Royal Rumble 2012: Zack Ryder and More Dark Horse Contenders

The Royal Rumble match is the year's most exciting event. It's the one time when there's actually some doubt as to what the result is going to be. Avid WWE fans can usually figure out the results of most pay-per-view matches based purely on the build-up, but the Royal Rumble is a completely different animal.

Chris Jericho is the overwhelming favorite to emerge victorious, but he doesn't need the boost that comes from winning the Rumble. He's already a main-event star and can challenge for the WWE Championship immediately without it seeming out of the ordinary.

With that in mind, here are three sleeper picks to win the Royal Rumble.

Zack Ryder

Ryder dropped his United States Championship on Monday night to Jack Swagger. It's hard to imagine the company would be giving up on his push already considering all the merchandise he's moved and the crowd reaction he continues to receive every night.

That leads me to believe something bigger might be on the horizon for the Long Island Iced Z. He's worked hard both in and out of the ring to come this far and you couldn't blame Vince McMahon for trying to capitalize on his popularity while he's still on a roll.

Since he lost the title due to “injuries,” he was made to look strong in defeat. That means the possibilities are endless for his next direction. In other words, don't count out the ultimate broski next weekend.

R-Truth

R-Truth has done a terrific job of reinventing his character once again since returning from a wellness suspension. He's become a face in his feud with The Miz and is able to draw a genuine reaction from the crowd, which is a much tougher task than it's made out to be.

He was involved in the four-way battle royal on Monday night, which is a strong indication that he's going to be heavily involved at the Rumble, and coming out with the win only solidified that status. It's clear that his out-of-ring problems didn't lead to a complete burial.

R-Truth has done a great job of turning himself into a main-event talent after being an afterthought for so long. Now it's time to take it up one more notch and prove he can survive on his own.

Cody Rhodes

Rhodes has taken his Intercontinental Title reign as far as it can go. There's really nothing left for him to accomplish at the mid-card level and his feuds have become increasingly dull in recent months since the company lacks legitimate contenders.

So it would seem like now is a perfect time to push him up a notch while giving the belt to somebody who could actually use it, like Kofi Kingston, who keeps getting left out to dry by his Air Boom partner Evan Bourne.

The longer Rhodes stays in his current spot, the more irrelevant he becomes. He's a talented worker who could handle a bigger push, and the Royal Rumble is the perfect chance to make it happen.