Elimination Chamber Review + RAW After Preview (WrestleMania 42 Build Ignites)

Elimination Chamber 2026 finally did what it was supposed to do: it lit the road to WrestleMania on fire.

We break down the entire PLE match-by-match — Rhea Ripley punching her ticket to WrestleMania and what that means for Jade Cargill, AJ Lee winning the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, CM Punk surviving Finn Bálor in a slow-burn Chicago banger, and the Mystery Crate payoff with Danhausen making his WWE debut.

Then we get into the chaos: Randy Orton stealing the Men’s Chamber, Seth Rollins returning, Logan Paul’s role in the match, the masked-man fakeout angle, and why the finish screams “WrestleMania options galore” even if it was messy.

And we close with tonight’s RAW preview — Punk and Roman face-to-face is nuclear, Pearce addresses the Vision/Rollins situation, GUNTHER vs Dragon Lee, new champ AJ Lee, and Dom vs Penta for the IC Title — plus what WWE needs to do next to keep this momentum rolling into WrestleMania 42.

00:00Welcome and Show Updates

17:18AJ Lee vs. Becky Lynch: A Surprising Match

28:06The Mystery Box Reveal: Danhausen's Debut

36:53Danhausen's Potential and Fan Reactions

45:09Cody Rhodes and the Elimination Chamber Chaos

59:29Randy Orton's Surprising Victory

01:06:54The Dynamics of Heel Turns

01:12:21Elimination Chamber Review

01:21:31Building Tension for WrestleMania

01:29:06Tonight's Raw Preview

WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 Predictions, Go-Home RAW Fallout & WrestleMania 42 Pressure Test

*We recorded this episode before the go home SmackDown.

Jey Uso has since now been attacked and it will be Jacob Fatu vs. Logan Paul for the final Elimination Chamber spot.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 is a day away — and WrestleMania 42 needs a spark.

On this episode of Turnbuckle Talk Wrestling, we break down the chaotic Go-Home RAW (2/23), what SmackDown MUST deliver before Chicago, and our full Elimination Chamber predictions — recorded pre–Go Home SmackDown.

We cover:

• CM Punk vs Finn Bálor for the World Heavyweight Championship — and the Judgment Day fracture • Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, LA Knight, Jey Uso, Je’Von Evans & Trick Williams inside the Men’s Elimination Chamber • Rhea Ripley, Tiffany Stratton, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Kiana James & Raquel Rodriguez in the Women’s Elimination Chamber • Becky Lynch vs AJ Lee for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship • The Mystery Crate (Danhausen? Chris Jericho?) • The masked man angle and the collapse of The Vision after Bronson Reed’s injury

We also open The TTW Vault for our Top 5 Elimination Chamber matches and Top 5 Elimination Chamber PLEs of all time — full card breakdowns, winners, lore, and WrestleMania ripple effects included.

Is WWE building momentum toward WrestleMania XLII… or is Mania season coasting?

This isn’t just predictions.

This is a structural integrity test for the Road to WrestleMania.

Follow Turnbuckle Talk Wrestling on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music — and join our Discord for live WWE PLE watch-alongs, real-time debates, and weekly fan shout-outs.

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00:00Welcome Back to Turnbuckle Talk Wrestling

01:36The Elimination Chamber Build-Up

03:22The Mystery Crate and Its Implications

09:35Punk vs. Balor: The Judgment Day Fracture

15:27Go Home Raw: A Disappointing Build

21:36Injuries and the Future of The Vision

27:24Elimination Chamber Participants and Predictions

34:25AJ Styles: Hall of Fame Announcement

41:36Women's Division: Rhea vs. EO and Future Feuds

48:32Brock Lesnar's Return and Future Plans

55:37Final Thoughts and Predictions for SmackDown

01:14:58The Anticipation of Elimination Chamber Matches

01:18:55Top Five Elimination Chamber Matches of All Time

01:31:53Top Five Elimination Chamber PLEs of All Time

01:59:06Predictions for the Upcoming Elimination Chamber

02:22:51Final Thoughts and Speculations

*Apologies for the Audio in certain spots, we had some technical issues during recording. Just know we had a mystery box Danhausen prediction. We had to cut it out due to the audio issues.*

WWE is officially on the Road to WrestleMania 42 — but does it actually feel like it?

On this episode of Turnbuckle Talk Wrestling, we break down everything from RAW (2/16) and SmackDown (2/20) as Elimination Chamber 2026 approaches in Chicago.

Gunther was cost his Chamber qualifying match by Dragon Lee — and that might be the exact trigger he needed to return to his ruthless, legend-killing form. Is WWE building toward Gunther retiring Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania? And what would a true “myth-building” run look like before Oba Femi eventually dethrones him?

We also dive into:

• The masked man attacking Logan Paul and the mystery crate set to open at Elimination Chamber — Ricky Starks? Ethan Page? A Chicago countdown twist?

• CM Punk vs. Finn Bálor and the slow-burning Judgment Day implosion • Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan reaching a new level after Steph’s all-Spanish promo shook the feud • AJ Lee and Becky Lynch setting the tone for a heated IC Title showdown • The latest Men’s and Women’s Elimination Chamber qualifiers • Why SmackDown felt safe during the most important stretch of WWE’s calendar • The TKO blackout controversy impacting Chicago watch parties • And whether WWE is doing enough creatively heading into WrestleMania season The current product isn’t bad. But during WrestleMania season, “fine” isn’t good enough. Let’s talk about it.

00:00The Masked Mystery and Fan Predictions

15:45Building Feuds: Women's Elimination Chamber Insights

19:59The Power of Language in Wrestling Promos

24:25AJ Lee vs. Becky Lynch: Anticipation and Expectations

29:10The Confusion Surrounding Jey Uso's Role

36:46The Future of Tag Team Wrestling

38:34Unpredictability in Wrestling Storylines

39:47Gunther's Qualifier and Future Implications

41:34WrestleMania Predictions and Retirement Matches

44:42Brock Lesnar's Potential Retirement

46:08AJ Styles and Future Storylines

47:41LA Knight's Controversial Position

55:12Creative Decisions and Predictability in Matches

58:53Charlotte Flair's Role in the Elimination Chamber

01:03:05Alistair Black's Gimmick and Comparisons to Karrion Kross

01:05:48Ticket Pricing and TKO's Business Strategies

01:08:18Pay-Per-View Access and Customer Rights

01:11:09Ticket Prices and Fan Frustration

01:14:46Character Development in Wrestling

01:23:21The Role of Promo Development

01:34:16WWE's Current State and Future Directions