WWE ELIMINATION CHAMBER 2026
FEBRUARY 28, 2026
UNITED CENTER
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Watch: ESPN Unlimited/Netflix (Non-US)
MEET YOUR PREVIEWER:
Suit Williams: It’s been a while since I wrote a preview for a WWE show. I have been writing a bunch, though, both here at Voices of Wrestling and over at my blog, SuitWilliams.com! Check out the blog, as starting on Friday (50 days to WrestleMania), I’ll be counting down the Top 50 Matches in WrestleMania History! I just watched them all last year, so it’s fresh! Follow me on the relevant social media sites @SuitWilliams.
WWE is on the Road To WrestleMania, and, outside of a great segment setting up the main event of CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns, it feels like a repeat of last year. The WWE Title match looks like it’s set to be another Cody Rhodes/Drew McIntyre match in the coldest feud you ever did see. There’s a ton of big names with no visible direction, which is a strong reason as to why the body of the Royal Rumble felt so aimless. They’re trying to build the plane while it’s in the air, and it shows.
Brock Lesnar is gonna have a match at WrestleMania, and instead of picking someone and actually building heat and anticipation for the match, they went the cheap route and announced an open challenge. Maybe they’ll have someone answer it after the Chamber show, but this company loves itself a mystery and a surprise. Hell, they have a mystery leading to a surprise on this show! A mystery box-like structure has been on both Raw and Smackdown, with instructions for it not to be opened until the date of this show. With Chris Jericho still on the AEW roster page, and the leading rumor being the debut of former AEW comedy guy Danhausen, they’re really testing Jim Cornette’s theory that anyone who comes out of a box is instantly over.
By the time this show is over, Wrestlemania will be less than seven weeks away. Let’s see how the last “PLE” stop is shaping up.
WOMEN’S INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE MATCH
BECKY LYNCH (C) VS. AJ LEE
Last year at WrestleMania, Becky Lynch returned after a lengthy absence to team with Women’s Intercontinental Champion Lyra Valkyria. In the ensuing 10 months, Becky Lynch has gone from a high-profile star in the division to a complete muppet, cordoned off in her own little world centered around a title that doesn’t need to exist. Lynch has always had a bit of corniness to her, but it used to be charming or minuscule as she stood as a real top-level star in this division. But her performances lately, especially when facing off against AJ Lee, have been comically bad.
It’s the type of bad where you wonder if she’s actually trying, or if she’s mentally checked out and just doing things that make her laugh. It’s the type of bad that kills credibility. Given the state of WWE on another bumpy road to WrestleMania, the last thing they need is a star acting like less of a star.
This match also has a chance to be really, REALLY bad. Becky Lynch was never a stellar athlete, but her in-ring output has dramatically dipped over the last few months. While it doesn’t help that she was working with Maxxine Dupri for most of that time, who isn’t exactly Akira Hokuto in her own right, you would expect more from the former WrestleMania main eventer.
Pair that up with AJ Lee, whose output in her prime never matched the level of the top-tier women’s workers today, and who herself has looked terrible in her brief returns to the ring, and you have the makings of a high-profile stinker in the Windy City. Although I may just be smelling a bullshit finish to stretch this to Mania. Prediction: Becky Lynch
WWE WOMEN’S TITLE #1 CONTENDERSHIP ELIMINATION CHAMBER MATCH
ASUKA VS. ALEXA BLISS VS. RHEA RIPLEY VS. RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ VS. TIFFANY STRATTON VS. KIANA JAMES
Since there are no real story beats to break down here, I’m going to give these six women percentage odds to win this match.
0% – Raquel Rodriguez, Kiana James
These two are just here to make up the numbers. Rodriguez will be busy cornering Liv Morgan for her Raw Women’s Title match against Stephanie Vaquer at WrestleMania, while James will be busy cornering Giulia in catering at WrestleMania.
5% – Asuka, Alexa Bliss
Honestly, Asuka is probably another 0% chancer, but there’s a chance WWE could want Jade Cargill in there with someone who will help her look as good as possible at WrestleMania. Alexa Bliss could get a title shot to set up a classic “smallest and tallest” match against Jade, and maybe even win to set something up with her partner and soon-to-be-rival Charlotte Flair.
30% – Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley is much like Charlotte Flair in that if she’s in a match, she’s got a strong chance of winning. She’s been out of the main title picture since Summerslam, and giving Jade an opponent that matches her physically can be interesting and give us a good match. Remember Jade’s last match in AEW against Kris Statlander for an example.
60% – Tiffany Stratton
The clubhouse leader is Tiffy Time, as Jade squashed her back at the November 1st Saturday Night’s Main Event to win the title. These two have been programmed together since SummerSlam, and Tiffany is one of the strongest pushed people in the company. The easy money here is Stratton. Prediction: Tiffany Stratton
UNDISPUTED WWE TITLE #1 CONTENDERSHIP ELIMINATION CHAMBER MATCH
RANDY ORTON VS. CODY RHODES VS. LA KNIGHT VS. JEY USO VS. TRICK WILLIAMS VS. JE’VON EVANS
It worked for the women, why not work for the men!
0% – Jey Uso, LA Knight, Je’Von Evans
LA Knight is LA Knight, much to his chagrin. For some reason, people think WWE is gonna give Je’Von Evans a big-time push, as if this company has ever pushed hyper-athletic black talent to the top. I really like Je’Von, but it’s a reality in this promotion. Shelton Benjamin didn’t win all those Most Underrated Observer Awards for no reason. Jey Uso wasn’t even supposed to be here uce, as a Bronson Reed injury forced his addition to this match on-the-fly.
1% – Trick Williams
I just didn’t want to give four people a zero percent chance of winning. Trick does have a real shot of ascending to the top of the card just off of his charisma, but he’s not doing it here and now. Maybe if the minds behind WWE Unreal have their ducks in a row, they can set up Trick’s Mania match here.
5% – Randy Orton
It’s Randy Orton. He’s got a shot. OUTTA NOWHERE
94% – Cody Rhodes
The winner of this match is in very little doubt, as Cody is going to be in the WWE Title match at WrestleMania against Drew McIntyre. The real intrigue is if, and how, they decide to shoehorn Jacob Fatu into the mix. Fatu has been involved in Cody and Drew’s feud since he came back from injury in January, and he’s the one bringing all the juice, as Cody and Drew’s feud was DOA since it started in September.
There’s also been a Sami Zayn element to things, with him and Cody at odds recently after Zayn’s decisive loss to McIntyre at the Royal Rumble. There’s a world where all of this is layered storytelling that pays off in an interesting way, but I have a real fear that this is just the company keeping as many balls in the air as possible while they figure out what they’re going to settle on. Either way, Cody wins. Prediction: Cody Rhodes
WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH & THE RIGHT TO LOSE TO ROMAN REIGNS AT WRESTLEMANIA
CM PUNK (C) VS. FINN BALOR
CM Punk and Roman Reigns cut the big promo to set up their WrestleMania main event on the Raw after the Royal Rumble, with Reigns having won the Rumble. It was a legitimately good, heated promo, with Reigns dropping all the lame, wannabe-actor pretense to lay out why he picked Punk. He hates him, and he always has. Simple, easy, money.
But Punk had a TV feud going with Finn Balor, which continued to give him a big PPV defense in Chicago. Balor is teasing dissension with the rest of the Judgment Day, possibly setting up an Intercontinental Title match against Dom Mysterio at WrestleMania. If you’re reading that and wondering if it sounds familiar, that’s because WWE teased Balor having dissension with the rest of the Judgment Day and teased a match against Dom Mysterio at LAST YEAR’S WrestleMania. They went with a four-way match for the Intercontinental Title, which Dom won, then continued to tease Balor’s dissension for a few months before dropping it until now.
This result is in no doubt, as Punk will win due to backfiring Judgment Day interference, and have a staredown and sign-pointing contest with Reigns should Roman feel like showing up. Prediction: CM Punk
