1. This Could Be The Best Royal Rumble Match In Recent Memory
No matter what the makeup of the WWE's roster every January, the Royal Rumble serves as a true barometer for showing the fans where each superstar stands within the locker room. At the end of the night, the top guy will always be standing in the middle of the ring pointing at the Wrestlemania sign, the last 2-3 men eliminated will be in the Main Event picture all year, and an array of superstars will be thrown out in less than a minute (indicative of their place firmly in the middle of the card). But what makes a truly memorable Rumble beyond the surprise returns, broken alliances, and the always enjoyable "Kofi Kingston is an athletic freak of nature" spot? While most Rumbles in the past five years have featured a clear winner before the match even began (see: John Cena, 2013), this year ratchets the anticipation up several notches, as no single superstar is a clear cut favorite going in. Will CM Punk get "what he wants" from the Authority after being given a death sentence as the number one entrant? Will the Shield engineer a master plan to decide the match amongst themselves? Will Batista leave 29 other wrestlers broken and bruised on the way to the Main Event? Will Alberto Del Rio last even ten seconds after Batista enters the match? Because the WWE's current talent pool is so deep, there are at least four or five competitors whom you can point to as the favorite with little argument. As far as the Royal Rumble is concerned, the more unpredictability involved, the better the match becomes. With all of the combustible elements present, as J.R. would say, this year's Royal Rumble figures to be an absolute slobber-knocker. My Rumble Pick: CM Punk Enjoy the Royal Rumble, everyone!
