Final Predictions for CM Punk, AJ Lee, Entire WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 Match Card

WWE Elimination Chamber is the final PLE stop before WrestleMania 42, and the two Chamber matches will determine who faces Jade Cargill and Drew McIntyre for their respective titles at 'Mania.

Here's the rundown for Saturday's show:

Becky Lynch vs. AJ Lee (Women's Intercontinental Championship)

CM Punk vs. Finn Balor (Men's World Heavyweight Championship)

Randy Orton vs. LA Knight vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Je'Von Evans vs. Trick Williams vs. Jey Uso (Men's Chamber)

Tiffany Stratton vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Asuka vs. Kiana James vs. Raquel Rodriguez (Women's Chamber)

Let's go through each match and make some predictions.

Men's World Heavyweight Championship

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Participants: CM Punk and Finn Balor

When Punk and Balor fought on Raw in January over the title, the match ended with The Straight-Edge Superstar showing his opponent some respect after the match.

However, this feud has become much more heated in the weeks since that match. The elder Judgment Day member is desperate to prove he is still a top star and appears to be willing to do anything to achieve his goal.

Unfortunately for him, Punk is going to retain. The battle between him and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania is too big for the company to have him drop the title just weeks before the biggest event of the year.

Balor is an outstanding performer who can be pushed back into the main event scene at any time, so hopefully, he gets another chance after 'Mania.

Prediction: Punk retains

Women's Intercontinental Championship

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Participants: Becky Lynch and AJ Lee

Coming into this match, Lee has two wins over Lynch, but both were against other competitors. One was a mixed tag, and the other was WarGames.

Lee hasn't had a singles match since returning to WWE, so this will be the first time she has to go it alone. Unfortunately for her, that may be her undoing.

Having Lynch not only lose a third time to Lee, but also lose her title, feels unlikely. WWE is going to want The Man defending her belt at WrestleMania because she is still one of the most recognizable faces in the company.

This will be a true test of whether Lee has any ring rust left to shake off. There won't be a stipulation or partner to lean on, so it's all up to her. Thankfully, she will be in the ring with one of WWE's best.

Prediction: Lynch retains

Women's Elimination Chamber

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Participants: Tiffany Stratton, Rhea Ripley, Alexa Bliss, Kiana James, Asuka and Raquel Rodriguez

The lineup for this year's women's Chamber match is interesting because while a few names might seem more likely to win, nobody seems like the obvious pick.

The main thing to remember is that the winner will be facing Jade Cargill at WrestleMania, so WWE is going to want someone who can get the best possible match out of the champion.

Asuka, James and Rodriguez do not feel like they have been built up enough in recent weeks to win, so it comes down to Stratton, Ripley and Bliss.

The Eradicator feels like the obvious pick here due to her popularity and star power, but she and Bliss have been focusing more on the tag titles in recent months. With Stratton having lost the title to Cargill in January without ever getting a rematch, she seems like the safest pick in this scenario.

Prediction: Stratton wins

Men's Elimination Chamber

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Participants: Cody Rhodes, LA Knight, Je'Von Evans, Jey Uso, Randy Orton and Trick Williams

We're not going to beat around the bush on this one. The only two realistic winners of this bout are Rhodes and Orton.

Williams and Evans, while both incredibly talented and over with the fans, are too new to the main roster for WWE to put them in one of the 'Mania main events.

Knight has barely been pushed recently, and Uso is one-half of the tag champs on Raw and will likely have to defend those belts in Las Vegas, so they're out.

Orton has been vocal about wanting to win a 15th world title, and as much fun as it would be to see that, The American Nightmare has a slight edge over him due to his ongoing feud with Drew McIntyre.

It will come down to Rhodes and The Viper at the end, but we're going to put our money on Dusty's son this time.

Prediction: Rhodes wins

What's in the Box?

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WWE has been running a storyline recently involving a large crate with a note that says it will be opened on February 28, the day of Elimination Chamber.

There has been zero indication of what it might be, but the size of the box indicates the likelihood of it being a person who will emerge on Saturday.

Some have speculated it could be Chris Jericho, but Fightful reported that his AEW contract is still in effect.

The most popular theory online seems to be Danhausen, which would certainly be an intriguing way to introduce such an unorthodox Superstar.

This doesn't feel like an appropriate way to bring back Bianca Belair, or a good way to introduce Royce Keys following his Royal Rumble debut.

If we had to put money on this, we're picking Danhausen. It's just goofy enough of a concept to fit him perfectly if its executed well.

Prediction: Danhausen is in the box