Elimination Chamber 2026: Preview, Predictions and Who Will Book Their Tickets to WrestleMania 42

The road to WrestleMania 42 hits a major crossroads at elimination chamber 2026, with the United Center in Chicago hosting a stacked card that will decide two championship challengers. The event is set for Saturday at 7 p. m. ET (4 p. m. PT), and it carries direct WrestleMania implications: winners earn title matches on the biggest card of the year.

Elimination Chamber 2026: Start time and venue

The Elimination Chamber event takes place at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday with a scheduled start time of 7 p. m. ET/4 p. m. PT. Programming for the night will stream and air on major broadcast and streaming outlets (platform names redacted in this piece).

How the Elimination Chamber match works and what’s at stake

The Elimination Chamber match surrounds the ring with a giant steel structure rising up to a metal roof and places four competitors in individual glass booths called pods. Two wrestlers start the match in the ring while four are held in pods; at predetermined intervals, pods open one at a time to release more participants. Eliminations occur by pinfall or submission and there are no disqualifications. A past example of the no-DQ danger: an eliminated Seth Rollins stomped on CM Punk’s head, setting up John Cena’s win at last year’s Chamber. It’s also been a year since John Cena’s shocking heel turn at Elimination Chamber — a moment still being referenced in the current build, even with a parenthetical nod asking, “Where have you gone, Travis Scott?”

Men’s Elimination Chamber lineup and predictions

The men’s Chamber field named in the build includes Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, LA Knight, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams and Logan Paul. Cody Rhodes previewed the match specifically against Randy Orton, LA Knight, Je’Von Evans and Trick Williams as he looks to punch his ticket to WrestleMania.

Predictions supplied by commentator Mark Kaboly position this as a three-man race among Orton, Rhodes and LA Knight, with Je’Von Evans expected to deliver standout moments and Orton likely to land an RKO on Evans during the bout. The recent SmackDown angle that saw Jey Uso taken out by a mystery attacker opened the door for Vision member Logan Paul to take the sixth and final Chamber spot over Jacob Fatu. The prediction narrative envisions Cody Rhodes emerging with the victory, which would set him up for a title match with Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 42.

World Heavyweight Title and other top matches to watch

The World Heavyweight Title match on the card pits CM Punk (c) against Finn Bálor. One prediction projects Punk — wrestling in his hometown of Chicago — to retain the title, with an angle following the match in which Bálor is attacked inside the ring by Dominik Mysterio. That result would keep Punk positioned for a WrestleMania main event storyline.

Women’s Elimination Chamber field and storylines

The women’s Chamber line-up was finalized through triple-threat qualifiers held on Raw and SmackDown. The six competitors named are Tiffany Stratton, Rhea Ripley, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Kiana James and one other implied by the qualifier structure. Details from the qualifiers given in the build include:

• Tiffany Stratton defeated Chelsea Green and Lash Legend on the Feb. 6 episode of SmackDown. It’s noted that Jade Cargill ended Stratton’s title reign of over 300 days with a win on Saturday Night’s Main Event in November 2025.
• Rhea Ripley defeated Ivy Nile and Lyra Valkyria on Raw on Feb. 9. Ripley’s previous WWE Women’s Championship reign ran 379 days and she has not held that title since 2021.
• Alexa Bliss defeated the women’s United States Champion Giulia and Zelina on Feb. 13 SmackDown, pinning Zelina after a Sister Abigail; Bliss is established as a three-time Women’s Champion.
• Asuka defeated Bayley and Nattie on Raw three days after Feb. 13 to secure her Chamber spot; the build emphasizes that Asuka has never won a match at WrestleMania.
• Kiana James was a surprise entrant after upsetting Charlotte Flair and Nia Jax on the latest episode of SmackDown. The account notes that James slid underneath while Flair was doing her bridge figure four th — unclear in the provided context.

The winner of the women’s Elimination Chamber will earn a title shot at the WWE Women’s Championship, currently held by Jade Cargill.

Predictions recap and what to expect at WrestleMania 42

Key predictions laid out ahead of the night: CM Punk is tipped to retain the World Heavyweight Title against Finn Bálor, with an in-ring angle involving Dominik Mysterio; AJ Lee is predicted to upset Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship; and Cody Rhodes is forecast to win the men’s Chamber, positioning him to challenge Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 42. The stakes are clear: winners of both Elimination Chamber matches secure championship matches at WrestleMania 42, while the broader card continues storylines born out of recent Royal Rumble selections — Roman Reigns chose CM Punk as his WrestleMania opponent after winning the Royal Rumble, and Liv Morgan selected Stephanie Vaquer on a recent episode of Raw by sucker-punching her with a microphone in hand.

elimination chamber 2026 should settle several WrestleMania picture questions while creating new sparks to carry into the road to WrestleMania 42. Fans should watch for decisive eliminations, surprise interference and the aftermath that will shape the next chapter for multiple title pictures.