Royal Rumble 2012: Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton & Best Possible Final Pairings

Aside from WrestleMania, it's fair to say that no WWE event has a richer history than the Royal Rumble. In less than two weeks, the 25th anniversary of the Rumble will take place from St. Louis, Mo.

The 30-man match itself boasts a fairly wide-open field, so there are plenty of possibilities.

Over the Rumble's history, there have been some interesting pairings in terms of the final two contestants remaining in the match. From iconic stars like Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker vying for a spot in the main event at WrestleMania to an unexpected battle between Alberto Del Rio and Santino last year, you never know what's going to happen.

Here are the three best possible final pairings for this year's Rumble.

Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton

Randy Orton has been nursing a back injury for the past few weeks, but all indications are that he will likely be able to return in time for the Rumble.

From a storyline perspective, Orton was written off television after being thrown down a flight of stairs by Wade Barrett. Orton and Barrett were engaged in a very heated feud prior to the incident, so seeing them as the final two men standing in the Rumble match would be quite fitting.

Even though most are expecting Orton to compete in the Rumble in his hometown, his return will be treated like a surprise. I would guess that Barrett will have cleaned house at some point when, much to his chagrin, Orton will enter.

Provided they make it as the final pairing, I would probably give Orton the advantage. With Daniel Bryan seemingly turning heel, the door is open for a face to win the Rumble—and I'm not sure the creative team is ready to pull the trigger fully on Barrett yet.

Sheamus vs. Christian

For the past couple of months, Christian has been out of action with a legitimate ankle injury and a kayfabe neck injury suffered at the hands of Sheamus.

Prior to the injury, he and Sheamus were feuding while Christian was on his crusade for "one more match" for the world heavyweight championship. There is no timetable on Christian's return, but a return at the Rumble is a possibility.

Sheamus has been built up in recent weeks as a superstar who is focused on the Rumble match. Some have joined him recently, but the creative team has made sure to tout him as the favorite. Having Sheamus win the Rumble would be a good, safe decision as he is extremely over as a face and could face Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania.

Having a returning Christian somehow eliminate Sheamus to win, though, would give him tons of legitimacy after basically jobbing to Sheamus in the fall.

Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton

It was revealed that Chris Jericho was the one behind the cryptic "It Begins" promos on Raw a few weeks back, and his return has been strange to say the least. Jericho has yet to say a word, but it's clear that he is being built toward something big.

I think that a Rumble win could definitely be in the cards as a way of getting him into a feud with CM Punk for the WWE Championship.

His ideal partner in the latter stages of the match would be Randy Orton, should he return in time from injury. Many may have forgotten, since it hasn't been addressed, but Orton was the one who "injured" Jericho over a year ago when he punted him in the skull. This would allow Jericho to get revenge without having to feud with Orton and it would get him in the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania.