WWE Royal Rumble 2016 ResultsBy Cassidy| January 25, 2016 WWE PPVs The Authority Always Wins. For 28 years, Superstars have become legends and unforgettable moments have been etched in time as every competitor one day hopes to be in the main event of WrestleMania and that path to stardom begins at the Royal Rumble as the 29th annual WWE Royal Rumble came to you, live on the WWE Network, from the Amway Center in Orlando, FL. Throughout a nearly thirty-year tenure, WWE’s “Big Four” mainstay has produced some of the biggest Superstars and most memorable moments in WWE history from the winner of the first ever Royal Rumble Match, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, to last year’s Rumble winner, Roman Reigns, bolstering such names as Bret “The Hitman” Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Triple H, Batista, Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker, Edge, John Cena, and three-time winner Stone Cold Steve Austin as those who have paved their own road to greatness on the grand stage of WrestleMania. However, this year’s Royal Rumble Match would be much different than what the aforementioned gladiators had to go through as this year’s 30-man melee would be contested for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship as, for the first time in history, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion will be an official participant in the Royal Rumble Match with his championship being placed on the line. As if this did not stack the deck enough against reigning WWE World Heavyweight Champion and last year’s Rumble winner Roman Reigns, the proud champion would be forced to enter the match as the #1 entrant, meaning that Roman will have to outlast 29 other Superstars to hang onto the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Roman Reigns will face bigger odds than any champion that has come before him as Reigns will have to contend with the likes of nine-time former World Champion and Royal Rumble Match veteran Chris Jericho, the entirety of the dominant, unforgiving, and seemingly unstoppable Wyatt Family, “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show, and the man who Roman Reigns collided with at last year’s WrestleMania, “The Beast” Brock Lesnar! Those aforementioned names are just the Superstars that Roman Reigns will know he will have to contend with as, in what has become a Royal Rumble tradition, there could be any number of surprise entrants into this year’s Royal Rumble Match. While it definitely appears to be a “One Versus All” situation for the champion, one cannot forget that the Royal Rumble Match is every man for himself and only one Superstar can walk out as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, meaning that alliances are fragile and a Superstar could betray a friend or a family member at any given time, all in the name of the top prize in WWE, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Who will win this year’s Royal Rumble Match and who will walk out as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion? Can Roman Reigns continue to do what he has done throughout his career and survive or will the odds finally prove too much for Roman to overcome? While 30 Superstars compete in the Royal Rumble Match to be the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, the Royal Rumble Match would not be the only wild and unpredictable match on the card as the Royal Rumble event would see Dean Ambrose put the Intercontinental Championship on the line against former champion Kevin Owens in a Last Man Standing Match! Since losing the Intercontinental Championship to Dean Ambrose last month at WWE TLC, Kevin Owens has become obsessed with regaining the prestigious gold, repeatedly attacking Dean Ambrose. Never one to back down, “The Lunatic Fringe” has responded in kind in what has become one of the most intense feuds in recent memory. Now, at the Royal Rumble, both men will compete for the Intercontinental Championship in a match where the only way to win is by incapacitating your opponent to the point that they cannot make it to their feet by the referee’s count of ten with no pinfalls, no submissions, no count-outs, and no disqualifications! The Royal Rumble would prove to be a championship night as the United States Championship would be on the line as Alberto Del Rio would defend the gold against former champion Kalisto. A couple of weeks ago on RAW, Kalisto would pull off the upset of a lifetime by rolling up Alberto Del Rio to become the new United States Champion. However, thanks to Del Rio and his League of Nations cohort King Barrett, Kalisto would lose the title back to Del Rio just three nights later and, at the Royal Rumble, the ‘rubber match’ would take place between these two talented competitors. The Divas Championship would also be up for grabs at the Royal Rumble as, after using her Hall of Famer father Ric Flair to win their last championship encounter, Charlotte would have her father in her corner once again when she defends the Divas Title against her former best friend Becky Lynch. Also, in a match for the WWE Tag Team Titles, The New Day would defend the gold against the 2015 Slammy Award-winning Tag Team of the Year The Usos. Match Results Fatal 4-Way Tag Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Kickoff Exclusive: Mark Henry & Jack Swagger def. The Dudley Boyz, The Ascension, and Darren Young & Damien Sandow by Mark Henry pinning Viktor following the 3-D by The Dudley Boyz. As a result, Mark Henry & Jack Swagger gain entry into the Royal Rumble Match. Intercontinental Championship: Last Man Standing Match: Dean Ambrose (c) def. Kevin Owens to retain. WWE Tag Team Championship: Big E & Kofi Kingston (c) (with Xavier Woods) def. The Usos by Big E (c) pinning Jey Uso following the Big Ending to retain. United States Championship: Kalisto def. Alberto Del Rio (c) by pin following the Salida del Sol to win the United States Title. Divas Championship: Charlotte (c) (with Ric Flair) def. Becky Lynch by pin following the Spear after a distraction from Ric Flair to retain. 30-Man Royal Rumble Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship: WINNER – Triple H Order of Entry Roman Reigns (c) Rusev (with Lana) AJ Styles Tyler Breeze Curtis Axel (with Heath Slater, Adam Rose, & Bo Dallas) Chris Jericho Kane Goldust Ryback Kofi Kingston (with Big E & Xavier Woods) Titus O’Neil R-Truth Luke Harper Stardust Big Show Neville Braun Strowman Kevin Owens Dean Ambrose Sami Zayn Erick Rowan Mark Henry Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) Jack Swagger The Miz Alberto Del Rio Bray Wyatt Dolph Ziggler Sheamus Triple H (Winner) Order of Elimination Roman Reigns (c) elim. Rusev Roman Reigns (c) & AJ Styles elim. Tyler Breeze AJ Styles elim. Curtis Axel Titus O’Neil elim. Goldust Kane elim. R-Truth Chris Jericho elim. Kofi Kingston Big Show elim. Titus O’Neil Big Show elim. Ryback Braun Strowman elim. Kane Braun Strowman elim. Big Show Kevin Owens elim. AJ Styles Sami Zayn elim. Kevin Owens Luke Harper elim. Neville Luke Harper elim. Stardust Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, & Braun Strowman elim. Mark Henry Braun Strowman elim. Sami Zayn Brock Lesnar elim. Erick Rowan Brock Lesnar elim. Jack Swagger Brock Lesnar elim. Luke Harper Brock Lesnar elim. Braun Strowman Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, & Braun Strowman elim. Brock Lesnar Roman Reigns (c) elim. The Miz Roman Reigns (c) elim. Alberto Del Rio Triple H elim. Dolph Ziggler Triple H & Sheamus elim. Bray Wyatt Dean Ambrose elim. Chris Jericho Roman Reigns (c) elim. Sheamus Triple H elim. Roman Reigns (c) Triple H elim. Dean Ambrose See page 2 for detailed results.
