WWE Royal Rumble 2012

It’s not very often that a Royal Rumble event comes across as not being of any real significance when you look back at it. Given what is at stake in the main event of the show each year, its status as the most commercially successful gimmick match in pro wrestling and its position in the calendar coming just a couple of months prior to Wrestlemania, the Royal Rumble usually has a major part to play in the shaping of the year ahead- whether it be for the better or worse. In 2012 however, WWE was entering the finishing straight of a 1 year build to the main event of Wrestlemania 28 between John Cena and The Rock and as a consequence, the Rumble would play little, or no part in shaping the match between the two. Of course, there was still the small matter of two World Title matches to take place, and the rumble match itself which would determine a challenger for one of those belts at ‘Mania, but the Rumble’s abiding value was already being undermined by the coming Cena/Rock contest as it was clear that this year’s winner would not be earning themselves a main event spot at ‘The Showcase of the Immortals’.  What’s more, a cursory glance through the field of potential participants for the Rumble exposed just how low on likely winners the match was.