Most Intriguing Storylines to Track on the Road to WWE WrestleMania 40

The Road to WrestleMania 40 is upon us, and the 2024 event has a chance to be one of WWE's best ever.

This is due to all the great stories on the horizon, and the stacked WWE roster has a chance to blow everyone away up to and including at The Show of Shows on April 6-7.

Fans can look forward to many important angles involving the likes of Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes, Bayley and Iyo Sky, and Becky Lynch and Rhea Ripley.

Even the less-defined storylines such as the next challengers to Seth Rollins and Gunther will be must-watch television.

The following stories will be the most intriguing on the Road to WrestleMania 40 and should be watched especially close.

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The Uncertain World Heavyweight Championship Scene

Following a triceps tear in the men's Royal Rumble match on Saturday night, CM Punk's challenge to Seth Rollins is off the table.

The Visionary is also nursing an MCL tear but is still hoping he will be ready for WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

This leaves many questions for the immediate future of the World Heavyweight Championship scene. Hopefully, Rollins will defend his gold, but who will he fight?

Drew McIntyre has laid his claim after mocking Punk on Monday's Raw, but The Visionary has defeated the Scot twice in recent months.

Gunther may be the most dangerous adversary for Rollins, but will he need to defend his Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania?

Sami Zayn or Jey Uso would be exciting possibilities as neither has held a singles world title before, but neither has the story yet for that spotlight.

Rollins has asked men's Rumble match winner Cody Rhodes to face him, but The American Nightmare has serious unfinished business with Roman Reigns.

The Road to WrestleMania will tell many intriguing stories, but none are going to be more interesting than the World Heavyweight Championship scene as it is completely unpredictable.

Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes Look to Escalate Feud from 2023

Roman Reigns will enter WrestleMania 40 at over 1,300 days as Undisputed WWE Universal champion. That is a monumental feat, but it has also led to the run growing stale.

It's time to jump-start this world title scene, especially as Cody Rhodes sets his sights on The Tribal Chief once more following his second successive win in the men's Rumble match.

In the build to WrestleMania 39, Reigns and The American Nightmare took their time. A confident Rhodes barely sweat The Bloodline, and it cost him everything.

This time, the top heel and top babyface in the business need to ramp up the stakes. They need to sell the world on why this is the biggest match for the biggest night in the modern era of WWE.

That should mean scathing promos, surprise beatdowns and brawls that require the entire locker room to separate them.

Bayley's WrestleMania Journey

Bayley signed with WWE in December 2012. Over the past decade, she has done it all except tell a complete story on the Road to WrestleMania.

She has entered The Show of Shows as a women's champion three times but was set up each time to face multiple challengers at once in angles that had barely developed beyond getting as many names on the card as possible.

This year, she will face either Iyo Sky or Rhea Ripley, and she can keep both champions waiting for that answer in the coming months. But The Role Model stated on Monday's Raw that she would make her decision at SmackDown on Friday.

The best story possible would be to challenge The Genius of the Sky after the other members of Damage CTRL turn on her.

That angle has potential to be the best women's story told on the Road to WrestleMania. Bayley has been an unabashed heel for over three years, and fans have long waited for a chance to cheer her again.

The Role Model regaining some of her old love for the business would be special to watch. Pair it with her fighting the young stars she helped build, and you have a recipe for success that could main-event WrestleMania 40's first night.

Becky Lynch's Desperate Bid to Prove Herself vs. Rhea Ripley

Rhea Ripley faces a dangerous threat in Nia Jax, but the women's world champion will keep her gold into WrestleMania 40. There is no way WWE won't want the Australian fighting Becky Lynch on that night.

The Man has made a clear statement about her intention: She wants to fight the best to prove she is still the best.

Lynch will first have to earn her shot, most likely going through the women's Elimination Chamber match on February 24. If she can beat the top names inside the structure, she will then have to contend with a still-dominant Ripley.

The Eradicator has dominated all of WWE, and if Jax cannot even defeat her, Lynch will need to contend with her own self-doubt.

This will be a compelling tale of a veteran facing the present star of the business, pushing together the biggest names in the women's division.

Damian Priest's Money in the Bank Intentions

Damian Priest is beginning to run out of time as Sr. Money in the Bank. He won the men's briefcase on July 1, 2023, but has yet to cash in despite getting close several times.

He has until this year's version of the premium live event on July 6 to cash in, but he's unlikely to wait beyond WrestleMania 40.

At the same time, Priest and Finn Bálor are the undisputed tag team champions and will need to keep defending their gold through The Show of Shows.

Can The Punishment keep his focus with two different titles on his mind?

It will be interesting to see how WWE books Priest in the coming months. He has already told R-Truth he's not a part of The Judgment Day and will likely have to face Awesome Truth going after the gold at Elimination Chamber.

If Bálor and Priest retain again, the latter might be more focused on staying healthy to cash in on a vulnerable Seth Rollins or even Cody Rhodes rather than defending his gold.

Creating a True Challenger for Gunther

Gunther has been a phenomenal intercontinental champion. He has dominated the competition at every step, yet fans have bought into challengers varying from Chad Gable to Sheamus to The Miz.

However, as his reign passes the 600-day mark, The Ring General is running low on challengers. Even TV challenges such as Bronson Reed and Kofi Kingston have run their course.

Finding the next man up for Gunther will be tough because that opponent needs to earn that opportunity, especially for a match at WrestleMania 40.

The most likely man would be Jey Uso, though he may still want to fight his brother, Jimmy Uso, at The Show of Shows.

If he is occupied, WWE may even need to tap into the talent on SmackDown like LA Knight or Randy Orton. Perhaps NXT could provide an answer in the form of Bron Breakker.

The next couple of months should be fun to watch as a number of Superstars will vie for the WrestleMania spotlight and an opportunity of a lifetime. Hopefully, they can live up to the spotlight against WWE's most valuable Superstar.

LA Knight's First True Road to WrestleMania

LA Knight is still one of the hottest names in WWE, and he will walk into his first WrestleMania with some major hype.

While The Megastar was already popular around the time of WrestleMania 39, WWE had no plans for him at The Show of Shows. That cannot be the case for this year.

Knight and AJ Styles have begun a rivalry that will extend to Elimination Chamber at least, but it could go further.

If WWE wants to go even bigger for The Megastar, though, he could pivot to battling either Logan Paul or Gunther.

This is an important moment for the 41-year-old. He has gotten himself over on his own work, and it's time for WWE to pay him back with a big 'Mania spotlight.

The Competitive United States Championship Picture

Logan Paul announced his re-signing with WWE ahead of defeating Kevin Owens in his first United States Championship defense.

The social media star is likely to hold his title for a long time.

However, that does not mean that each major title defense cannot involve a big storyline. So, who will be Paul's WrestleMania 40 opponent?

Owens makes sense since he lost due to questionable circumstances at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on Saturday.

Other stars who could be worthy challengers to The Maverick include Randy Orton, LA Knight, Sami Zayn or Jey Uso (assuming the last two jump brands for WrestleMania season).

Whatever happens next, WWE will put serious focus behind the 28-year-old's 'Mania storyline. This could be a major rub for a young star and/or an important next step in his development into a top name.

Battle Lines Drawn Between Latino World Order vs. Legado del Fantasma

Many top names on SmackDown have been hyped up in the biggest stable feud in WWE. Santos Escobar defected from Latino World Order and began rebuilding his own group.

Escobar has brought in Angel Garza, Humberto Carrillo and Elektra Lopez to aid his fight, seemingly creating a new Legado del Fantasma.

This story continues to intensify as he and Carlito got in each other's way of winning the men's Rumble match.

Rey Mysterio should soon return to action, and he will have revenge on his mind. Whether the WrestleMania match is stable warfare or a one-on-one struggle between the veteran and Escobar, this feud can solidify the Legado leader's credibility in WWE.

Hopefully, WWE will find the right balance to highlight the young stars in this rivalry while also utilizing the star power of Mysterio and Carlito.

Jade Cargill's New Start

WWE has a new top star to develop, and careful booking could make an instant attraction. Jade Cargill was a known name in All Elite Wrestling before her surprise jump in September 2023.

From the announcement of her signing, WWE has tried to keep her AEW momentum, but it was important to get her up to speed with the company's style in the ring first.

She made an impact in the women's Royal Rumble, including almost effortlessly eliminating the dominant Nia Jax.

The next step should be setting up her singles debut. WWE can make her feel like a special attraction by waiting for that moment at WrestleMania.

There is one name that stands out as her perfect opponent: Bianca Belair.

Given her track record at WrestleMania, including battles with Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks that stole the show, The EST of WWE's next match at The Show of Shows should be featured even without gold on the line.

Cargill and Belair are built from the same cloth, phenomenal athletes with impressive figures who can overwhelm anyone in their path with pure strength.

Win or lose, Cargill would benefit if WWE puts her and Belair together. If it instead decides to sideline her again, she might lose the momentum she needs to thrive.