WWE Elimination Chamber will take place tonight (Sat., Feb. 28, 2026) from United Center in Chicago. While there will a “Countdown” pre-show, the premium live event itself begins at 7 p.m. ET — streaming HERE on ESPN in the U.S., and on Netflix pretty much everywhere else.
The show will give us a clearer picture of April’s WrestleMania 42, as two stars will win a main event title shot in this weekend’s six-person Chamber battles. Elimination Chamber will also feature Chicago’s own CM Punk defending
his World heavyweight title against Finn Bálor while his wife & best friend AJ Lee challenges Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental belt.
It’s a lot to process. Luckily for you Cagesiders, our staff of learned wrestling blowhards is here to help figure out just how the event is going to play out with predictions for each match on the card.
Let’s get to it.
WWE ELIMINATION CHAMBER PREDICTIONS
Men’s Elimination Chamber: Cody Rhodes vs. Jey Uso Logan Paul vs. Randy Orton vs. Trick Williams vs. LA Knight vs. Je’Von Evans
Geno Mrosko: Trick Williams is the guy I want to win this match because why not introduce some real chaos while making a star right away? It’s far more likely they just play it safe and go with the guy we know is proven. I’ll make the damn pick but I don’t like it one bit. Pick: Cody Rhodes
Sean Rueter: A mystery man will be involved, as Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu brawl through the Chamber — literally. The structure collapses, the referees look on in shock and confusion, and the whole thing gets thrown by Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce, who hit that stage to announce an 8-10 man ladder match for the WWE title as the main event of WrestleMania night one. Pick: MADNESS? THIS… IS… WRESTLEMANIA SEASON
Kyle Decker: I’d love to convince myself it’s going to be LA Knight and they’ll work some fatal 4-way he’s in. But I know the chances of LA Knight winning a world title are getting slimmer & slimmer. Pick: Cody Rhodes
Claire Elizabeth: It should be Je’Von. It really should be. I know the match hasn’t really been built to be built (if you catch my meaning) but it would be an amazing left turn and it’s never too early to anoint The Guy. But it’s just obviously not happening and I don’t feel like throwing a pick away on it, so let’s face reality here. Pick: Cody Rhodes
Cain A. Knight: Cody losing in the Royal Rumble always meant there’s a good chance he’s winning the Elimination Chamber. However, the rumors about WWE adding more bodies to Drew McIntyre’s title defense at WrestleMania 42 does create a little more doubt about this outcome. Pick: Cody Rhodes
Marcus Benjamin: This is pretty academic for me. There are more compelling winners, like Trick Williams or Je’Von Evans. But the winer is Cody. He’s going to the Mania main event and this is the way. Trick is the pick my heart wants but unfortunately, no treats or tricks this year. Pick: Cody Rhodes
M. G0MEZ: Based on the end of SmackDown, expect Seth Rollins to show up and dash Logan Paul’s WrestleMania dreams. Speaking of dashing… Pick: Cody Rhodes
Jon Velez-Jackson: Cody Rhodes is obviously favored here to go on and challenge Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship, while LA Knight could emerge as the surprise winner. I’m going to go out on a limb. Orton is a legend, and I’d like to see him main event WrestleMania. No other reason than that. Pick: Randy Orton
Josh Jagler: The story recently has been Cody’s opportunities to headline WrestleMania being squandered. Whether it’s Drew, Fatu, or a combination of both, I think that trend continues here, which leaves the door open for a surprise winner. Randy Orton would be my next pick, but I think Cody gets desperate and costs his longtime mentor and friend. WrestleMania season is in desperate need of a shakeup. Yeah. Uh huh. I like it. Pick: Trick Williams
Women’s Elimination Chamber: Rhea Ripley vs. Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Kiana James
Geno Mrosko: It’s the boring but safe pick everyone is going to make, because Bianca Belair still isn’t back from injury and there really aren’t any other compelling options right now. WWE has spent a whole lot of time putting Jade Cargill opposite the likes of Jordynne Grace, Michin, and B-Fab since she won the title. They have to go big for the big one. Pick: Rhea Ripley
Sean Rueter: F. Pick:
Kyle Decker: I think the plan was Tiffany Stratton for the longest time. And Triple H often doesn’t like to deviate from his plans. But with the ‘panic’ surrounding Mania, even if that was the plan, they have to pivot to the best match and that is Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill. Pick: Rhea Ripley
Claire Elizabeth: I just can’t get the work WWE has put into building the women’s tag division out of my head and so I really don’t think anybody in a tag team is gonna win this one… which leaves exactly one option, and she’s somebody that even already in her young career WWE like to go back to time and time again, and somebody who I can genuinely see going either way with in the Mania match itself… Pick: Tiffany Stratton
Cain A. Knight: Rhea Ripley is the biggest star here, and Jade Cargill vs. Tiffany Stratton is a bad WrestleMania match. This seems like a no-brainer. Pick: Rhea Ripley
Marcus Benjamin: Much like the Cody pick, this one is simple. The territory is going for safe for Mania and putting its biggest stars in the spotlight. There may be no bigger quasar than Rhea Ripley. Raquel has potential and that could do a lot for more Judgment Day drama, but this is all about Rhea. Pick: Rhea Ripley
M. G0MEZ: As I wrote in my preview for this match, Rhea Ripley is too popular to keep out of the world title picture. Winning the Chamber puts her back in the mix, sets up a dream match at WrestleMania between two of WWE’s strongest women, and re-energizes Raw and SmackDown’s women’s divisions. Pick: Rhea Ripley
Jon Velez-Jackson: While I can see a scenario where Stratton wins in order to try to win back the WWE Women’s Championship from Jade Cargill, I’m going to go with the marquee match I really want to see at WrestleMania: The Storm versus The Eradicator. Pick: Rhea Ripley
Josh Jagler: After the Iyo Sky/Giulia match was changed last week, it felt like it was being saved for Vegas. If that’s Iyo’s path to Mania, then Rhea would need her own, and I think this is it. Tiffany is probably the next most likely option, and there’s a Judgment Day story to tell if Raquel prevails, but Mami should come out on top here. Pick: Rhea Ripley
WWE World Heavyweight champions: CM Punk (c) vs. Finn Bálor
Geno Mrosko: WWE is banking on Punk vs. Roman Reigns to carry WrestleMania 42, so the edict here should be about making sure the world heavyweight champion stays healthy. Pick: CM Punk
Sean Rueter: Bring on ass-kicking babyface Bálor. If The Judgment Day doesn’t turn on him tonight, it’s happen Monday. Then I’m hoping maybe they’ll book him like AJ Styles was circa 2016-2018. Pick: CM Punk
Kyle Decker: The bigger question is where does this play into the longest running death of the Judgment Day. Pick: CM Punk
Claire Elizabeth: Finn has a ways to go before he claws his way out from the pit that Judgment Day have got him into, and taking CM Punk to his limit will help, but he ain’t derailing the Best in the World on his way to WrestleMania. Pick: CM Punk
Cain A. Knight: CM isn’t losing to a mid-card guy in a world title match in Chicago. A booking decision like that would ruin the main event of WrestleMania 42, even in kayfabe. Pick: CM Punk
Marcus Benjamin: Look. CM Punk isn’ losing in Chicago. So I’m less interested in him winning than I am in Finn losing. What happens to Finn after this? How does this affect his standing in Judgment Day? That’s what I want to know. Pick: CM Punk
M. G0MEZ: There is no chance CM Punk loses in his hometown this close to him headlining WrestleMania. WWE shouldn’t even consider a shock title switch or hot-potato booking to manufacture buzz. Keep Punk strong and stay the course to Vegas. Pick: CM Punk
Jon Velez-Jackson: Punk is a proud son of Chicago, and he’ll come out on top of this match on his way to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. I imagine the other members of the Judgment Day won’t be too pleased of the results, and this could result in an intriguing match between Finn and Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania. Pick: CM Punk
Josh Jagler: The intrigue in this match for me, unfortunately, isn’t who wins it, but what Finn does afterwards. WrestleMania feels like the expiration date for this version of the Judgment Day, and I hope that a World Title match so close to the Grandaddy of Them All is a good sign for Finn’s Mania spot. Pick: CM Punk
Women’s Intercontinental championship: Becky Lynch (c) vs. AJ Lee
Geno Mrosko: There is a pitch that you stretch this to WrestleMania by delaying the championship win that appears to be in Lee’s future but it makes just as much sense to give her that win here in Chicago and upping the stakes in a rematch come April. Pick: AJ Lee
Sean Rueter: You can scroll down to Josh’s pick, because my reasoning is the same as his. I’ll add that I wouldn’t be surprised if AJ’s next and lone defense of the belt is at ‘Mania. Pick: AJ Lee
Kyle Decker: A couple weeks ago on Raw, it seemed like this was going to a Fatal 4-Way at Mania with Becky, AJ, Nattie, & Maxxxine Dupri. But after Maxxxine was murked by Nattie on Raw, she really doesn’t belong in that match. That said, they need to save a big moment for Mania and AJ winning a title would be that so I think they stick with that. Pick: AJ by DQ or No Contest
Claire Elizabeth: Becky’s gimmick is played out and long since outstayed its welcome. Please save me, AJ Lee. Pick: AJ Lee
Cain A. Knight: Becky Lynch needs to do something horrible to AJ here before The Man pays for her sins at WrestleMania. Pick: Becky Lynch
Marcus Benjamin: Becky will win in a way that sets up their Mania match, which means shenanigans. Pick: Becky Lynch
M. G0MEZ: This is the most momentum the Becky Lynch–AJ Lee feud has had since Lee returned last year. Expect WWE to carry it into WrestleMania, likely through a vicious beat down by “The Man” that leaves Lee laid out in her and Punk’s hometown. Pick: AJ Lee by DQ; Lynch retains
Jon Velez-Jackson: I see AJ Lee walking away with the title in her first single’s match since returning to the WWE. The Elimination Chamber is in Chicago, which Lee now calls home, and the crowd will eat it up. There could be a non-finish, or Becky cheats to retain, in order to set the table for WrestleMania. But my gut tells me AJ wins cleanly. Pick: AJ Lee
Josh Jagler: At this point, it doesn’t seem like AJ is going to be working a full-time schedule. With that in mind, I can see a scenario where AJ gets the win and the title at Chamber, and then loses the rematch to Becky in Vegas. Pick: AJ Lee
That’s how we see the evening playing out. In the comments, tell us why we’re wrong, why we’re right, and what your predictions are for WWE Elimination Chamber 2026!
