Ahead of WWE Elimination Chamber, Cody Rhodes sat down with Mostly Sports' Brandon Walker at the United Center and said something that WWE fans have rarely heard from him: he might not be going to WrestleMania.
There's a chance it's not me this year," Rhodes said. "Not even like an outside chance. Trick Williams, Je'von, Randy Orton, LA Knight — somebody else. It's uncharted, undiscovered country for me.
The admission is striking. Rhodes won back-to-back Royal Rumbles and was the reigning WWE Champion heading into last year's event. This is the first time in his return run that his WrestleMania path isn't predetermined — and he acknowledged the weight of that plainly.
I think it's a massive six weeks for me, but also the fandom," he said. "I almost have a feel for them in the sense that I grew up playing competitive sports. I like being under pressure. I like being last at bat. But for the fandom who is very curious — I've never seen a more impatient moment, and I don't mind it at all.
Trick Williams Is the One to Watch
Rhodes was asked to break down the Elimination Chamber field and landed on an unexpected pick as the man to watch. He singled out Trick Williams — who warned Rhodes himself during a SmackDown confrontation last December — as the most dangerous man in the match.
The one to look out for, I'd say, is actually Trick Williams," Rhodes said. "Everyone's given Trick that 'oh, he's new' treatment. Trick is baked. He got down there with Shawn and got as well seasoned as you could possibly be. Big, intimidating, hasn't missed since he's been on the road. Funny, charming — he's going out doing all this now.
That reads as an endorsement from the man Trick has directly targeted. For a former NXT standout looking to prove he belongs on the biggest stage, Cody Rhodes vouching for him carries real weight. Seth Rollins also recently spoke highly of Je'von Evans and Trick Williams.
Randy Orton's House
Rhodes also showed unusual honesty about the crowd dynamic inside the United Center. Despite having a historically strong bond with Chicago fans, he predicted the building would belong to Randy Orton — who is chasing a record 15th world title.
From just an acoustic standpoint walking into United Center, I think this will be Randy's house," Rhodes said. "It's Randy Orton. There's something incredibly special about him still doing it at the high level that he's doing it. I think it's a bit of an away game for me.
Orton, who is making his record 10th Elimination Chamber appearance, recently said that winning the match and WrestleMania would mean more to him than any statistic.
A Sleeper WrestleMania Is Building
Despite the uncertainty — or perhaps because of it — Rhodes closed the interview with a tease that the current road to WrestleMania 42 has more going for it than people realize.
I think there's a sleeper WrestleMania emerging, if that makes any sense," he said. "Sometimes the big staple pieces are very obvious. Then others, I think we're sitting on a sleeper mania here. Four or five years ago, people didn't know what they were going to be treated to — and we're kind of in the same spot.
WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 airs Saturday, February 28 at 7 PM ET on the ESPN App from the United Center in Chicago. The winner of the Men's Elimination Chamber match will earn a shot at Drew McIntyre's Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42.
