Final WWE PPV appearance for CM Punk, who refused to return to WWE the next day. He was fired five months later for breaching his contract. Punk retired from professional wrestling until 2021 and ultimately return to WWE at the Survivor Series event in November 2023.
First WWE PPV appearance for Alexander Rusev.
Due to the WWE Universe wanting Daniel Bryan in the Royal Rumble, this was the only time in Rey Mysterio's WWE career he was ever booed. (Rey Mysterio has never been a heel in the WWE.)
This PPV marks the unofficial beginning of WWE's "reality era". Between the WWE Universe (the fan base) chanting for Daniel Bryan to be in the Royal Rumble match, despite having been in a grueling match earlier that night with Bray Wyatt, and showing displeasure towards other babyface (good guy) superstars who entered the match, and CM Punk's sudden desire to retire immediately after the PPV went off the air, management changed the storyline back to Daniel Bryan fighting with The Authority (Triple H and Stephanie McMahon) to have a chance at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. A feud which eventually lead up to Bryan wrestling Triple H at Wrestlemania for the chance to be in the main event against Randy Orton and Batista that same night.
Batista became the first person to win the Royal Rumble match more than once from the same entry number (#28).