The first pay-per-view and WWE Network special of the New Year is one of the most exciting events that WWE has on the calendar: the Royal Rumble.
WWE Monday Night RAW Rumors & Preview
Since its inception in 1988, the 30-man Rumble Match has been one of the most exhilarating matches in WWE history. The winner is guaranteed to become the No. 1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania.
Here is our projected card for the 2016 Royal Rumble, which emanates from the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. on Jan. 24.
Handicap Match: Roman Reigns vs. Rusev & Alberto Del Rio
Given the ending to TLC, it's likely that The Authority is going to run Reigns through the ringer over the next few weeks. With Reigns now losing twice in a row to Sheamus, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are unlikely to just let him slide into the Rumble Match. Having him go against Sheamus' two League of Nations stablemates and adding the stipulation that he only gets into the 30-man bout by defeating them would be a nice way to continue the storyline of Reigns overcoming the odds.
WWE Divas Championship: Charlotte (c) w/ Ric Flair vs. Becky Lynch
The WWE has about six weeks to build up the Royal Rumble event and in that time period it could very well turn Charlotte into a full-blown heel, while her current PCB stablemate Lynch would continue to grow angry. The WWE can use a long-term series of matches to determine a new No. 1 contender for the belt to provide a sense of urgency with Paige and Lynch both wanting a piece of Charlotte, while Nikki Bella is due to return and Sasha Banks has been winning constantly.
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Kevin Owens
Owens is due a rematch after dropping the gold to "The Lunatic Fringe" at TLC, and a long-term feud between two solid competitors is just what the Intercontinental Championship needs. This rivalry should spill beyond the Royal Rumble.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Sheamus (c) vs. Brock Lesnar
The WWE's plans for WrestleMania remain muddled, but there's no question that their biggest draw right now is Brock Lesnar. The roster is thin and the WWE could hotshot the title back onto "The Beast" heading into its biggest show of the year because keeping it on Sheamus heading into the "Show of Shows" would be a mistake. Reigns certainly doesn't seem ready for a run with the biggest prize in the game quite yet. Lesnar's rumored WrestleMania opponents range from "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to Owens, but regardless of who he faces, the WWE would be wise to give him another run with the gold.
Update: Reigns won the title on RAW, so it's likely he'll either battle Sheamus in a rematch, take on Lesnar or face Triple H at the Rumble.
30-Man Royal Rumble Match: Winner becomes No. 1 contender for WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania
The WWE needs to make this match very important and not just allow the high-stakes to lead to lazy booking like last year's event. John Cena should be thrown into the mix along with The Undertaker, Reigns, Ambrose, The Wyatt Family and even Lesnar if he doesn't end up getting a WWE Championship shot. The creative team should attach several storylines giving each competitor a need to win instead of making the outcome obvious like they did in 2015 with Reigns.
The WWE can also use the match as a bridge to build up various WrestleMania feuds by having Triple H cause Reigns to get eliminated and The Undertaker and Cena cross paths to lead to their rumored bout. With the ability to add surprise entrants that include legends and NXT wrestlers, the WWE has a chance to pull out some great twists and turns. With the WrestleMania plans still under wraps, the company has a golden opportunity to break out of its current malaise by putting on a Rumble Match for the ages.
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