The Royal Rumble is my second favorite PPV of the year (with the first being Wrestlemania, of course). It’s the first stop on the Road to Wrestlemania, setting the tone for the event. The undercard title matches signal who will be going to ‘Mania as the champ (though the Elimination Chamber PPV has thrown a corkscrew in that theme). The main attraction, the Royal Rumble match itself, determines who goes to main event Wrestlemania and challenge for either the World or WWE Championship. It’s one of the most exciting nights of the year, coincidentally being in the first month. It sets the tone for the year.
This year, the tone is off the charts, as the stakes have been raised. For over twenty years, thirty men entered the Royal Rumble match. This year, an extra ten have been added, bringing the grand total to forty men (for those who aren’t good at simple math). This will no doubt be the longest Royal Rumble match in history (unless they change the time intervals), as well as being the biggest. Whoever wins will etch their name in history as the first person to win a forty man Rumble, which could make an up and coming superstar.
I’ve decided to throw in my picks this year, not just for the Rumble match, but the undercard contests as well. This year, the Rumble match is hard to predict, as a slew of wrestlers stand a good chance of winning it. I could say the same for the undercard matches, with each being unpredictable. That includes a certain one that seems to be a safe bet. More on that later, though.
WWE Diva’s Championship Handicap Match: Natalya (champion) vs. Lay cool (Layla & Michelle McCool)
How many times have we seen this match on PPV? I understand that Laycool have a rematch clause to use (though I hate the fact that former champions get an automatic rematch, though that’s a topic for another day), but it didn’t have to take place at the Royal Rumble. They could have had this take place on an episode of Smackdown and given Melina the title shot at the Rumble. I know her heel turn hasn’t been built well, but the match was a guaranteed showcase (which it was).
Instead, we’re stuck with another chapter in the Laycool saga. Why didn’t I refer to it as the Natalya/Laycool saga? Simply put, Laycool is the women’s division right now. Though there’s more women in the division (as evident by the champion not being named Layla or Michelle McCool), WWE seems intent on keeping these two as the focal point. Whether they’re feuding with Mickie James, Beth Phoenix or Natalya, the result is always the same: they come out on top.
Even when they lose, they seem to sneak their way back into title contention and steal the title again. I know this is the job of the heel, which I’m perfectly fine with. What I’m not okay with is it happening to each and every one of their challengers. I know Beth Phoenix came down with an injury and Mickie James was supposedly being punished (the Piggie James storyline was punishment enough, in my opinion). However, that doesn’t excuse the fact that it’s continually happening and shows no signs of stopping.
I’m hoping that if this is the case, they only win thanks to an interfering/debuting Awesome Kong. Since she’ll most likely debut as a heel (just like she did in TNA), it would make sense for her to be a hired bodyguard for Laycool. After all, they’ve been having their asses handed to them the past few weeks. A little protection wouldn’t hurt.
Another plus to this happening would be building towards a Beth Phoenix/Awesome Kong showdown at Wrestlemania. This is bound to happen eventually and would be a perfect fit for the biggest show of the year. As to where this leaves Natalya, I say have Awesome Kong take her out of action at Elimination Chamber, setting Beth Phoenix up for the save and eventual retribution.
This is the only way I want Laycool to win. If this doesn’t happen, then there’s no reason for them to win the title back. Natalya is doing a fine job as the champ and has fan support behind her. If they decide to hold off on Kong until after Wrestlemania, then I say build towards a Natalya/Phoenix match at Wrestlemania. Please, just leave Laycool out of it.
Final Prediction: Laycool wins (unfortunately)
World Heavyweight Championship: Edge (champion) vs. Dolph Ziggler
This was the match I was referring to earlier regarding a safe bet. The common man would pick Edge as the victor, as would I. Dolph Ziggler, at this point, is the perennial Royal Rumble title challenger. A wrestler who isn’t quite at the level of World champion, but has since graduated to the upper midcard. This is the WWE’s way of flirting said superstar with the main event and seeing if they can hold their won. They’ve done it in the past with Razor Ramon, Hardcore Holly, Mark Henry, Mr. Kennedy, Umaga and Jeff Hardy, just to name a few. I know only Hardy went on to finally win the big one. However, that’s only because the other superstars fell wayside due to personal complications.
Razor Ramon left for WCW (though I still feel he deserved a WWE title reign before that); Mark Henry has floundered due to his limitations (though he did win the ECW Championship); Mr. Kennedy had a slew of injuries and personal problems that held him back; Umaga unfortunately passed. As for Hardcore Holly, he never deserved that championship match anyway.
Dolph Ziggler is different. Though I don’t see him winning the title at the Royal Rumble, I do see him being champ by year’s end. He’s an over heel with a tremendous repertoire and can sell any move perfectly. For those who have been relating him to Mr. Perfect, that pun was intended. Also, I agree with that comparison. He stands a great chance of holding gold in the WWE and possibly being one of the next big main eventers (even with the name).
I just don’t see it happening now. Not that it’s an impossibility. With Vickie Guerrero in his corner (and acting as GM while Teddy Long is out), it’s very likely he could walk out of Boston with the gold around his waste. I can easily see Vickie pulling all sorts of shenanigans to ensure her man walks away as champion. She’s already banned the Spear and seemingly has The Corre at her disposal. Add in that she could continually restart the match whenever Edge wins and there’s a damn good chance Ziggler can win.
Even so, pulling the trigger on Ziggler now isn’t smart. Though he’s over as a heel, he’s not quite main event level yet. This wouldn’t be so much of a problem if this were taking place in the summer. It’s not, however, but taking place two months before Wrestlemania. I just don’t see Ziggler walking into Mania as World Heavyweight Champion. I can’t even see him involved in the title match, unless it’s a multi-man match.
Even without the Spear, Edge has a slew of signatures and finishers he can use to put Ziggler away. The Edgucator and Edgecution quickly come to mind. Hell, he could hit the Spear when both the referee and Vickie Guerrero aren’t looking, stealing the victory. It is Edge’s style, after all. No matter what hurdles stand before him, I see Edge seizing an opportunity and retaining his title.
Final Prediction: Edge
WWE Championship: The Miz (champion) vs. Randy Orton
I really want to be able to say, without a doubt, that The Miz is walking out of Boston as WWE Champion. There’s no reason in my mind that he can’t hold the gold until Wrestlemania, or Elimination Chamber at the least. He’s one of the most hated heels in the WWE today, which makes for a great champion. Especially for Wrestlemania, as people will order the event to see the sniveling weasel finally get his comeuppance. With this being said, I should easily be able to say he’s walking away as champ.
It was much easier to say this when I thought John Morrison would be facing him, not Randy Orton. It seemed ideal, as Morrison had won a #1 Contender’s Ladder match against Sheamus last month at TLC. That would entail that he’d challenge for the gold at the Royal Rumble. Instead, he “cashes in” on the first Raw of the year, losing in valiant effort in a brutal Falls Count Anywhere match. Though this didn’t drop his stock, it didn’t help either. The same goes for his former partner.
Had Miz been facing Morrison at the Rumble, there would have been no doubt he’d walk away as champion. Not that Morrison isn’t ready to hold the gold (he most certainly is), but that Miz isn’t ready to drop the title. Morrison would have been a stepping stone in his legacy, with the Shaman of Sexy eventually getting his day of glory down the line.
With Randy Orton once again challenging for the title, I’m weary of Miz’s chances. For starters, there’s no reason for Orton to be challenging for the gold unless WWE has decided to rectify a misfire in their eyes. I know Miz hasn’t cleanly beaten him, but that’s kind of the point. He’s supposed to sneak his way to victory over a slew of faces, before the hero comes to save the day. Orton is not that person, at least not in this feud.
John Cena should be that person. To me, Cena/Miz is a money match at Mania. Both have mainstream appeal, one’s the most beloved in the company, the other the most hated. The feud writes itself. Still, I can see WWE dropping the ball and making Cena/Orton the main event. At the very least, having somebody else challenging Orton.
Add in the fact that Jerry Lawler has randomly inserted himself into this feud, all signs point towards an Orton title win. Unless Lawler is going to face Miz for the gold at Elimination Chamber, there’s no reason for the two to face off with the gold on the line, especially at Wrestlemania. Which is what I think they’re building towards, sadly. A career threatening match, with Lawler’s career on the line and no title up for grabs.
As much as I fear this, my prediction of Cena/Miz seems to be happening. For the past two weeks, the two have engaged in verbal battles, with Cena constantly putting Miz down as a Mania headliner. With him repeatedly stating “You can’t sell a Wrestlemania”, this leads me to believe that Miz will want to prove himself worthy. In the weeks leading up to the “Granddaddy of Them All”, he’d constantly take out Cena and any other wrestler in his path, proving he deserves his spot. In retaliation, Cena does his best to disprove of this theory.
I really hope this is what they’re building towards.
Final Prediction: The Miz
40-Man Royal Rumble Match
Instead of running down each and every competitor, I’m going to take my top five picks to win this year and explain why I’ve chosen them. The list will be in order from most likely to slight possibility.
1. John Morrison:
I’ve been contemplating on having Morrison as my top pick or not. There are a few other guys in the Rumble that stand a better chance at winning, which should shove Morrison down a few spots. However, I have a strong feeling he’s coming out on top.
For starters, the fact his title match was on Raw makes me believe they’ve changed their mind and would rather have him win the Rumble and headline Mania, as opposed to losing in the WWE Title match. Granted, he had to lose his title match anyway, but that was on Raw. This way, he’d be in the Rumble (without any shenanigans) and win the whole gang. Adding an extra ten this year would put him on the map.
The only problem with this prediction is that the only feasible match would be against The Miz. I don’t see him challenging Edge (or possibly Ziggler), since he doesn’t have as much of a past with those two that he does with The Miz. If they decide to do this, but don’t want it closing the show, they could have Cena or Orton jump ship to Smackdown and challenge for the World title. Edge/Orton finally happening at a Mania would be pretty cool actually.
2. John Cena:
This seems to be a lot of people’s prediction for the winner, and I don’t blame them. He’s got a lot going for him. He’s the top face in the company; he’s in Boston, which is near his home; he has a ready made feud with both Miz and Punk (as well as Edge); he’s one it before; he’s John freaking Cena! No explanation other than that is really necessary.
3. CM Punk
Another hot prediction is the leader of the New Nexus. Having four men (David Otunga, Husky Harris, Michael McGillicutty and Mason Ryan) at his aid, he stands a damn good chance of winning the whole thing. It’d be reminiscent of Orton’s victory two years ago, where he used Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase (Jr.) to his benefit. Add in a ready made feud with Cena (and an intriguing one with Edge), his chances are as high as they’ll ever be (which is funny, since he never is high).
4. Alberto Del Rio
An out of left field prediction, considering he’s still new to the WWE (though he’s a seasoned veteran in the sport). He has been in the main event since his debut, though, feuding with the likes of Rey Mysterio and Christian, as well as teasing a feud with Edge. That being the case, he could find himself outlasting thirty-nine other superstars and furthering that feud. Knowing I’m not the only one thinking this makes me happy.
5. Sheamus
I expect most of you to have your jaws dropped to the floor right now. Considering Triple H’s return is inevitable, the idea of Sheamus winning the Rumble this year is crazy. Most expect HHH to return in the Rumble and eliminate the Celtic Warrior, possibly taking himself out in the process. Though I see that as a huge possibility, I do see another case happening.
Triple H doesn’t return at the Rumble. Sheamus wins it. Triple H returns the next night and is entered into the Elimination Chamber. He wins the WWE Championship, then goads Sheamus into using his title match against him (just like he did to Orton two years ago). This would most likely mean Sheamus would lose, though that’s been happening to the Royal Rumble winner the past few years anyway.
Other Royal Rumble Match predictions:
First two entrants: Daniel Bryan (#1) and David Otunga (#2)
Final Entrant (#40): Mason Ryan
Iron Man: Daniel Bryan
Most Eliminations: Sheamus
Quickest Elimination: Darren Young
Most Consecutive Eliminations: Kane
Here’s hoping my predictions are right. Tune in tomorrow night and find out! Thanks for reading!
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