Royal Rumble 2012: CM Punk and Best Sleepers for Your Rumble Pool

It's tough to think of two things better than wrestling and gambling, so the natural reaction is to combine them in some way. One of those ways is by taking part in a Royal Rumble pool where you, as well as your friends or family members, either draw superstars or numbers.

Whoever ends up with the winner at the end wins bragging rights, or preferably, a cash prize. In order to bring skill into the equation, the most fun way to do it is by conducting a fantasy draft of sorts. In that type of scenario, the likes of Chris Jericho, Randy Orton and Sheamus are sure to go off the board early.

If you're looking for somebody with a fighting chance in the mid-to-late rounds, though, you should consider one of these sleeper superstars.

The Miz

When it was announced that The Miz would enter the Rumble No. 1 following his loss to R-Truth on Raw, it may have seemed as though his chances of winning the match had gone up in smoke. Truth be told, however, I actually like his chances much more than I did previously. I think Miz is in a group of eight or 10 guys who have some sort of chance to win the Rumble, so getting him a few rounds into your pool draft would be a steal.

It has been done many times in the past where a superstar enters early and lasts for the duration or close to it. If the creative team has the intention of giving Miz another main-event push, then it would make sense for him to win from the first spot. I would consider Miz to be a favorite by any means, but he certainly has a fighting chance due to his background. Because of that, he's worth taking a flier on.

Dolph Ziggler

Obviously, Dolph Ziggler hasn't been announced as a participant in the Rumble match since he is in the WWE Championship match against CM Punk, but I think the chances of him entering are very high. I don't expect Ziggler to beat Punk, and since both title match losers entered the Rumble last year, I don't see what it won't happen again this year.

Another thing to consider is the way that the announcers have been making a point of saying that anyone is eligible to enter. That makes me believe that anyone on the undercard has a solid chance of being in. If Ziggler does end up in the Rumble, I consider him a very strong candidate to win, and he has actually been my pick for quite some time.

If Ziggler wrestles Punk in a strong 20-minute match, proceeds to enter the Rumble and then wins, it will make him look incredibly strong in terms of being a main eventer.

CM Punk

I fully realize that CM Punk is the WWE Champion and that he is unlikely to drop the belt to Dolph Ziggler on Sunday, but I get the feeling that he'll be a surprise entrant in the Rumble. As mentioned previously, it has been said that anyone is eligible for the Rumble match. "Anyone" would most certainly include world champions like Punk or Daniel Bryan. I'm not sure what the logic behind it would be, but I think there are plans for Punk to be in the Rumble.

More than likely, he would simply be used to add some star power to the match, but if a top guy who has never won a Rumble before, such as Punk, is involved, then he has to be considered a contender. There have often been rumors over the past year or two that there have been thoughts about unifying the WWE Championship and World Heavyweight Championship. If by some chance that is about to come to fruition, Punk could very well win the Rumble.