10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Feb 6)

4. Dean Ambrose Was Supposed To Eliminate AJ Styles At Royal Rumble

Some fans were unhappy when AJ Styles was hurled over the top rope and out of the 2016 Royal Rumble match. Realistically, Styles was never going to win, and he actually had a pretty good WWE debut. All in all, he lasted a grand total of 29 minutes in the annual 30-man match, which is certainly not something to be discredited as a negative. Entering as the third man in the match, Styles provided a genuine shock for WWE fans. Later, he was thrown out by Kevin Owens after he himself had been permitted to eliminate Tyler Breeze and Curtis Axel. According to the Wrestling Observer newsletter, that wasn't the original plan management had in mind for AJ during the Rumble. Somebody else was supposed to eliminate him. Initially, officials had Dean Ambrose down for the spot. Looking back on the reaction of AJ's elimination, it's a good thing that WWE decided to change their minds shortly before the event. Owens was immune to the backlash from those on social media, because he's supposed to be a hated heel anyway. Ambrose may not have been given the same free pass, meaning the boos would have hurt his later role as Triple H's opponent.