Cody Rhodes wins Royal Rumble again, heads to WrestleMania 40
- Cody Rhodes & Bayley win Royal Rumble matches, heading to WrestleMania 40!
- Reigns retains Undisputed Title in chaotic 4-way match with interference.
- Rhodes defeats CM Punk, Bayley survives 80+ minute battle.
The first live event of the Road to WrestleMania XL, WWE Royal Rumble 2024, was held at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The two main events of the night, the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches, which each included thirty competitors, stole the show.
Depending on the results of the Royal Rumble matches, two Superstars from the 37th edition of the competition will have the opportunity to headline WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia.
Men’s Royal Rumble
In order to win the Florida match, former champion Cody Rhodes had to defeat CM Punk. This was Rhodes’ second Rumble victory in a row.
He tied Bron Breakker with four eliminations after entering at position 15. Shinsuke Nakamura, Gunther, Austin Theory, and finally Punk—who came in at number 27—were all defeated by Rhodes, setting him up to be the main attraction at WrestleMania 40.
Women’s Royal Rumble
The previous women’s champion, Bayley, emerged victorious. She began at number three and went on to win after an amazing hour and three minutes, defeating seven other superstars.
Bayley suffered the longest run and the most eliminations, including the last elimination of the thirty-first competitor, Liv Morgan, along with second-place competitor Naomi. She won the opportunity to face the WrestleMania Women’s World Champion.
Fatal four-way match for Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs Randy Orton, AJ Styles and LA Knight
The challengers had been targeting Roman Reigns for months, setting up this fierce heavyweight clash. The champion took the initiative, performing a stunning drop on Styles.
But the attack was short-lived as finishers flew from all directions. LA Knight hit a BFT on Reigns, and Styles landed a Styles Clash, but both pins were broken up. Orton delivered three successive RKOs, ending with Reigns.
As Orton tried to pin him, Solo Sikoa interfered, stopping the referee from counting to three.
Sikoa struck a Samoan Spike on LA Knight and Orton, trying to eliminate Styles before crashing into the barricade. Styles responded with a Phenomenal Forearm on Reigns, trying to pin all three, but they stubbornly kicked out.
In the final moments, LA Knight built up some steam, aiming for a BFT on Reigns. But the Big Dog reversed, accidentally making Styles hit the ropes. Reigns followed up with a Superman punch on LA Knight and a spear on Styles, getting the pin to keep his title.
