CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes: Who Is the Correct Choice to Win WWE Royal Rumble 2024?

As more and more of WWE's top talent declare themselves for the 2024 men's Royal Rumble match, it becomes increasingly more difficult to predict a potential winner.

Randy Orton, AJ Styles and LA Knight all have unfinished business with Undisputed WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns, and World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins has several stars waiting in the wings to challenge him as well.

However, looking at the lay of the land right now on Raw and SmackDown and what the road to WrestleMania 40 should look like, CM Punk and Cody Rhodes are the two names that make the most sense to emerge victorious.

Punk recently made his shocking return to the company at Survivor Series and has already made an impact by signing with the Raw roster and announcing his intentions to rule the Rumble and headline WrestleMania 40 for a world title.

Prior to that point, Rhodes appeared to be the odds-on favorite to punch his ticket to 'Mania by way of the Rumble. Despite already having won last year's installment, this was the clearest path to him "finishing the story" and avenging his loss to Reigns from WrestleMania 39.

Either outcome would be fulfilling for most fans, but which would set the stage for the strongest possible road to WrestleMania?

Rhodes Has Been the Most Logical Choice to Win Since WrestleMania 39

Nearly nine months removed from WrestleMania 39, it's safe to say that Rhodes should have won the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship that night considering what WWE has–and hasn't–done with Reigns and the title since then.

Extending Reigns' run by another year was unnecessary, but it has left fans wanting to see Rhodes beat him that much more. By and large, he has exceeded expectations by staying in chase mode and being booked to win his rivalries with Brock Lesnar and The Judgment Day.

From the moment Reigns pinned Rhodes' shoulders to the mat for the three count at 'Mania, it was obvious that the endgame was always for Rhodes to work his way back up to title contention, earn another opportunity, and dethrone The Tribal Chief at WrestleMania 40.

No other stage was as worthy to pull the trigger on such a monumental moment than The Show of Shows.

That meant Rhodes would have to win the Royal Rumble for a second successive year, a feat that has not been done since "Stone Cold" Steve Austin pulled it off in 1997 and 1998.

It's unknown if that was definitely the direction WWE was headed in prior to Punk's return, but it'd be unwise for the company to change plans simply because he's back–unless the new plans were more exciting and equally logical.

Would Fans Revolt If Rhodes Won for a Second Straight Time?

The biggest concern WWE officials should have is ensuring neither Rhodes nor Punk get booed by the Tampa crowd if it comes down to them two in the men's Royal Rumble.

With both being massive fan favorites at the moment, it wouldn't be ideal for either of them to receive a tainted reaction for eliminating the other.

Although Punk undoubtedly has his fair share of detractors, he'd likely be favored a bit more than Rhodes, if only because he's a hotter commodity coming off his long-awaited return to the company and has never won a Rumble before.

As previously noted, it's been over 25 years since WWE last booked anyone to win a Rumble two years in a row. Prior to Austin, it had also been done by Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels, but it was a much different time in wrestling compared to today.

The average, modern-day wrestling fan is conditioned to want what's new, regardless of whether it makes sense. Thankfully, Rhodes hasn't been overexposed as a main-event star the same way John Cena and Roman Reigns have been in the past, but WWE runs the risk of fans revolting if he wins the Rumble yet again this year.

It's very possible he's popular enough that that wouldn't happen, but Punk being back in the picture could make all the difference.

Punk's Rumble History and Why Winning the 2024 Rumble Would Be Fitting

A case can certainly be made for Punk being one of the greatest WWE Superstars to never win a Royal Rumble.

It's not as if he's hasn't taken part in his fair share of them, either.

He was involved in every installment from 2007 to 2011 and came up short every time despite some strong showings. He defended the WWE Championship (during the same reign) at the event in 2012 and 2013 before participating in one last Rumble in 2014 and losing.

Only in 2011 and 2014 would he have been a realistic choice to win, but WWE went in a different direction on both occasions. Interestingly, the latter Rumble marked his final appearance ever in the company until resurfacing at Survivor Series last month.

From the looks of it, he won't be wrestling on television until he enters the 2024 men's Rumble, exactly 10 years to the day from when he walked out of WWE. The story essentially writes itself.

Additionally, The Second City Saint has a ready-made rivalry with World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins and all signs point to that being the WrestleMania match. Using the Rumble to set it up would not only be the perfect booking scenario, but it also make Rhodes' story a little less predictable and a lot more compelling.

Rhodes' Story Is Infinitely More Interesting by Not Winning the Rumble

Rhodes winning the 2024 men's Rumble would be a satisfactory finish. Not every fan would be happy with him reigning supreme in the Rumble for two consecutive years, but it would add to his aura as a megastar and make his WrestleMania rematch with Reigns official two months out.

There are other ways to get to Reigns vs. Rhodes without taking the exact same route as last year, which would feel like a rerun. The same can be said for Punk vs. Rollins, but it's more important for Punk to win his first match back and remind viewers of how big of a deal he is than lose and risk losing luster.

Overcoming adversity has been a part of Rhodes' story since the start, well before he suffered that defeat to Reigns at WrestleMania 39. It's been a common occurrence throughout his career, and this last stretch of the story should be no exception.

The American Nightmare having to find another way to the main event of WrestleMania will force fans to rally behind him that much more, similar to Shawn Michaels' pursuit of a rematch with The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26.

It isn't impossible for Rhodes to rekindle his rivalry with Reigns if he fails in the Rumble. The Elimination Chamber concept in February has been used in the past to crown No. 1 contenders, or he could continue invading SmackDown and agree to put something of his own on the line in order for Reigns to accept his challenge.

Punk and Rhodes, respectively, should and will headline Night 1 and Night 2 of WrestleMania 40, but how WWE gets there with them will be of upmost importance. Only one path–Punk winning the Rumble–is the correct choice.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.