Elimination Chamber 2026 Results: Ripley and Orton Punch Tickets to WrestleMania 42
Elimination Chamber 2026 Results were decided in Chicago as Rhea Ripley and Randy Orton secured world-title opportunities at WrestleMania 42. The United Center show produced title changes, a masked-man reveal, and booking decisions that immediately reshaped the road to WrestleMania.
Elimination Chamber 2026 Results: Rhea Ripley wins the women’s Chamber
Rhea Ripley outlasted Tiffany Stratton, Raquel Rodriguez, Asuka, Kiana James and Alexa Bliss in the women’s Elimination Chamber match to earn a challenge for the WWE Women’s Championship against Jade Cargill at WrestleMania 42. Ripley secured the victory by sending Stratton face-first into a pod and finishing with the Riptide.
The match opened with Tiffany Stratton and Kiana James starting the action. Alexa Bliss produced a major spot, delivering Twisted Bliss from the top of a pod, but was then blinded by the Empress of Tomorrow’s blue mist, which allowed Kiana James to score the first elimination. Raquel Rodriguez made a strong impact upon entering, pinning both James and Asuka, while Rodriguez and Stratton’s combined offense removed Big Mami Cool from contention before Ripley finished the sequence.
Rhea Ripley’s recent ring activity and context
Ripley’s Chamber run followed a string of recent appearances: Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky lost to Nia Jax and Lash Legend on SmackDown on February 27. Kiana James defeated Nia Jax and Charlotte Flair on SmackDown on February 20. Tiffany Stratton defeated Kairi Sane on SmackDown on February 27. Alexa Bliss had defeated Giulia and Zelina on SmackDown on February 13. Raquel Rodriguez defeated Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane on Raw on February 23. Asuka defeated Bayley and Nattie on Raw on February 16.
Men’s Chamber: Randy Orton pins Cody Rhodes with Drew McIntyre’s involvement
Randy Orton pulled off a surprise victory in the men’s Elimination Chamber, pinning Cody Rhodes to win the match. The pinfall came after interference and assistance from Drew McIntyre, a factor that directly produced the decisive outcome.
The men’s Chamber field included Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, Logan Paul and LA Knight. Earlier storyline movement placed Logan Paul into the match after Jey Uso was taken out by a mystery man on SmackDown, opening the door for the Vision member Logan Paul to take the sixth spot over Jacob Fatu. Predictions ahead of the show had spotlighted Orton, Rhodes and LA Knight as leading contenders, and analysts expected Je’Von Evans to deliver standout moments and for Orton to hit a spectacular RKO during the bout.
Nick Aldis books McIntyre vs. Rhodes for the Undisputed Championship
Following the show, SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis announced that Drew McIntyre will be required to face Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed Championship on Friday. That match will determine which wrestler Randy Orton will challenge at WrestleMania, creating an immediate cause-and-effect chain: McIntyre’s involvement helped Orton win the Chamber, and Aldis’ booking now makes the Rhody–McIntyre result the determinant for Orton’s WrestleMania opponent.
CM Punk defeats Finn Bálor and headline implications
CM Punk retained the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Finn Bálor in Chicago. The match saw Bálor outwrestle Punk and dominate stretches of the bout, at times looking like he could disrupt the planned WrestleMania main event. Punk ultimately prevailed and will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42. What makes this notable is that Punk’s victory both preserves his championship status and sets up a high-profile title defense that narrows uncertainty over the main-event landscape.
The match narrative included extended periods of Bálor control followed by late-match swings. A late-match attempt unclear in the provided context.
AJ Lee captures Women’s Intercontinental title; Seth Rollins, Danhausen and broadcast context
AJ Lee defeated Becky Lynch to become the Women’s Intercontinental Champion in a dramatic contest featuring referee bumps, a steel chair and an exposed turnbuckle. Lee outwrestled Lynch early, after which Lynch removed a turnbuckle pad and referee Jessika Carr collided with the exposed hardware. Carr later absorbed a kick from Lynch and was taken further out of the match’s officiating picture. Lynch introduced a chair but could not keep Lee down; Lee sent Lynch into the exposed turnbuckle, applied the Black Widow and earned the submission victory.
The event also included non-title moments that drew fan reaction: Seth Rollins was revealed as the masked man who attacked Logan Paul and helped eliminate him in the Chamber, and Danhausen was the figure revealed from a crate — a reveal met with confusion from the crowd. The show took place at the United Center in Chicago on February 28, the first premium live event at that venue since SummerSlam 1994.
Pre-event coverage and predictions were prominent. Pat McAfee Show contributor Mark Kaboly provided a set of predictions streaming from the United Center, projecting outcomes such as Punk over Bálor and AJ Lee over Becky Lynch, and highlighting the men’s Chamber as a race among Orton, Cody Rhodes and LA Knight. Promotional material for the premium live event noted viewing access across multiple platforms, including Netflix, Sony LIV, Flow and WWE. com, and the event was carried in the United States on at 7 ET/4 PT. Andreas Hale provided a breakdown of the Elimination Chamber action in Chicago.
