Time to Evolve Cody Rhodes' Character, Rhea Ripley Made Wrong Pick, More Raw Takes

WWE Raw stars stood tall at Saturday's Royal Rumble as Cody Rhodes and Rhea Ripley won their respective men's and women's matches. And the January 30 edition of the red brand allowed both to discuss their WrestleMania 39 plans.

Cody Rhodes promised to beat Roman Reigns when they clashed on The Grandest Stage of Them All. He also had a solid match to close the night with Finn Bálor, although he did not do anything more than he has usually done.

Rhea Ripley announced she would be challenging Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania Goes Hollywood for the SmackDown Women's Championship on April 1-2.

This leaves Bianca Belair waiting on the winner of the women's Elimination Chamber match on February 18 to discover if Asuka, Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan, Nikki Cross or one of the two other unnamed competitors will challenge her for the Raw women's title at The Show of Shows.

Becky Lynch and Bayley set a return date for their steel cage match, promising to fight next week inside the steel structure after The Man threatened the other members of Damage CTRL.

This show was a big one in terms of charting the course for WrestleMania, but WWE may have made some mistakes in crafting the card for its marquee event.

Cody Rhodes Needs to Grow as a Character Before He Can Dethrone Roman Reigns

While only a minority of the WWE Universe are questioning Cody Rhodes as a top guy, it's clear The American Nightmare must continue growing to challenge Roman Reigns.

The Head of the Table has never been hotter, and his story with Sami Zayn and The Bloodline is the best thing going in wrestling. In order to contend with Reigns, the men's Royal Rumble winner cannot just be good, he must be great.

While fans have seen The American Nightmare's fighting spirit and heard him talk about his family legacy, he cannot just be happy to wrestle each week. He needs to sell a determination that can impress even Reigns.

Rhodes is contending with the best in the business as well as living up to the recent work of Zayn, Kevin Owens and Drew McIntyre. That is a tall order for anyone.

In particular, he has to show he can cut an impassioned promo that is about more than his family.

This is the WrestleMania main event, and Rhodes is hoping to become the new top face of WWE. The bar is set high for him to truly succeed.

Rhea Ripley's Baffling Pick

Women's Royal Rumble winner Rhea Ripley has made her choice for WrestleMania 39, calling out Charlotte Flair.

The Queen defeated the Australian for the NXT Women's Championship at The Show of Shows three years ago, and this could be Ripley's chance for revenge.

However, WWE has missed a major opportunity to put on a showstopper that fans have not yet seen: Ripley vs. Bianca Belair could have been a showcase of the future at The Showcase of the Immortals.

Instead, Ripley will face the woman who should not have defeated her the first time around. Hopefully, WWE rights that wrong and at least gives The Eradicator her deserved win.

Flair only won the SmackDown women's title on December 30 and has plenty of other challengers she could face before and at WrestleMania. But Belair has run through just about everyone on the Raw roster, bar Ripley.

Because WWE has taken this approach, the options for the Raw Women's Championship match is limited. Belair will need the perfect challenger to commemorate her year-long reign.

Asuka Will Be Women's Champion Again With Fresh Persona

Asuka has taken on a new style and presentation, and she looks better than ever. From a dark and terrifying look in the ring to a cool and calm demeanor backstage, she stands out more than she ever has.

The Empress of Tomorrow is a former four-time women's champion, but she needed a spark to feel like a main event talent again. She absolutely has it now.

No one looks more ready to challenge Bianca Belair than Asuka. The two have limited history together, which means it will be a fresh contest.

It will not be surprising if The Empress of Tomorrow wins the women's Elimination Chamber match on February 18 and goes on to face Belair at WrestleMania 39.

Even if Asuka does not win the gold immediately, she should win the Raw or SmackDown Women's Championship in 2023. She has so many great rivals to contend with on both brands that would benefit from working with her.

Expect Greatness From Becky Lynch vs. Bayley in a Steel Cage

WWE made a mistake by awkwardly cancelling Becky Lynch vs. Bayley in a steel cage on Raw XXX. However, that wrong will be righted next week in what should be an excellent main event.

The two women delivered in their latest back-and-forth promo on Monday night, building the match to be all the more special. They feel like the biggest stars on Raw because of their natural talent and impressive chemistry.

As Rhea Ripley looks to step away from Raw to go after the SmackDown Women's Championship, the red brand needs its top women to step up even more.

Luckily, The Role Model and The Man have always brought their best when it matters most. They will likely put on one of the best matches in 2023 together.

Raw needs big matches and moments on The Road to WrestleMania. This should be the first of many from the two as they build to an important spot at SoFi Stadium in April.