Updated list of entrants in the 2016 Royal Rumble match

WWE closed out last night's episode of Monday Night Raw in San Antonio with a bombshell announcement: For the first time ever, the WWE world heavyweight championship will be defended in the Royal Rumble match. That means Roman Reigns will have to win for the second year in a row to retain his title.

So far, here are the confirmed list of entrants for the match, which will take place in the main event of the pay-per-view (PPV) of the same name on Sun., Jan. 24, 2016, at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida:

- Roman Reigns
- Chris Jericho
- Bray Wyatt
- Erick Rowan
- Luke Harper
- Braun Strowman
- Dolph Ziggler
- Ryback
- Big Show
- Curtis Axel

The challenge for WWE in the coming weeks will be convincing fans that there are more than just a handful of wrestlers who have a legitimate shot at winning the match. In past year's they could rely on the promise of something bigger, but the grandest prize is at stake here.

Still, this should make the match fresh in a way it hasn't been for a number of years.