Wwe Elimination Chamber: Ripley Wins Chamber, AJ Lee Upsets Lynch, Punk Survives Balor
Wwe's Elimination Chamber in Chicago produced decisive moments that reshape the road to WrestleMania 42: Rhea Ripley won the women's Elimination Chamber, AJ Lee defeated Becky Lynch to become the new Women's Intercontinental champion, and CM Punk survived Finn Bálor to keep the World Heavyweight Title. The show, held at the United Center on February 28, delivered outcomes with immediate WrestleMania implications.
Wwe at the United Center
The event marked the first premium live event at the United Center since SummerSlam 1994 and took place on February 28. Pre-show and promotional material instructed fans on how to access premium live events and WWE's catalog on a range of streaming platforms; programming and on-site presentation included prediction coverage from a roster contributor who previewed matches live from the arena at 7 ET/4 PT. The February 28 card featured both the men's and women's Elimination Chamber matches plus two high-stakes title bouts tied directly to WrestleMania 42.
Rhea Ripley’s Elimination Chamber victory
Rhea Ripley outlasted five opponents—Tiffany Stratton, Raquel Rodriguez, Asuka, Kiana James and Alexa Bliss—to earn a slot at WrestleMania 42. The women's Chamber opened with Tiffany Stratton and Kiana James in the ring. Alexa Bliss produced a high spot, delivering a Twisted Bliss from the top of a pod, but was then blinded by blue mist delivered by the Empress of Tomorrow, which allowed James to register the bout's first elimination. Raquel Rodriguez made a major impact on arrival, pinning both James and Asuka, while Rodriguez herself was later removed after a one–two sequence from Mami and Tiffy eliminated Big Mami Cool. Ripley finished the sequence by sending Stratton face-first into a pod and landing the Riptide to secure the victory and a WrestleMania berth.
AJ Lee dethrones Becky Lynch for Women’s Intercontinental Championship
AJ Lee is the new Women's Intercontinental champion after submitting Becky Lynch in a match defined by referee bumps, a steel chair and an exposed turnbuckle. Lee controlled early stretches, and Lynch rallied to dominate later, removing a turnbuckle pad and creating a dangerous ring condition; referee Jessika Carr collided with the exposed corner and was further incapacitated when she absorbed a kick from Lynch. Lynch attempted to use a chair but could not keep Lee down. Lee sent Lynch into the exposed turnbuckle, applied the Black Widow and forced the submission. It was also noted that AJ Lee had not competed in a singles match in almost 11 years prior to this contest.
CM Punk survives Finn Bálor; World Heavyweight Title headed to WrestleMania 42 vs Roman Reigns
CM Punk retained the World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Bálor and is slated to defend the title against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42. Bálor had stretches where he outwrestled and dominated Punk, but Punk overcame the challenge and finished the match with the title intact. A late-match sequence was referenced in recap material but is unclear in the provided context. The result sets up Punk's championship defense on wrestling's biggest card of the year.
Men’s Elimination Chamber field and pre-show predictions
The men's Elimination Chamber lineup listed Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Je'Von Evans, Trick Williams, Logan Paul and LA Knight. Pre-show analysis forecasted a standout performance from Je'Von Evans and predicted that Randy Orton would connect with an RKO on Evans at some point. The same analysis framed the outcome as a three-way race among Orton, Cody Rhodes and LA Knight, and suggested a strong chance of Cody Rhodes appearing in a WrestleMania main event against Drew McIntyre. The sixth Chamber spot was discussed in storyline context: Jey Uso was taken out on SmackDown by an unidentified attacker, opening the door for Logan Paul to claim the berth over Jacob Fatu; commentary noted that if Fatu had entered the Chamber the dynamic might have changed. A final prediction sentence about Rhodes's victory was truncated and is unclear in the provided context.
Recent activity and build context for key competitors
Several performers had recent match history cited entering Elimination Chamber. 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 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. AJ Lee had teamed with Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky to beat Becky Lynch, Lash Legend, Nia Jax, Asuka and Kairi Sane at Survivor Series: WarGames on November 28, and Becky Lynch had been eliminated in the women's Royal Rumble on January 31. CM Punk had previously defeated AJ Styles double disqualification on Raw on January 26, and Finn Bálor had lost to Punk on Raw on January 19.
What makes this notable is how the in-ring incidents—blue mist, an exposed turnbuckle and referee incapacitations—directly produced title changes and WrestleMania matchups, altering the final build for the season's marquee event.
