Elimination Chamber 2026: Randy Orton and Rhea Ripley Punch Their Tickets to WrestleMania with Epic Wins

Rhea Ripley and Randy Orton won their respective Elimination Chamber matches to seal the all-important WrestleMania 42 berths.

Elimination Chamber 2026: Randy Orton and Rhea Ripley Punch Their Tickets to WrestleMania with Epic Wins

Rhea Ripley and Randy Orton [via- WWE]

This year’s Elimination Chamber PLE is in the history books. The men’s chamber featuring Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, LA Knight, Trick Williams, Je’Von Evans, and Logan Paul main-evented the show. It was the Elimination Chamber match debut for both Evans and Williams, who shockingly got eliminated by Paul in a head-scratching call. That turned off the Chicago crowd for a while.

‘The Maverick’, who got rid of Knight as well, eventually succumbed to the masked man, who ultimately unveiled himself as Seth Rollins. The man who created the Vision is finally back to right some wrongs. The fans should fully expect Rollins to either take on Logan Paul one-on-one at WrestleMania or find himself a tag team partner to factor in Austin Theory as well.

BodySlam reported shortly afterwards that if Bron Breakker doesn’t get the medical clearance to compete at WrestleMania, Rollins vs. Paul seems to be the working plan for now. Once the social media megastar had his Mania dreams dashed, it was down to Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. That’s something the fans have been wanting to see for a long time.

But Drew McIntyre couldn’t resist getting involved in the match. ‘The Scottish Psychopath’ ambushed ‘The American Nightmare’ with the Undisputed WWE title and started throwing haymakers on Rhodes before Orton dropped the Scot with an RKO. ‘The QB1’ followed it up with a Cross Rhodes on McIntyre.

‘The Apex Predator’ wasted no time in planting the former AEW EVP with the three most destructive letters in sports entertainment to confirm his berth for WrestleMania 42. It was Orton’s second win inside the Elimination Chamber structure in his tenth appearance. As things stand, Randy Orton is going to challenge Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE title at the ‘Grandest Stage of Them All’.

However, that’s now subject to the outcome of McIntyre defending his gold against Rhodes on SmackDown. GM Nick Aldis announced the match during the Elimination Chamber post show. Aldis even got into a heated confrontation with McIntyre over his call on the Scot’s fate. The fans have already started booking all the possible scenarios for the Undisputed WWE title picture heading into WrestleMania.

It’s very likely that Jacob Fatu will interfere in McIntyre vs. Rhodes this week after ‘The Chosen One’ cost Fatu his chance to qualify for the Elimination Chamber match this past Friday on SmackDown. ‘The Samoan Werewolf’ has not gotten his hands on Drew McIntyre the way he’s been wanting to.

Taking all that into account, should Fatu cause a disqualification ending to McIntyre vs. Rhodes on SmackDown, it’s expected to segue into a Fatal-4-Way bout at WrestleMania. Some fans are also talking about the potential of having Nick Aldis take his suit off and put his wrestling gear on for WrestleMania and square off with McIntyre based on how effective their on-screen segments have been.

However, the most intriguing direction WWE could head into is if Fatu costs McIntyre the title on SmackDown. It would then lead to that long-awaited dream match between Rhodes and Orton at WrestleMania. Fatu, on the other hand, could face the Scot in a singles match with a stipulation likely attached to it.

Rhea Ripley set for Jade Cargill showdown after her Elimination Chamber exploits

The night at the United Center in Chicago kicked off with the women’s Elimination Chamber. Alexa Bliss couldn’t leave any significant mark in the match, as she was the first woman to get eliminated. She had Kiana James locked in for the Sister Abigail. ‘Little Miss Bliss’ got poison misted by Asuka, which allowed James to roll her up.

Rhea Ripley unlocks Jade Cargill match after Elimination Chamber win
Rhea Ripley unlocks Jade Cargill match after Elimination Chamber win [via- Wrestle Features/@X]

Raquel Rodriguez, who has firmly established herself as a powerhouse over the last year or so, scored a double elimination. ‘Big Mami Cool’ first hit a running powerslam through the chamber pod on James and planted her with the Tejana Bomb over Asuka to stack them up on each other and execute the pinfall simultaneously.

Rodriguez’s dominant run came to an end with Rhea Ripley hitting a cannonball off the top of the chamber pod and Tiffany Stratton following it up with the Prettiest Moonsault Ever on the Judgment Day member to get her out of the equation.

Ripley and Stratton duked it out as the final two women remaining in the chamber. ‘The Buff Barbie’ got caught while going for a PMS on ‘The Eradicator’, who shoved Stratton jaw-first into the chamber pod. It allowed ‘Mami’ to hit the Riptide on Rodriguez and win the entire thing.

The former Judgment Day member is now headed to Las Vegas to contest for the women’s title, which is currently resting on Jade Cargill‘s shoulders. It’s also going to be Ripley’s fifth straight title match at WrestleMania. The fans are already rooting for her to dethrone Cargill so that Rhea Ripley could go on to face a retaining Bianca Belair at SummerSlam 2026.

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