The WWE Elimination Chamber premium live event kicks off Saturday night at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. This high-stakes show precedes WrestleMania 42 in April, featuring intense matches inside the notorious steel structure.

High Stakes for WrestleMania Title Shots

Twelve superstars compete in the men’s and women’s Elimination Chamber matches to earn championship opportunities at WrestleMania. The men’s winner challenges Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship, while the women’s victor faces Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship.

Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, LA Knight, Je’Von Evans, Jey Uso, and Trick Williams enter the men’s bout. Rhea Ripley, Tiffany Stratton, Raquel Rodriguez, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, and Kiana James battle in the women’s match.

Triple H’s Near-Fatal Injury in Debut Chamber Match

The Elimination Chamber debuted in November 2002, where then-World Heavyweight Champion Triple H defended against Shawn Michaels, Booker T, Chris Jericho, Kane, and Rob Van Dam.

Early in the match, Rob Van Dam attempted a Five-Star Frog Splash from a pod roof but misjudged the landing. His shin struck Triple H’s neck, crushing the champion’s larynx.

Despite severe pain and breathing difficulties, Triple H competed for over 20 minutes before losing the title to Shawn Michaels as planned. Medics rushed him to the hospital, where doctors kept him overnight due to swelling risks.

Triple H later explained: “They needed to keep me overnight because they were afraid that if it swelled any more, my airway would close off, and before I would be able to tell anybody, I wouldn’t be able to breathe, and I could die.”

He added: “This sounds extreme, but the doctor explained to me that if somebody dropped even a 10 or 20 lb weight on you from a few feet in the air and it hit you on the throat, it could crush your windpipe and kill you instantly.”

Triple H concluded: “It could have been a lot worse, and that’s why they kept me last night and wouldn’t let me leave the hospital, because they weren’t sure how bad it was, and if it did swell more, it could have killed me.”

Throughout his career, Triple H faced numerous injuries, but this incident in the Elimination Chamber structure posed one of the gravest threats.