Jade Cargill’s Star-Making Debut and Top Takeaways from WWE Royal Rumble 2024 Results

Jade Cargill’s Star-Making Debut and Top Takeaways from WWE Royal Rumble 2024 Results0 of 4

Credit: WWE.com

The 2024 Royal Rumble provided fans with several unforgettable moments from the night’s two same-titled matches, including unforgettable returns and one tense finale with a berth in the WrestleMania 40 main event at stake.

In the wake of the first WWE premium live event of the year and the start of the road to WrestleMania, there were several key takeaways from the show.

What were they, what do they mean for the weeks to come, and how might they impact the biggest WWE event of the year?

Find out with this recap from Saturday’s show.

Jade Cargill vs. Bianca Belair is Dream Match We Need at WrestleMania1 of 4

Jade Cargill made her much-anticipated debut Saturday during the women’s Royal Rumble and wasted little time establishing herself as a star, almost instantly eliminating the dominant Nia Jax to the approval of the fans at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

If the red-hot crowd response for the 31-year-old was not already impressive enough, it somehow paled in comparison to the reaction to the staredown with Bianca Belair that followed.

Cargill and The EST of WWE looked at each other and the result was electrifying, with fans off their feet. It was a dream match almost realized before being cut off prematurely by the others in the Battle Royal.

Jeff J. @JeffJSaysTHIS MAKES ME FEEL ALIVE pic.twitter.com/V1bsuaDMjt

That moment made something clear: Cargill vs. Belair is the dream match we need to see on April 6-7 as part of WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia.

Both women are physically gifted in ways few others on the roster are. They are strong, fast and athletic. Belair has been at the mountaintop of professional wrestling, making history with her SmackDown Women’s Championship victory over Sasha Banks at WrestleMania 37.

Cargill hopes to follow in her path, taking a star she introduced to the wrestling world in All Elite Wrestling and enhancing it to greater success in WWE.

Putting these two women in the ring against each other at The Show of Shows and letting them create magic is what that stage is made for.

Bayley Headed To Career-Defining Moment After Overdue Rumble Win2 of 4

For years, Bayley has watched her fellow Four Horsewomen of NXT have opportunities to make history and shine brightest at WrestleMania.

Charlotte Flair won the WWE Women’s Championship in her first dance on that stage, Becky Lynch won the first women’s main event in its history, and Sasha Banks made history in the first title match between two black women at WrestleMania 37 against Belair.

Meanwhile, Bayley has been involved in tag matches and multi-woman championship clashes where the focus was either partially on her or hardly at all.

When she did finally have her chance to shine, it arrived during the COVID-19 pandemic and in front of no fans.

WWE @WWEBAYLEY IS GOING TO WRESTLEMANIA!

Congratulations to 2024 Women’s #RoyalRumble Match Winner @itsBayleyWWE! You EARNED it!!! pic.twitter.com/fhPuX2he7K

Saturday night, Bayley put the pieces in place to rectify that by winning the women’s Rumble and inching closer to a showdown with WWE women’s champion Iyo Sky.

Her role as leader of Damage CTRL has diminished as Sky, Asuka, Kairi Sane and Dakota Kai lose faith in her to ensure the faction’s winning ways. That should continue, concluding with her friends removing her from the group and Bayley deciding to utilize her guaranteed title opportunity on The Genius of the Sky

There will probably be twists and turns on the road there, with teases of a match against Rhea Ripley dominating the coming weeks, but Bayley will get her opportunity nonetheless.

Most surprising, it will be her first singles match at WrestleMania, a staggering fact given her 10 years of excellence in both NXT and WWE.

Cody Rhodes Will End Roman Reigns’ Epic Run at WrestleMania 403 of 4

For the fourth year in a row, Roman Reigns entered the Royal Rumble as champion.

For the fourth year in a row, he left with his title intact.

The Tribal Chief defeated LA Knight, AJ Styles, and Randy Orton to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in a Fatal 4-Way match, ensuring his reign will make it to WrestleMania 40 barring any unforeseen circumstances.

It won’t make it past that, though.

Cody Rhodes won the men’s Royal Rumble, cashing his ticket to The Showcase of the Immortals and a rematch with Reigns on wrestling’s grandest stage.

WWE @WWEDO THE WORK.
FINISH THE STORY.@CodyRhodes just won the Men’s #RoyalRumble Match for the second year in a row! The American Nightmare has his sights set on @WWERomanReigns as the Road to #WrestleMania is underway! pic.twitter.com/RkHT2oAsLT

One year ago, everyone was certain he would dethrone Reigns but watched in stunned silence as The Tribal Chief retained the top prize at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

That won’t be the case this year.

Rhodes has endured a grueling year-long journey back to the top of the mountain. And as evidenced by the staredown with the undisputed WWE universal champion in the closing moments of Saturday’s PPV, he has chosen Reigns as his WrestleMania 40 opponent.

There is no question about it because any other outcome would do irreparable damage to The American Nightmare and ruin him as a legitimate main event star and babyface for WWE.

Rhodes will finish his story, pay off a two-year odyssey and etch his name in the history books in a way even his Hall-of-Famer father could not.

CM Punk’s Defeat Won’t Affect Path to ‘Mania Main Event4 of 4

CM Punk may have momentarily seen his dreams of headlining WrestleMania come crashing down in the closing moments of the men’s Rumble match, but his runner-up status won’t affect his path to the main event of wrestling’s most prestigious event.

It has been his motivation and the goal he has set for himself from day one of this go-round with WWE. The seeds were planted for a WrestleMania showdown with Seth Rollins when they came face-to-face during an electric confrontation on Raw, and there’s no reason to believe that match is not still the plan.

There are ways for Punk to get to that position, and for that match to occur, without him winning the Rumble.

Elimination Chamber 2024 will take place on February 24, with the No. 1 contender to The Visionary’s title being determined in the event’s namesake match.

Punk is advertised for the show in Australia, and there are few better ways to magnify the significance of this premium live event Down Under than by having him earn his title shot there and celebrate the enormity of the moment.

Punk is going to main-event WrestleMania, likely on Night One and probably against Rollins. Just because that isn’t set in stone after Saturday’s show does not affect the road to accomplishing his goal.