Royal Rumble 2012: Why Wade Barrett Is Dark-Horse Pick to Win

If you are a part of Royal Rumble pool, quickly grab Wade Barrett.

Why?

The Rumble may very well be the ultimate launching pad for a monumental push. Barrett has been a runner-up, so to speak, in major events, falling just short of capturing major wins to have his push hit its peak.

He lost at the Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view to Randy Orton, despite the fact that many expected him to grab the win there. He has been on the worse end of his feud with Orton since, other than when he pushed the Viper down some stairs on Smackdown three weeks ago.

Orton suffered an injury that knocked him off WWE programming for a while in this incident, so it seems as if Barrett has been in angle limbo since.

The Rumble is the perfect spot to either launch him further up the ladder as a mainstream superstar, to further the feud with Orton or both. The Rumble takes place in Orton's hometown of St. Louis, MO. He is expected to receive a big pop, maybe not the biggest of the night, but big nonetheless. If Barrett can get the best of Orton, by hook or by crook, the WWE could play the angle that Barrett embarrassed the Viper in his hometown.

Orton returned to action a few days ago, battling Barrett again to no real conclusion. They will definitely clash at the PPV. However, the later in the Rumble this happens, the more impacting it is to the outcome.

If he costs Orton the win, he would also deny Orton the opportunity to become just the fourth man to have won the Royal Rumble multiple times, following Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels.

At this point, Barrett needs to win the Rumble more than Orton and any other superstar. The ascension of his push is running a bit long and it's about time for him to capture the big victory that lets him take the next step.

Winning the Rumble could set up a title match with former stablemate Daniel Bryan. Bryan seems to have found himself as a heel, so it's possible Barrett could work his way to face status. He certainly has the potential to be a strong face. It may even balance the heel and face status as John Cena seems to be headed to the dark side.

There are plenty of scenarios and reasons why Barrett could win, but of course, nothing is guaranteed. Chris Jericho is still the smart pick, and the Undertaker is a possibility in a return, but don't sleep on Wade Barrett. It just may finally be his time.

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