AJ Styles' New Era, WWE's Botched Main Event Booking, More Raw Takes

Logan Paul vs. Rey Mysterio headlined the February 10 edition of WWE Raw on Netflix at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

After interrupting CM Punk, The Maverick defeated The Master of the 619 to qualify for the men's Elimination Chamber match to crown the next No. 1 contender to the Undisputed WWE Championship.

AJ Styles returned to throw his hat in for an opportunity to qualify for the Elimination Chamber match, but The Judgment Day interrupted his challenge.

Bayley defeated Lyra Valkyria to qualify for the women's Elimination Chamber match.

Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky agreed to a match for the Women's World Championship on the March 3 edition of Raw, two days after the Elimination Chamber premium live event.

This was an important Raw for the build to Elimination Chamber, further clearing up the road to WrestleMania.

Logan Paul made the final three of the men's Royal Rumble match. He has now directly interacted with Gunther, Seth Rollins and CM Punk in recent weeks.

While The Maverick has worked with big names including Rollins in the past, this is the first time he has felt like more than an upstart challenger.

WWE is positioning Paul as a future world champion, which is why he is confronting former and current world champions.

Especially if Jey Uso dethrones Gunther at WrestleMania 41, Paul could be the ideal heel to defeat Main Event when the time is right.

Everything that precedes that feud will define whether the social media star is truly ready to carry WWE's top championship.

Can he keep up with the top names in the business on a weekly basis? Will he be able to work regular matches and promo segments with the same competitors without falling into repetition?

Paul had a great rookie year followed by a forgettable run as United States champion. His recent work has paled in comparison to his hot start.

To be a main event act, he has to show he can deliver that without heavy practice and scripting by WWE.

AJ Styles was never supposed to succeed in WWE. When he came to the company in 2016, he had already wrestled for over 15 years around the world.

He was never the biggest performer nor the strongest talker, but he was always an incredible talent in the ring.

Despite any and all expectations, he has succeeded. A Grand Slam champion with two WWE Championships to his name, The Phenomenal One has stood atop the mountain.

However, the past few years have not treated the 47-year-old as a main event act despite his ability to still deliver at the highest level.

The closest he has been to the top recently was a feud with Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship where he never had any real chance to win.

Injuries and a lack of clear story direction since then took what little Styles might have gained from that rivalry away from him.

This year needs to be a more focused one for The Phenomenal One and can put him back in the title scene.

After a run in the Elimination Chamber, a feud with Bron Breakker would be a great start. It would elevate the Intercontinental Championship as well as allowing Styles to deliver a show-stealer with an up-and-coming star.

Avoiding The Judgment Day is also important as that stable is struggling to stay relevant. Styles was involved with that story when the group first formed and never benefited.

More than anything, he needs to be positioned like CM Punk, Drew McIntyre and others whose promos and matches are events to be announced ahead of time and anticipated.

The start of Rhea Ripley's second Women's World Championship reign has left more questions than answers about the direction for Mami on the road to WrestleMania.

While the Australian made the most of a short rivalry with Nia Jax, she is now stuck in a holding period to see who Charlotte Flair will challenge.

It is likely Ripley will face the winner of the women's Elimination Chamber match because The Queen seems likely to challenge Tiffany Stratton for the WWE women's title.

In the meantime, WWE has booked Ripley vs. Iyo Sky for the Raw after Elimination Chamber, which is an odd spot for one of the most exciting matches the company can deliver right now.

This could have been the WrestleMania match for Ripley if WWE did not rush it, but it does not seem to be the priority for The Show of Shows.

With that in mind, it's hard to imagine WWE coming up with two or three better matches for Elimination Chamber than Mami vs. The Genius of the Sky.

This match on a bigger stage would not only give Sky a major spotlight, but it would also elevate the title on Ripley's shoulder with a memorable defense ahead of her 'Mania challenge.

Lyra Valkyria's rise through the tournament to crown the first women's intercontinental champion was a special moment in her career.

It should have been the beginning of a workhorse run for The Valkyrie, helping elevate the talent around her while solidifying her role in WWE for a long time to come.

Instead, she has yet to receive a real challenge for her belt while she has contended for title opportunities in the Royal Rumble and the Elimination Chamber qualifier.

Ivy Nile is the only one to indicate any real interest in Valkyria's title, but she has yet to make a real effort in earning a match.

If the goal is not to have a real women's midcard division, what is the point of the championship that WWE just introduced?

It is a bad sign that the company is already struggling with a championship that was just introduced to the roster.

While Chelsea Green has been stuck in a loop with Michin on SmackDown, at least it is clear that talent on the blue brand want to contend for the Women's United States Championship.

It should not be so hard to deliver something similar on Raw. Shayna Baszler, Zoey Stark and Natalya would all be easy challengers for The Valkyrie who are not on TV.

On top of that, Bayley defeating Valkyria should automatically earn her a future title shot, but WWE is far more focused on The Role Model's world title aspirations.

The road to WrestleMania is a time to heat up every angle and every championship picture. Valkyria needs a fresh spotlight immediately to not get lost in the shuffle.