WWE Royal Rumble - Spoilers Ahead

The 2016 WWE Royal Rumble Kickoff Pre-show opens with Renee Young and Corey Graves along with WWE Hall of Famers Booker T and Jerry Lawler. We see fans making their way into the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. They joke about Booker wearing his break-away pants for tonight's 30-man main event for the WWE World Heavyweight Title. We check in with Rich Brennan in the Social Media Lounge. He will be joined by the Social Outcasts later. The panel talks more about the match and we get the "By The Numbers" video for tonight.

- We go backstage to The League of Nations. Sheamus says he's going to get his WWE World Heavyweight Title back tonight and says either way, one of them is going to leave with the title tonight. They get hype for the match and we go back to the panel. They show the trailer for the new WWE 24 special on WrestleMania 31, which premieres tonight after the Rumble. We get hype for tonight's Last Man Standing match and go backstage to JoJo with Kevin Owens. Owens is confident about putting Ambrose down, winning the Intercontinental Title back and then winning the Rumble for the WWE World Heavyweight Title.

Fatal 4 Way: The Dudley Boyz vs. Mark Henry and Jack Swagger vs. The Ascension vs. Damien Sandow and Darren Young

We go to the ring and Michael Cole is joined by JBL and Byron Saxton. Eden does the introductions as The Dudley Boyz come out first to a big pop. The winners of this match will earn Royal Rumble spots. Mark Henry is out next followed by his partner Jack Swagger. They head to the ring together. Cole tells everyone the two have had success on WWE Main Event recently. Damien Sandow is out next in his blue robe and he gets a big pop. Darren Young is also out, running circles around Sandow. Young tries to get Sandow to do the "million of dollars" dance but Sandow doesn't break character. The Ascension comes out last.

Darren starts off with Swagger as fans chant for tables. Swagger with an early pin attempt. Henry tags in and flattens Young. Fans chant for Sandow now I believe. Henry works Young over in the corner. Swagger tags back in and runs the ropes but Young decks him. Sandow tags in to a huge pop. He nails the Russian leg sweep on Swagger and then the Elbow of Disdain for a pop. Fans chant for Sandow but Young tags in for some double teaming. Young with a bridged suplex for a 2 count. Konnor tags himself in as fans boo. He drops Swagger and shoves Henry on the apron. Henry comes in and this leads to all four teams coming in to argue as the referee tries to keep order. We go to a break.

Back from the break and Swagger is still in with Konnor. Swagger slams him and D-Von tags himself in. D-Von unloads on Konnor but has a neckbreaker blocked. Viktor trips D-Von while the referee is distracted. Viktor tags in and they double team D-Von in the corner with stomps. Konnor comes back in for more double teaming and a 2 count. Fans still want Sandow. Bubba finally gets a tag and unloads. It comes down to D-Von hitting the big headbutt on Young. They call for the tables. Viktor runs in and takes a 3D but Swagger pulls Bubba out of the ring as he goes for the pin. Henry splashes Bubba as Swagger holds him from the floor and then covers Viktor for the win. Henry and Swagger are going to the Rumble.

Winners: Mark Henry and Jack Swagger

- After the match, Henry and Swagger celebrate as Henry's music hits. The WrestleMania 32 banner drops down as they shake hands and Henry exits the ring.

- Renee sends us to Rich Brennan and the Social Outcasts in the Social Media Lounge. They kick him out and turn the Q&A session into shenanigans. We go back to the panel for more Rumble hype and videos. We get a promo for tonight's WWE Divas Title match and Becky Lynch promises to bring home the gold. Booker predicts Becky will win but Graves disagrees. Lawler says Becky is jealous of Charlotte's relationship with her dad. Lawler says he heard Becky has daddy issues. The panel hypes tonight's 30-man main event one last time. Graves doesn't think Reigns can overcome the odds tonight. More discussion from the panel and that's it for the pre-show.

- The 2016 WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view opens up with Vince McMahon and Stephanie McMahon getting out of a limousine in the back. They're in a very good mood tonight. JoJo approaches them for comments and brings up WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns. Vince bends down to get on JoJo's level and we hear the crowd laughing inside. They talk about Reigns defending in tonight's 30-man main event. Vince says he loves this night, almost as much as he loves himself... and his daughter. They walk off and we get an opening video package.

- Presented by Chex Mix, the Royal Rumble is live from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida as pyro goes off and Michael Cole welcomes us. He's joined by JBL and Byron Saxton. We go right to Lilian Garcia in the ring.

Last Man Standing Match for the WWE Intercontinental Title: Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose

Lilian goes over the rules and out comes WWE Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose to a big pop. Kevin Owens is out next, also to a pop. We see the Spanish and French announcers at ringside.

The bell rings and they unload on each other. Ambrose takes it to the corner but Owens fights out and into the opposite corner. Owens with a big right hand and some trash talking. Owens with more strikes and chops from corner to corner. Ambrose turns it around and hits the running bulldog. Owens rolls to the floor but Ambrose dives out onto him, sending Owens over the announce table. Cole gets taken down but JBL makes it out of the way. Ambrose keeps up the attack and beats Owens into the barrier, then tosses him back over the table. Ambrose stands on the table and gets a pop. He jumps off but Owens nails him. Apparently Cole's iPad was damaged. Ambrose whips Owens into the steel steps.

Ambrose pulls a kendo stick from under the ring and goes to work on Owens with it, beating him into the ring. Ambrose unloads with the stick inside the ring, sending Owens back to the floor. Ambrose follows but Owens drops him with a superkick. Cole is back on commentary now. Owens runs the length of the ring and hits a cannonball through the barrier. Fans chant "holy s--t" and Ambrose is laid out as the referee starts counting. Ambrose gets up at the 8 count. Owens nails him with a kendo stick and follows him into the ring with it. Owens with kendo shots to the back. Owens breaks the stick over his knee and jabs both pieces into Ambrose's gut before tossing them to the floor. Owens tells Ambrose to stay down and nails another clothesline. Owens with a senton. He tells the referee to count but Ambrose gets back up at 5. Owens throws him to the floor and launches him into the barrier.

Owens throws several steel chairs in the ring. Owens smacks Ambrose over the back with the chair on the floor. The referee counts as Owens sets 2 chairs up in the ring. He takes a seat in one and kicks his feet up on the other. Ambrose gets back up at 5. He comes in the ring but Owens rocks him with right hands. Owens with a chop in the corner. Owens looks to slam Ambrose on top of the chairs he was sitting in but Ambrose counters and hits the big bounce back clothesline. They both go down and the referee counts. Owens with a chair to the gut and a chair shot over the back. The referee counts again but Ambrose gets up and they go at it. Owens blocks the clothesline. He tries to powerbomb Ambrose on the chairs but Ambrose backdrops him onto them. Fans pop as the referee counts both of them. Owens gets up at 4 and Ambrose is up at 6. Owens goes to the floor. Ambrose gets hype and nails a dive but Owens catches him and rams him back into the apron. Owens sends Ambrose into the steps twice. Another head first shot into the steps. The referee counts again.

Fans chant "this is awesome" as Ambrose gets up at 8. Owens brings a table from under the ring and goes back to nail Ambrose again. Ambrose gets up at 4 as Owens is talking trash to fans and standing the table up at ringside. Owens brings another table and stacks it on top of the other table. Owens sends Ambrose into the corner and climbs up for a superplex through the stacked tables on the floor. Ambrose tries to fight him off. Ambrose with a headbutt and elbows. Ambrose falls to the mat and throws a steel chair to Owens' face. It gets stuck around his neck. Owens stumbles to the mat with the chair still on his head. He stumbles around and Ambrose starts punching and chopping the chair. It falls off and Ambrose unloads on Owens. Owens with a big superkick out of nowhere. Ambrose blocks a pop-up powerbomb and nails Dirty Deeds. The referee counts and fans count with him now. Ambrose is up at 4. Owens is back up at 8.

Ambrose slams a chair down and hits Dirty Deeds on top of it. The referee counts again. Owens gets to his feet at the 9 count by rolling out of the ring. He is still stumbling around and having trouble. Fans chant "fight Owens fight" as Ambrose stalks him on the floor now. Ambrose pulls a table from under the ring. Ambrose slams Owens' head into the announce table and then places him on top of the table on his back. Ambrose goes to the top rope and nails a big elbow drop through the table. Fans chant "holy s--t" as the referee starts counting. They both get back up at 8. Another "this is awesome" chant as Owens rolls into the ring. The referee starts counting but he gets up at 4. Ambrose comes back in and picks up a chair. Ambrose with a shot to the gut and one over the back. Owens says he hates Ambrose. Ambrose also hates Owens. Ambrose sets up a table in front of the corner Owens is down in. Ambrose takes Owens up for a superplex through the table. Owens counters in mid-move and drives Ambrose through the table. A "holy s--t" chant starts as the referee counts.

Ambrose gets back up at 9. Owens yells at him to stay down and nails a pop-up powerbomb. The referee counts again but Ambrose makes it back up at 9. He collapses and Owens hits him with a chair. Owens stands four chairs up and puts another chair in the middle of them. He lays Ambrose on top of those chairs and goes to the top. Ambrose jumps up and pushes Owens off the top, through the two tables Owens stacked on the floor earlier. The crowd goes nuts and the referee starts counting on the floor. Owens can't make it up and Ambrose gets the win.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

- After the match, Ambrose clutches his title in the middle of the ring as his music hits. We see Owens being checked on outside of the ring as we go to replays. Ambrose continues his celebration with the title as we go to a commercial.

WWE Tag Team Title Match: The Usos vs. The New Day

We come back and WWE Tag Team Champions Big E and Kofi Kingston make their way out to the entrance area. They ask for a moment to remember Francesca The Trombone. This leads to Xavier Woods coming out with a new trombone. They introduce the newest member of The New Day - Francesca 2. They are confident that the power of positivity will help them retain tonight. They dance and make their way to the ring. The Usos are out next to a pop.

Jimmy Uso starts off with Kofi and they go at it. Uso drops Kofi with a big right hand after some back and forth. Jey Uso tags in for some double teaming out of the corner. Jey tosses Kofi to the floor and Jimmy clotheslines him while Jey distracts the referee. The Usos are getting a lot of boos it appears. Uso brings Kofi back in for a 2 count. Kofi hits Jey and tags in Big E. Jey rocks Big E and takes him to the corner but Big E sends him into the ring post shoulder first. Jey goes to the floor and Big E follows. Big E scoops Uso and goes to run him into the barrier but Uso slides out and dropkicks Big E into the barrier. Woods charges and drops Uso with a tornado DDT on the floor while the referee is distracted. Kofi tags in and brings Uso back in. Kofi beats Uso down in the corner as Woods yells at Cole for pointing out he's not in the match. Kofi with a 2 count on Jey.

Fans chant for Francesca 2 and JBL says she's over. Kofi and Uso collide with superkicks at the same time. Kofi takes control out of it and in comes Big E with a splash for a 2 count. Big E keeps control and brings in Kofi for a big stomp off the tag. Woods plays the trombone a little bit and gets a pop. Kofi ends up getting kicked in the head while on the apron. He falls to the floor but Big E and Woods are quick to help him back in. Jimmy and Big E tag in. Jimmy unloads and fans are booing again. Jimmy knocks Kofi off the apron. Big E misses a clothesline and Uso hits a Samoan Drop for more boos. Kofi comes in but has no luck with Uso. Uso hits the Umaga splash on Kofi and a corkscrew on Big E for a 2 count.

Jimmy goes to the top but Kofi distracts him from the apron. Jey takes Kofi down but they tumble over the barrier. Big E takes advantage of a distracted Jimmy and drops him for a 2 count. Big E runs into a knee. Kofi grabs Jimmy's leg from the floor. Jey comes flying from the crowd and takes Kofi out on the floor. Big E knocks a distracted Jimmy off the apron and to the floor with a big shoulder. All four are down on the floor now. Big E brings it back in the ring for a 2 count on Jimmy. Kofi goes to the top for double team but it's blocked, sending Big E into the ring post. Kofi misses Trouble In Paradise and eats a superkick. Uso goes to the top for the big splash as fans boo. Uso goes for the pin but Woods makes the save from the floor. Uso argues with Woods. Jey comes flying over and takes Woods out on the floor. Big E sends him into the barrier. Kofi rolls a distracted Uso up for a 2 count. Uso with a 2 count of his own. More back and forth. Uso goes for a splash on Kofi, not realizing Big E tagged in. Big E catches Uso in mid-air on his shoulder, dropping him with a Big Ending for the win.

Winners: The New Day

- After the match, fans pop as The New Day starts dancing and celebrating. We go to replays. Woods fires Francesca 2 up as we get another look at Big E's impressive finish. The Usos look on as The New Day leave with the gold. We go to another commercial.

- The announcers plug tonight's WWE 24 special on the WWE Network. We get a look back at Monday's episode of The Highlight Reel on RAW, and the ending with Brock Lesnar, The League of Nations, Roman Reigns and The Wyatt Family.

- We go backstage somewhere to The Wyatt Family. Braun Strowman says they are war. Erick Rowan says they are pestilence. Luke Harper says they are famine. Bray Wyatt says they are death and cuts a promo on tonight's main event. Wyatt says The Apocalypse is here... run.

WWE United States Title Match: Kalisto vs. Alberto Del Rio

We go to the ring and out comes WWE United States Champion Alberto Del Rio. We get a look back at the recent title changes. Kalisto is out next to somewhat of a pop.

The bell rings and Del Rio takes Kalisto to the corner. Kalisto quickly turns it around but Del Rio gets the upperhand and goes for an early pin attempt. Del Rio sends Kalisto face first into the corner and talks some trash to boos. Del Rio mounts Kalisto in the corner to right hands as fans count along. Kalisto kicks Del Rio and sends him to the floor. This leads to Kalisto diving out through the second rope. Kalisto works Del Rio over right in front of Brock Lesnar Guy. They come back in and Del Rio turns it around with the running enziguri and a 2 count. Del Rio keeps control and keeps Kalisto grounded after another 2 count.

Kalisto tries to fight back but Del Rio nails the tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Del Rio keeps launches Kalisto across the mat, landing on his face on the floor. Del Rio follows to the floor but Kalisto nails a hurricanrana. Kalisto brings it back in the ring but Del Rio counters a move and drops Kalisto over his knees. Del Rio with a 2 count as Kalisto gets the rope. They go back to the floor and Del Rio sends Kalisto into the barrier. Del Rio brings it back in and takes Kalisto tot he top. Del Rio tries to unmask Kalisto but gets knocked to the mat. Kalisto climbs up and nails the senton. Kalisto makes a comeback but Del Rio catches him in mid-air. Del Rio with a big kick to the head for a 2 count.

Kalisto blocks the cross armbreaker. Kalisto goes up top and Del Rio misses the running enziguri as Kalisto ducks. Kalisto comes off the top with a big DDT for a 2 count. Kalisto comes off the second rope and connects. Kalisto slams Del Rio on his face with a hurricanrana. Kalisto with another close 2 count. Kalisto goes back to the top but Del Rio hits him from behind and climbs up. Del Rio slams Kalisto on his face from up high. Kalisto ends up trying to make a comeback but falls on his head and the momentum of the match is off now. Del Rio goes to the top but Kalisto crotches him. Del Rio headbutts Kalisto and he falls upside down in the corner. Del Rio misses the stomp as Kalisto moves. Kalisto nails Salida del Sol but Del Rio gets the bottom rope just before the 3 count. Kalisto springboards in but Del Rio catches him with the knees for a close 2 count. Kalisto takes another big kick. Del Rio exposes the turnbuckle now.

Kalisto counters with a kick to the head that barely connects. Del Rio launches Kalisto into the exposed turnbuckle but he blocks it. Kalisto sends Del Rio into the metal and hits Salida del Sol for the win.

Winner and New WWE United States Champion: Kalisto

- After the match, Kalisto begins his celebration with the title as we go to replays.

- We go back to Renee, Booker, Lawler and Graves on the panel to talk about tonight's show and the Kickoff match.

- Stephanie McMahon is backstage when Paul Heyman walks in. Heyman talks about Brock Lesnar being in tonight's 30-man main event and Stephanie says as long as Lesnar takes his aggression out on Roman Reigns, she's happy to negotiate. Heyman says if that's how she feels, then tonight the Roman Empire will get taken to Suplex City. Heyman walks off and we go to a break.

- We get a video for tonight's Divas Title match.

WWE Divas Title Match: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte

We go to the ring and out first comes Becky Lynch to a pop. WWE Divas Champion Charlotte is out next with Ric Flair. We get formal ring introductions from Eden and Becky gets a big reaction while Charlotte gets booed.

Becky with an early takedown as they go at it. Charlotte blocks an early Disarm-Her attempt. They go at it trading holds and Becky gets the upperhand as Charlotte goes to the corner for a breather. Becky with arm drags as fans chant for her. Charlotte makes a comeback and slams Becky on her front, then applying an armbar. Becky sends Charlotte through the ropes to the floor. Charlotte comes back to the apron and they tangle. Becky kicks Charlotte to the floor as Flair looks on. Flair gets in between Becky and Charlotte. Fans boo. Charlotte goes for a cheap shot but Becky counters and nails her. Flair grabs Becky from behind and gives her a big kiss. Flair dances. Becky slaps him. Charlotte nails Becky from behind and drops her. Charlotte brings Becky back in the ring and mounts Becky with strikes. Charlotte with more offense and a 2 count.

Charlotte keeps control now. Fans chant for Becky as she tries to fight out of a hold but Charlotte slams her by her hair. Charlotte mocks fans and applies a scissors. Charlotte slams Becky's face into the mat with the scissors and keeps it locked. Charlotte keeps control of Becky using the scissors for several minutes. Becky finally gets to her feet with Charlotte on her shoulders. Becky slams Charlotte back but both are down as the referee counts. They get up and Becky blocks shots with forearms. Becky unloads but Charlotte cuts her off. Becky whips Charlotte into the corner and nails a pair of clotheslines. Becky with a side kick to the jaw as fans cheer. Becky with a running forearm into the corner. Becky goes for the exploder suplex but Charlotte blocks it and turns it around. Charlotte with a neckbreaker out of the corner.

Becky blocks the Figure Eight. More back and forth and counters. Becky connects with the big suplex for a close 2 count. Becky nails leg drops and another big suplex for a 2 count. Charlotte blocks the Disarm-Her and rolls Becky up for 2. Charlotte with a spear for back to back 2 counts without getting up. Charlotte is frustrated now. Becky ends up rolling through with the Disarm-Her. Charlotte powers up but Becky keeps the hold locked. Charlotte powerbombs Becky to the mat as Flair cheers her on. Charlotte with a 2 count. Charlotte hits a baseball slide on Flair while going for Becky. She looks shocked. Becky with a roll up for 2. Becky applies the Disarm-Her but Flair gets on the apron and tosses his jacket on her face. This leads to Charlotte hitting the spear for the win.

Winner: Charlotte

- After the match, Flair starts dancing around at ringside as Charlotte mocks Becky and raises her title. Charlotte stomps Becky and taunts her with the title. Charlotte slams her face into the title and starts beating her up as the referee begs her to stop. Fans boo. Flair comes in and they stand tall as the referee checks on Becky. Sasha Banks' music hits and out she comes to a huge pop. She's by herself and makes her way to ringside. She takes off her rings and hops on the apron, tossing her sunglasses to the floor. She walks in the ring and looks Charlotte up and down before kicking Becky out of the ring with a kick to the gut. Sasha says something about Becky taking h er spotlight. Fans boo. She turns back around to Charlotte and points at the title. Fans chant for Sasha as they look at each other. They end up doing their own handshake and it looks like they're friends again. The Flairs go to leave and Ric is out first. Sasha runs up and nails Charlotte with the Backstabber. Sasha applies the Banks Statement and leaves Charlotte laying. Flair is going nuts as the referee holds him back. Sasha raises the Divas Title as fans pop and her music hits. Charlotte sits up and isn't happy as she gets her title back. Sasha leaves as we go to replays.

- We get the "By The Numbers" video for tonight's main event.

30-Man Royal Rumble for the WWE World Heavyweight Title

We go to the ring and out comes the first entrant, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns through the crowd. He's getting a lot of boos tonight. Lilian introduces the second entrant and out comes Rusev with Lana. The bell rings and they go at it.

Rusev goes for an early elimination after some offense. Reigns ends up getting sent trough the middle rope but he's still in the match. Reigns nails a Drive By kicks and comes back in with a spear. Reigns eliminates Rusev. The next man out is AJ Styles at #3. He gets a huge pop and slowly walks to the ring as Reigns looks on.

They go at it and the Styles Clash is blocked. Styles with the pele kick. Reigns blocks another Styles Clash with a Samoan Drop. Tyler Breeze is the next man out. He gets some offense in but gets eliminated. The Social Outcasts are out next and they send Curtis Axel to the ring. Axel hits a big knee to the head on Styles. Slater and the others get on the apron but get knocked off by Styles and Reigns. Styles eliminates Axel and turns his attention to Reigns. The next man out is Chris Jericho.

They all go at it and Styles eventually goes for a Styles Clash. Jericho blocks it and turns it into the Walls of Jericho. Reigns drops Jericho and breaks the hold. The pyro goes off as Kane comes out next. He beats Styles down in the corner and tries to eliminate him. Fans are still chanting for Styles. Styles fights back in with headbutts. The next man out is Goldust. Goldust and Kane go at it. Goldust unloads and hits the bulldog. Goldust mounts Kane with right hands until Styles kicks him. Styles with a chop. Jericho grabs Styles and suplexes him.

Ryback is the next man out. He unloads and connects on a bunch of high knees in the corners. The New Day come out next and they're sending Kofi Kingston into the ring. Ryback with a huge back drop on Styles as fans boo. Styles comes close to getting eliminated at one point. Titus O'Neil is the next man out. Titus comes in and cleans house. He catches Styles off the top rope and manhandles him to boos.

Titus eliminates Goldust. Styles and Reigns come close to getting tossed again. R-Truth is the next man out. He runs down and brings a ladder from under the ring. He stands it up in the middle of the ring as everyone watches. Truth climbs up looking for a Money In the Bank briefcase or the title but it's not there. He climbs down and Kane eliminates him. Kofi gets tossed by Kane but he lands on Big E's shoulders and is still in the match. Big E runs around with Kofi on his shoulders as fans chant. Kofi has a drink from a fan and is in no hurry to get back in. The next man out is Luke Harper. Harper goes at it with Kane. Rusev, Sheamus, King Barrett, Alberto Del Rio and Vince McMahon suddenly appear at ringside. Vince orders them to pull Reigns from the ring and they do. The League of Nations destroys Reigns at ringside. They toss him into the barrier and then the steel steps. They continue the beat down as Vince looks on and enjoys the show. The next man out is Stardust.

All three announce tables are messed up as the Reigns beat down continues. They place Reigns on the French announce table and Rusev runs all the way from the first table and splashes Reigns through it. Fans chant "holy s--t" as Vince looks on and laughs. Vince leaves with The League behind him. Kofi was eliminated at one point Cole says. The next man out is Big Show. Vince and The League step to the side as Show makes his way out. Reigns is being tended to by EMTs and officials in the debris on the floor. Show shoves Stardust and kicks Jericho s he makes his way in. Show eliminates Titus. Reigns is being helped to the back. They have a stretcher but he doesn't want on it. They help him to the back and he collapses on the entrance way. Jericho almost gets tossed but hangs on. The next man out is Neville as Styles is on Big Show's back. Neville comes in with a missile dropkick on Harper. Reigns is being placed on the stretcher now.

Reigns refuses the stretcher and walks to the back on his own. Stardust unloads on Jericho while Harper decks Show. Fans chant for Styles as he goes at it with Jericho. Jericho moves to Neville. The next man out is Braun Strowman, who is in a hurry to get to the ring. He runs in and floors Neville, them Jericho, then Styles. Kane grabs Braun by the neck but Braun overpowers him and tosses Kane. Kane is eliminated. Show and Braun meet in the middle of the ring. They trade shots. Show grabs him by the throat but Braun blocks it. Braun starts choking Show out and tosses him. Big Show is eliminated. The next man out is Kevin Owens. Owens limps to the ring and is in bad shape from earlier. Owens goes in and starts unloading with Styles as fans pop. Styles drops him with a pele kick. Neville almost eliminates Style but he hangs on. Styles comes back in for a Clash on Neville but Owens breaks it with a superkick. Owens grabs Styles and says welcome to WWE. Owens eliminates Styles over the top rope. Fans boo. Fans chant for Styles as he makes his exit.

The next man out is Dean Ambrose. He's bandaged up from earlier and goes right at it with Owens. Braun works Jericho over while Owens works on Neville. Stardust comes over to help Owens. The next man out is Sami Zayn to a big pop. Owens looks on as Sami stares him down. Sami rushes the ring and goes at it with Owens right in the middle. Fans pop. Sami beats Owens down in the corner and clothesline Stardust. Owens nails Sami from behind. Sami blocks a shot and eliminates Owens. Owens is shocked.

The next man out is Erick Rowan as Jericho nails Sami. Harper floors Ambrose with a clothesline. Rowan comes in and suplexes Jericho. Rowan tosses Neville but he hangs on and pulls himself back up. Harper follows up with a huge clothesline and Neville is eliminated. Braun manhandles Sami. Rowan and Harper eliminate Stardust next. Braun chokes Jericho out. Rowan slams Ambrose. The next man out is Mark Henry at #22. Henry decks Harper and goes at it with Braun. Rowan makes the save and Braun slams Henry. All three of them eliminate Henry. Sami tries to eliminate Harper but all three of them team up on Sami now. Braun tosses Sami and he is eliminated to boos. Ambrose attacks Braun but Rowan stops him. Braun chokes Jericho again. Brock Lesnar is the next man out and fans pop. Paul Heyman is with him. Lesnar hits the ring and knoks Jericho from Braun's arms. Rowan takes a German suplex. Harper takes a belly to belly. Braun attacks Lesnar and beats him into the corner. They collide and Lesnar rocks Braun with clotheslines. Lesnar drops Braun with a huge blow. Lesnar eliminates Rowan. Harper takes a German. Lesnar goes for a German on Braun but gets backed into the corner with elbows. Lesnar comes back and unloads on Braun again. Lesnar kciks Harper. The next man out is Jack Swagger. Swagger misses a clothesline on Lesnar. Lesnar hits a F5 and tosses Swagger. Swagger is eliminated.

Lesnar manhandles Harper and turns his attention to Jericho but knees Braun in the head instead. Another big running knee. Lesnar with one more big running knee on Braun. The next man out is The Miz. Lesnar waits but Miz is in no hurry to get in. Miz puts a headset on and talks trash about Lesnar. Lesnar with a belly to belly on Harper. Miz talks to Cole on commentary and says this is all about strategy, he's not scared. Lesnar with a German on Harper. Lesnar with a German on Ambrose. Lesnar with thrusts on Braun in the corner. Another German for Harper. Lesnar eliminates Harper next. The next man out at #26 is Alberto Del Rio.

Lesnar goes at it with Del Rio. Ambrose joins in and helps Del Rio. Braun beats on Jericho. Lesnar fights off Ambrose and Del Rio. Del Rio takes a suplex. Lesnar goes back to work on Braun and clotheslines him over the Lesnar laughs as he's in the ring with Jericho, Del Rio and Ambrose. Jericho and Lesnar go at it. The next man out is Bray Wyatt. Lesnar waits but Wyatt stops at ringside. Strowman, Rowan and Harper get on the apron and surround Lesnar as Heyman looks on. Harper attacks first and they beat Lesnar down. Wyatt comes in the ring as they whip Lesnar into a big clothesline from Braun. Lesnar fights Rowan off and tosses him. Harper and Braun also get tossed back to the floor. Lesnar stares down Wyatt in the middle of the ring and fans pop. Wyatt misses and takes a F5. Lesnar scoops Wyatt again but Harper makes the save with a superkick. They beat him down and Wyatt hits Sister Abigail. The Wyatt Family eliminates Lesnar to big boos.

Wyatt and Jericho go at it. Heyman throws a fit as Lesnar gets up. The next man out is Dolph Ziggler. He attacks Jericho and they go at it. Ziggler with a Fame-asser. Ziggler with a big DDT on Del Rio next. Wyatt and Ambrose take superkicks. The Miz tosses Ziggler but he hangs on and pulls himself back in. Ziggler comes in but Miz blocks him and hits a Skull Crushing Finale. More action all over the place. The next man out is Sheamus. Reigns attacks Sheamus from behind as he makes his way out. Fans boo Reigns as he enters the ring. Reigns eliminates Del Ro. Ziggler almost eliminates Reigns but takes a Superman punch. Wyatt attacks Reigns and goes to work on him. Reigns with a big boot. Wyatt with a clothesline. Reigns with a Superman punch on Wyatt. The next man out is Triple H to a big pop. Everyone looks on as Triple H makes his way out at #30.

Reigns talks trash as Triple H marches to the ring. They lock eyes as fans pop. The WrestleMania banner hangs in the background. They have words as Ziggler charges Triple H. He takes a Pedigree. Wyatt goes after Reigns but eats a spear instead. The staredown continues. Triple H cuts him off and hits the knee to the face. Reigns and Triple H finally unload on each other. Reigns drops Triple H with right hands. Reigns blocks a Pedigree. More back and forth as everyone else gets involved now. Ziggler attacks Triple H on the apron and superkicks him. Triple H barely hangs on. Ziggler kicks again but Triple H side steps. Ziggler hangs on and nails the Fame-asser on Trople H. Ziggler charges again but Triple H tosses him. Ziggler is eliminated. Triple H and Wyatt come face to face. Triple H points at Reigns. Wyatt decks Triple H and sends him to the corner. Wyatt splashes Triple H. Wyatt blocks a Pedigree and kisses Triple H on the head but Sheamus stops Sister Abigail. Triple H and Sheamus eliminate Wyatt. Reigns tries to dump both of them but they hang on. Ambrose and Jericho go at it. Sheamus tries to dump Ambrose but he hangs on. Triple H and Jericho go at it. Ambrose elimnates Jericho. It's down to Reigns, Triple H, Ambrose and Sheamus. Reigns with a Superman punch on Triple H. Ambrose takes a Brogue kick. Sheamus tries to eliminate Ambrose but is reversed and goes onto apron, Reigns hits the Superman punch on Sheamus to eliminate, Triple H sneaks up behind Reigns and eliminates him. Down to Ambrose vs HHH with a bunch of back & forth til Ambrose gets HHH on the Apron and goes for several knees nearly taking him off twice, Ambrose goes for the 3rd and gets a knee to the jaw and backflipped out.

Winner & New WWE World Heavyweight Champion - HHH

I knew it was going to be HHH but I nearly jizzed myself when Ambrose got to the final 2.

I was happyish that Triple H eliminated Reigns with a sneak attack but is the threat of a Reigns win so bad that we would even accept a Triple H win and title reign- There would normally be comment after comment about H's ego, burying the talent but because the alternative is Reigns it is somehow more palatable?

Do you think this is the booking they had planned all along or have injuries forced their hand?

Overall a good show. The opening match was great and showed that Owens for me is definitely destined for bigger things, a good female match and a genuine pop from the crowd when Sasha Banks turned on Charlotte and a Rumble match that on the whole was good but had a few points that didn't add up for me

Why did Brock just accept he's been eliminated ?
Why didn't Reigns attack Triple H - He has in the past so why just take the loss this time?

I'm hopeful Raw tonight really starts the road to Wrestlemania off with a bang - The main problem I have with the product which I can't see them getting right in a short space is they probably have one of the strongest in ring line ups in a long time. There are great matches across the card but creatively from a storytelling point of view its poor. I'm sure they will up their game for Mania, they pretty much always do but is that good enough for a business that is supposed to be 365 days a year, 24/7 etc

Glad that AJ got a pop but he did nothing in the actual match.

It was good that he is being featured but the Rumble match was not the place to showcase him. On a positive note, I am guessing that it will AJ vs Owens which should be brilliant.

And it would appear that the charisma that ADR found after leaving WWE was traded in (plus some) for a return. He really is a charisma vacuum.

And what happened to the NXT guy - I wanted to see a beat down!

Think the ending makes logical sense, but it sucks monkey balls.
A) Reigns really shouldnt have lasted that long. It takes a huge leap in belief, Finger poke of doom levels if we are honest, to believe that 29 other men would look at the defending champion and not believe he's probably the first guy we should toss out. Especially in a rumble with three factions which were in their own way feuding with Reigns.

B) What the fu.ck. Who wins the Rumble with a knee?!

Yet another incredibly predictable royal rumble. It was a decent show yes, a lot better than the last 3 years, but it was just so predictable.

Last man standing match awesome!

All other matches were decent, great pop for Sasha banks.

The royal rumble match was good I guess but just so predictable!

Think the mania card is already in shape I guess

Reigns vs HHH
Lesnar vs Wyatt
Owens vs Zayn
Ambrose vs Jericho

I thought it was a very decent Rumble myself, no wasted legend slots (although some silly bits such as R-Truth), shows how hot Owens is right now that the three rivalries with Ambrose, AJ and Zayn had the crowd bristling more so than most other things going on.

Theres just no pleasing some people.

I think Reigns was booked as good as they could have last night. Have him almost get there and get taken out with a sneak attack. Maybe didnt need to stack the deck and have him leave the match for half of it, but he probably doesnt have the stamina to work for close to an hour so it helps cover that. Reigns will be better on the chase and now they have a clear enemy that the crowd can really hate.

Best Rumble match in a few years. Cant really call it predictable when any one of 4 could have won easily.

I think Styles was bit of a wasted appearance but the crowd popped big time and Cole did his best to put him over so cant complain. I think he should have eliminated Owens then Owens comes back in and takes him out to set up a rivalry. I popped like hell for Sami Zayn but with Owens just accepting the elimination and leaving is a missed opportunity. I laughed at R-Truths bit even if it might have been a tad too silly. Rusev going down that easy is another bug bear I have, they could have used that spot for one of the Social Outcasts and Rusev could have had a better run.

Speaking of Owens, how good was he last night? A brilliant PG Era last man standing match and really looked like he had had seven bells knocked out of him coming down to the Rumble.

That was probably Charlottes best match since her call up. The Sasha booking was odd, I get why she took out Becky but then immediately turn face and take out Charlotte? Seems odd. Becky deserves a title.

New Day vs Uso's was very formulaic but still a decent enough match. I still dont get why New Day were mourning the trombone - is Xavier on like his fifth now? I still think the New Day are going to need to drop the titles soon to freshen it up a bit. They are treading dangerously close to the stale point.

Glad Kalisto won again although it makes Del Rio look like a bit of a chump who cant win without his buddies. Hopefully his reign lasts longer than a day this time.

So.. are the Prime Time Players split up now?

Oh yeah, shout out to the genius in production who had the camera on Reigns face the whole time during AJ's debut. Outstanding.

So who go the pop of the night?

AJ Styles?

Sasha?

Owens?

Nope, it was Sandow. I told you he was money!

Adam D wrote:So who go the pop of the night?

AJ Styles?

Sasha?

Owens?

Nope, it was Sandow. I told you he was money!

TBH it was probably Triple H who got the biggest pop.

Yeah they debut a guy who they know will get a huge reaction but obviously with unfamiliar music and all we see is Reigns.

I also missed several eliminations because watching Reigns sit down was far more important apparently

Nipple H? really where do they go with it, who will he face?

It's rare but i actually enjoyed the rumble from Match 1 to the ending. The rumble fell a bit flat with about 6 to go but other then that was a very good show.

It had to be HHH really. Fans wouldn't take Reigns burying the roster plus despite the cheers HHH will inevitable come out tonight be a d*ck to the fans and we're back to HHH heel vs Reigns face as it should be.

Ambrose and Owens were fantastic,both in their match and in the rumble.
Really impressive

I quite enjoyed the match although I was disappointed with how they used Lesnar, I got what they did with him but I felt the timing of his elimination was way off, whether Lesnar was winning or not, for me it was imperative that he stayed in the match for as long as possible, being in there at the end would have added drama to it, being eliminated when he did, the way he did does nothing for me and a feud with Bray Wyatt isn't one I'd look forward to, Bray needs big wins but I don't see him even with the rest of the Wyatt's as a threat, there's no hook for me.

I was popping at the end, I thought Ambrose might just do it, all the while we were thinking HHH would screw Reigns i found myself wondering if Reigns would screw HHH ala Hogan/Sid Justice in 92.

The story was set up for Reigns/HHH at WresteMania anyway regardless of the Title, now we get Reigns road to WrestleMania, probably overcoming all of the League of Nations on his way to Fastlane to get the opportunity to face HHH for the belt at Mania.

I'm not disappointed Hunter is Champ, its been what? 5/6 years now...considering the injuries they have he is one guy who can be trusted to have a good short transitional run and hopefully get his golden boy over.

Reigns really does need work on his facial expressions when he's on close up, apart from the often stupid grinning there's now the 'smell my own fart' expression from the Joey Tribiani school of acting.

Hero wrote:Reigns really does need work on his facial expressions when he's on close up, apart from the often stupid grinning there's now the 'smell my own fart' expression from the Joey Tribiani school of acting.

Isnt that where the Rock got the People's eyebrow "I have a hook in my eye and I like it"

Hero wrote:Reigns really does need work on his facial expressions when he's on close up, apart from the often stupid grinning there's now the 'smell my own fart' expression from the Joey Tribiani school of acting.

I think he did a great job of putting over Styles as he realised who it was just on his facial expressions. Alot better than Cena when Lesnar returned.

I don't think they did too badly production wise when AJ made his debut, it was clear they wanted they wanted to save the surprise until he entered the arena, other than sticking the camera on the isle I don't think they could've done anything other than put it on Reign's.

Really enjoyable show

Ambrose and Owens had the best LMS I can remember in forever, really brutal with some great spots, only negative I had was they set up the finishing spot by teasing an even more awesome finishing spot! I want to see Owens Moonsault through some chairs!! ****

The tag match was a lot of fun, the wrestling was fine and the New Day's antics were fun as ever, I want to draw attention to the finish again, just amazing power from Big E!! ***1/4

The US title match was the weakest match of the night for me but it was still fine, hope Kalisto holds the belt for a while now because a) I like him a lot b) continuing to flip flop the belt on free TV will torpedo all the good work Cena has done over the past year **3/4

I really enjoyed the women's match, this programme was easily my favorite thing on WWE TV going in and the match was probably as good as it could be encompassing the story of Rapey Ric on the outside, as an aside when Becky said Charlotte should bring 'the whole Flair clan' I was really hoping she would come out flanked by Ric and his 39 ex wives (and David of course), anyways good match and the post match was very good and seems to be building to a triple threat at mania which I'm very excited for! ***3/4

Finally outside of the Roman storyline I really enjoyed the booking of the Rumble, they've clearly learned lessons from the past couple of years and were very smart with the unpopular eliminations, I mtfo for AJ & Zayn, the Wyatt/Lesnar stuff was excellent, R-Truth was funny, and I really got into the final 2, when Ambrose speared HHH on the apron I really thought he was going to do it

I did have issues with the Roman stuff though, mainly because his wee rest period did make any sense! He walked to the back under his own power! Why didn't he go back into the ring, why would McMahon just permit him to walk out? And why would Reigns leave? What a Frak heel move! As much as I hate the classic WWE stretcher job it was really called for here, take the decision out of Roman & Vince's hands because it left all parties looking a bit stupid imho

And personally I have no problem with HHH winning, he's going to drop the belt to Reigns, the story makes sense and let's face it the idea of Hunter main eventing the biggest show in US history after being semi retired for around 4 years is a bucket load of ammunition for the conspiracy theorists out there

I won't throw stars as I have no idea how to grade it but overall I found it very enjoyable

Anyways a very good show all in all, setting the board for mania

Few little changes I'd have made.

I'd have had the Wyatts totally clean house and been on earlier, properly get rid of the chaff for them Lesnar to come out and get rid of all barring Wyatt himself. Lesnar is left beaten at ringside and comes back in to throw Wyatt out towards the end.
When it came down to the final four the two heels and faces should have had a showdown, not enough was made of that foursome.
I'd have brought in Joe whilst AJ was in the ring.

Hero wrote:Few little changes I'd have made.

I'd have had the Wyatts totally clean house and been on earlier, properly get rid of the chaff for them Lesnar to come out and get rid of all barring Wyatt himself. Lesnar is left beaten at ringside and comes back in to throw Wyatt out towards the end.
When it came down to the final four the two heels and faces should have had a showdown, not enough was made of that foursome.
I'd have brought in Joe whilst AJ was in the ring.

I agree with the first 2 points, number 3 I like the idea but that's a lot for casual fans to processes, just throwing AJ out there was bold enough let alone layer it with his history with another guy they may never have heard of

I actually thought the booking of the Wyatts was the right move. Too often have we seen a stable all be in the ring together and slaughter the entrants that come out one by one until a big name comes out to stop them, I thought by having them eliminated before Bray came out but not actually leave was good because for a while I forgot they were still there.

The booking of the Rumble was very good until the end. Probably the best Rumble in a long time.

But HHH beat Ambrose by besting him. Not screwing him, cheating or anything else. He survived an onslaught them beat him. Not before beating up Ziggler and Wyatt though. Good old Hunter. Its 2016 people, but hes involved in NXT so he must be a god, right?

Lesnar should have been in a little longer, but I guess you couldnt have him out there when Hunter was out then have the Wyatts kind of save Bray from Lesnar but not HHH.

And any high ground the fans had for booing Reigns is long gone when you cheer HHH. Styles didn't even get a bigger reaction than HHH. They're morons. Absolute morons.

Also, why was Jericho given the longest survivor slot? Thats a nice little boost for someone good but not high up, Neville could have been great for that. Ruddy AJ getting longest time in would have been something to give him!

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:

Also, why was Jericho given the longest survivor slot? Thats a nice little boost for someone good but not high up, Neville could have been great for that. Ruddy AJ getting longest time in would have been something to give him!

Technically Reigns was the longest survivor.

A strong ppv, undercard was superb. Rumble was predictable but not in a bad way. Owens was the star if the night, him vs AJ at mania?

Talking of which AJ was treated like a star and the pop was huge!

Samo wrote:

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:

Also, why was Jericho given the longest survivor slot? Thats a nice little boost for someone good but not high up, Neville could have been great for that. Ruddy AJ getting longest time in would have been something to give him!

Technically Reigns was the longest survivor.

You know what I mean though. Someone constantly in and surviving. Jericho just doesn't need it. I like him, I like him on the mic and he still wrestles well. He's got the right idea about putting people over. But hes such a waste for short Rumble runs. I'd rather have had heel Jericho return and cheat Cena out of the US title and go on a long run till Mania to put Kalisto over to be fair to Chris, but this current schtick isnt working. He needs a run, a proper run, where he wins a bit. And that'll need to be heel. Then he'll be worth beating.

Can't pretend I'm a fan of HHH vs Reigns at WM, but not sure theres any other options given all the injuries.

They did really well with AJ. The commentary was very good and was an example of why JBL was once such a breath of fresh air.

I am finding the Reigns bashing online today (although not here) somewhat frustrating, but WWE delivered if you ask me. It wasn't perfect, Ambrose definitely should have been cheated out of winning if it was gonna happen, and I feel HHH probably should have stolen the win from Wyatt or Styles rather than Ambrose, but genuinely decent night.

Owens was MVP by a distance. I have often questioned Ambrose's striking, and I thought that more than ever against Owens. There was one huge star in that ring and it wasn't Dean. The he sold the hell out of his injuries every second of the Rumble, sold the hell out of every confrontation and probably got the 3 biggest face to face reactions of the night with Ambrose, Styles and Zayn. All that whilst remembering to be a disparaging heel and remembering to do the AJ Styles pose just after eliminating him.

You could book Owens vs Zayn/Styles/Taker/Bryan/The Rock. If HHH could put his ego aside they'd have booked Owens strong as hell for the past three months and had him win the Rumble. He is THE heel of this company. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if anyone is to be the next everyman champ, the next fight first looks second champ, the next Austin then its Owens.

The Royal Rumble match was the best since 2010, mainly because there were actual multiple stories that both continued or were generated from the match, which is basically the main thing the Rumble should be used for.

AJ Styles' debut was handled well I thought, Reigns presented him as a threat, he got to tease the Styles cash, got to hit a few cool moves, see him face off with a couple of different guys and then eliminated by a hated heel, hopefully kicking off a feud. It was refreshing to see them bring in somebody from outside of WWE, up to the main roster and let him keep his name and moves and actually make a big deal out of him.

I'm not especially happy with Triple H winning, he wasn't interesting as the Authority leader and I'm not really interested in him as champion and Authority leader. I understand why they went that way, but I'd have been much more interested in seeing Triple H/Reigns in a match based off of a personal feud than simply Triple H dropping the title to Reigns.

I think they handled Reigns incredibly poorly. I understand the walking to the back on your own two feet is standard booking when you want to make your guy look tough, but it doesn't work in this scenario! If they wanted to write him out of the Rumble so he wasn't just sitting in the corner for half an hour there are so many better ways to do it. Have him be dragged out medical staff, all the while he's desperate to get into the ring. Or have him stretchered out. Or have him dragged to the back by the League of Nations. Anything but what they did. Reigns, despite lasting from number one to the final three did nothing of note in the Rumble, he looked really really poor.

I'd have never revealed that Lesnar was in the Rumble, it was a big mistake for me. I think they felt safe in revealing it early because they had Triple H up their sleeves, but for me a lot of the impact of Lesnar being there was totally lost because we knew he would be and we knew he was being targeted by the Wyatts. It'd have been much better had the Wyatt family been dominating and then a surprise Lesnar was number 23, allowing him to clear house.

The way he was eliminated was incredibly annoying, it didn't make any sense. Why did Lesnar just take it? He was unfairly eliminated in a title match, he should have gone crazy. He should have taken Wyatt out of the match, he didn't need to be in there any longer anyway. Why did the Wyatt family leave having taken out Brock? I understand you could argue Brock was their target rather than the world title, but why not both? Wyatt stayed in the match he clearly wanted to win, if the Wyatts could just get back into the ring and eliminate people, they should have just stayed in there and thrown everybody out.

Sami Zayn's entry was very good, Kevin Owens put in some real good acting when he did. Dean Ambrose getting so far was good, but we'll see whether this means they are going to give some good backing or was simply because they wanted Triple H to get booed remains to be seen. R-Truth's moment was funny. I know some people don't like the novelty entries, but for me I'd have much rather had a nostalgia entrant than Tyler Breeze or Titus O'Neil or Jack Swagger or Mark Henry or Goldust.

I wonder with guys like Swagger what their motivation is every day. He's clearly an excellent wrestler but he's reduced to a 20 second appearance in the Rumble nowadays.

Hero wrote:I wonder with guys like Swagger what their motivation is every day. He's clearly an excellent wrestler but he's reduced to a 20 second appearance in the Rumble nowadays.

To be fair, he was on the pre-show and bizarrely won the match.

I'm guessing for somebody like Swagger, it'll be quite a comfortable wage and more importantly a guaranteed wage. If he really loved professional wrestling he could get his release and go try the indies, but is there much demand for Swagger? I'm not sure, he then may find himself struggling for money.

I'd imagine he wrestles a lot at house shows and on TV on Main Event or something.
I can imagine wrestling in front of a few thousand people is pretty motivating.

He's not silly,he would know he's not in their main event plans any time soon,but just like any athlete,he will want to perform

See I could see him making a big name for himself in the Indy scene, he's clearly a very talented athlete but is miles off the pecking order now that he will probably never get anywhere near a main event feud again in WWE. Go to TNA, ROH or NJPW though and he could flourish.

Hero wrote:See I could see him making a big name for himself in the Indy scene, he's clearly a very talented athlete but is miles off the pecking order now that he will probably never get anywhere near a main event feud again in WWE. Go to TNA, ROH or NJPW though and he could flourish.

Never thought I would hear that from you,

Hero wrote:See I could see him making a big name for himself in the Indy scene, he's clearly a very talented athlete but is miles off the pecking order now that he will probably never get anywhere near a main event feud again in WWE. Go to TNA, ROH or NJPW though and he could flourish.

I disagree, I think a big part of being a success outside of WWE is having a really strong work-rate. You've got to want to get yourself out there, to do things differently to get a fan following.

I like Jack Swagger, but he's not got work-rate, he's pretty much exactly the same as he was 8 years ago and that doesn't scream strong work rate. He's also accepted his spot in WWE, which again doesn't scream success in the indies, where generally it's those that kept pushing and pushing who will get success.

For me, who you should be really looking at is Dolph Ziggler. Known to complain about his spot but has never done anything really about it. Already got backing from the fans and a style that would translate well to the indies. If he had real motivation he'd leave WWE, he's not going anywhere there, I can't see him ever pushing the top of the card again and I think if he really wants to "steal the show" he needs to leave. Now would be a real good time to do that, it's clear that Ziggler is falling further down the card, AJ Styles, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns have all taken over him in recent years. I imagine quite a lot of the NXT guys have their eyes on his spot too. ROH and NJPW have lost a lot of their top guys recently so Ziggler could drop right in there and make a name for himself.

I think Swagger could be huge in Evolve if he went there, he's got the genuine pedigree they like in their workers and I think much like Drew Galloway he has the deceptive size that may not stand out on in WWE but would make him look like a God amongst men on the indys

The thing is, place on the card isnt everything. They get to work the house shows, have their moments on TV, do fun backstage stuff for the Network, be around friends all the time, work in a company they probably trust somewhat.

I'm wondering whether there's a time where they are desperate to bring names like Zayn up from NXT but still want some pulling power to tour with NXT that someone like Swagger, or even Ziggler might go down and work a proper program and tour with them.. I'd have no problem with Swagger or Ziggler winning the NXT title.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:I'm wondering whether there's a time where they are desperate to bring names like Zayn up from NXT but still want some pulling power to tour with NXT that someone like Swagger, or even Ziggler might go down and work a proper program and tour with them.. I'd have no problem with Swagger or Ziggler winning the NXT title.

It'd make a lot of sense for them to do that, and they did start to do that with Tyson Kidd and Titus O'Neil spending time in NXT, then it kind of stopped, and now they've replaced those that have left with more well known indie/ex-TNA guys.

I think it'd be a really good thing for NXT to have a couple of main roster wrestlers who aren't being used to go down there and present them as a real threat, emphasise that even the lower card guys on the main roster can be a threat in NXT. I think that will help those guys, it will keep NXT as a developmental which I think it has to keep doing and will also probably be a genuine help for the NXT roster to have experienced main roster guys working with them.

They sent Cesaro down and he had a MOTY candidate with Sami Zayn. I'd have no problem seeing guys that have gone a bit stale go down for a bit to help put over the younger talent. Ziggler winning the NXT title is interesting, but it would entirely depend on who he beat, or if it was vacated and he was a surprise Battle Royal entrant or something similar. I wouldnt be too happy to see him go over someone like Crewes or Balor even though it makes complete kayfabe sense because he's a main roster dude.

I think Ziggler going over Balor or Crews to win the title would be good, so long as it kick-started a program where over time the NXT guy proved he was better than Ziggler and beat him.

Also, did anybody else think it was so surreal seeing AJ Styles wrestling for WWE? Especially since he was recognisably the same guy with the same name, same moves, same outfit and with WWE making him out to be a big deal. Considering all those years WWE passed on him when he was top of the world in TNA and seeing him succeed in Japan, it happened so quickly that now he's there in the Rumble and then on Raw. I had to keep reminding myself what was happening.