A Royal Occasion...

The road to Wrestlemania has begun, and as ever, our first stop is arguably the second-most popular pay-per-view on the WWE calender, the Royal Rumble. Let's take a look at the card for tomorrow's event, and make a few predictions...


Royal Rumble Pre-Show
US Championship: Antonio Cesaro (Ch) vs The Miz

I have mixed feelings on this match being on the pre-show. On the one hand, they will given a little longer and will probably be able to get more things done in the time allotted than if they were on the main card. On the other hand, this has been building over the last few weeks, and it's unusual to have a well built to match not even making the main card. Still, look for it to be a good match, Cesaro is one of the best workers in the company right now, but Miz can hold his own. I don't think Cesaro's time as US Champion is going to end just yet, particularly not on the pre-show, and besides, this feud has enough in it to take us to Elimination chamber next month at least.

My Predictions
Winner: Antonio Cesaro
Ending: Cesaro pins Miz after hitting The Neutralizer
Time: 15 minutes

Royal Rumble Main Card
WWE Tag Team Championship: Kane and Daniel Bryan (Ch) vs Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes

I've loved Kane and Daniel Bryan, but I think their time as champions will come to an end at the Rumble, at the hands of Team Rhodes Scholars, Rhodes and Sandow. Kane and Bryan's story arc has gone as far as I think it can, and, no offense to tag team fans, but they're too good individually to stay in the tag team division for much longer, they belong back in singles competition. Rhodes and Sandow are great as a team for now, and they'll make good tag team champions. I think both are destined for greater things, Rhodes for certain, but they're good in their current roles and should hold the titles through Wrestlemania and into the Summer.

My Predictions
Winner: Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow
Ending: Rhodes hits Daniel Bryan with CrossRhodes for the pin.
Time: 15 minutes

World Heavyweight Championship: Alberto Del Rio (Ch) vs Big Show in a Last Man Standing match

I've enjoyed Del Rio as a face a lot more than I thought I would, but then again, he's a guy I have always wanted to like. He's very good in the ring, but was held back by a heel character more staler than a month old sandwich. He's over with the crowd, and I don't see his title run, which is only 2 weeks old, ending here. Big Show has been good over the last few months, his feud with Sheamus was one of the best of 2012. With the stipulation, this match should be brutal and violent, and a potential show-stealer

My Predictions
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Ending: Del Rio hits Big Show with his car for the 10 count
Time: 20 minutes

Royal Rumble Match

Probably the most popular match type in the history of WWE, the Royal Rumble is here once more, and needless to say, I'm excited. The line-up is pretty solid. Confirmed so far, we have the likes of John Cena, Randy Orton, Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, Kane, Daniel Bryan, Wade Barret, Antonio Cesaro, The Miz, and of course, Ryback. In addition we can also expect some returning superstars (Christian, Mark Henry are my bets) some old faces making surprise returns (John Morrison seems the safe bet here) and a few legends stepping back into the ring to show the young whipper-snappers how it's done (My money's on Roddy Piper and Billy Gunn). In terms of winners, Cena and Ryback are the two the most people have their money on, with a possible dark horse in Dolph Ziggler, although his odds just got alot longer with the announcement that  he will start at either #1 or #2. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm gonna take the perennial safe-bet here, and go with WWE's resident superhero...

My Predictions
Winner: John Cena
Ending: Cena wins by last eliminating Dolph Ziggler
Time: 70 minutes

The winner of the Rumble match will go on to face either the World Heavyweight Champion or the WWE Champion at Wrestlemania. I've already said that I think Alberto Del Rio will retain his world title. But the more pressing question is who will be the WWE Champion come Wrestlemania? That will be decided in the biggest WWE Title match in over a decade...

WWE Championship: CM Punk (Ch) vs. The Rock

CM Punk, as of the 26th of January, has held the WWE Championship for 433 days, the sixth longest reign in history, and is without a doubt one of the most talented overall performers in the history of WWE. He's excellent in the ring and arguably the best talker to ever pick up a mic. The Rock is arguably the most famous wrestler of all time. He's a 7-time WWE Champion, he's main-evented multiple Wrestlemanias, he's won the Royal Rumble, and he's beaten Steve Austen, Hulk Hogan and John Cena on the grandest stage of 'em all. He's done everything there is to do. The build-up between the two has been perfectly executed. The first confrontation on Raw three weeks ago between the two was one of the highest points the show has reached in years, one of the highest points it's ever reached. And now, we are a little under 24 hours away, at time of writing, from the biggest WWE Title match since Stone Cold vs The Rock at Wrestlemania 17, 12 years ago.

In terms of quality, the build-up has easily trumped the build to Rock vs Cena at Wrestlemania 28, and the match should do the same, simply because Punk is a much better worker than Cena. It will be back and forth with Punk probably having the advantage for most of the match. The Rock looked pretty tired halfway through the match with Cena, so hopefully he will have a better idea of his limitations this time round. In spite of that you're probably looking at 30 minutes of what should be a 4-star match, 3.5 minimum. If the crowd is hot enough, it could be an all-time classic. I hope Punk wins, but as with the Rumble match, I'm gonna play the odds. I don't think it's a certainty, but it's more likely than not...

My Predictions:

Winner: The Rock
Ending: Rock pins Punk after a Rock Bottom
Time: 30 minutes