Cody Rhodes literally punched his ticket to become a WWE champion after returning to the WWE just in time for the 2023 men's Royal Rumble on Saturday night.
This year's Royal Rumble didn't think twice to open with arguably the most important match of the evening. With 29 world title hopefuls sharing the ring with him, including a surprisingly spry and daredevilish-as-usual Logan Paul, Rhodes outlasted them all en route to a spectacular finish.
The end was a bittersweet moment for Gunther's fans, who started the match No. 1, only to be eliminated by the American Nightmare, who came in at No. 30. For what it's worth, The Ring General did set a new record at this year's men's Rumble after lasting for one hour, 11 minutes, and 25 seconds.
Rhodes looked as good as ever since his first in-ring match since the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view last June 5. He showed no signs of his torn pectoral muscle after spending the last couple of months on the mend.
