WWE Royal Rumble Results
January 27, 2024
St. Petersburg, Florida (Tropicana Field)
Commentary: Michael Cole and Corey Graves
Results by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
“Then. Now. Forever. Together.” The WWE video leads us into the show.
We go live into a sold-out Tropicana Field to see 40,000 screaming fans. Videos are shown of various WWE Superstars entering the building earlier today.
Video: WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan narrates a Royal Rumble hype video, highlighting all the matches we’ll see tonight. Hogan ends by asking, “Whatcha gonna do when the Royal Rumble runs wild on you?”
We’re back inside Tropicana Field. A video shows Cody Rhodes in the stadium earlier today. We also see footage of CM Punk entering the building. This will be CM Punk’s first televised WWE match in a decade.
Pat McAfee makes his way to the commentary table! For the second year in a row, the Royal Rumble will have McAfee on guest commentary. Corey Graves is not pleased.
30-Woman Royal Rumble Match
No. 1: Natalya
No. 2: Naomi
The crowd loudly chants, “Welcome back,” to Naomi, who left WWE with Sasha Banks in May 2022. Naomi is moved by the ovation. Michael Cole mentions she won the Knockouts Championship while away. Natalya takes her down and poses. Naomi leapfrogs her and sends her to the corner, but Natalya sidesteps an avalanche. Natalya slams her on her tailbone and steps on her, but Naomi pops up and hits a hurricanrana. Naomi slides under a clothesline and kicks her back. Natalya takes her down in a split and hits a basement dropkick. They then take each other out with stereo cross-body blocks.
No. 3: Bayley
Bayley grabs Naomi and sends her to the corner, but Naomi grabs the head and rubs her rear end in her face. Natalya hits Bayley with a Discus Clothesline. Naomi then hits a Rear View. Natalya takes Naomi and Bayley down and hits a double basement dropkick. Natalya tries to eliminate Naomi, and Bayley joins in. Naomi fights out. Bayley quickly turns on Natalya and connects with a back elbow. Naomi hits Bayley with a jawbreaker.
No. 4: Candice LeRae
LeRae goes right after Bayley with punches and chops. LeRae stomps her down in the corner. Natalya grabs LeRae and goes for a scoop slam, but LeRae slides out. LeRae kicks her in the knee and takes her down. LeRae then hits Bayley with a codebreaker while hitting Natalya with a senton bomb. LeRae turns her attention to Naomi and hits a head-scissor takeover, followed by a boot to the face. Bayley quickly pops up and clotheslines her down. Natalya grabs Naomi and tries to eliminate her. The clock is counting down again.
No. 5: TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace
Wow! Jordynne Grace defeated Naomi to win the title. Grace runs wild on everyone and hits Bayley with a German Suplex. Grace hits Bayley with a scoop slam. LeRae dives at Grace, but Grace catches her and slams her down. Naomi and Grace make eye contact and embrace before getting into a hockey fight. Grace lifts her, but Naomi slides off. Grace elbows her and hits a modified Michinoku Driver. Elsewhere in the ring, Bayley is trying to eliminate Natalya. Grace pulls Bayley away and tries to eliminate Natalya herself, but Natalya hangs on.
No. 6: Indi Hartwell
Hartwell sweeps Bayley’s feet and punches her down. Hartwell clotheslines Natalya and Grace. Bayley elbows Hartwell and charges, but Hartwell connects with a spinebuster. LeRae goes up to her partner, so Hartwell slams her onto Bayley. They hold hands and look at the WrestleMania sign. Hartwell attacks Bayley in the corner, but Natalya stops her. Bayley is nearly eliminated, but she holds on. The clock is counting down again.
No. 7: WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Asuka
Asuka goes to the top rope and hits Natalya and Hartwell with a missile dropkick. Bayley and Asuka double-team Natalya with a clothesline. Asuka attacks Hartwell. Bayley and Asuka send Hartwell into the ropes for a double-team clothesline. They go for a double-team suplex, but Hartwell fights out. Asuka sends Hartwell over the top rope, but she holds on. Asuka kicks her, but Hartwell still holds on. Hartwell grabs Asuka, but Bayley attacks Hartwell and eliminates her.
Indi Hartwell has been eliminated.
No. 8: Ivy Nile
Nile gets in the ring and attacks Asuka. Nile deadlifts Naomi, but she loses her for a moment. Nile then slams her down. Natalya grabs Nile, but Nile gets away. Nile applies a front facelock and tries to eliminate Natalya. Bayley starts talking trash to Michael Cole and wants him to come into the Royal Rumble. The clock counts down.
No. 9: Katana Chance
Chance gets in the ring and hits LeRae with a head-scissor takeover. Chance attacks Asuka, who defeated her and Kayden Carter for the Tag Titles, along with her partner Kairi Sane. Chance goes after Grace, but Grace hits her with a back suplex. Nile then hits LeRae with a fallaway slam. Grace and Nile look at each other. Grace hits Chance with a delayed vertical suplex while Nile hits LeRae with one. Nile tries to kip up, but she doesn’t stick the landing. Grace and Nile then take each other out.
No. 10: Bianca Belair
The winner of the 2021 Royal Rumble has entered the match. Belair hits Asuka and Bayley with a double blockbuster. Belair sends Bayley over the top rope, but she holds on. Belair sends Asuka over, but she also hangs on. Belair hits Chance with a big fallaway slam, followed by a kip-up. Belair gets LeRae and Chance stacked in the corner and punches away at them. Bayley charges, but Belair backflips over her. Belair hits Bayley with a nice vertical suplex before slamming LeRae. Belair grabs Chance and gives her a Glam Slam onto LeRae and Bayley. Belair then hits the three of them with a handspring standing moonsault.
No. 11: WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Kairi Sane
Sane goes to the top rope and hits Belair with a diving forearm. Sane hits Chance with a running uppercut. Bayley is happy to have two Damage CTRL cohorts in this match. Bayley, Sane, and Asuka triple-team Belair. Someone is losing extensions because they’re littered all over the ring. Asuka charges LeRae, but LeRae drops her on the apron. Sane charges, but LeRae also puts her on the apron. Bayley charges LeRae, and LeRae puts her on the apron. Bayley then grabs her, and Asuka and Sane join in to eliminate LeRae.
Candice LeRae has been eliminated.
No. 12: Tegan Nox
Nox gets in the ring and starts punching away at anything that moves. Nox saves Natalya from being eliminated by Naomi. Nox hits Chance with a Chokeslam. Nox hits Bayley with a cannonball in the corner before coming off the top rope with a Molly-Go-Round. Grace then clotheslines Nox down. Grace picks Nox up for a powerbomb, but Natalya saves her tag partner. Natalya then hits Grace with a Discus Clothesline. Natalya checks on Nox and hugs her. Natalya then goes to eliminate her, but Nox turns it around and eliminates Natalya! Bayley then sends Nox over the top rope!
Natalya has been eliminated.
Tegan Nox has been eliminated.
No. 13: Kayden Carter
Bayley sends Chance over the top rope, but Chance lands on Carter and flips back into the ring. Chance and Carter double-team Asuka and lift her over the top rope. Sane is sent over. Her feet nearly hit the floor, but she pulls herself up on the apron! Unreal! That second foot is so close to touching. Sane then slides down a little more and is eliminated. Chance and Carter then dropkick Asuka off the apron to eliminate her!
Kairi Sane has been eliminated.
Asuka has been eliminated.
Bayley is not happy. She shouts about their plan.
No. 14: Chelsea Green
Belair immediately grabs Green and tries to eliminate her, but Green hangs on. Green is the fastest to ever be eliminated from the Women’s Royal Rumble, a distinction earned last year. Belair tries to eliminate her again, but she hangs in there. Belair and Grace go after each other. Grace skins the cat to stay in the match. Belair is pulled to the apron. Belair grabs Grace and hits her with a KOD on the apron to eliminate the TNA Knockouts Champion! Wow!
Jordynne Grace has been eliminated.
No. 15: Piper Niven
We are halfway through the Women’s Royal Rumble!
Chance and Carter kick Green off the apron, but Niven catches her. Niven teases dropping her to eliminate her, but she puts Green on the steps. Chance goes after Niven, but Niven slams her down. Niven slams Carter onto Chance and hits them both with a senton bomb. Niven head-butts Nile down before hitting Bayley with a back suplex. Niven slams Naomi down. Niven avalanches Bayley. Green holds Naomi up for an avalanche, but Naomi avoids it, causing Niven to avalanche Green. Nile, Chance, Carter, and Belair go after Niven, but they cannot eliminate her.
No. 16: Xia Li
Upon entering the ring, Li kicks anything that moves. Li sends Carter to the corner and knees her before hitting an exploder suplex. Li gets out of an Un-Pretty-Her and lifts Green. Li slams Green down. Naomi nearly eliminates Belair, but Belair holds on. Belair scoop slams Naomi and hits a big splash.
No. 17: Zelina Vega
Vega attacks Chance and Carter and goes to the top rope. Vega hits Carter with a meteora. Vega knees Chance and sends Naomi into Belair. Niven turns Vega around, so Vega takes it to her. Niven easily cuts her off and sends her to the corner. Vega tries to slingshot over her, but Niven catches her. Vega counters into a big DDT. Vega goes for Code Red on Niven, but Green superkicks her. The clock is counting down once again.
No. 18: Maxxine Dupri
Dupri goes after Bayley and hits her with a weird head-scissor takeover. They try again and somehow make it worse. Dupri poses until Niven approaches her. Niven scares her down. Belair puts Vega onto Niven and kicks her, so Vega hits Niven with the Code Red. Belair and Vega try to eliminate Niven. Carter joins in, but Green runs over to stop the elimination. Niven puts Carter on the apron and punches her off.
Kayden Carter has been eliminated.
No. 19: “The Irresistible Force” Nia Jax
Jax grabs Vega and throws her. Li takes it to Jax and knocks her to the corner. Jax quickly puts her on the apron and eliminates her. Nile goes after Jax, but Jax sends her to the apron with one hand and sends her into the ring post to eliminate her.
Xia Li has been eliminated.
Ivy Nile has been eliminated.
Green charges Jax, but Jax lifts her. Niven charges, but she accidentally hits Green. Niven tries to suplex Jax, but she cannot get her up. Niven then tackles Jax into the corner and shoulders away at her. The problem is Green is behind Jax! Jax fights out of a multi-person elimination attempt. Green keeps getting caught in the crossfire and destroyed. Jax slams Niven down (sort of). Naomi then kicks Jax in the head, and Jax falls, landing on Green!
No. 20: Shotzi
Niven hits Jax with a basement cross-body. Naomi hits Jax with a split-legged leg drop. Shotzi then comes off the top rope with a diving senton bomb on The Irresistible Force. Dupri then hits Jax with a reverse Caterpillar Elbow Drop. Everyone in the ring teams up to try to eliminate Jax, but she fights them all off! The crowd is shocked, and Jax is fired up. Bayley grabs Dupri and eliminates her. Jax also shoves Niven off the apron to eliminate her. Jax then grabs Chance and press slams her out of the ring!
Maxxine Dupri has been eliminated.
Piper Niven has been eliminated.
Katana Chance has been eliminated.
No. 21: “The Man” Becky Lynch
Lynch immediately goes after her archrival Jax. Jax cuts her off and tries to eliminate her, but Lynch holds on. Lynch knees her back and comes off the top rope with a missile dropkick. Lynch grabs Vega and Shotzi and hits a DDT/reverse DDT combo. Lynch grabs Bayley and hits a Bexploder. Lynch forearms Bayley in the corner. Green, who is somehow still in this match, goes after Lynch. Lynch puts her on the apron, removes her hands from the ropes, plants a kiss on the top of her head, and shoves her to the floor.
Chelsea Green has been eliminated.
No. 22: Alba Fyre
Fyre superkicks Bayley and tries to eliminate her, but Bayley holds on. Fyre hits Belair with a tornado DDT. Fyre grabs Vega and Shotzi and hits a double Gory Bomb. Interesting. Fyre superkicks Jax and nearly eliminates Lynch. Jax quickly takes Fyre down. Jax sends Fyre over the top rope, but Fyre holds on. Jax avalanches Lynch in the corner and digs her boot into her face. Vega shoulders away at Naomi in the corner.
No. 23: Shayna Baszler
Baszler takes Bayley down. Baszler grabs Fyre and twists the arm, spinning her upside down and holding her. Baszler hits Shotzi with an inverted gutwrench suplex, followed by a knee to the face. Baszler then hits Jax with a judo slam. Fyre elbows Baszler in the ear. Shotzi hits Lynch with a diving cross-body block. Bayley tries to eliminate Belair. The clock is counting down again.
No. 24: Valhalla
Michael Cole flips out that Valhalla is wearing the antlers. As Valhalla heads to the ring, R-Truth’s music hits. R-Truth slides into the Women’s Royal Rumble match and looks utterly confused. Jax then throws R-Truth over the top rope! Raw General Manager Adam Pearce runs down to explain to R-Truth that this is the Women’s Royal Rumble. Valhalla is furious and gets in the ring. Jax then sends Valhalla over the top rope. She lasted 5 seconds.
Valhalla has been eliminated.
No. 25: Michin
Michin hits Fyre with a springboard tornado DDT. Michin then slams Bayley onto Baszler. Jax quickly wipes out Michin. Naomi tries to eliminate Fyre, but Fyre holds on. Naomi drives Fyre’s head into the mat, and Fyre falls to the floor.
Alba Fyre has been eliminated.
Bayley talks trash to Cole as she chokes Jax on the middle rope.
No. 26: Zoey Stark
Stark hits Michin with a springboard missile dropkick. Stark superkicks Lynch down and clotheslines Naomi. Stark grabs Vega, but Vega counters with a hurricanrana. Vega goes for Code Red on Stark, but Baszler grabs Vega in the Kirifuda Clutch. Baszler slings Vega over the top rope, but Vega holds on. Baszler is pulled over the top rope. Baszler goes for a powerbomb, and Stark kicks Vega! Vega flies to the floor onto Fyre. Wow!
Zelina Vega has been eliminated.
No. 27: Roxanne Perez
The NXT Superstar gets in the ring and hits Stark with a Lou Thesz Press and some punches. Baszler grabs Perez, but Perez puts her in the corner. Perez sends Stark into Baszler. Perez then hits an awesome twisting head-scissor takeover on Stark. Bayley grabs Perez and sends her over the top rope, but Perez holds on. Jax then slams Perez down. Baszler tries to eliminate Jax, but Jax slams her over the top rope! Ouch! Jax then grabs Michin and sends her over the top rope. Jax then grabs Shotzi and powerbombs her over the top rope onto Baszler and Michin! Wow!
Shayna Baszler has been eliminated.
Michin has been eliminated.
Shotzi has been eliminated.
No. 28: Jade Cargill
The crowd goes wild for Jade Cargill! This is Jade Cargill’s in-ring debut for WWE. Cargill goes after Jax and slams her down! Cargill then lifts Jax and throws her over the top rope! Wow!
Nia Jax has been eliminated.
Nia Jax is irate. Cargill goes after Lynch and charges, but she hits the ring post shoulder-first when Lynch moves.
No. 29: Tiffany Stratton
Stratton heads to the top rope and dives onto everyone with a Swanton Bomb! It’s Tiffy Time. Stratton and Lynch go face-to-face. Stratton takes The Man down with a clothesline, followed by a spinebuster. Stratton then hits Perez with an Alabama Slam. Stratton hits Lynch with a handspring back elbow. Stratton hits Lynch with a double stomp and tries to eliminate her. Lynch hangs on and knocks Stratton back. It’s time for Number 30.
No. 30: Liv Morgan
Morgan hits Stark with a Codebreaker before hitting Bayley with a Backstabber. Morgan then hits Bayley with Ob-Liv-ion. Stark superkicks Morgan and tries to eliminate her. Morgan sends her to the apron and punches her to the floor.
Zoey Stark has been eliminated.
Perez hits Stratton with a head-scissor into the corner. Stratton quickly knocks Perez over the top rope and kicks her down to eliminate her.
Roxanne Perez has been eliminated.
WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY is watching backstage. Elsewhere backstage, Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley is watching the match.
Naomi has been in this match for over an hour. Belair presses Morgan, and Cargill presses Lynch. They go face-to-face and slam their opponents. Before anything happens, they’re attacked. The crowd was buzzing for a potential Belair vs. Cargill brawl. Cargill stomps Naomi, but Naomi soon turns her in the corner. Cargill grabs Naomi and slams her down. Lynch goes for a Manhandle Slam on Cargill, but Cargill fights out. Cargill lifts Lynch onto the top rope and kicks her down. Lynch nearly falls to the floor, but she holds onto the ropes. Naomi dropkicks Cargill down and charges. Cargill grabs her and slings Naomi into Lynch, eliminating her! Cargill then sends Naomi over the top rope!
Becky Lynch has been eliminated.
Naomi has been eliminated.
Stratton, Belair, and Morgan are fighting on the apron. Morgan hits Stratton with a backstabber. Stratton grabs Belair’s braid to save herself. Bayley then kicks Belair’s hands, and she falls to the floor with Stratton!
Tiffany Stratton has been eliminated.
Bianca Belair has been eliminated.
We’ve skipped a Final Four and are down to a Final Three: Jade Cargill, Liv Morgan, and Bayley.
Morgan takes it to Cargill and goes for Ob-Liv-ion. Bayley tries to surprise them with an elimination, but they pull her over the top rope. Bayley stays in it. Morgan and Bayley pull Cargill over the top rope. Cargill is dangling over the floor. Bayley and Morgan punch away at her, but she holds on. Morgan hits Cargill with Ob-Liv-ion to eliminate her. Bayley then kicks Morgan off the apron to win the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble!
Winner: Bayley
Bayley celebrates big time and points at the WrestleMania sign as pyrotechnics go off. Bayley lasted from the Number 3 spot to win it all. WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY, Bayley’s stablemate in Damage CTRL, looks a little worried about what might happen next.
Video Package: Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
Before LA Knight makes his entrance, his Slim Jim commercial, which also stars Bianca Belair, airs. Slim Jim paused their partnership with WWE yesterday and resumed the partnership today following the resignation of Vince McMahon.
Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
Fatal 4-Way Match
Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles vs. LA Knight vs. Roman Reigns (c) w/ Paul Heyman
The bell rings, and LA Knight starts to argue with AJ Styles. Roman Reigns smirks before noticing that all three men are staring at him. Reigns tries to get out of the ring, but they triple-team him with stomps. Knight chokes Reigns in the corner. Styles then chokes Reigns with his boot. Knight then turns Styles and punches away at him. Knight shoulders Styles in the corner. Orton kicks Reigns out of the ring and follows him to ringside. Orton uppercuts Reigns and bounces him off the barricade. In the ring, Knight clotheslines Styles down before sending him out of the ring. Knight teases diving off the apron, but he casually gets down and bounces Styles’ face off the commentary table. Orton brings Reigns over to the commentary table and hits him with a back suplex on the table. Knight then hits Styles with a back suplex on the commentary table. Knight asks Orton what he thinks of it. Orton tries to give Knight a back suplex on the table, but Knight flips through. Knight then bounces Orton a bunch of times off the commentary table. Knight goes for a running boot, but Orton counters and hits him with a back suplex on the table!
Orton grabs Reigns and sends him sternum-first into the ring steps. Orton gets the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, on the 1,245th day of his reign, into the ring. Orton hits the Orton Stomps to Reigns’ limbs. Orton then stomps the face. Reigns pops up to his feet and leans on the ropes, so Orton clotheslines him over the top rope. Styles turns Orton around and attacks him. Styles whips him to the corner, but Orton pops out and hits a clothesline. Orton hits a second clothesline, followed by a snap powerslam. Knight runs in and avoids a snap powerslam from Orton before taking the Viper down. Reigns runs in, but Knight kicks Reigns down. Knight stomps Orton in the corner and hits a running knee. Knight then clotheslines Styles off the apron. Knight turns into an uppercut from Reigns for a two-count. Reigns grabs Orton’s hand and stomps it. Reigns kicks Knight down and boots Styles off the apron. Reigns clubs away at Knight in the corner. Reigns hits the ropes and hits Knight with a leaping clothesline. Reigns saunters around the ring momentarily before Styles chop blocks him. Styles takes it to Reigns. Reigns reverses a whip and hits Styles with a HUGE back body drop. Reigns limps around the ring and stares at the crowd before putting one finger up. Reigns gets locked and loaded. Knight avoids a Superman Punch and punches away at the champion. Reigns goes down after a big right hand. Reigns soon reverses a whip, but Knight hits a diving clothesline, followed by a DDT. Orton runs in, but Knight scoop slams him for a two-count.
Styles goes to the top rope, but Knight cuts him off. Orton whips Knight to the opposite corner. Knight boots him back and hits a diving bulldog. Knight then leaps to the top rope and hits Styles with a beautiful superplex! Reigns runs in, and Knight hits him with Blunt Force Trauma! 1… Styles falls onto them to break up the pin.
Styles and Orton go at it. Styles clotheslines Orton before hitting Knight with an ushigoroshi. Styles hurts his knee executing that move. Reigns goes after Styles, but Styles catches him with an overhead kick. Styles hits Reigns with a Styles Clash. 1… 2… Knight breaks up the pin!
Orton kicks Knight in the chest and hits a hanging DDT. Orton gets himself fired up and drops down to stalk his prey. Orton feels Styles behind him and attacks. Styles goes for a springboard, but Orton grabs him and hits an RKO! Orton then drops Knight with an RKO! Reigns charges for a Superman Punch on Orton, but Orton counters with an RKO! 1… 2… the count stops! Solo Sikoa came to ringside and pulled the referee out of the ring!
An irate Randy Orton grabs Sikoa, but Sikoa hits him with a Samoan Spike. Sikoa gets in the ring and hits Knight with a Samoan Spike. Sikoa stacks Knight onto Orton in the ring. Sikoa gets out of the ring and looks for Styles. Styles is seated against the barricade. Sikoa charges and explodes through the barricade when Styles moves! Reigns gets to his feet and notices Sikoa is down. Reigns looks worried. Reigns turns into a Phenomenal Forearm from Styles! Reigns lands on top of Orton and Knight. Styles covers them all! 1… 2… everyone kicks out.
The crowd chants, “This is awesome!” Styles goes under the ring and grabs a steel chair. Styles gets in the ring and viciously attacks Reigns with the steel chair. Styles turns and looks at Knight before beating him down with the steel chair. Styles now turns his attention to Orton, who has a surgically repaired back. Orton pokes him in the eyes and uppercuts him out of the ring. Reigns then hits Orton with a Spear! Reigns goes for a cover, but Orton rolls out of the ring. Knight grabs Reigns and hits a big back suplex. Knight drops an elbow on the champion and goes for BFT. Reigns shoves Knight into Styles, who is preparing for a Phenomenal Forearm. Reigns hits Knight with a Superman Punch. Reigns then hits the ropes and hits Styles with a Spear for the win.
Winner by Pinfall and still Undisputed WWE Universal Champion: Roman Reigns
Jelly Roll is shown at ringside.
Kevin Owens is walking backstage. He looks fired up.
Video Package: United States Championship
United States Championship
Kevin Owens vs. Logan Paul (c)
Logan Paul extends a hand, but Kevin Owens instead stomps him down. Paul gets out of the ring to recover. Owens follows him out and whips him hard into the barricade. Owens grabs Paul and sends him hard into the barricade again. Owens chops the chest and bounces him off the ring apron. Paul hits the ropes, but Owens connects with a back elbow, followed by a senton bomb for a one-count. Owens chops Paul’s chest and connects with a German Suplex. Owens sets up for a cannonball, but Paul gets out of the ring. Paul quickly attacks Owens at ringside and attacks Owens’ injured hand. Owens quickly clotheslines him down and hits a senton bomb on the floor!
Owens stands Paul up and chops the chest twice. Paul screams in pain. Owens sends him into the ring. Paul stomps the broken hand as Owens gets in the ring. Owens goes to ringside to recover. Paul then hits him with a plancha. Paul seemed to faceplant on that landing. Paul smashes the broken hand off the ring post a few times. Paul gets Owens in the ring and comes off the top rope with a cross-body block, followed by a standing moonsault for a two-count. Paul applies an armbar, but Owens fights out. Paul quickly jumps on him and applies an octopus stretch. Owens elbows out, so Paul takes him down by the injured hand. Paul rips the tape off the injured hand and punches at the injury. Owens grabs him by the nose, so Paul uppercuts him a few times until Owens goes down. Paul hits the ropes and hits a split-legged leg drop for a one-count. Owens then slaps Paul in the face. Paul grabs Owens and stretches the injured hand against the middle rope. Paul chokes him on the middle rope and taunts the crowd. Paul appears to have a bloody nose. Owens avoids a 619 and clotheslines Paul down. Owens goes for a senton bomb, but Paul gets the knees up. Paul grabs Owens, but Owens soon catches him with a fisherman’s neckbreaker!
They soon get to their feet, and Owens chops him to the corner before stomping him down. Owens chops Paul and hits a cannonball. Owens backs up and hits the Maverick with a second cannonball. Owens heads to the top rope and connects with a frog splash! 1… 2… Paul kicks out. Owens heads back to the top rope and goes for a Swanton Bomb, but Paul gets the knees up. Paul scurries to the top rope and dives for a Swanton Bomb, but Owens rolls out of the way. Paul pulls himself out of the ring to recover. Owens grabs him by the face and pulls him up to the apron, but Paul snaps him off the top rope. Paul crushes Owens with a Buckshot Lariat and goes to the top rope for a big splash to pick up a near fall.
Paul shouts at Corey Graves and mentions that he said no man can suplex Kevin Owens. Paul tells him to watch him do it. Paul sets up for a superplex, but Owens counters into a fisherman’s superplex for a near fall. Owens goes for a Stunner, but Paul counters by attacking the broken hand and kicking him back. Paul removes the tape on his right hand. His right hand has a titanium plate in it. Owens superkicks Paul and goes for a Pop-up Powerbomb. Paul gets out of it and avoids a Stunner. Paul then punches Owens in the face with his surgically enhanced right hand! 1… 2… Owens barely kicks out! Logan Paul is shocked.
Jeff, a member of Logan Paul’s entourage, appears at ringside. WWE Security runs down to stop him. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller run down to ringside. Theory slides brass knuckles to Paul. Owens rolls Paul up for a near fall. Owens grabs Paul’s hand and rips the brass knuckles off. Owens puts them on and smashes Paul in the face! Owens covers! 1… 2… the referee stops counting! The referee sees the brass knuckles that are still on Owens’ hand and disqualifies him.
Winner by Disqualification and still United States Champion: Logan Paul
Owens attacks Paul as he poses with the title. Owens clears the commentary table and gives Paul a powerbomb through it!
WrestleMania 40 is 70 days away.
Samantha Irvin announces tonight’s attendance as 48,044, a new Tropicana Field attendance record.
CM Punk is shown stretching backstage. He last competed on television in WWE a decade ago.
Video Package: Royal Rumble by the numbers
30-Man Royal Rumble Match
No. 1: “Main Event” Jey Uso
No. 2: Jimmy Uso
The two brothers stare at each other and sneer. Jimmy famously cost Jey his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match at SummerSlam. Jimmy also cost Jey and Cody Rhodes the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship to the Judgment Day. They go face-to-face in the ring, and the crowd is buzzing. They exchange punches. With each punch Jey throws, the crowd shouts, “YEET!” Jey punches Jimmy over the top rope, but Jimmy holds on. Jimmy kicks him back and gets out of a Samoan Drop. Jey avoids an enzuigiri and superkicks his brother down. Jey goes to the top rope for an Uso Splash, but Jimmy gets the knees up. The clock starts to count down.
No. 3: Grayson Waller
Grayson Waller comes out with a microphone. He calls himself the Aussie Icon. Waller says no one cares about this sibling rivalry and makes fun of Jey Uso. Waller gets on the apron, so Jey superkicks him. Jey sends Jimmy over the top rope, but he holds on. Jey then turns into a flatliner from Waller. Waller says he’ll acknowledge Jimmy. They double-team Jey and try to eliminate him, but he holds on.
No. 4: Andrade
Andrade comes out wearing a mask to a big reaction. Andrade takes off the mask and gets in the ring. Waller shoves him, so Andrade chops him down. Andrade crushes him with a back elbow. Andrade hits Jimmy with a running forearm and gets the crowd going. Andrade hits Jimmy and Waller with running double knees. Andrade starts the Three Amigos on Waller. Andrade tries to make the third Amigo one that sends him over the top rope, but Waller holds on.
No. 5: Carmelo Hayes
Hayes gets in the ring and hits Waller with a springboard clothesline. Jimmy goes for a superkick on Hayes, but Hayes moves, causing Jimmy to superkick Waller. Hayes stands off from Jey and Andrade. Jey and Hayes go after Andrade. Hayes hits Waller with a lung-blower and clotheslines him out of the ring.
Grayson Waller has been eliminated.
No. 6: Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura won the 2018 Royal Rumble Match. Nakamura gets in the ring and takes Hayes down before hitting Good Vibrations. Nakamura lays Hayes on the top rope and goes for a knee, but Hayes avoids it. Hayes flips through a back suplex and goes for a springboard, but Nakamura kicks him out of midair. Nakamura then hits a sliding kick to the face of Hayes. Jimmy approaches Nakamura, but Nakamura kicks him in the head. Nakamura then kicks Andrade in the face. Nakamura chokes Andrade in the corner.
No. 7: Santos Escobar
Escobar kicks Jey back and superkicks Nakamura. Jimmy grabs Escobar, but Escobar gets out and knees him in the face. Escobar hits Nakamura with running double knees before hitting Jimmy with it. Hayes charges, but Escobar hits him with a pop-up gutbuster. Escobar and Andrade stare at each other. Escobar embraces him and goes to pose, but Andrade wants none of it. Escobar tries to eliminate him, but Andrade turns it around. Escobar holds onto the top rope.
No. 8: Karrion Kross
Kross shoves Hayes and turns him inside out with a clothesline. Kross smirks at Jimmy and then attacks Jey. Jimmy looks happy and hits his brother with a running hip attack. Kross and Jimmy hold Jey down with their boots. Kross tries to eliminate Jey, but he holds on.
No. 9: “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio
Mysterio comes out to LOUD boos. Mysterio is in no rush to get into the ring. Mysterio finally gets in the ring and attacks Kross. Kross sends him flying with an exploder. Nakamura goes after Kross. Mysterio grabs Jey and tries to eliminate him. The clock is counting down.
No. 10: Carlito
Escobar goes under the bottom rope to leave the ring. That is not an elimination. Escobar is trying to avoid Carlito. Carlito takes Mysterio down with an avalanche. Carlito has an apple and takes a bite. Escobar grabs Carlito and sends him over the top rope, but Carlito holds on. Carlito then spits the apple in Escobar’s face. Carlito sends Escobar over the top rope.
Santos Escobar has been eliminated.
Kross hits Carlito with the Final Prayer.
No. 11: “The All Mighty” Bobby Lashley
Lashley gets in the ring and hits Nakamura with a Spear. Jimmy meets the same fate. Andrade charges, but Lashley hits him with a one-armed spinebuster. Mysterio attacks Lashley and hits the ropes, but Lashley crushes “Dirty” Dom with a Spear. Lashley then stares at his nemesis Kross. Lashley charges and accidentally knocks Carlito off the apron. That appears to be an elimination. Lashley hits Kross with a Spear and eliminates him.
Carlito has been eliminated.
Karrion Kross has been eliminated.
Akam and Rezar of the AOP make their way to the ring. Nakamura gets Lashley on the apron. Andrade and Hayes attack, but Lashley holds on. Kross then pulls Lashley off the apron to eliminate him, even though he isn’t in the match anymore. Kross and AOP triple-team Lashley at ringside until the Street Profits run down to even the odds.
Bobby Lashley has been eliminated.
No. 12: Ludwig Kaiser
Kaiser sidesteps the brawl between the Pride and the Final Testament and looks shocked by their behavior. Kaiser gets in the ring and punches away at Hayes, stomps away at Jey, and shouts at the crowd. Kaiser punches Mysterio in the face and poses. Nakamura has Hayes over the top rope, but Hayes holds on.
No. 13: Austin Theory
Theory gets in the ring and hits Kaiser with a rolling thunder dropkick. Theory crushes Hayes with Ataxia and sends him over the top rope, but Hayes holds on. Theory tries to shove him off the apron, but Hayes holds the bottom rope.
No. 14: Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion Finn Bálor
Bálor gets in the ring and saves Mysterio from elimination by eliminating Hayes.
Carmelo Hayes has been eliminated.
Bálor attacks Andrade and hits a Sling Blade. Bálor punches away at El Idolo and sends him over the top rope. Andrade hangs on. Bálor stomps away at him. Theory is trying to eliminate Mysterio, so Bálor saves him again.
No. 15: “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes
The winner of the 2023 Royal Rumble Match makes his way to the ring, looking to become the fourth man in WWE history to win this match in back-to-back years, joining Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Rhodes clotheslines Theory and Bálor. Theory knees out of a Cross Rhodes, but he can’t avoid a Cody Cutter. Rhodes then sends Theory over the top rope.
Austin Theory has been eliminated.
Bálor takes Rhodes down and punches away at him. Mysterio tries to eliminate Rhodes, but Rhodes fights away.
No. 16: “Big” Bronson Reed
Reed sandwiches Rhodes and Nakamura in the corner with an avalanche. Reed then hits Bálor and Mysterio with a double clothesline. Reed lifts Mysterio and Bálor and hits a dual Samoan Drop! Wow! Andrade goes after Reed, but Reed gives him a back suplex over the top rope to eliminate him.
Andrade has been eliminated.
Rhodes and Nakamura, who feuded for over a month, go at it. Nakamura kicks Rhodes down.
No. 17: Kofi Kingston
This is Kofi Kingston’s 16th Royal Rumble, which puts him in 2nd place for most Royal Rumble appearances ever. Kane holds the record at 18. Rhodes sends Nakamura over the top rope, but Nakamura lands on the apron. Rhodes pulls him through the ropes and hits Cross Rhodes to snap him off the apron and eliminate him.
Shinsuke Nakamura has been eliminated.
Kingston pulls Kaiser over the top rope, but he holds on. Kaiser pulls himself up to the apron, so Kingston kicks him in the face to eliminate him.
Ludwig Kaiser has been eliminated.
No. 18: WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther
Gunther is furious with Kaiser for being eliminated. Kingston goes after Gunther, but Kaiser chops him down. Bálor grabs Gunther, but Gunther chops him down. Mysterio chops Gunther, but he doesn’t feel it. The crowd laughs. Gunther then chops Mysterio down. Gunther clubs Jey in the chest. Jimmy wants to form a partnership with Gunther, but Gunther just punches him down. Reed lifts Gunther, but Gunther gets out and chops him. Gunther then scoop slams Reed. Rhodes turns Gunther around and uppercuts him. They were the final two in last year’s Royal Rumble. Kingston knocks Gunther over the top rope and nearly eliminates him. Gunther chops Kingston and pulls him over the top rope before kicking him out.
Kofi Kingston has been eliminated.
No. 19: Ivar
Mysterio goes after Ivar to no avail. Ivar pushes him. Ivar grabs Bálor and slams him. Rhodes goes after Ivar, but Ivar hits him with a seated senton. Ivar cartwheels around an attack from Jey and clotheslines him down. Ivar backs Gunther to the corner and elbows away at him. Jimmy wants to partner with Ivar, but Ivar kicks him down. Ivar and Reed exchange blows in the center of the ring before hitting dual running cross-body blocks!
No. 20: Bron Breakker
Breakker of NXT gets in the ring and hits Jimmy with a spear. Breakker slams Bálor down and runs over Ivar. Breakker then eliminates Jimmy Uso with a clothesline!
Jimmy Uso has been eliminated.
Breakker spears Bálor down and eliminates him.
Finn Bálor has been eliminated.
Gunther and Breakker go face-to-face. Gunther goes for a Powerbomb, but Breakker gets out and presses him. Gunther gets out of it, but Breakker splits him in two with a spear. Breakker is fired up.
No. 21: Omos
MVP accompanies Omos to the ring before heading to the back. Ivar is trying to eliminate Breakker. Omos clotheslines Rhodes before hitting Gunther with a big boot. Omos clotheslines Jey before hitting Mysterio with a chokeslam. Reed punches away at Omos and hits the ropes, but Omos big boots him. Omos then sends Reed over the top rope. Breakker viciously spears Ivar and sends him over the top rope.
“Big” Bronson Reed has been eliminated.
Ivar has been eliminated.
No. 22: Pat McAfee
Pat McAfee gets up from commentary and gets in the ring. McAfee looks around and sees Breakker and Omos staring at him. McAfee teases eliminating himself before getting in the ring. McAfee then goes over the top rope and eliminates himself. The crowd boos.
Pat McAfee has been eliminated.
No. 23: JD McDonagh
As JD McDonagh makes his way to the ring, Breakker eliminates Omos. Mysterio then eliminates Breakker!
Omos has been eliminated.
“Dirty” Dominik Mysterio has been eliminated.
McDonagh gets to ringside, and Breakker viciously spears him on the floor. Rhodes kicks Gunther in the face and sends him over the top rope, but Gunther holds on.
No. 24: R-Truth
R-Truth grabs McDonagh, who is still down at ringside, and gets him in the ring. Jey immediately clotheslines McDonagh over the top rope. McDonagh might have missed Santino Marella’s elimination record by a second.
JD McDonagh has been eliminated.
R-Truth gets on the apron and looks for a tag from Mysterio. R-Truth thinks this is a Tag Team Match! Mysterio gets out of a sleeper hold from Gunther and “tags” R-Truth in. R-Truth hits Gunther with a pair of shoulder tackles followed by a back suplex powerbomb. R-Truth goes for a 5 Knuckle Shuffle, but Gunther big boots him. Rhodes tries to pick Gunther’s leg, but he doesn’t go down.
No. 25: The Miz
The A-Lister makes his way to the ring. Miiz attacks Gunther and kicks away at him against the ropes. Miz plants Guntehr with a satellite DDT before hitting Mysterio with a big boot. Miz looks at R-Truth, and they hit Jey with a double-team hip toss. Miz and R-Truth do their Awesome Truth taunt. R-Truth then stops Miz from eliminating Mysterio. Gunther takes R-Truth down. Mysterio hits Miz with a 619.
No. 26: Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion “Señor Money in the Bank” Damian Priest
Priest immediately attacks R-Truth and eliminates him to loud boos.
R-Truth has been eliminated.
Priest sends Miz over the top rope, but he hangs on. Priest hits Jey with a flatliner. Priest attacks Gunther and hits him with South of Heaven. Priest grabs Rhodes by the throat, but Rhodes gets out of South of Heaven. Rhodes avoids an avalanche and gets Priest on the apron. Priest tries to suplex Rhodes out of the ring, but Rhodes gets out. Priest kicks Rhodes back.
No. 27: CM Punk
“Cult of Personality” by Living Colour blares through the speakers in Tropicana Field, igniting a thunderous roar from the crowd. The anticipation reaches its peak as CM Punk strides down the ramp, marking his return to the WWE ring. This momentous occasion follows a decades-long absence since his last appearance in the Royal Rumble match on January 26, 2014. Punk’s departure the following day, driven by creative and personal disagreements, kept him away from WWE for nine years until the dramatic comeback at the 2023 Survivor Series. A staggering 3,653 days have passed since his last televised WWE match, proving that in the world of WWE, the adage “never say never” holds true.
CM Punk hits the ring and attacks anything that moves with kicks and knees. Punk gets Miz a swinging neckbreaker. Miz and Priest get kneed in the corner. Punk hits Priest with a bulldog while hitting Miz with a clothesline. Mysterio grabs Punk, but Punk sends him over the top rope to eliminate him.
“Dirty” Dominik Mysterio has been eliminated.
Priest attacks Punk and tries to eliminate him, but he holds on.
No. 28: Ricochet
Ricochet gets in the ring and hits Miz with a springboard cross-body block. Priest quickly puts Ricochet on the apron, but Ricochet knocks him back. Gunther goes after Ricochet, but Ricochet attacks. Ricochet hits Gunther with a springboard cross-body block. Priest then turns Ricochet inside out with a clothesline. Priest attacks Miz in the corner. Miz is on the top rope, but Gunther chops the chest and knocks him over the top rope.
The Miz has been eliminated.
No. 29: Drew McIntyre
McIntyre takes it to Jey and takes him down. McIntyre and Priest brawl in the center of the ring. McIntyre hits Priest with a spinebuster. Jey takes McIntyre down and spears Gunther down. Jey superkicks Gunther and nearly eliminates him. Gunther falls to the apron and pulls Jey over the top rope.
“Main Event” Jey Uso has been eliminated.
No. 30: Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn makes his way to the ring after being missing for two months. Zayn attacks McIntyre, who took him out of action. Punk grabs Zayn, but Zayn punches him back. Zayn sends Priest over the top rope, but he holds on. Gunther attacks Zayn, but Zayn ducks a chop and clotheslines McIntyre over the top rope. McIntyre holds on. Gunther chops Zayn down. Priest goes for South of Heaven on Ricochet, but Ricochet flips through. Ricochet kicks McIntyre back. McIntyre blocks another kick and flips Ricochet over the top rope! Wow!
Ricochet has been eliminated.
A big brawl breaks out between all six men. Rhodes hits Priest with a Pedigree. Gunther hits Rhodes with a big dropkick. Punk then runs over Gunther with a running knee. McIntyre hits Punk with a Future Shock DDT. Zayn hits McIntyre with an exploder into the corner. Zayn crushes McIntyre with a Helluva Kick. Priest kicks Zayn in the head and goes for a Razor’s Edge, but Zayn gets out. Zayn clotheslines Priest over the top rope. McIntyre then dumps Zayn over the top rope!
Damian Priest has been eliminated.
Sami Zayn has been eliminated.
It’s down to the Final Four: CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes, and Gunther. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is watching this match with Paul Heyman from a luxury box. World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins is watching from another box. Rhodes hits Gunther with a Cody Cutter and charges, but Gunther viciously hits him with a clothesline. Gunther chops Rhodes’ chest. McIntyre chops Punk down. McIntyre puts Punk in the corner and viciously chops the chest. Gunther grabs Rhodes and chops him. McIntyre then kills Punk with another chop. McIntyre and Gunther go face-to-face. Rhodes turns Gunther around and attacks him. McIntyre hits Punk with a neckbreaker. Punk sidesteps a Claymore Kick. Punk lifts him for a Go To Sleep, but McIntyre slides off and hits a Glasgow Kiss. Rhodes superkicks McIntyre. Gunther grabs Rhodes for a Sleeper Hold. Rhodes gets away, and McIntyre hits Gunther with a Claymore Kick. McIntyre then hits Rhodes with a Claymore Kick! McIntyre counts down and hits Punk with a Claymore Kick! McIntyre does a kip-up and stares at the WrestleMania 40 sign. McIntyre grabs Punk and says he’s not the same kid from 10 years ago. Punk pops up and dumps McIntyre out of the match! McIntyre is crushed!
Drew McIntyre has been eliminated.
Gunther quickly hits Punk with a Tyrannosaurus Dropkick, followed by a Powerbomb. Gunther counters a Cody Cutter and nearly eliminates Rhodes, but Rhodes pulls him over the top rope for the second year in a row!
Gunther has been eliminated.
It’s down to the Final Two: “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes and CM Punk. Wow! They brawl in the center of the ring. Rhodes hits some stinging left jabs. Punk kicks him. They hit the ropes and wipe each other out with stereo clotheslines. They exchange blows from their knees. They get to their feet, and Punk unleashes a strike combination. Punk sends Rhodes to the corner, but Rhodes slingshots over him and hits a snap powerslam. Rhodes gets fired up, and the crowd responds loudly. Rhodes goes for a Cody Cutter, but Punk grabs him and hits three rolling German Suplexes. Punk stares at the WrestleMania 40 sign. Punk hits Rhodes with a running knee in the corner and follows up with a bulldog. Punk signals that it is time for Rhodes to go to sleep. Punk lifts Rhodes up, but Rhodes slides off. Punk counters out of Cross Rhodes with a snapmare. Rhodes pops up and hits some stinging left jabs, followed by his father’s Bionic Elbow.
Rhodes goes for Cross Rhodes, but Punk stuns him with a kick. Punk tries to eliminate him, but Rhodes stays in the match. Punk cannot believe he didn’t send him over. Punk stomps Rhodes and points at the WrestleMania sign again. Punk stomps Rhodes and lifts him. Rhodes slides off and hits Punk with Cross Rhodes. Rhodes is fired up and drops to his knees. Rhodes grabs Punk to try to eliminate him, but Punk pops up and drops The American Nightmare with a GTS! Punk pulls Rhodes up and is trying to send him over the top rope. Rhodes hangs on and lands on the apron. Punk pulls Rhodes back in the ring and hits him with a Pedigree! Punk shouts, “Can you believe I did that shit?” Punk shouts, “I didn’t wait 10 years to lose to Dusty’s kid!” Punk lifts Rhodes and goes for a GTS, but Rhodes blocks it and sends him over the top rope! Rhodes is a back-to-back Royal Rumble winner!
Winner: “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes
“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes joins Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin as the only men in Royal Rumble history to do that!
An emotional Cody Rhodes celebrates his second consecutive Royal Rumble victory. Rhodes points at the WrestleMania 40 sign as pyrotechnics go off. A dejected CM Punk watches on from ringside. Rhodes then turns and points at Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, who is still in the luxury box. Paul Heyman hands Reigns his title, and Reigns holds the title up.
Video Package: WWE Royal Rumble 2024 highlights
Quick Match Results
— Bayley won the 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match
— Roman Reigns def. Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and LA Knight in a Fatal 4-Way Match to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
— Logan Paul def. Kevin Owens via DQ to retain the United States Championship
— “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes won the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match
Email – mike@wrestleview.com
X – @MikeTedescoWV
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