Former World Champion Seth Rollins isn\’t medically cleared to compete at Saturday\’s WWE Elimination Chamber. However, that hasn\’t stopped him from offering a bold prediction on who walks out of Chicago with a WrestleMania title shot.
Appearing on ESPN\’s Get Up the morning before the event, Rollins ignored the obvious favorites and put his money on the new blood.
\”It\’s tough to bet against the favorites. You mentioned guys like Cody Rhodes, guys like Randy Orton, people who\’ve been in there before. But to me, the wild cards are the guys who\’ve never been inside the structure. Someone like Je\’von Evans, someone like Trick Williams — this new blood, this fresh crop of young talent in WWE looking to punch their tickets. Sometimes those guys coming up, they\’re hungrier than the guys who\’ve been there before. So I\’m leaning towards the new guys. That\’s more fun for me.\
Rollins Explains the Stakes
Rollins also took a moment to break down the format for casual sports fans watching the segment. He compared WrestleMania to every major American championship in one breath — the Super Bowl, the NCAA Finals, the NBA Finals, and the World Series — and framed the Chamber as the last-chance qualifier that earns a competitor a shot at immortality.
The Men\’s Elimination Chamber field features Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, LA Knight, Jey Uso, Je\’Von Evans, and Trick Williams — with the winner earning a shot at Drew McIntyre\’s Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas.
Evans, earned his spot by pinning Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio on Raw. Williams qualified on SmackDown. Both are making their first-ever appearances inside the structure, which is exactly the angle Rollins is leaning into with his prediction.
Rollins noted that Randy Orton, who enters the match with a record 10 Chamber appearances and Cody Rhodes represent the credentialed veterans, while Evans and Williams represent the hunger and desperation of competitors with everything to prove and nothing to lose.
WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 takes place Saturday, February 28th, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, streaming on the ESPN App at 7 PM ET.
