History of Elimination Chamber (2026) in Timeline

Elimination Chamber (2026), also known as Elimination Chamber: Chicago, is a WWE professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event scheduled for February 28, 2026, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The event will feature wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown brands and revolve around the Elimination Chamber match, a multi-person elimination-based steel cage match where championships or future championship opportunities are contested.

September 5, 2025: AJ Lee Returns

On September 5, 2025, AJ Lee returned to WWE for the first time since 2015, helping her husband CM Punk against Becky Lynch and her husband Seth Rollins.

October 14, 2025: Elimination Chamber Event Scheduled

On October 14, 2025, Sports Illustrated reported that the 16th Elimination Chamber event is scheduled for February 28, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois, featuring wrestlers from Raw and SmackDown. This marks the first Elimination Chamber in Chicago and the first in the U.S. with live fans since 2020.

November 13, 2025: Venue Revealed

On November 13, 2025, the venue for the Elimination Chamber event was revealed to be the United Center, marking the first televised WWE event at the arena since SummerSlam in 1994.

January 12, 2026: Finn Bálor Confronted by Liv Morgan

On January 12, 2026, Liv Morgan confronted Finn Bálor, claiming he was not serious about pursuing a title. This led to Bálor interrupting CM Punk, leading to a title match agreed upon by Punk.

January 28, 2026: WrestleMania 42 Title Match Implications

On January 28, 2026, Paul "Triple H" Levesque stated that the winners of the men's and women's Elimination Chamber matches would earn a world title match at WrestleMania 42 for the respective championships that the winners of the Royal Rumble matches did not choose.

February 28, 2026: Elimination Chamber 2026

On February 28, 2026, the 16th Elimination Chamber event, also known as Elimination Chamber: Chicago or No Escape: Chicago in Germany, will take place at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. This WWE pay-per-view event will feature wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown brands competing in Elimination Chamber matches, where championships or future title opportunities are at stake.