10 Fascinating WWE Royal Rumble 2012 Facts
1. Sheamus Was Chosen To Win As A "Less Predictable" Option
Many figured that the Rumble would be Chris Jericho's to win. Jericho had just made his return after more than a year away, communicating through mysterious, non-verbal crowd engagement, while later promising that "the end of the world' was imminent. The crowd was buying what Jericho was selling, as Y2J was on track for an ostensible WrestleMania match with WWE Champion CM Punk.
When Jericho finished second in the Rumble to Sheamus, it stunned many viewers, since Jericho was "the obvious choice". That's exactly why WWE put Sheamus over, to go with someone less predictable.
Additionally, the long-since-established Jericho didn't need the rub, whereas Sheamus (in the midst of a considerable babyface push) could use the Rumble win to boost his own prospects. You know, as long as WWE didn't have Sheamus squash a crowd favorite in 18 seconds or anything.