Why LA Knight Must Win Elimination Chamber Match, AJ Lee to the Rescue, More WWE Raw Fallout
The February 9 edition of WWE Raw on Netflix at the Rocket Arena in Cleveland continued the build toward Elimination Chamber.
LA Knight and Rhea Ripley qualified for the men's and women's Elimination Chamber matches, respectively, while Finn Bálor talked his way into a World Heavyweight Championship match in Chicago.
AJ Lee set the date for her return singles match, facing Becky Lynch at Elimination Chamber on February 28 for the Women's Intercontinental Championship.
After these results, much has become clearer about WWE's direction on the road to WrestleMania.
Making the Case For LA Knight to Win Men's Elimination Chamber
1 of 5LA Knight's win in the Elimination Chamber qualifier was hardly a guarantee against Austin Theory and especially Penta.
It was the right decision though because The Megastar is the most interesting potential rival for Drew McIntyre of the three.
Much like Sami Zayn on SmackDown, Knight's story is defined by what he has never won: the world championship.
The Megastar going after any world champion is an easy story to sell.
A story with The Scottish Warrior is an even easier sell as Knight and McIntyre have run into each other before without a serious rivalry yet.
While McIntyre vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Jacob Fatu is the direction at present, it would make just as much sense for The American Nightmare and The Samoan Werewolf to settle their beef first at WrestleMania.
Avoid the tired repeat of McIntyre vs. Rhodes and give the Scot more time as champion before Fatu becomes his biggest problem.
This would leave Knight as a strong challenger for McIntyre, hoping to win his first world title at The Show of Shows.
These are two men with strong promo skills and popularity to build around, and McIntyre can stay strong with a big win at 'Mania to retain his gold.
WWE Women's Roster Needs More AJ Lee
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The women's division has felt understaffed in the past year except when AJ Lee has been around.
With Lee's return on Monday, Becky Lynch has a clear path to Elimination Chamber and likely WrestleMania.
Lynch vs. Lee is the best-built angle in the women's division, and while these two feud, others can build their resumes for a fresh challenge.
The Black Widow is a known name with built-in popularity. Almost anyone she fights one-on-one is a new match.
Hopefully, Lee will stick around as champion and compete more regularly in 2026 because there is no easy replacement in her absence.
WWE should make her a central figure this year and use that spotlight to elevate those she will be fighting for the first time.
Rhea Ripley Proves She is Still QB1
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While Becky Lynch and AJ Lee are among WWE's best women, there is one clear standout on Raw that cannot be denied: Rhea Ripley.
The Eradicator was the clear fan favorite in her qualifier and made the women's Elimination Chamber ahead of Lyra Valkyria and Ivy Nile.
While Ripley is already women's tag team champion, she stands out as the most exciting challenge right now for Jade Cargill on the entire roster.
Given the struggles of The Storm, it may even be a good time to move the title back to Ripley, letting her carry the SmackDown women's division in 2026.
Ripley and Iyo Sky will have a reliable spot in the division no matter what and have made the tag team division more interesting, but there are plenty of strong tandems to dethrone them.
The same cannot be said of names who can carry world titles in the current women's division.
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CM Punk vs. Finn Bálor 2 is a Big Mistake
4 of 5CM Punk could not miss Elimination Chamber in Chicago, but the direction for The Best in the World failed to capitalize on the moment.
Punk fought Finn Bálor in a title match where he defeated the Irishman clean in his home country of Ireland.
While it was an exciting contest, there was little drama to the result, yet WWE will run that same matchup back at Elimination Chamber.
The only extra stakes are upon whether Punk could lose the world title and ruin the likely WrestleMania 42 Night 2 main event.
Since fans know WWE is relying upon that contest as the only announced match for 'Mania, there is no reason why anyone in Chicago will buy that The Prince can win.
It is a filler title defense for Punk to further his "fighting champion" reign. This is fine except that The Best in the World should face a fresh challenger instead.
Bronson Reed, Austin Theory or Logan Paul of The Vision would make more sense for the current WWE angles. Gunther could very believably take down Punk.
LA Knight or Penta could have used the spotlight, and Rey Mysterio would have been a fun nostalgic pull for the moment.
All of these are fresher options than the repeat that has no one fooled on the result.
Repetitive Masked Man Angle Needs to Go
5 of 5At this point, it may be fair to make the hooded masked man a character unto himself in WWE.
Every couple months, WWE has another surprise attacker, shaded by the same black hoodie.
Sometimes, the identity of the attacker is revealed on the same night; sometimes, the identity is held secret for several weeks.
No matter what, WWE has struggled to nail the reveal, and the repetition is lessening the impact each time.
Seth Rollins would make the most sense to be the one attacking The Vision, but it would make no sense to hide his identity.
WWE needs to deliver a bold reveal, perhaps even multiple men backing Rollins' fight against The Vision, to make all this matter.
Otherwise, it will further emphasize the flat, cyclical storytelling of 2026 WWE.
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