WWE News: Major Update on Possible Favorite for 2012 Royal Rumble

The Royal Rumble is one of the WWE’s biggest events of the year, setting the stage for both Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania.

The outcome of the 30-man Royal Rumble match has a domino effect that could alter plans for so many WrestleMania matches, from who faces The Undertaker to who competes for the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships.

That being said, we usually have a pretty good indication of who will win the Rumble long before it takes place. And that remains true this year, with a couple of superstars establishing themselves as frontrunners to win the match and go onto main-event WrestleMania.

So, who’s in the running to win the Rumble in 2012?

Here’s the latest on the Royal Rumble favorite, courtesy of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (via WrestleNewz.com):

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After discussing Randy Orton winning the Royal Rumble, WWE creative talked about having someone else win it this week. Chris Jericho is in the running to win the Rumble main event since he’s likely going to be challenging CM Punk for the WWE Title at WrestleMania 28.

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While I think Jericho and Orton are the clear-cut favorites, I honestly don’t think it matters all that much which one wins it.

Either way, I’d expect to see Jericho face Punk for the WWE title and Orton challenge a heel Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania, so it’s just a matter of how the creative team wants to make those two matches happen. If Jericho wins the Royal Rumble, then Orton can win his WrestleMania title shot at Elimination Chamber, and vice versa.

That being said, I’d rather see Orton win it because he was the WWE’s most selfless superstar in 2011, he hasn’t competed for a world title at WrestleMania since 2009, and the Royal Rumble takes place in his hometown of St. Louis.

Orton deserves to win the Rumble as much as anybody, while Jericho just came back, and it might rub some people the wrong way if he picks up a big Rumble victory less than a month after he returns.

If I had to bet, I’d say Orton will win it, Jericho will become No. 1 contender at Elimination Chamber and then those will be the challengers in your two world title matches at WrestleMania.

But I still wouldn’t completely count out the possibility of a wild card like Sheamus or Wade Barrett surprising us all and winning the Royal Rumble, either.

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