CM Punk isn’t just defending his World Heavyweight Championship at Elimination Chamber in Chicago—he’s doing it against an opponent he personally picked.
During the February 9, 2026 Self Made Session, Self Made Pro revealed that the entire reason WWE booked Punk vs. Bálor for Elimination is due to the fact that Punk personally wanted to work with him.
“Expect this month to mainly be focused on Finn Bálor, though. He’s working Bálor again mainly because he likes working Finn Bálor and has wanted to work Finn for some time. So there you go.”
This comes after the February 9 episode of RAW, where Bálor interrupted Michael Cole’s introduction and stormed the ring, claiming he knows Punk is injured—because he’s the one who hurt him. He then demanded a title shot, saying he refused to let Roman Reigns “steal his kill.”
CM Punk wasn’t about to let the challenge go unanswered. He came to the ring, called out Bálor, and declared he’d defend the title in Chicago on February 28 at Elimination Chamber. General Manager Adam Pearce tried to shut it down to protect the WrestleMania 42 main event, but Punk insisted.
The Second City Saint beat Bálor once in Ireland—but this rematch, in front of his hometown crowd, feels personal. And now we know why: this was Punk’s call from the beginning.
Are you into the CM Punk vs. Finn Bálor feud heading into Elimination Chamber—or were you expecting a different kind of matchup? Drop your thoughts below and let us know.
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