ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The pomp and circumstance of Saturday’s WWE Royal Rumble echoed what we’ve grown accustomed to for pro wrestling’s unofficial calendar kickoff.
The gargantuan neon green WrestleMania XL sign debuted, towering over the announced 48,044 fans at Tropicana Field. “Kingdom” bounced off the walls of the 33-year-old dome, as Cody Rhodes entered a treasured place in WWE lore by winning his second Royal Rumble match. Bayley, meanwhile, achieved one of the final unresolved accolades in her Hall of Fame-caliber career by winning her first as well.
But the scent of scandal lingered over the event, as WWE heads into its biggest stretch of the year with a battered brand name in the public eye on the heels of an industry-rocking lawsuit.
“So I’m going to do exactly what you expected me to do here,” WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque said. “Look, we just had an amazing week, and I just said it, 10-year, $5 billion Netflix deal. Rock joining our board. We just sold out the Royal Rumble with 48,000 people in Tropicana Field. I choose to focus on the positive. Yes there’s a negative. But I want to focus on that, and keep it to that.”
What may have been a celebratory week for the company in some arenas was filled with controversy in others. A lawsuit filed by former WWE employee Janel Grant accused WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon of sexual assault and trafficking, also alleging misconduct against former Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis and an unnamed WWE talent. The nearly-70-page lawsuit, with allegations dating back to 2019, argued other unnamed WWE employees were aware of the alleged misconduct.
“Mr. McMahon does not control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE,” a TKO Group statement read earlier this week. “While this matter pre-dates our TKO executive team’s tenure at the company, we take Ms. Grant’s horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally.”
Though a rep for McMahon adamantly denied the allegations initially, Slim Jim briefly paused its sponsorship partnership with WWE Friday afternoon. Shortly after, a company email from WWE CEO Nick Khan stated McMahon had resigned from his role as executive chairman with both TKO and WWE. In a separate public statement, McMahon defended his reputation.
“I stand by my prior statement that Ms. Grant’s lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth,” McMahon said in part. “I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name.”
Levesque, McMahon’s real-life son-in-law, has long been viewed as a breath of fresh air for creatively frustrated WWE fans since taking over in his current role. However, given his proximity to McMahon during the period of alleged misconduct, uncertainty has permeated the ranks, and the direction of the infrastructure of the company is unclear at this juncture.
“I’ll give you the most generalized answer that I can: everything possible,” Levesque said when asked what the company was doing to make sure people in power wouldn’t take advantage of people below them. “That is a very important thing to us, a very important topic to us. It’s as simple as everything possible.” Levesque also noted he had not yet read the lawsuit, and found out about it when the news broke publicly.
Rhodes, in contrast, admitted the allegations were a “dark cloud” over the company, and offered insight as to why he believes the current culture of the company is in a strong position.
“As far as TKO, Nick Khan, the board, clearly took it very seriously. Acted immediately,” Rhodes said of the lawsuit. “This crew is very team-based, and perhaps that’s the ingredient, is everyone looking out for everyone. Being accountable. And I know for me, as a performer and a competitor, I’ve been through dark periods in our industry before. And it might sound cheesy, but it’s very reinforcing if you’re in my position, that it’s a time when, hey, we got 50,000 people out here. I want to give them something else from this weekend that isn’t a terrible situation and terrible news. And I think we were able to do that. Obviously, as more news comes out, we’ll be seeing it just like you do.”
Bayley was not asked about the allegations during the open press availability. Earlier in the day, former WWE Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey took to X, and claimed WWE Executive Director of Raw and Smackdown Bruce Prichard is McMahon’s “avatar,” claiming as long as he is involved with the company, Vince would have a “hand in the business.”
Rousey’s post was not addressed publicly by WWE or Levesque.
Despite the chaos of the discourse, WWE still managed to continue its string of strong Premium Live Events since Levesque took over creative control. Logan Paul continues to prove he belongs near the top of the discussion of greatest celebrity crossovers into the world of pro wrestling. He and Kevin Owens had to climb out of difficult card placement to produce an entertaining United States Championship match with a clever finish that saw Paul retain via DQ. The fatal-four way match for the WWE Universal Championship saw Roman Reigns retain via pin on AJ Styles. The structure allowed for similar tomfoolery to other Bloodline matches, but delivered a respectable 19 and a half-minute effort that never quite hit the next gear. The additional participants in the match at least added an unpredictability element that has been missing from some of his other defenses.
Reigns is destined to main event WrestleMania for the eighth time. It’s an impressive feat that cements him as one of the most accomplished performers in WWE history, and his opponent also appears to be all but certain as well in the form of Rhodes.
“There is nobody more dedicated to this craft, the respect that [Rhodes] has for it is second-to-none,” Levesque said. “He absolutely is the future of this for all the right reasons.”
Rhodes’ loss in the main event of last year’s WrestleMania against Reigns served as one of the most controversial booking decisions in recent memory, but after spending a year vaguely teasing challenging Reigns once again, he will now get that opportunity. Rhodes becomes the fourth man ever to win back-to-back Royal Rumble matches in the process.
“WrestleMania 39 did happen. And if you’re me, you can’t look at that, and you can’t run from it,” Rhodes said. “I want to be back in the ring with Roman Reigns, and I want to finish the story.”
Rhodes entered the match at No. 15, and ended up among the final two with fellow former All Elite Wrestling star CM Punk. The two had a mini-match to end the night, as Rhodes the 38-year-old Rhodes tossed Punk over the top rope to secure Rumble win No. 2. He later noted how Punk has seen his growth in the industry over the past decade-and-a-half, and praised the former WWE Champion’s performance multiple times.
“I think tonight, he got to see who I am now,” Rhodes said. “He’s amazing. It could have gone either way. I look forward to what he does in WWE.”
The men’s Royal Rumble match itself showcased the depth of talent WWE has built in the past year. Andrade made his return to WWE after a multi-year stint in AEW, entering the match at No. 4. NXT’s Bron Breakker made quite an impression in his first appearance, eliminating Jimmy Uso, Ivar, and Finn Balor. Pat McAfee has cemented himself as one of the most prominent figures in sports media, and he made his return to the ring in spot No. 22 (before quickly eliminating himself Drew Carey-style).
With her win, Bayley became the second woman to go the distance from the No. 3 spot in Royal Rumble history, following Bianca Belair’s victory in 2021. She lasted 63 minutes and three seconds officially, the longest time recorded in a women’s Royal Rumble. The win would in theory allow her to follow a similar path to Iyo Sky that Batista did in 2005 with Levesque (Triple H), regarded as one of the more memorable WrestleMania builds of the last 20 years.
It was also the climax of a long character journey for the 34-year-old.
“My whole career, and my whole character change and everything has been real. When I first started, I was excited to be here,” she said. “I had to do something to save my career.
Bayley, who emerged as one of WWE’s top heels in the summer of 2020 and anchored weekly programming in a new role, felt the audience is seeing her most authentic self currently.
“Everything I’ve been doing has been real, and genuine, and natural,” she said. “And this is who I am now.”
“Bayley is a unique and very sort of giving performer that is always a constant. And I think it’s easy to overlook how good she is, because she’s always the constant in getting something else launched,” Levesque said. “She has been sometimes lost in the shuffle of just how great of a performer she is. She’s one of the all-time best.”
Among the surprises of the night on the women’s side included a returning Naomi (Trinity Fatu) after nearly two years away from the company, as she entered No. 2. TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace, who beat Trinity earlier in January for the title, became the second-active TNA talent to enter the Rumble, after Mickie James did a couple of years ago. Former AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill also made her official WWE debut after signing with the company months ago, entering the match at No. 28.
“Whatever you want to call it. X-Factor, aura, whatever it is, she’s got it. And then some,” Levesque said. “She’s just a different performer. And I’m glad that she has had the time to get her feet on the ground and was able to come in here tonight and make a huge impact. So the future’s incredibly bright for her, and for all of us.”
Levesque’s confidence in the long-term future of the company is expected and largely with merit, but the immediate future is far less certain. The lawsuit filing is likely just the beginning of what may become a lengthy legal battle that is almost guaranteed to play out in the public eye, while it also can’t be ruled out other personnel changes may be in store within the executive ranks as a response. It is also unknown at this time whether or not McMahon may face additional personal and professional fallout as a result.
Fortunately for WWE, it has the most prepared, professionally-ready, and beloved hero since John Cena at the forefront of its programming. And while there will be plenty of more questions that will surface about the company in the ensuing months, Cody Rhodes will fortifyingly be the answer to any creative doubts en route to Philadelphia.
A bright spot, in a week clouded by darkness.
“Here’s the news, here’s the headline: I am the guy,” Rhodes said. “And I have been the guy. And I am a three-count, or a submission away from being the quarterback of the greatest, most prosperous era in the history of sports-entertainment.”
