Cody Rhodes’ Royal Rumble victory unfolded dramatically during the live event at Tropicana Field on Saturday night. The tension peaked as the final two contenders, CM Punk and Cody Rhodes, battled it out.
In a decisive move, The American Nightmare eliminated Punk, who later revealed he sustained an injury during the match. Rhodes secured his place in history as the fourth man in WWE to win back-to-back Royal Rumble matches. Despite speculation among fans that Punk was the original victor, recent reports have clarified the matter.
According to Fightful Select paywall, there is no truth to rumors suggesting Punk was slated to win. The plan had always been for Cody Rhodes to emerge victorious, and the execution aligned with the initial plans. However, WWE had to change its original creative plans for RAW due to Punk’s injury. This led to a segment featuring Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins face-to-face in the ring, a direct result of Punk’s absence.
There reports also state that over the weekend, Rhodes dominated merchandise sales at the WWE Superstore, with his “Rumble Winner” shirt emerging as the top seller on WWE Shop.
Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns set for WWE SmackDown appearance
Cody Rhodes, winner of the Royal Rumble 2024, is slated to appear on SmackDown on February 2nd. Rhodes took to Twitter to confirm his presence on the upcoming episode, responding to a post by Seth Rollins.
On RAW, Seth Rollins urged Rhodes to consider challenging him at WrestleMania, presenting him with options for which title to vie for: Roman’s prestigious title or Rollins’ workhorse championship. Rhodes responded that he would think about the proposition. While Cody Rhodes is set to appear on SmackDown this Friday, his WrestleMania 39 opponent, Roman Reigns, is also scheduled to make an appearance. With Reigns coming to the show, fans will eagerly await to see if Rhodes chooses Reigns or Rollins.
At the Royal Rumble, following his win, Rhodes pointed at Reigns, hinting at a potential rematch from last year’s WrestleMania. However, following Seth Rollins confronting Cody Rhodes on RAW, Rollins has added an intriguing layer to the dynamic.
