Tha O Show's Royal Rumble Preview

Without a doubt, it’s the best time of year to be a wrestling fan. This Sunday, the Royal Rumble kicks off the road to WrestleMania. Tha O Show's Andrew Gray, Christopher Casur, and D.J.B. preview the entire card, including the three major title matches, and the Rumble match itself. (There might be a Divas match thrown in too).

Will Shawn Michaels cost John Cena the World Heavyweight Championship? Will Matt Hardy re-capture the ECW Championship? Can Jeff Hardy hold on to the WWE title for more than a month? Will Christian make his WWE return? Who’s heading to the main event of WrestleMania? We’ve got the answers.

30-Man Royal Rumble Match

Andrew Gray says: Last year, the significance of the Rumble decreased because of Elimination Chamber that follows at No Way Out; this year, another Chamber match is scheduled in February. However, you could also argue that the match is more unpredictable now, seeing as how the winner can just lose that opportunity the next month (bullshit excuse, I know). Anyways, to figure out a winner for the Rumble, you have to think about the possible main event(s) at the biggest show of the year, WrestleMania 25, and I can see the Rumble unfolding in one of three ways:

1. As a surprise entrant, Shawn Michaels earns his 3rd Rumble victory, setting up a match against JBL for the title at WrestleMania. Of course, for this scenario to work, JBL would have to beat Cena at the Rumble.

2. Randy Orton wins, with help from Legacy members. This would cement Orton as the top heel on “Raw,” and Legacy as a force to be reckoned with. Orton would then face Cena for the strap at Mania. (Also, the Elimination Chamber match will produce the “Smackdown!” challenger for Mania.)

3. Triple H wins, leading to match with Edge at WrestleMania for the WWE Championship.

As I’ve written before, I think the WWE should go with a Cena-Orton main event at the big show. They are the present and future stars of the company, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they headline WrestleMania together more than once. If this match goes down, it will be interesting to see what roles (if any) Vince McMahon and Stone Cold play.

Winner: Randy Orton

Christopher Casur says: If JBL wins his World Heavyweight Championship Match, then I say Shawn Michaels is a surprise entrant and wins the Rumble. However, because I picked Cena, the most logical choice for Royal Rumble winner is Randall. It will add even more sizzle to an already outstanding Legacy storyline, and even more still after he wins the title at WrestleMania. Okay, maybe that's a little wishful thinking, but either way, he is the "it" guy on “Raw” right now, so it makes sense to put him in the top spot.

Winner: Randy Orton

D.J.B. says: This is always a hard one to predict if you aren’t a dirt sheet reader. A handful of names come up, mostly guys who you’d expect. For once I’d like to see a long-shot win, a guy who hasn’t been in the midst of a push or already a main eventer, but that isn’t going to happen. Orton, Triple H, Jericho, Big Show, Kozlov and Taker are the immediate names that jump out, while guys like Punk, Mark Henry and John Morrison are the outside shots. A Rumble win for a guy like Punk or Morrison could make them permanent fixtures in the main. I’d love to see Santino win it, but hey, I can dream. As a sleeper watch out for a returning Umaga, but my money is on Vladimir Kozlov.

Winner: Vladimir Kozlov

World Heavyweight Championship: John Cena vs. JBL

Andrew Gray says: Undoubtedly, this is the hottest program going today, with Cena riding the coattails of JBL’s and Shawn Michaels’ collective awesomeness(es?). The match won’t be great, but most of the interest revolves around Shawn Michaels and his role in the match anyways. Will he turn on JBL? Will he “do the right thing” and help Cena retain his title? I see HBK mistakenly hitting up JBL with some Sweet Chin Music, leading to what should be a sweet JBL-HBK (non-title) clinic in Houston.

Winner: John Cena

Christopher Casur says: Fuck, I want to pick JBL so bad. I'm really torn on this one. I really want JBL to win, and I think it's the smarter move to have JBL win, but there have been times where it was smart to have Cena lose and he didn't. I'm going to pick Cena, simply because it will be worth it to be wrong.

Winner: John Cena

D.J.B. says: John Cena and JBL are both irrelevant in the grand scheme of things here. This is all about Shawn Michaels. Between myself, Christopher Casur and a few others, the idea of turning Shawn Michaels heel has been tossed around, usually with me as the only supporter of it. This match will solidify Michaels as the sympathetic face or the dastardly heel. I for one am pulling for the heel turn. He’s either going to cost JBL the match and suffer the beat down and continue to be a lowly employee, or he’s going to kick Cena’s teeth down his throat by his own doing and win JBL the strap. I don’t see the E taking the title off of Cena, so Michaels will stay face and Cena will stay champ.

Winner: John Cena

WWE Championship: Jeff Hardy vs. Edge

Andrew Gray says: Unfortunately for Hardy (and his fan base), I don’t think he’s going to get a chance to hold the WWE title for more than a month. Clearly, this “who is attacking Jeff Hardy?” storyline is setting up another program for Hardy – and unless the conspirator is his brother Matt, I don’t see this storyline leading to the main event of WrestleMania. I think Edge re-captures the WWE Championship with help from Hardy’s attacker (rumoured to be Christian). This will set up a WWE Championship match with the best two politickers in the WWE today, Edge and Triple H.

Winner: Edge

Christopher Casur says: I still feel like WWE doesn't fully trust Jeff Hardy, and they shouldn't, so there's a good chance they're going to want to end his title reign the first chance they get. Then there's also all those Goddamn spoilers that people keep putting up on Facebook (I'm looking at you, Gray) that keep saying that Christian will return and screw Jeff Hardy out of the title. I'm gonna go ahead and listen to them. (Note from Andrew Gray: I’ve never posted any wrestling rumours on Facebook – I’m not that lame. But I have posted them on Tha O Show. Go Obama!)

Winner: Edge

D.J.B. says: Great history, great angle, going to be a great match, but the mystery lies with what direction the E goes from here. Keeping the strap on Hardy would probably be best, but then again having the face chase the heel for the belt going into Mania is money. So do they keep the belt on Hardy and have Edge chase him, or do they have Edge steal the belt and Hardy chase him towards Mania? I have a sneaky feeling that Edge is going to walk away from the Rumble as Champ and drop it at WrestleMania. I don’t think Christian is coming back just yet, but what a way for him to make his return. Then again keep the belt on Hardy and have Edge take it at Mania with help from Christian.

Winner: Edge

ECW Championship: Jack Swagger vs. Matt Hardy

Andrew Gray says: Swagger can’t lose his belt this soon, especially since he’s being hyped as the chosen one, with J.R. boasting in his blog that Swagger was the last hire he made as Head of Talent Relations. So Swagger wins, hooking the trunks, or with his legs on the ropes (or some other devilish heel tactic). Where do Swagger and Hardy go from there? Maybe Swagger feuds with Finlay until his planned post-Mania feud with Tommy Dreamer. And maybe Hardy gets involved on “SmackDown!” with his brother, Edge and Christian. That’ll make the TLC marks cream in their jeans!

Winner: Jack Swagger

Christopher Casur says: It just makes sense to keep the title on Swagguh. Him losing the title on his first defense seems like a punk-off, especially to a guy who doesn't need the belt and does nothing for/with the belt. Not to mention, a long Swagger run allows the Dreamer storyline to actually develop far better than it could with a face champion. Swagger's a good young heel with a gimmick that I love. He just needs some grooming, and putting him in the ECW spotlight will help give him that. And yeah, he does look like Josh Alexander with Dangerboy's Chiclets.

Winner: America's All-American American from America Jack Swagger

D.J.B. says: Jack Swagger only recently became ECW Champ. Matt Hardy is over, and some within the WWE think that putting the belt on Swagger this soon wasn’t the best idea, but I don’t see them taking it off of him just yet. It may damage the credibility he has earned already. Expect another heel type win for Swagger to keep him as champ, but keep Matt Hardy looking strong.

Winner: Still ECW Champion The American All American American Jack Swagger

Women’s Championship: Beth Phoenix vs. Melina

Andrew Gray says: Beth should win here. I think they’re building towards Phoenix vs. Rosa Mendez at WrestleMania, with Santino siding with Mendez. Here’s a better idea: since it looks like they may be turning Beth face (which is stupid), why not have Glameralla face each other at WrestleMania . . . Santino Marella vs. Beth Phoenix!

Winner: Beth Phoenix

Christopher Casur says: I'm predicting a LOT of heel wins, so I'm going with the face here. Rosa Mendez and Santino will inadvertently cost Buffalo's best the match.

Winner: Melina

D.J.B. says: With Melina being the face, and fresh off her return (somewhat) it looks like Beth Phoenix would be ready to lose the title, but then again, Santino Marella’s #1 fan may play a part in the match and help the Glamazon retain her title. It’s 50/50, but going with WWE logic: I’ll take the face at the Rumble.

Winner: Melina

What are your predictions, O-sters?

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