Most Intriguing Storylines to Track on Road to WWE WrestleMania 39 After Royal Rumble

The 2023 Royal Rumble is done, which means we're officially on The Road to WrestleMania 39.

Rhea Ripley and Cody Rhodes won their respective women's and men's matches to earn a chance to challenge the champion of their choice on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Obviously, this has set up The American Nightmare for an inevitable confrontation with Roman Reigns.

Meanwhile, Ripley has set her sights on a big WrestleMania rematch for the SmackDown Women's Championship against Charlotte Flair.

Following the main event between Reigns and Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn betrayed The Tribal Chief, leaving fans excited to see how WWE's hottest storyline will end.

These are the most intriguing plots to track ahead of the company's return to Hollywood on April 1-2 for The Super Bowl of Sports Entertainment.

Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair

Rhea Ripley has been on a tremendous run since she returned to in-ring competition. So, it shouldn't be a surprise that she outlasted 29 entrants to win this year's women's Royal Rumble match.

In the process, the Australian joined three other competitors who entered the iconic Battle Royal first and secured a record-setting victory.

Many viewers assumed she would challenge Bianca Belair because she was unable to compete in their scheduled title bout at Money in the Bank in July. Instead, she hopes to settle a score with the woman who ended the most successful stint of her career, Charlotte Flair.

Choosing Belair may have made more sense considering the teases on Raw last year, but Flair handed the 26-year-old her most humbling loss to date at WrestleMania 36 in their clash for the NXT Women's Championship during the pandemic era.

It will be fun to see Ripley attempt to avenge it and gain a well-deserved 'Mania moment in front of a live crowd.

Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul

Cody Rhodes will headline The Showcase of the Immortals and Austin Theory seems destined to face his idol, John Cena, which leaves Seth Rollins with an empty dance card.

However, WWE may have already hinted at his WrestleMania opponent on the latest episode of Raw. The Visionary quickly shrugged off his loss at the Royal Rumble and qualified to enter the men's Elimination Chamber match for the United States title.

The two-time United States champion seemed as confident as ever until Cathy Kelley mentioned Logan Paul. The surprise entrant in the men's Rumble match interfered as Rollins finally gained an upper hand on Rhodes and chucked the 36-year-old out of the ring.

Then, the YouTuber effectively squashed his hopes of securing a rematch against Roman Reigns and competing in the main event of WrestleMania 39. The Visionary lasted for 37 minutes and 18 seconds as one of the final four men in the men's bout.

Rollins was so close he could taste it. So, don't expect him to forget who ruined his opportunity and stole his moment.

Asuka's Return to Form

Asuka's return with a new look and a more deliberate approach was one of the highlights of the women's Royal Rumble match.

The Empress of Tomorrow has enjoyed some success on the main roster, but fans of her undefeated streak from NXT have been hoping to see the Japanese star go on a significant run on Raw or SmackDown.

There is plenty of reason to be optimistic about the change of direction with ties to her time as a freelancer in Japan. More importantly, Asuka seems more motivated and healthy than she has in a long time.

The 2018 women's Royal Rumble winner has to be a favorite to win the women's Elimination Chamber match on February 18 and challenge Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 39.

Cody Rhodes' Quest to Be WWE Champion

Cody Rhodes returned over the weekend as entrant No. 30 and survived to become the 2023 men's Royal Rumble winner.

The outcome was a bit predictable, but The American Nightmare has already proved why he's the right man to challenge and defeat Roman Reigns. During the subsequent press conference, he showcased the poise and candor needed to be the face of WWE.

It's not hard to tell that he would excel as a brand ambassador who can make appearances on mainstream outlets. Even more, the second-generation star cut a passionate promo that chronicled his journey from a bright-eyed newcomer to the forefront of WWE's first real competitor in years.

Then, Rhodes brought it full circle as he reminded the audience why he came back to his old stomping grounds. His goal is to become the WWE champion–an accolade his father never achieved.

At WrestleMania 39, he plans to finish the story as the most captivating returning Superstar in recent memory.

Sami Zayn vs. The Bloodline

The aftermath of the Royal Rumble main event was incredible. It was an excellent ending to this chapter of the ongoing conflict between The Bloodline and Kevin Owens with Sami Zayn in the middle.

Zayn delivered the chair shot heard around the world as he turned on Roman Reigns and sided with his longtime friend, KO. WWE executed the turn perfectly and gave us just enough to keep us wanting more.

The cliffhanger left viewers wondering what's next for the Canadian and Jey Uso, who left the ring as his stablemates beat down his newfound brother. Could he reignite his 2020 feud with The Tribal Chief, or will he fall back in line?

Regardless, Owens and Zayn must be the new favorites to end The Usos' record-breaking tag team titles reign at WrestleMania. The fact that The Head of the Table isn't defending his mantle in an Elimination Chamber match would also suggest that The Great Liberator will challenge him in his hometown of Montreal at the pay-per-view.

At any rate, this is the best storyline WWE has produced in over a decade, and we can't wait to see what happens next.