WWE Royal Rumble 2012: Dolph Ziggler Was in the Same Spot Last Year, Remember?

WWE presents the Royal Rumble this Sunday night!

The event is the first step on the road to WrestleMania, and fans all over the world are excited over yet another promising year in WWE.

We know about the World Title match. Daniel Bryan is defending his title against Mark Henry and Big Show in a steel cage match. That match could go any number of ways!

We also know about John Cena vs. Kane. I don't know about you, but I see this only going one way. Cena has to win and win clean. That is the only acceptable finish here.

Of course, there is the main event. A 30-man over-the-top battle royal best known as the Royal Rumble. The winner gets a World/WWE Title match at the biggest event of the year on April 1st, 2012. Again, this one could go many different ways.

I have changed my mind on the ultimate winner at least five times today alone. The field really is wide open. Anybody saying they are "100-percent sure" will likely contradict another person saying they are "100-percent sure" and more doing the same. Nobody can really be "100-percent sure."

That leads us to the WWE Championship match. CM Punk is defending his belt against Dolph Ziggler. The special referee will be Johnny Ace. I really had no doubt Punk would retain. It seemed to make sense on so many levels. Changing the belt now would not do much for anybody, even Mr. Ziggler.

Then I remembered last year's Rumble event. What was the World Title match? Oh yeah, Edge defending his title against Dolph Ziggler (with Vickie Guerrero at ringside). Sound a little familiar?

Well, it is.

Nearly that exact situation is being played out now. In late 2010, Edge won the World title. In late 2011, Punk won the World Title. Both were hot off face turns and seemed to be "long-term" champs.

Then came along Dolph Ziggler. The man who has been "this close" to the main event level for over a year now. Just like in 2011, not many give him much of a chance to win the strap at Sunday's PPV.

I admit it. Right now, I think Punk will retain. However, my mind is starting to sway just a little bit. My predictions will surely be mixed up by the weekend. That is a compliment to WWE for making an unpredictable Rumble event.

Remember that Dolph Ziggler is a former World Champion? He is. Debate it all you want. Spin it all you want. Try and make sense of it all you want. It doesn't matter. He is a former World Champion!

He did not get his reign at the Rumble. He got a short run in February. It certainly did not last long, but it happened. Could the same happen this year? I don't know, but if Johnny Ace has anything to say about it, we will have a new WWE Champion this Sunday night.

What do you folks think? Dolph is in the same spot two years in a row.

Will this year be different? Let me know below.

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