Before CM Punk defends the World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42 this coming April, he will need to go through Finn Balor first, who challenges for the title at the Elimination Chamber in Chicago on February 28. It was initially thought that Balor would have a slim chance at winning the title, as Punk’s match with Reigns seems to be set in stone, but according to a new report, the “Prince” could be walking out of Elimination Chamber with the championship.
On Thursday, Fightful Select confirmed that there’s been backstage discussions about Punk losing the title to Balor in his hometown, with the condition that the “Best In The World” wins it back before WrestleMania. Following the Elimination Chamber, there would be nearly two months until the “Showcase of the Immortals,” but with Reigns officially challenging Punk after winning the 2026 Royal Rumble, the idea would be for Balor to drop the title shortly after February 28, which Fightful believes is a real possibility.Â
If Balor defeats Punk at the Elimination Chamber, it will be the first time that he’s held a world title since 2016, when he won the WWE Universal Championship at SummerSlam against Seth Rollins. Moreover, a Balor title win would mark the first time since 2021 that a world title has changed hands at the Elimination Chamber in a singles match. In addition to Punk’s World Heavyweight Championship bout with Balor, Becky Lynch will look to defend the Intercontinental Women’s Title against AJ Lee, along with both the men’s and women’s Elimination Chamber matches scheduled to take place.
