Wrestlemania 40 weekend was highlighted, last night with the go-home PLE edition of WWE Smackdown where an annual tradition returned. The 2024 edition of Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal went down last night where Raw roster member, Big Bronson Reed came out as the winner.
The final six in this match on WWE Smackdown were Otis, Bronson Reed, Ivar, Ricochet, McDonagh, and Tozawa. In a sequence, Otis did The Worm on Reed, but Ivar instantly eliminated Otis. Ivar lifted Tozawa and threw him onto Otis. The final two were Reed and Ivar.
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Ivar executed a cartwheel at one point and followed that up with a spinning back-kick. The Viking Raiders’ member went to the top but he missed a moonsault. Reed got back to his feet and clotheslined Ivar over the top for the win.
Thus on WWE Smackdown, Reed joined Cesaro, Big Show, Baron Corbin, Mojo Rawley, Matt Hardy, Braun Strowman, Jey Uso, Riddick Moss, and Bobby Lashley on the list of wrestlers who previously won Andre the Giant Battle Royal over the years.
WWE Smackdown: The 10th Memorial Battle Royal went down this week
Except for 2020, this annual battle royal has been held annually since 2014. It originally was a WrestleMania tradition due to which WWE also introduced a Women’s Battle Royal as well. But that hasn’t been the case in recent years. It’s been held on the pre-WrestleMania edition of WWE SmackDown since 2021 while the female edition has been cut for the past couple of years.
Heading into Wrestlemania 40, Reed had been talking about a “Meaty Invitational” to be part of the card. WWE didn’t let that happen but Reed and Ivar did receive “Meat” chants in the battle royal that went down on WWE Smackdown.
The Memorial battle royal was first introduced in 2014 by WrestleMania 30 host Hulk Hogan, who dedicated this tradition to his friend and rival Andre the Giant. Cesaro (now AEW’s Claudio Castagnoli) won the inaugural match by eliminating the Big Show, who won the match the following year. Now, WWE Smackdown hosted the 10th edition but with this move, several talents will miss the main card of Wrestlemania.
