WWE Elimination Chamber Review - February 28, 2026

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Rhea Ripley def. Tiffany Stratton, Raquel Rodriguez, Asuka, Kiana James and Alexa Bliss in a WWE Women's Championship No. 1 Contender's Elimination Chamber Match

While this won't be remembered as the best women's Chamber match of all-time, this was still a very good match and the hottest the crowd sounded all night (at least for anything that happened in the ring). Bliss getting eliminated first was certainly shocking, but I assume she and Charlotte Flair end up in the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship mix at WrestleMania 42. James had a much better outing here than she did at the Royal Rumble, while Rodriguez looked dominant in defeat. The final stretch with Ripley and Stratton was strong and Ripley winning was the right call. Her against Jade Cargill at 'Mania is an attraction, but it doesn't excite me on paper because of the lack of story, so hopefully they can come up with an interesting one in the coming weeks.

AJ Lee def. Becky Lynch to Win the Women's Intercontinental Championship

It's a shame the crowd was as quiet as they were for the majority of the match because I actually thought it was super solid stuff. I was extra impressed by Lee's performance considering how long she's gone without wrestling in a singles matchup. The crowd woke up down the stretch when the shenanigans started, and again referee Jessika Carr factored into the finish. How do all of these interactions between her and Lynch not lead them having a match at some point, ideally on Raw before WrestleMania? Lee winning the title in her (adopted) hometown of Chicago was a cool moment, but I wouldn't keep the belt on her after 'Mania if she's not going to be full-time.

World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk def. Finn Balor

First of all, that Michael Jordan-inspired entrance for Punk (complete with the Chicago Bulls' old announcer) was incredible. Just beautiful. The match itself was entertaining and on par with their Raw encounter from last month. Of course, no one honestly believed Balor was winning the title, but he was once again made to look credible in defeat and the action was hard-hitting. Balor shaking hands with Punk afterward heavily implies he'll be a babyface sooner rather than later.

Danhausen Was Revealed to Be in the Box

This was, uh, certainly interesting. Personally, I didn't put much stock into the rumors that Danhausen would be in the box earlier in the month because he was on AEW's online roster page... until Friday, at which point it became clear it was going to be him. Don't get me wrong, this gimmick fit the mystery box gimmick perfectly, not to mention he's from Chicago, but the execution wasn't ideal, so it's hard to blame those who were disappointed. It didn't do him any favors, and I felt bad he got booed at the end, but I do think he can excel in WWE if they utilize him properly going forward. 

Randy Orton def. Cody Rhodes, Logan Paul, Trick Williams, LA Knight and Je'Von Evans in an Undisputed WWE Championship No. 1 Contender's Elimination Chamber Match

This may have been the weakest Chamber match I've seen in some time. Worst ever? I wouldn't go that far, but it lacked energy and never once got going. No one had a chance to shine and Paul eliminating Evans, Knight and Williams was lame. I'm sure that spot was intended for Bronson Reed, but they should have switched up the layout because it felt forced. Even the stuff with the masked man was a mess, though the crowd did pop for the returning Seth Rollins. The best part of all of this was the final 60 seconds or so with Drew McIntyre attacking Rhodes and costing him the win. It was announced after the show that Rhodes will challenge McIntyre for the title on Friday's SmackDown. That makes zero sense, but as long as this ends in a Fatal 4-Way for the title at WrestleMania, I'm content.

Overall Show

The streak of standout Elimination Chamber events ended with this one. That isn't to say it was a bad show but rather a mixed bag. There was more positive than negative, and I didn't have an issue with any of the outcomes, but the excitement level for WrestleMania right now is not where it should be for many fans and there are still so many questions as to what the card will consist of. I liked this show for the most part, but it didn't feel nearly as special as other events WWE has done in Chicago.

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