5 best picks to eliminate Cody Rhodes from WWE Royal Rumble 2024
As much as Cody Rhodes would like to finish his story at WrestleMania 40, numerous other WWE Superstars would go to extra lengths to make him face even more adversity.
The American Nightmare was the first one to declare his entry into the 2024 Royal Rumble match. Having won the last edition of the 30-man bout, he is confident that he can outlast 29 other performers this time around as well.
But in case WWE has other plans, the superstar who eliminates Cody is likely to get monstrous heat. Due to this reason, whoever throws him over the top should be someone who could benefit from said heat.
That said, here are four heels and one beloved babyface who are likely to crush The Dashing One's Royal Rumble dreams.
#5 CM Punk
One would think that WWE wouldn't risk fans turning on CM Punk already, considering that he's one of the top babyfaces in the company currently. However, things are much more complex than that.
In his first promo back, The Second City Saint mentioned that he had returned to make money, not friends. Moreover, Seth Rollins has been repeatedly accusing Punk of being a hypocrite. So, there's a solid chance that The Voice of the Voiceless will undergo a slow-burn heel turn.
A glimpse of his villainous side could be shown during tonight's Royal Rumble match. While it will be every man for himself, fans are quick to notice if someone is playing dirty.
So, if CM Punk cunningly eliminates Cody Rhodes from the Rumble, his current run would become even more must-see.
#4 Shinsuke Nakamura
Ever since his loss at WWE WrestleMania 39, The American Nightmare has been facing one challenge after the next.
Just after he had dealt with The Judgment Day, he found himself on Shinsuke Nakamura's radar. What the 2023 Royal Rumble winner thought would be a one-match rivalry turned into a loop of mind games.
Nevertheless, Cody managed to defeat The King of Strong Style and put him in the rearview. However, what if the two-time NXT Champion isn't ready to move on?
The Men's Royal Rumble Match will be Nakamura's best shot at getting even with his recent rival. If he can dump Cody out of the ring, he can instantly get his heat back.
#3 Solo Sikoa
While Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns haven't crossed paths more than a couple of times since April, member of the wrestling royalty hasn't stayed out of The Bloodline's business.
From making occasional trips to WWE SmackDown, to meddling in the faction's business to being responsible for getting Jey Uso on WWE RAW, Cody has proven numerous times that he's not flinching.
If he can win the 2024 Royal Rumble match, there's no doubt that he'll go after the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. So, to be on the safe side, The Tribal Chief might order Solo to make sure that last year's winner doesn't get to point at the WrestleMania sign tonight.
Interestingly, Solo doesn't even have to be in the match to get Cody out. All he has to do is hide close to the ring and seize the perfect opportunity to complete the job.
#2 2x WWE Champion Drew McIntyre
WWE has something special with Drew McIntyre's ongoing heel run. The fact that he's a threat to every top babyface on WWE RAW keeps fans wondering about his next step.
Recently, The Scottish Psychopath came face-to-face with the WWE 2K24 cover star. The two-time WWE Champion praised his former tag-team partner for the path he carved for himself. However, McIntyre was quick to remind him that his story comes first.
Moreover, the 2020 Royal Rumble winner knows a thing or two about eliminating the biggest threat from the 30-man contest. So, expect him to be the one to take Cody out of the match with a nightmarish Claymore.
Additionally, collecting such a key elimination would help boost McIntyre's momentum, which took a hit after he lost his 12th consecutive title match at WWE Day 1.
#1 Gunther
If there's one wrestler who just keeps getting better, it's the current and longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion, Gunther.
Despite coming up short, The Ring General had a star-making performance in last year's Royal Rumble match. He was the first entrant, lasted over 71 minutes, and was the last one eliminated. Thus, the WWE Universe is hoping for an even better performance from him tonight.
One of the ways Gunther can have a standout showing is by getting rid of the superstar who eliminated him last year. After all, Cody hasn't gotten in the ring with The Austrian Superstar since their encounter last year. So, it would make sense for him to not be fully aware of how better he has gotten since then.
Moreover, Gunther throwing a top WWE Superstar over the top would help his case as he begins his pursuit of the World Heavyweight Championship.