2024 WWE Royal Rumble results, recap, grades: Cody Rhodes eliminates CM Punk last, Bayley wins first Rumble

Cody Rhodes can still finish his story at WrestleMania 40. Rhodes tossed CM Punk out of the men’s Royal Rumble on Saturday to become only the fourth superstar to win the match in back-to-back years. Bayley boosted her legacy by winning her first Rumble match.

Rhodes and Punk were the leading candidates to punch their tickets to WrestleMania. They were the final two superstars vying for the opportunity on Saturday night. Ultimately, Rhodes cemented his place at the showcase of the immortals and is expected to challenge Roman Reigns for the undisputed WWE universal championship in April. Bayley shined in a match that felt more open-ended than its male counterpart. There were also several guest appearances, some more heavily rumored than others.

Rounding out Saturday’s card were two championship matches. Reigns attempted to defend his title against AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton. Logan Paul made the first defense of his United States championship against Kevin Owens.

CBS Sports was with you the whole way through the event, providing updates and highlights as the action goes down in the live blog below.

Women’s Royal Rumble match: Natalya and surprise entrant Naomi — returning to WWE for the first time since she and Sasha Banks walked out of the company in November 2022 — kicked off the match. They fought back and forth before Bayley (No. 3) joined the fray. 

TNA Knockouts champion Jordynne Grace made a shocking appearance at No. 5. Grace embraced Naomi, whom she recently defeated in TNA, before brawling with her. Grace laid out every other superstar in the match with phenomenal power. Grace and Ivy Nile (No. 8) had a great spot where they showed off by holding Katana Chance and Candice LeRae, respectively, for delayed vertical suplexes. 

Asuka entered at No. 7 to Bayley’s dismay. Bayley is the only active member of Damage CTRL without a title and planned for this to be her big moment. Bayley eventually accepted the situation and worked with Asuka. Bianca Belair entered at No. 10 and went straight after Damage CTRL but her dominance wouldn’t last long. Kairi Sane entered at No. 11, allowing Damage CTRL to organize a three-on-one assault on Belair. Sane and Asuka were eliminated by Karter and Chance, respectively, who they beat for the women’s tag titles on Friday’s SmackDown. 

A highlight of the match saw Belair eliminate Grace with a sick KOD to the ring apron.

Chelsea Green joined the fray at No. 14 and was caught mid-air on her way out of the match by tag team partner Piper Niven. A recurring comedy saw Green repeatedly squished in the corner by Nia Jax (No. 19) and Piper Niven. Becky Lynch’s arrival at No. 21 reinvigorated the crowd as she laid out her opponents before gently eliminating Green. 

Jax tallied the most eliminations by tossing out Xia Li, Carter, Shayna Baszler, Michin, Shotzi and Valhalla, the latter of whom tied Green’s record for shortest time in a women’s Rumble match at five seconds. Valhalla had a bone to pick with R-Truth who entered alongside her at No. 24 thinking it was the men’s Rumble. 

Jade Cargill arrived to a massive reaction from the Florida crowd. It marked Cargill’s first WWE match since leaving All Elite Wrestling. Cargill squared off with Jax, hoisted her up for a slam and tossed her over the rope. Her feat of strength generated another big pop. Cargill also contributed to eliminating Lynch and Naomi. The final surprise of the night welcomed back Liv Morgan from her shoulder injury. Morgan immediately clocked Zoey Stark (No. 25) with a punch that sent her off the ring rope. 

The final five superstars were Bayley, Belair, Cargill, Tiffany Stratton (No. 29) and Morgan. Stratton clung onto Belair’s braid like a rope to avoid elimination, allowing Bayley to eliminate Belair and Stratton simultaneously. The match concluded with the three remaining women fighting on the ring apron. Morgan ended Cargill’s night with Oblivion on the apron. Bayley booted Morgan moments later. Bayley set the record for the longest stint in a women’s Royal Rumble match while winning her first. 

The match struggled with pacing and execution between No. 5 and No. 25. Grace looked like an all-star and should be someone WWE looks to sign in the future. Naomi and Cargill received the night’s loudest reactions and were booked strongly. Bayley winning was expected but welcomed. She had one of the longest-running storylines heading into the match and her hot-and-cold friendship with Damage CTRL will be thrust front and center. Unfortunately, there was a lot of miscommunication and sloppiness through much of the match and the crowd struggled to stay invested. Bayley wins the women’s Royal Rumble match. Grade: C

1 Natalya Tegan Nox 2 Naomi Jade Cargill (3) 3 Bayley WINNER 4 Candice LeRae Bayley (2), Kairi Sane, Asuka 5 Jordynne Grace Bianca Belair (2) 6 Indi Hartwell Bayley (1) 7 Asuka Kayden Carter (2), Bianca Belair, Katana Chance 8 Ivy Nile Nia Jax (2) 9 Katana Chance Nia Jax (4) 10 Bianca Belair Bayley (6) 11 Kairi Sane Kayden Carter 12 Teagan Nox Bayley (3) 13 Kayden Carter Piper Niven 14 Chelsea Green Becky Lynch 15 Piper Niven Nia Jax (3) 16 Xia Li Nia Jax 17 Zelina Vega Zoey Stark, Shayna Baszler 18 Maxxine Dupri Bayley (4) 19 Nia Jax Jade Cargill 20 Shotzi Nia Jax (8) 21 Becky Lynch Jade Cargill (2) 22 Alba Fyre Naomi 23 Shayna Baszler Nia Jax (6) 24 Valhalla Nia Jax (5) 25 Michin Nia Jax (7) 26 Zoey Stark Liv Morgan 27 Roxanne Perez Tiffany Stratton 28 Jade Cargill Liv Morgan (2) 29 Tiffany Stratton Bayley (5) 30 Liv Morgan Bayley (7)

Undisputed WWE universal championship — Roman Reigns (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. LA Knight vs. AJ Styles: The smile on Reigns’ face was quickly wiped off by fists and boots. The champion had hoped that tension between his opponents would benefit him but the three challengers immediately cornered him. It was a short-lived alliance. The action spilled outside as the superstars took turns introducing each other to the announcers’ table. Orton and Knight back suplexed Reigns and Styles, respectively, onto the table before Orton dropped Knight onto it as well. The match returned to the ring as the superstars paired in twos in a carousel style. Each man got their licks in before Reigns settled into a slow, calculated beatdown of his challengers. The champ pummeled Knight with corner clotheslines, but Knight eventually found his second wind. Knight took out Reigns, hit Styles with a superplex, countered Orton and hit the champ with a BFT for the night’s first near fall. 

Styles broke up the pinfall and nearly secured the win by hitting Reigns with a Styles Clash. This time it was Knight who broke up the pinfall. Reigns would continue to be the lowest common denominator in the match, nearly being pinned against after Orton intercepted his spear with an RKO. This came after Orton hit Styles and Knight with RKOs as well. Unfortunately for Orton, Solo Sikoa dragged the referee out of the ring before the last fall. The Bloodline’s enforcer also dropped Orton with a Samoan Spike. Sikoa dragged Knight onto Orton’s body after also hitting him with a Samoan Spike, abiding by Reigns’ wish to stack his challengers. Sikoa hunted Styles outside but flew through the barricade as Styles ducked out of the way. Styles hopped onto the apron and cracked Reigns with a Phenomenal Forearm. Reigns dropped lifelessly onto Knight and Orton as Styles fell into a pin on all three men. The referee counted two before all three men got their shoulders up. 

Styles took advantage of the no-disqualification stipulation by grabbing a steel chair. Paul Heyman pleaded with Styles but his wishes fell on deaf ears. Styles dug the chair into Reigns ribs before getting poked in the eye by Orton. The champion speared Orton to remove him from the equation. Knight roared to life with another flurry of offense on Reigns as Styles prepared for another Phenomenal Forearm. Reigns escaped BFT by shoving Knight into the ropes, causing Styles to tumble. Reigns decked Styles with a spear to win the match. Reigns came out looking like the weakest link. It’s consistent with his desperation to keep the title but doesn’t do much to help his aura. The spots were well-executed and the match flowed well enough. The outcome was never in question but it was a relief to see Knight booked so strongly. Reigns def. Styles, Orton and Knight to retain the title. Grade: B

United States championship — Logan Paul (c) vs. Kevin Owens: Paul can’t stand toe-to-toe with Owens in a wrestling ring. Not without a handicap at least. The U.S. champion bit off more than he could chew in the early portions. Paul offered Owens a cheeky handshake to start. It was greeted by a smile and a barrage of punches from the challenger. Paul desperately fled to no avail. Particularly entertaining was Paul begging for Owens to stop chopping his chest red. 

Paul turned the tide by stomping Owen’s injured hand. Paul combined his athleticism and amateur combat experience to bridge the gap with the more experienced wrestler. Paul hit Owens with a series of dives, a standing moonsault and various submissions targeting the hand. Owens’ indomitable spirit showed in the back half. He flattened Paul with a pair of cannonballs followed by a top rope frog splash. Each man executed swanton bombs that were countered by their opponent. Paul cracked Owens with his best buckshot lariat to date and a high-angle splash that scored him a near fall. Paul tried to superplex Owens but his mouth got the better of him. The champ was too busy chewing out Corey Graves, allowing Owens to counter with a top rope brainbuster. 

The final sequence saw Paul counter two stunners and a pop-up powerbomb before dropping Owens with a straight punch. Paul tried to snatch brass knuckles from his entourage but the referee spotted him and called for security. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller ran interference, passing the knuckles to Paul. Owens blocked the cheap shot, pried the knuckles from the champ and smashed him with it. Owens appeared to have the match won but the ref spotted the knuckles on his hand. Owens was disqualified. The challenger went on a post-match rampage, powerbombing Paul through the announcers’ table. The pair worked an entertaining, well-executed match. Paul looked cowardly and only succeeded with baked-in advantages. Owens excelled as the veteran, both technically superior and aware of his surroundings. The finish subverted expectations. A rare instance of a fan-favorite cheating and an even rarer instance of them being caught. Paul def. Owens to retain the title. Grade: B+

Men’s Royal Rumble match: Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso drew No. 1 and No. 2 respectively, the first one-on-one interaction between them since Jimmy Uso cost his brother the undisputed WWE universal title at SummerSlam in August. Grayson Waller (No. 3) entered with a microphone in hand and ate a superkick after getting personal about Jey Uso’s family dynamics. Waller and Jimmy Uso double-teamed Jey Uso but their union was soon interrupted. Carmelo Hayes entered at No. 5 and scored the first elimination by clotheslining Waller.

The match’s first surprise entrant arrived two minutes before Hayes. Andrade El Idolo (No. 4) returned to WWE three years after leaving and joining AEW. Santos Escobar entered at No. 7 and tried to align with Andrade but was quickly brushed off. Carlito drew No. 10 and tossed out his rival Escobar after spitting an apple in his face. 

Jimmy Uso continued to play politics by forming a loose alliance with Karrion Kross (No. 8). It proved wise as Kross was an effective powerhouse in the first third of the match. Kross’ hot streak came to an end as Bobby Lashley (No. 11) hit the ring. Lashley speared everyone out of their boots before eliminating Carlito and rival Kross. Kross subsequently yanked Lashley out of the match, sparking a brawl between their respective factions, The Final Testament and The Pride. 

Finn Balor entered at No. 14 to save stablemate Dominik Mysterio — who arrived at No. 9 to the loudest boos all evening – by eliminating Hayes. Cody Rhodes hit the ring at No. 15 to a big pop from the crowd. Rhodes immediately booted Austin Theory from the match. A brawl broke out between Rhodes and Shinsuke Nakamura (No. 6) that concluded with Rhodes hitting a Cody Cutter on the apron to eliminate Nakamura. 

Bronson Reed shook the ring at No. 16 and tossed Andrade out of the match. Kofi Kingston (No. 17) moved into second all-time with his 16th Rumble appearance, eliminating rival Ludwig Kaiser. Imperium leader Gunther arrived moments later but not before chewing out his minion Kaiser. Everyone in the match was greeted with a thudding chop from the longest-reigning Intercontinental champion in history. Jimmy Uso tried to align with Gunther, but his efforts were reciprocated with violence. Gunther briefly faced Rhodes, who eliminated him to win last year’s Rumble, before tossing Kingston out of the match.

Former NXT champion Bronn Breaker (No. 20) hit the ring like a wrecking ball. Breakker eliminated Jimmy Uso off the cuff and speared some fools and got the better of a power struggle with Gunther. Speaking of power, the 7-foot-3, 400-plus pound Omos returned at No. 21. Omos and Breakker eliminated Reed and Ivar, respectively, before facing off with each other. Pat McAfee entered at No. 22 and eliminated himself immediately after being confronted by Breakker and Omos. Breakker eliminated Omos and was immediately dumped over by Mysterio. 

JD McDonagh (No. 23) was speared on his way down the ramp by Breakker. The second time was the charm for R-Truth, who previously entered the women’s Rumble by mistake at No. 24. Truth tossed McDonagh into the match and he was immediately eliminated by Jey Uso. Truth hopped onto the apron and amusingly asked Mysterio to tag him in. Truth got the hot tag and swarmed Gunther. Truth’s loyalty to Judgement Day was not rewarded. Damian Priest entered at No. 26 and immediately tossed R-Truth from the match.

Match favorite CM Punk entered at No. 27 to a warm reception. It marked Punk’s first broadcasted WWE match in 10 years. The last time he performed in a televised WWE match was at the 2014 Rumble where he was the 27th superstar eliminated.

A brooding Drew McIntyre entered at No. 29, eliminating Jey Uso and Ricochet. The final six superstars — Gunther, Punk, Rhodes, McIntyre, Priest and Zayn (No. 30) — stood off before brawling. Zayn eliminated Priest and was immediately tossed out by McIntyre to set the final four. McIntyre continued to be a formidable force, laying out his remaining foes with Claymore Kicks. McIntyre spent a little too much time smack-talking Punk and was dumped over the ropes. Rhodes eliminated Gunther, leaving favorites Punk and Rhodes as the final two.

The tension was elevated with Punk and Rhodes both being believable winners. They exchanged counters and strikes before Rhodes hit the veteran with Cross Rhodes. Punk persevered and caught Rhodes with GTS. Punk shouted that he didn’t wait 10 years to lose to Dusty Rhodes’ kid. Punk propped up Rhodes for a second GTS. Rhodes caught the knee, took the angle and hurled Punk over the ropes. 

Rhodes became the fourth superstar to win consecutive Royal Rumble matches and the first to do it in 26 years. He joins rarified air alongside Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. The match incorporated a lot of various story threads. Unfortunately, something about the order devoid it of tension until the final four. Punk and Rhodes working a mini-match really saved the day. Rhodes wins the men’s Royal Rumble match. Grade: B

1 Jey Uso Gunther (3) 2 Jimmy Uso Bron Breakker 3 Grayson Waller Carmelo Hayes 4 Andrade Bronson Reed 5 Carmelo Hayes Finn Balor 6 Shinsuke Nakamura Cody Rhodes (2) 7 Santos Escobar Carlito 8 Karrion Kross Bobby Lashley (2) 9 Dominik Mysterio CM Punk 10 Carlito Bobby Lashley 11 Bobby Lashley Karrion Cross (after being eliminated) 12 Ludwig Kaiser Kofi Kingston 13 Austin Theory Cody Rhodes 14 Finn Balor Bron Breakker (2) 15 Cody Rhodes WINNER 16 Bronson Reed Omos 17 Kofi Kingston Gunther 18 Gunther Cody Rhodes (3) 19 Ivar Bron Breakker (3) 20 Bron Breakker Dominik Mysterio 21 Omos Bron Breakker (4) 22 Pat McAfee Eliminated self 23 JD McDonagh Jey Uso 24 R-Truth Damian Priest 25 The Miz Gunther (2) < 26 Damian Priest Sami Zayn 27 CM Punk Cody Rhodes (4) 28 Ricochet Drew McIntyre 29 Drew McIntyre CM Punk 30 Sami Zayn Drew McIntyre (2)