WWE comment: what does the Royal Rumble mean for WresleMania? Who will Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker face?

But first up is Fastlane next month...

Brock Lesnar stares down Bray Wyatt (WWE.com)

The results of the Royal Rumble matches didn’t come as a shock to many watching the event.

Dean Ambrose retained his Intercontinental Championship against Kevin Owens in an outstanding Last Man Standing match to kick-off the show – the first time the Intercontinental Title has ever been defended in that stipulation. Some of the spots were out of this world and with numerous major stars currently on the shelf, both superstars have the opportunity to make a serious impact at WrestleMania.

In the Rumble match, Triple H made his return as the number 30 entrant to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for a 14th time, avenging the clobbering he took from Roman Reigns at the TLC pay-per-view last year.

It is pretty much guaranteed that Reigns will reclaim the title against Triple H at the “Grandest Stage of Them All”. But it’s vital that WWE take the correct direction in the lead up to his WrestleMania moment.

Reigns is being pushed to be the biggest babyface in the company, but that didn’t stop him from getting heavily jeered by the Orlando crowd at the Rumble last Sunday. He was the number one entrant and failed to impress before suffering a beatdown at the hands of the League of Nations. “The Big Dog” later returned towards the end of the match to even more loud boos from the audience.

Ironically, one of the loudest cheers of the night came when Reigns was eliminated from the match by “The Game” Triple H, who went on to win his first WWE Title in seven years. One can argue that a successful title defence would have done more harm to Reigns’ push than good. However, Hall of Famer Bret Hart has been very critical of not only the Royal Rumble match itself, but also the decision to book Triple H as the victor (He loves a good dig at Hunter doesn’t he?).

During an interview with WrestleZone Radio, he said: “I wasn’t that impressed with it [Royal Rumble]. I thought it was one of the least exciting ones I’ve ever watched. I just didn’t find it very exciting. I found it very predictable.”

“I didn’t like the decision that Triple H, surprise, put the belt on himself again. It just seemed like it just showed a real lack of imagination if you ask me,” he added.

At the conclusion of Raw last Monday, Stephanie McMahon announced that Reigns would have to face both Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar in a Triple Threat match at Fastlane next month. The match will decide the number one contender for Hunter’s WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 32 in Dallas. This has the potential to be the match of the year and set the bar moving towards the company’s biggest show in April – it has that Seth Rollins vs. John Cena vs. Lesnar feel to it from the 2015 Royal Rumble event (if it’s anything like that, this is going to be an instant classic). However, some will struggle to comprehend how Reigns can square off against two stars who are considerably more over with the fans than he is.

There is no doubt that Reigns possesses the look and the talent required to become the face of the WWE. But lousy booking hasn't helped him win over the fans. Instead, the WWE Universe are beginning to dislike him even more.

The roster is currently without a top heel and Reigns is paying the price. WWE have been left with little option but to have the two-time World Champion feud with Triple H - who isn't even an active member of the roster. Triple H’s objectives are simple: put Reigns over and solidify him as the top wrestler in the company. That is the sole reason that his father-in-law, Vince McMahon, has put the strap on him.

The feud between Triple H and Reigns has been carefully planned over the last several months. The seeds were planted when “The Big Dog” refused to join The Authority at a Raw event emanating from Manchester last November.

It can’t be denied that there has been an incredible shortage of top heels in the company since the turn of the decade and the current injury crisis has largely exposed this. Vince McMahon should be dedicated to solving this issue by building more believable villains that can help create profitable feuds and superstars in the long term.

Seth Rollins is a strong example of someone that was thriving as WWE's number one heel. The fact that he carried the WWE Championship for such a large chunk of 2015 showed that officials had faith in his abilities and potential to transcend. A knee injury forced him to relinquish the title or it is more than likely that Rollins would be going to WrestleMania to defend the gold.

Following the news of Rollins’ injury, WWE panicked and had Sheamus – who suffered an arm injury this week - replace him as The Authority’s newest tool. Fans never showed an interest in the 38-year-old and he lost the WWE Title to Reigns quicker than he could say “brogue” – after just 22 days.

The company was forced to add Ambrose and Lesnar to the main event of Fastlane to make it more marketable. Reigns vs. Ambrose vs. Lesnar: three superstars, three good guys. So…hold on…who do I cheer for? Who do you cheer for? While “The Lunatic Fringe” and “The Beast” are more than worthy of headlining any pay-per-view on the WWE calendar, Reigns would be better off clashing with credible heels that could help his character evolve.

Reigns gathered quite a bit of support when he assaulted Triple H and the boss Vince McMahon back in December, however, the fans have turned their back on him and the cheers and pops have largely faded. He won’t be feuding with the McMahon family for the rest of his career. WWE needs to book him as a face that the fans can get behind otherwise he will get consistently jeered when he’s working with bad guys such as: Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens or Bray Wyatt (let alone popular good guys like Ambrose and Lesnar).

When Reigns wins at Fastlane, there is the potential of a repeat of last year’s hostile reaction following the 30-year-olds WWE Championship number one contenders victory over Daniel Bryan on the Road to WrestleMania 31. But why would The Authority even give Reigns a sniff at the gold or the WrestleMania main event? Is putting him in a match with Ambrose and Lesnar meant to be a punishment? This is entirely illogical considering Reigns has attacked Vince and Triple H on several occasions and that they plotted to take the championship from him. Regardless, does he not have a compulsory rematch clause like everyone else does when they lose the title? Perhaps not when you’ve put your hands on the chief of the company and his family. For now the title will remain hidden underneath Hunter’s blazer.

The WWE Universe are sick and tired of predictability. They have been frustrated with the way John Cena has been booked for many years. Fans don’t want Reigns to be another unbeatable face that wins the title on a constant basis just because the company is comfortable with it sitting around his waist. They will never embrace Reigns until company chiefs drift away from this cliché “one versus all” viewpoint.

As for the Royal Rumble match being too predictable, Bret Hart has a point. It was widely speculated since Triple H was written off television at TLC that he would make his return during the Rumble match and win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

As far as “The Beast” is concerned, it is apparent that he'll be battling with The Wyatt Family on the Road to WrestleMania. Lesnar single-handily dismantled The Wyatts during the Rumble match, eliminating Braun Strowman, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan from the fray with ease. However, those three superstars weren’t done. They returned to the ring to eliminate Lesnar, screwing him out of the WWE Title in the process.

The decision to include him in the Fastlane main event was not only to help push Reigns to new heights, but to further his storyline with the Wyatts - who will likely screw him again during the match in Cleveland.

But is this the best use of such a special attraction like Lesnar?

The Undertaker is currently without an opponent for the biggest show of the year following Cena’s shoulder surgery. After such an epic rivalry which began when Lesnar ended the streak at WrestleMania 30 and culminated with “The Beast” conquering “The Phenom” again inside Hell in a Cell, pairing the two together to tackle the Wyatts at such a momentous occasion might be the formula to setting a new attendance record at the AT&T Stadium. Yes, WWE booked something similar at Survivor Series when the Brothers of Destruction reunited to defeat the Wyatt clan, but this would be a smash hit amongst fans and the mainstream - aligning bitter enemies for the greater good.

Whether this blockbuster pairing happens or not, Lesnar will be feuding with The Wyatt Family moving forward. It's just a case of how many of them he will take to Suplex City.

Reigns vs. Triple H. Undertaker and Lesnar vs The Wyatt Family. These two WrestleMania main events that can put 100,000 bums on seats. While the first match will happen, the latter is not confirmed by any means but imagine if it did. Cor blimey.