WWE Royal Rumble 2012: Is the Royal Rumble Match Losing Its Significance?

It was not that long ago that the Royal Rumble match was one of WWE's most prestigious, anticipated matches of any year. Thirty men battle in one ring for the chance to compete for the world championship at Wrestlemania. Fans of the sport loved the unpredictability and excitement of the once-a-year match. The Royal Rumble match dictated the main event of the sport's biggest show and indicated which young Superstar was about to receive the big push toward WWE gold.

There is no denying that, as 2012 kicks into full gear, the once-beloved match has lost a significant amount of its luster. There are several reasons for this development. The creation of bigger, flashier, more gimmicky matches have captured the imagination of the WWE Universe. The creator of the Royal Rumble match no longer works full-time with the company. As of late, the prize for the winner of the match has not paid off. And the focus of the creative team is not on the match as much as it is on its individual stars.

In many ways, the creation of the Money in the Bank ladder match has limited the effectiveness of the Royal Rumble. While the Rumble is a glorified battle royale, the Money in the Bank match is an exciting, high-risk, multi-man ladder match. The Rumble gives its winner the opportunity to compete for one of two world titles at Wrestlemania, and only at Wrestlemania, while Money in the Bank allows its winners to challenge for either world title at any time over the course of one year. The Money in the Bank briefcase, and carrier's option to use it when they please, adds suspense and intrigue to the championship chase that the Rumble simply does not.

The most important man in the history of the Royal Rumble is one who has never actually competed in one. He is the man who, in 1988, created the match and pitched the idea to Vince McMahon as a television special. He is the man who, for twenty-plus years, worked with hundreds of Superstars to construct many of the of the most memorable Rumbles in history. That man is wrestling great, and WWE Hall of Fame inductee, Pat Patterson.

Pat was able to piece together an exciting and entertaining match, from start to finish, that put over the intended stars as either dominant, sly and cunning, athletic, or as iron men. The Royal Rumble matches he held told stories and highlighted both past and present rivalries, as well as hinted at future Wrestlemania programs. His vision is sorely missing in the Royal Rumbles of more recent times.

Patterson's lack of involvement has shown in the last half-decade, dating back to 2006. It is not hard to see a very obvious drop-off in match quality. The 2010 match between CM Punk and Shawn Michaels was the exception to the post-Patterson rule. But with Pat no longer working with the company on a full-time basis, it has proven difficult for the creative team, most of whom have no wrestling background, to craft a Rumble match that lives up to the quality of those in the past.

For example, the 2011 Royal Rumble match was billed as the biggest one ever, with a grand total of forty Superstars entered. To make up for poor booking and the inability to match Patterson's craftsmanship, the writers tried to gimmick the match even further and it failed. Miserably.

Perhaps the most harmful development for the Royal Rumble match is the lack of payoff. In the past, the Royal Rumble match was the first chapter in a novel that concluded at Wrestlemania. The winner of the match would main event the biggest card of the year and was clearly the company's choice to carry the banner as champion.

Not since 2007 has the winner of the Royal Rumble gone on to win the heavyweight championship at  Wrestlemania. Instead, with the exception of 2011 and Alberto Del Rio's victory, the match has been used as a tool to bolster the resumes of already-established Superstars. John Cena, Randy Orton, and Edge all won the match, but did not need it in order to take their place in their brand's title matches. With the company's reluctance to use the match as a star-making platform, and with no payoff to the stipulations it carries, it is no surprise that fans, especially the younger members of the WWE Universe, have fallen out of love with the traditional contest.

Today's WWE is focused on the more-marketable, individual star. It is a major reason tag team wrestling is nearly extinct, the mid-card is made up of nondescript performers, and less focus is put on the Royal Rumble than ever before. This year's show is a perfect example, as both championship matches and the contest between John Cena and Kane have been more heavily hyped and promoted than the event's namesake.

The creative team has a handful of Superstars they are instructed to focus on and, after time, those men supersede everything else on the show. CM Punk, John Cena, Big Show, Mark Henry, and, as a result of his World Championship reign, Daniel Bryan are all men that fit into that category. These men have been given key roles on WWE TV and as a result, their individual storylines hog the spotlight even from something as special as the Rumble match.

I am a huge fan of the Royal Rumble. It is the one match every year that takes me back to my childhood. I would wait with great anticipation for the next Superstar to make their entry into the match. Who would win? Who would that man face at Wrestlemania? To this fan, it was the greatest gift a wrestling fan could receive. Unfortunately for today's younger fan base, a mixture of elements is preventing the Rumble match from regaining and retaining the prestige and significance it once held.