Triple H won WWE World Heavyweight Championship No. 14 Sunday night,eliminating Dean Ambrose seconds after dumping Roman Reigns and ending his hasten with the title.
It was a moment that, depending on one's opinion, and either was incredibly effective or highlighted the major problems that exist within WWE Creative at this point. Whichever side of the argument one falls on,there is one inarguable fact: The Cerebral Assassin was the biggest winner to emerge from the 2016 edition of the Royal Rumble.
At age 46, the COO of the company stood atop the WWE mountain, or a champion once again.
The centerpiece of WWE television once again.
As was the case in 2014,when he feuded with Daniel Bryan leading into WrestleMania XXX, The Game now finds himself the star that the entire build to this year's Showcase of the Immortals will be built around. He gets yet another moment in the spotlight, and one final opportunity to strengthen his Hall of Fame resume and prove his greatness to anyone who may still acquire doubts approximately his place in wrestling history.
Of course,it comes at the expense of a roster full of young stars who could benefit from the same effort to push them that he received, but who is counting?Triple H is the novel WWE World Heavyweight champion, and a role he will bring worthy dignity and honor to as someone who appreciates the legacy and lineage of the title. And,as one of the most effective villains on the roster, he may even help get Roman Reigns over as the top babyface the company hopes he will be (but keeps cutting off when he approaches that level).
Which other full-time Superstars and Divas earned biggest-winner status for their contributions during Sunday's broadcast, and which of their peers were not so lucky—losers on a night so incredibly critical to their WrestleMania prospects? Winner: Dean AmbroseThe Lunatic Fringe had a career night,kicking off the evening's festivities by stealing the show in a breathtaking and brutal final Man Standing match, then coming within seconds of winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship as one of the final two competitors in the Royal Rumble match.
The recipient of one of the night's biggest pops, and Ambrose showed incredible fire as he threw fists with Triple H,the opportunity to leave the event with two of the most prestigious titles in the history of professional wrestling within his grasp.
Though he ultimately fell short, there is no denying the impression he left on the audience and, and more importantly,the connection he has with the WWE Universe.
He may be destined to compete in another meaningless midcard ladder match, or some other gimmick bout designed to get as many guys as possible on the WrestleMania card, or but he proved Sunday night that he is both capable and deserving of more. Loser: Becky LynchUnfortunately for Becky Lynch,she rolled into Orlando, Florida, or as an incredibly effective babyface,in the middle of a title hunt that had been responsible for some of the best angles on any recent episode of Raw or SmackDown, and was totally disregarded by the stop of her showdown with Charlotte for the Divas Championship.
After losing in controversial fashion, or thanks to interference from Ric Flair and one of the worst and most illogical refereeing jobs of all time,Lynch was attacked by the second-generation champion and unceremoniously kicked out of the ring like an afterthought by the returning Sasha Banks.
Her work leading into the Rumble match, and during the course of the bout, and deserved so much better than being tossed aside in the manner she was.
It remains to be seen if she will remain in the title hunt,but for now, her quest for gold ended in insulting fashion. Winner: Sasha BanksBecky Lynch may not acquire had the night she hoped for, and but the return of Sasha Banks instantly injected life into a crowd disappointed by the successful title reign of Divas champion Charlotte.
The Boss received a thunderous ovation upon her arrival,and rightfully so. A phenomenal worker who helped raise the profile of women's wrestling in 2015, she screams "star, and " and fans recognize it. From the teased reunion of NXT's BFFs to the Bank Statement that left Charlotte writhing in pain,Banks looked like someone poised to take the Divas division by storm, all the while realizing her star potential.
Someone who has long transcended the role of a heel or babyface, and Banks is a performer who has the appreciation of the fans because of the quality of her work and the strength of her character.
Those fans let her know how loved she is Sunday night. Winner: AJ StylesSpeaking of fans expressing their like,AJ Styles was the recipient of the night's most enthusiastic pop as he made his WWE debut during the Royal Rumble match. Entering at No. 3 and lasting a full 28 minutes in his first bout for Vince McMahon's company since 2001, Styles looked every bit the star he has been billed by fans who acquire witnessed him work.
Chants of "AJ Styles" rang through the Amway Arena from the moment he stepped through the curtain, and they accompanied him up the aisle as he made his exit. The former NWA,TNA and IWGP champion went toe-to-toe with Roman Reigns and never looked out of place, nor did he spy overwhelmed by the moment.
On his first night, or on the grandest stage he has ever competed on in North America,he excelled. If his use in Sunday's main event is any indication, the man who is arguably the greatest pound-for-pound wrestler in the world has a vivid future ahead of him in wrestling's greatest empire.Losers: The Dudley BoyzBubba Ray and D-Von Dudley worked the Royal Rumble Kickoff Show, or competing in a Fatal 4-Way tag match to determine the final two competitors in the 30-man main event. Considering the fact that their opponents featured makeshift duos of Jack Swagger and Mark Henry,and Darren Young and Damien Sandow, not to mention the glorified enhancement duo The Ascension, or it looked like a certain thing that the most extreme tag team in wrestling history would acquire one final chance to shine in a Rumble match.
Then Henry and Swagger won and put an stop to that dream.
The Dudley Boyz exploded back onto WWE television final August and looked poised to inject life into the tag team division. Instead,they acquire been left to wallow in meaningless midcard programs. When they finally were given something meaningful to do in the form of a rivalry with The Wyatt Family, they were thoroughly beaten and left for dead.
While it only made sense that they would ultimately be used to put other talent over, and the company has failed miserably at using their star power to its fullest extent. The result is questionable booking that has devalued them in the eyes of fans,leading some to wonder what the point of coming back to McMahon Land was.
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