Forecasting Winners and Losers on Road to WWE WrestleMania 40

The Road to WrestleMania is one of the most important times of the year in the wrestling industry, but it's not always sunshine and lollipops for WWE Superstars.

While some performers like Cody Rhodes and Rhea Ripley are in a position to shine throughout February and March, others such as Seth Rollins and Gunther have watched their momentum slow ahead of the April premium live event.

As WrestleMania 40 approaches, here are the biggest potential winners and losers.

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Winners

After a booking decision that left the fans unsatisfied, Cody Rhodes has been catapulted back into the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship scene and will be a cornerstone of the Road to WrestleMania.

Despite the company's mistake with The Rock, giving Rhodes the opportunity to square off against Roman Reigns and The Great One on the mic, and possibly in the ring, makes him and his story the biggest winners in the company.

On the other hand, Rhea Ripley has dominated the women's division for the better part of a year, and her battle against Nia Jax is the latest stepping stone on her journey to fight Becky Lynch in the most prominent women's match imaginable right now.

The Eradicator has been portrayed as strong as anyone on the main roster, and the stage has been set for her to be challenged by the most popular woman on Raw and SmackDown.

With Lynch looking to dominate the women's Elimination Chamber match, the Road to WrestleMania will highlight the mainstream fame surrounding the women's champion and her soon-to-be challenger.

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Losers

While Ripley and Rhodes are sure-fire bets to shine during the weeks leading into WrestleMania, other performers won't get the spotlight they deserve. The list starts with Seth Rollins and his World Heavyweight Championship.

Rollins was set to defend his title against CM Punk in what would have been an epic Night 1 main event, but an injury to the challenger derailed that idea.

Then, Rhodes looked to be his challenger until the WWE Universe stepped in to veto that idea.

Now, Rollins is likely to battle against Drew McIntyre.

While the two-time WWE champion has been one of the best heels in wrestling over the last several months, the matchup isn't on the same level as potential battles against Punk or Rhodes, especially considering fans recently saw this feud.

Another Superstar getting the raw end of the deal is intercontinental champion Gunther. All signs pointed to him facing Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 40, but WWE Creative pivoted away from that idea after someone matching the former UFC star's description was named in a lawsuit filed against WWE in January.

No matter who Gunther faces, it won't hold the same cache as a battle against Lesnar, especially if the IC champion was supposed to beat him and cement his spot as a future world champion.

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