WWE Royal Rumble 2016 Would Be Perfect Time for AJ Styles to Debut

AJ Styles emerging through the curtains to enter the chaos of WWE Royal Rumble 2016 is a powerful moment that begs to be created. The timing, the format, the location all point to the annual 30-man match being the ideal time to welcome Styles to WWE.

Styles storming into this Sunday's Rumble at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, with his eyes on the world title and his fists aimed at the company's top stars is just the jolt WWE needs.

A surplus of stars are stuck on the sidelines. John Cena won't be in the Royal Rumble. Neither will Seth Rollins. Injuries have thinned out the match's depth and tempered its momentum. 

That could soon change. WWE fans buzzed after F4WOnline.com (h/t Wrestle Zone) reported that WWE had signed Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson from New Japan Pro Wrestling. And Styles recently teased a possible appearance in the Royal Rumble match to increase that buzz.

At a Revolution Pro event in the United Kingdom, Styles addressed the crowd after his match. He thanked the fans for their support and addressed the WWE rumors head-on:

"You put me in that Royal Rumble, and I'm going to kick some ass for you guys," he said.

What a boon that would be for a Rumble match in need of marquee names. One could argue that Styles is the biggest name left worldwide for WWE to pick up. After being a pillar for TNA during its best years, he has since been thrilling audiences as part of NJPW and a variety of promotions.

Creating classics at every stop, he has become wrestling's hottest free agent.

Can Styles continue that momentum in a new environment? Will he be able to rise to the top at WWE as he has elsewhere? The uncertainty born from those questions is part of why WWE welcoming Styles is such an intriguing proposition.

Fans can't be sure whether he will be as successful with Vince McMahon's company, but there's a possibility The Phenomenal One is the WWE's next top-tier star. Should he thrive at the Rumble to a fervent reaction, 2016 suddenly looks mighty exciting moving ahead.

About the rumored talent raid, Jim Ross wrote on his blog, "I believe in these four talents and if they are used strategically and if they come in as 'main eventers' WWE may have made themselves four, new main event talents."  

Inserting Styles into the Rumble and having him make it to the match's final four is a wise way to do just that.

Have him make an immediate impact. He could eliminate Kevin Owens, slug it out with The Wyatt Family and send Sheamus flying over the top rope, all in one night. There's no other single matchup or event that would open the door for Styles to do so much damage in such a short space.

Credit: WWE.com

Adding Styles to the mix would make it truly feel like WrestleMania season, too.

His arrival would infuse new energy into the product. It would make the weeks ahead far more compelling knowing that Styles will be in the thick of things going forward. 

And WWE could use the Rumble to easily set up an eye-catching WrestleMania matchup for him. 

Styles entering the Battle Royal adds to its prestige, as well. With Roman Reigns having to defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the bout against 29 other men, there should be a sense that all the best wrestlers in the world are chasing that victory.

It's hard to do that with Cena, Rollins and others on the mend. The addition of Styles would help counterbalance the less impressive field WWE has to offer this year.

Styles joining the fray at the Rumble is the easiest way to introduce him. There's no need for a convoluted story; Styles will just be after the opportunity of a lifetime with Reigns' title up for grabs.

Having him debut that night would be a treat for the diehard fans in the audience. It would set up so many enthralling collisions. Styles against anybody is fresh.

Finn Balor threw out the possibility of him and Styles kicking off the Royal Rumble:

That's the kind of bold move that would make the 2016 Royal Rumble one of the best ever. After two straight years of fans booing the outcome of the 30-man contest, WWE should maneuver out of its comfort zone.

And while many a casual fan won't be quite sure who this Styles fellow is, the fact that Orlando, Florida, is hosting the PPV assures him a strong reaction.

That city was long home to TNA tapings. It was the company's home base, where Styles first emerged. John Canton of the Comeback, for one, believes the crowd will respond in a big way for him. Canton wrote, "His reaction at the Rumble would be amazing."

He's right. Styles entering the Rumble would be an explosive moment that hints at future explosive moments. The Phenomenal One's arrival shifts the WWE landscape in an instant.

New possibilities of what WrestleMania and Raw can look like will materialize. And a company with several cracked cornerstones will have a new one to lean on, just in time to march toward the biggest show of the year.