WWE Week in Review: Who Received B/R's Top Awards for Week of January 25

WWE left no doubt that the road to WrestleMania has truly begun.

AJ Styles debuted, netting WWE a new name to put on the marquee. The Royal Rumble match crowned a new champion, nailing down one half of the WrestleMania main event. And Dean Ambrose did his best to convince the company that he's the man best suited to occupy that second half.

After two straight frustrating Rumbles, WWE righted the ship.

Who most thrived at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view and the shows following it? Which match gave fans the most to be pumped about? Who flourished the most at Full Sail University?

The following provides the answers to those questions and more, handing out awards for the top wrestler, bout and the Rumble moment of the week. 

B/R's Top Match of the Week: Royal Rumble

The streak of Royal Rumble matches leaving fans disenchanted ended on Sunday night.

WWE crafted one of the better versions of the Battle Royal in years. Critics will pan the predictability of Triple H's win, but there was plenty to savor beyond that.

Several of the match's subplots and surprises hit the right notes.

Sami Zayn showed up and rekindled his rivalry with Kevin Owens. The Wyatt Family brought destruction as promised. And wrestling's hottest free agent, Styles, made his debut.

It was smart, too, of WWE not have Roman Reigns win. Had he overcome the odds of starting from the No. 1 spot, taking a beating from The Authority and outlasting the likes of Brock Lesnar and Triple H would have made him too superhuman. Instead, he now becomes the hunter once again.

And a massive moment of redemption awaits him at WrestleMania.

B/R's Standout NXT Star of the Week: American Alpha

Jason Jordan and Chad Gable, now known as American Alpha, made it quite clear that they are the hottest thing going in NXT.

The two battled against Blake and Murphy on Wednesday's NXT in a fun, engaging matchup. Gable flew around the ring, blending high-flying with mat wrestling. Jordan infused a wealth of energy into the bout.

American Alpha had the crowd on the end of its strings as the group earned another win.

Jordan and Gable's chemistry seems to increase every week. They boast an infectiousness about them. Aubrey Sitterson of the Straight Shoot podcast nailed it when he tweeted, "Jordan and Gable work SO well together. Super fun watching them figure it all out."

American Alpha is clearly headed for a championship run. Their latest bout was a reminder of how much of a thrill ride their pursuit of the gold will be.

B/R's Top Moment of the Week: AJ Styles Arrives

Seeing Styles step through the curtains at the Royal Rumble was simply surreal. 

His arrival proved weeks of rumors true. The former TNA cornerstone and New Japan Pro Wrestling star was now a part of WWE. 

The company made the most of that arrival, too. Placing Styles in the Rumble early allowed for him to stick around for a long time. And it avoided having fans' anticipation for his debut overshadow by the rest of the match.

The fans welcomed The Phenomenal One with a huge reaction.

Styles held his own against Reigns. He slugged it out with Owens. He tossed out both Tyler Breeze and Curtis Axel en route to sticking around in the 30-man match for nearly 30 minutes. 

It all just felt right.

On his blog, Jim Ross called the debut "terrific" and "memorable." That's exactly how Styles needs to begin his WWE run. Hopefully, WWE will keep treating him like a major player and allow him to continue to add to his momentum.

B/R's Top Under-the-Radar Move of the Week: Goldust, R-Truth Teasing an Alliance

WWE is at its best when it finds fitting roles for even the lower-ranked wrestlers. That appears to be just what the company is set to do with R-Truth and Goldust.

Both on Raw and on SmackDown, The Bizarre One tried to recruit R-Truth as a tag team partner. R-Truth is resistant at the moment, not sure if Goldust is more interested in him as a romantic partner instead.

Each segment was a clash of two highly eccentric personalities. R-Truth and Goldust clicked together. As random of a pairing as this looks to be, it screams potential.

The tag team division is in need of fresh faces. Both of these guys are in dire need of direction.

Making them the next odd-couple duo is smart business.

B/R's Top Wrestler of the Week: Dean Ambrose

How much more intriguing the WWE world title picture is with Ambrose in it once again says a lot.

The Lunatic Fringe bettered every match and every storyline he was a part of this week. He added an electricity to every place WWE sent him.

He and Owens put on a brutal display to kick off the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Their Last Man Standing match enthralled. As PWTorch's Sean Radican tweeted, "Ambrose and Owens went out in the opener and it felt like the main event."

Ambrose put on strong performances elsewhere, too. He delivered strong work in tag team action on Raw and brought his usual frenetic energy to a six-man tag battle on SmackDown.

And The Authority booking him to face Reigns and Lesnar at Fastlane for a shot at world champion Triple H got the buzz going for that event early. Lesnar and Reigns' presence certainly contribute to that, but Ambrose is the wild card that makes that match an even more riveting concept.

A well-executed interview with Michael Cole added to that.

Even during a stretch where The Rock made a surprise appearance and Styles debuted, Ambrose's production this week made sure he was still the center of many a conversation.