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The Sam Roberts Show airs every sunday at 4pm eastern on SiriusXM’s Opie & Anthony Channel, XM 105/Sirius 206
Subscribe to the companion podcast, The Sam Roberts Show Online on iTunes here- iTunes

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That’s Sunday, 2/19/12 at 4pm et. on Sirius 206 XM 105. The Sam Roberts Show.

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The Royal Rumble is, to me, WWE’s greatest event of the year. It is consistently the most fun to watch, the pace of the match cannot be beat, it’s the best show to watch with a non-wrestling fan, and it gives a real idea of where WWE sees itself gong for the next year. Generally, this vision doesn’t last throughout the year, but it usually gets us at least to Wrestlemania.

Every 2 minutes (or 90 seconds, depending on the year), another man enters the ring until all 30 (or 40, depending on the year) combatants have entered. Every time that buzzer sounds, we think “you know he could…” or “what if…” The last man standing gets that coveted and guaranteed main event slot at Wrestlemania, and it’s that man who, by all appearances, will be the next giant WWE Superstar.

Last year, it was obvious, Alberto Del Rio was gonna be the guy for the 2011-2012 wrestling year. He last eliminated Santino Marrella, who because of the design of the match actually had a shot, but as Alberto stood victorious, on that night, he was the new “man”. And while it first appeared that was the direction things were leading, by post-wrestlemania there was a lot more focus on John Cena and The Rock, and by the end of June, it took CM Punk one promo, probably the most important promo of the year, to shift the direction to his.

But back to the rumble… it’s always been a place where entrants could be launched to the next level. Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, Brock Lesnar, Rey Mysterio, all were launched directly in to the world title scene after Rumble wins. Yokozuna’s elimination of Randy Savage in 1993 showed the world that he was going to be a forced to be reckoned with. Even a dominant performance without a victory is good for a career. Kane has become synonymous with Rumble elminations, cementing his spot as a threat in any WWE circumstance. Big Daddy Cool Diesel destroyed everyone around him in more than one Rumble, and while he didn’t win, he did let everyone know that the WWE focus would soon be on him.

My Favorite Rumble

No one had more focus put on him than the man who won my favorite Royal Rumble match, from 1992. With a tear in his eye, he was awarded the WWF Championship, Ric Flair went through Sid Justice, Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, The Undertaker, and Virgil to do what, at that point, was thought to have been impossible: enter the Royal Rumble at number three, and last all the way to the end, to walk out the winner.

That was a scary night for everyone. It was the first time in three years Hulk Hogan had lost a Royal Rumble. Bad guys weren’t supposed to win. Especially when, for the first time ever, the WWF Championship was on the line. Ric Flair’s win reminded everyone, that the Royal Rumble is WWE’s most unpredictable night of the year, and that you should never shake hands with a guy outside the ring when you’re in a Rumble match.

The Surprises

Aside from letting us know who will be the next big thing in WWE, the Royal Rumble is always good for some surprises. It’s the perfect spot for a big return. John Cena’s 2008 return was such a shock that the Madison Square Garden audience forgot to boo him! Edge’s return and victory in 2010 launched him straight back to the main event at Wrestlemania. Drew Carrey entered one year and it was enough to earn him a spot in the Hall of Fame. The one that was most shocking to me, was in 1993, when after an appearance by The Giant Gonzales, the world believed that Harvey Whippleman may have actually found a man capable of stopping The Undertaker.

But the best surprises are the nostalgic ones. Bob Backlund got the ball rolling on this in a major way in 2000, but the Royal Rumble has become the place for legends to get one more pop. Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka both returned successfully in 2008, they just weren’t as successful as John Cena. RVD showed up a couple of years ago, and last year’s Royal Rumble brought both Booker T and Kevin Nash back into the full time fold, as it has previously done for Goldust, Mr. Perfect, and Tatanka.

This Year

There’s a lot going on at the Rumble this year, world title match, WWE title match, but nothing will be more important than the Rumble match itself. We know The Miz will be entering at number one. We know Mick Foley will be returning for this match, probably just once, but Mankind, Dude Love, and Cactus Jack all have not confirmed their where abouts for that night.

Chris Jericho will be back for the Rumble, and we have also heard Sheamus, Wade Barrett, Jinder Mahal, R-Truth, and Santino will be in the match. The rules are tweaked every year, this year EVERY Superstar is eligible for entry. This could mean that the current World or WWE Champion is in the match. It could mean Divas, Referees, and Announcers are in the match. John Laurinaitis could conceivably enter himself in. But I think it’s obvious who will go home the victor.

Jinder Mahal.

I’m kidding. Who else will we see in the match? Some are saying Papa Shango could make a comeback, and with the right spells and such he could easily come out on top. Others are saying Rob Van Dam could be there. I believe it could be the perfect time for a Max Moon comeback. Kamala would have a distinct advantage, as having a foot amputated would make it very difficult for both feet to touch the floor (too soon?).

But realistically, just about anything could happen. A Jericho victory could set up the Jericho-Punk Wrestlemania match that everyone’s been talking about. But, the Ziggler/Punk feud has barely gotten off the ground. What if Dolph Ziggler were to lose to CM Punk, go on to win the Royal Rumble, and get his rematch at Wrestlemania?

Brock Lesnar could come back, but probably not. Triple H could make an appearance, but then, so could The Undertaker (hmmm….). Or what if yours’ truly, Sam Roberts, were to FINALLY make his WWE debut and go straight to Wrestlemania? I haven’t gotten the call yet…but I’m leaving my phone on.

What makes the Royal Rumble the best event of the year, is that there is so much to talk about. I have no idea what the Royal Rumble will bring. I just hope it’s not…hall of fame worthy.

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