This week’s episode of Monday Night RAW had the potential to be either just another show or to blow the roof off of the place and set a strong tone for 2016. It is great to be able to say that in this case, the latter is the route WWE decided to go. The WWE World Heavyweight Championship match between Roman Reigns and his pasty white nemesis Sheamus was a very strong contest and a great first RAW main event of the year. Even though the timing of the finish was off just a bit with Vince McMahon looking for crooked referee Scott Armstrong instead of just falling out of the ring, the main event was, from start to finish, a great exhibition of what sports entertainment looks like when it’s done right.

Did anybody even remember that Scott Armstrong was Triple H’s crooked ref? Michael Cole was sure to yell and scream that point home before the man was even on screen to make sure it came off well on TV and it ended up being helpful.

Geriatric Vince McMahon is both awesome and frightening. He looked like any wrong move could end with him crippled, but at the same time he had the strong presence of a guy who could easily beat up your grandmother.

In any event, when all was said and done Reigns triumphed and retained his WWE Title. Again, it was a darn good showing for sports entertainment. The real shocker came afterward, however, when Mr. McMahon announced the main event for the Royal Rumble PPV event on January 24. When he first started his speech it sounded like he was going to make a 4-on-1 handicap match with The League of Nations vs. Reigns or maybe a fatal four way (the injured King Barrett would stay on the sidelines), but that was clearly way too horrifyingly bad for a WWE Championship match at the Royal Rumble. Not worse than Kurt Angle vs. Mark Henry, but still really bad.

Instead, McMahon announced that the Royal Rumble match would not be for a shot at the title at WrestleMania but rather a contest with the title on the line! That was an exceedingly unexpected move for WWE to go with, and if that decision is indicative of what is to come, 2016 is going to be a very exciting year.

The possibilities for the road to WrestleMania just exploded, and to top it off, Brock Lesnar is returning to RAW next Monday. It is about to get out of hand in the best way possible.

Nicholas A. Marsico is a featured pro wrestling writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter!