WWE Royal Rumble 2012: 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan Slated for Rumble Return?

On January 24, 1988, the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada played host to WWE's inaugural Royal Rumble match.  That year, the No. 13 entrant, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, outlasted the field to become the first-ever Rumble winner.

This weekend marks the 25th iteration of the event, and according to PWInsider's Dave Scherer, Hacksaw could be a surprise participant.

The WWE Hall of Famer (who recently launched official Twitter and Facebook pages) was originally booked to partner with Psycho Mike and Mustang Mike in a six-man tag-team match for the Gulf Coast Wrestling show Saturday in Lousiana.  But for reasons unknown, that appearance has been cancelled, fueling speculation that Duggan could be in St. Louis for Sunday's pay-per-view.

The 58-year-old Duggan last appeared in the Royal Rumble match in 2009 as the 29th entrant, setting the record for the most years between Rumble appearances.

Hacksaw, a former WCW U.S. Heavyweight champion and kidney cancer survivor, would be joining former world champions Mick Foley and Chris Jericho as WWE legends returning to participate in the match.

His involvement in this year's event has not yet been confirmed, but for me personally, the sight of Hacksaw strutting down the rampway with a 2x4 over one shoulder and a pole bearing the stars and stripes over the other would solicite a hearty "HOOOOO!"

So let's keep our fingers crossed.

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!