WWE Royal Rumble Review - January 27, 2024

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Bayley Won the 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match

I've seen plenty of people say that this was the best women's Rumble we've gotten yet and it's hard to argue against that. Only the inaugural one in 2018 comes to mind as possibly being better, but I still prefer this one to that one (and I was in attendance for both). Yes, there were some sloppy spots and awkward moments, but the layout was largely strong and the surprises delivered. Jade Cargill looked like a total star in her first WWE match, Jordynne Grace coming in as the TNA Knockouts World Champion was awesome, R-Truth attempting to enter was legitimately funny, the final stretch was excellent, and Bayley winning was the correct outcome. This kicked off the night on a high note.

Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns def. AJ Styles, LA Knight and Randy Orton in a Fatal 4-Way Match

I was very surprised this went on second and not third. It was actually the first premium live event that Reigns hasn't headlined (that he wrestled on) since Royal Rumble 2022 if I'm not mistaken. Even with Reigns having to "overcome the odds" in storyline here, I didn't doubt for a second that he'd retain, but it was a very fun Fatal 4-Way, especially with this being the first Fatal 4-Way Reigns has had during this historic title reign. They kept it interesting throughout, but the Solo Sikoa interference is so damn lazy at this point. Yes, it generates heat and that's the point, but you'd think they'd get more creative with the way he gets involved.

United States Champion Logan Paul def. Kevin Owens by Disqualification

Similar to the Fatal 4-Way, I don't think anyone actually thought Owens would win, but that didn't stop Paul and Owens from having a very good match. Paul continues to deliver and Owens was a quality opponent for him. That's why I have no issue with the rivalry resuming beyond the Rumble, which it clearly will based on what went down at the end. Non-finishes on pay-per-view are typically lame, but I thought the referee catching Owens with the brass knuckles was well executed.

Cody Rhodes Won the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match

Of the two Rumble matches, the women's was superior this year, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one and thought it had its fair share of highlights. It probably on par with last year's men's Rumble. The surprise entrants are commonly criticized, but there were enough satisfying surprises (at least in my opinion) and I appreciated that there weren't too many filler entrants. Several feuds were effectively furthered as well. When it came down to Rhodes and CM Punk (as it should have), I was convinced Punk was winning, but Rhodes winning instead was a cool twist and it's not as if the crowd rejected it just because Punk is a fellow fan favorite.

Overall Show

I've seen stronger Rumble shows, I've seen worse Rumble shows. This year's installment falls somewhere in the middle. I was entertained by the two Rumbles and WWE got it right with both winners, so those things alone make this a successful show. The two matches in the middle won't be remembered as instant classics, but they were what they needed to be and the right people went over. Of course, all of this is irrelevant compared to the real life issues the company is currently facing, and even with Vince McMahon gone, none of that will be going away until the company's culture is addressed and rectified.

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