhere
Rollins is the biggest star in the Elimination Chamber match, but his winning would be a rehash of something fans have already seen recently. It also seems like WWE is aiming for him to feud with Logan Paul up until the Showcase of the Immortals. That feud wouldn’t gain anything by including the US Championship unless Logan is about to spend a few months traveling with the main roster. The YouTube star eliminated The Visionary during the Royal Rumble, and that was followed up on during a backstage segment on Raw. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire and Rollins Vs. Paul at WrestleMania 39 could be an intriguing match for both men. There’s an alternative universe where Seth Rollins Vs. Roman Reigns makes the most sense, but that’s not the one we live in.
The All Mighty doesn’t have a road to the Elimination Chamber cage match, but his path to the Show of Show seems clear. He and Lesnar have circled each other since Crown Jewel, and their blow-off will likely come in Hollywood this April. That means, out of the trio who have been fighting over the US Title for months, only Austin Theory isn’t tied up in the early stages of a program entering the road to WrestleMania 39. That could change quickly, but it indicates that WWE is moving the United States Championship in a different direction. Triple H also has a different angle unfolding between The Street Profits, Elias, and Priest. As fun as it would be for Montez Ford to come out of nowhere and win the United States Championship at Elimination Chamber, Reed feels like a safer bet.
He was reportedly a priority hire when Triple H took over creative in July, and audiences could quickly see why at the upcoming premium live event. The Game isn’t alone in seeing something special in the 6-foot, 330-pound wrestler either. NJPW had Reed shockingly go over Kazuchika Okada during the 2022 G1 Climax, signaling that the Japanese promotion was prepared to bill him high on their cards. That isn’t how things shook out for Bronson, who answered when WWE called. He went out on his back in New Japan, giving Okada his win back, but since landing back in North America, he’s given up virtually no offense. Dolph Ziggler might be the jobber to the stars, but he doesn’t get pinned in three-minute matches as he did on Monday very often. WWE sees big things in Bronson Reed, and Elimination Chamber could be his coming out party.