Ranking Every WWE Royal Rumble Since 2010

After the disappointment of both 2014 and 2015's Royal Rumble events, it seemed inevitable that 2016 would follow suit, with an underwhelming main event and a poorly-received winner. However, this event proved its worth over those two, with an improved Rumble match and the added thrill of the WWE Championship being on the line, it seemed as though WWE were trying to mix things up.

The show itself was opened with a stellar Last Man Standing match between Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental Championship. Fans around the world widely describe this as one of the best opening matches on a pay-per-view and it certainly presented both men as stars in their own right. The added drama of both Ambrose and Owens entering the Rumble match later in the night provided a fantastic story, told through the excellent action in the ring.

However, the event seemed to lower in quality soon after that match. The triple threat Divas' Championship match was an invitation for superb spots, fantastic storytelling and engaging encounters between three of NXT's best female superstars - the memory of this match, however, is somewhat marred by the image of Ric Flair kissing Becky Lynch as a distraction technique. Reviews of the show unanimously agreed that this was a poor decision and an awful reminder of how women's wrestling was once treated.

Finally, the titular match of the evening brought about many of its own memorable moments. 2016 saw the debut of AJ Styles at number three - although it was hampered by a long display of Roman Reigns' face - and also the call-up of Sami Zayn. The main event saw superstars involved with their own ongoing storylines, with the Wyatt Family taking on Brock Lesnar and the League of Nations attacking Roman Reigns - per Vince McMahon's request.

The decisions to remove Reigns from the match for half an hour and then put the championship on the returning Triple H were not viewed very fondly at the time, as members of the WWE Universe were, again, not happy with seeing a 'part-timer' with the title heading into WrestleMania season and inevitably, another attempt at a Reigns coronation.