WWE Royal Rumble 2024 results, recap, grades: Cody Rhodes finishes eliminating CM Punk, Bayley wins first Rumble – CBS Sports

Cody Rhodes can still finish his story at WrestleMania 40. Rhodes knocked CM Punk out of the men's Royal Rumble on Saturday, becoming only the fourth Superstar to win the match in two consecutive years. Bayley strengthened her legacy by winning her first Rumble match.

Rhodes and Punk were the leading candidates to secure their tickets to WrestleMania. They were the final two superstars vying for that opportunity on Saturday night. Ultimately, Rhodes cemented his place at the top of the Immortals and is expected to challenge Roman Reigns for the undisputed WWE Universal Championship in April. Bayley shined in a match that looked more open than his male counterpart. There were also several guest appearances, some more heavily rumored than others.

The program was rounded off on Saturday with two championship games. Reigns attempted to defend his title against AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton. Logan Paul defended his US Championship for the first time against Kevin Owens.

CBS Sports was with you throughout the event, providing you with updates and highlights as the action continues in the live blog below.

2024 WWE Royal Rumble results, grades

Women's Royal Rumble Match: Natalya and surprise entrant Naomi – returning to WWE for the first time since she and Sasha Banks left the company in November 2022 – opened the match. They fought back and forth before Bayley (No. 3) joined the fight.

TNA Knockouts champion Jordynne Grace made a shocking appearance at #5. Grace hugged Naomi, who she recently defeated in TNA, before brawling with her. Grace defeated every other Superstar in the match with phenomenal power. Grace and Ivy Nile (#8) had a great performance holding Katana Chance and Candice LeRae for delayed vertical suplexes.

Asuka entered at number 7, much to Bayley's dismay. Bayley is the only active member of Damage CTRL without a title and plans for this to be her big moment. Bayley eventually accepted the situation and worked with Asuka. Bianca Belair entered at No. 10 and was in direct pursuit of Damage CTRL, but her dominance wouldn't last long. Kairi Sane entered at number 11, allowing Damage CTRL to mount a three-on-one attack on Belair. Sane and Asuka were eliminated by Karter and Chance, respectively, whom they defeated for the women's tag titles on Friday's SmackDown.

A highlight of the match was Belair eliminating Grace with a great KOD on the ring apron.

Chelsea Green entered the fray at number 14 and was caught in the air by tag team partner Piper Niven on the way out. In a recurring comedy, Green was repeatedly cornered by Nia Jax (No. 19) and Piper Niven. Becky Lynch's arrival at No. 21 reinvigorated the crowd as she picked off her opponents before gently eliminating Green.

Jax recorded the most eliminations, eliminating Xia Li, Carter, Shayna Baszler, Michin, Shotzi and Valhalla. The latter tied Green's record for the shortest time in a women's Rumble match by five seconds. Valhalla had some beef with R-Truth, who entered next to her at #24 and thought it was the Men's Rumble.

Jade Cargill arrived in Florida to a massive reaction from the audience. It was Cargill's first WWE match since leaving All Elite Wrestling. Cargill squared off with Jax, picking her up for a slam and throwing her over the rope. Her act of strength produced another large bang. Cargill also contributed to the elimination of Lynch and Naomi. The final surprise of the evening was the return of Liv Morgan from her shoulder injury. Morgan immediately defeated Zoey Stark (No. 25) with a punch that sent her flying off the ring rope.

The final five superstars were Bayley, Belair, Cargill, Tiffany Stratton (No. 29) and Morgan. Stratton clung to Belair's braid like a rope to avoid being eliminated, allowing Bayley to eliminate Belair and Stratton at the same time. The bout ended with the three remaining women fighting on the ring apron. Morgan ended Cargill's night with Oblivion on the apron. Bayley kicked Morgan moments later. Bayley set the record for the longest stint in a women's Royal Rumble match while also winning her first.

The match between No. 5 and No. 25 struggled with pace and execution. Grace looked like an all-star and should be someone WWE would want to sign in the future. Naomi and Cargill received the loudest reactions of the night and were heavily booked. Bayley's win was expected but welcomed. She had one of the longest-running storylines at the start of the game and her hot and cold friendship with Damage CTRL will be the focus. Unfortunately, there were a lot of misunderstandings and sloppiness throughout most of the game and the crowd struggled to stay tuned. Bayley wins the women's Royal Rumble match. Grade: C

Undisputed WWE Universal Championship – Roman Reigns (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. LA Knight vs. AJ Styles: The smile on Reigns' face was quickly erased by fists and boots. The champion had hoped that the tension between his opponents would benefit him, but the three challengers immediately cornered him. It was a short-lived alliance. The action spread outside as the superstars took turns introducing themselves at the anchor table. Orton and Knight suplexed Reigns and Styles back onto the table before Orton dropped Knight onto it as well. The fight returned to the ring as the Superstars teamed up in pairs, carousel style. Each man got his own attacks before Reigns slowly and calculatedly settled in to defeat his challengers. The champion hit Knight with corner clotheslines, but Knight eventually found his second chance. Knight took out Reigns, hit Styles with a superplex, countered Orton and hit the champ with a BFT for the first nearfall of the night.

Styles broke up the pinfall and nearly secured the win by hitting Reigns with a Styles Clash. This time it was Knight who broke the pinfall. Reigns continued to be the lowest common denominator in the match and was nearly pinned after Orton caught 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 final fall. The Bloodline Enforcer also dropped Orton with a Samoan Spike. Sikoa pulled Knight onto Orton's body after also hitting him with a Samoan Spike, honoring Reigns' desire to outclass his challengers. Sikoa chased Styles outside but flew through the barricade as Styles ducked and moved out of the way. Styles jumped to the apron and hit Reigns with a Phenomenal Forearm. Reigns fell lifeless onto Knight and Orton while Styles cornered all three men. The referee counted two before all three men raised their shoulders.

Styles took advantage of the non-disqualification clause by grabbing a steel chair. Paul Heyman pleaded with Styles, but his wishes fell on deaf ears. Styles rammed the chair into Reigns' ribs before being stabbed in the eye by Orton. The champion speared Orton to remove him from the equation. Knight came to life with another offensive jab at Reigns while Styles prepared for another Phenomenal Forearm. Reigns escaped BFT by pushing Knight into the ropes, causing Styles to fall. Reigns equipped Styles with a spear to win the match. Reigns seemed to be the weakest link. That's consistent with his desperation to retain the title, but doesn't do much to boost his aura. The spots were well executed and the game went quite well. The outcome was never in doubt, but it was a relief that Knight was booked so heavily. Reigns def. Styles, Orton and Knight retain the title. Grade B

US Championship – Logan Paul (c) vs. Kevin Owens: Paul can't stand Owens in a wrestling ring. At least not without a handicap. The US champion bit off more than he could bear in the first few portions. Paul initially offered Owens a cheeky handshake. The challenger greeted him with a smile and a barrage of punches. Paul fled desperately and in vain. Particularly entertaining was Paul begging Owens to stop cutting his chest red.

Paul turned the tide by stepping on Owen's injured hand. Paul combined his athleticism and amateur fighting experience to bridge the gap to the more experienced wrestler. Paul hit Owens with a series of dives, a standing moonsault and various hand-targeting submissions. Owens' indomitable spirit was evident in the back half. He floored Paul with a pair of cannonballs followed by a top rope frog splash. Each man performed Swanton bombs, which were countered by their opponent. Paul hit Owens with his best shotgun throw to date and a splash from the angle that gave him a near fall. Paul tried to outwit Owens, but his mouth got the better of him. The champion was too busy taking out Corey Graves for Owens to counter with a top rope brainbuster.

In the final sequence, Paul countered two stunners and a pop-up powerbomb before knocking Owens down with a straight punch. Paul tried to grab brass knuckles from his entourage, but the referee spotted him and called security. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller interfered with the ball and gave Paul the knuckles. Owens blocked the cheap shot, ripping off the champion's ankles and shattering him with them. Owens appeared to have won the match, but the referee discovered the knuckles on his hand. Owens was disqualified. The challenger went on a post-match rampage and bombarded Paul through the announce table. The pair put on an entertaining, well-executed match. Paul looked like a coward and only succeeded with built-in advantages. Owens was an outstanding veteran who was both technically superior and aware of his surroundings. The ending shattered expectations. A rare case of a fan favorite cheating and an even rarer case of him getting caught. Paul def. Owens retains the title. Grade: B+

Men's Royal Rumble Match: Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso claimed No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, the first one-on-one interaction between them since Jimmy Uso cost his brother the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship at SummerSlam in August. Grayson Waller (No. 3) came in with a microphone in hand and ate a superkick after making a personal statement about Jey Uso's family dynamics. Waller and Jimmy Uso formed a double team with Jey Uso, but their connection was soon severed. Carmelo Hayes came in at number 5 and scored the first elimination by defeating Waller with a clothesline.

The game'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 came into the game at number 7 and tried to join Andrade but was quickly rebuffed. Carlito pulled No. 10 and threw 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 game. Kross' hot streak came to an end when Bobby Lashley (No. 11) entered the ring. Lashley unnerved everyone before eliminating Carlito and his rival Kross. Kross then ripped 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 his stablemate Dominik Mysterio, who finished at No. 9 by eliminating Hayes to the loudest boos of the entire night. Cody Rhodes entered the ring at number 15 and received a big pop from the crowd. Rhodes immediately kicked Austin Theory out of the match. A brawl broke out between Rhodes and Shinsuke Nakamura (No. 6), which ended with Rhodes hitting a Cody Cutter on the apron to knock out Nakamura.

Bronson Reed shook the ring at No. 16 and knocked Andrade out of the match. Kofi Kingston (No. 17) moved into second place all-time with his 16th Rumble appearance, eliminating his rival Ludwig Kaiser. Empire leader Gunther arrived moments later, but not before gunning down his servant Kaiser. Each participant in the match was greeted with a thud from the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in history. Jimmy Uso attempted to join Gunther, but his efforts were met with violence. Gunther briefly faced Rhodes, who eliminated him and won the Rumble last year before knocking Kingston out of the match.

Former NXT Champion Bronn Breaker (#20) hit the ring like a wrecking ball. Breakker eliminated Jimmy Uso on the spot, speared a few fools, and prevailed in a power struggle with Gunther. Speaking of power: Omos, who is 2.16 meters tall and weighs over 300 kilograms, returned to 21st place. Omos and Breakker eliminated Reed and Ivar respectively before facing off against each other. Pat McAfee entered at number 22 and immediately eliminated himself after being confronted by Breakker and Omos. Breakker eliminated Omos and was immediately thrown overboard by Mysterio.

JD McDonagh (#23) was speared by Breakker on his way down the ramp. The second time was the charm for R-Truth, who had previously accidentally entered the women's Rumble at number 24. Truth threw McDonagh into the match and he was immediately eliminated by Jey Uso. Truth hopped on the apron and amusingly asked Mysterio to tag him. Truth got the hot tag and raved about Gunther. The faithfulness of the truth to the Last Day was not rewarded. Damian Priest entered at number 26 and immediately knocked R-Truth out of the match.

Match favorite CM Punk competed at number 27 and received a warm welcome. It was Punk's first broadcast WWE match in 10 years. The last time he appeared in a televised WWE match was at the 2014 Rumble, where he became the 27th Superstar to be eliminated.

A brooding Drew McIntyre entered at number 29 and eliminated Jey Uso and Ricochet. The final six Superstars – Gunther, Punk, Rhodes, McIntyre, Priest and Zayn (No. 30) – faced off before the brawl. Zayn eliminated Priest and was immediately thrown out by McIntyre to reach the final four. McIntyre continued to be a formidable force, hitting his remaining opponents with claymore kicks. McIntyre spent a little too much time insulting Punk and was thrown over the ropes. Rhodes eliminated Gunther, leaving favorites Punk and Rhodes as the final two.

Tension mounted as both Punk and Rhodes were credible winners. They traded counters and punches before Rhodes hit the veteran with Cross Rhodes. Punk held out and caught Rhodes with GTS. Punk yelled that he didn't wait 10 years to lose to Dusty Rhodes' son. Punk supported Rhodes for a second GTS. Rhodes caught the knee, took advantage of the angle and tossed Punk over the ropes.

Rhodes became the fourth Superstar to win consecutive Royal Rumble matches and the first to do so in 26 years. He joins Rarified Air alongside Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. The game featured many different storylines. Unfortunately, something about the order meant there was no excitement until the Final Four. A mini match between Punk and Rhodes really saved the day. Rhodes wins the men's Royal Rumble match. Grade B