5 Positives & 5 Negatives From WWE Royal Rumble 2016

1. AJ Styles

Well, many fans knew it was coming but that didn't temper their reaction. Like Triple H at number 30, the Orlando crowd had a pretty good idea that AJ Styles would be making an appearance in the Royal Rumble. Giving Styles the #3 spot insured his introduction in front of an energetic crowd, and gave him a chance to shine not only against the reigning WWE Champion, in which he more than held his own, but it also allowed The Phenomenal One an opportunity to be the feature Rumble participant for the next half hour. Oh and that theme song? Sounded pretty cool and definitely presented AJ as a star. As unrealistic as it may have been considering Vince McMahon's booking style of talents made famous elsewhere, many fans had hoped for AJ victory to win the Royal Rumble like Ric Flair did from the number 3 spot in 1992, the last time the title was on the line in this match. Although things didn't work out the same way for Styles in the 2016 Royal Rumble, the company gave him an opportunity and Styles more than delivered, generating the biggest reaction of the night.
Contributor
Contributor

A former stuntman for Paramount Pictures, Matt enjoys sports, water skiing, driving fast, the beach, professional wrestling, technology, and scotch. At the same time, whenever possible. Having attended many famous (and infamous) shows including WrestleMania XV, In Your House: Mind Games, and the 1995 King of the Ring, Matt has been a lifelong professional sports and wrestling fan. Matt's been mentioned in numerous wrestling podcasts including the Steve Austin Show: Unleashed, Talk Is Jericho, and Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard. As a former countywide performer, Matt has been referred to as Mr. 300 for his amazing accomplishments in the world of amateur bowling. He is also the only man on record to have pitched back-to-back no hitters in the Veterans Stadium Wiffle Ball League of 2003.