Hello folks! Christmas Eve of Destruction was on par with any Big Four PPVs this year, which was a pleasant surprise! Anyway, we are a few weeks away from one of my most favorite PPVs ever, the Royal Rumble! At Bleacher Report we want the Rumble fuss to begin early! Because let's face it, when we hear the words: Royal Rumble, a good handful of questions invades our minds:
- Who will make the most eliminations?
- Who will last the longest?
- Who will be eliminated fastest?
The biggest of them all is, of course: Who will win the Royal Rumble?
It is a bit worrying to see that the EBWF male roster consists of barely 30 superstars! Which means most of the talent will have their hands full with whatever matches we see at the Pay Per View. While physically demanding, the EBWF has topped competition in rating wars with a much slimmer roster than the one bolstered by WWE, for example.
First and foremost, how will EBWF face the low number of entrants and avoid double booking?
1. Bring back legends/Alumni for one night only.
It wouldn't be far fetched if the EBWF chose to bring back some alumni for one night. However, the alumni must be chosen very wisely. Considering EBWF recently released Jeff Hardy and Mick Foley was diagnosed with a mild concussion after his match (Not to mention the reports of Orton and Edge refusing to 'carry' him through a match), the likes of seeing EBWF Alumni are very, very slim. There are several superstars who aren't currently active that would greatly benefit the Royal Rumble match with their presence.
Will it be Showtime?
Alumni who could make a shocking return at the Royal Rumble:
Shane Helms, Sting, Alex Shelley, Shawn Michaels, Lance Storm, Kevin Nash, Brian Kendrick, Paul London.
2. Use non wrestling employes to fill in for spots.
Honestly, I don't see EBWF giving spots to guys like Paul Heyman or Ricardo Rodriguez, who knows if that'll be the case. I also don't see Jerry Lawler or Michael Cole competing.
We've all seen Ricardo Rodriguez in the ring against Kane earlier in the year.
3. Shorten the number of participants.
The short roster can be a problem for events like this, if the Rumble took place today, even the Interim CEO Chris Jericho and the World Champion CM Punk would have to compete. Reducing the number of participants is kinda edgy, but actually having RR qualifyiers like the good old days seems like a good way to build up towards the event. On the other hand, we all love a 30 man over the top rope battle royal.
4. Hire more talent.
EBWF is probably the most active wrestling organization in terms of contract terminations/signings. Their contracts are so strict when it comes to appearances and work ethics I wouldn't be surprised if they have a couple of new superstars coming in before the rumble (Or a couple leaving, sadly).
5. Bring back Braden Walker.
Because, he's Braden Walker!
No caption needed. Enjoy!
Now that I got that off my chest, I'd like to address a few cases in particular.
The Rumble is Jericho?
Chris Jericho has been spotless in the Interim CEO spot, word is widely spread the whole locker room is backing him up on his booking decisions. Due to the light roster the EBWF has, Chris Jericho would have to lace up his boots to participate in the rumble.
World Champion CM Punk.
The World Champion usually has his hands full at these events... With a title defense on the line will CM Punk participate in the rumble, or even win it?
The condemned.
Ken Anderson has been suspended by Interim CEO Chris Jericho, what does this mean for him in the rumble? Will last year's runner up end up suspended from the rumble?
YES! NO! MAYBE?
Daniel Bryan's profile has been removed from the EBWF roster page, I think we all know what this means. NO!NO!NO!
So who will win it?
For your reading pleasure, I have separated the EBWF talent in groups, for you to understand their shot at winning the Rumble... The categories are:
- Superstars who have little to no on screen time.
- Superstars who have yet to pay their dues.
- Superstars who could shock the world by winning the Rumble.
- Superstars who have a huge shot at winning the rumble.
Don't forget to leave your comments and vote on the poll!
There are superstars who despite having technical ability and a fan base haven't been featured much on EBWF Television:
- The Funkusaurus Brodus Clay has had a good handful of matches, but is yet to be involved in any storyline of feud so far. Big men usually have advantage on these matches, so expect Brodus to put up a good fight.
- Tyler Reks, how did this guy ended up here from main eventing Survivor Series last year? God only knows. He has the skill, the power and the technique to become a huge star, then again he hasn't featured much on Television. We hope for at least one Burning Hammer on the rumble!
- I understand the big red monster Kane has been used as some sort of manager during his EBWF tenure with success. But Come on! He is a MONSTER and what a better time to showcase his power than the rumble? He is aging and might not have the pace he used to have, but I'm sure the strength to be a major participant in the rumble. I don't think he will win it though.
We move on to those guys who as hard working and impressive they have been, they are still to pay their dues and prove themselves worthy of a ticket to WrestleMania XII:
Batista, Bobby Roode, James Storm, Christian, Dolph Ziggler, James Storm, Rhyno, Santino and Tensai. They can be major players in EBWF if they stick around for long enough and manage to get a grip of EBWF's fast paced matches.
There's a lot of guys who would be an actual SHOCKER if they manage to pull a huge win. EBWF is no stranger to giving 'Up and coming' talent a pat on the back, putting them in WrestleMania if they show enough hard work (Christian in 2006, Kenny Doanne in 2007, AJ Styles last year), here are some of the guys who would delight the smarks all over if they ended up winning.
- Bully Ray: Everyone's favorite bully, Calfzilla. He was AMAZING since his debut, he has been showing an impressive form and winning the Rumble would be great for his career.
- Zack Ryder: Long island Iced Z has made Z012 his year by being Tag Team champion and Breakout champion, a rumble win will be the icing on the Cake.
- Alberto del Rio: The mexican aristocrat seems to be back on the right track, picking up victories and ending up EBWF's longest title reign at CEOD, will we see Del Rio at Wrestlemania.
- Seth Rollins: A couple of months after his debut, Rollins has established himself as a singles and tag team competitor, seeing him win the Rumble could be an interesting turn of events for him and his partnership with Dean Ambrose.
- Dean Ambrose: Speak of the devil, Dean Ambrose has been vicious ever since he arrived to EBWF. As with his partner, it would be a huge shocker to see him pick up a Rumble win.
- Curt Hawkins: Hawkins has been the antagonist in a nearly one year feud against Trent Barreta, he recently turned face and is in the middle of a bizarre closeness with A.J. Lee... As Stale as he might have gotten as a face, one can't deny Curt's capabilities in the ring... Maybe it is time for Hawkins to headline Wrestlemania?
- Trent Barreta: Trent Barreta hasn't been exactly on a winning streak as of late, but the whole storyline developing with A.J. Lee has grown him apart from Zack Ryder and made him a much shadier, and interesting character... Maybe a Rumble win will help him cement an apparent heel turn he's been teasing for months.
Now, on to the main players, the ones who are most likely to win the rumble:
AJ Styles: Last year's winner of the rumble... Considering no one has ever won an Rumble for two years in a row. AJ Styles is a man who has spent most of his EBWF career defying the odds, will he do it again at this year's Rumble?
Edge and Randy Orton, they both recently returned... But are they really interested in going for The Rumble again? Orton almost won it in 2009, while Edge was Crowned the 2010 Rumble winner. Their return at CEOD showed they are on prime form and could easily win the Rumble.
Triple H: The Cerebral Assasin, who has won Rumbles in the past is probably looking for another shot at the World Title, what better opportunity to do it than by defeating 29 other men?
The Rock: Kinda similar to Randy Orton and Edge, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson recently returned to the EBWF, if he manages to polish his ring skills he could end up being the star of the rumble... Johnson ended up Third in 2009.
The Miz: Miz dropped his World Title at WrestleMania but he has managed to put up amazing matches throughout the year, he has also been involved in some of the most crucial matches of 2012 and his T-shirt is one of the highest selling items on EBWFshop.net, will the Rumble have an AWESOME winner?
Ted DiBiase: Sure, DiBiase lost to Alberto del Rio at CEOD, but there is no where this kid can go but forward, with an amazing 2012, DiBiase will work harder than ever to become the World Champion.
Vignettes have been airing, declaring the arrival of a superstar to EBWF... Starting at Survivor Series. The vignettes spoke of the man who was burnt and buried alive, but kept coming back? Bells tolling anyone? If Mark Callaway AKA The Undertaker were to debut on the rumble, you would expect him to put up one hell of a show... Maybe even winning the Rumble.
Last, and definitely, definitely not least: John Cena. The man had a rough and tough 2012 with issues in and out of the ring, but as usual he overcame the odds and looks fine and dandy coming into 2013... What would be better for Cena than to capitalise the start of a great 2013 with a rumble win?
This has been all folks! Leave your comments below.
