WWE results: the 10 biggest winners and losers in the month of January

In a flash, the first month of 2018 has come and gone. The build to the Royal Rumble was slow and painful to watch, but somehow we were left with the stage set for a rush to WrestleMania with all engines roaring.

January left us with a clear picture of where certain WWE superstars stand with WrestleMania now in sight, and beyond it, the rest of 2018. Some fared great. Others look like they won't have so great a year.

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Loser #10: Rusev

Rusev didn't have a terrible month, but it is frustrating to see the most over star on SmackDown being used in such a diminished capacity. He entered the Royal Rumble at #1 and lasted for 30 minutes, to the delight of the crowd. The following Tuesday, he became the next challenger for the United States Championship.

Yet, he's unlikely to win, and there's no clear path for him to a prominent WrestleMania match. That would be a waste. There's still a lot of time to turn things around though, so here's hoping his late January momentum carries on into February.

Winner #10: Velveteen Dream

After a fantastic match with Johnny Gargano on NXT, Velveteen Dream entertained us all with his antics at his TakeOver: Philadelphia contest. His absence on NXT following TakeOver: War Games wasn't even noticed. He's still red hot after his star-making performance against Aleister Black in Houston, which was recognized as part of the NXT rivalry of the year for 2017.

Where Velveteen Dream goes from here still isn't clear, but he's surely going to have a prominent TakeOver match the night before WrestleMania.

Loser #9: Jinder Mahal

Jinder Mahal has fallen a long way since failing to regain the WWE Championship in December. After losing to Bobby Roode in the U.S. title tournament final, he had an unremarkable Royal Rumble performance where he fell to Kofi Kingston's trademark escape antics.

It's possible that Jinder Mahal could find himself in U.S. title contention as WrestleMania draws closer, but there's no indication of it yet

Winner #9: Jason Jordan

Jason Jordan's slow heel turn continues to go amazingly well. The crowd wouldn't even let him speak at Raw 25 and his Royal Rumble performance was a rare showing of perfect storytelling from WWE.

Jason Jordan is rocketing his way into being the hottest heel in the company in 2018. He'll certainly be put in a WrestleMania singles match against either Seth Rollins or, preferably, Kurt Angle. Rollins would obviously make for a better match, but Jason Jordan turning on and destroying his "father," revealing that he made it all up, would make for a much better story.

Loser #8: Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin

After a disappointing performance in the Royal Rumble, Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin are out of title contention on SmackDown. Tangling with the lowly Breezango pretty much confirms that. No clear path to WrestleMania is open for them.

Winner #8: The Usos

The Usos continue to prove themselves the best tag team in the world with each match and each promo. They're almost certain to walk into New Orleans as SmackDown Tag Team Champions, though who their opponents will remain unclear. The Bludgeon Brothers or Rusev and Aiden English (or maybe both) are the likeliest ones.

Loser #7: Alexa Bliss

Alexa Bliss and her title continue to feel like afterthoughts in the Raw women's division. Her only televised match this month (excluding the semi-canonical Mixed Match Challenge) was against Asuka, and it wasn't a good showing at all. Her lack of camera time makes you wonder why she's still champion.

We should finally see some more emphasis on the title in February during the build to the first women's Elimination Chamber match (which would amazingly be the first Raw women's title defence since October 30th), but Alexa Bliss has never looked less relevant heading into such a big contest.

Winner #7: Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks rapidly rejuvenated her floundering career in January's closing days. At the first women's Royal Rumble, she was entry #1 and the contest's iron woman, lasting nearly an hour and showing heelish tendencies as the war went on. The next night, those tendencies continued as she and Asuka had the best WWE women's match in months.

Where she goes from here isn't clear, but Sasha looked better in those two days than at any time since her feud with Charlotte ended.

Loser #6: The Revival

The Revival was put through the meat grinder in January. Amazingly, Titus Worldwide had a better month than them, as they were embarrassed by the stars of yesteryear at Raw 25. A couple of wins afterwards (especially over Heath Slater and Rhyno) doesn't make up for that.

No path to WrestleMania currently exists for the former NXT Tag Team Champions, unless they get put into a group tag team title match.

Winner #6: Shayna Baszler

Shayna Baszler's ascent to the NXT Women's Championship looks inevitable. Though she came out on the losing end in Philadelphia, it was by a fluke. The story is going to be different in New Orleans. Perfectly sculpted as the big bully in the women's division, her weaknesses were hidden very well in January.

Ronda Rousey's debut the next night at WrestleMania only further cements the idea that Shayna is on her way to some gold.

Loser #5: Baron Corbin

Baron Corbin's downward spiral continued in January. After doing nothing notable in the build, he came into the Royal Rumble and was quickly eliminated. He took out his frustrations on the no-name Tye Dillinger the next night.

Baron Corbin has no path to WrestleMania at the moment and it's unlikely he'll find one.

Winner #5: Ronda Rousey

Just come in, point at the WrestleMania sign in an awkward fashion, and you're guaranteed a match. It might not be fair, but the world isn't. What match she'll be in remains to be seen, but she'll be in a match.

All things considered, Rousey's debut was handled about as well as it could have. It did take shine off the women's Royal Rumble and might have been better done on Raw the next night, but it did get more attention on the contest, and her arrival didn't interfere with the match as many fans feared.

WWE also displayed amazing competence in keeping it all under wraps and surprising everyone, even though fans expected it all along.

Loser #4: 205 Live

It's been a horrible couple of months for 205 Live, a show that was floundering long before the big blows that winter has given it. First, Rich Swann was arrested after becoming #1 contender, then Enzo Amore was fired after a rape allegation and the championship vacated.

Something badly needed to change and WWE put those wheels in motion with the introduction of Drake Maverick and the announcement of a new tournament to culminate at WrestleMania. The success of it all remains to be seen.

Winner #4: Johnny Gargano

You're seeing the best story in NXT since Sasha and Bayley play out right before your eyes. If Johnny Gargano wasn't the company's most lovable figure before, he definitely is now. After another heartbreaking effort in what many are calling the best match in NXT history, "Johnny Wrestling" came up short against NXT Champion Andrade "Cien" Almas. Then he was attacked by his former #DIY partner, Tommaso Ciampa.

Thus, the stage has been set for what will be one of the best feuds of 2018, and Johnny Gargano's slow, painful character arc will continue. The match between these two at TakeOver: New Orleans is going to be on fire and potentially even overshadow AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura the night afterward.

Loser #3: Matt Hardy

When Matt Hardy became "Woken," fans were excited. They got what they'd wanted ever since the old favorite's triumphant return at WrestleMania 33.

Unfortunately, it was all downhill from the first promo. Woken Matt lost unceremoniously to Bray Wyatt in a throwaway match that didn't advance their feud at all. More, he fast became reduced to a laughing loser with no other character trait. The change hasn't affected his place on the card compared to his character before it became "Woken."

The whole thing has been a waste, even if we might wind up seeing Matt against Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania for a rubber match.

Winner #3: Andrade "Cien" Almas

I was sceptical when Andrade "Cien" Almas became NXT Champion in November. I didn't think he was a real titleholder. I've been proven wrong. In the build to TakeOver: Philadelphia, Almas carried the title like every bit the champion he is, and his match with Johnny Gargano proved his worth beyond a doubt.

Almas will walk into New Orleans as a proud champion, bringing prestige to the title he carries. A match with Aleister Black likely awaits, which would ironically close the circle that began at the last WrestleMania TakeOver.

Aleister Black remains the ominous, dangerous, character he was when he arrived, but the Almas he'll face in New Orleans isn't the same man as the one that he beat so convincingly in Orlando. Will Aleister Black recognize this fact, or will he fight the last war at his own peril?

Expect a slobber knocker.

Loser #2: Finn Balor

The start-stop treatment of Finn Balor continued in January. He finally got some heat back after a dismal autumn by joining forces with Gallows and Anderson as the Balor Club. He continued his hot streak by becoming the Royal Rumble's iron man, lasting into the final four from the #2 spot.

Then, the next night, he lost to John Cena and isn't slated to compete in the Elimination Chamber. No obvious path to WrestleMania lies ahead of him. Unless there's some kind of swerve, all the momentum he's built up will have been squandered in one night.

Winner #2: Shinsuke Nakamura

All of the troubles of Shinsuke Nakamura's main roster run were erased in one night when Shinsuke Nakamura, to the delight of Philadelphia, won the Royal Rumble. The first truly exciting winner in years, what was even more exciting was that it set up the match fans had been clamouring for - a clash between Nakamura and AJ Styles at WrestleMania.

It was a tremendous vote of confidence in Nakamura. He's set to have a much better 2018 than his 2017.

Loser #1: Dolph Ziggler

When Dolph Ziggler relinquished the US title and disappeared for over a month, it looked like he would get some kind of massive return, possibly even a Royal Rumble victory.

Dolph Ziggler returned there, but only to be quickly eliminated. He wasn't even seen on the next episode of SmackDown.

There are start-stop pushes and then there's this. If the plan wasn't for him to win, he shouldn't have been in the Rumble. Alas, he was, and it was unquestionably the final nail in the coffin of his career. No one will ever care about him again.

Winner #1: Asuka

By winning the first-ever women's Royal Rumble, Asuka secured her place in history and legend. The event marked the start of a new era in women's wrestling, and WWE is all-in on the joshi juggernaut to be the leading star of its first act. Asuka is set to have a monster year even by her own standards.

Who her WrestleMania opponent will be remains to be seen, but a coronation on the Showcase of the Immortals is coming.