What Time Does it Start?

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – FEBRUARY 23: World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk addresses the crowd during Monday Night RAW at State Farm Arena on February 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Bradlee Rutledge/WWE via Getty Images)

WWE via Getty Images

HIGHLIGHTS

• Four confirmed matches, including two Elimination Chamber bouts with WrestleMania 42 implications
• CM Punk defends the World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Balor in Chicago — his hometown
• AJ Lee is the heavy favorite to win the Women’s Intercontinental Title from Becky Lynch

WWE Elimination Chamber is on Saturday night. The action in Chicago gets underway in the early evening at the United Center. There are four confirmed matches and the chances for some serious drama in and outside of the ring. Following a last-minute shift on Smackdown, we have a new participant in the Elimination Chamber.

Here is a breakdown of the entire card, the start time, viewing information and what’s at stake in the Windy City.

Key Facts at a Glance

• Event: WWE Elimination Chamber 2026
• Date: Saturday, February 28, 2026
• Venue: United Center — Chicago, Illinois
• Start Time: 7:00 PM Eastern
• US Stream: ESPN / ESPN App
• International Stream: Netflix

Start Time

WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 starts at 7:00 PM ET

Internationally on Netflix, the show kicks off at midnight GMT (Sunday, March 1 in the UK) and 10:00 AM AEDT for Australian viewers.

How to Watch

In the United States, the event streams on ESPN via the ESPN App or ESPN Unlimited plan. Qualifying TV providers — including DIRECTV, FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, Spectrum, and Verizon FiOS — can also use their credentials. Outside the US, the event streams on Netflix.

Full Card

World Heavyweight Championship
CM Punk (c) vs. Finn Balor

What’s at stake: Punk is the overwhelming favorite to retain. Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble and selected Punk as his WrestleMania opponent. A Punk win sets up Punk vs. Reigns in Las Vegas. The real reason to watch is for Judgment Day involvement or the potential Chris Jericho return.

Men’s Elimination Chamber
Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton vs. LA Knight vs. Logan Paul vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Trick Williams

What’s at stake: The winner earns an Undisputed WWE Championship match against Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 42. Rhodes is the favorite based on storyline momentum, but I’m picking LA Knight to win. The match also serves as a platform for Evans and Williams, two newly promoted talents.

Women’s Elimination Chamber
Tiffany Stratton vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Asuka vs. Kiana James vs. Raquel Rodriguez
What’s at stake: The winner earns a WWE Women’s Championship match against Jade Cargill at WrestleMania 42. Stratton enters as the leading contender, with Rodriguez and Ripley as possible winners and opponents for Cargill at WrestleMania 42.

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

What’s at stake: AJ Lee is the heavy favorite to win her first championship in over a decade. The backstory between Lee and Lynch has been brewing since Lee returned to help Punk earlier this year. As I noted in my coverage of big-event atmospheres, crowd energy in hometown title matches is a genuine variable.

The Crate Opening

Raw and SmackDown GMs Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis will reveal the contents of the mystery crate during the event.

WrestleMania 42 follows on April 18–19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Saturday night in Chicago is the last major checkpoint.