Despite all of the fanfare surrounding the long-awaited return of Saturday Night's Main Event, WWE ultimately played it safe by not booking anything that wasn't already expected.

The biggest shocker of the night came after the event was off the air when Kevin Owens incapacitated Cody Rhodes with his patented package piledriver—a move he hasn't hit since signing with WWE a decade ago.

Where WWE intends to take the storyline from here remains to be seen, not unlike Roman Reigns' immediate future and soon his Road to WrestleMania.

With Reigns and Solo Sikoa officially set for Tribal Combat on Raw's Netflix premiere on Jan. 6, rumors have begun to circulate about who The OTC will be facing at WrestleMania 41 if he is done with the self-proclaimed new Tribal Chief at the onset of 2025.

Drew McIntyre has entered the conversation of potential opponents for Reigns following his destruction of Sami Zayn at Saturday Night's Main Event and deserves to be in a high-profile match on the 'Mania card.

This installment of Quick Takes will discuss how Reigns vs. McIntyre makes sense for The Show of Shows, why Tiffany Stratton's Money in the Bank cash-in must be imminent, Toni Storm returning to her roots as a character, and more.

Cody Rhodes' Injury Angle Prolongs Program with Kevin Owens Until Royal Rumble

From an in-ring standpoint, Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens at Saturday Night's Main Event was entertaining albeit underwhelming. Even with an obvious outcome, their Bash in Berlin bout in August told a stronger story and had more drama behind it.

WWE saved the best for last by having KO viciously attack Rhodes, steal the "Winged Eagle" WWE Championship belt and get into a heated altercation with head of creative Triple H.

Owens last executed a piledriver on Randy Orton on the Nov. 8 edition of SmackDown and The Viper hasn't been seen since. If WWE wants to establish The Prizefighter as an unhinged threat, Rhodes should also miss an ample amount of time.

Diagnosing The American Nightmare with multiple injuries on Sunday night should ensure he's out indefinitely.

In addition to putting more heat on Owens and protecting him in defeat, the angle effectively prolongs their program through the Royal Rumble on Feb. 1, should WWE choose to keep them at odds until then.

Raw's Netflix premiere will be star-studded enough and doesn't need to also feature the Owens-Rhodes rematch. That can be a major attraction for the Rumble, especially if given an appropriate stipulation.

KO should continue to carry the classic title design in Rhodes' absence.

WWE Must Be Careful to Not Play It Safe with Every Major Event

As noted, WWE largely sent fans home happy with Saturday Night's Main Event but failed to deliver anything of actual significance beyond Kevin Owens' off-air attack on Cody Rhodes.

It was similar to Survivor Series in that it was an enjoyable event on the whole yet equally inconsequential. Both shows were worthwhile but lacked monumental moments that would push certain storylines forward or kick off new ones.

Aside from WrestleMania and SummerSlam, most of WWE's premium live events in 2024 suffered from this same issue.

The hot crowds and quality wrestling will only accomplish so much. The company would benefit from making more of their major shows must-see and eventful so as not to send the message that it's content with satisfying viewers with the bare minimum.

An unexpected yet logical swerve—a la The New Day's recent betrayal of Big E—every now and again can go a long way in keeping the audience invested and wanting to tune in to see what happens next. Raw and SmackDown have more of a sense that anything can happen than the monthly PLEs do, and that's something the company should aim to improve upon in 2025.

While predictability isn't always a bad thing, it can plague the product if there isn't a better balance with key developments.

Toni Storm Ditching Timeless Gimmick Was Logical Next Step

The AEW women's division has managed to do just fine without Toni Storm since her loss of the AEW Women's World Championship at All In, but having her back in the fold will undoubtedly provide it with a big boost of excitement.

Moreover, the 29-year-old's surprise return at Wednesday's Winter is Coming edition of Dynamite saw her ditch the beloved "Timeless" shtick and revert to her previous persona as a rock and roller.

Storm went on to wrestle on Rampage and Collision where she showed no signs of anything resembling the role she's played for the past year in AEW.

Her subsequent interaction with Thunder Rosa backstage indicated her new storyline could be that she has no memory of her time as "Timeless" Toni Storm and is essentially starting from scratch, hence why she declared herself "All Elite."

Her time as "Timeless" was a direct result of being beaten for the women's world title. Her descent into the character led her to regaining the gold and getting over organically with the audience enough to where she transitioned back to being a babyface.

Storm went as far as she could with that character and it's always possible she resurrects it down the road. For now, it's imperative she enters this next chapter of her run feeling fresh again while remaining one of the most interesting aspects of the division.

Tiffany Stratton's Money in the Bank Cash-In Must Be Imminent

The SmackDown women's division has revolved entirely around the tension between Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton since the summer.

Now more than ever, WWE has heavily hinted at the latter cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase on the former to capture the WWE Women's Championship and potentially turning face in the process.

Regardless of whether Stratton becomes a fan favorite or not, her holding that title should be the endgame. A move to Raw where she could cash in on Liv Morgan or Rhea Ripley (if Ripley beats Morgan to get the belt back by Raw's Netflix premiere) is a direction WWE can go in, but then her months of dissension with Jax would have been for nothing.

To her credit, The Irresistible Force has excelled in her role, but she shouldn't be walking into WrestleMania 41 as champ. Stratton is a better fit for that spot, but the company could fail to strike while the iron is hot if it waits any longer to go through with her successfully cashing in.

Once WWE's Buff Barbie Doll is finally in possession of the prestigious prize, she'll hardly have a shortage of challengers to work with during WrestleMania 41 season with Jax, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair and various others all waiting in the wings.

Drew McIntyre Makes Sense as a WrestleMania Opponent for Roman Reigns

There has been a widespread fear among fans for months that Roman Reigns' rivalry with Solo Sikoa could carry all the way through WrestleMania 41.

His Tribal Combat challenge to Sikoa on Raw's Netflix premiere indicates WWE will have a different, more prominent plan in mind for him at 'Mania, and it could involve Drew McIntyre.

The Scot returned from his brief hiatus by targeting Sami Zayn, who he beat decisively at Saturday Night's Main Event. He also attacked Jimmy Uso on the SmackDown the night prior, suggesting that all of the O.G. Bloodline members are who he's setting his sights on next.

That could culminate in a WrestleMania match with Reigns, someone he has unfinished business with from years ago. The OTC could just as easily face Jacob Fatu or even The Rock at The Show of Shows, but a match with McIntyre could make the most sense with the paths both men currently find themselves on.

The Scottish Warrior is out for revenge and Reigns is on his road to redemption. They're the perfect rivals for each other at the moment and would have an infinitely better bout than they did the last time they met on The Grandest Stage of Them All in 2019.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.