No Way Out 2009 match card

Pray hard that this big-nosed guy from Ukraine featured in this poster does not win the WWE Championship come this Sunday...

No Way Out 2009 is coming... the Elimination Chamber match makes its return in this upcoming PPV. Like last year's NWO event, there will be TWO Elimination Chamber matches for Raw and Smackdown brands. But thre is a difference... the champion for each brand will be included in the match as well! Yes that's right, for the first time ever, both the WWE Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship titles will be defended in Elimination Chamber matches on the same night!

Let's look at the matches confirmed so far...

Jack Swagger (c) vs Finlay- ECW Championship match

Winner of this match will face the returning Christian in a future match. As if I'm soooo looking forward to this one... Suffering Succotach!!

Prediction: Swagger may resort to dirty means to retain the title (you know, the ram-head-of-opponent-onto-exposed turnbuckle trick), and any other necessary strategy if he wants to avoid getting a 3rd pinfall loss in a row (having lost to Finlay and Christian for the past 2 weeks).

John Bradshaw Layfield vs Shawn Michaels- All Or Nothing match

Should Shawn win, he will be released from his contract with JBL and be paid back in full. However if JBL wins, than HBK will have to be contracted to the "Wrestling God" for life.

Prediction: I am rooting for Shawn Mchaels obviously, like duhhh!!! So much better to be a free man than an owned man, right?

Shane McMahon vs Randy Orton- No Holds Barred match

The rules are simple... there are no DQs or count-outs here, weapons of any sort are legit, pinfalls or submissions can be made anywhere other than in the ring. Shane-O-Mac made his return to in-ring action the night after the Royal Rumble event, with his heart burning with revenge and his eyes set on Orton for kicking his father Vince in the skull one week before the Royal Rumble (which Orton later won). Shane promised to injure Orton so badly, he won't be in any shape to compete at the main event at Wrestlemania 25.

Prediction: given Orton's ruthlessness and cunning strategy (not to forget the 2 lackeys Cody and Ted who had been assisting him time and again), it won't be any surprise if he wins this one against the not-so-experienced Shane. Moreover, most fans are looking forward to a showdown between Cena and Orton at WrestleMania 25.

Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship

Edge (c) vs Triple H vs Big Show vs Undertaker vs Jeff Hardy vs Vladimir Kozlov

This will mark Kozlov's first ever Elimination Chamber participation. The other 5 had competed in Elimination Chamber matches in different years. Triple H took part in the first 3 EC matches in 2002, 2003 and 2005 while still on Raw; this will mark The Game's first ever EC involvement as a member of the Smackdown brand. Big Show took part in an Extreme Rules EC match at "December To Dismember" during his tenure in the ECW brand back in 2006. This marks the 2nd EC involvement for Edge, Jeff, Big Show and Undertaker.

Prediction: The Rated R superstar might walk out with the title still intact around his waist... but considering the fact that he had lost to nearly all of the 5 other individuals in singles matches prior to that, there may be a twist here; considering the fact that the title had changed hands 3 times between the months of November and January, we may see a new WWE Champion by the end of the match. Also, remember that Kozlov has yet to suffer his first pinfall loss...

Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship match

John Cena (c) vs Chris Jericho vs Rey Mysterio vs Mike Knox vs Kofi Kingston vs Kane

The individuals who are competing in this type of match for the first time are Rey Mysterio, Mike Knox and Kofi Kingston. This is Chris Jericho's 5th Elimination Chamber outing, more times than anyone else in Elimination Chamber history. This marks the 2nd time that John Cena will be defending a title in this type of match. This will be Cena's and Kane's 2nd EC match participations.

Prediction: The Chaingang Soldier will win this one, no doubt about that (and I won't be surprised at all). I mean look, there seems to be little potential in some of the other participants, even Chris Jericho who is in the midst of a feud against Mickey Rourke... Mike Knox as new World Champ??? Urghhh, I can't imagine. After that, Cena can start preparing for a showdown against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 25 come April 5th...

That's all??? Only 5 matches??? I was expecting at least one more match to be included... like say, Shelton Benjamin defending the United States Championship against some worthy opponent? That Gold Standard has held the tile for waaaay too long already!!!