WWE Royal Rumble: Potential 2012 Royal Rumble Winners

WrestleMania 28 is a long ways away, but it’s already looking to be one of the biggest WrestleManias ever.

First of all, in what may be the biggest match since Hogan/Rock, John Cena will battle The Rock in an epic clash not only of superstars, but of eras. It’s going to be a surreal moment, that’s for sure.

In addition, we could be looking at the end of quite possibly the greatest career in WWE history, the Undertaker’s. This is purely speculation, but you have think the Deadman is considering rapping it up at 20-0. If it comes to that, then it will be another incredibly surreal moment.

One thing that is far from set in stone is the world title picture. Now, John Cena has promised to keep the title all the way until WrestleMania. Personally, I don’t think that’s going to go through, or if anything, Rock will cost Cena the belt in the weeks leading up to the show to add fuel to the feud.

But even if Cena does end up defending the belt at WrestleMania, there’s another world title (even if it’s not always treated like it) to defend, which means there must be a Royal Rumble winner.

It’s a little early to be thinking too critically about it, but we’re a couple of PPVs removed from WrestleMania 27 and unless we witness another meteoric rise from a new superstar debuting, chances are the future winner is already on the roster and probably in some position of relevance.

So, why not do what us internet wrestling fans do best and speculate. It will be 2012 so here are 12 current WWE superstars who could potentially be main-eventing WrestleMania 28.

Alex Riley

Two weeks ago, if someone had suggested this to me I would've said they were a damn fool. That's just how awesome (bad pun intended) Alex Riley's face turn has been. By turning against his former mentor, The Miz, Riley has unleashed his inner badass, and at a young age, Riley has tons of promise in a WWE landscape that has been lacking in credible babyfaces recently.

If Miz does regain the title, a potential showdown with Riley at WrestleMania would do a lot for both men's careers. That match could just as easily happen without the title, but don't be shocked if Alex Riley's new kick-ass metal music is the last thing playing at the end of the 40-man gauntlet.

Cody Rhodes

From priceless to dashing to down-right deranged, Cody Rhodes has truly evolved over the years both as a character and as a performer. His new comic book villain-influenced persona is turning heads all around the WWE.

At this point on SmackDown, he could probably be put in main events at any time, but WWE has decided to put Sheamus and Mark Henry in those roles for now. That means they may be looking for a longer build for this young superstar, and that build could climax with a Royal Rumble win.

If Randy Orton is champion by the time WrestleMania rolls around, this could be something special.

Wade Barrett

When Nexus was at its peak, I thought Wade Barrett would be world champion in a matter of months. But after the collapse of the group, Barrett has gone to SmackDown with mixed results. While he was one of the last remaining superstars in the 2011 Royal Rumble and the current intercontinental champion, he has been a fairly settled mid-carder with the Corre.

Barrett still has all the tools though: He's got size, he's a solid worker, a great talker and he just has an incredibly villainous air about him. If he splits from Corre and goes out on his own, he could easily be the top heel on SmackDown and would have a great chance of locking up that WrestleMania main-event spot.

Randy Orton would probably be the most viable opponent, as the two never really finished their feud.

CM Punk

CM Punk is believed by many to be the most complete superstar currently in WWE, but he's another guy who has been held down by a less-than-stellar faction and would probably be better on his own.

Even though he has held the world title three times, he has never main-evented WrestleMania and you have to wonder if the Straight Edge Messiah is running out of chances. Luckily, Punk is so good at being a heel that he can be irrelevant for long periods of time and immediately be thrown to the top of the card without any sort of transitional period.

Now, obviously the elephant in the room here is that Punk's contract is up in the summer and it's rumoured he wants to take some time off to rest his body. But if he doesn't leave or if he comes back prior to WrestleMania season, a Rumble win may not be out of the question, as Punk is one of the more recognizable names in the company.

Ezekial Jackson

Ezekial Jackson is a guy who WWE seems hell-bent on pushing. They made him the last ECW champion, they made him the surprise entrant for team RAW and now he is breaking off from the Corre for a singles run on SmackDown.

They're looking for a second Bobby Lashley with this guy, and even though he's not quite as athletic or imposing, Big Zeke does have some promise. He's a big guy who is very convincing when he dominates, and he can cut a decent promo. With the right push, look for Zeke to follow in Batista's footsteps and possibly challenge one of WWE's top heels for the strap.

He'll need someone to really make him look good, and CM Punk immediately comes to mind. Not only is he a great villain, but he's got plenty of minions for Zeke to go through. It would be a fresh title feud and on a stacked card, that may be the best choice of action.

Sheamus

It was a big gamble giving someone like Sheamus the WWE championship back in 2009 when he had only been in WWE for a few months, but it has payed off as Sheamus has made the most of his opportunity to become one of the more distinctive and entertaining heels in the WWE. He has a unique offensive style that lives up to his persona of the Celtic Warrior, and he is very confident on the mic.

He's one of those heels that you can dislike, but you have to respect.

It's just as likely Sheamus could walk into WrestleMania with the title, but a Royal Rumble win would be a huge notch in the belt for the pale warrior. He could face any top babyface, but a return match with Triple H could light things up in Miami—especially if Trips drops the belt, passing the torch to the next generation of superstars.

The Miz

Another recent main-eventer who has never really been in the right place at the right time to win the Royal Rumble, The Miz has already main-evented WrestleMania once and could easily do it again.

But like Sheamus, he seems more likely to walk in with the title than win the Rumble. A Rumble win would definitely look good on the resume, but Miz may need to wait a few years when people are excited for another main-event run for The Awesome One.

Christian

Ah, Christian, what a road it has been.

After finally winning the world title only to drop it clean a few days later, Christian's light seems to be dimming, as Randy Orton continues his domination over the SmackDown roster. With the way Captain Charisma has been in flux, it's hard to tell where he'll be in January.

Christian has never main-evented WrestleMania, and you have to think this may be his only chance to do so. If the feud with Randy Orton comes full circle and ends with Christian finally beating the Viper clean, it could be a great moment. As it stands, Christian may have an outside chance of winning.

Mason Ryan

One of WWE's top prospects, Mason Ryan is a big, powerful guy.

Other than that, well—he's got an OK look and seems to have passable in-ring skills. That may be all it takes for Mason Ryan to be in the main event. We could see an Evolution-type storyline with Ryan turning on his mentor and challenging for the belt, or possibly a scenario where him and Punk both challenge for titles on the same night.

In all likelihood, though, it may be a few more years before we see Ryan take a position of such prominence.

Randy Orton

We'd be remiss not mentioning the second-biggest superstar in the WWE on this list, and the Viper would definitely love to be in that elite group of multi-time Rumble winners. Not much needs to be said on the qualifications of Randy Orton, and WWE would certainly have no problem featuring him in the main event.

However, Orton could also easily win the title at any time and it would probably be a waste of a great moment to have him win the Rumble. I know the argument that "he doesn't need it" is something WWE tends to ignore, but they held off on Cena winning this year and I'd imagine they'd do the same for Orton next year.

Jack Swagger

A former world champion (even if Michael Cole doesn't think you remember), Swagger's quick push hasn't quite panned out as well as Sheamus' has.

Despite getting some good heel reactions as champion, Swagger hit the mid-card hard after losing the belt and has yet to really recover. It's certainly an anomaly; Swagger has all the tools, the look, the size, the skills and a unique style and persona.

Even though he did win that strap, it still doesn't feel like Jack Swagger really broke the glass ceiling. A Royal Rumble win would definitely accomplish that. If Swagger is in the right position come next January, it could be his name on the marque come WrestleMania time.

John Morrison

Is there a superstar that needs a Royal Rumble win more than John Morrison?

The enigmatic guru of greatness has been flirting with main-event status for quite some time now, and chances to make it don't come around very often. The reasons behind Morrison's lack of backing from WWE management has been discussed ad nauseum, but there's no denying Morrison is a uniquely talented individual.

And after his incredible spot from this past Rumble, you have to think Morrison could provide some more memorable moments in a Royal Rumble win.

All the pieces are in place. Morrison really just needs the A-OK from Vince and he'll be in prime position to headline WrestleMania 28.

Conclusion

So there's my list (in no particular order). I could see any of these superstars looking skyward to the WrestleMania logo at the end of the 2012 Royal Rumble, but it's a long road until then and no doubt some of these superstars' positions will change in the coming months.

In the meantime, look for a young, promising superstar to seize the opportunity to get his chance to shine at one of the biggest wrestling shows of the 21st century.

Quick note: I wasn't sure about R-Truth's status in the Rumble, as it's rumoured to be held in Toronto, Canada (represent!) and I believe Truth's criminal record prevents him from entering the country. He may or may not have been included on this list otherwise.