CM Punk stars in WWE Elimination Chamber opening video
Chicago native CM Punk stars in the opening video for WWE Elimination Chamber 2026.
On Saturday, WWE heads to the United Center in Chicago for one of the last major stops on the road to WrestleMania. Punk has a World Heavyweight Championship defense against Finn Balor at the PLE — and he’ll also be featured at the start of the broadcast in the cold open. WWE uploaded the Chicago-themed video to its social media channels today:
“People ask me, ‘Does pressure bother you?’ Pressure feels like this city I grew up in,” Punk says. “Like the walls that shake when the trains go by, the wind that hits you head on. Growing up here, you learn how to stay calm when it’s loud. To think straight when everything is closing in. That’s why the Chamber never rattled me. Whether it’s one-on-one on the outside or a battle on the inside, when that door slams shut and the world goes quiet, everyone feels that weight. Getting through it isn’t a win, it’s the price for chasing what matters most. So all this pressure? Feels like home.”
If Punk retains against Balor, he’ll head to WrestleMania 42 to defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns.
AJ Lee could add gold to the Punk family at Elimination Chamber, where she’s challenging Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. It’s Lee’s first singles match in more than a decade and only the third time she’s wrestled since coming out of retirement in 2025.
The United Center is the home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. Elimination Chamber marks the first WWE PLE/PPV to be held at the venue since 1994. Since then, WWE’s major Chicago-area shows have typically been held at Allstate Arena in nearby Rosemont, Illinois.
With a start time of 7 p.m. Eastern, Elimination Chamber will stream live on the ESPN app in the United States and on Netflix internationally. Here is the announced card:
WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 (Saturday, February 28) —
- Men’s Elimination Chamber match: Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Trick Williams vs. LA Knight vs. Jey Uso
- Women’s Elimination Chamber match: Rhea Ripley vs. Asuka vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Kiana James
- World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defends against Finn Balor
- Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch defends against AJ Lee
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.