Results:
Pre-Show: The Usos (c) defeat Kidd and Cesaro for the tag team titles.
Match One: Roman Reigns defeats Triple H. The winner is rewarded with a spot in the Royal Rumble match later in the night.
Match Two: The Ascension defeats The New Age Outlaws, The Miz and Mizdow, and New Day in a tag team turmoil match.
Match Three: The Bella Twins defeat Paige and Natalya.
Match Four: Brock Lesnar (c) defeats Seth Rollins and John Cena in a triple threat match for the WWEWHC.
Match Five: Roman Reigns wins the Royal Rumble last eliminating Triple H with an assist from Sting instead of The Rock. (final four are Bryan, Triple H, and Ziggler).
The night remains same except for some tweaks to the tag title matches and especially the Rumble main event. Roman's build to the Rumble was terrible and if he faced even and adversity, he may have connected with fans better that night.
The Build:
Triple H targets Reigns in the build and denies him access to the Rumble match. The Authority interferes in matches causing Reigns to lose qualifying bouts. Roman accuses Triple H of jealousy and demands the one on one match at The Rumble, and if Roman wins Trips has to put him in the match. Triple H later adds the stipulation that he'll enter himself into the Rumble when he beats Roman.
Triple H and Stephanie also rekindle their feud with Daniel Bryan at this time, failing to suppress his entry to the match.
The night of the Rumble, Roman wins one on one clean despite Authority interference, with a save from Bryan. I'm confident this would have been enough to sway the tide towards Roman. I also will have limited Roman's mic time, making him more of a late 90s Sting like figure.
After the match, Triple H "congratulates" Roman on his prize, the number one spot in the Rumble, stacking the deck against Reigns once again. Bryan gets the number two spot for his trouble.
The divas and the WWEWHC continue as the did, then the Rumble begins. Similar match with Wyatt dominating, Bubba enters later, DDP pulls some nostalgia. Kane enters at number 28, followed by Big Show at 29. They clear out a fairly full late Rumble including Wyatt, Dudley, and Rusev. Ziggler is laying out on the floor at this time, having rolled out of the ring and not over the top.
Just as the two Authority giants seem posed to toss out Bryan, big save by Roman. Number 30 hits and it's Triple H, inserting himself into the match. Roman battles the Authority, now three against one. Bryan eventually stirs and he and Roman manage to eliminate Big Show and Kane. Triple H goes for the sledge hammer while they're distracted uses it to knock out Reigns.
Bryan is down to his knees when the incapacitated Ziggler emerges. He attempts to attack Triple H but winds up accidentally superkicking Bryan who is eliminated shortly thereafter. Triple H dispatches Dolph with the sledge, eliminating him. Triple H goes to eliminate Roman, rejoined by eliminated Kane and Big Show, when the lights go out, the crows sound, and Sting hits the ring.
Sting takes out Kane and the Big Show with the bat, and takes the hammer from Triple H. Roman recovers and he and Triple H wrestle for moment before Triple H is eliminated. The Rumble ends with Roman and Sting leaving through the crowd together.
The Aftermath:
This sets up the Triple H vs Sting match, the Dolph vs Bryan one on one match that should have happened (could have also been for the IC title, possibly with ladders), and a Roman victory that could have gotten people behind him.
Yes, I have Triple H losing twice in a night to the same guy, but the second loss he could blame on Sting. Triple H has been undeniably the biggest heel in WWE since his turn at SummerSlam 2013 and he has rarely wrestled, and received no comeuppance for his villainy.
If WWE had such a desperate desire to push a green and ill-prepared Roman, then he should have been put over by their best and most over heel, right? If the hotshot to Mania was truly the be all end all, then the biggest heel and boss should have stepped up to the plate to put the poor guy over.
You could not book Roman in the number one spot, but I feel like it's time to give someone else to mention in that feat aside from Michaels and he who must not be named. Roman has one Rumble record, why not another?
I don't think fans would have shat on the ending when Bryan's elimination is by Triple H and a blunder by a heel turning Ziggler. Sting's presence will also help, that and Roman will have basically gone through all the adversity WWE has to offer to keep him from winning.
ncG1vNJzZmien6fCrr%2BNsKmeq6Shsru7zZ5lnKedZMGpvsSam6xnopqvsLvKoqWgZaKkxqK4jKusppqcmnpzfJBuZWxoYmaAdHs%3D