Steel & Safe

*Apologies for the Audio in certain spots, we had some technical issues during recording. Just know we had a mystery box Danhausen prediction and a Punk v Balor segment. We had to cut it out due to the audio issues. We'll catch back up with these Friday when we drop our predictions episode!*

WWE is officially on the Road to WrestleMania 42 — but does it actually feel like it?

On this episode of Turnbuckle Talk Wrestling, we break down everything from RAW (2/16) and SmackDown (2/20) as Elimination Chamber 2026 approaches in Chicago.

Gunther was cost his Chamber qualifying match by Dragon Lee — and that might be the exact trigger he needed to return to his ruthless, legend-killing form. Is WWE building toward Gunther retiring Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania? And what would a true “myth-building” run look like before Oba Femi eventually dethrones him?

We also dive into:

• The masked man attacking Logan Paul and the mystery crate set to open at Elimination Chamber — Ricky Starks? Ethan Page? A Chicago countdown twist?

• Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan reaching a new level after Steph’s all-Spanish promo shook the feud

• AJ Lee and Becky Lynch setting the tone for a heated IC Title showdown

• The latest Men’s and Women’s Elimination Chamber qualifiers

• Why SmackDown felt safe during the most important stretch of WWE’s calendar

• The TKO blackout controversy impacting Chicago watch parties

• And whether WWE is doing enough creatively heading into WrestleMania season.

The current product isn’t bad. But during WrestleMania season, “fine” isn’t good enough. Let’s talk about it.

00:00The Masked Mystery and Fan Predictions

15:45Building Feuds: Women's Elimination Chamber Insights

19:59The Power of Language in Wrestling Promos

24:25AJ Lee vs. Becky Lynch: Anticipation and Expectations

29:10The Confusion Surrounding Jey Uso's Role

36:46The Future of Tag Team Wrestling

38:34Unpredictability in Wrestling Storylines

39:47Gunther's Qualifier and Future Implications

41:34WrestleMania Predictions and Retirement Matches

44:42Brock Lesnar's Potential Retirement

46:08AJ Styles and Future Storylines

47:41LA Knight's Controversial Position

55:12Creative Decisions and Predictability in Matches

58:53Charlotte Flair's Role in the Elimination Chamber

01:03:05Alistair Black's Gimmick and Comparisons to Karrion Kross

01:05:48Ticket Pricing and TKO's Business Strategies

01:08:18Pay-Per-View Access and Customer Rights

01:11:09Ticket Prices and Fan Frustration

01:14:46Character Development in Wrestling

01:23:21The Role of Promo Development

01:34:16WWE's Current State and Future Directions