Tag: united center

WWE announces Elimination Chamber 2026 location

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE is officially bringing Elimination Chamber to Chicago in February 2026.

It was announced today that Elimination Chamber 2026 will be held at the United Center on Saturday, February 28. WWE’s Chicago-area events are usually held at the Allstate Arena in nearby Rosemont, but this PLE will be held inside the city itself at the home of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks.

This is the first WWE PPV/PLE to be held at the United Center since SummerSlam 1994.

“WWE, in partnership with Choose Chicago, the city’s official destination marketing organization, today announced that it will return to the United Center in Chicago, the largest indoor arena in the United States, for Elimination Chamber on Saturday, February 28, 2026,” a press release said.

“This marks the first WWE Premium Live Event to be held at the United Center in more than three decades. In August 1994, SummerSlam made history as the first sports event to open the iconic venue. Elimination Chamber 2026 builds on Chicago’s rich history of hosting WWE events, including WrestleMania, Survivor Series, Money In The Bank, Backlash and more.”

Hometown hero CM Punk is featured front and center on WWE’s graphic for the show, with Cody Rhodes, Jade Cargill, Stephanie Vaquer, Rhea Ripley, Becky Lynch, Bron Breakker, Jey Uso, IYO SKY, and Tiffany Stratton also featured.

The United Center was where Punk made his return to pro wrestling in 2021 with AEW. He is now the current World Heavyweight Champion in WWE.

A ticket pre-sale will begin on Wednesday, November 19 at 10 a.m. Central time. The general public on-sale will then begin on November 20.

Elimination Chamber is happening on the road to WrestleMania 42, with Las Vegas set to host that two-night event on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19. The Chamber card will likely feature men’s and women’s Elimination Chamber matches with WrestleMania implications.

CM Punk’s AEW return planned for United Center in Chicago

Posted on by Joseph Currier

CM Punk’s AEW return may be taking place at the same venue where his career for the promotion began.

In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that Punk is currently scheduled to return to AEW at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday, June 17. Things have yet to be finalized, but the United Center is booked and an announcement could come shortly.

The June 17 date will “likely” be the debut of AEW’s new weekly Saturday television show for Warner Bros. Discovery.

Meltzer wrote:

As things stand right now, the return of C.M. Punk is scheduled for a 6/17 show at the United Center in Chicago, which being a Saturday night show, is likely the debut of the new weekly show.

The rumor of the new show name is AEW Collision, based on a trademark the company took out some time back, when the talks with WBD for the new Saturday show got serious.

At press time everything was not finalized, but the building is booked and it likely will be announced very shortly, when the Punk deal and the TV deal are finalized. Obviously with the building deal in place, the TV deal has to either be done or they must be almost certain of it.

The decision on Punk returning was made many weeks ago, although there was a snag two weeks back that has evidently been worked out.

Obviously being at the United Center, the show will be heavily promoted and have a theme name, which evidently has been decided upon

Meltzer notes that Punk was an “extremely important” factor in AEW’s deal for the new Saturday show.

“We do know that he was extremely important in this deal but whether the deal was incumbent on him, we’ve heard both ways,” Meltzer wrote. “One person outside the company has seen correspondence indicating that WBD definitely wanted him back and other things that have happened in recent weeks very much behind-the-scenes have indicated to us that Punk being back is, if nothing else, very significant in everything.”

Punk made his AEW debut at the United Center in August 2021. He debuted on an episode of Rampage named “The First Dance.”

A return would mark the first time Punk has appeared for AEW since All Out 2022, when he got into a backstage brawl with The Elite after going off on them at a post-show media scrum.

Punk won the AEW World Championship from Jon Moxley at All Out but suffered a torn triceps during the match. He had to vacate the title following the events of All Out.

AEW will also be in Chicago on Wednesday, June 21 for an episode of Dynamite at the Wintrust Arena.

Report: AEW considering moving venues for All Out

Posted on by Josh Nason

AEW is reportedly considering holding September’s All Out at Chicago’s United Center instead of the traditional NOW Arena.

Fightful first reported the news Thursday.

Outside the 2020 edition held in Jacksonville, Florida, during the pandemic, the annual Labor Day weekend pay-per-view has been held at the NOW Arena (formerly the Sears Centre) since its creation in 2019 as well as its predecessor, All In, in 2018.

In this scenario, the report stated that the go-home editions of both Dynamite and Rampage would remain at the NOW Arena.

It’s assumed the driving force for the potential move is the size of the venue as the United Center (home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and NHL’s Blackhawks) can house considerably more fans.

AEW has run the United Center previously and drawn strong attendance, notably for CM Punk’s return to wrestling in August 2021 that drew over 15,000 fans. They returned last June for the first-ever Forbidden Door PPV and drew nearly 16,000 fans.

For the three All Out PPVs held at the NOW Arena, attendance has been just over 10,000 each time.

August 2, 2021 Observer Newsletter: Death of Super Porky, AEW to United Center

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Jose Luis Alvarado, who started out as a well respected worker as teenager sensation Brazo de Plata, who became iconic as perhaps the greatest long-term iconic comedic wrestler as Super Porky, passed away on 7/26 at the age of 58 due to a heart attack.

He had been in poor health of late and based on what he had said both publicly and privately, seemed to know that he was not going to live much longer.

The heart attack was in its own weird way apropos. He had two prior heart attacks, both while wrestling, and worked that into his regular comedy routine where he would fake heart attacks in his matches. Given he was so overweight and his brothers were so convincing at panicking, fans bought them and on more than occasion I would get reports from people seeing him live thinking he had suffered a heart attack.

Alvarado was the best known member of the biggest wrestling family in the world, a statement that carries a lot of weight since his son, Psycho Clown, is arguably the biggest star in Mexico right now and certainly top three.

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AEW coming to Chicago for ‘The First Dance’ Rampage

Posted on by Bryan Rose

AEW tonight announced that they will hold Rampage at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on August 20.

Tony Schiavone, on behalf of Tony Khan, announced that the second edition of Rampage will be held at the United Center and will be called ‘The First Dance’. Tickets will go on sale this coming Monday at 10 am CT, with prices starting at $25.

Darby Allin, with Sting, were then shown backstage. Allin said that AEW is where people prove themselves, even if they are “the best in the world”.

The announcement comes as AEW is set to hold another special event, an edition of Dynamite called ‘Grand Slam’, at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York.

AEW is set to debut Rampage, their new one-hour TNT show, on August 13th. The first show will be held at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That week’s edition of Dynamite will be held at the same arena two days prior.