Royal Rumble 2012 Predictions: CM Punk Will Appear, Dolph Ziggler Will Win

It’s fair to say that there's no more unpredictable event in wrestling than the Royal Rumble.

Some of the best and most shocking moments in WWE history have taken place in the Rumble match, and there’s a good chance that the 2012 contest could add to that legacy.

From surprise entrants to records to possible winners, there are so many moving parts at work in the Rumble. 

So much takes place that it’s nearly impossible to accurately predict exactly what's going to happen.

Despite that, here are three bold predictions regarding this year’s 30-man Royal Rumble.

CM Punk Will Appear in the Rumble

Never before has a world champion appeared in the Royal Rumble when a world title shot at WrestleMania was on the line. 

I think that will change this year with WWE champion CM Punk entering the Rumble match.

I fully expect Punk to retain his title against Dolph Ziggler prior to the Rumble match, but I think he will also take part in the biggest match in wrestling.

It may not make much sense on the surface, but this Rumble has been touted as one where absolutely anyone is eligible to enter. 

That might seem like a lot of talk, but if the WWE is truly serious about anyone being allowed to enter, then I think one or both of the world champions will be in.

I wouldn’t consider Punk to be a contender to win, but he would add plenty of star power to the Rumble.

Kane Will Break His Own Eliminations Record

In 2001 Kane set the record for most eliminations in a single Rumble match, as he dispatched 11 superstars. 

That record has held firm for more than a decade, but I believe it's very much in jeopardy this year.

Fittingly, I think the person with the best chance of breaking it is Kane himself. 

Kane has been pushed as a monster since returning with his mask, so I certainly expect him to have a huge impact on this year’s Rumble match.

Kane has a match against John Cena earlier in the night, but he has a Rumble streak to uphold, so it would be a shock to see Kane miss the match. 

I don’t think Kane will win the Rumble since he isn’t in need of a title shot at his age, but he needs to clean house a bit in order to continue to look strong. 

If he lasts long enough, I could definitely see Kane throwing out 12 or more superstars.

Dolph Ziggler Will Win the Rumble

The overwhelming sentiment is that Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, Sheamus and Wade Barrett are the favorites to win the Rumble, but I honestly don’t expect any of them to be the last man standing.  

The field is so wide open that I think a bit of a surprise is in order. 

My pick for the past several weeks—even after being named the challenger for Punk’s WWE Championship—has been Ziggler.

I don’t think Ziggler will beat Punk for his title at the Rumble, so the odds are that he will find a way to enter the Rumble match. 

In terms of in-ring ability, mic skills and look, I don’t think there is any question that Ziggler is a main event guy.  In order to truly cement him as such, though, he could use the Rumble win.

I think winning the Rumble with an early entry number after already battling Punk will do wonders for the legitimacy of the heel.