Elimination Chamber 2026: Predictions From Chicago Point Toward Punk Retaining and an AJ Lee Upset
Mark Kaboly laid out a series of predictions for elimination chamber 2026 as the event prepares to stream live from the United Center in Chicago on Saturday at 7 ET/4 PT. These forecasts touch directly on title trajectories, a surprising singles return, and a multi-man Chamber that could shape WrestleMania 42 matchups.
Elimination Chamber 2026 predictions from Mark Kaboly
Pat McAfee Show contributor Mark Kaboly offered a running forecast of outcomes for the Chicago card, stressing both likely finishes and narrative seeds that could carry into WrestleMania 42. He predicted a clean World Heavyweight Title defense in Punk’s hometown and an upset in the Women’s Intercontinental Title match. Kaboly also highlighted how the men’s Chamber could serve as the mechanism to place Cody Rhodes back into a main-event title picture.
World Heavyweight Title — CM Punk vs. Finn Bálor at the United Center
Kaboly’s assessment put CM Punk (c) over Finn Bálor in a title defense on a card streaming from the United Center. The prediction stresses Punk’s hometown advantage in Chicago as decisive, and it includes a post-match beatdown element: Dominik Mysterio, identified as the Intercontinental Champion, is expected to attack Bálor inside the ring after Punk’s victory. Kaboly linked Dominik’s actions to an ongoing friction with a Judgment Day brother, saying those issues will finally come to a head at Elimination Chamber.
Women’s Intercontinental Title — Becky Lynch vs. AJ Lee
The women’s featured matchup projects a notable return: AJ Lee, who Kaboly noted has not had a singles match in almost 11 years, is slated to challenge Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. The prediction is an upset, with AJ Lee defeating Lynch. Kaboly framed the potential outcome as both a short-term title change and a storyline setup that could lead to a rematch at WrestleMania 42, suggesting Lee might hold the gold briefly in her city before a later reversal.
Men’s Elimination Chamber lineup and WrestleMania 42 implications
The six-man Chamber listed by Kaboly includes Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, Logan Paul and LA Knight. He singled out Je’Von Evans as a breakout performer who will “wow” the audience and predicted an RKO by Orton on Evans at some point. Kaboly boiled the finish down to a three-way race among Orton, Cody Rhodes and LA Knight, with Rhodes the likeliest to emerge to secure a path to WrestleMania 42.
Kaboly flagged a decisive SmackDown angle that opened the door for Logan Paul’s inclusion: Jey Uso being taken out by a mystery man allowed a Vision member to grab the sixth slot over Jacob Fatu. That chain of events, Kaboly argued, effectively solidified a projected Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre title match at WrestleMania 42. He added that if Jacob Fatu had slipped into the Chamber, outcomes might have been different, and he allowed for a creative possibility—Rhodes turning heel—while saying that outcome felt unlikely.
Broadcast access, platform guidance and site compatibility notes
The event will stream at 7 ET/4 PT on in the United States and on Netflix elsewhere. Promotional material tied to the event reiterated that every Premium Live Event and a broad catalog of content can be accessed on multiple platforms, mentioning sign-in options through regional services and separate carriage of WrestleMania and other Premium Live Events on alternate streamers. The promotion also advised that fans can learn how to access historical and recent WWE shows and watch weekly programming live through official digital channels.
Separately, a prominent national news website has warned that older web browsers may not be supported and urged users to upgrade for the best online experience, noting the site was built to take advantage of current web technology.
What makes this notable is how Kaboly’s forecast ties immediate match outcomes to longer-term booking: a Punk title retention plus a surprise AJ Lee victory and a Chamber that elevates Rhodes would collectively shape advertised main events and rematch possibilities heading into WrestleMania 42.
All of Kaboly’s predictions and production notes are positioned against the fixed timeline of a Saturday 7 ET/4 PT start at the United Center, leaving little ambiguity about when viewers should tune in to see how those scenarios play out.
