By the end of the night, Rhea Ripley and Randy Orton punched their tickets to WrestleMania, earning world title matches at the biggest event of the year. Ripley navigated the brutal women’s Elimination Chamber with dominance and precision, overcoming five other elite competitors to secure her shot at the WWE Women’s Championship.
Orton’s journey in the men’s Chamber was far from straightforward. The match saw the shocking return of Seth Rollins, who eliminated Logan Paul in a surprise twist. Later, Drew McIntyre stormed the Chamber to attack Cody Rhodes when the match came down to just Rhodes and Orton. After fending off McIntyre together, Orton immediately struck Rhodes with a decisive RKO to claim victory, leaving the crowd in stunned awe.
The night also belonged to the champions inside the Punk household. CM Punk retained his World Heavyweight Championship in a hard-fought battle with Finn Bálor, while AJ Lee submitted Becky Lynch to capture the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, marking her first title win in more than a decade.
Chicago provided the perfect backdrop for a night of drama, shocking returns, and career-defining moments. With Ripley and Orton set for championship opportunities, Punk proving his dominance, and Lee making a triumphant return to gold, the road to WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable in recent memory.
Ripley Survives the Storm to Secure WrestleMania Title Shot
The 2026 Women’s Elimination Chamber Match delivered on its promise of carnage and opportunity. Six of WWE’s most formidable competitors — Rhea Ripley, Tiffany Stratton, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Raquel Rodriguez and Kiana James — entered the demonic structure with one goal: a championship match at WrestleMania 42.
Stratton and James ignited the contest with a blistering opening exchange, blending athletic precision with desperation. The arrival of Asuka shifted the momentum, as The Empress of Tomorrow weathered an early ambush from James before unleashing her signature hybrid offense.
Bliss injected chaos into the match upon entry, flattening the field with unpredictable strikes and high-risk maneuvers. Ripley soon followed, asserting dominance with a barrage of headbutts and raw power, though she narrowly missed sealing the deal with a Riptide on Bliss.
In one breathtaking moment, Bliss launched herself from atop a chamber pod with a Twisted Bliss, wiping out four opponents at once. Yet her attempt at victory unraveled when Asuka’s mist created an opening for James to score a stunning elimination.
Rodriguez entered last and immediately transformed the match into a demolition derby. In a shocking display of strength, she powerslammed James through a chamber pod before stacking both James and Asuka after a Tejana Bomb, eliminating them simultaneously.
With Rodriguez running rampant, Ripley and Stratton formed an uneasy alliance. A perfectly timed avalanche cannonball and a moonsault finally neutralized the powerhouse.
The final showdown between Ripley and Stratton was evenly matched, each Superstar inches from triumph. Ultimately, Ripley’s Riptide ended the stalemate, earning her a WWE Women’s Championship Match against Jade Cargill at WrestleMania 42.
AJ Lee Captures Gold in Emotional Return
In one of the night’s most emotional moments, AJ Lee dethroned Becky Lynch to claim the Women’s Intercontinental Championship in Chicago.
The contest began as a technical chess match, with Lee frustrating the champion through crisp submissions and veteran savvy. Lynch rallied, feeding off the energy of the United Center crowd, but Lee refused to yield, connecting with a bulldog, Tornado DDT and Shining Wizard for near falls.
Desperation crept in for Lynch, who exposed the top turnbuckle in a risky bid to retain her title. Chaos ensued when the official was inadvertently taken out, leaving the ring without authority as Lee locked in the Black Widow. Lynch tapped — but no bell rang.
The rivalry spilled to ringside, with steel chairs and a Man-handle Slam failing to keep Lee down. In a final act of ring awareness, Lee baited Lynch into crashing against the exposed turnbuckle before cinching in another Black Widow for the decisive submission.
The victory marked Lee’s first championship since 2014, cementing her comeback in unforgettable fashion.
CM Punk Defends His Kingdom in Chicago
The hometown faithful erupted as CM Punk successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Bálor in a fiercely contested battle.
Bálor matched Punk strike for strike, even knocking the champion from the top rope to a chorus of boos. Momentum swung wildly, with both competitors countering signature maneuvers — including a dramatic reversal of the Go To Sleep into a near fall.
Bálor’s Coup De Grace nearly sealed Punk’s fate, but the champion’s resilience shone through. A Sling Blade and Shotgun Dropkick sent Punk crashing through the barricade, escalating the brutality.
The drama intensified when a masked figure attempted to infiltrate the Chamber structure. The chaos foreshadowed the stunning revelation that Seth Rollins had returned.
Inside the ring, Punk countered another Coup De Grace into a Sharpshooter, but Bálor clawed to the ropes. With one final surge, Punk delivered a decisive GTS to retain his championship, sending Chicago into a frenzy.
Randy Orton Outlasts the Field Amid Controversy
The Men’s Elimination Chamber Match guaranteed a WrestleMania showdown with Undisputed WWE Champion Drew McIntyre, and six competitors risked everything for the opportunity: Cody Rhodes, Logan Paul, LA Knight, Randy Orton, Je'Von Evans and Trick Williams.
Rhodes and Evans opened the bout, with the young Evans dazzling early. Williams brought explosive energy upon entry, while Paul was immediately overwhelmed by his rivals and hurled into a pod.
Orton entered last and methodically dismantled the field. Eliminations came swiftly — Paul capitalized to remove Evans and later Knight, while Rhodes dispatched Williams with Cross Rhodes.
Pandemonium erupted when masked intruders attempted to breach the Chamber, only for Rollins to reveal himself once more after aiding Rhodes in eliminating Paul.
The situation spiraled further as McIntyre stormed the structure and blasted Rhodes with the championship. Rhodes and Orton retaliated, but in the decisive moment, The Viper struck with a thunderous RKO on Rhodes to secure victory.
Orton now stands as the No. 1 contender, his path to WrestleMania 42 paved with chaos, controversy and opportunity.
Elimination Chamber 2026 reshaped the landscape of WWE. With Ripley and Orton headed to WrestleMania title matches, AJ Lee’s triumphant return to gold, Punk’s resilient defense and Rollins’ shocking reemergence, the road to WrestleMania has never been more unpredictable.