WWE Royal Rumble 2016: Biggest X-Factors to Watch at Massive PPV

WWE's most intense and enthralling period is just around the corner, and WrestleMania season begins with the traditional Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

The marquee match brings drama, excitement and shocks aplenty, but the majority of the card should be well worth keeping an eye on as plans for WrestleMania 32 begin to take shape at that show.

As always, there will be a number of key factors worth watching, with these three in particular certainly recommended for WWE fans to pay attention to when the Royal Rumble airs.

Brock Lesnar's Role on the Show

Make no mistake about it, Brock Lesnar will be back on WWE TV for the Royal Rumble. There's no way WWE will have one of its biggest talents absent from a show of this magnitude, especially when the roster is so depleted at the moment.

But as things stand, there's very little clarity over what Lesnar's role on the pay-per-view will be.

Is he going to have a one-on-one bout somewhere on the card, or will he be entering the Royal Rumble itself? 

There's also an outside chance Lesnar shows up unannounced on the show and costs someone a victory, although expect that particular option to be put to bed in the next few weeks, as you imagine Lesnar will show up before the pay-per-view itself to hype the Royal Rumble.

With WrestleMania just a few short months away, the build for Lesnar's big feud for that show will begin at the Royal Rumble. Discovering what his future holds will be something worth tuning in to the pay-per-view for.

The Authority's Next Move

There's little doubting that the main event storyline with Roman Reigns and Sheamus needed an injection of enthusiasm, and the return of Vince McMahon to WWE TV has certainly done that.

Sheamus has almost faded into the background as Reigns tries to keep hold of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the expense of The Authority rather than The League of Nations.

It will therefore be intriguing to see what the plans for not only Reigns are at the Royal Rumble but for The Authority, too.

Triple H has been absent for the past couple of weeks, likely to sell the beating he took from Reigns at Tables, Ladders and Chairs.

But when he returns, he'll no doubt have Reigns in his sights, as does Vince. It makes for an intriguing show for the top end of the card, as a potential bout between Triple H and Reigns becomes more and more likely.

Who Wins the Rumble Itself?

There's always one major thing to watch out for in the first pay-per-view every year, and that's the winner of the Royal Rumble.

The bout brings with it plenty of twists and turns, but ultimately, what really matters is the identity of the Superstar who gets the title shot at WrestleMania.

It almost feels like we're overdue for a winner whom the fans want to see emerge triumphant after Roman Reigns' and Batista's successes felt somewhat flat in the past two years.

Will it be Bray Wyatt's time to step up? Will Brock Lesnar rampage his way through the field and claim the title shot?

Or will The Authority handpick someone else to go forward and battle Reigns at WrestleMania 32?

Of everything worth tuning in to the Rumble for, this is the biggest reason of all.