Rhea Ripley, Randy Orton Win Elimination Chamber Spots as WrestleMania 42 Picture Shifts in Chicago

WWE brought Elimination Chamber back to the United Center on Saturday night and left with a clear WrestleMania 42 roadmap for two divisions: Rhea Ripley is headed for a women’s world title match, and Randy Orton earned a shot at the Undisputed Championship after surviving a men’s Chamber that ended with interference and a postmatch mess.

Ripley won the women’s Elimination Chamber match, outlasting Alexa Bliss, Tiffany Stratton, Asuka, Kiana James and Raquel Rodriguez. The win books Ripley into a WWE Women’s Championship match against Jade Cargill at WrestleMania 42 in April.

The Chamber result was the cleanest way to set a title challenger in a match type built to be anything but clean. Six wrestlers entered the steel structure in timed intervals, with eliminations continuing until one remained. Ripley’s victory put her into the kind of high-profile spot WWE has typically reserved for established top names, and it clarified the championship direction for Cargill’s next defense.

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AJ Lee’s return story added a title change to the card. Lee defeated Becky Lynch to win the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. The match ended with Lee taking the belt from Lynch, adding a new champion to a show that already had two Chamber winners to crown.

CM Punk also left Chicago with his championship intact. Punk defeated Finn Bálor to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Afterward, Punk and Bálor shook hands, and Punk celebrated his retention with AJ Lee.

The men’s Elimination Chamber match was built around star power and ended with a result that immediately complicated the title picture. Orton won the match over Cody Rhodes, LA Knight, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams and Logan Paul. Orton pinned Rhodes to secure the victory, and the finish included involvement from Drew McIntyre.

That ending did not stay contained to the ring. After the show, SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis announced that McIntyre will be forced to face Rhodes for the Undisputed Championship on Friday, and that match will determine whom Orton faces at WrestleMania.

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One of the night’s other turning points came through a reveal that had been telegraphed by mystery and payoff. Seth Rollins was identified as the masked man involved in the chaos around Logan Paul, and Rollins attacked Paul in the Chamber sequence that helped lead to Paul’s elimination.

WWE also used the event to add a debut aimed at the internet crowd. Danhausen appeared out of a box as the surprise reveal, marking his WWE debut.

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