Cody Rhodes has challenges everywhere he looks, but he’s creating a healthy network of pals. World heavyweight champion Seth Rollins pledged his backing to Rhodes ahead of WrestleMania 40, plus Sami Zayn required his aid against Drew McIntyre and Shinsuke Nakamura. It all came down to Monday’s episode of WWE Raw.

The 2024 Royal Rumble victor formally challenged undisputed WWE global champion Roman Reigns for a WrestleMania bout last week. It was a breath of relief for those who believed The Rock’s homecoming would obstruct Rhodes’ intentions. At the same time, WWE looks to be building up to a blockbuster tag team bout pitting Rhodes and Rollins against Reigns and Rock. Monday’s episode followed up on that story while giving Rhodes plenty to worry about elsewhere.

SmackDown was well represented on the red brand this week as three qualifiers were held for elimination chamber matches. LA Knight and Bobby Lashley both attempted to qualify for an elimination chamber match to crown a No. 1 challenger for Rollins’ belt.

CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.

Rhodes commended the fans for making their voices heard amid discourse regarding who would challenge Reigns at WrestleMania 40. Loud “We want Cody” and “Rocky sucks” chants broke out. Rhodes vowed that he would send The Rock a receipt for slapping him during the WrestleMania 40 kickoff news conference last week.

Rollins begged Rhodes to beat Reigns at WrestleMania. The world heavyweight champion said he was tired of Reigns throwing his weight around. Rollins vowed that he would have Rhodes’ back against Reigns and The Rock. He also partially claimed blame for the current dilemma as Reigns’ erstwhile ally in The Shield.

Later, backstage, Rhodes thanked Zayn for having his back and wished him success in his main event battle against Nakamura. Zayn crossed paths with McIntyre shortly before making his debut.

Nakamura def. Zayn via pinfall after hitting Kinshasa. The pair had a back-and-forth match that surprisingly went Nakamura’s way. Zayn’s best moments included him twice nailing his iconic Blue Thunder Bomb. The conclusion saw Nakamura hit a diving Kinshasa, followed by a regular Kinshasha for the victory, while McIntyre watched from the entrance ramp.

Post-match, Rhodes protected Zayn from a two-on-one attack. Rhodes hit McIntyre with a Cody Cutter before laying out Nakamura with a Cross Rhodes to conclude the show.

It was a strong, if unspectacular, episode of Raw, highlighted by several good story beats. Rollins encouraging Rhodes was a simple yet effective strategy for developing the Rhodes and Rollins vs. Reigns and Rock tag team match. The storyline with McIntyre, Nakamura, and Zayn provides Rhodes with something to sink his teeth into while participating in a WrestleMania-level feud with three superstars who aren’t really active at the moment. It was a pleasant surprise to see Nakamura pick up the win. Nakamura has been a weak link in the bigger main event scenario and needed a significant win. Zayn succeeds as a plucky underdog, and this seems like an intentional attempt to angle him as one heading into WrestleMania. Grade: