Did CM Punk's Injury Change WWE Royal Rumble Plans?
Prior to his triceps injury, was CM Punk meant to win the Royal Rumble?
With CM Punk having suffered a triceps tear at WWE Royal Rumble last weekend, some have questioned whether that led to an audible being called where it pertains to the winner of the men's Rumble.
Of course, Cody Rhodes was the man who emerged victorious in that match, with he and Punk being the final two left to duke it out in the over-the-top spectacular. Going in to the PLE, both men were huge favourites to win the Rumble; Punk to cement a shot at Seth Rollins' World Heavyweight Champion and finally main event a WrestleMania, Cody to "finish his story" and once again face Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
So, was the Second City Saint actually supposed to win the Royal Rumble, only to see his triceps injury force an on-the-fly change where Cody Rhodes was instead given the victory? In a word, no.
Per Fightful Select, no changes were made, Rhodes was due to win the Rumble, and things played out exactly as they were supposed to. However, this report does note that obviously creative plans for Monday's Raw were changed, with the fantastic Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins segment added as a direct result of CM Punk's injury.