Royal Rumble 2012: Superstars Who Will Put Kane's Elimination Record in Jeopardy

In 2001 Kane broke a record previously shared by Hulk Hogan and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin when he eliminated 11 superstars in the Royal Rumble match. That record has stood for more than a decade, but there are several wrestlers who have a legitimate shot at breaking it this year.

When it comes to the Royal Rumble and pretty much anything else in sports entertainment, records are made to be broken. The WWE writers often use the Rumble match as a vehicle to make certain superstars look strong, even if they don't win the match itself. Here are three competitors with a chance of breaking Kane's single-Rumble elimination record this year.

Mark Henry

Although he has fallen off a bit since losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Big Show, Mark Henry has been built up as a monster heel for the past several months. I think his reputation was damaged when he was unable to win the feud with Big Show, but cleaning house in the Rumble match could restore his credibility in short order.

There's a possibility that Henry will either compete in a singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the event or in a triple threat with Big Show and Daniel Bryan, but I think he'll still wind up in the Rumble match. For one, I don't expect him to win the title, and secondly is has been said that those on the undercard will be eligible for the Rumble match. I can't envision Henry winning the Rumble itself, but he should acquit himself quite well.

Sheamus

Over the past several weeks the creative team has done a nice job of establishing Sheamus as the Royal Rumble front runner. His immense size and mean streak alone make him an obvious contender, but he is one of the few superstars who have made a point of discussing the Rumble match recently. One top of that he has essentially become the most physically dominant face in the company.

There is no question that Sheamus will be among the final few competitors remaining in the match and he is also one of a few who seem to have a real chance to win. Depending on how early he enters the match, Sheamus should get his fair share of eliminations. He has been feuding with jobbers like Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal lately so he's probably going to eliminate them and many more. He'll certainly approach that magic number of 11.

Kane

I think it would only be fitting if the person to break Kane's elimination record is the Big Red Monster himself. Over the last couple years Kane has been a far cry from the dominant force who took over the 2001 Rumble. Since returning with a revamped persona and a look that hearkens back to Kane's glory days, he has looked like much more of a threat.

The goal with Kane right now seems to be to make him an unstoppable force, so he should go on a rampage at some point during the match, reeling off five or six eliminations in a row. Kane is facing John Cena in a singles match earlier in the night, but he hasn't been left out of the Rumble match since debuting, so he'll be in again this year. While Kane is a contender I don't think he'll win, but his presence will be felt.