When it comes to wrestling, I’m a CM Punk guy, and going into the 2025 Royal Rumble, I was genuinely hoping to see the Second City Saint win his first Rumble. Doing so would instantly put Punk in the Wrestlemania 41 main event, fulfilling the wrestler’s long-talked-about dream.
CM Punk’s promos and a fantastic sit-down interview with Jackie Redmond made it clear that the aging wrestler still had goals and desires in the business and were compelling storytelling blocks. The WWE Universe was clearly behind CM Punk. And when he eliminated Seth “Freakin'” Rollins and Roman Reigns during the Royal Rumble, the crowd was even louder.
And then, seconds later, just like that, CM Punk was tossed over the top rope by the hated Logan Paul. The dream died.
And it was awesome.
While I was disappointed that CM Punk wouldn’t be this year’s winner, his elimination, alongside that of Rollins and Reigns, immediately made the Rumble even more compelling, and this was mid-match. Who would win when not one but three potential favourites were gone within seconds?
The final three were down to the legitimately reviled but ridiculously talented Logan Paul, the hugely popular Jey Uso, and “The Greatest of All Time,” John Cena, who was beginning his farewell tour, entering his final Royal Rumble. Of the three, an argument could have been made for the social media superstar Paul or the movie star Cena to win and help get the mainstream media attention for Wrestlemania that WWE always craves. However, when Paul was eliminated, and we were down to Jey and John, I started to feel confident that Jey would be the surprise winner. My thoughts were that the established Cena was back to help make superstars; he didn’t need a Rumble victory (and for the record, neither do CM Punk, Roman Reigns, or Seth Rollins), but Jey Uso coming out on top and pointing to that Wrestlemania sign would absolutely put him on the next level.
And that’s what happened. And it was awesome.
What WWE does so well right now is tell compelling, often unpredictable stories. Few of us thought Jey Uso was walking out of the Royal Rumble the victor. Fewer of us probably wanted it. Again, I was all in for my guy, CM Punk. But by the time Jey was one of the final two, I was cheering for him to get that victory. The story is now: who will he choose for a title shot at Wrestlemania 41? My guess is that his issues with WWE Champion GUNTHER are far from finished, and the two will lock up again in Las Vegas.
The Royal Rumble match set out a series of Road to Wrestlemania stories that will ultimately lead to an excellent ‘Mania card. Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns have serious beef again that needs to be resolved. John Cena has a target on his back, and if he and Logan Paul are to face off in Vegas? Well, there’s your mainstream notices. We can’t forget about Drew MacIntyre, either. There are reports that he left the Rumble last night legitimately pissed off about someone’s actions during the match; regardless, his elimination by Damien Priest sets up another ‘Mania moment.
What about CM Punk? His Road to Wrestlemania isn’t over, and I’m looking for him to enter the Elimination Chamber in Toronto on May 1 and come out on top, even though he’ll face stiff competition from John Cena, who, in an effective promo, declared his spot in that match last night.
Should CM Punk win the Elimination Chamber? Man, I hope he does. The money match is between him and Cody Rhodes, the hugely popular Undisputed Champion. For the past two years, these two men have delivered brilliant face-to-face promos setting up this particular story (along with Rhodes eliminating Punk at the 2024 Royal Rumble match to win his second Rumble) and headlining the second night of Wrestlemania 41 would be an outstanding finale to the two-day event.
The possibilities are endless, perhaps the biggest win for talent and fans coming out of the 2025 Royal Rumble.
