5 surprising WWE Superstars who won't be a part of Elimination Chamber 2022

The 2022 WWE Elimination Chamber premium live event will take place at the Jeddah Super Dome in Saudi Arabia this Saturday. It will be the 12th annual Elimination Chamber event.

It will also be the first of two large-scale annual events WWE holds in Saudi Arabia every year. The show has a star-studded lineup and will play an essential role in shaping the road to WrestleMania 38.

So far, eight matches have been included in the event.

It will feature two Elimination Chamber matches and appearances from legends like Goldberg and Lita. The premium live event will also showcase some solid mid-card matches.

A lot of talent has been booked for the event, but some surprising names have been left off the match card too. Meanwhile, some talents won’t travel to Saudi Arabia for controversial reasons.

So let's take a look at five superstars who won't be a part of the premium live event.

#5 Edge won't be used as a major attraction at Elimination Chamber this year

WWE Hall of Famer Edge was last seen on WWE programming at the Royal Rumble, where he teamed up with his wife, Beth Phoenix, to defeat The Miz and Maryse in a Mixed Tag Team match.

The Rated-R Superstar was a part of the last WWE event in Saudi Arabia, Crown Jewel. He kicked off the show with an outstanding Hell In A Cell match against Seth "Freakin" Rollins.

However, he will not travel to Saudi Arabia for the premium live event, as WWE is using other significant attractions like Brock Lesnar, Goldberg and Lita for the event.

WWE could've used him to get fans more excited for WrestleMania by planting seeds for a potential storyline there, but it appears that's not going to happen.

The Ultimate Opportunist will likely be back in the coming weeks as the company will need him to boost the star power of WrestleMania.

#4 Randy Orton is not booked for Elimination Chamber despite being available full-time

Randy Orton is one of the top full-time stars who will not be a part of the premium live event.

This will be the second time The Viper will not have a match at an event in Saudi Arabia. The last show in the Kingdom he wasn't booked for was Super ShowDown 2020.

His last appearance in the Middle-East was in a Tag Team match. RK-Bro defeated AJ Styles and Omos to retain the RAW Tag Team Championship in that match

Although Orton doesn't have a role on the show, his tag team partner, Riddle, will compete in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match.

Fans loved Orton making his entrance on a Camel at Crown Jewel last year, so some of them will be disappointed about him not being a part of Elimination Chamber.

After Elimination Chamber, RK-Bro is set to challenge Alpha Academy for the RAW Tag Team Championship.

#3 Big E will not compete at Elimination Chamber as his solo run comes to an end

Big E was involved in the WWE Championship picture at the end of 2021, and his main event run ended when he lost the title to Brock Lesnar in a Fatal-5-Way match at the WWE Day 1 premium live event at the start of the year.

A couple of weeks ago, WWE moved him to SmackDown from RAW, where he reunited with his best friend from The New Day, Kofi Kingston.

Big E traveled to Saudi Arabia for the Crown Jewel premium live event last year and successfully defended the WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre in a very physical match.

Unfortunately for Big E, his run as a top star has seemingly ended. The New Day member is not booked for the show as of this writing.

He surely could've added some fun elements to the show as fans are always invested in his humorous side. The WWE Universe admires his matches due to the high-octane action he brings to the table.

#2 Sasha Banks won't be at Elimination Chamber despite her popularity in Saudi Arabia

Sasha Banks was booked as a true star by WWE last year. She entered the main event of WrestleMania 37's first night as the SmackDown Women's Champion against Bianca Belair, but her direction on the road to WrestleMania 38 is unknown.

Ronda Rousey has taken The Boss' spot as the top female star on SmackDown alongside SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair.

Last year, she traveled to Saudi Arabia for Crown Jewel and competed in the SmackDown Women's Championship Triple-Threat match against Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair.

The crowd in the Kingdom gave Banks a very warm welcome, and she looked forward to performing there again. Unfortunately for her, she won't be a part of this year's show.

With so many women booked for an event in Saudi Arabia, WWE should've used Banks there to bring more eyeballs to the product.

Sasha's star-power would've made the show even better. Whether she talks or wrestles, fans love watching her.It just makes sense to use every top star possible at an event that will play an essential part in what WrestleMania will look like this year.

#1 Mansoor won't perform at his homeland's first ever Elimination Chamber

Mansoor is the first Saudi-born wrestler to sign with WWE, and he has been a part of several WWE events in Saudi Arabia. He has been portrayed as the homeland hero during his appearances.

The Saudi star has never lost a match on his home turf. His most recent win there came at last year's Crown Jewel premium live event, where he defeated his former tag team partner, Mustafa Ali.

With just a few days left until Elimination Chamber, it's pretty unusual for WWE to not announce anything for Mansoor.

Eight matches are already set for the event, and unless WWE decides to put him on the show at the last minute, it seems like his home crowd won't get to see him compete this time.