Superstars from Raw and SmackDown will be confined inside one of WWE's most physically demanding structures on Saturday, Feb. 18. WWE will erect the Elimination Chamber in front of what should be a raucous Montreal crowd for their final major show before WrestleMania 39.
Two Elimination Chamber matches have been announced for the annual event. United States champion Austin Theory will defend his title against familiar foes, such as Seth Rollins, and new nemeses like Bronson Reed. The winner of the other Elimination Chamber match will determine who will challenge Raw women's champion Bianca Belair on the grandest stage. Raquel Rodriguez, Asuka, Liv Morgan and Nikki Kross have all been confirmed as contenders.
A long-awaited undisputed WWE universal championship match between Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn is also expected to take place in Zayn's hometown. The supremely entertaining rise of Zayn through the ranks of The Bloodline hit its dramatic fall at the Royal Rumble. Tasked with a nearly impossible decision, Zayn sided with estranged best friend Kevin Owens over Reigns and the family.
Plus, a showdown between Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley is also set for the card. The pair have faced each other twice in singles matches, splitting the meetings, though Lashley has gotten the better of several brawls as well as eliminating Lesnar from January's Royal Rumble match.
Take a look below at the confirmed and predicted matches for the 2023 Elimination Chamber. Check back for updates and predictions.
2023 WWE Elimination Chamber matches
Undisputed WWE Universal championship -- Roman Reigns (c) vs. Sami Zayn: The wheels were finally set in motion for a long-anticipated match between Reigns and Zayn when Zayn struck Reigns with a chair at Royal Rumble. The Bloodline's adoption of "Honorary Uce" Zayn is one of the best storylines WWE has produced in a long time. At the Rumble, Reigns demanded that Zayn blast estranged best friend Owens with a chair shot to the head. Unable to deliver a career-ending blow, Zayn instead struck Reigns with the chair. Zayn made it clear he was now gunning for Reigns and his titles but received a beat-down from Reigns, who said he'd give Zayn the match in front of Zayn's family in Montreal.
United States championship -- Austin Theory (c) vs. Seth Rollins vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Bronson Reed vs. Damian Priest vs. Montez Ford (Elimination Chamber match): It was announced on the Jan. 30 episode of Monday Night Raw that Theory will defend his U.S. championship inside the Elimination Chamber. Qualifier matches took place over the next few weeks, putting many familiar names in the mix. Ford is an especially interesting dark horse candidate to take the title but much of the attention will be on the standing rivalry between Theory and Rollins as the match unfolds.
Raquel Rodriguez vs. Nikki Kross vs. Liv Morgan vs. Asuka vs. Natalya vs. Carmella (Elimination Chamber match): Rhea Ripley, the women's Royal Rumble winner, revealed that she would challenge for the SmackDown women's championship. Authority figure Adam Pearce subsequently announced that Belair would defend the Raw women's championship at WrestleMania 39 against the winner of a No. 1 contender's Elimination Chamber match. The four runner-ups from the Rumble match -- Rodriguez, Morgan, Asuka and Kross -- were chosen as the first four participants in the Elimination Chamber. Natalya and Carmella won their way into the match via qualifiers.
Edge & Beth Phoenix vs. Finn Balor & Rhea Ripley: Ripley delivered a Con-Chair-To to Phoenix last year, forcing Edge to say "I quit" and lose a match to Balor. Payback has been long in coming but appears as though it will finally happen at Elimination Chamber. Phoenix has twice speared Ripley -- who will be challenging Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown women's title at WrestleMania -- and she and Edge laid out the challenge for the match on Raw, with Balor accepting.
Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley: Lesnar and Lashley are split 1-1 in their series. Lashley won their first meeting at the 2022 Royal Rumble and Lesnar evened the score at Crown Jewel in November. An irate Lashley laid out Lesnar following their sophomore encounter. Lesnar reignited the feud in the lead-up to this year's Rumble match and the pair have been at odds since. Lesnar attacked Lashley multiple times on Raw; meanwhile, Lashley eliminated the former UFC champion from the 2023 men's Royal Rumble match. The two plan on concluding their trilogy at Elimination Chamber.
