WWE 2012 Royal Rumble - 30-Man Royal Rumble Match

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

Jericho is obviously the favorite to win the Rumble. In a way, its like 2009 all over again when the WWE all but told us that Orton was going to win the Rumble, only that Jericho's antics have been much more subtle as compared to that of Orton.

I expect Jericho to enter at a very inconsequental number, somewhere along the middle of the match, so that he does not draw much attention to himself. I think he will dump some jobbers initially and clear the ring and then there will be a moment when he plays off to the crowd like he has done so far. Then, I expect a big name to enter, someone like Orton, and Jericho will roll out of the ring. Maybe Jericho will even cry and even say something like "I can't do this" and leave. There will be no action in the ring for a while which will piss off the crowd. Then I expect Jericho to return later during the match and win it to some huge heat.

 

[Davi323]

As far as the #30 entrant goes, I think that it will most likely be Chris Jericho. It came between the choice of a returning Randy Orton and Jericho playing up the troll-heel persona even more, and given that the returning wrestler being #30 and a "surprise" has been done already, I had to go with Jericho. As the #30 entrant, Jericho can take his sweet ol' time getting to the ring, he can mock get cheap pops from the fans at ringside, walk around the ring, basically, dawdle until he is good and ready to get in the ring, all the while other wrestlers are getting eliminated, increasing his odds.

The only thing that concerns me is that "any WWE Wrestler is eligible" clause that they added. What does that mean? Why would they need to clarify that this year, when they didn't in years past? Who wasn't eligible previously? We have seen old timers enter, so a returning wrestler like Nash did last year was already allowed. We have seen two divas enter, so if it's the return of Kharma, there would have been a precedent for that already too..We have seen Vince McMahon himself enter, so we already know that WWE management can get involved too, so if Laurinaitis enters, that wouldn't have been a total shock either, it's been done. What category of WWE employee has previously been excluded? (other than the WWE/World champions, but reigning champs have zero incentive to compete in it) There may be some HUGE surprise that none of us have so far anticipated, and that kind of has peaked my curiosity...I cannot eliminate the possibility of a MAJOR swerve that will leave us talking about it for quite a while.

AND, why the hell is Santino the focus of the Rumble poster, lol?

 

[LoudClearVoice]

As far as the #30 entrant goes, I think that it will most likely be Chris Jericho. It came between the choice of a returning Randy Orton and Jericho playing up the troll-heel persona even more, and given that the returning wrestler being #30 and a "surprise" has been done already, I had to go with Jericho. As the #30 entrant, Jericho can take his sweet ol' time getting to the ring, he can mock get cheap pops from the fans at ringside, walk around the ring, basically, dawdle until he is good and ready to get in the ring, all the while other wrestlers are getting eliminated, increasing his odds.

The only thing that concerns me is that "any WWE Wrestler is eligible" clause that they added. What does that mean? Why would they need to clarify that this year, when they didn't in years past? Who wasn't eligible previously? We have seen old timers enter, so a returning wrestler like Nash did last year was already allowed. We have seen two divas enter, so if it's the return of Kharma, there would have been a precedent for that already too..We have seen Vince McMahon himself enter, so we already know that WWE management can get involved too, so if Laurinaitis enters, that wouldn't have been a total shock either, it's been done. What category of WWE employee has previously been excluded? (other than the WWE/World champions, but reigning champs have zero incentive to compete in it) There may be some HUGE surprise that none of us have so far anticipated, and that kind of has peaked my curiosity...I cannot eliminate the possibility of a MAJOR swerve that will leave us talking about it for quite a while.

AND, why the hell is Santino the focus of the Rumble poster, lol?

I think what they meant by releasing the info that "every WWE Superstar is elligible, is that the WWE and World Champions are eligible for the Rumble. I mean it's possible Punk could retain only enter the Royal Rumble, win and then challenge the WHC at WM to unify the belts. That's what they want us to think is a possiblity.

 

[XtheXlegacyX]

Sometimes the last entrant is important to the match, and sometimes they are not. Wasn't Santino the last entrant last year ? The last #30 entrant to win was Cena in 08. So I wouldn't put much thought into it

 

[LoudClearVoice]

A curveball would be for the buzzer to go off for #30 then a long pause then the lights go out and the gong and smoke coming from the entrance ramp. The crowd would go insane for the Undertaker but as the lights come on we see it's Jericho in Undertaker's hat and jacket (or Triple H if they're going that route for Wrestlemania).

 

[The Eighties]

I think Jericho will be #30 but I don't think he'll win the match, instead I expect more of his antics.

Randy Orton is favourite by default but I can see him and Barrett eliminating each other as that's where his current focus is. I guess that leaves Sheamus but I'm not convinced WWE are ready to push face Sheamus into a WHC match at Mania.

I could actually see Dolph pulling double duty and winning it, then on Raw announce he'll face the Bryan at Mania, only for Orton to enter the mix via the Elimination Chamber.

I actually think this is one of the most open Rumble's ever, which is great.

 

[kingk12]

I voted other and here is my pick......Dolph Ziggler

I really see this happening, I see Dolph Ziggler winning the title earlier in the nite (and the wwe stated all superstars are eligible to enter) there for he would be entering the rumble at 30 and defending his title and winning. He could be the Ric Flair of this generation if this happens. Imagine this he wins his match against CM Punk, then goes on and wins the rumble and does this whole thing where "I don't have to defend my title because I won the rumble". Imagine CM Punk getting eliminated from the rumble by Jericho setting up their match at Wrestlemania. Dolph Ziggler would be open to face anybody at Wrestlemania, and there are countless opponents who he could face.
WM 28
Jericho vs. Punk (Best in the world Grudge)
Rock vs. Cena (Icon v. Icon)
Undertaker v. HHH pt 3
Kane v. Zack Ryder
WHC v. Contender (Bryan v. Barrettt / Orton)
Dolph Ziggler v. _________

 

[Dave_Kub_9]

Its between Jericho, Orton. Drew McIntyre to have a good rumble will keep me happy. I personally think he'll win MITB at mania.

I had an idea for the start of the rumble, here is how it would play out:

Miz comes out as #1
R-Truth's music hits and out he comes.
Truth gets on the mic 'woah woah Miz, it ain't me, its Little Jimmy!"
Truth starts beckoning fresh air to enter the ring while Truth wanders around the ring.
Miz plays along, laughing and mocking Truth. Truth tells Lil Jimmy to kick Miz, Miz responds just laughing and faking the impact.
Miz eventually gets bored and grabs 'Lil Jimmy' and begins to throw him over the top rope, at this point, Truth jumps to the apron and hangmans Miz over the top rope, thus eliminating him.
Truth then steps in the ring. Gets on the mic: 'Oh my bad Miz, I was actually the 2nd entrant. Lil Jimmy just told me he wasn't an official entrant, he just wanted to see you get got!'
Doubt it will happen though.

 

[Dave_Kub_9]

If Kane is in the rumble this year, does anyone think he will break his own record for most eliminations in a single rumble? He should surely break HBK's all time record.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I wonder if WWE realizes that so many people are presuming Chris Jericho will win, that it will be anticlimactic if he does......and face it, the last thing the company wants is for the Royal to be anticlimactic.

All along, I've been presuming Y2J will take the thing home.....but I've been wrong so often in my picks and I'm hoping to be wrong this time, too. I'd like it to be someone not as prominent and as obvious as the guy who left the company and is making a triumphant return, just in time for the Rumble.

I'd love if it could be a less-than-major guy who is suddenly thrust to the top by a win at the Royal Rumble. Someone in the position Daniel Bryan was 6 months ago: a guy toiling in the mid-card with good ability and a need for a break that would shoot him into the limelight. Of course, Daniel's push has already been launched, so there's no need (or opportunity) for him to win the Rumble.....but I'm talking about that kind of guy.

This year, it would be great to see someone new win it......someone not so obvious. In the past, it was: "Hogan's in the Rumble?.....then Hogan wins it." or "Cena's in the Rumble?......then Cena wins it."

Surprise us.

 

[LSN80]

I wonder if WWE realizes that so many people are presuming Chris Jericho will win, that it will be anticlimactic if he does......and face it, the last thing the company wants is for the Royal to be anticlimactic.

I'm not so sure about this. In 2009, they ran the longest Raw in recent memory as their go-home show, with the focus being completely on Randy Orton. When the PPV itself came, they made a big deal just over Randy Orton's arrival at the show. They couldn't have made the outcome more anti-climatic if they tried. Perhaps they were trying to make the audience think they were throwing out a red herring, but we all know what happened there.

Had he not come back on Smackdown on Friday, my unquestionable pick here would have been Randy Orton. I view it as an unwise move on WWE's part to in bringing back Orton early, especially with the opportunity presented of the Rumble being in Orton's hometown. Like Edge in 2010 and Cena in 2008, the roof would have come off the place if Orton would have entered late in the Rumble and won it. And maybe that's WWE's intent all along, as they don't plan on having Orton win the Rumble. It's obvious the Barrett/Orton issue isn't over, and the two eliminating other seems like the obvious option here. Perhaps WWE will surprise us, and Orton will win the Rumble. A Bryan-Orton match at Wrestlemania sounds good to me.

As for other Smackdown guys, Sheamus and Cody seem like good choices from the Smackdown side. Both have been flying under the radar somewhat for awhile, especially Sheamus. He's been dominant for months, but also without a discernable program. Is he ready to headline Wrestlemania? He doesn't necessarily have to be, neither does Cody. With Cena and Rock the marquee match for WM, WWE can afford to take chances come Wrestlemania.

The only logical choice on the Raw side seems to be Jericho. Miz has fallen rightfully from grace, seemingly a mid-carder at best. Unless they go with the loser of the Punk/Ziggler match, the options here are pretty thin. If I had to place a guess, it would be on Chris Jericho.

I really see this happening, I see Dolph Ziggler winning the title earlier in the nite (and the wwe stated all superstars are eligible to enter) there for he would be entering the rumble at 30 and defending his title and winning. He could be the Ric Flair of this generation if this happens. Imagine this he wins his match against CM Punk, then goes on and wins the rumble and does this whole thing where "I don't have to defend my title because I won the rumble".

With all due respect, this makes little sense. Ric Flair won the Rumble to win the WWE Title when it was vacant, not the title and the Rumble on the same night. Further, he wouldn't be defending his title in the Rumble, the Rumble is for a title shot at Wrestlemania. Finally, he would have to defend the title, as CM Punk would have this little thing called a rematch clause. So respectfully, this scenario makes little sense. I could see Ziggler winning the title, only to lose it back to Punk at EC, with Jericho winning the Rumble, setting up Jericho/Punk at Wrestlemania.

Win this, Y2J.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

My original pick was Barrett until Bryan turned heel, then I switched it to Sheamus. I stand by my point that Chris Jericho does not need to win the Rumble to challenge Punk. However, the more it's gone on, the more likely it seems Jericho will win anyways. I will stand by my Sheamus pick, but my confidence in it is dwindling.

 

[hatehabsforever]

I was intrigued by a prediction I saw on a show that airs on a program called Aftermath on The Score here in Canada. To give credit to the guy with the theory, this prediction was made by Arda Orcal, not myself, but I think it would be an interesting and unique approach. I apologize if someone else already mentioned this earlier in the thread.

Chris Jericho would enter the Rumble at the #30 position. It really would matter little who entered at the #28 or #29 positions or earlier, but either way, someone basically cleans house, leaving very few guys in the ring. It comes down to just two or three guys left in the ring before the #30 spot is counted down. Somehow, a simultaneous elimination happens, as two guys go over the ring and are both eliminated. This leaves the ring empty, with all 29 guys having been eliminated.

Cue the countdown, and Jericho's music hits. He poses on the ramp, then saunters down to the empty ring, enters the ring, and is automatically crowned the winner of the 2012 Royal Rumble. He doesn't have to lift a finger with regards to competing. He doesn't have to say a word. He enters the empty ring, and proceeds to over celebrate, over pose, and continue with the same type of conduct that has irritated everyone over the whole month. And he leaves without a sound. Again, if you don't like this idea, blame Mr. Orcal, not myself, but I think it would be a novel ending to the Rumble, and would generate a lot of heat for Y2J.

The rest of this is my idea. One obvious result is that the next night on RAW, a clearly heel Jericho challenges an obviously face Punk, and the match that so many people have predicted in on for WM. Punk versus Jericho for the WWE title.

My preference? It's the end of the world as we know it as Jericho says. Historically, the winner of the Rumble gets to challenge whichever champion he chooses for the title of his choice, but hey, after all, he's been there, done that, he's been the undisputed champion. He wants to forego his title opportunity for something far greater: the chance to end the Undertaker's undefeated WM streak. He challenges Taker to a career versus career match. If he wins, he ends Taker's streak, and the Undertaker is retired once and for all. If he loses, he retires for the final time, and that's that.

 

[SD619]

Chris Jericho would enter the Rumble at the #30 position. It really would matter little who entered at the #28 or #29 positions or earlier, but either way, someone basically cleans house, leaving very few guys in the ring. It comes down to just two or three guys left in the ring before the #30 spot is counted down. Somehow, a simultaneous elimination happens, as two guys go over the ring and are both eliminated. This leaves the ring empty, with all 29 guys having been eliminated.

Cue the countdown, and Jericho's music hits. He poses on the ramp, then saunters down to the empty ring, enters the ring, and is automatically crowned the winner of the 2012 Royal Rumble.

The idea is good but the major drawback to this is that the 30th man enters at the 42 min mark (considering 90 second intervals). I highly doubt that the Rumble would be that short. The match lasts atleast 55-60 mins.

The way I see it playing out is that Jericho, Orton and Barrett are the final three. Orton eliminates Barrett, who comes back on the ring to eliminate Orton (or vice versa), leaving Jericho victorious.

I do like the idea of Jericho winning the Rumble to challenge Undertaker for the streak as it would be a novel idea and would add unpredictability to the title scenarios at WM.

 

[hatehabsforever]

The idea is good but the major drawback to this is that the 30th man enters at the 42 min mark (considering 90 second intervals). I highly doubt that the Rumble would be that short. The match lasts atleast 55-60 mins.

The way I see it playing out is that Jericho, Orton and Barrett are the final three. Orton eliminates Barrett, who comes back on the ring to eliminate Orton (or vice versa), leaving Jericho victorious.

Excellent point, but that's easily dealt with. They could increase the time slightly between announced entrants, thus killing more time in the process. Plus, the over the top theatrics of an annoying heel Jericho would in and of itself kill a bunch of time, further annoying people and increasing the heat upon him even further.

 

[steinerscrewdriver]

I voted for other, I have a scenario I would love to see play out but I doubt it would happen...I have The Rock come in last and end up eliminating Cena to win the rumble and they next night say he is still going to face cena at wrestlemania and no one gets a title shot

 

[tomthebodz]

I went for other. I can see Punk beating Ziggler. Not sure how though, and the Ziggler enters at 30 and goes on to win.

 

[Dave_Kub_9]

I wonder if WWE realizes that so many people are presuming Chris Jericho will win, that it will be anticlimactic if he does......and face it, the last thing the company wants is for the Royal to be anticlimactic.

All along, I've been presuming Y2J will take the thing home.....but I've been wrong so often in my picks and I'm hoping to be wrong this time, too. I'd like it to be someone not as prominent and as obvious as the guy who left the company and is making a triumphant return, just in time for the Rumble.

I'd love if it could be a less-than-major guy who is suddenly thrust to the top by a win at the Royal Rumble. Someone in the position Daniel Bryan was 6 months ago: a guy toiling in the mid-card with good ability and a need for a break that would shoot him into the limelight. Of course, Daniel's push has already been launched, so there's no need (or opportunity) for him to win the Rumble.....but I'm talking about that kind of guy.

This year, it would be great to see someone new win it......someone not so obvious. In the past, it was: "Hogan's in the Rumble?.....then Hogan wins it." or "Cena's in the Rumble?......then Cena wins it."

Surprise us.

Good point, thats why Drew McIntyre would be a surprise to win the rumble considering his losing streak. Barrett would be a surprise as well, I can see him ruining Orton's hometown return.

 

[Harthan]

Right, so I made some predictions a while back, but I thought I'd update them now that everything pre-Rumble has fallen into place. I made my old predictions based on the assumption of Orton not competing, and before Jericho's storyline really unfolded. So, with that said, I think the two choices most likely to win the Rumble are, indeed, Orton and Jericho. I have reservations about them both, as I'll point out, but I think they're the most likely candidates. I also have an outside shot on CM Punk, more on that in a minute.

Chris Jericho - It now seems that the Jericho story is going to advance at the Rumble, and with the knowledge that he's in it, a victory for Jericho seems like a strong possibility. I have a handful of concerns. One, will Jericho even wrestle? He broke his streak of talking for a moment the other night, but will he also break his no-wrestling streak? It remains to be seen. I've heard talk of everyone eliminating each other down to #30, and Jericho simply enters the match and wins it automatically. I'm not sure about the feasibility of that. I also accept the possibility that he's just trolling again. It would be a pretty good masterstroke, to promise "The end of the world as you know it" at the Rumble, then do absolutely nothing of note. So I also accept that.

Randy Orton - Orton seems like the obvious, traditional favorite to win. Established star, he'd set up a big title match at Mania, etc., etc. There are a lot of signs pointing to him. My problem is this - if he was going to win, why not as a surprise entrant in the Rumble itself? It may have been a business strategy - i.e., ensure everyone that Orton will be at the Rumble to get the buys, as he is the #3 star in the WWE and sells PPVs and tickets. Still, the WWE has passed on that opportunity before in favor of the surprise return, and will the Rumble really be improved in terms of buys by any one star? I figure that the Rumble itself is the real selling point. So having him return early on SmackDown smells fishy to me, and I think they're likely to have Orton win a chamber match instead.

CM Punk - Their emphasis on any superstar being able to enter the Rumble is what makes me think about this. Why point that out? Arguably it's to explain the presence of someone like Ziggler in the match after he (probably) loses the title match, but I recall him being in the Rumble match last year after losing to Edge, and there was never any prior qualification to his doing so. They've also explicitly referenced world champions entering the match, which makes me think Punk is going to make an appearance. The reason I think he might win is because of the WWE's increasing trend toward tearing down the brand split and forming the "supershow". SmackDown is more of a B-show than ever these days, and I get the feeling that the WWE would rather just unify the world title and have the champion feature on both shows than continue on with two world titles. I could envision CM Punk winning the Rumble and challenging Bryan at WrestleMania to unify the titles. It's an outside shot, but not an impossibility, to my mind.

 

[#hamler]

Chris Jericho seems to be alot of you guys' favorite to win this year's Rumble match and I can see why. With Jericho promising the end of the World, he has to be talking about one of two things; beating CM Punk at Wrestlemania for the WWE Championship or defeating The Undertaker's streak at Wrestlemania. I wouldn't mind seeing him win the Rumble to feud with The Undertaker. I damn sure wouldn't mind him winning the Rumble to feud with Punk. He's promised the end of the World at the Rumble; dammit, I believe him.

It's St. Louis and everyone and their mother knows the WWE loves to capitalize on the home town hero. Randy Orton is undoubtedly one of my top picks to win the Royal Rumble match - not for storyline reasons but the simple fact that he deserves it. Mr. Orton has done so much to impress me throughout 2011. Orton collided with CM Punk at last years Wrestlemania in what was arguably one of the best matches on the card. He moved to Smackdown, immediately defeated Christian for the World Heavyweight Championship in the best free televised match in 2011. Orton brought Christian to a level he's never been brought to before during their feud together. Randy Orton kept up with Christian and won over many of his naysayers. Mark Henry comes and Orton puts him over with ease. Orton again continues to put over when Wade injures him. My point: Randy's been the glue holding Smackdown together.

The WWE wanted to replace Edge and they did with Orton. Orton has been unstoppable all year long and that needs to pay off. The only problem I see, Randy Orton has already won the Royal Rumble match. I'm not saying it's impossible but there's a slight chance the WWE could want to go with someone else who could use the win.

Sheamus has been another favorite of mine for quite some time. He's spent months on the Smackdown roster not doing much; yet, he's still arguably the most over Smackdown superstar not named Randy Orton. His face turn has been nothing but impressive for me. Even with Christian out due to injuries, Sheamus still found a way to stay relevant on Smackdown's roster and that cannot go unnoticed. Sheamus rarely loses nowadays and that's proof the WWE sees something in him. A Royal Rumble victory to force him back into the World Heavyweight Championship picture wouldn't be so bad.

Last, my dark horse. An idea so far fetched, that most might dismiss it without thinking. The Rock. Who's to say John Cena doesn't win the WWE Championship before heading into Wrestlemania? He's shocked us before; I certainly wouldn't be shocked if he did again. What a better way to elevate the WWE Championship's prestige than by having it be defended in what could possibly become one of the most talked about matches of the decade? Again, it isn't likely. But I’m prepared for the swerviest of swerves.

Hamler's Favorites - Sheamus and Randy Orton.

Hamler's Dark Horse - The Rock.

Hamler's Prediction - Chris Jericho will win the 2012 Royal Rumble match.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

I actually have 2 scenario as far as who would win the Royal rumble this year.

1. My first scenario would be that Chris Jericho gets number 30. At this point you only have Randy Orton, Dolph Ziggler, Mick Foley & Wade Barrett in the ring. So Jericho comes in, the lights go out and when the light come back on, Foley & Ziggler are eliminated which only left orton & Barrett. So Jericho takes he'S sweet old time coming to the ring while Orton and Barrett are trying to eliminated each other. Then Jericho comes into the Ring and just push both orton & Barrett over the top rope and win the match.

MySecond scenario his something of a long shot but would make use of the fact that WWE promoted that every WWE superstars can enter the Rumble. This would involve one of the main champion, so since i think it would fit Daniel Bryan better i will take him for this scenario. So Daniel Bryan retains the World title in the opening match of the rumble. Then decide to enter the rumble. You could have him get a late number like 25 or something near that. Then again everybody are fighting, he'S always finding a way to escape elimination like HBK did back in 1995. Then finally it come down to him & Orton. Orton beat the living shit out of bryan before tossing him out over the top rope. People goes crazy because they think Orton won the rumble but somehow Bryan save himself again, come in from behind and eliminate Orton from the Rumble.

Then you could have Bryan vs Orton at Elimination Chamber and Bryan still finds a way to retain his title and on the following Raw, Challenge the WWE champion to a unification match because he wants to be known as one of the greatest superstars in wwe history.

 

[weird86]

HOLY CRAP! If someone else posted this I apologize, but last night at my friends we were trying to figure out who'd win. Some people (myself as well) said Jerichio, one of my friends said Punk will retain the championship and will still be in the Rumble to win as everyones eligible.

HOWEVER one of my friends brought up something I dont think anyone brought up or thought of and how WWE like surprises and thinking of it more it wouldnt totally surprise me, but would piss a lot of people off. Mr. JOHN LAURINAITIS. His logic is right. He's been on TV probably more than anyone or close to it the last couple months, they emphasize EVERYONE is eligible to participate. I really hope he is wrong, but with WWE anythings possible. Deff something to consider.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

To add to the intrigue, Stone Cold Steve Austin just said on his Twitter page that he ate a huge breakfast and now Vince sent the jet to pick him up for the rumble. Then he said low center of gravity is the key (hence why he ate a huge breakfast). He is probably just messing with us but if that buzzer goes off for #30 and the glass breaks, I am pretty sure the fans in St. Louis would tear the roof off of that arena

 

[Robbo89]

The number 30 spot will be a huge surprise in my opinion, like a returning superstar who nobody expected to be back.....think John Cena in 2008, or Edge in 2010. Remember in the past when they'd have a match to determine the number 30 entrant.....why was the Miz and Truth match just "the loser is number 1 in the match" why not that AND the winner is number 30?? I think there will be a huge shock in store tonight in the rumble match but i'm not sure who it could be, Brock Lesnar.....doubtful, Batista....highly unlikely, SCSA.....In an ideal world yes (with Miz surviving till then and getting his ass kicked) but no.

I know it might seem a bit anti-climax after everything i've just said but it could possibly be Christian or Rey Mysterio. I don't personally care who gets number 30 in all honesty as long as its a memorable match!

 

[The Major Broski]

I hope Christain in number 30 but I doubt it because a ruturning superstar usally wins the rumble and I just don't see that happening so I think Orton or Jericho will get number 30 and it would awesome if Jericho did the whole "Yeah c'mon baby" routine and eliminated himself