12 Ups And 8 Downs From WWE Royal Rumble 2016

By Scott Carlson /

2. A Phenomenal Debut

The rumors had been flying back and forth for weeks, but fans didn€™t have to wait long to find out that it was true: AJ Styles debuted in the Royal Rumble Sunday night at #3 to a deafening roar from the crowd. Styles was probably the most coveted free agent in professional wrestling, and the announcers wasted no time in putting him over as a big deal. Styles locked up with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns, but he didn€™t tangle with him for long. Styles mixed it up with everyone who entered, tossing Tyler Breeze and Curtis Axel before being eliminated by Kevin Owens (#18).It was a good showing for AJ in his debut, and having Owens €“ a really popular figure with smart fans €“ toss Styles was a good call. Had Roman eliminated him, fans might have rioted. It€™ll be interesting to see how he€™s booked on Raw and beyond.