Ronda Rousey Needs a Manager, Loaded Men's Elimination Chamber, More Raw Fallout

The January 31 edition of WWE Raw had a lot of work to do after a disappointing Royal Rumble. The show needed to refocus the product and set its sights toward WrestleMania 38.

The best way to do that was set the stage for both Elimination Chamber and The Show of Shows.

Ronda Rousey returned to Raw with confidence, knowing she had her pick of the women's champions for 'Mania. However, she found herself overshadowed by Becky Lynch.

Big Time Becks wanted the main event with Rousey, but she first found another challenger in her way. Lita wanted a match with Lynch, and she would not take "no" for an answer.

The men's Elimination Chamber participants filled out quickly as five names stepped up to challenge Bobby Lashley. Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, Riddle, AJ Styles and Austin Theory all earned their shot at gold.

Nikki A.S.H. hoped to refocus herself toward WrestleMania, but she could not overcome the rival she had picked for herself. Rhea Ripley took her down and likely set up a rough road for the Scot.

The future is bright, but the present is unclear. WWE has always given much on the Road to WrestleMania, and it's just a matter of how these coming weeks play out ahead of the April 2-3 showpiece.

Ronda Rousey is a once-in-a-generation talent. Her athleticism made women's mixed martial arts relevant, and she helped solidify the women's evolution in WWE. She is a talented wrestler despite her limited experience, and she has already had great matches with Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks and others.

However, the 35-year-old has never been great on the mic. Even at her most confident, she relies upon her rivals. She was at her least confident on Raw, which made her return to the red brand awkward from the outset.

As Rousey finds her character on The Road to WrestleMania, it might be worth considering the idea of giving her a manager. As proved with both Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley, a mouthpiece can not only support but also build the confidence of their charges on the mic.

The Baddest Woman on the Planet needs someone who can protect her on the mic until she regains that confidence. Paul Heyman is the obvious choice, but a more interesting option would be either Sonya Deville or Shayna Baszler.

Both women can play the role of tag team partner as well as an advocate. Rousey and Baszler are good friends, and The Queen of Spades is the perfect woman to help her along.

Deville may not have the same immediate dynamic, but she's a proven talker at a stage where she could quickly transition to a managerial role.

Nikki A.S.H. been through a roller-coaster year.

The Scot could barely get on TV until she returned as The Almost Super Hero in June 2021. She then went on to win the women's Money in the Bank ladder match and the Raw Women's Championship.

After losing her singles gold, she teamed up with Rhea Ripley, and they won the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships in September.

Nikki has done almost everything in the women's division, but she still feels like an afterthought.

While Ripley is a standout performer, she shouldn't be so far ahead of her former friend that their rivalry finished on Monday's Raw without hype. The match between them was good but shorter than it needed to be.

It leaves a question of what Nikki will do now as a heel. She has no one available to team with her and she has no momentum for a singles title shot.

At this point, it seems most likely her next title will be the 24/7 Championship. That would be a shame as she has the talent to remain relevant in the women's division.

According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, the original plan for the men's Royal Rumble match was to crown Riddle, who would go on to feud with Randy Orton.

RK-Bro has been a rare bright spot on Raw, and it is not surprising WWE has a plan to feature the two at WrestleMania with the WWE Championship at stake, according to WrestleVotes.

However, this feud does not need the world title, and the main reason it makes little sense is The Original Bro. He is a good in-ring worker, as he proved again this week against Otis, but he's not a Superstar who can be taken seriously enough to hold the WWE Championship.

Even when he was United States champion, it never felt like Riddle was quite right for the role. He stumbled into it by taking the title off Bobby Lashley, but he never actually could defeat The All Mighty one-on-one.

It's hard to believe in The Original Bro, who is nowhere near as over on his own as WWE seems to believe. He is perhaps the least interesting performer in the men's Elimination Chamber field.

While Riddle is the wild card in the men's Elimination Chamber field, WWE has set up a stacked line-up to challenge Bobby Lashley.

The WWE champion is walking into a title defense against former and current rivals as well as some potential WrestleMania 38 opponents.

Austin Theory has been impressive in recent outings, and he would become the youngest WWE champion in history, beating out Brock Lesnar by almost a full year, if WWE pulled the trigger on a push for the 24-year-old.

The Beast Incarnate likely won't win, but he will be a force inside the structure that everyone will struggle to overcome. And AJ Styles and Seth Rollins are easy sells for fans who know their talent in the ring.

However, the easiest answer may be the correct one. The All Mighty has just regained the belt and should walk into WrestleMania as champion.

The men's Elimination Chamber match on Feb. 19 can help decide whether he will battle Rollins, Styles or a wild-card entry at The Show of Shows.

Becky Lynch remains in top form. When Rousey struggled on Monday night, the Raw women's champion arrived to save the segment.

Big Time Becks can make anyone look good, and she won't have to do much to make a motivated legend look great when she takes on Lita at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

This is a dream match in many ways. Lita has inspired so many women's wrestlers over the years, and Lynch now has a similar role for a new crop of up-and-coming female stars.

The only real shame is that this contest is happening at this time. When Big Time Becks should be warming up for Rousey, she is instead wrestling a legend who does not have a clear path into WrestleMania.

Moreover, they will be wrestling in Saudi Arabia. While the women have had more opportunities in the country over time, they are still limited in the attire they can wear and the way they can perform.

If Lita is going to get her big match against, arguably, the greatest women's wrestler of the modern era, there should be no restraints on their performance.