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

February saw a couple of notable absences on television that were baffling. It also saw a decent build to an Elimination Chamber PPV that turned out to be lackluster. In addition to the absences, a few notable names had a much worse month in February than they did in January, while those who didn't have a great January had a much better February.

As the road to WrestleMania gets closer to its conclusion, let's take a look back at last month's winners and losers.

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Loser #10: Asuka

Asuka didn't have a terrible month by any means, but a lackluster feud and match with Nia Jax cooled her off from her torrid January.

Her Elimination Chamber match was especially puzzling given her certain path to a title match at WrestleMania. It looked like the company wanted to protect Nia Jax more than Asuka.

The two will have a rematch on Raw next week where we should get some more answers.

Winner #10: Baron Corbin

Baron Corbin very much feels like he's in the Fastlane match just so he can be there, but it's a start compared to what he was doing before. A strong showing in the contest could repair some of the damage he's accrued and put him in a better position once WrestleMania season ends. It's unlikely he'll have a prominent spot on the card in New Orleans, though.

Loser #9: Rusev

This backstage clip was about the most prominent thing Rusev has done in the past month, since he was off SmackDown for most of it. It's a very puzzling decision, given how popular he is and how much merchandise he's been selling.

It looks like a deliberate attempt to cool him off because he's gotten more popular than they planned. Whatever the case, he should hope for a better March than February.

Winner #9: Elias

Nobody expected Elias to go far in the Elimination Chamber match, but he definitely impressed during the build. His segments were consistently the most entertaining on Raw and while not the strongest competitor ring-wise, he held his own with the likes of Seth Rollins.

As of now, he has no WrestleMania match, but he could easily find himself in a good place on the card in New Orleans, and after it, his future is brighter.

Loser #8: AJ Styles

AJ Styles has looked less like the WWE Champion in recent weeks than he has an inconsequential stepping stone to setting up the obvious filler Fastlane main event. Whatever falls he has to take or however stupid he has to look to get there, SmackDown will do the booking.

No one seriously expects him to lose his title prior to WrestleMania, so it's puzzling to make him look as bad as he has this past month. It's a perfect microcosm, frankly, for how bad SmackDown has been lately.

Winner #8: Tommaso Ciampa

Meet NXT's new top heel.

He still hasn't said a word, but by forcing the fan favorite Johnny Gargano out of NXT, Tommaso Ciampa has quickly established himself as the yellow brand's most hated heel. The spoilers for the episodes still to come out of the last round of tapings reveal that the former #DIY man has nuclear heat with the audience.

With NXT TakeOver: New Orleans a little over a month away, Ciampa has established himself in a prominent spot. He'll remain there on the yellow brand for most of the year.

Once this whole thing with Gargano's leaving works itself out, we're in for a treat.

Loser #7: Shinsuke Nakamura

What do you do with your Royal Rumble winner if you're a booker on SmackDown? Keep him off TV for most of the month, of course.

There is something to say about absence making the heart grow fonder, but in Shinsuke Nakamura's case, now isn't the time. WWE has done nothing to build upon his monumental victory at the end of January. They're just coasting along.

Hopefully this month will be different. The filler Fastlane PPV really has thrown the blue brand out of whack.

Winner #7: Nia Jax

Asuka's loss was Nia Jax's gain this month. Her dominance at Elimination Chamber was surprising and suggests some further plans, but we still don't know what. WrestleMania rumors are still only just rumors.

Nia has also quietly gotten over with crowds as well. The audience in attendance was split between Asuka and Nia in their match.

Loser #6: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are supposed to be SmackDown's top heels, but they've both looked even more like geeks this past month. Losing to Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin, who have done nothing prominent for months, just established them as bit players on a brand that's starving for star power.

The endless wheel-spinning with Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan hasn't helped either. Can this angle end already?!

Winner #6: Sasha Banks and Bayley

Sasha Banks and Bayley have been going nowhere for months. Now it looks like they have direction, although any feud between them would be a year too late. They still have no clear path to WrestleMania, but their prospects are much brighter than they were in January, Bayley's in particular.

They looked like choke artists at Elimination Chamber and there's still much rebuilding left to do, but they at least have a glimmer of hope of escaping the endless wheel-spinning.

Loser #5: Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey is not off to a good start in WWE.

As expected, her mic work has been dreadful. The segments with Triple H and Stephanie were entirely carried by the latter until physical contact happened, and even there, Stephanie got the most out of it all.

Bringing Ronda in as a babyface to oppose the Authority is a terrible mistake. She looks thoroughly out of place in that role and has had a lukewarm reception at best.

This angle is already tiresome.

Winner #5: Finn Balor

After meandering for months, Finn Balor has some direction as March begins. An Intercontinental Championship match appears to be in the cards for him, even if he might have to share the spot with other people.

If he gets a title opportunity at WrestleMania, he'll likely enter the match as the Demon, so his chances would be good.

Loser #4: Hideo Itami

Hideo Itami was expected to have a bright future on 205 Live. Like so many other things in his WWE career though, it just looks like it isn't working out. Having lost in the first round to Roderick Strong in a very good match, he implied that his future with WWE is a short one.

It was surprising to see him knocked out in the first round. With WrestleMania now off the table for him, he doesn't look like he has much direction either now or after the big show in New Orleans.

Winner #4: 205 Live

205 Live's change in direction has been very well received. What was once a forgettable show has become can't-miss in the past month.

This is mostly thanks to Triple H taking over the brand. With a simple, logical tournament for the vacant Cruiserweight Championship, stories and matches are easy to follow and have flowed much better than they did before.

It's been a remarkable turnaround. I await to see what's to come after WrestleMania.

Loser #3: The SmackDown women's division

A month of 6 woman tags and a feud between Charlotte Flair and the Riott Squad that feels totally meaningless has left the blue brand's women's division in a precarious state. Unless Asuka jumps ship to challenge Charlotte, the SmackDown women's division has a bleak WrestleMania ahead of it indeed. It's hard to care about any of these women, which is a shame given the talent in the division.

Winner #3: Alexa Bliss

After meandering around and feeling like an afterthought for months despite her championship, Alexa Bliss roared back in a big way last month. Her victory in the first women's Elimination Chamber solidified her spot on the WrestleMania card. Who she'll defend against remains to be seen. Tiresome as her reign has been, she at least feels like a proper champion again.

Loser #2: Braun Strowman

He's still the most over guy in the company, but his failure at Elimination Chamber, despite eliminating five of his rivals, feels like a massive letdown. Braun Strowman has no clear direction for WrestleMania and might find himself in a multi-man cluster despite the tremendous year he's had.

Once again, it very much feels like WWE is squandering the lightning in a bottle its caught.

The weeks to come will prove decisive. Hopefully once WrestleMania and the mandatory Roman coronation passes, he'll have a better year ahead.

Winner #2: Seth Rollins

In the space of a few weeks, Seth Rollins went from meandering in the tag team division to reestablishing himself as one of the most over performers on Raw. He's gotten hotter now than he's been since his reunion act with Dean Ambrose on the road to SummerSlam.

His performance in the gauntlet match was great and now he's looking for the Intercontinental Championship. Competing for it at WrestleMania should give him a much better match there than the one he had against Triple H last year. Hopefully that match remains a three way between Rollins, Miz, and Balor.

Loser #1: SmackDown Live

SmackDown is in a terrible state. It's even worse now than it was last summer. It can't be denied anymore - the blue brand needs a creative shakeup and it needs it badly. The show has been unwatchable over the past month when it should be heating up for WrestleMania.

A complete reboot, as happened on 205 Live, should come after the big show in New Orleans. This is a problem WWE can't ignore any longer. The sagging ratings for most weeks this year prove it.

Winner #1: Roman Reigns

Everybody knew Roman's road to WrestleMania even before last year's show started. Everyone knew he would win the Elimination Chamber for months. He's going to be in Raw's most prominent spot for a while.

It is still questionable just how much he'll benefit from this fourth attempted coronation, but WWE has done a good job starting out of the gate. By bringing real life issues into his promo, Roman actually got some cheers, and it was one of the better promos he's ever done. Many fans have grown tired of Brock Lesnar, and channeling those genuine feelings into the build for the match is a much better choice than Roman declaring that the ring is "his yard" for the 6 weeks heading into WrestleMania.

We'll see how March treats him.