PWTorch Specialist Roundtable: (a) Who is your final prediction to win the Royal Rumble match? (b) Who do you think should win the Rumble for serious or not-serious reasons?

Jon Cudo, PWTorch specialist

(A) Chris Jericho. My main three have fluctuated between Randy Orton, Dolph Ziggler, and Jericho. The Rumble is usually used to spark a new feud and get someone to the top spot. Dolph is already there and it's easy to book Orton back to the top. The Jericho push into the main event seems the trickiest, since he hasn't done (or said) much of anything since returning. It seems they had a story to tell and we haven't seen it yet. Also with Orton, I still think there is a chance Daniel Bryan loses the belt, so the rush to book Bryan-Orton might not actually be the plan.

One wildcard is for C.M. Punk to win it, perhaps after losing the title to Dolph. The WrestleMania card still seems fuzzy and the seed of "everyone is eligible" seems to have hinted that something unexpected should be, um, expected.

(B) Who "should" win it... Do you want to spark interest and throw the presumed WrestleMania card in the trash in hopes of creating interest and intrigue for the February Pay-Per-View? Then, The Rock or Brock Lesnar should win. Of course, you'd need a plan so it shakes out logically in Miami and beyond...but a win by one of those two Sunday night would certainly generate buzz. Neither makes much sense on their face, nor are either expected to be there...but isn't that what could make it a wild ride? (Read Cudo's True-False-TBD column mid-week reviewing three top stories.)

Shawn Valentino, PWTorch specialist

I predict that Chris Jericho wins this weekend's Royal Rumble. Although, I was not sure what I felt about his return to television as I saw it, but after reviewing it and then seeing what he has done the following weeks, it has been nothing short of genius. I think this revamped Jericho character, a caricature of wrestling cliches, is one of the best things I have seen in years.

Jericho winning the Rumble opens up all types of possibilities, not only for his character, but for others to play off him. I cannot even imagine anybody else even being a remotely interesting choice. Randy Orton is a popular choice, but he has not done anything to excite me. I think WWE likes to give Jericho his creative freedom, and I do not think he would come back unless they had some big plans for him. He would be a fresh face returning to the main event scene, and this new character he has brilliantly created will set up months of entertaining television. (Read Valentino's regular Magic, Memories, and Mania columns leading up to and covering WrestleMania.)

Charles Cress, PWTorch Soup Humor specialist

So many choices. Wowee. It could be anyone! Like Randy Orton! Or, Chris Jericho! Or...well, I guess those are the only options. But, hey, fine options they are! Yes siree, fine options. Chris Jericho is going to end the world and Randy Orton is going to stare at it the same way he stares at everything: like he's trying to impregnate it. If I have to pick one, and I guess I do, I'll go with Randy Orton. Because who doesn't like a bearded, tattooed man, staring at a WrestleMania banner like it just lifted its top up and told him his parents are going out of town? I know everyone wants some kind of title vs. title scenario, and I am here to say that Randy Orton will not only stare at that idea like a Maxim cover model with a ticking baby clock, he will RKO it out of nowhere. Boom, that just happened.

As for who SHOULD win, I'll go with Percy Watson from NXT, because it would make me laugh for years and years. How funny would it be if they had to tailor a serious, money-making, WrestleMania program around Percy freaking (I vote this to be his new middle name) Watson? The guy who wore glasses with no lenses on NXT and says "Oh Yeah!" like he's the Kool-Aid Guy after two rounds on a kick-ass elliptical machine going to to WrestleMania? It would be epic.

And, I think it would be like this (the following is best read in "Deep Announcer Guy Dramatic Voice"): "At WrestleMania...a dream comes true...the match of a lifetime. C.M. Punk, the Straight Edge Savior, the Voice of the Voiceless, takes his campaign of free speech and anarchy into the ring against...Percy freaking Watson. Yes, that guy. Sometimes he says 'Oh Yeah. Most of the time, he says nothing. His trunks are really tight, and not in the cool hip-hop definition of 'tight.' It's more like 'Wow, that guy had beef for dinner' tight. Come watch it...or not. It's best not to encourage Percy. If you don't watch it, we won't be offended. Seriously, it's cool. We know you would totally have our back if something went down. We're bros like that, bro." Also, I vote Brodus, because...shyyyeeahhhhh! My bayyyddd! (Read Cress's Alphabet Soup humor columns on each week's Raw and Smackdown episode.)

Anthony Beckingham, PWTorch DVD review specialist

Luckily for me, who I think and want to win the Rumble are the same person, which gives me someone to realistically root for – in my mind, at least. And, that person is Sheamus. I’ve seen some people on the PWTorch Forum poo-poo that idea, but, for me, it makes perfect sense. After two runs of 15 match streaks in the latter half of last year while being kept away from the title, Sheamus is a fresh face having not wrestled a PPV World Title match in 2011. And, to win his first World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania would be a big deal. For those who think he’s not a big enough star to win, remember Vince McMahon pays less attention to the World Title than he does the WWE Title (ex: Christian winning the World Title twice).

I’ve also seen a lot of talk that Randy Orton will win the Rumble, which I find highly doubtful for two reasons. The first is that only three wrestlers have won multiple Rumbles – Hogan, Michaels, and Austin. Orton is one of my favorite workers, but he is not of that ilk. Secondly, it being in his hometown I would think reduces his chance of winning given the way hometown heroes are often treated in WWE. Aside from Sheamus, my other pick would have to be Chris Jericho because of his prophesizing and that his fresh return is still a big deal. (Read Beckingham's regular Shimmer DVD reviews.)

Robin Scannell, PWTorch Storyline Tracker specialist

The two obvious choices are Randy Orton and Chris Jericho. I really think that Jericho will be expected to deliver something with his "end of the world as you know it" comment, and if he doesn't win the Rumble, I'm not sure what that would be, so I think I have to say this one will be won by Chris Jericho.

As for who I would like to see win the Rumble, I would love to see a babyface turn come from a heel lasting the entire match and then winning it. The Miz already has the #1 spot, so he could possibly fit into this role. However, I would much prefer to see Dolph Ziggler first lose in his title match, in a valiant effort, against Punk. Then, he would draw #2 and end up winning the Rumble. Ziggler has performed double duty on pay-per-views before, although not like this, I admit. I know that this doesn't lead to any obvious must-see WrestleMania match, as Punk vs. Ziggler is happening on the same pay-per-view. However, there's no reason why someone couldn't ask for a match against The Undertaker instead. In summary, I would like to see Dolph Ziggler win the Rumble and then go onto face The Undertaker at WrestleMania. (Read Scannell's Storyline Tracker column on each week's Raw and Smackdown episode.)

Check back for Part 2 on Sunday before the Rumble!

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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