Royal Rumble 2012 Card: Expect WWE to Pull out All the Stops

Never forget that the Royal Rumble is as much about the stock as it is about the product. Sometimes, it’s far more about the stock. 

As the WWE heads into the Royal Rumble, they are thinking about far more than the event. With a huge WrestleMania on the horizon and an even bigger launch of their WWE Network expected to come in the fall, the WWE must do everything to make this a huge year in their company's history. 

The product hasn’t been as popular as it was in the WWE glory days of the attitude era. There RAW got its best ratings and was steered by some of the best superstars of all time: Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. 

Now the WWE is looking to achieve that sort of success again, and it must begin with an epic Royal Rumble card. 

Where Is Taker? 

It’s evident that the Undertaker will be back for his match at Mania. It’s become the biggest ongoing storyline of the event.

However, the WWE knows that bringing him back to TV just a little bit sooner will do them a world of good. Taker on TV always piques the interest of the casual viewer.

Don’t be surprised at all to see Taker enter, and win, the Royal Rumble. With few matches left in the tank it’s possible the Dead Man might be looking for one last title shot so that he can leave Mania, and his career, on top. 

Mick Foley Returns

Now that Foley is in the Rumble, we have a chance to see him involved in two ways. The first, and most obvious, he gets screwed by someone setting up a match for him at Mania.

While Foley isn’t in great ring shape, he can be ready to go, and with his recent appearance on 30 Rock, don’t discount the idea that WWE would include him in their biggest show just for the opportunity to bring a few more buys to their biggest event. 

The other idea is that Mick Foley takes this right down to the end. Now, it would be almost impossible to believe a scenario where he wins the Royal Rumble, but even being the last man out could provide a nice opportunity for him to get back into the ring again and build for a nice story heading into the Rumble.

Heck, if Punk ends his feud with Johnny Ace, this could be a set up to a Foley/Ace match at Mania. 

The point is that the WWE needs to set the tone for the rest of the year, so WWE fans can, and should, expect anything.