Wwe Elimination Chamber fallout: Ripley books WrestleMania trip, AJ Lee wins Intercontinental gold, Punk survives Balor

The Elimination Chamber returned to the United Center in Chicago on February 28 with high stakes and WrestleMania 42 implications. Wwe's premium live event featured men's and women's Elimination Chamber matches and two major title bouts; the show marked the first premium live event at the United Center since SummerSlam 1994 and set multiple storylines toward the biggest show of the year.

Wwe women's Elimination Chamber — Ripley emerges as the Eradicator

Rhea Ripley won the women's Elimination Chamber match to earn a spot at WrestleMania 42, outlasting Tiffany Stratton, Raquel Rodriguez, Asuka, Kiana James and Alexa Bliss. The bout opened with Stratton and James as the starting competitors. Alexa Bliss hit a Twisted Bliss from the top of a pod in one of the night's big spots but was then blinded by blue mist delivered by The Empress of Tomorrow, which allowed Kiana James to score the first elimination.

Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez made major impacts upon entering the match. Rodriguez pinned both James and Asuka during her run, and a subsequent one-two combination from Mami and Tiffy eliminated Big Mami Cool from contention. Ripley ultimately sent Stratton face-first into a pod and finished with the Riptide to secure the victory and the WrestleMania 42 berth.

Result: Rhea Ripley defeated Tiffany Stratton, Raquel Rodriguez, Asuka, Kiana James and Alexa Bliss.

Last time in action — key wrestlers into Chamber

• Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky lost to Nia Jax and Lash Legend (SmackDown, February 27).
• Kiana James defeated Nia Jax and Charlotte Flair (SmackDown, February 20).
• Tiffany Stratton defeated Kairi Sane (SmackDown, February 27).
• Alexa Bliss defeated Giulia and Zelina (SmackDown, February 13).
• Raquel Rodriguez defeated Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane (Raw, February 23).
• Asuka defeated Bayley and Nattie (Raw, February 16).

AJ Lee shocks Becky Lynch to win the Women's Intercontinental Championship

AJ Lee captured the Women's Intercontinental Championship by defeating Becky Lynch in a match marked by referee bumps, a steel chair and an exposed turnbuckle. AJ Lee had early success, outwrestling Lynch and frustrating the champion, who later removed a turnbuckle pad and exposed the corner. Referee Jessika Carr collided with the exposed turnbuckle and was knocked down after taking a kick from Lynch, leaving the match without normal officiating for a period.

Lynch used a chair during the bout but could not keep Lee down. Lee sent Lynch into the exposed turnbuckle, applied the Black Widow submission and forced the tap to become the new Women's Intercontinental Champion.

World Heavyweight picture — Punk survives Balor, WrestleMania 42 main event shaping up

CM Punk survived his match with Finn Bálor in Chicago and will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42. The Second City Saint emerged from a hard-fought bout with a focused, determined challenger. For much of the match the challenger was the better man, and at times the Irishman outwrestled Punk, dominating stretches and appearing capable of derailing the WrestleMania main event plans before Punk ultimately prevailed.

Men's Elimination Chamber predictions and the road to WrestleMania

Pre-event predictions framed the men's Elimination Chamber as a wide-open contest featuring Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Je'Von Evans, Trick Williams, Logan Paul and LA Knight. Analysis before the show highlighted Je'Von Evans as a breakout performer and forecast at least one spectacular RKO from Randy Orton on Evans. The speculative consensus named a three-man race among Orton, Cody Rhodes and LA Knight, while Logan Paul's entry into the Chamber was tied to a SmackDown angle where Jey Uso was taken out by a mystery man, opening the door for Paul to take the sixth slot over Jacob Fatu.

Predictions leaned toward Cody Rhodes being placed into a WrestleMania main event title match to face Drew McIntyre; commentary suggested that had Jacob Fatu entered the Chamber the outcome might have shifted. One pre-show note ended mid-thought in the available material and is unclear in the provided context.

Streaming access, event timing and ancillary notes

Promotional notes ahead of the event encouraged fans to watch Premium Live Events and highlighted unlimited access to the promotion's premium content on a range of devices. The guidance pointed fans to regional streaming and sign-in platforms for access to WrestleMania and other premium events and explained how to stream the promotion's shows online, including recent and historical content and live episodes of the weekly program.

Pre-show predictions were offered by a noted contributor who presented forecasts from the United Center in Chicago on Saturday evening at 7: 00 p. m. ET/4: 00 p. m. PT, with the event available on television in the United States and on streaming platforms elsewhere.

Elimination Chamber left several definitive outcomes—Ripley's Chamber victory, AJ Lee's title win, and Punk surviving Bálor—while also underscoring open questions heading into WrestleMania 42. A full recap, live grades and deeper analysis aim to unpack the decisions and what they mean for the road to the Showcase of the Immortals.