The Best, Worst and Most Likely 2026 WWE Elimination Chamber Match Winners
WWE rolls into Chicago Saturday night for the Elimination Chamber premium live event, the latest stop on the road to WrestleMania 42.
Headlined by the men's and women's Chamber matches, the event will give fans a clearer idea of the marquee contests that will unfold at The Show of Shows in Las Vegas on April 18-19.
Announced for each match at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday so far are:
There is still one more competitor to be added to each, but let's work out which of the current entrants are the best, worst and most likely choices to win this year's Chamber matches.
Best (Men's): Trick Williams
1 of 6
Few wrestlers are hotter than Trick Williams entering Elimination Chamber.
The former NXT champion has made a seamless transition to the main roster, and fans are responding to him in a way that feels reminiscent of The Rock in 1998.
He is cocky and charismatic, and the audience eats it up every time he appears.
Sometimes, pushing someone as quickly as possible is the right call and doing that with Williams would not only pay off his meteoric rise but also play to his ongoing storyline.
Imagine Williams winning the Elimination Chamber, getting a championship opportunity at WrestleMania and being able to rub it in the face of Sami Zayn, especially when the veteran competitor has sought that high-profile title match his entire career.
To be able to brag about his early success would only further push Zayn to the brink of a heel turn, while earning a defining win so early in his main roster run would be a significant accomplishment for Williams, even if it is likely too early for that to happen on Saturday.
Best (Women's): Rhea Ripley
2 of 6
Of those already announced for the women's match, Rhea Ripley is easily the best choice, if for no other reason than the potential matchups that await her.
On the Raw side of things, she would likely be added to a match between Stephanie Vaquer and Liv Morgan, creating another potentially show-stealing Triple Threat match for the Women's World Championship.
On SmackDown, she would most likely challenge Jade Cargill in a match that would see her give the champion the toughest test of her career to date.
Either way, both matches are elevated from the presence of, arguably, the biggest star in the entire company right now.
That Ripley has established herself as an elite performer on the 'Mania stage is all the more reason for her to win here and set up a high-stakes matchup in Las Vegas.
Worst (Men's): Je'Von Evans
3 of 6
This is by no means an indictment on Je'Von Evans or his recent push. He has been dynamic and energetic, and the fans have responded favorably to him since the Royal Rumble.
History tells us that if WWE pushes too hard, though, the audience will turn on him.
If there is one thing wrestling fans do not like, it is having a Superstar shoved down their throats before they are ready to embrace them as the next top star. Look no further than John Cena and Roman Reigns, both of whom had to overcome negative reactions before earning the WWE Universe's respect.
Evans is not yet ready for the level of push that an Elimination Chamber win would give him, and nor are the fans. He will drop jaws with what he can do physically in the Chamber match and will benefit from working alongside veteran talent like Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton in the main event of a major show.
That is a big enough win for now.
Worst (Women's): Kiana James
4 of 6
Like Evans, this is not a knock against James. Instead, this is an opportunity for her to build on what has been a momentous 2026 to this point.
The former powerlifter impressed in her stint in the Royal Rumble and her character work every Friday night has been markedly better than before.
The 28-year-old has a bright future with WWE and will have an opportunity to shine in the Elimination Chamber, against former world champions and with a vocal Chicago audience giving her (and her bosses) live feedback.
James will get her opportunities, especially if she impresses Saturday night, but she is not ready and does not yet have the built-up equity with fans needed to warrant such a win.
Most Likely (Men's): Cody Rhodes
5 of 6
Still chasing Drew McIntyre and the Undisputed WWE Championship that he lost in controversial fashion last December, Cody Rhodes will win the men's Elimination Chamber and cash his ticket back to the main event of WrestleMania.
The American Nightmare has unfinished business with McIntyre, but he has also been battling with Jacob Fatu lately, which leaves the question: How does WWE work The Samoan Werewolf into the mix to deliver the Triple Threat match that has felt like a given for months now?
That is a discussion for another time, though.
What is not is Rhodes' position as the top star in WWE, around whom matches such as the WrestleMania main event are built. He will get his shot for a fourth year in a row, and it will be intriguing to see if he emerges from it as champion or not.
Most Likely (Women's): Tiffany Stratton
6 of 6
Tiffany Stratton returned in the Royal Rumble after a few months away due to injury and is immediately back in the mix for the WWE Women's Championship.
Her runner-up performance in that match suggested there were significant plans for her on this road to WrestleMania 42 and that starts Saturday in Chicago.
Stratton is the most obvious winner, especially considering her unfinished business with Jade Cargill. While that match may not feel like a WrestleMania bout given the number of times fans have already seen it, it at least makes sense from a narrative standpoint.
Of course, Stratton's status as the most likely winner is dependent upon the final entrant in the match as Cargill and Charlotte Flair engaged in a tense exchange Friday night that seemingly hinted that The Queen may be ready to reclaim her throne as early as The Showcase of the Immortals.
For now, though, Stratton is the clear winner of the bunch in the women's match.
_0.png?w=600 "Real Winners & Losers At Mania")
