WWE Royal Rumble 2016: Titles Most Likely to Change Hands at PPV

At WWE Royal Rumble 2016, The New Day has the most reason to be worried about someone snatching away the trio's championship.

WWE is hinting at change to the top of the tag team division, booking Xavier Woods and company to taste defeat more frequently. The New Day may still be kings of the tag scene from an entertainment standpoint, but it appears as if their time as champs is numbered.

The upcoming Royal Rumble pay-per-view will focus on the WWE title and the main event at WrestleMania 32. The annual Battle Royal will be the event's featured bout, but there are sure to be some championship matches to round out the card.

Which titleholders would then have the most precarious hold on their gold? 

The New Day has to be high on that list with their sagging win-loss record of late. Alberto Del Rio fans should also prepare for the possibility of someone new holding the United States Championship come January 24.

He has fewer reasons to believe in his reign continuing than Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Charlotte.

Not Likely to Be Displaced from Their Thrones

As hard as WWE worked to tell the story of Reigns' championship triumph, it's hard to imagine the company taking the belt off him already. Having him head into WrestleMania as champ is the most sensible scenario.

Brian Fritz wrote for Fox Sports, "After many twists and turns, it feels like WrestleMania 32 is finally coming together with a match between Reigns and a vengeful Triple H looking to be the main event at the annual extravaganza."

That may well be the case. If it is indeed the night's final clash, it's more likely Reigns is still champ by that point. The Royal Rumble is more likely used to boost Reigns toward WrestleMania, giving him a major title defense to prep him for an even bigger showdown.

And WWE is in the midst of building up Charlotte.

Becky Lynch isn't even her full-fledged enemy yet. She may face her at the Rumble, but it would be a waste to dethrone her so quickly. It's better to march her toward a more marquee matchup with Sasha Banks at WrestleMania with the Divas Championship on the line.

Dean Ambrose has to hold onto the Intercontinental Championship past the Royal Rumble.

WWE has too often gone to the title-changing well with that belt. To change champions again after a year that saw Bad News Barrett, Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan, Ryback, Kevin Owens and Ambrose all carry around the prize would be a blow to its prestige.

It's time for a longer reign. Don't bet against Ambrose holding tight to his championship past the Royal Rumble.

Del Rio Due for a Fall

Del Rio looked mighty beatable on Monday night when John Cena had him dead to rights in the middle of the ring. It took a save from The League of Nations to prevent him from leaving New York without the United States Championship.

If WWE decides to re-enter Cena into the U.S. title picture, go ahead and start counting down Del Rio's time as champ.

The title was red-hot when it was resting on Cena's shoulder. There's a good chance WWE would want to return to that. The spotlight has dimmed on the championship since Del Rio took over.

That speaks to the company not being as committed to him as U.S. champ as it was to Cena. Del Rio's best hope is that Cena gets entered into the Rumble rather than get another crack at the gold.

Change Coming in the Tag Team Championship Scene

The Lucha Dragons are charging after Woods, Kofi Kingston and Big E. As the babyface duo's popularity continues to swell, the chances of them taking over as champs increases.

Every title opportunity that Sin Cara and Kalisto have had recently has felt like it could be the moment that they knock off The New Day. 

At TLC, it was more than plausible that the high-flyers were set to come out on top. The same goes for the tag title match on last week's SmackDown.

Of that bout, ProWrestling.net's Jake Barnett wrote, "The Dragons have done well enough lately that a title change seemed plausible, so it's no surprise that the crowd got hot for their big comeback."

Add the fact that WWE is pinning more and more losses on the champs. The company keeps making them look very vincible, especially against Kalisto and Sin Cara.

Per CageMatch.net, The New Day are just 2-5 against The Lucha Dragons in their last seven meetings. Consider, too, that Kalisto just earned a win over Kofi Kingston on Monday's Raw.

There seems to be a shift underway.

Perhaps WWE has other plans for the group, like Big E entering a singles title picture, or maybe the company just wants to sell colorful, kid-friendly gear by having The Lucha Dragons stand in the spotlight. Either way, the Royal Rumble looms as the moment The New Day will be forced to play a sad song on Woods' trombone.