Cody Rhodes first to win WWE men’s Royal Rumble consecutively in 26 years
Jan 28, 2024, 1:00 PM | Updated: 1:02 pm
Cody Rhodes makes his entrance during WrestleMania 38 in Arlington, Texas, on April 3, 2022. (WWE via AP)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(WWE via AP)
SALT LAKE CITY — Pro wrestler Cody Rhodes has become the fourth person in World Wrestling Entertainment history to consecutively win the men’s Royal Rumble. It has been 26 years since a pro wrestler has done this.
Out of the 30 pro wrestlers who entered the ring on Saturday, Rhodes was number 15.
Rhodes won the match when he went face-to-face against CM Punk, who returned to WWE Royal Rumble for the first time after 10 years away.
“I have gone back-to-back on the Royal Rumble. The first guy to do it since ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin,” Rhodes said in a press conference held after Royal Rumble.
“And I was able to eliminate, probably, the most popular wrestler of my entire era and a guy that I wouldn’t tell him to his face, or maybe I would, but I really admire… and look up to, that being CM Punk.”
After winning, Rhodes then pointed to Undisputed WWE Universal Championship title owner, Roman Reigns, to signify that he would fight him for his title at WrestleMania40.
Rhodes later confirmed his choice of fighting Reigns at WrestleMania40 during the press release.
“WrestleMania39 did happen. And if you’re me, you can’t look at that and… you can’t run from it,” Rhodes said when talking about losing to Reigns in a match at WrestleMania39 last year.
Rhodes went on to name four examples of WWE matches where he would fight Reigns and that he wanted to be back in the ring with Reigns to finish their story.
By the end of men’s Royal Rumble, the match was trending number one on X with 48,044 people in the audience, according to WWE commentators.
Salt Lake City Friday Night SmackDown
In a WWE tour schedule published on Oct. 27, 2023, WWE stated that it would make Salt Lake City a part of its tour.
Friday Night SmackDown will be held at the Delta Center on Feb. 16 at 5:45 p.m., according to the Delta Center website.
The Delta Center website states that pro wrestlers Randy Orton, United States Champion Logan Paul, Kevin Owens, AJ Styles, Bianca Belair and Bobby Lashley will be making an appearance at Friday Night SmackDown.
