Royal Rumble (2016)
| Royal Rumble | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Promotional poster featuringJohn Cena | |||
| Promotion | WWE | ||
| Date | January 24, 2016 | ||
| City | Orlando, Florida | ||
| Venue | Amway Center | ||
| Attendance | 15,170 | ||
| Buy rate | 91,000[1](excludingWWE Networkviews) | ||
| WWE Networkevent chronology | |||
| |||
| Royal Rumblechronology | |||
| |||
The 2016Royal Rumblewas the 29th annualRoyal Rumbleprofessional wrestlingpay-per-view(PPV) andlivestreamingeventproduced byWWE.It took place on January 24, 2016, at theAmway CenterinOrlando, Florida.The event was also the fifth Royal Rumble pay-per-view to be held in the state ofFlorida,after the1990,1991,1995,and2006events, the second to be held in Orlando (after 1990), and WWE's first pay-per-view event to be held at the Amway Center.
Traditionally since 1993, theRoyal Rumble matchwinner receives a world championship match at that year'sWrestleMania.For the 2016 event, however,Roman Reignswas scheduled to defend theWWE World Heavyweight Championshipin the 2016 Royal Rumble match and as the number one entrant. This was the main event match, which was won by the returningTriple H,who eliminated Reigns before lastly eliminatingDean Ambroseto win the championship. This was Triple H's second Royal Rumble win and he became the third person to win the match as the number 30 entrant. This was only the second time that a Royal Rumble winner won the world championship for winning the eponymous match, after the1992 event,where the vacant title was the prize, however, it was the first in which the reigning champion defended the title in the match.
Five other matches were contested at the event, including one on the Kickoff pre-show. The event was notable for the WWE pay-per-view debut of longtimeTotal Nonstop Action WrestlingmainstayAJ Stylesas the third entrant in the Royal Rumble match. This was also the last Royal Rumble event to be held before the reintroduction of thebrand extensionin July.
Production[edit]
Background[edit]
TheRoyal Rumbleis an annualgimmickeventproduced every January byWWEsince 1988. It is one of the promotion's original fourpay-per-views(PPV), along withWrestleMania,SummerSlam,andSurvivor Series,dubbed the "Big Four".[2]It is named after theRoyal Rumble match,a modifiedbattle royalin which the participants enter at timed intervals instead of all beginning in the ring at the same time. The 2016 event was the 29th Royal Rumble and was scheduled to be held on January 24, 2016, at theAmway CenterinOrlando, Florida.In addition to airing on PPV, the event was available tolivestreamon theWWE Network.[3]
The Royal Rumble match generally features 30 wrestlers and the winner traditionally earns aworld championshipmatch at that year's WrestleMania.[4][5]For 2016, that would have been a match for theWWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipatWrestleMania 32;however, reigning WWE World Heavyweight ChampionRoman Reignswas scheduled to defend the title in the match as the number one entrant. This marked the second time that the promotion's world championship was the prize of the match (the first being in1992), but the first time in which the champion defended the title in the match, as in 1992, the championship had been vacated, and it was decided that the Rumble winner would win the vacant title.[3][6]
Storylines[edit]
The event comprised six matches, including one on the Kickoff pre-show, that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayedheroes,villains,orless distinguishable charactersin scripted events that built tension and culminated in a match or a series of matches. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers, while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows,RawandSmackDown.[7][8]
Traditionally, the winner of the 30-man Royal Rumble match is awarded a world championship match at WrestleMania. However, as a culmination of his attempts to deprive the WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns for attacking hisson-in-lawTriple Hand overall disrespecting theMcMahon family,WWE CEO and ChairmanVince McMahondecided that Reigns would have to defend his title in the Rumble match as entrant number one.[9]
On the December 28 episode ofRaw,Big Showwas the first wrestler to announce his participation in the Royal Rumble match.[10]Early in January,Curtis Axel,Ryback,The Wyatt Family(Bray Wyatt,Luke Harper,Erick Rowan,andBraun Strowman),Dolph Ziggler,Chris Jericho,[9]Stardust,andSheamus[11]were added to the match. On the January 11 episode ofRaw,Stephanie McMahonannounced thatBrock Lesnarwould compete in the match in spite of Lesnar's advocatePaul Heymanarguing that Lesnar should bypass the match and face the winner at WrestleMania 32.[12]The next week onRaw,a riggedlotteryassigned the #1 spot to Reigns, meaning that he would be the first contestant to enter the match.[13]
AtTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs,Dean AmbrosedefeatedKevin Owensto win theWWE Intercontinental Championship.[14]Their rivalry intensified for over weeks; including a match ending in a double countout for the Intercontinental Championship.[15]On the January 14 episode ofSmackDown,Owens accepted Ambrose's challenge to aLast Man Standing matchfor the Intercontinental Championship at the Royal Rumble.[11]
On the January 7 episode ofSmackDown,John CenaintroducedKalistoas an opponent forUnited States ChampionAlberto Del Rio.After Kalisto won the match,[15]he was granted a title match on the January 11 episode ofRaw,in which he defeated Del Rio to win the United States Championship.[12]Del Rio went on to win back the championship the following night onSmackDown.[11]Subsequently, another title match between the two was scheduled for the Royal Rumble.
On the January 4 episode ofRaw,Becky Lynchwas attacked byDivas ChampionCharlotteafter defeating her in a non-title match.[9]With the help of fatherRic Flair,Charlotte defeated Lynch to retain the championship on the January 7 episode ofSmackDown.[15]Subsequently, Lynch challenged Charlotte for another title match at the Royal Rumble. Though Charlotte was unwilling to grant Lynch another title opportunity, Lynch goaded Flair to accept the challenge on his daughter's behalf.[11][13]
On the January 11 episode ofRaw,The Usos(Jey UsoandJimmy Uso) defeatedWWE Tag Team ChampionsThe New Day(Kofi KingstonandBig E,withXavier Woods) in a non-title match.[12]The following week onRaw,a title match between the two teams was scheduled for the Royal Rumble.[13]
On January 20, afatal four-way tag team matchbetweenDarren YoungandDamien Sandow,The Dudley Boyz(Bubba Ray DudleyandD-Von Dudley),The Ascension(KonnorandViktor), andMark HenryandJack Swaggerwas scheduled for the Royal Rumble pre-show, with both members of the winning team earning a spot in the Royal Rumble match later in the night.[16]
Event[edit]
| Role: | Name: |
|---|---|
| English commentators | Michael Cole |
| John "Bradshaw" Layfield | |
| Byron Saxton | |
| Spanish commentators | Carlos Cabrera |
| Marcelo Rodríguez | |
| French commentators | Christophe Agius |
| Philippe Chereau | |
| Ring announcers | Lilian Garcia |
| Eden Stiles | |
| Referees | John Cone |
| Dan Engler | |
| Mike Chioda | |
| Charles Robinson | |
| Rod Zapata | |
| Backstage interviewers | Rich Brennan |
| Pre-show panel | Renee Young |
| Booker T | |
| Jerry Lawler | |
| Corey Graves |
Pre-show[edit]
On the Royal Rumble kickoff pre-show, The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley), Jack Swagger and Mark Henry, Damien Sandow and Darren Young, and The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor) competed in a fatal four-way tag team match, in which the winners would qualify for the Royal Rumble match. In the end, Bubba Ray and D-Von performed a3-Don Viktor before Swagger applied a Patriot Lock on Bubba Ray whilst Henry performed a Running Splash on Bubba Ray. Henry pinned Viktor, allowing Swagger and Henry to qualify for the Royal Rumble match.[17]
Preliminary matches[edit]
The actual pay-per-view opened with Dean Ambrose defending the Intercontinental Championship against Kevin Owens in a Last Man Standing match. During the match, Owens performed a Cannonball through the barricade on Ambrose. Owens attempted a Powerbomb on Ambrose through two chairs but Ambrose countered with a Back Body Drop through the chairs. Ambrose performed Dirty Deeds on Owens on a chair. Ambrose performed a Diving Elbow Drop on Owens through a table. Owens performed a Swinging Fisherman Suplex off the top rope on Ambrose through a table. In the end, Ambrose pushed Owens off the top rope through two tables stacked outside the ring. As Owens could not stand by a ten count, Ambrose won the match to retain the title.[17]
Next, The New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston) (accompanied by Xavier Woods) defended the WWE Tag Team Championship against The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso). In the closing moments of the match, Big E tackled Jimmy into the barricade, only for Jey to perform a Superkick on Big E. Jey leapt to the top rope but was caught by Big E, who performed a Big Ending on Jey to retain the titles.[17]
After that, Alberto Del Rio defended the United States Championship against Kalisto. During the match Del Rio attempted a double foot stomp on Kalisto whilst he was held in the tree of woe, but Kalisto avoided it and executed a Salida Del Sol, however, Del Rio grabbed the ropes to void the pinfall. In the end, as Del Rio removed the padding from a turnbuckle, Kalisto performed a Diving Hurricanrana on Del Rio, knocking Del Rio into the exposed turnbuckle. Kalisto performed a second Salida Del Sol on Del Rio to win the title.[17]
In the fourth match, Charlotte defended her Divas Championship against Becky Lynch. In the climax of the match, as Lynch applied the Dis-arm-her on Charlotte, Ric Flair threw his jacket onto Lynch. Lynch threw the jacket only for Charlotte to execute a Spear on Lynch to retain the championship. After the match,Sasha Banksreturned and applied the Bank Statement on Charlotte. Flair pulled Charlotte out of the ring.[17]
Main event[edit]
The main event was the 30-man Royal Rumble match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns andRusevbegan the match as the number one and number two entrants, respectively. After Reigns eliminated Rusev,AJ Stylesentered at number three, marking Styles's WWE pay-per-view debut, and eliminated the next entrants,Tyler Breezeand Curtis Axel, the latter of who was attacked by Erick Rowan a year earlier. On orders of WWE chairman Vince McMahon,the League of Nations(Sheamus, Rusev, and Alberto Del Rio) pulled Reigns out of the ring and attacked him, where Rusev performed a Running Splash on Reigns through a broadcast table, causing an injured Reigns to be taken backstage.[17]
As the match continued, Braun Strowman eliminatedKaneand Big Show. Kevin Owens eliminated AJ Styles but was later eliminated bySami Zayn,who was a surprise entrant at number twenty. Brock Lesnar eliminated Jack Swagger and three members of the Wyatt Family: Erick Rowan, Luke Harper, and Braun Strowman. When Bray Wyatt entered, The Wyatt Family attacked Lesnar again and eliminated him from the match. Whilst Sheamus entered, Reigns attacked him with aSuperman Punchbefore returning to the match. Reigns then eliminatedThe Mizand Alberto Del Rio.[17]
At number thirty, Triple H, who had been inactive since being attacked by Roman Reigns at TLC, made his return and eliminated Dolph Ziggler. Sheamus performed a Brogue Kick on Wyatt and, together with Triple H, eliminated Wyatt. Chris Jericho was eliminated by Dean Ambrose. Sheamus attempted another Brogue Kick on Ambrose; however, Ambrose countered and Sheamus fell onto the ring apron. Reigns eliminated Sheamus after a Superman Punch only for Triple H to eliminate him. After a back-and-forth shuffle, Triple H eliminated Ambrose, resulting in Triple H winning his second Royal Rumble and becoming WWE World Heavyweight Champion for the ninth time, and a 14-time World Champion overall.[17]
Reception[edit]
The event received generally positive reviews, with most commentators praising the undercard (particularly the Last Man Standing match between Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens) and noting a marked improvement in the titular match from the2014and2015events.[18][19]
Some of the reviewers were more critical of the event, such as John Powell ofSlam! Wrestlingrating the match a 6-out-of-10 match, expressing his disappointment in the outcome of the main event match which he felt represented WWE "going out of their way to frustrate fans and keep their product in a continued state of uninspired monotony". Powell claimed that it "had its moments here and there" but also noting inconsistencies with the past 28 matches, such as allowing Roman Reigns to rejoin after "missing the majority of the match". The Intercontinental title match was the best rated on the show at 8.5 out of 10, and was described as a "very brutal affair with Owens and Ambrose hammering each other into oblivion with chairs, kendo sticks and tables". The tag title match was called "standard, hum-drum" and rated 5 out of 10; the United States title match was "a classic David vs. Goliath encounter", rated 6 out of 10, and the women's title match was described as "unexceptional" with a poor ending, rated 3 out of 10. The pre-show match was also rated 3 out of 10, described as a "snorefest" and a "mess". Lastly, Powell described AJ Styles' re-debut as "one of the highlights of the night", and noted the positive crowd responses to Becky Lynch and Damien Sandow.[20]
Dave Scherer ofPWInsiderwrote that the opening match for the Intercontinental Championship was "an awesome spectacle, with really good psychology mixed in" as "it felt like they hated each other". Scherer added that the tag title match was "a lot of fun", and the United States title match "good, if you can appreciateLucha",otherwise" a lot of Kalisto's offense isn't believable ". Scherer expressed mild disappointment towards the Divas Championship match, writing that it was not an"NXTstyle match ", and described Ric Flair forcibly kissing Becky Lynch as" sexual assault ". For the Royal Rumble match, Scherer, according to him, noted that the booking of the match turned the crowd against Roman Reigns, writing that" Vince thought he booked [the Rumble] for the people to cheer for Reigns ", but that" the Orlando crowd made Triple H the "face". Scherer added that he was not surprised at Triple H's entry and win of the main event.[22]
James Montgomery ofRolling Stonewrote that "the Royal Rumble was an entertaining show, paced by the battle royal and bolstered by its undercard". He described the opening match as "a thoroughly entertaining I.C. battle" and the tag-team title match as "a creative match that had its moments, but hopefully signaled the end of this feud". He described the United States Championship bout as "a hard-hitting match that featured a great false finish", and expressed his desire for Kalisto to have "an extended run" with it. For the Royal Rumble match, Montgomery wrote that it was a "pretty good Rumble. Storylines began and advanced." He described the arrival of AJ Styles as "surreal" and praised Dean Ambrose's performance, writing that "his future appears to be brightening by the minute". However, he expressed disappointment at the use of Brock Lesnar in the match and added that "Triple H's victory at the Royal Rumble will no doubt cool some folks' reactions to the event as a whole".[19]
James Caldwell ofPro Wrestling Torchpraised the Intercontinental Championship match, writing: "What a match. Just a nonstop battle capturing the story of this feud" and rating it as 4 and a quarter stars out of five. Caldwell rated the tag-team title match at 2 and a quarter stars out of five, describing it as "an up-and-down match with the main issue of no reason to view New Day as heels". He gave the United States Championship match 2 and three-quarters out of 5, calling it as a "solid, unspectacular singles match", and wrote that the Divas Championship match "was more of a bridge to what was next" in reference to the appearance of Sasha Banks. Caldwell gave the Rumble main event 3 and three-quarters out of 5, commenting that there were "overall, too many downpoints for this year's Rumble hurting some up-points". He wrote that "the Rumble started really well, got ridiculous in the middle with the now-annual compromise of the Rumble, and ended with the crowd not sure what to do with the players in the mix outside of Ambrose".[17]
Will Pruett ofPro Wrestling Dot Netdescribed the event as "a delightful show from beginning to end". The Rumble match was described as "very fun" and the best since 2010. Pruett raised questions over the booking of Roman Reigns, noting that he "failed to truly be heroic" twice at the event. In comparison, Pruett felt that Triple H came across being the "conquering hero" and "avenging party" in the storyline against Reigns. Regarding Dean Ambrose, Pruett felt he "was presented as more of a star on this show than he has been in a long time", commenting that "unlike Roman Reigns, who walked away, Ambrose fought hard and still kept fighting to the end". He described the opening match between Ambrose and Owens as "insane". Pruett wrote that the re-debuting AJ Styles "instantly seemed like he fit on the roster", but noted that he was "not presented in the upper echelon of WWE". For other matches, Pruett called Kalisto's win "a major surprise"; while lamenting that "the lines of the WWE women's division were blurred once again" as to who fans should support between Sasha Banks and Charlotte after their post-match antics.[18]
Kyle Johnson of theWrestling Observerspecifically analyzed the merits of the Royal Rumble match. While not "one of the greatest", it achieved two "key things that any good Rumble should": firstly helping to "advance or create undercard storylines heading into Wrestlemania", secondly helping to "generate a handful of legitimate title contenders for the year to follow": Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, Kevin Owens and AJ Styles. For the negatives, Johnson highlighted storyline irregularities: Triple H winning cleanly without any "underhanded advantage"; Reigns "voluntarily" leaving a title match, returning later "not selling any injuries whatsoever", the League of Nations not eliminating Reigns; and no Lesnar rampage post-elimination.[23]
Appraisals[edit]
Hall of FamerBret Hartgave a strongly negative appraisal of the show, ranking the match as "one of the least exciting" in history, and the overall event as perhaps "the worst Royal Rumble". He said of Triple H's WWE World Heavyweight Championship win in the Rumble match "I didn't like the decision that Triple H, surprise, put the belt on himself again... it just showed a real lack of imagination if you ask me".[24]
Aftermath[edit]
On the following episode ofRaw,The Authoritydecided that Triple H would defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 32 against the winner of atriple threat matchbetween Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Brock Lesnar atFastlane.[25]Reigns won the match (and the title opportunity at WrestleMania) by pinning Ambrose.[26]However, Ambrose also received a title match in the run-up to WrestleMania, atWWE Roadblock,where Triple H defeated him to retain the championship.[27]Prior to his triple threat match with Reigns and Lesnar at Fastlane, Ambrose lost the Intercontinental Championship to Kevin Owens in afatal five-way matchon the February 15 episode ofRaw,though Ambrose was not involved in the decision.[28]
The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) had another confrontation with WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods), after the latter team interrupted The Usos' cousin,The Rock,who appeared on the January 25 episode ofRaw.The Usos forced the trio into the ring, where The Rock attacked each member with his signature moves.[25]On the February 8 episode ofRaw,The Usos and The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) defeated The New Day and Mark Henry in aneight-man tag team match.After the match, The Dudley Boyz attacked The Usos, turning heels in the process.[29]
Also, on the January 25 episode ofRaw,AJ Styles made his debut onRaw,defeating Chris Jericho. The two shook hands after the match but Jericho refused to release Styles' hand while giving him a staredown before leaving.[25]After Styles defeated The Miz on the February 4 episode ofSmackDown,Jericho challenged Styles to a rematch.[30]Jericho defeated Styles on the episode ofSmackDownof the following week, giving Styles his first loss since the Royal Rumble.[31]On the February 15 episode ofRaw,Styles challenged Jericho to a third match at Fastlane,[28]which Jericho accepted on the followingSmackDown.[32]
Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch additionally faced each other on the January 25 episode ofRawin a match which ended in disqualification after Charlotte attacked them.[25]After Banks confirmed her intentions of going after the Divas Championship and split fromTeam B.A.D.on the February 1Raw,she faced Lynch that night in a rematch which ended with Banks winning by disqualification after Team B.A.D. membersNaomiandTaminaattacked her, turning her face in the process. Lynch helped Banks fend off Naomi and Tamina, leading to a temporary and uneasy alliance between the two. This led to a tag team match pitting Banks and Lynch against Tamina and Naomi at Fastlane.[33][29]
Also on the February 1 episode ofRaw,Alberto Del Rio invoked his rematch clause to face Kalisto for the United States Championship at Fastlane.[33]The match was scheduled for the Kickoff pre-show, and stipulated as atwo out of three falls match.[28][34]
The 2016 Royal Rumble was the last Royal Rumble to occur before the reintroduction of thebrand extensionin July, which again split the roster between theRawandSmackDownbrands, where wrestlers were exclusively assigned to perform.[35]As such, another world championship was introduced. After the WWE World Heavyweight Championship became exclusive to SmackDown and renamed to WWE Championship, theWWE Universal Championshipwas introduced for Raw.[36]
Results[edit]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[17] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1P | Jack SwaggerandMark HenrydefeatedThe Ascension(KonnorandViktor),Damien SandowandDarren Young,andThe Dudley Boyz(Bubba Ray DudleyandD-Von Dudley) bypinfall | Fatal four-way tag team matchto qualify for theRoyal Rumble match[37] | 8:00 | ||||
| 2 | Dean Ambrose(c) defeatedKevin Owens | Last Man Standing matchfor theWWE Intercontinental Championship[38] | 20:22 | ||||
| 3 | The New Day(Big EandKofi Kingston) (c) (withXavier Woods) defeatedThe Usos(Jey UsoandJimmy Uso) bypinfall | Tag team matchfor theWWE Tag Team Championship[39] | 10:52 | ||||
| 4 | KalistodefeatedAlberto Del Rio(c) bypinfall | Singles matchfor theWWE United States Championship[40] | 11:31 | ||||
| 5 | Charlotte(c) (withRic Flair) defeatedBecky Lynchbypinfall | Singles matchfor theWWE Divas Championship[41] | 11:40 | ||||
| 6 | Triple Hwon by last eliminatingDean Ambrose | 30-manRoyal Rumble matchfor theWWE World Heavyweight Championship[42] | 1:01:42 | ||||
| |||||||
Royal Rumble entrances and eliminations[edit]
- –NXT
- –Winner
| Draw | Entrant | Order | Eliminated by | Times[42] | Eliminations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roman Reigns(c) | 28 | Triple H | 59:48 | 5 |
| 2 | Rusev | 1 | Roman Reigns | 01:30 | 0 |
| 3 | AJ Styles | 11 | Kevin Owens | 28:58 | 2 |
| 4 | Tyler Breeze | 2 | Roman Reigns and AJ Styles | 01:18 | 0 |
| 5 | Curtis Axel | 3 | AJ Styles | 01:30 | 0 |
| 6 | Chris Jericho | 26 | Dean Ambrose | 51:20 | 1 |
| 7 | Kane | 9 | Braun Strowman | 19:07 | 1 |
| 8 | Goldust | 4 | Titus O'Neil | 06:18 | 0 |
| 9 | Ryback | 8 | Big Show | 12:37 | 0 |
| 10 | Kofi Kingston | 6 | Chris Jericho | 08:26 | 0 |
| 11 | Titus O'Neil | 7 | Big Show | 09:06 | 1 |
| 12 | R-Truth | 5 | Kane | 00:59 | 0 |
| 13 | Luke Harper | 19 | Brock Lesnar | 24:16 | 4 |
| 14 | Stardust | 14 | Luke Harper | 14:12 | 0 |
| 15 | Big Show | 10 | Braun Strowman | 04:58 | 2 |
| 16 | Neville | 13 | Luke Harper | 10:17 | 0 |
| 17 | Braun Strowman | 20 | Brock Lesnar | 18:01 | 5 |
| 18 | Kevin Owens | 12 | Sami Zayn | 04:58 | 1 |
| 19 | Dean Ambrose | 29 | Triple H | 29:57 | 1 |
| 20 | Sami Zayn | 16 | Braun Strowman | 04:55 | 1 |
| 21 | Erick Rowan | 17 | Brock Lesnar | 04:35 | 2 |
| 22 | Mark Henry | 15 | The Wyatt Family (Braun Strowman, Erick Rowan, and Luke Harper)* | 00:47 | 0 |
| 23 | Brock Lesnar | 21 | 09:31 | 4 | |
| 24 | Jack Swagger | 18 | Brock Lesnar | 00:15 | 0 |
| 25 | The Miz | 22 | Roman Reigns | 08:55 | 0 |
| 26 | Alberto Del Rio | 23 | 07:02 | 0 | |
| 27 | Bray Wyatt | 25 | Sheamus and Triple H | 11:25 | 0 |
| 28 | Dolph Ziggler | 24 | Triple H | 07:10 | 0 |
| 29 | Sheamus | 27 | Roman Reigns | 08:46 | 1 |
| 30 | Triple H | - | Winner | 09:03 | 4 |
- (*) – Braun Strowman, Luke Harper, and Erick Rowan returned to the ring to eliminate Brock Lesnar, after they were eliminated by him.
References[edit]
- ^Observer Staff (March 2, 2016)."March 7, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: TNA seeking investors, UFC 196 preview, plus tons of news".Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online.Archived fromthe originalon March 5, 2016.RetrievedApril 9,2020.
The Rumble is currently estimated at 32,000 domestic buys, a number less than SummerSlam and Night of Champions, as well as another 59,000 buys outside of North America. The 32,000 buys represent a 47 percent drop from the prior year's 61,000 in North America. The international drop was 49 percent, going from 115,000 buys for the 2015 Rumble to 59,000 this year.
- ^Ian Hamilton.Wrestling's Sinking Ship: What Happens to an Industry Without Competition(p. 160)
- ^abJohnson, Mike (April 11, 2015)."2016 WWE Royal Rumble & Fast Lane PPVs will be in..."PWInsider.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2015.RetrievedApril 13,2015.
- ^"Specialty Matches: Royal Rumble".WWE.Archived fromthe originalon July 14, 2005.RetrievedDecember 3,2007.
- ^Waldman, Jon (February 2, 2005)."Statistical survival – breaking down the Royal Rumble".SLAM! Wrestling. Archived fromthe originalon October 19, 2015.RetrievedDecember 9,2007.
- ^Powell, John (March 9, 2000)."Wight goes to court".Slam Wrestling.Canadian Online Explorer.Archived fromthe originalon May 29, 2015.RetrievedJune 6,2007.
- ^Grabianowski, Ed (January 13, 2006)."How Pro Wrestling Works".HowStuffWorks.Discovery Communications.Archivedfrom the original on November 29, 2013.RetrievedMarch 5,2012.
- ^"Live & Televised Entertainment".WWE.Archived fromthe originalon February 18, 2009.RetrievedMarch 21,2012.
- ^abcTedesco, Mike (January 5, 2016)."WWE Raw Results – 1/4/16 (Reigns vs. Sheamus)".WrestleView.Archivedfrom the original on January 6, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 4,2016.
- ^Martin, Adam (December 29, 2015)."WWE Raw Results – 12/28/15 (John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio)".WrestleView.Archivedfrom the original on January 1, 2016.RetrievedDecember 28,2015.
- ^abcdKahrs, Alex (January 15, 2016)."WWE Smackdown Results – 1/14/16 (Tag team main event)".WrestleView.Archivedfrom the original on January 16, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 15,2016.
- ^abcTedesco, Mike (January 12, 2016)."WWE Raw Results – 1/11/16 (Brock Lesnar returns)".WrestleView.Archivedfrom the original on January 13, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 12,2016.
- ^abcTedesco, Mike (January 19, 2016)."WWE Raw Results – 1/18/16 (Final hype for Royal Rumble)".WrestleView.Archivedfrom the original on January 20, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 19,2016.
- ^Caldwell, James (December 13, 2015)."12/13 WWE TLC PPV results – Caldwell's Complete Real-Time Report".Pro Wrestling Torch.Archivedfrom the original on December 16, 2015.RetrievedDecember 14,2015.
- ^abcMartin, Adam (January 8, 2016)."WWE Smackdown Results – 1/7/16 (Ambrose vs. Owens)".WrestleView.Archivedfrom the original on January 9, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 15,2016.
- ^"Royal Rumble Update – Pre-Show match announced for entry in the Royal Rumble".Pro Wrestling Torch.January 20, 2016. Archived fromthe originalon January 23, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 20,2016.
- ^abcdefghijCaldwell, James (January 24, 2016)."1/24 WWE Royal Rumble PPV Results – Caldwell's Complete Live PPV Report".Pro Wrestling Torch.Archivedfrom the original on January 28, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 24,2016.
- ^abPruett, Will (January 25, 2016)."Pruett's Pause: WWE Royal Rumble 2016".Pro Wrestling Dot Net.Archivedfrom the original on January 26, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 26,2016.
- ^abMontgomery, James (January 25, 2016)."WWE 'Royal Rumble': Triple H Wins the Title, A.J. Styles Arrives".Rolling Stone.Archivedfrom the original on January 25, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 25,2016.
- ^Powell, John (January 25, 2016)."Chaos reigns at The Royal Rumble".canoe.ca.Archived fromthe originalon January 28, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 25,2016.
- ^"Superstars you didn't know were in WWE!".WWE. July 9, 2014.RetrievedMarch 7,2016.
- ^Scherer, Dave (January 24, 2016)."Shocking winner at the Rumble (OK, I am kidding)".PWInsider.Archivedfrom the original on March 3, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 25,2016.
- ^Johnson, Kyle (January 27, 2016)."Royal Rumble 2016: What Worked, What Can Be Better Next Year".Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online.Archivedfrom the original on January 28, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 28,2016.
- ^Austin (January 26, 2016)."Bret Hart Thinks The 2016 Royal Rumble Was 'One Of The Least Exciting' He's Ever Seen".Yahoo! News.Uproxx.Archived fromthe originalon January 27, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 31,2016.
- ^abcdTedesco, Mike (January 26, 2016)."WWE Raw Results – 1/25/16 (The Rock, Fastlane main event)".WrestleView.Archivedfrom the original on January 27, 2016.RetrievedFebruary 7,2016.
- ^Caldwell, James (February 21, 2016)."2/21 WWE Fast Lane Results – Caldwell's Complete PPV Report".Pro Wrestling Torch.Archivedfrom the original on February 24, 2016.RetrievedFebruary 21,2016.
- ^Caldwell, James (March 12, 2016)."3/12 WWE Roadblock Results – Caldwell's Complete Live Report".Pro Wrestling Torch.Archivedfrom the original on March 13, 2016.RetrievedMarch 12,2016.
- ^abcMartin, Adam (February 16, 2016)."WWE Raw Results – 2/15/16 (Big Show vs. Braun Strowman)".WrestleView.Archivedfrom the original on February 17, 2016.RetrievedApril 7,2023.
- ^abTedesco, Mike (February 9, 2016)."WWE Raw Results – 2/8/16 (Daniel Bryan retires from WWE)".WrestleView.Archivedfrom the original on February 10, 2016.RetrievedMarch 15,2016.
- ^Martin, Adam (February 5, 2016)."WWE Smackdown Results – 2/4/16 (Tag Team Main Event)".WrestleView.Archivedfrom the original on February 6, 2016.RetrievedApril 7,2023.
- ^Khars, Alex (February 12, 2016)."WWE Smackdown Results – 2/11/16 (Jericho vs. Styles II)".WrestleView.Archivedfrom the original on February 15, 2016.RetrievedApril 7,2023.
- ^Khars, Alex (February 19, 2016)."WWE Smackdown Results – 2/18/16 (Lesnar, tag main event)".WrestleView.Archivedfrom the original on February 20, 2016.RetrievedApril 7,2023.
- ^abTedesco, Mike (February 2, 2016)."WWE Raw Results – 2/1/16 (Tag Team Match Main Event)".WrestleView.Archivedfrom the original on February 3, 2016.RetrievedApril 7,2023.
- ^Namako, Jason (February 16, 2016)."WWE confirms stipluation for Fastlane PPV Kickoff match".WrestleView.Archivedfrom the original on February 17, 2016.RetrievedFebruary 16,2016.
- ^WWE.com Staff (June 20, 2016)."WWE's destiny to be determined during SmackDown's Live premiere".WWE.Archivedfrom the original on June 21, 2016.RetrievedJune 20,2016.
- ^Tedesco, Mike (July 25, 2016)."WWE Raw Results – 7/25/16 (Live from Pittsburgh, fallout from Battleground, new era of Raw begins)".WrestleView.Archivedfrom the original on July 28, 2016.RetrievedJuly 25,2016.
- ^WWE.com Staff (January 15, 2016)."Jack Swagger & Mark Henry won the Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match".WWE.Archivedfrom the original on February 24, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 20,2016.
- ^Taylor, Scott (January 4, 2016)."Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose def. Kevin Owens (Last Man Standing Match)".WWE.Archivedfrom the original on February 24, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 15,2016.
- ^Powers, Kevin (January 15, 2016)."WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day def. The Usos".WWE.Archivedfrom the original on February 24, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 18,2016.
- ^Burdick, Michael (January 15, 2016)."Kalisto def. United States Champion Alberto Del Rio".WWE.Archivedfrom the original on February 24, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 18,2016.
- ^Melok, Bobby (January 15, 2016)."Divas Champion Charlotte def. Becky Lynch".WWE.Archivedfrom the original on February 24, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 19,2016.
- ^abMurphy, Ryan (December 21, 2015)."Triple H won the 2016 Royal Rumble Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship".WWE.Archivedfrom the original on January 25, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 24,2016.