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 Predictions15:45Building Feuds: Women's Elimination Chamber Insights19:59The Power of Language in Wrestling Promos24:25AJ Lee vs. Becky Lynch: Anticipation and Expectations29:10The Confusion Surrounding Jey Uso's Role36:46The Future of Tag Team Wrestling38:34Unpredictability in Wrestling Storylines39:47Gunther's Qualifier and Future Implications41:34WrestleMania Predictions and Retirement Matches44:42Brock Lesnar's Potential Retirement46:08AJ Styles and Future Storylines47:41LA Knight's Controversial Position55:12Creative Decisions and Predictability in Matches58:53Charlotte Flair's Role in the Elimination Chamber01:03:05Alistair Black's Gimmick and Comparisons to Karrion Kross01:05:48Ticket Pricing and TKO's Business Strategies01:08:18Pay-Per-View Access and Customer Rights01:11:09Ticket Prices and Fan Frustration01:14:46Character Development in Wrestling01:23:21The Role of Promo Development01:34:16WWE's Current State and Future Directions