The Keg Stand: 2012 Royal Rumble Predictions

[Editor's Note: Earlier today I reviewed a random Royal Rumble match. Click HERE to read it.]

The Royal Rumble is this Sunday so I decided to post my predictions. I predicted each match in the order I think they will occur during the Royal Rumble event.

World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan vs. Big Show vs. Mark Henry (Triple Threat Steel Cage Match)

I don't have much to say about this match. Whenever the champion is a huge underdog in a match, his chances of retaining the title improves if it is a triple threat match. I think Daniel Bryan will win and I think he will win by sneaking out of the cage door while Big Show and Mark Henry are fighting each other.

Predicted Winner: Daniel Bryan

John Cena vs. Kane

This is a tough match to predict. It's a John Cena match and he hasn't won a non-tag team Pay Per View match since September so he might be due for a win. However, Kane has been looking very good and I don't think a win for Cena would be good for his "Cena Sucks" storyline going into WrestleMania. It's a tough call, but I see Kane winning this match.

Predicted Winner: Kane

WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Dolph Ziggler (Special Guest Referee John Laurinaitis)

This would be a great opportunity for Triple H to finally turn heel. If I was booking Triple H's heel turn, I would have John Laurinaitis try to screw Punk despite being informed that doing so could get him fired. Johnny would try to screw Punk by making it look like an accident. For example, Punk kicks Ziggler in the head and goes for the cover. Johnny tries to get in position to count the pin but he grabs his leg and pretends to have a leg injury. Punk gets mad and walks over to Johnny. Ziggler gets up and pins Punk from behind. Johnny then immediately starts a pin count and Punk kicks out at two. At this point, Jerry Lawler sarcastically says, "It looks like his leg is healed now." Punk later hits the GTS and covers Ziggler. Vickie Guerrero is yelling at ringside so Johnny walks up to her and tells her to be quiet while Punk is pinning Ziggler. Then Triple H's music hits and it looks like Triple H is coming to the ring to prevent Johnny from screwing CM Punk. When Triple H gets to the ring, he hits CM Punk with a pedigree and Ziggler becomes the new WWE Champion. But it seems obvious that the WWE has no intentions of turning Triple H heel so I doubt that will happen. I do think Johnny might use some of the tricks I suggested.

My prediction is that CM Punk will win. Whenever it seems that someone will get screwed, it never happens. CM Punk won the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank despite Vince McMahon not wanting Punk to leave the arena as the champion. Stone Cold beat The Rock at Backlash 1999 with Shane McMahon as the referee. Stone Cold beat Dude Love at Over The Edge 1998 with Vince McMahon as the referee. Stone Cold also beat Dude Love at Unforgiven with Vince McMahon at ringside during the match. Randy Orton once defeated Wade Barrett in a WWE Championship match with John Cena as the referee despite the fact that Cena would be fired if Wade Barrett did not win the title.  The only time screwjobs happen is when you don't expect it. CM Punk will win this match. I don't know how but CM Punk will leave St. Louis as the WWE Champion. I want to say that CM Punk will lose because of his feud with John Laurinaitis but it is too close to WrestleMania. I expect CM Punk to be the WWE Champion at WrestleMania and it doesn't make much sense for him to lose it now and regain it a few weeks later. Ziggler already has had one short title reign. When Ziggler become a World Champion again, he deserves to hold the title for over one month.

Predicted Winner: CM Punk

The 30-Man Royal Rumble Match

The favorite going into the match is Randy Orton. Very few WWE Superstars have won the Royal Rumble more than once. Orton won it in 2009 so I'm going to guess that he won't win it again this year. Someone who has never won the Royal Rumble is Chris Jericho. I don't think he would have came back to the WWE if he wasn't getting a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania so I'm predicting Jericho to win the Royal Rumble for the first time in his Hall of Fame career.

Predicted Winner: Chris Jericho

Predictions:

• Daniel Bryan retains the World Heavyweight Championship
• Kane defeats John Cena
• CM Punk retains the WWE Championship
• Chris Jericho wins the Royal Rumble