5 Superstars that will be missing the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view

The Elimination Chamber is set to take place Sunday evening at 7 pm est and while the company has crafted quite the show for fans, they have seemingly left many of their top Superstars off of the show. Of course there are a variety of different reasons for that, but one of the biggest ones seems to be the company's intention of building up the midcard for WrestleMania 36.

With that being said, one of the most brutal pay-per-views of the year is about to take place. Here are five Superstars that will be missing the Elimination Chamber. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to let us know if you think WWE should have left these performers off the show or not.

---

#5 Bayley and Sasha Banks

Bayley and Sasha Banks are much better off sitting this one out

It's no secret that Bayley and Sasha Banks are the cornerstones of the SmackDown Women's division, which is what makes their absence from the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view a little troubling. It's almost as if WWE isn't invested the blue brands women's division at all.

The problem with that theory is that WWE has a lot of important plans for WrestleMania in place and need to lock in the last couple of matches during the upcoming event. With that being said and the duo being firmly established as SmackDown's top heels, the company doesn't really need to do anything with them right now.

In all honesty, it looks like the Elimination Chamber is going to do the job of hammering in the details of the midcard for WrestleMania 36. Unfortunately for Superstars like Banks, Bayley and others on this list, that means being left on the sideline for one night while the company works its storytelling magic.

#4 The Fiend

Can WWE survive one night without The Fiend?

Believe it or not, keeping The Fiend off of the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view might just be a best case scenario for the character. Yeah, a case can be made that giving The Fiend a squash match before his eventual encounter with John Cena would be beneficial, but it might not be perceived well.

That's not a risk the company needs to take right now and would probably be much better off keeping The Fiend as a special attraction. Furthermore, muddying the water with a senseless squash match wouldn't really accomplish much for the character and really wouldn't be all that interesting without some kind of build behind it.

In the end, WWE laid the groundwork perfectly for The Fiend last week on Friday Night SmackDown and really should keep things where they are. Of course that means a pay-per-view going on without one of their top talents. However, with Cena likely being absent as well, there's not much of a point in bringing in The Fiend for the show.

#3 Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre doesn't need a match at Elimination Chamber

What could WWE possibly accomplish with Drew McIntyre at Elimination Chamber?

No, seriously, after laying out Brock Lesnar with three straight Claymore kicks and making the arena come unglued in the process, what would be the point of bringing McIntyre out for another appearance? Sure, the company could set up some kind of squash match to give fans a sampling of what's to come at WreslteMania, but haven't we seen too much of that already?

Beyond that, McIntyre is starting to become a bit of a special attraction and the company would be foolish to waste that here. In all honesty, having McIntyre show up at the pay-per-view could end up undoing the momentum that the company has built for him over the last couple of months.

In the end, there is nothing that can be gained by a Drew McIntyre appearance at the Elimination Chamber and that is exactly why there is no point in doing it. It accomplishes absolutely nothing and could actually negatively impact the main event of WrestleMania if handled poorly.

#2 Becky Lynch

Becky Lynch will be too busy scouting her competition tonight

Becky Lynch has undergone a metamorphosis right in front of the WWE Universe's eyes and the transformation has been nothing short of exhilarating. She almost walks with a Stone Cold Steve Austin type aura now and the company has been holding off on her competing in matches as of late, with her last bout taking place a month ago against Asuka.

Keeping The Man away from the ring has allowed other Superstars to get a chance to shine in front of the fans, like the former Riott Squad and Shayna Baslzer. With the latter coming after Lynch in a heinous fashion back in February, it seems that the RAW Women's Championship match is already in place for WrestleMania. All the Queen of Spades has to do is defeat five other women in an Elimination Chamber match tonight.

Though Lynch won't be competing tonight, we'll definitely feel her presence as she keeps her eyes on that match, hoping that Baszler will emerge victorious so she can tear her apart at WrestleMania.

#1 Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns needs to be saved for WrestleMania 36

While Roman Reigns has become a centerpiece for WWE over the last couple of years, he has surprisingly been left off of the Elimination Chamber matchcard. In fact, this will be the first pay-per-view in a long time that Reigns hasn't been a part of and it has to have some fans questioning why.

With that being said and WrestleMania 36 right around the corner, WWE's decision to keep Reigns off of the show might just be best for business. Not only is that evident by the way it allows The Big dog to rest up for The Show of Shows, but also by how it gives the mid and lower card a chance to set themselves up for WreslteMania as well.

In the end, Reigns doesn't need a match at the Elimination Chamber he doesn't even need to make an appearance. Everyone knows that Reigns versus Goldberg is etched in stone and there is no need to highlight the storyline at the event. Furthermore, there are so many other stories to be told right now that doing something with Reigns would seem selfish.