Seth Rollins Playing Second Fiddle to Cody Rhodes, Loaded EC Card, More WWE Raw Takes

As WWE approaches its Elimination Chamber premium live event on February 24, the card is shaping up with each weekly TV episode. And the February 12 edition of WWE Raw continued that momentum.

Seth Rollins cut an impactful promo, selling why he wants to help Cody Rhodes, but he continued to focus more on The American Nightmare than his own World Heavyweight Championship.

Sami Zayn delivered in the main event against Shinsuke Nakamura but again fell short in his quest to put himself in the title picture. It's unclear where he goes from here as his main rival, Drew McIntyre, continues to move beyond him.

Three more Superstars qualified for the Elimination Chamber matches in Perth, Australia. Bobby Lashley took down Bronson Reed, and LA Knight defeated Ivar for entry into the men's bout. Liv Morgan picked up her first victory since returning by defeating Zoey Stark to seal her place in the women's contest.

This week's Raw was an important show that set the direction for WWE more clearly on the Road to WrestleMania 40.

WWE Is Devaluing Seth Rollins

The hottest angle in WWE is Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns and The Rock.

Seth Rollins has also been inserted into the story, but his importance to it is less clear.

It could have been Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, LA Knight or Randy Orton in the same spot to help The American Nightmare, and none of them holds the World Heavyweight Championship.

As the other world champion in WWE, The Visionary should not feel like the secondary man to a Superstar who has never won a world title.

Rollins and Rhodes have a complicated relationship that has been boiled down too much to two babyfaces who care about the company's future.

Even though working with Rhodes has brought out more emotion from Rollins' promos, this is likely driven by his desire to main-event WrestleMania. He would be giving this same energy if CM Punk had not been injured and was his opponent at The Show of Shows.

Rollins deserves a feud worthy of the main event in Philadelphia on April 6-7, focusing on him and his world title. He and Rhodes can make up and build a dominant tag team together in the future.

Elimination Chamber Matches Shaping Up as All-Time Greats

The WWE roster looks as strong and healthy as ever, and it's leading to the company assembling the most stacked men's and women's Elimination Chamber matches ever.

For the men, Bobby Lashley, LA Knight, Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre have qualified. Kevin Owens and Logan Paul are likely to join them after their qualifiers on SmackDown.

WWE has put together many great men's Elimination Chamber lineups, but the forthcoming one has no filler. Four are former world champions still hot enough to claim gold again soon, while Knight and Paul are certain world title winners in the near future.

The women's lineup looks even more impressive. Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair and Liv Morgan have qualified and are former champions who are phenomenal rivals for Rhea Ripley.

Tiffany Stratton and Naomi are the hottest new signings on SmackDown and likely to qualify. That leaves one last spot for great potential challengers such as Shayna Baszler, Zoey Stark or Michin.

This is a chance for WWE to highlight just how great the roster is and deliver two of the best Elimination Chamber matches of all time while setting up great world title matches for WrestleMania 40.

WWE Must Find Spot for Bronson Reed at Elimination Chamber

"Big" Bronson Reed was been an unsung hero on Raw in recent months. His work with Gunther, Ivar, Otis, Chad Gable, Ricochet and others has really stood out.

This was already building off his breakout performance in February 2023 inside the men's Elimination Chamber match for the United States Championship.

With a premium live event in Australia approaching, WWE has a chance to give the 35-year-old the spotlight of working in a stadium in his home country.

While Bobby Lashley needed a big push after months of limited use, this was the perfect spot for Reed to show his ultimate value.

Even if he won't compete in the men's Elimination Chamber match this year, WWE should give him a spotlight. A rematch between Reed and Ivar could be a fun sprint that can allow the Australian to look like a star.

Sami Zayn Needs Clearer Direction on Road to WrestleMania

Sami Zayn keeps losing when he should be a viable contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. While he is delivering great matches, he needs big wins on the Road to WrestleMania 40.

The Ultimate Underdog wants to break out of his role and finally get his world title run, but it just isn't coming together for him.

Zayn continues to feud with Drew McIntyre, but several others have taken on a greater role as rivals to The Scottish Warrior.

McIntyre is the most likely winner of the men's Elimination Chamber match before going on to challenge Seth Rollins. And he continues to attack and belittle Cody Rhodes.

The Scot has also set himself up as CM Punk's first major rival when The Best in the World returns from injury. Zayn should not be in a feud where he is the least important challenger.

The future can be bright for the Canadian. He can shed that label and become a worthy world champion in 2024, but his push needs to start right now.

Zayn needs a much clearer direction to WrestleMania that can rebuild him as a true challenge, not just a Superstar who makes others look good.