Ronda Rousey Is Right, Solo Sikoa's 1st Loss, Where Is John Cena?, More WWE Raw Takes

Just days ahead of WrestleMania 39, the March 27 edition of WWE Raw emanated from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

It was a big night when many wrestlers had their last chance to set the tone for The Show of Shows.

Cody Rhodes defeated Solo Sikoa in a competitive main event, ending The Bloodline enforcer's undefeated streak and allowing The American Nightmare to prove his standing before facing Roman Reigns on Sunday.

The women barely got time on Raw, including no live appearance from either Bianca Belair or Asuka ahead of their Raw Women's Championship match and only a quick backstage interview from Rhea Ripley before she challenges for the SmackDown title. Becky Lynch and Bayley shined in the opening Miz TV, but it may be a case of too little, too late.

Finn Bálor and Austin Theory also didn't appear inside the arena, but they did set the tone for their respective matches with Edge and John Cena in quick promos.

This show served as many wrestlers' last chance before WrestleMania and left a clear impression of what will come on Saturday and Sunday.

WWE Picked Right Time For Solo Sikoa's 1st Loss

For the first time in his WWE career, Solo Sikoa has been pinned. And Cody Rhodes showed he was right when he stated that The Street Champion of the Island is "not ready."

This will be an important moment in the 30-year-old's career. He no longer has the safety net of an undefeated streak and must prove his worth by continuing to perform at a high level. Wins are no longer guaranteed.

The Bloodline enforcer has all the potential to be a challenger to Roman Reigns in time, but he isn't at the same level as his brothers, The Usos. He is still learning and more limited in his mobility as well as promo ability.

Rhodes also gained from this victory. He has set the prophecy of his victory at WrestleMania, but if he could not defeat Sikoa, it would be hard to believe he can dethrone The Head of the Table.

WWE has a firm plan with The Bloodline angle, one that far outshines everything else in the company. It is easy to trust that the best is yet to come.

Ronda Rousey Is Right About WWE Booking of Women's Division

Ronda Rousey was right.

On Sunday, the former UFC star took to her Instagram page to call out the wasted potential of her feud with Liv Morgan, putting WWE Creative on blast for not caring about women's wrestling.

The entire build to WrestleMania for female stars has highlighted the truth in those words. None of the women's feuds have gotten anywhere near the level of the top men's stories.

Becky Lynch and Bayley cut great promos ahead of their six-woman tag team match at the weekend, but the match itself lacks stakes after weeks of build.

Bianca Belair vs. Asuka lacks any heat as a rivalry, yet neither appeared on the last Raw before WrestleMania beyond a pair of video packages highlighting their past dominance ahead of their fight for the Raw Women's Championship.

Rhea Ripley is trying to tell a clear story with Charlotte Flair ahead of their clash for the SmackDown women's title, but there hasn't been one clear outstanding moment to date between them.

The women's WrestleMania Showcase match finally got all of its participants, but it pales in comparison to the men's version, which has better-established teams and rivalries among the participants.

WWE must take a proper look at what has worked best in the company and build that around a talented women's roster. It is time to give the women some long-term angles to rival The Bloodline or even just Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio.

The Stakes Have Never Been Higher for Finn Bálor and The Demon

Finn Bálor will finally bring back The Demon at WrestleMania against Edge after over a year of the gimmick being on hiatus.

At one point, The Prince looked unstoppable under the face paint, but The Demon lost to Roman Reigns at Extreme Rules in September 2021, putting a damper on the legacy of his unique gimmick.

If Bálor is going to bring it back, he must be protected in the role.

While Edge is on his last run and a top priority veteran, he should not beat The Demon. Moreover, no one should any time soon.

This needs to always be Bálor's trump card, a persona he embraces that cannot be beaten no matter what. Even Reigns should not be able to defeat The Demon if there is a rematch between them.

This could be the trump card that elevates the Irishman closer to main event status. Triple H has always valued Bálor highly, but the fans need a reminder of what makes him special.

WWE Drops the Ball with Pre-WrestleMania Booking of John Cena

WWE has a chance to make multiple young stars at WrestleMania this weekend, and no one has a bigger opportunity than Austin Theory, who will put his United States Championship on the line against John Cena.

The veteran is one of the biggest names in wrestling history. Bringing him back was always going to be difficult due to his Hollywood schedule, but his one appearance so far has not been enough to hype this encounter.

At this point, it is hard to take Theory seriously as a threat to Cena. He is just a guy fighting one of the biggest draws in wrestling history.

The 25-year-old had a better story with Pat McAfee last year and lost to him. While WWE has tried to make him a more serious threat in the year since, he has not grown nearly enough.

Even if it required taping some segments for future episodes on the one night when Cena was available, WWE should have done more to sell this rivalry.

Without Cena's presence, this has felt less meaningful than if Theory had defended the U.S. title against someone available every week such as Montez Ford, Johnny Gargano, Mustafa Ali or Dolph Ziggler.