WWE Royal Rumble 2012: Why the Winner of the Rumble Will Challenge Undertaker

This article is the second one I have written about this topic.  It is something I feel very strongly about, and after last night's Raw, I'm more convinced than ever before that this is a very strong possibility.

January 29th signifies the 25th anniversary of the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.  It's one of the most anticipated matches of the year, as there really is never a correct prediction of exactly how it is going to go.

Last year, Alberto Del Rio walked away the winner of the match; that could have been predicted, as it was by me.  Del Rio had to finish off the final opponent, Santino Marella, in order to be victorious; it's safe to say nobody thought Santino would have lasted that long, hence the moniker of the most unpredictable match the WWE has to offer. 

We all think of the Royal Rumble as a match for the young, up-and-coming stars to get their shot at a World title match, main eventing WrestleMania in the process. 

Except, who says that that main event spot has to include a championship?

As I was watching Raw last night, I started to notice a pattern in Michael Cole's banter as he was talking during the over-the-top-rope challenge involving Wade Barrett, The Miz, Sheamus and R-Truth. 

During said match, only one time was I able to pick out Cole saying that the Royal Rumble match would guarantee a World title match at WrestleMania. 

Every other time he described the stipulations for the match—and this happened quite a few times, six to seven in my estimation—he mentioned that the winner of the Rumble would be granted a main event match at WrestleMania.

Coincidence?

I'm not buying it. 

Sure, this could all be part of Cole's attempt to get back to serious commentating and forget about the championship part of the match at Mania, but to me, something seems to be in the works for a change.

As I stated in my previous article, I fully believe that this year, instead of giving the winner of the Rumble match a shot at whichever title he wishes to pursue, why not let him go after something much bigger than either championship? Why not let him pursue something that may even be bigger than WrestleMania itself?

Of course, I'm talking about The Undertaker's streak at Mania. 

Undertaker's streak has reached 19-0.  Some current wrestlers on the roster don't even have a total of 19 wins in their career, while Taker has 19 straight wins at the biggest show that professional wrestling has to offer. 

Some of the greatest men in WWE history have tried, but all have failed to hand the Deadman a loss in the middle of the ring in the Spring. 

One point that was brought to my attention the last time was that having the winner challenge Undertaker rather than either champion would take away from the prestige of the World titles.

My response: When it comes to Undertaker at WrestleMania, everything else seems minuscule in comparison anyway. 

Look at the past few years when Undertaker has challenged Shawn Michaels twice and Triple H.  It didn't matter who was involved in the title matches, "the Streak" was the most anticipated match on the entire card.

Granted, Triple H and Michaels are two of the best to ever perform in the ring.  Both are surefire Hall of Famers—Michaels already being inducted, Hunter to be inducted as soon as he officially retires—as is Undertaker. 

Could having Undertaker take on somebody such as, say, Wade Barrett or Sheamus for the chance to end the streak take away from the hype?

Absolutely not, if handled properly.

Quite frankly, whoever faces the Deadman is merely a formality.  It all comes down to the story behind the match.

With that being said, how could a young man, trying to make his mark in WWE history, passing up the opportunity to challenge for a title—something no other person has ever done before—in order to challenge Undertaker's streak not be the most compelling story in some time?

In a Mania that is already booked to have The Rock vs. John Cena and reports surrounding possible matches between CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho and Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton, why not save the trouble and let the Rumble match decide who challenges the streak?

Both World title pictures can easily be booked, mostly because it would not be hard to believe in either match, or anybody else challenging for the title. 

Championship matches come and go, but there is only one streak.

Let the winner of the Rumble challenge for something much greater than the titles that change hands more often than Kardashians exchange wedding vows. 

This is the year to embark on something that's never been seen before.  Now is the perfect time to spice things up and shock the world.

Read my last article on this topic here.