WWE Royal Rumble 2016 Results: Twitter Reacts to Top Stars, Moments and More
The 2016 Royal Rumble is in the books, and the road to WrestleMania 32 has been paved in gold for some of professional wrestling's top stars.
Social media was abuzz, feverishly discussing the Rumble match-winner, the surprises that shocked fans and an undercard littered with championship bouts.
Anger, joy, frustration and satisfaction were all prevalent Sunday night as fans took to Twitter to voice their opinions on the hottest topics, the biggest stars and most important matches.
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Here's a look at sentiments that flooded timelines during WWE's first major event of 2016.
| Triple H wins, eliminating Dean Ambrose. | |
| Dean Ambrose defeated Kevin Owens to retain. | |
| Charlotte defeated Becky Lynch to retain. | |
| The New Day defeated The Usos to retain. | |
| Kalisto defeated Alberto Del Rio to win the title. |
Damien Sandow is Still Over
The in-ring festivities kicked off with a Fatal 4-Way match to determine the final two entrants in the Royal Rumble match. Despite appearances from The Dudley Boys, The Ascension, former world champions Jack Swagger and Mark Henry and former tag champ Darren Young, it was Damien Sandow who stole the show and garnered a tremendous reaction in doing so.
Twitter erupted with joy over seeing the Intellectual Savior of the Unwashed Masses return to the pay-per-view grand stage.
Bleacher Report's Ryan Dilbert voiced his approval of the development:
Fans of the character echoed his sentiments:
Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens Steal the Show
With a feud as heated as the one between Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose over the Intercontinental Championship, and a gimmick match that lends itself to great matches, there was reason to believe that the Lunatic Fringe and WWE's resident prizefighter would steal the show from the outset.
And they did.
B/R's Alfred "Big Nasty" Konuwa praised the match, as only he could:
And WWE Hall of Fame ring announcer Howard Finkel commended the Superstars for kicking the show off on the right foot:
As breathtaking as the finish proved to be, the tables set up earlier in the contest may have spoiled it, as hinted at by B/R's Mike Chiari:
He was not the only one:
"y'know what's coming pic.twitter.com/RGzBW8Dwsw
— DTAM (@DeathToAllMarks) January 25, 2016"
Still, the consensus from fans, analysts and wrestlers alike was that the contest was a phenomenal one:
""@WeirdyBeardyDMC: Last man standing match ain't good in Pg land, thoughts? @SychoVicious" These two can make it entertaining.
— SID VICIOUS (@SychoVicious) January 25, 2016"
Kalisto Regains the Gold
Just two weeks after winning then losing the United States Championship, Kalisto regained it Sunday night, beating Alberto Del Rio clean in the center of the ring.
The decision drew interesting reaction from those questioning WWE's booking decisions, including that of B/R's "The Doctor" Chris Mueller:
Still, the win allows Kalisto to regain some of the momentum he lost following the rapid-fire title switch.
Even if it came in a match lacking the excitement and energy of the masked Superstars' initial victory.
The Flair Show and The Boss is Back
For as excellent a job as WWE Creative did with its build to Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte at Royal Rumble, the match going on between the two women in the ring was once again overshadowed by the Hall of Famer outside the ring. WWE provided highlights:
"That's not fair, Flair! @RicFlairNatrBoy plants a smooch on @BeckyLynchWWE! #RoyalRumble #DivasTitle #WOOO https://t.co/y0m37YneJh
— WWE (@WWE) January 25, 2016"
Twitter was abuzz, as the kiss Ric Flair planted on Lynch early in the contest dominated discussion for the majority of the bout, despite the fact the competitors were delivering a solid effort:
Thankfully, Sasha Banks' return, which WWE highlighted, brought the attention back to the talented female competitors, receiving a huge ovation upon her entrance and making her intentions to challenge for the Divas title crystal clear:
MMA fighter Shayna Baszler was more than impressed with the response for The Boss:
It was a great way to segue from one challenger to the other, if the intention is to eliminate Lynch from title contention for the time being.
The Phenomenal One Cometh
AJ Styles' much-anticipated debut finally occurred as the internationally recognized star made his WWE debut in the Royal Rumble, drawing No. 3:
Exclamation points and capital letters ran wild as Chiari, Finkel, Wade Keller and Styles' fellow TNA alumnus, Nick "Magnus" Aldis, commented:
Former WWE official Jimmy Korderas and the guys over at NoDQ.com had fun with the Styles debut, though at the expense of his former employees:
Alas, Styles' night came to an end after 28 minutes, courtesy of Kevin Owens. Understandably so, the social-media world popped at the idea of a feud between the two established Indy darlings:
Sami Zayn's Revenge
The rivalry between Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens was reignited Sunday night, with the former avenging the brutal assaults he suffered at the hands of his former tag team partner and best friend in NXT. WWE provided reaction highlights:
Zayn eliminated Owens, as WWE pointed out, putting the perfect exclamation point on their story:
What Was Old Is New Again
Roman Reigns' run as WWE champion came to an end Sunday night when eventual Royal Rumble winner Triple H eliminated him. The Game entered the Rumble at No. 30 and, minutes after dumping Reigns, he eliminated Dean Ambrose to capture world title No. 14:
The win for Triple H elicited mixed reactions from viewers and analysis across the Web:
The long journey to WrestleMania is underway. New champions were crowned Sunday night, new faces debuted and stories came to a satisfying conclusion. With so many exciting developments occurring over the course of Sunday's three-hour spectacular, it is safe to say WWE has made up for the lethargic build to the show.
How it builds on Triple H as the company's new top dog, Sasha Banks stepping up to provide Charlotte with her next challenger, Kalisto winning his second United States Championship and AJ Styles making his grand debut will determine if everything that went into Sunday's show, and the buzz it generated, was worth it or not.
.jpg?w=600 "WWE Raw Results & Grades 🔠")
