The WWE Elimination Chamber qualifier on SmackDown delivered exactly what you’d expect from a triple threat featuring Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, and Jacob Fatu: chaos, interference, and zero clarity about who’s actually going to WrestleMania 42. Cody walked out with the win after Kevin Owens interfered to cost Sami Zayn the match. Still, the real story wasn’t the finish—it was how transparently WWE telegraphed that all three men are probably ending up in the Chamber anyway. The qualifying match was a formality designed to give you a main event on free television while they figure out the actual WrestleMania card behind the scenes.
This episode of Wrestling Uncensored covered SmackDown live as it happened, and what we watched was a show desperately trying to build momentum toward the Elimination Chamber on February 28th while simultaneously exposing how thin the night one WrestleMania card actually is.
Jade Cargill retained the Women’s Championship against Jordan Grace in a match that never found its rhythm, Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio had a Valentine’s Day date at ringside that somehow made less sense than their entire relationship, and the show announced CM Punk defending against Finn Balor in Chicago and Becky Lynch facing AJ Lee in what should be an absolute banger.
🎯 WWE Elimination Chamber qualifier Key Takeaways
- Cody won, but nobody believes it matters: Cody Rhodes won the WWE Elimination Chamber qualifier over Sami Zayn and Jacob Fatu, but the entire match was clearly designed to get all three into the Chamber anyway.
- SmackDown had major announcements: CM Punk vs Finn Balor is official for the Elimination Chamber in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, and Becky Lynch will defend against AJ Lee who now calls Chicago home.
- Jade vs Jordan was rough: The women’s world title match between Jade Cargill and Jordan Grace featured multiple botched spots and never found its rhythm despite both being talented performers.
- WrestleMania night one is still a mystery: Two months from the biggest show of the year, WWE still doesn’t have a clear night one main event, with Cody vs Drew (possibly with Jacob added) feeling like recycled content.
- Dave got emotional about the Expos: Dave opened up about desperately wanting the Montreal Expos to return, praising Ashkan Karbasfrooshan’s Project Peanut and admitting he cried watching the Netflix documentary about his childhood team.
.@CodyRhodes ➡️ Elimination Chamber
— WWE (@WWE) February 14, 2026
He saw an opportunity and he took it! pic.twitter.com/OQkYnKPUW0
The WWE Elimination Chamber Qualifier That Fooled Nobody
Let’s address the elephant in the room about this WWE Elimination Chamber qualifier: nobody watching SmackDown actually believes Cody Rhodes is the only one of these three men getting into the Chamber. That’s not how this works. WWE doesn’t book a triple threat featuring your current WWE Champion, your most popular babyface who probably should have won the title at the Royal Rumble, and your rising monster heel just to eliminate two of them from the chamber conversation. This match was designed to create drama as they figure out how to get all three into it.
The finish told you everything you needed to know. Kevin Owens ran down during the match and attacked Sami Zayn, costing him any chance of winning. Sami getting screwed sets up the obvious storyline: he demands to be added to the Chamber because he was robbed of his qualifying spot. Jacob Fatu comes close to winning before Cody hits the Cross Rhodes for the pin, but that just means Jacob has the claim that he was inches away and deserves another shot. Both arguments are valid enough that WWE will use them to justify adding everyone to the match.
The actual wrestling was solid. Cody Rhodes is incapable of having a bad match at this point in his career. Jacob Fatu is a monster who makes everything look brutal. Sami Zayn is Sami Zayn—one of the best workers in the company who can make any spot look organic. But the entire presentation felt like going through the motions.
WWE wanted to give you a big match on free TV without actually committing to anything meaningful, and that’s exactly what they delivered.
What happens now? The most likely scenario is a brawl or contract signing next week where things get out of hand, and Adam Pearce or Nick Aldis announces that all three are being added to the Chamber “to settle this once and for all.” It’s predictable. It’s formulaic. And honestly, it’s probably the right call because all three deserve to be in that match.
The problem is the lack of suspense. When everyone watching knows the outcome before it happens, the “qualifying match” becomes theater instead of competition.
Jade Cargill vs Jordan Grace Never Found Its Rhythm
The Jade Cargill vs Jordan Grace women’s world title match should have been better than what we got. Both women are incredibly talented. Jade has the look, the presence, and the athleticism to be a genuine star. Jordan Grace is one of the best pure wrestlers in the women’s division and can work with anyone. On paper, this should have been a showcase for both. In execution, it was a series of mistimed spots and awkward sequences that never allowed either woman to build any real momentum.
The most glaring example was the corner elbow spot that they had to do three times. Jade was supposed to hit Jordan with an elbow in the corner. Jordan blocked it too early the first time. They did it again. Still didn’t work. Third time, Jordan finally sold it properly, but by that point, the crowd had checked out of the sequence.
These are the kind of botches that happen in wrestling—they’re not career-ending mistakes—but when they happen multiple times in the same match, it kills the flow.
Jade won clean, which was the right call. She’s the champion, she’s being positioned as a dominant force, and Jordan doesn’t need the belt to remain relevant.
But the victory felt hollow because the match never reached the level it needed to. There’s a version of this match that goes 12-15 minutes, tells a compelling story about Jordan’s technical ability versus Jade’s power, and ends with a decisive finish that makes Jade look like an unstoppable champion. What we got was 8 minutes of decent wrestling with multiple awkward moments that prevented it from being memorable.
The bigger issue is what this says about the women’s championship picture heading into WrestleMania. Liv Morgan was at ringside with Dominik Mysterio on a Valentine’s Day date, clearly positioning herself to choose which champion she faces.
Everyone expects her to pick Stephanie Vaquer on Raw because that’s the fresh match. If Liv chooses Jade, it’s a repeat of matches we’ve already seen. The women’s division is loaded with talent right now—Rhea Ripley, IYO SKY, Tiffany Stratton, Bayley, Roxanne Perez—but the championship storylines feel thin compared to the depth of the roster.
CM Punk vs Finn Balor and Becky vs AJ Lee Are Chamber Must-See Matches
SmackDown delivered two major Elimination Chamber announcements that should absolutely deliver: CM Punk defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Balor in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, and Becky Lynch defending the Women’s Championship against AJ Lee, who has made Chicago her home as well. Both matches have legitimate heat, both have compelling storylines, and both should be excellent wrestling matches.
CM Punk vs Finn Balor works because it’s the classic “hometown hero” story with a twist. Punk is defending in Chicago, which means the crowd will be 100% behind him. But Finn Balor is one of the few heels in WWE who can work a crowd so effectively that even a hostile Chicago audience will respect what he’s doing.
The Judgment Day has been positioned as a legitimate threat throughout this run, and Finn has held his own against top-tier talent. This isn’t a throwaway defense—it’s a genuine test for Punk before he faces Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
Becky Lynch vs AJ Lee is the match that should steal the show. AJ Lee is a legitimate star who left WWE on her own terms and came back on her own terms. She’s not someone who needs the championship to validate her legacy, but winning it in Chicago would be a perfect full-circle moment for her career. Becky is in the middle of a legendary title reign, and she needs opponents who can match her intensity and storytelling ability.
AJ Lee is one of the few women in wrestling who can stand across from Becky Lynch and make you believe she might actually win.
The Chicago setting adds another layer to both matches. WWE is smart to stack the Elimination Chamber with hometown moments because it guarantees a hot crowd. Punk gets his hero’s welcome. AJ gets her homecoming moment.
The Allstate Arena will be electric for both matches, and that atmosphere alone will elevate whatever happens in the ring. These are the kinds of matches that make pay-per-views worth watching, and they’re exactly what the Chamber needs to justify its place on the calendar between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.
WrestleMania 42 Night One Is Still a Complete Mystery
Two months away from WrestleMania 42, and WWE still has no idea what’s closing night one. That’s not speculation—that’s reality. Night two is locked with Roman Reigns vs CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship, and nothing else on the card will touch it. But night one? The most likely main event right now is Cody Rhodes defending the WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre, possibly with Jacob Fatu added to make it a triple threat. That’s not good enough for WrestleMania.
Cody vs Drew has been done. Multiple times. They had a Three Stages of Hell match. They’ve wrestled on pay-per-view. They’ve wrestled on television. Adding Jacob Fatu makes it more interesting, but it doesn’t change the fundamental problem: this matchup doesn’t feel special anymore.
WrestleMania is supposed to be the place where dream matches happen, where long-term storytelling pays off, where the biggest moments in wrestling take place. A recycled Cody vs Drew match—even with Jacob—feels like filler, not a main event.
The alternative is to close the women’s division on night one, which would be historic and potentially deserved if the right match is built properly. Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY are defending the Women’s Tag Team Championships, and they’re the strongest tag team in the division.
If WWE builds a massive multi-team match with real stakes and genuine heat, it could absolutely headline WrestleMania. But that requires WWE to commit to the women’s tag division as main-event level, and historically, they’ve been reluctant to do so on the biggest stage.
The Elimination Chamber needs to create clarity. Right now, the WrestleMania card feels like it’s being built on hope instead of certainty. Night two has its anchor. Night one is still floating in the void, waiting for WWE to figure out what story they want to tell. That’s a problem this close to the show, and one the Chamber needs to solve.
Sami Zayn’s Championship Window Might Be Closing
The Sami Zayn situation is becoming more frustrating with every passing week. WWE had the perfect moment at the Royal Rumble to put the championship on Sami. The event was in Saudi Arabia. Sami is the only Arabic-speaking wrestler on the WWE roster. The crowd was begging for it. Reports indicated that Sami himself pushed for the win backstage. WWE said no, and nobody has a good explanation for why.
Keeping the title on Drew McIntyre made sense from a “we need a strong heel champion” perspective, but it ignored the reality of the moment. Wrestling is about capturing lightning in a bottle, and the Saudi Arabia crowd gave WWE that lightning.
They could have made Sami Zayn the champion in front of a crowd that genuinely wanted to see it happen, created an unforgettable WrestleMania moment, and then transitioned the title back to whoever they wanted down the line. Instead, they played it safe, and now Sami is back to being the guy who’s “in the mix” but never quite wins when it matters.
The problem is timing. Sami Zayn is 41 years old. He’s in incredible shape, he’s working at the highest level of his career, and he’s more over with the crowd than almost anyone on the roster. But there’s a window for these things, and that window doesn’t stay open forever.
If Sami doesn’t win the world championship in the next year, he probably never will. WWE will move on to the next storyline, the next babyface, the next “moment,” and Sami will become the guy who was great but never quite got there.
That would be a tragedy. Sami Zayn is one of the best wrestlers in the world. He can work any style, tell any story, and connect with any crowd. He deserves to be world champion, not as a feel-good moment or a transitional reign, but as a legitimate championship run where he carries the title and proves he belongs in that spot. WWE has the chance to make that happen. They just need to pull the trigger before the window closes completely.
Dave Gets Emotional: Project Peanut and the Fight to Bring Back the Montreal Expos
This episode took an unexpected turn when the conversation shifted to baseball and Dave’s beloved Montreal Expos. What started as a casual tangent became one of the most genuine moments of the entire show, with Dave openly admitting he cried watching Netflix’s Expos documentary and expressing desperate hope that baseball will return to Montreal. “I want them back so bad,” Dave said, voice cracking. “There is nothing I want more than a baseball team. Bring me back my Expos. I miss them so much.”
The reason for Dave’s renewed optimism? Project Peanut, an initiative led by Ashkan Karbasfrooshan, the founder of WatchMojo, one of the world’s largest digital media brands. This isn’t some pie-in-the-sky fantasy—it’s a 20-year journey that started in 2004 when the Expos played their final season and left Montreal. Karbasfrooshan, a lifelong Montrealer who grew up with the team, planted the idea that day: “One day, find a way to bring Montreal baseball home.”
The project crystallized in 2012, when Karbasfrooshan attended a Washington Nationals game and saw the success and energy surrounding what had been the Expos franchise. That moment provided both closure and ignition—the realization that this could actually be rebuilt.
Fast-forward to 2025, and a conversation about Netflix’s Expos documentary reignited the vision, with a professional infrastructure behind it. Karbasfrooshan has spent two decades building WatchMojo into a media powerhouse, and now he’s applying that same entrepreneurial drive, media expertise, and financial acumen to bringing Major League Baseball back to Montreal.
What makes Project Peanut legitimate is its structure. This isn’t nostalgia—it’s market validation. A public survey launched in December 2025 showed overwhelming support: strong appetite for MLB in Montreal, cross-generational interest, economic optimism from local respondents, and massive support for the return of the Expos brand and identity.
The project has generated thousands of social media engagements, media coverage across Canada and the United States, and serious inquiries from investors and operators. Karbasfrooshan has appeared on major sports media outlets explaining the baseball-first, community-driven ownership structure designed to present a compelling proposal to MLB when the league opens its next expansion process.
For Dave, this represents genuine hope after decades of heartbreak. The Expos left in 2004, and Montreal baseball fans have been in mourning ever since. Watching that Netflix documentary—which Dave admitted made him cry—brought all those emotions flooding back.
But now there’s someone actually doing the work, building the infrastructure, and making a credible case to bring the team home. “Let’s get it done while we’re still young,” Dave pleaded on the show. “I saw pictures of a stadium. It looked beautiful. Looked like a dream. There is nothing I want more than a baseball team.”
This moment matters because it shows the human side of sports media. Dave Simon isn’t just an analyst breaking down wrestling booking decisions and MMA fight predictions—he’s a fan who misses his childhood team, who wants to take his kids to a Major League Baseball stadium in his hometown, and who understands that sports are about more than just entertainment.
They’re about civic identity, community pride, and generational memories. Project Peanut represents the possibility that those memories aren’t dead—they’re just waiting for the right moment to return.
Reality Check: SmackDown Is Treading Water Until Chamber
The Reality: SmackDown is in that weird purgatory period where they’re trying to build toward the Elimination Chamber without actually committing to anything definitive. The Cody-Sami-Jacob qualifier was a formality. Jade vs Jordan was fine but forgettable. The Chamber announcements for Punk and Becky were the only real news of the night. Everything else felt like wheel-spinning until February 28th when they actually have to make decisions about WrestleMania. The frustrating part is that WWE has all the talent they need to make compelling television—they just refuse to pull the trigger on anything meaningful until the last possible moment. Two months out from WrestleMania, the biggest show of the year, and the only thing we know for certain is Roman vs Punk. That’s not depth. That’s one great match and a whole lot of question marks.
WWE Elimination Chamber Qualifier FAQs
Who won the WWE Elimination Chamber qualifier on SmackDown?
Cody Rhodes won the triple threat qualifier match against Sami Zayn and Jacob Fatu. However, Kevin Owens interfered to attack Sami during the match, and most expect all three competitors to end up in the Elimination Chamber anyway.
What matches are confirmed for WWE Elimination Chamber 2026?
CM Punk will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Balor in Chicago, and Becky Lynch will defend the Women’s Championship against AJ Lee. Both champions are defending in matches with Chicago connections on February 28th.
Who did Jade Cargill defend against on SmackDown?
Jade Cargill successfully defended the Women’s World Championship against Jordan Grace. The match featured several botched spots but ended with Jade retaining clean.
When will Liv Morgan announce her WrestleMania opponent?
Liv Morgan, who won the Women’s Royal Rumble, has not yet announced whether she will face Jade Cargill or Stephanie Vaquer at WrestleMania 42. Most expect her to choose Stephanie Vaquer, likely announcing before or at the Elimination Chamber on February 28th.
What is the main event for WrestleMania 42 night two?
Roman Reigns vs CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship is confirmed as the night two main event for WrestleMania 42. The night’s main event is still undecided, with Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre (possibly with Jacob Fatu added) as the most likely option.
What is Project Peanut and the Montreal Expos return?
Project Peanut is an initiative led by Ashkan Karbasfrooshan, founder of WatchMojo, to bring Major League Baseball back to Montreal. The 20-year project aims to present a credible expansion proposal to MLB and has since gone public in late 2025, generating significant public support and media attention.
