For as unpredictable as the first month of 2025 has been for WWE, Raw and SmackDown are about to get even more interesting en route to WrestleMania 41.

Saturday's Royal Rumble kicked off the Road to WrestleMania on a high note and put several significant storylines into motion, most notably with the world championship pictures for both the men and women.

Jey Uso and Charlotte Flair have yet to officially declare their targets at The Show of Shows, but once those matches are made official, the rest of the card should become clear. Until then, the WWE Universe is left with far more questions than answers in regards to what's next for the top talent on both brands.

With it being so early in the build for the biggest event of the year, anything is bound to happen. That gives fans that much more of an incentive to tune in on Monday and Friday nights, not knowing for sure how the programs will play out and what direction WWE will take them in.

These are the five key angles to track on the Road to WrestleMania 41.

Can Jey Uso Finally Live Up to 'Main Event' Moniker?

Aside from his month-long run as intercontinental champion last year, rarely has Jey Uso won when it mattered most. He's had a handful of world championship opportunities in the past five years and has fallen short on every occasion.

Coming off his shocking men's Royal Rumble victory, that can't be the case come WrestleMania 41.

Needless to say, world heavyweight champion Gunther is the man he should choose to challenge at the event. He has history with undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes, but he has much more to prove against The Ring General, who he has yet to beat in any capacity.

The question in the coming months will be whether Uso can rise to Gunther's level. The Austrian went so far as to reject the idea of them having a rematch at 'Mania during their recent Raw confrontation, so Uso will need to further establish he's worthy of the honor.

That includes stepping up his game on all fronts, specifically in the ring and on the mic. He has an undeniable connection with the crowd that has made him a massive fan favorite, but he has plenty more to do before he can truly live up to his "Main Event" moniker.

Paul Heyman's 'Favor' for CM Punk

Let the record show that CM Punk has yet to cash in on the "favor" he's owed by Paul Heyman for agreeing to team with Roman Reigns for WarGames against The Bloodline at Survivor Series and ultimately emerging victorious.

The favor has been alluded to on countless occasions by the commentators, and the fans haven't forgotten about it. But in the two months since Survivor Series, there's been no real update on what exactly the favor will entail or when Punk will decide to call it in.

It's been speculated that the favor could be how Punk ends up in one of the two main events at WrestleMania 41 on April 19-20. It's also possible he uses the favor to secure a world championship match at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas if he's unsuccessful inside the Elimination Chamber on March 1.

Regardless, Punk and Heyman's story is just getting started and will be worth paying attention to in the months ahead, especially as it relates to Reigns and the role he'll have.

Punk challenging Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania while Reigns and Seth Rollins settle their score one-on-one would be the way to go, but time will tell if the favor factors into that at all.

John Cena's Last Chance to Headline WrestleMania

Everything John Cena is involved in for the remainder of 2025 has added importance with this being his final year as an active WWE Superstar, including Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania 41.

He came close to winning his third men's Rumble match last weekend but narrowly lost to the beloved Jey Uso. That put his aspirations of vying for world championship gold at 'Mania in doubt, but as he confirmed during the post-show press conference, he still has the Chamber left to earn that opportunity.

Cena should be considered a heavy favorite to advance to WrestleMania and challenge Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship, but if he loses, it's unknown who he would face instead.

The 16-time world champ came across as both determined and desperate to ensure success inside the Chamber during the comments he made at the Rumble press conference. A heel turn seems too unfathomable, but Cena showing a more serious side heading into what will be a monumental weekend for him will make his journey all the more fascinating to follow.

Cena chasing the singles win that has eluded him for the past seven years should be his primary focus on the Road to WrestleMania.

Sami Zayn's Character Conflictions

Sami Zayn has had a remarkable character arc dating back to his NXT days, and it's made him a recurring highlight on WWE TV in the last few years alone.

He overcame the odds at WrestleMania 40 when he handed Gunther his first main roster loss and dethroned him for his fourth Intercontinental Championship. Despite that, he has yet to achieve main event glory and is still struggling to ascend to that next level.

Being winless against Drew McIntyre hasn't helped his cause and now he has his ex-best friend Kevin Owens to worry about following KO's heinous betrayal on Monday's Raw.

The Prizefighter warned Zayn prior to the Royal Rumble that he'd feel his wrath if he didn't assist him in defeating Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship.

The stage is set for what should be a hotly contested clash between the two in Toronto at Elimination Chamber. It could be a WrestleMania match as well, but Owens vs. Randy Orton—the same man he sidelined three months ago—seems more likely.

Zayn's role at WrestleMania being up in the air is both fitting for his character and an intriguing development in his story. He deserves another satisfying payoff on The Grandest Stage of Them All to make his setbacks worthwhile.

Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns' Unresolved Rivalry

The long-running rivalry between Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns has been among WWE's very best for the last decade, and of the many matches they've had against each other in that time, it's never had a proper conclusion.

WrestleMania 41 must be where they wage war for the final time and resolve their unfinished business once and for all.

Although the current rumor is that they'll be a part of a Triple Threat with CM Punk at the event, a heated one-on-one affair between Reigns and Rollins would be so much more meaningful.

Punk can have a separate story while the former Shield teammates renew hostilities without getting sidetracked by a third party.

Rollins' two devastating Curb Stomps to Reigns were apparently enough to take him out "for the foreseeable future," according to the commentators on Monday's Raw, which will obviously lead to The OTC returning imminently to exact revenge.

The promo battles have the potential to be off the charts and the 'Mania match could be a classic considering their checkered past as friends and foes. The vast amount of history they can tap into could make this the most must-see storyline on the Road to WrestleMania.

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.