WWE's Seth Rollins Gamble, CM Punk and Cody Rhodes Steal the Show, More Raw Takes

The January 22 edition of WWE Raw delivered an impactful and emotional final chapter ahead of the 2024 Royal Rumble.

After much speculation, Seth Rollins confirmed the diagnosis for his injury from last week's main event. He has a Grade 2 MCL tear and a torn meniscus. He said he will still compete at WrestleMania 40, but will he truly be ready?

Cody Rhodes and CM Punk did not hold back in their first one-on-one clash on the mic. Both stated their aims to win the men's Royal Rumble match on Saturday night.

Bayley attacked Becky Lynch on Raw and made a clear statement toward her focus with the women's Rumble match.

Distractions including R-Truth and Rhea Ripley cost Damian Priest an important main event against Drew McIntyre.

This go-home Raw particularly established the future for the key names who will compete in the 2024 Royal Rumble matches.

WWE Taking Huge Risk Hoping Seth Rollins Can Be Healthy By WrestleMania

Seth Rollins made an impressive declaration after confirming the extent of his knee injury. He said he will make it to WrestleMania 40 after rehabbing an MCL and meniscus tear over just two months.

That's a tough ask, maybe even an impossible one. But Rollins has shown time and again that he wants to be WWE's workhorse performer. He will do anything to make its biggest show of the year and perhaps compete in the most important match of his career.

The expectation was that The Visionary would face CM Punk at The Show of Shows, with both men ready to main-event for the World Heavyweight Championship.

There is no match that can truly match the hype of Punk facing Rollins given the hatred they have sold for one another for years.

However, pushing Rollins to return before he's completely healthy could cause further injury that may risk the career of the 37-year-old.

Hopefully, everything will work out, but it will be important to set up a backup plan, possibly a Damian Priest cash-in or a match for Punk against Gunther or Drew McIntyre instead.

Bayley Will Win 2024 Women's Royal Rumble

Bayley made a rare appearance on Raw and showed clearly why she is ready to win the women's Royal Rumble match.

While both Nia Jax and Becky Lynch could claim victory on Saturday, The Role Model is the clearest option. The Man has already won the women's Rumble, and it makes more sense for her to win an Elimination Chamber match this year to earn her shot.

Few women in WWE right now have a better story than Bayley. She is a longtime veteran who has struggled to get her definitive moment.

She put together Damage CTRL to elevate herself and multiple top women in the industry. Her work helped take Iyo Sky to the top of WWE with her Money in the Bank and WWE Women's Championship wins in 2023.

While The Role Model has stated that her goal is to challenge Rhea Ripley and bring all the gold to Damage CTRL, it is more likely she will end up challenging The Genius of the Sky.

The conflict over which champion to challenge will give Bayley a spotlight on the Road to WrestleMania. This is an opportunity she has never been given but certainly deserves.

Cody Rhodes and CM Punk Both Look Like 'Mania Main Eventers

CM Punk and Cody Rhodes finally met face-to-face on Raw, and neither man held back. Monday's face-off sold each man as the biggest threat to the other's immediate success.

Punk is the biggest talking point in WWE. Since his return to the company in November, fans have been clamoring to see what he would do next. He has set his sights clearly on finally winning a Royal Rumble and main-eventing WrestleMania.

Rhodes came up just short at WrestleMania 39 after winning his first men's Rumble match. His story has yet to be finished, and his one goal is Roman Reigns and the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

Punk and Rhodes clashed over their shared history, including working together in All Elite Wrestling. Both spoke biting truths about their legacies in WWE and sold why fans need to see both reach their destined fate at WrestleMania 40.

This should be the first step in both men holding world titles in 2024 at the same time and carrying Raw and SmackDown forward. The 'Mania moments will be especially cathartic.

Damian Priest Needs to Escape Shadow of The Judgment Day

Damian Priest has been Sr. Money in the Bank for six months, and he looks less ready to cash in now than he did on the night he won the briefcase.

The Judgment Day may be the top angle on Raw still, but that has not elevated anyone except Rhea Ripley. Priest and Finn Bálor hold the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships and seem more focused on that lately.

Even so, The Prince and The Punishment do not seem to be on the same page. Priest is struggling to get along with anyone in The Judgment Day, trying to be the leader of a group that is committed to Ripley as the top act.

If The Archer of Infamy can escape the shadow of Ripley and even Bálor before cashing in to become world champion, he will have a better chance to stand out next to big personalities like Cody Rhodes, CM Punk and Seth Rollins.