WWE Elimination Chamber Delivers Major Returns
WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 saw Randy Orton and Rhea Ripley secure pivotal victories while Seth Rollins made a dramatic return to massive crowd reaction. However, much-anticipated debut Danhausen was met with boos from the live audience, signaling potential misalignment between creative direction and fan expectations. The event generated significant buzz across multiple highlight reels and reviews within hours.
Randy Orton's victory in the men's Elimination Chamber match came after a chaotic sequence involving outside interference from Undisputed WWE Champion Drew McIntyre. Orton capitalized on the mayhem, delivering an RKO to Cody Rhodes for the final pinfall, securing his spot to challenge McIntyre at WrestleMania 42. This win marks Orton's second career victory inside the punishing structure. Rhea Ripley outlasted five other competitors in the women's Elimination Chamber match to earn a WWE Women's Championship match against Jade Cargill at WrestleMania 42. The closing moments of the match saw Ripley pin Tiffany Stratton after a Riptide. The match also featured a notable spot where Ripley performed a cannonball off the top of a pod onto Raquel Rodriguez. Seth Rollins' return was his first appearance since an injury in October 2025. He was revealed as a mysterious masked man who has been antagonizing his former faction, The Vision. Rollins interfered in the main event by delivering a Stomp to Logan Paul, which directly led to Paul's elimination by Cody Rhodes. The event, held at the United Center in Chicago, was the first Elimination Chamber to take place in the United States since 2021 and was in front of a crowd of 19,346. Other notable matches on the card included CM Punk retaining the World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Bálor and AJ Lee defeating Becky Lynch to win the Women's Intercontinental Championship. Danhausen's much-hyped debut involved him emerging from a coffin that was inside a large crate. The former AEW star, whose contract had recently expired, proceeded to the ring with a group of dancers and handed a jar of teeth to commentator Michael Cole before the lights went out. The live crowd's initially mixed reaction to Danhausen turned to audible boos after his segment concluded. Reports suggest there was division backstage within WWE regarding his signing, with some comparing the polarizing debut to the infamous Gobbledy Gooker. Despite the reception, the debut clip garnered over six million views across WWE's social media platforms within the first five hours.
