Last night on WWE RAW, a segment featured Michael Cole set to interview World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk in the ring. Before Punk could make his entrance, Finn Bálor interrupted, grabbing the microphone to talk about how he had laid out the champion and would not step aside for Roman Reigns to take advantage of the situation. Bálor expressed his frustration about being treated as an afterthought and demanded a shot at Punk for the 2026 Elimination Chamber PLE.
RAW General Manager Adam Pearce told Bálor to leave the ring so Cole could proceed with the interview. However, Punk then made his entrance and asked Bálor to stay. Punk affirmed that Bálor was not an afterthought and expressed his desire to confront him. Bálor challenged Punk to put the title on the line, and Punk agreed to do it either on RAW or at Elimination Chamber. Pearce hesitated to risk the main event for WrestleMania, but he relented when Punk insisted he would spend the remainder of the show chasing and attacking Bálor if the match was not made. As a result, the match was officially scheduled, with Punk defending his title against Bálor at this month’s PLE.
WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 is set for Saturday, February 28, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The show will be broadcast live on the ESPN Unlimited App in the U.S. and on Netflix internationally.
IT IS OFFICIAL ✅@CMPunk vs @FinnBalor for the World Heavyweight Championship at Elimination Chamber! pic.twitter.com/bF2SF46AwZ
— WWE (@WWE) February 10, 2026