Elimination Chamber 2026 Results: Winners Set WrestleMania 42 Matchups and Championship Stakes

The elimination chamber 2026 results reshape the top of the card for WrestleMania 42: Rhea Ripley and Randy Orton earned world-title opportunities, CM Punk survived a stiff challenge and will defend at WrestleMania, and AJ Lee walked away with the Women’s Intercontinental gold. Here’s why those outcomes change the immediate title picture and what follows in the coming days for the main players.

Immediate consequences for title lines and WrestleMania pairings

Here’s the part that matters: Ripley’s and Orton’s victories produced concrete matchups and a short-term tournament to finalize a WrestleMania challenger. Rhea Ripley’s win booked her a challenge against Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 42, while Randy Orton’s shock pin over Cody Rhodes—assisted by Drew McIntyre—puts Orton into the title conversation.

Following the show, SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis announced that Drew McIntyre will be forced to face Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed Championship on Friday; the result of that match will determine whom Orton faces at WrestleMania. The real question now is how that McIntyre–Rhodes bout will alter rivalries and momentum heading into the biggest weekend of the year.

The bigger signal here is the stacking of short, decisive matches that compress storyline development into a few high-stakes encounters rather than long build-ups. That raises the value of the Friday title match as an immediate turning point.

Elimination Chamber 2026 Results: Match outcomes from Chicago

The United Center in Chicago hosted the show on February 28; it was the first premium live event at that venue since SummerSlam 1994. Key outcomes from the card:

• Rhea Ripley defeated Tiffany Stratton, Raquel Rodriguez, Asuka, Kiana James, and Alexa Bliss in the women’s Elimination Chamber match to earn a WrestleMania title shot.
• Randy Orton pinned Cody Rhodes—helped by Drew McIntyre—to win the men’s Elimination Chamber match.
• CM Punk retained the World Heavyweight Championship with a hard-fought win over Finn Bálor; Punk will defend the title against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42.
• AJ Lee defeated Becky Lynch to capture the Women’s Intercontinental Championship.
• Seth Rollins was revealed as the masked man who attacked Logan Paul and helped eliminate him from the Chamber.
• Danhausen was the surprise reveal from the crate segment, a moment that was met with confusion from fans.

Men’s Elimination Chamber participants listed for the match included Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, Logan Paul, and LA Knight. Pre-show predictions from Mark Kaboly (a contributor noted for previewing the event) leaned toward CM Punk defeating Finn Bálor and suggested AJ Lee might be an upset winner over Becky Lynch; pundit commentary also framed the men’s Chamber as a three-way contest among Orton, Cody Rhodes, and LA Knight.

Match highlights and sequence notes

• Women’s Chamber: Tiffany Stratton and Kiana James opened the match; Alexa Bliss executed a Twisted Bliss from the top of a pod. A blue-mist spot by "The Empress of Tomorrow" allowed Kiana James to score the match’s first elimination. Raquel Rodriguez later pinned both James and Asuka; Ripley finished the match after sending Stratton face-first into a pod and hitting the Riptide.
• AJ Lee vs. Becky Lynch: The contest involved referee bumps, use of a steel chair, and an exposed turnbuckle. Referee Jessika Carr collided with the exposed turnbuckle and was later incapacitated after taking a kick. Lynch removed a turnbuckle pad and used a chair, but Lee ultimately sent Lynch into the exposed buckle, applied the Black Widow, and won by submission.
• CM Punk vs. Finn Bálor: Bálor looked like the better man for long stretches and dominated portions of the match, but Punk survived and retained, setting up the WrestleMania defense against Roman Reigns.

What this means going into WrestleMania and short-term signals to watch

Immediate implications, affected groups, and next signals:

• Title challengers: Rhea Ripley is now slated to challenge Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 42; that match is the most direct consequence of the women’s Chamber outcome.
• Undisputed title path: The Friday match between Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes will determine Orton’s WrestleMania opponent—expect that result to reframe the main-event landscape rapidly.
• Champion continuity: CM Punk retaining and being booked to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42 cements that main-event thread heading into the show.
• Character and momentum shifts: AJ Lee’s capture of the Women’s Intercontinental Championship changes Becky Lynch’s trajectory, and the Danhausen crate reveal adds an unpredictable social moment rather than a clear storyline advance.

Signals that will confirm the next turn include the outcome of McIntyre vs. Rhodes on Friday, any title rematches announced for the weeks before WrestleMania, and whether the Seth Rollins reveal deepens the Logan Paul angle or creates separate heat. If you’re wondering why this keeps coming up, it’s because the Friday match directly determines a WrestleMania opponent and thus compresses storyline stakes into one immediate result.

It’s easy to overlook, but the combination of quick pivots and surprise reveals at this event suggests creative is prioritizing high-impact moments over slow-burn arcs in the final weeks before WrestleMania.

Andreas Hale breaks down all the action from Elimination Chamber in Chicago.