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The Elimination Chamber is here once more, as WWE heads to the Windy City this weekend. As has become tradition in recent years, the two eponymous Chamber matches — one for the men and one for the women — will be used to determine the challengers for the remaining world champions come WrestleMania 42 in April, namely Drew McIntyre and Jade Cargill.

Who might punch their tickets to Las Vegas in this most brutal of gimmick matches? Here’s our annual assessment of the various runners and riders and what they have going for them (or not).

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MEN’S MATCH

Jey Uso (Likelihood: 1 out of 5)

We all know the consensus on this one: Jey Uso only qualified for the Chamber after WWE called a hasty audible when Bronson Reed suffered a nasty shoulder injury on “Raw.” And while it’s impossible to know for sure whether that’s the case, it certainly feels like a plausible scenario for me.

Whatever the truth about Bronson’s injury, does anyone seriously think that Jey Uso vs. Drew McIntyre feels like it needs to happen at WrestleMania? It might work well for an SNME show or a minor PLE in Europe, but it’s far cry from being worthy of the grandest stage in pro-wrestling in 2026.

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Je’Von Evans (Likelihood: 1 out of 5)

Look, I love Je’Von Evans as much as anyone else who has seen his matches. But I can’t escape the obvious conclusion — his inclusion in this match is almost inevitably about getting him to pull off a huge stunt by leaping off one of those pods.

Given Evans’ track record for getting applause everywhere he goes, I’m glad he’s in the match. But I’d be very, very surprised if WWE has even considered sending an inexperienced 21-year-old into a WrestleMania main event.

Trick Williams (Likelihood: 1.5 out of 5)

Ever since his promotion to the main roster back in January, Trick Williams has skillfully followed the playbook for becoming a success in Triple H’s WWE. He has himself some cute little catchphrases, he looks good on screen, and the crowd are loving singing along to his entrance. And we all know that TKO loves those participatory entrances.

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WWE surprised us last month by having Williams compete in the No. 1 contender match at SNME. Could they go one further by having him win the Elimination Chamber? To be honest, it still feels like a massive long shot — but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re building him up for something big before long.

LA Knight (Likelihood: 1.5 out of 5)

What’s that old saying about how it’s always the hope that kills you? After three years of dangling big things in front of LA Knight without a single payoff, Triple H is up to his old tricks again. Just last month, we had “The Megastar” return to a seismic pop at the Riyadh Rumble, before being tossed over the ropes well before the match entered its final stretch.

Is there any reason to think this weekend might be different? At risk of being labeled a hopeless optimist, I will point out that LA Knight does have one big advantage here. His longstanding fan-favorite status would make him the perfect person to help Drew McIntyre elevate his status as heel champion.

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Just imagine the reaction if WWE gave LA Knight his WrestleMania moment only to have “The Scottish Warrior” burst his bubble in front of 50,000 crestfallen fans. I know, I know — it probably won’t happen. But we shouldn’t rule it out entirely.

Randy Orton (Likelihood: 3 out of 5)

Could it finally be Randy Orton’s turn to get a shot at the grand prize? Ever since “The Viper” made his triumphant return back at Survivor Series in 2023, WWE’s creative masterminds have chosen to keep him slightly removed from the world title scene. (There was his obligatory title shot against heel John Cena of course, but no one seriously expected him to win that.)

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In recent months, though, we’ve had a sense that things could be changing on that front. Not only was Orton given a shot at becoming No. 1 contender back at the last Saturday Night’s Main Event, he was also given some extra screen-time with Cody Rhodes during the Rumble. Could this Saturday finally mark the moment that one of them turns on the other?

Should that happen, an Orton victory would probably be the logical next step.

Cody Rhodes (Likelihood: 4 out of 5)

Look, I know it’s become fashionable for some internet fans to sour on Cody Rhodes in recent months. But the fact remains that the two-time former Undisputed Champion surely has to be the most likely candidate to triumph in the men’s match.

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Not only have there been reports for a while that WWE is planning Rhodes vs. McIntyre (or potentially Rhodes vs. McIntyre vs. Fatu) for WrestleMania 42, but we’ve had numerous hints from recent segments that the long-running feud between the two men isn’t over. Just look at the electrifying promo we got from “The American Nightmare” on last week’s “SmackDown” in which he took his most personal shots at McIntyre so far.

Rhodes also helps with the commercial side of things. In a year where WrestleMania is short on A-listers, having a tried-and-tested main-eventer on the poster has to help somewhat with those slow ticket sales. And all you Rhodes critics can relax — just because he wins the Chamber, it doesn’t mean he has to beat McIntyre.

WOMEN’S MATCH

Kiana James (Likelihood: 1.5 out of 5)

Roll back the calendar a couple of months and the response from most pro-wrestling fans to this one would have likely been “Kiana who?” Then came the Royal Rumble and the former NXT champion emerged as perhaps the breakthrough star of the night (at least on the women’s side). Since then, she’s gone on to surprise again by winning her Elimination Chamber qualifying match over both Nia Jax and Charlotte Flair.

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Hey, we know that she’s real-time BFFs and workout buddies with Flair, so perhaps her elevation shouldn’t come as such a shock. Though surely even “The Queen” herself doesn’t have the power to send a rookie straight into a world title match at ‘Mania …

Asuka (Likelihood: 1.5 out of 5)

She’s a veteran of the game and one of the more convincing heels on the women’s roster. But is Asuka really ready for a world title shot at WrestleMania? For the past few years, she’s largely been booked as an also-ran when it comes to the major titles — like when she lost to Jade Cargill at King of the Ring, for example — and I don’t see why that will change now.

The chaotic vibe of the Chamber means that you can never rule out a surprise. But this one feels like a stretch too far — not least since Asuka has been doing such a good job riling up the crowds on “Raw,” while Jade Cargill tends to be limited to appearing on “SmackDown.”

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Alexa Bliss (Likelihood: 2 out of 5)

As with Rhea Ripley (who’s coming up here shortly), Alexa Bliss’s most likely path to WrestleMania looks to be via a tag-team title match. Though if that isn’t the case, Alexa Bliss vs. Jade Cargill wouldn’t be a terrible idea.

Sure, it’s not a match that’s ever been hinted at before, but it would at least give Jade Cargill a suitably important-feeling opponent at such a pivotal moment in her WWE career. As a newbie champion with just one defense to her name, the former AEW powerhouse needs all the help she can get in establishing her credentials as a proper world champion.

Rhea Ripley (Likelihood: 2.5 out of 5)

In normal circumstances, Ripley would have to be a stone-cold favorite to win here. God knows that this WrestleMania could do with having her star-studded image emblazoned across the various billboards that will be popping up all over Sin City.

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There’s just one big problem, though. Ripley is still a tag-team champion, and all signs still point toward WWE building toward RhIyo vs. Bliss and Flair at WrestleMania 42.

In the unlikely event that the tag titles do switch on this week’s “SmackDown” — where RhIyo are set to defend against Nia Jax and Lash Legend — then you can expect Ripley to jump right to the top of this list. If that has happened by the time you read this, go ahead and change that 2.5 into a 4.5. Maybe even a 4.75.

Raquel Rodriguez (Likelihood: 3 out of 5)

It’s fair to say Raquel Rodriguez has just about proved her main-event credentials over the past few months, exceeding expectations in her feud with Stephanie Vaquer. This time last year, we’d have sniffed at the idea of her being treated like a ‘Mania headliner; not so, this time around.

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For all her improved performances, though, the thing that really goes in Raquel’s favor is what her victory might mean for the whole Liv Morgan/Judgment Day internal rupture that has been boiling away slowly for ages now. Having the two of them head into WrestleMania as dual challengers for the respective world titles could create some serious tension — particularly if only one of them wins.

Follow that train of thought a bit further down to the track, and you potentially get to Liv Morgan vs. Raquel Rodriguez at SummerSlam — a match that feels more likely than not.

Tiffany Stratton (Likelihood: 3.5 out of 5)

There have been whispers that WWE wants to rerun Stratton vs. Cargill for a while now, and we’ve seen nothing to suggest that isn’t the case. It’s true that their previous outings weren’t exactly electric, but perhaps the third time will prove to be the charm should the two meet at ‘Mania.

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As for Stratton, its’s obvious WWE has lost none of their faith in her. Just look at the huge return she had back at the Royal Rumble. After finishing as the runner-up back in Riyadh, she has to enter this weekend as the marginal women’s favorite.