The 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble left no stone unturned to entertain the crowd. Renowned for its shock factor, the package of surprises opened right from the beginning when Pat McAfee joined the commentary side. However, the finish proved to be too obvious.
WWE Hall of Famers Edge and Booker T were part of the action. While The Rated-R Superstar came to settle scores with The Judgment Day, Booker’s return to the ring after a decade was entertaining.
This year’s Men’s Royal Rumble also made history books. Rey Mysterio’s long-standing record was broken by Gunther in his first appearance in the multi-man bout. The Ring General lasted for more than an hour after entering at #1 before being eliminated by the eventual winner.
Cody Rhodes won the 2023 Men’s WWE Royal Rumble Match. A heavy favorite to win the contest since last year, Rhodes entered at #30 and sparred with Seth Rollins and Austin Theory before setting his eyes on Gunther. The two megastars brawled for several minutes, using various strategies, showing glimmers of a possible blockbuster feud.
The American Nightmare is one step closer to achieving his dream: capturing the WWE Championship to honor his late father, Dusty Rhodes. WrestleMania 39 will likely showcase the No.1 babyface on the roster competing against the No.1 heel, Roman Reigns, if the latter doesn’t lose his world titles leading into the April event.
Cody Rhodes was part of seven Men’s Royal Rumble matches in his WWE career before pulling off a victory today. His Road to WrestleMania has been a long time coming, considering his past struggles in the Stamford-based promotion.
How did Cody Rhodes react to facing Gunther in the 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble?
Rhodes and Gunther stole the show with their gladiatorial battle during the climax of the high stakes match.The American Nightmare was subjected to vicious chops,, but he fought through it and tossed the 300-pound star over the top rope.
During a post-match interview with Ryan Satin, Rhodes disclosed how the reigning Intercontinental Champion has the potential to be a megastar.
“I got blood in my mouth right now and I like that (…) There’s something about being in the ring – you like a little pain – [and] I think maybe a little bit of Gunther was a good thing (…) That guy has a massive future and present as well.” (3:44 – 4:03)
Cody Rhodes is seemingly about to be incorporated into the ”Bloodline implosion” storyline soon. Time will tell how that pans out. He could end up teaming with Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and John Cena to end The Tribal Chief’s tyranny.
Check out exclusive footage of a fight that broke out at the WWE Royal Rumble press conference
