6 hours ago
3
Feb 27, 2026, 11:36 PM ET
The day before WWE Elimination Chamber, "SmackDown" was busy with two championship defenses, renewed rivalries and a new opportunity for someone to clinch a spot inside the chamber.
The main thread of the show was Jey Uso. Who attacked him backstage, removing him from the men's Elimination Chamber, and who would step up to take his place? Cody Rhodes accused Undisputed WWE champion Drew McIntyre, Sami Zayn accused Jacob Fatu, and "SmackDown" general manager Nick Aldis had a mess on his hands. At the end, Logan Paul and Fatu dueled in the main event for a chance to get to Elimination Chamber in place of Uso, with Paul clinching the sixth and final spot with a shot at McIntyre on the line at WrestleMania 42. Paul joins Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, L.A. Knight, Trick Williams and Je'Von Evans in the chamber Saturday in Chicago (ESPN Unlimited, 7 p.m. ET).
On the women's side, new champions were crowned as the Irresistible Forces of Nia Jax and Lash Legend earned a hard-fought win over Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky. Lash scored the pin on Ripley for her first WWE Women's Tag Team Championship win. With the frantic action and memorable spots from Sky and Ripley, this match was the highlight of "SmackDown." Ripley doesn't have much time to linger on the loss, as she has another big match tomorrow at Elimination Chamber.
WWE women's champion Jade Cargill awaits the winner of the women's Elimination Chamber match, and she took the opportunity to visit her potential challengers face-to-face during the show, including Tiffany Stratton, who picked up a win over Kairi Sane in an unplanned match. Stratton expected to face Asuka, who declined to compete at the last minute. Stratton, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Kiana James, Raquel Rodriguez and Ripley will fight it out inside the structure, with a spot at WrestleMania 42 on the line.
