What's Next for John Cena, CM Punk, More After WWE Elimination Chamber 2025?

WWE Elimination Chamber turned out to be one of the best premium live events of the year, with surprises that will impact the road to WrestleMania 41. 

Saturday night’s four-match card delivered the in-ring action and shocking moments many expected from Royal Rumble. It will likely do much more to captivate viewers and keep them on tap for the next few weeks.

Jade Cargill’s return started the show on a high note, and the closing segment will undoubtedly be one of the most talked-about twists for years to come. It didn’t seem like it a month ago, but WWE officially has the selling point and its main event for The Showcase of the Immortals.

Here are the matchups we expect to see following an eventful showing for the company in Toronto.

After Liv Morgan played spoiler at Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber, a showdown with Alexa Bliss seems inevitable. 

The former WWE women’s world champion used Bianca Belair's braid to execute a leveraged pin and eliminate Little Miss Bliss. This newfound rivalry is far from over, and the tag titles will likely add stakes to their upcoming match. 

The recent Wyatt Sicks teases would lead us to believe Bliss will eventually reunite with Nikki Cross. In the process, the two-time tag champs will attempt to tie Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez’s record.

Drew McIntyre has overlooked Damian Priest since he beat Seth Rollins last year at WrestleMania 40. 

As a result, the Puerto Rican superstar cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on him while he was fixated on CM Punk. This has been a recurring theme for the two ever since, and it played into their last two interactions. 

Priest eliminated the Scottish Warrior in this year’s men’s Royal Rumble match. At Elimination Chamber, he caught McIntrye off guard again, shattering his hopes of pursuing a world title or competing in the main event of The Show of Shows. 

Expect the 39-year-old to give him his undivided attention now and look to exact revenge on the man who cost him two shots at championship gold. 

At Elimination Chamber, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn arguably delivered the match of the night. 

We’ve seen these two go head to head many times before, but this unsanctioned match was tremendous. Nevertheless, the aftermath of this brutal and deeply personal encounter set up Randy Orton’s return.

The Viper has been out of action since Owens nailed him with a package piledriver on the Nov. 8 episode of SmackDown. Although many fans predicted he would return at Royal Rumble, this was the perfect way to reignite their feud in time for WrestleMania 41. 

The way the Toronto crowd came alive for the tease of a punt as Owens’s comeuppance was incredible. The idea that this storyline could bring out a side of Orton that many of us grew up watching is enough to keep many longtime viewers intrigued. 

CM Punk just can’t seem to put Seth Rollins in his rearview in pursuit of a world title. 

Even though The Second City Saint eliminated The Visionary and Roman Reigns in the men’s Royal Rumble match, his bitter rival will not let him move on. His hatred for Punk led to many great interactions at Elimination Chamber, but it ultimately cost Rollins the match.

Still, the 38-year-old got the last laugh as he viciously stomped Punk on the platform outside the ring, giving John Cena the means to win in his final appearance inside the chamber. This seemingly squashed the Chicago native’s chance of headlining WrestleMania for the first time in his career. 

Obviously, this will set up the matchup we expected last year before Punk tore his tricep, but Reigns will undoubtedly return to avenge his loss at Royal Rumble as well. The Tribal Chief will also make his former stablemate pay for the attack that sidelined him after the three were no longer in contention. 

John Cena won the 2025 men’s Elimination Chamber match and punched his ticket to compete in the main event of WrestleMania for the last time. 

That shouldn’t surprise most fans because he was heavily favored heading into the event, and rumors of a match with Cody Rhodes surfaced earlier this year. However, who could’ve guessed the 16-time world champion would turn heel for the first time during his farewell tour?

Sure, WWE started planting the seeds for this after Royal Rumble, but this is a game-changer. Rhodes vs. Cena was already a battle of two of the top stars of their eras, but this unexpected twist adds a dynamic similar to The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan from WrestleMania 18. 

It’s hard to compare anything to that "Icon vs. Icon" match, but this is a monumental moment befitting the bright lights of The Greatest Spectacle in Sports Entertainment. This is the centerpiece of this year’s show and an appropriate last hurrah for one of the most recognizable names in the history of the company. 

Now, the question remains: Will he break Ric Flair’s record or spend the rest of 2025 trying to cement his legacy? Time will tell, but Cena will step onto the biggest stage in the industry as a villain for the first time in his career.