WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 marks the final major WWE premium live event before WrestleMania 42 takes over the pro-wrestling world in April. Saturday’s show inside Chicago’s United Center will be the 16th year Elimination Chamber has been its own standalone event, and the titular men’s and women’s matches will be the 37th and 38th matches to incorporate the structure, which was introduced in 2002.

On the men’s side, Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Logan Paul, LA Knight, Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans are all set to compete for a championship match at WrestleMania 42. With Royal Rumble victor Roman Reigns having already picked CM Punk to be his opponent in Las Vegas, this weekend’s big winner is likely to take on Undisputed WWE Champion Drew McIntyre.

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Similarly, for the women, Rhea Ripley, Tiffany Stratton, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Raquel Rodriguez and Kiana James will enter the Elimination Chamber hoping to book a championship match at WrestleMania. Like Reigns, Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan stuck with the “Raw” brand and picked Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer as her WrestleMania foil, leaving WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill still awaiting a dance partner.

Elsewhere on the card, Chicago native CM Punk defends the World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Balor, while Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch puts her title on the line against AJ Lee. With the event taking place in Chicago, Punk and Lee — a married couple — should be overwhelming hometown crowd favorites.

Here’s a look at the full card for the WWE Elimination Chamber 2026, which starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN Unlimited:

  • Men’s Elimination Chamber: Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Trick Williams vs. LA Knight vs. Logan Paul

  • Women’s Elimination Chamber: Alexa Bliss vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Asuka vs. Kiana James

  • World Heavyweight Championship match: CM Punk (c.) vs. Finn Balor

  • Women’s Intercontinental Championship match: Becky Lynch (c.) vs. AJ Lee

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For live updates and instant analysis, follow along with Uncrowned’s live blog below:Live18 updates

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 4:41 PM PST

    Anthony Sulla-Heffinger

    With Ripley, Rodriguez and Stratton the final three, all of the women traded impact moves. Rodriguez tied Ripley up in a Tree of Woe in the chain fence before battling Stratton back in the ring.

    Despite the attacks, Stratton was able to escape a Tejana Bomb attempt and set up an impressive top-rope sequence. As Rodriguez teased a belly-to-back superplex, Ripley launched herself off the top of a pod to take out the Judgment Day member. As Ripley sold a back injury, Stratton hit a Prettiest Moonsault Ever to eliminate Rodriguez.

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 4:37 PM PST

    Anthony Sulla-Heffinger

    Rodriguez was booked incredibly strong as she entered the match, standing tall and catching Ripley’s hurricanrana attempt, turning it into a powerbomb off the side of the cage and then into the ring. Rodriguez’s flurry was capped off with a running powerslam to James through a pod. Rodriguez then dropped Asuka with a Tejana Bomb onto James and pinned both women to eliminate them.

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 4:36 PM PST

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 4:34 PM PST

    Anthony Sulla-Heffinger

    Bliss went after all three women and then mixed it up with Stratton, thwarting an attempt at the Prettiest Moonsault Ever. Action picked up considerably here with all four women trading blows before James was left standing. James took the fight to Stratton, capping off her onslaught with a slingshot into one of the opened pods.

    As James looked to be in control, Rhea Ripley was freed from her pod and frenetically took out her other competitors, including sending Stratton into Asuka with a Razor’s Edge. Bliss put up the most fight against Ripley, countering several Riptide attempts. Soon, all five women in the match were battling on the grate. With the fight continuing, Bliss climbed to the top of a pod and took out the competition with a Twisted Bliss.

    Bliss looked ready to score the first pinfall of the match, with James locked in for a Sister Abigail but Asuka came for the save, Misting Bliss and allowing James to pin her. As Bliss exited, Raquel Rodriguez entered.

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 4:33 PM PST

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 4:29 PM PST

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 4:27 PM PST

    Anthony Sulla-Heffinger

    Asuka’s pod was the first to open, and after getting briefly attacked by James, the Empress of Tomorrow took out both James and Stratton, using the pods and chain barrier to deliver punishment. The crowd immediately got behind Asuka, who went for a pin on each other woman after a dual dropkick.

    Stratton got a brief offensive attack in with her springboard elbows to both Asuka and James before eating a knee from Asuka. As Asuka went for the pin, Bliss entered the match.

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 4:24 PM PST

    Anthony Sulla-Heffinger

    James and Stratton circled one another to start the match briefly before engaging in a collar-and-elbow tie up. Stratton shoved off James and won the second sequence with a tornado headlock takedown followed by a gymnastics sequence and quickly winning over the crowd.

    James worked heel and showed off her gymnastics background and physicality, going for a quick pin less than two minutes into the match. Stratton quickly rallied, with a basement drop kick and speedy pin of her own before whiffing on a standing moonsault. This opened the door for James again, who taunted Stratton as she took the attack to the former champion.

    As action shifted outside the ring, the physicality ramped up with Stratton suplexing James onto the grates and then whiffing on her springboard back elbow and crashing into a pod.

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 4:06 PM PST

    Anthony Sulla-Heffinger

    Similar to what we have traditionally seen at match-themed PLEs, the night kicks off with the women’s Elimination Chamber match.

    Alexa Bliss — who has won this match before — was first to make her entrance. Notably, she was not accompanied by her tag-team partner Charlotte Flair. Flair was pinned by Kiana James earlier this month and was cost her shot in the match. Bliss was locked in one of the pods, so will not be starting the contest.

    Asuka, another former winner, followed Bliss out, again sans tag-team partner Kairi Sane. Asuka stared down Bliss before entering one of the remaining pods.

    Third out was Judgment Day member Raquel Rodriguez. Rodriguez represents one of the more intriguing possibilities should she win the match. It’s a scenario Kel Dansby laid out in the Uncrowned preview of the event. Rodriguez entered a pod, leaving the last remaining one for Rhea Ripley.

    This left James and Tiffany Stratton as the two women who would start off the match.

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 3:59 PM PST

    Anthony Sulla-Heffinger

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 3:57 PM PST

    Anthony Sulla-Heffinger

    Minutes before the show officially kicked off, WWE teased that WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill would be watching the event from a suite at the United Center. The winner of the women’s Elimination Chamber is likely to challenge Cargill at WrestleMania.

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 3:43 PM PST

    Anthony Sulla-Heffinger

    The women’s Elimination Chamber with the least experience in WWE is clear, but after James’ breakout performance at last month’s Royal Rumble, it might not be smart to underestimate her. I had the chance to chat with the former gymnast about how she got to this point in her wrestling career:

    “I got re-exposed to WWE in college,” James tells Uncrowned ahead of Saturday’s Elimination Chamber PLE. “My college coach was obsessed with ‘Total Divas.’ I started watching that reality show but I leaned a little bit more towards the wrestling and I thought to myself, ‘I really want to do this.’

    “At the time I was working a corporate job. I went on LinkedIn, typed in WWE and anyone who had it in their profile I just copied and pasted a message asking, ‘How do I get in this, here’s a video of me doing flips in my gym.’ Eventually, I got the right person and got a tryout.”

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 3:38 PM PST

    Anthony Sulla-Heffinger

    Robert Jackman ranked the potential Elimination Chamber winners before Saturday’s event. Here are his top picks for the men’s and women’s matches:

    Cody Rhodes (Likelihood: 4 out of 5)

    Look, I know it’s become fashionable for some internet fans to sour on Cody Rhodes in recent months. But the fact remains that the two-time former Undisputed Champion surely has to be the most likely candidate to triumph in the men’s match.

    Not only have there been reports for a while that WWE is planning Rhodes vs. McIntyre (or potentially Rhodes vs. McIntyre vs. Fatu) for WrestleMania 42, but we’ve had numerous hints from recent segments that the long-running feud between the two men isn’t over. Just look at the electrifying promo we got from “The American Nightmare” on last week’s “SmackDown” in which he took his most personal shots at McIntyre so far.

    Rhodes also helps with the commercial side of things. In a year where WrestleMania is short on A-listers, having a tried-and-tested main-eventer on the poster has to help somewhat with those slow ticket sales. And all you Rhodes critics can relax — just because he wins the Chamber, it doesn’t mean he has to beat McIntyre.

    Tiffany Stratton (Likelihood: 3.5 out of 5)

    There have been whispers that WWE wants to rerun Stratton vs. Cargill for a while now, and we’ve seen nothing to suggest that isn’t the case. It’s true that their previous outings weren’t exactly electric, but perhaps the third time will prove to be the charm should the two meet at ‘Mania.

    As for Stratton, its’s obvious WWE has lost none of their faith in her. Just look at the huge return she had back at the Royal Rumble. After finishing as the runner-up back in Riyadh, she has to enter this weekend as the marginal women’s favorite.

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 3:31 PM PST

    Anthony Sulla-Heffinger

    Raj Prashad was able to get a glimpse at Jade Cargill’s mindset heading into WrestleMania — her first as WWE Women’s Champion. She’ll potentially find out her opponent after Saturday’s Elimination Chamber match. Here’s a key quote from their discussion:

    “One thing I’ve always said when I started was I want to be in the [WWE] Hall of Fame. And I think I’m on my way there,” Cargill tells Uncrowned ahead of Saturday’s WWE Elimination Chamber PLE.

    “Do I still have things to learn? Of course. Next month, I’ll be five years into this wrestling world. I remember talking to Daniel Bryan and he was telling me he didn’t even feel comfortable until seven years. And I’m five years [in] — I’m already the WWE Women’s Champion, I’m dominating it. I’m going into my third WrestleMania, about to still be that WWE Women’s Champion — 3-0 after April 18 [and 19] in Las Vegas. I’m just doing exactly what I said I was going to do. And again, I have so much to learn, so the future is bright.”

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 3:19 PM PST

    Anthony Sulla-Heffinger

    There are four matches tonight, two Elimination Chamber contests and two title bouts. Here’s the full card with WWE’s graphics:

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 3:17 PM PST

    Anthony Sulla-Heffinger

    Here are our picks (and standings so far) for the full Elimination Chamber card

    • Men’s Elimination Chamber: Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes (Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Trick Williams vs. LA Knight (Dansby) vs. Logan Paul

    • Women’s Elimination Chamber: Alexa Bliss vs. Raquel Rodriguez (Dansby, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Tiffany Stratton (Jackman) vs. Rhea Ripley (Riggs) vs. Asuka vs. Kiana James

    • World Heavyweight Championship match: CM Punk (Dansby, Jackman, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Finn Balor (Riggs)

    • Women’s Intercontinental Championship match: Becky Lynch (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. AJ Lee

    2026 standings

    • Anthony Sulla-Heffinger: 5-2

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 3:09 PM PST

    Anthony Sulla-Heffinger

    Cam Hawkins had a spectacular chat with Balor, who has one of WWE’s most-decorated careers. That résumé could expand with a win on Saturday night against CM Punk. Here’s an excerpt from their interview:

    “Relinquishing the Universal Championship due to injury is not a tragedy,” he says a decade later. “Winning the Universal Championship was a success story.

    “My first night, I beat Roman. Three weeks later, I beat Seth on my first [WWE] pay-per-view. I become the champion. That’s a success. That’s me choosing to look at the glass half-full, where everyone else chooses to look at the glass half-empty on what-if.

  • Sat, February 28, 2026 at 3:01 PM PST

    Anthony Sulla-Heffinger