WWE Royal Rumble 2016: Biggest Unanswered Questions Going Into Event

The build to the 2016 Royal Rumble has been a major improvement over recent pay-per-view offerings, with more focus on individual programs and a main event rivalry that has helped Roman Reigns get over as a babyface capable of carrying the company.

Undercard matches featuring Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, The New Day and Alberto Del Rio have laid a strong foundation for the event, while the issues between Becky Lynch and Charlotte have made for the most consistently solid television over the last month.

There are still unanswered questions leading into the event, though. Some revolve around talent we already know will appear on the show, while others center on Superstars who fans of World Wrestling Entertainment may have never been exposed to. 

Sunday night will provide answers, but now you can gear up for this weekend's 28th annual Royal Rumble spectacular with these questions awaiting the Superstars, Divas and management of WWE as they prepare to do battle in Orlando, Florida, for one of the year's most prestigious events. 

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1. Will WWE Make the Same Mistake with Roman Reigns That It Did Last Year?

The 2015 Royal Rumble event will live in infamy as the night that frustrated fans lashed out at World Wrestling Entertainment for its complete lack of creativity when it came to the booking of the Rumble match and, more specifically, Roman Reigns.

Fans knew Reigns was going to win the match, but they wanted drama. They wanted suspense and uncertainty. They wanted WWE Creative to step up and manufacture the unexpected. Instead, WWE booked a final four involving Reigns, Kane, Big Show and Rusev, which guaranteed that the second-generation star would win and head to WrestleMania.

The boos that greeted Reigns on that night and all throughout his journey to the Showcase of the Immortals nearly doomed his main event run. It took an entire year for him to recover, and though he may finally be on the receiving end of cheers heading into Sunday's broadcast, it is still too early to discount that those jeers can return at any given time.

Thus, it will be of the utmost importance that WWE learns from its mistakes in 2015 and does not repeat them this weekend. Doing so will do more damage to Reigns at a time when the company does not have a John Cena or Randy Orton to fall back on. 

With hopes that 100,000 fans sell out WrestleMania in Dallas, WWE needs to book Reigns in a way that has fans wanting to see the next chapter in his story, not rejecting him in damning fashion as they did last year in Philadelphia.

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2. Can Either Dean Ambrose or Kevin Owens Really Afford a Loss?

Both intercontinental champion Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens have experienced what it feels like to enjoy a monumental push, only to fall into the muddled mess that is WWE's midcard scene. 

Over the last two months, they have been involved in a heated rivalry over the once-coveted midcard title that has seen increased intensity and violence. With the WWE title involved in the Royal Rumble match itself, the Last Man Standing match between the Lunatic Fringe and the Prizefighter of WWE has essentially become the co-main event of the show.

The problem is that both Superstars have been heated up and then cooled off so many times that neither can really afford a loss this close to WrestleMania and what should be high-profile matches on that show.

WWE Creative has booked itself into a corner in that regard, putting together a match that demands a winner. There is no disqualification or count-out to hide behind. The only other option is a draw, and the backlash from that cop-out would hardly be worth it.

So now, two talented stars who should figure prominently into plans for the next few months will compete in a match where will come out damaged and in need of rebuilt momentum.

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3. Which Surprises Can Fans Expect from This Year's Rumble?

The status of AJ Styles is the hot button topic entering Sunday's event, but there is a wealth of possibilities when it comes to surprise entrants into the Royal Rumble match.

Past years have seen appearances from Attitude Era greats like The Godfather and Road Dogg, Hall of Famers such as Kevin Nash and Mick Foley and fan favorites like Diamond Dallas Page. This year, with a roster severely diminished thanks to injury, the potential exists for more surprises to excite the audience.

Which Superstars will join the ranks of the surprises? Could The Rock appear as he did last year? What about Daniel Bryan? Will Styles finally step foot inside a WWE ring for the first time since 2001?

We'll get the answers to these questions Sunday, but the speculation is what makes the 30-man main event one of the most fun bouts of the year.