The road to WWE’s Elimination Chamber on February 28, 2026, is heating up, and Monday night’s Raw at Rocket Arena in Cleveland delivered a wild ride through championship stakes, qualifying matches, and the kind of drama only WWE can serve. With WrestleMania looming on the horizon, every result and rivalry on this episode had fans buzzing as the landscape for the premium live event came sharply into focus.
Let’s start with the men’s Elimination Chamber picture. LA Knight, dubbed “The Megastar” by his supporters, snatched a crucial opportunity by winning the triple-threat qualifying match against Penta and Austin Theory. This wasn’t just a straightforward victory—far from it. The bout was a back-and-forth slugfest with each competitor seizing the upper hand at different moments. Penta wowed with a top-rope crossbody, while Theory showcased his strength with a brainbuster and a spinebuster that nearly put Penta away. Knight, though, was always lurking, breaking up pins and launching into Theory with a ferocious clothesline.
But this is WWE, where chaos is never far away. As the match reached its fever pitch, The Vision and a mysterious masked man made their presence felt. Despite Adam Pearce’s clear warnings to The Vision and Paul Heyman to steer clear of the contest, interference was inevitable. The masked man stunned Theory with a superkick and a stomp outside the ring, turning the tide in Knight’s favor. With Theory reeling, Knight landed his signature BFT for the win, punching his ticket to the men’s Elimination Chamber match on February 28. For Knight, every win is precious these days, and this one—though aided by outside forces—keeps his momentum alive as the Chamber approaches.
Austin Theory, meanwhile, continues to struggle in his current storyline. Once a promising force, he’s now been relegated to the background, his “push” stalling in the wake of his recent reveal. As one recap put it, “His first night after the reveal seemed promising, but he’s since been relegated to nothing more than the chump stable member.” The Vision’s ongoing involvement only complicates matters, and with Bron Breakker sidelined indefinitely after hernia surgery, the red brand’s plans have had to shift on the fly.
Speaking of Breakker, the announcement of his indefinite absence cast a shadow over the night. Michael Cole reported that Breakker’s injury occurred during training last week, and Paul Heyman, never one to miss a beat, worked the news into a promo, joking that Breakker “lifted way too much weight at 5 a.m.” The injury bug has forced WWE to adapt, and the absence of a rising star like Breakker is sure to be felt as the road to WrestleMania continues.
The women’s division brought its own fireworks. In a high-stakes Elimination Chamber qualifying match, WWE Tag Team Champion Rhea Ripley squared off against Lyra Valkyria and Ivy Nile. Ripley, a perennial favorite in these situations, didn’t disappoint. She secured her Chamber spot by pinning Valkyria with her devastating Riptide finisher. The match wasn’t just about Ripley’s dominance, though—Nile, in particular, impressed with her resilience and grit, making the most of her opportunity in the spotlight. As for Valkyria, hopes for an upset were dashed, but the exposure in a match of this caliber can only help her stock rise.
With Ripley now officially in the Chamber, the speculation turns to Iyo Sky, who was notably absent from this week’s show but is widely expected to join the fray. The prospect of a Ripley-Sky showdown, possibly culminating in a one-on-one clash at WrestleMania, has fans salivating. Their storied rivalry has been building for years, and a titleless, emotionally charged bout between the two would be a worthy addition to the grandest stage of them all.
The tag team scene wasn’t left out of the action. The Usos—Jey and Jimmy—successfully defended their World Tag Team Championships against Alpha Academy’s Otis and Akira Tozawa. The champs put away Otis with their signature 1-D finisher, further cementing their reign atop the division. With WrestleMania on the horizon, every defense matters, and the Usos continue to prove why they’re the team to beat.
Elsewhere on the card, Je’Von Evans and the Original El Grande Americano scored a thrilling victory over Los Americanos (Rayo Americano & Bravo Americano). The match’s most jaw-dropping moment came when Evans met Bravo mid-air for a spectacular OG Cutter, followed by a diving headbutt from Americano to seal the win. After the bell, Americano attempted to unmask his impostor counterpart, hinting at a future mask-versus-mask showdown—classic lucha libre drama that’s sure to keep fans guessing.
Not every match delivered fireworks, though. The much-anticipated clash between Nattie and Maxxine Dupri fizzled out after just two minutes, ending in a double count-out. Nattie, focused more on punishment than victory, locked in a sharpshooter on top of the announce table before being chased off by AJ Lee. The result sets the stage for a likely tag team match: Becky Lynch and Nattie versus AJ Lee and Dupri. Lynch, still smarting from her Royal Rumble loss (which she notably doesn’t blame on Nattie), remains a wild card, her lone-wolf persona clashing with the idea of tag team alliances.
Speaking of Lynch and Lee, their ongoing feud took center stage at the start of the night. Lynch, growing increasingly paranoid and unhinged, confronted Lee, who has been a thorn in her side since returning to WWE. The confrontation escalated to the point where Lynch, despite her protestations, granted Lee a title shot at Elimination Chamber. As one observer noted, “This gets a pass, given the history they’ve built since Lee returned to WWE. More than anything, it’s good to see a resolution to the feud is still on the way.”
The night’s biggest bombshell, though, was the announcement that CM Punk will defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Balor at Elimination Chamber. The setup was classic WWE: Punk, in the midst of an in-ring interview, was interrupted by Balor, who demanded another shot at the title. Despite Adam Pearce’s protests, the match was made official. Punk, ever the fighting champion, explained, “I’m building something and continuing to craft my legacy. I don’t view it as a risk, but as bravery in the risk-versus-reward for the people who deserve it.” He then turned his attention to Roman Reigns, declaring his hatred and vowing victory in their eventual showdown.
The card for Elimination Chamber is coming together fast, with Punk vs. Balor and Lynch vs. Lee among the marquee matchups. The qualifying matches have added Ripley and Knight to their respective Chamber bouts, and the ongoing storylines promise more twists before the big night in Chicago. With injuries, rivalries, and unexpected alliances shaping the path to WrestleMania, WWE Raw’s latest stop proved that the only thing certain on the road to the Chamber is unpredictability.
As the dust settles in Cleveland, fans are left with plenty to debate—and even more to anticipate. The action is ongoing, and with the Elimination Chamber just weeks away, every move could change the fate of WWE’s biggest stars.