Emanating from a nearly sold-out United Center in Chicago on February 28, 2026, WWE Elimination Chamber delivered massive surprises, a title change, and major implications for WrestleMania 42. Here is the complete breakdown of the results from an unforgettable night in the Windy City.
Women’s Elimination Chamber Match: Rhea Ripley punches her ticket to WrestleMania The night kicked off inside the unforgiving steel structure, featuring Rhea Ripley, Tiffany Stratton, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Kiana James, and Raquel Rodriguez. The action was chaotic from the start, highlighted by Alexa Bliss hitting a Twisted Bliss off the top of a pod onto the other competitors. Asuka used her green mist to blind Bliss, allowing Kiana James to score the first elimination.
Raquel Rodriguez went on a dominant run, driving James through a pod with a running powerslam and hitting a Tejana Bomb on Asuka to eliminate both women simultaneously. Ripley neutralized Rodriguez with a diving senton from the top of a pod, setting up Stratton to eliminate Rodriguez with the Prettiest Moonsault Ever. In the final sequence, Ripley shoved Stratton off the ropes into a pod and delivered the Riptide to secure the victory. Ripley will now challenge Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 42.
WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship: AJ Lee def. Becky Lynch (c) Wrestling in her first WWE singles match in 11 years, Chicago native AJ Lee ended Becky Lynch’s reign in highly controversial fashion. The back-and-forth contest saw Lynch grow frustrated, leading her to expose a steel turnbuckle. During the chaos, Lynch accidentally knocked out the referee with a roundhouse kick.
Lee capitalized by locking in her signature Black Widow submission, forcing Lynch to tap out, but the incapacitated official missed the call. After the referee recovered, Lynch attempted to drive Lee into the exposed turnbuckle, but Lee reversed the momentum and sent the champion head-first into the steel. Lee applied the Black Widow for a second time, forcing Lynch to submit and capturing her first championship in over a decade.
World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk (c) def. Finn Bálor In a highly anticipated hometown defense, CM Punk walked to the ring accompanied by a legendary 1990s-era Chicago Bulls introduction. Finn Bálor promised to take the crowd out of the match, bringing a slow and grinding intensity that busted Punk’s mouth open. Bálor relentlessly attacked the champion, hitting a slingblade and dropkicking Punk through the ringside barricade.
Despite absorbing severe punishment, including a Coup de Grâce that resulted in a near-fall, Punk caught Bálor in a Sharpshooter. Bálor managed to reach the ropes, but Punk immediately followed up with the Go To Sleep (GTS) to retain his World Heavyweight Championship. In a rare display of mutual respect, Bálor and Punk shook hands after the bell.
The Mystery Crate Revealed: Danhausen Debuts For weeks, Raw and SmackDown General Managers Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis had been passing a mysterious wooden crate back and forth. At Elimination Chamber, they finally opened it together on the stage to reveal a wooden coffin. Former AEW star Danhausen emerged from the coffin, flanked by female dancers wearing his signature face paint. In a surreal moment, Danhausen walked to the commentary desk, handed Michael Cole a jar of teeth, and vanished when the arena lights briefly went out.
Men’s Elimination Chamber Match: Randy Orton steals the win amidst chaos The main event saw Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Logan Paul, LA Knight, Trick Williams, and Je’Von Evans battle for a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42. Logan Paul proved incredibly dangerous, eliminating Evans, Knight, and Williams in quick succession.
With only Paul, Rhodes, and Orton remaining, the match descended into absolute chaos. A masked man broke into the chamber, attacked Paul with a stomp, and unmasked to reveal the shocking return of Seth Rollins. This interference allowed Cody Rhodes to pin Logan Paul.
Moments later, Drew McIntyre—who was not in the match—snuck into the cage and attacked Rhodes with a championship belt. Orton struck McIntyre with an RKO to help Rhodes, but The Viper immediately turned on Rhodes, hitting a second RKO to win the match. Randy Orton is now officially headed to WrestleMania 42 to challenge for SmackDown’s Undisputed WWE Championship
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