Slimmer’s WWE Royal Rumble 2024 Review

Welcome to 411’s WWE Royal Rumble 2024 Report. We are LIVE in beautiful St. Petersburg, Florida. Tonight’s Kickoff Show panelists are Jackie Redmond, Wade Barrett, Booker T, and Peter Rosenberg. They start by breaking down the entire card and then head to the Royal Rumble by the Numbers video package. We head to a video package for Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles vs. LA Knight followed by a video package for Logan Paul vs. Kevin Owens. The Kickoff Show finishes up with one more hype video for the Men’s Royal Rumble Match.

The main show starts with Pat McAfee joining Michael Cole and Corey Graves at the announce desk.

Women’s Royal Rumble Match

Natalya is #1. Naomi is #2. The crowd is firmly behind Naomi in her surprise return to WWE, but Natalya takes control early. Naomi fights back with a hurricanrana and a mule kick. Natalya retaliates with a low drop kick to the face. Bayley is #3. Bayley drops Natalya with a clothesline but eats a jawbreaker from Naomi. Candice LeRae is #4 Candice goes after Natalya but gets leveled by Bayley. JORDYNNE GRACE IS #5. Naomi was a surprise, but here’s our first true shock of the Rumble. Grace acknowledges Naomi and then slugs it out with her in the middle of the ring. Indi Hartwell is #6. Hartwell teams up with LeRae for mutual benefit. Asuka is #7. Asuka teams up with Bayley to eliminate Hartwell. Ivy Nile is #8. Nile muscles Natalya to the top rope but can’t get her over. Katana Chance is #9. Nile squares off with Grace, and the powerhouses acknowledge each other. Bianca Belair is #10 Belair hits a handspring moonsault onto Bayley and LeRae. Kairi Sane is #11. Sane heads up top and dives onto Belair. Sane and Asuka hit stereo basement drop kicks to Belair and then try to dump her to the outside. LeRae dumps Sane and Asuka to the apron but can’t get them to the floor. Bayley comes to the rescue and teams up with Sane and Asuka to eliminate LeRae. Tegan Nox is #12. Nox hits a choke slam and follows up with a diving seated senton to Bayley. Grace tries to powerbomb Nox over the top rope, but Natalya makes the save. Natalya hugs Nox and then tries to eliminate her, but Nox reverses the momentum and eliminates Natalya instead. Bayley catches Nox by surprise and eliminates Nox. Kayden Carter is #13. Kayden shifts the momentum of the match against Damage CTRL, and Asuka and Sane are both quickly eliminated. Chelsea Green is #14. Belair takes Grace to the apron and hits a KOD on the apron to eliminate her. Piper Niven Niven charges into the ring and slams Chance to the mat. She piles Carter on top of Chance and hits a running senton on both of them. Niven tries to splash Naomi in the corner but inadvertently connects with Green instead. Xia Li is #16. Li levels several competitors with a volley of kicks. Li picks up Green and uses her as a weapon against Niven. Zelina Vega is #17. Vega goes after Naomi and launches her into Belair. Vega ducks a clothesline from Niven as Bayley goes after Belair. Maxxine Dupri is #18. Vega and Belair team up on Niven but can’t get her over the top rope. Niven knocks Carter off the apron for the elimination as Bayley works over Dupri in the corner. Nia Jax is #19. Jax squares off with Niven and uses Niven to squish Green in the corner. Jax lifts Niven and drops her onto Green. Shotzi is #20. Jax eliminates Niven and then launches Chance onto her. Becky Lynch is #21. Lynch goes right after Jax and connects with a missile drop kick off the top. Lynch levels Vega and Shotzi and then hits Bayley with a Bexploder Suplex. Alba Fyre is #22. Fyre catches Shotzi and Vega with a double Gory Bomb. Shayna Baszler is #23. Baszler goes after Fyre’s arm and follows up with a suplex. Baszler connects with a knee to Shotzi’s jaw and then tries to eliminate Fyre. Shotzi heads up top and connects with a diving crossbody to Lynch. Valhalla is #24. While Valhalla is making her way to the ring, R-Truth charges to the ring and enters as well. Truth squares off with Jax and immediately gets eliminated. Valhalla enters the ring, but she gets distracted by Truth and immediately eliminated as well. Michin is #25. Michin levels Fyre with a gorgeous springboard DDT. Zoey Stark is #26. Stark goes for a powerbomb to Vega, but Vega counters into a hurricanrana. Baszler dumps Vega to the apron, but Vega snaps Baszler’s neck off the top rope. Vega tries to hurricanrana Baszler off the apron, but Stark lands a kick over the top rope to eliminate Vega. Roxanne Perez is #27. Jax eliminates Baszler and then eliminates Michin. Jax powerbombs Shotzi to the outside to eliminate her as well. Jade Cargill is #28. Cargill climbs into the ring and squares off with Jax in the middle of the ring. Cargill slugs it out with Jax, but Cargill gets the better of the exchange and slams Jax to the mat. Cargill lifts Jax and dumps her to the outside to make a major statement. Cargill kicks Lynch to the corner and charges toward her, but Lynch side steps her, and Cargill posts herself in the corner. Tiffany Stratton is #29. Stratton heads up top and takes out most of the other competitors with a Swanton Bomb. Stratton slugs it out with Lynch and then slams Perez to the mat. Stratton dumps Lynch to the apron but can’t get her to the floor. Liv Morgan is #30. Morgan levels Stark with a Code Breaker and follows up with Oblivion with Bayley. Stratton eliminates Perez before all of the remaining competitors slug it out in the middle of the ring. Belair stares down Cargill, and the crowd loves it. Cargill takes Lynch up top and knocks her to the apron. Cargill knocks Lynch to the floor and then tosses Naomi as well. Bayley eliminates Stratton and Belair, so the final three are Bayley, Jade Cargill, and Liv Morgan. Morgan dumps Bayley to the apron and then slugs it out with Cargill. Cargill dumps Morgan and Bayley to the apron, but they pull Cargill to the apron as well. Morgan hits Cargill with Oblivion off the apron for the elimination, and then Bayley knocks Morgan off the apron to win the match.

Match Result: Bayley wins the Women’s Royal Rumble Match, last eliminating Liv Morgan.
Match Length: 1:04:51
Slimmer’s Rating: ****½

Fatal 4-Way Match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
Roman Reigns (Champion) w/ Paul Heyman vs. Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles vs. LA Knight

The bell rings, and Orton, Styles, and Knight all corner Reigns. Orton, Styles, and Knight triple team Reigns and beat him down to the mat. Orton continues the assault on Reigns as Knight turns on Styles. Orton takes Reigns to the outside as Knight and Styles slug it out in the middle of the ring. Knight dumps Styles to the outside and repeatedly slams his head into the announce table. Knight drops Styles back-first onto the announce table and then repeatedly slams Orton’s head into the announce table. Orton regains control and drops Knight back-first onto the announce table. Orton whips Reigns into the ring steps and then rolls him back into the ring. Orton goes to work with Garvin Stomps as Knight heads back into the ring. Reigns gets back to his feet and levels Knight for a one count. Reigns goes to work with a volley of short clotheslines to Knight in the corner and then levels him with a leaping clothesline in the middle of the ring. Styles slides back into the ring and catches Reigns with a chop block. Reigns fights back with a huge back body drop to Styles. Knight catches Reigns with a DDT and then scoop slams Orton for a two count. Knight takes Styles up top and hits a superplex. Reigns charges at Knight, but Knight catches him with a BFT. Knight covers Reigns, but Styles breaks up the pin. Styles hits Reigns with the Styles Clash, but Knight breaks up the pin. Orton sets his sights on Knight but then catches Styles on the top rope and hits a RKO off the top rope. Orton follows up with a RKO to Knight and a RKO to Reigns. Orton covers Reigns, but Solo Sikoa emerges from the crowd and pulls the referee out of the ring. Sikoa climbs up onto the apron and hits Orton with a Samoan Spike. Sikoa heads to the outside and charges at Styles, but Styles slides out of the way, and Sikoa crashes through the barricade. Styles catches Reigns with a Phenomenal Forearm and covers all three of his opponents, but all three men kick out at two. Styles heads to the outside and retrieves a steel chair from under the ring. Styles heads into the ring with the chair and delivers multiple chair shots to Reigns. Styles goes to work with steel chair shots to Knight, but Orton lands a thumb to the eye to save himself from a similar fate. Reigns spears Orton but eats an elbow shot from Knight. Styles goes for the Phenomenal Forearm, but Reigns shoves Knight into the ropes to knock Styles back down to the mat. Reigns hits Styles with a spear and gets the three count.

Match Result: Roman Reigns defeats AJ Styles with a spear.
Match Length: 19:33
Slimmer’s Rating: ****

United States Championship Match
Logan Paul (Champion) vs. Kevin Owens

Owens goes after Paul as soon as the bell rings and beats him to the outside. Owens whips Paul into the barricade and then slams his head into the apron. Owens rolls Paul back into the ring and goes for a cannonball in the corner, but Paul rolls back to the outside. Paul goes after Owens injured hand but eats a senton on the outside. Owens chops the chest and rolls Paul back into the ring, but Paul stomps on Owens’ hand as Owens tries to slide back into the ring. Paul heads back to the outside and repeatedly slams Owens’ injured hand into the ring post. Owens rolls back into the ring, so Paul heads up top and hits the Crossmoon Combo. Paul hits a running leg drop but only gets a two count. Paul wrenches Owens’ arm around the middle rope and pulls on Owens’ injured hand. Owens fights back with a clothesline and goes for a running senton, but Paul gets his knees up. Owens regains control with a neck breaker and then beats Paul into the corner. Owens hits two consecutive cannonballs and heads up top for a frog splash that gets a two count. Owens heads back up top and goes for a Swanton Bomb, but Paul gets his knees up. Paul heads up top and goes for a Swanton Bomb of his own, but Owens rolls out of the way. Paul takes Owens up top and sets up for a superplex, but Owens counters into a super brainbuster. Paul kicks the injured hand and goes for a punch, but Owens counters with a super kick. Owens goes for a stunner, but Paul blocks and levels Owens with a straight punch. Paul makes the cover but only gets a two count. Paul’s entourage cause a distraction, which leads to Austin Theory and Grayson Waller rushing to ringside as well. They slip a pair of brass knuckles to Paul, but Owens grabs the brass knuckles and knocks out Paul. Owens makes the cover, but the referee sees the brass knuckles and disqualifies Owens. After the match, Owens powerbombs Paul through the announce table.

Match Result: Logan Paul defeats Kevin Owens via disqualification.
Match Length: 16:04
Slimmer’s Rating: ***¾

Men’s Royal Rumble Match

Jey Uso is #1. Jimmy Uso is #2. Jey and Jimmy stare each other down in the middle of the ring and then slug it out. Jey knocks Jimmy to the apron, but Jimmy climbs back into the ring. Jey levels Jimmy and heads up top for an Uso Splash, but Jimmy gets his feet up. Grayson Waller is #3. Waller talks trash on his way to the ring and Jey with a Flatliner as soon as he rolls into the ring. Jimmy and Waller double team Jey, but they can’t get him over the top rope. ANDRADE IS #4. Waller squares off with Waller as the Usos continue to battle. Carmelo Hayes is #5. Hayes teams up with Jey and eliminates Waller. Shinsuke Nakamura is #6. Nakamura goes after Hayes and catches him with a kick to the jaw. Nakamura lands a sliding knee to Hayes and levels Andrade with an enzuigiri. Santos Escobar is #7. Escobar hits Nakamura with double knees in the corner and then does the same to Jimmy. Escobar tries to form an alliance with Andrade, but Andrade tried to eliminate Escobar in reply. Karion Kross is #8. Kross levels Hayes with a clothesline and then beats Jey down to the mat in the corner. Kross teams up with Jimmy to continue the assault on Jey in the corner. Dominik Mysterio is #9. Mysterio is in no hurry to get into the ring, but eventually he slides into the ring and goes after Kross. Andrade works over Jimmy as Kross tries to eliminate Nakamura. Carlito is #10. Escobar tries to eliminate Carlito but gets a face full of apple. Carlito eliminates Escobar. Bobby Lashley is #11. Lashley spears Nakamura and then catches Mysterio with a spear as well. Lashley eliminates Carlito, spears Kross, and eliminates Kross as well. The Authors of Pain make their way to the ring and distract Lashley, leading to his elimination. The Street Profits rush to ringside and beat the Authors of Pain to the back. Ludwig Kaiser is #12. Kaiser squares off with Hayes as Jimmy brawls with Mysterio. Austin Theory is #13. Theory hits Hayes with Ataxia. Finn Balor is #14. Balor immediately teams up with Mysterio and eliminates Hayes. Balor hits Jey with the Sling Blade and then beats Andrade to the mat. Cody Rhodes is #15. Rhodes charges into the ring and cleans house. Rhodes hits Theory with the Cody Cutter and tosses him over the top rope for the elimination. Balor and Mysterio double team Rhodes in the corner. Bronson Reed is #16. Reed levels Rhodes and then splashes both Rhodes and Nakamura in the corner. Reed lifts Mysterio and Balor onto his shoulder and hits a double Samoan drop. Reed eliminates Andrade as Rhodes squares off with Nakamura. Kofi Kingston is #17. Nakamura tries to suplex Rhodes off the apron, but Rhodes hits Cross Rhodes across the second rope and bounces Nakamura off the apron for the elimination. Kaiser and Kingston spill to the apron, and Kingston lands a kick that sends Kaiser tumbling to the floor. Gunther is #18. Gunther chops Kingston and then does the same to Balor. Gunther chops Mysterio and drives Jey to the mat. Reed lifts Gunther, but Gunther fights back and scoop slams Reed. Rhodes brawls with Gunther, and Kingston sends Gunther to the apron. Gunther pulls Kingston to the apron and eliminates him. Ivar is #19. Ivar hits a cartwheel and traps Gunther in the corner. Ivar goes to work with back elbow shots to Gunther and levels Jimmy with a big boot. Ivar and Reed slug it out and level each other in the middle of the ring. Bron Breakker is #20. Breaker cleans house and eliminates Jimmy Uso and Finn Balor. Omos is #21. Omos eliminates Bronson Reed as Breakker spears and eliminates Ivar. PAT McAFEE IS #22! McAfee leave the announce table, takes off his jacket, and climbs into the ring. Breakker and Omos stare down McAfee, so McAfee climbs over the top rope and eliminates himself. Breakker eliminates Omos, but Mysterio eliminates Breakker. JD McDonagh is #23. Breakker spears McDonagh on the outside before McDonagh can even climb into the ring. Rhodes works over Gunther as Mysterio brawls with Jey. R-Truth is #24. Truth rolls McDonagh into the ring, and McDonagh immediately gets officially eliminated. Truth stands on the apron and calls for the tag from Mysterio. Gunther locks in a sleeper on Mysterio, but Mysterio hits a stunner to break the hold and makes the hot tag to Mysterio. Truth cleans house and goes for the Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Gunther spring back to his feet and levels Truth with a big boot. The Miz is #25. Miz catches Gunther with a hurricanrana and then teams up with Truth to double team Jey. Truth is torn between his allegiance to Miz and his allegiance to Mysterio. Mysterio hits Miz with the 619. Damian Priest is #26. Priest immediately eliminates Truth and then brawls with Miz. Priest squares off with Jey and then hits Gunther with South of Heaven. Rhodes sends Priest to the apron but can’t knock him to the floor. CM Punk is #27. Punk slides into the ring and cleans house. Punk connects with a kick to Priest’s head and hits a running knee to Miz in the corner. Mysterio tries to eliminate Punk, but Punk reverses the momentum and eliminates Mysterio. Ricochet is #28. Ricochet charges into the ring and catches Miz with a springboard crossbody. Miz heads up top, but Gunther chops him all the way to the floor for the elimination. Drew McIntyre is #29. McIntyre launches Ricochet across the ring and brawls with Jey. McIntyre catches Priest with a spinebuster as Jey tries to eliminate Gunther. Jey dumps Gunther to the apron, but Gunther pulls Jey over the top rope with him and tosses him off the apron for the elimination. Sami Zayn is #30. Priest lifts Zayn, but Zayn floats over and dumps Priest to the apron. Gunther chops Zayn as McIntyre flips Ricochet clean over the top rope for the elimination. Rhodes hits Priest with the Pedigree as Punk hits Gunther with a running knee shot. Zayn hits McIntyre with an Exploder Suplex into the corner and follows up with the Helluva Kick. Zayn eliminates Priest, but McIntyre eliminates Zayn. The Final Four are Cody Rhodes, Gunther, CM Punk, and Drew McIntyre. Rhodes squares off with Gunther as Punk squares off with McIntyre. Rhodes catches Gunther with a Cody Cutter, but Gunther flights back with a vicious clothesline. Gunther chops Rhodes’ chest in the corner and then stares down McIntyre. McIntyre ducks a roundhouse kick from Punk and counters with a neck breaker. Punk lifts McIntyre but can’t hit the Go To Sleep. McIntyre gest in Punk’s face and tries to eliminate him, but Punk blocks and instead eliminates McIntyre. Rhodes goes for a Cody Cutter, but Gunther catches him. Rhodes eliminates Gunther, and we’re down to Cody Rhodes and CM Punk. Punk and Rhodes slug it out in the middle of the ring. The level each other and then brawl on their knees. Rhodes catches Punk with a power slam, but Punk answer with three German suplexes. Punk hits a running knee in the corner and sets up for Go To Sleep, but Rhodes floats over. Rhodes goes for Cross Rhodes, but Punk blocks and dumps Rhodes to the apron. Rhodes rolls back into the ring and hits Punk with Cross Rhodes. Punk fights back with Go To Sleep. Punk dumps Rhodes to the apron, but Rhodes rolls back into the ring. Punk goes for another Go To Sleep, but Rhodes counters and tosses Punk out of the ring for the elimination.

Match Result: Cody Rhodes wins the Men’s Royal Rumble Match, last eliminating CM Punk.
Match Length: 1:08:14
Slimmer’s Rating: ****½

8.9

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

Royal Rumble 2024 was a very good show that did a great job of kicking off the Road to WrestleMania. The show benefited from having only four matches and not packing it full of filler. I assume that Damage CTRL will implode, setting up Iyo Sky vs. Bayley at WrestleMania. Cody Rhodes pointed at Roman Reigns at the end of the show, but many assume we’re heading toward Roman Reigns vs. The Rock at WrestleMania. Could WrestleMania XV have a triple threat man event, just like WrestleMania XX and WrestleMania XXX?