Why CM Punk vs Finn Balor at WWE Elimination Chamber could backfire ahead of WrestleMania 42?

CM Punk will battle Finn Balor in a rematch in Chicago.

After winning the 2026 Royal Rumble match, Roman Reigns announced his pick for WrestleMania 42, picking CM Punk to battle at the ‘Grandest Stage.’ The high-stakes showdown will headline Night 2 of the PLE in April.

However, before the showdown, the fighting Champion, staying true to his mantra, has agreed to another massive high-stakes battle with the title on the line against Finn Balor. After losing the rematch in January, Balor has been adamant about getting a rematch.

During the February 9 show of Raw, Balor interrupted Michael Cole, crashing the interview he was about to conduct with Punk. Balor once again demanded a title shot against CM Punk. Despite GM Adam Pearce’s objection, Punk stayed true to his fighting Champion mentality and asked Pearce to make the match official.

The General Manager reluctantly gave the green light, officially booking the World Heavyweight Championship rematch in Chicago, where Balor aims to defeat Punk on his home turf, just as Punk did to him in their first meeting in January.

Isn’t this a bad idea?

The rematch ahead in Chicago at Elimination Chamber on February 28 begs the question: Is CM Punk making a mistake agreeing to the rematch before the Mania clash? Will he be able to retain the title, and if so, will he be 100% going into the Mania main event?

To this note, even Michael Cole’s first question in the interview was why Punk was jeopardizing the Mania main event. Punk replied that he wasn’t jeopardizing anything; he was chasing greatness. He declared that he was a fighting champion, giving the fans the action they deserved.

The Champion also emphasized that he would fight anyone, anytime, to prove that he was the Best in the World.

Also Read: All matches confirmed for WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 so far ft. CM Punk, AJ Lee & more

Physical Fatigue and Injury Risk

One of the major factors that has been on everyone’s mind is that competing in multiple high-stakes matches, like the Elimination Chamber bout with Finn Balor, puts extra strain on Punk’s body.

Additionally, the WWE World Champion could also further find himself in a similar situation from 2024, when, before the Mania PLE, at the 2024 Royal Rumble match, Punk suffered a torn right triceps muscle during the match.

This injury forced him out of action, and he was unable to compete at WrestleMania 40, despite plans and fan hopes that he might headline the event, likely in a title clash against Seth Rollins.

Even a minor injury or exhaustion could reduce his performance when facing a powerhouse like Roman, where every move counts, and a major injury will definitely force him to vacate the title, crushing his plans for a headline Night 2 of the show, his second consecutive Mania main event.

The what-if scenario

After the interview with Michael Cole, Punk exited the ring and sent a message to Roman into the camera, stating that he would have to take the title from his cold, dead fingers. “This thing belongs to me, and you will take it from my cold, dead fingers!”

The fact that Punk might be overlooking Balor could cost him, and Roman Reigns might not have to take the title from his cold, dead fingers, and might have to face Finn Balor for the title in the main event of Mania.

While many are counting Balor out, thinking that the outcome is predetermined, Balor, who is hell-bent on getting the title and isn’t interested in another tag title run when his tag partner, JD McDonagh, returns, could cause the upset.

Balor’s stablemates from the Judgment Day, including Dominik Mysterio, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, and Roxanne Perez, can also help Balor defeat Punk and walk out with the title ahead of Mania.

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