411 PPV Roundtable Preview: WWE Royal Rumble 2008

Stephen Randle: There’s no way JBL costs Jericho the WWE title, gets two separate massive “return” promos with way too much pyro, hangs Jericho by the neck, and involves Jericho’s family, and then wins the match. I mean, sure, JBL became the longest-reigning champion on Smackdown by winning all sorts of matches that he wasn’t supposed to, but Jericho really needs a win here.

Winner: Chris Jericho

Mike Minotti: In a way, both of these guys really need a PPV win. Chris hasn’t had a big win since returning to the WWE a couple of months ago. JBL has just returned to the ring, and needs a win to establish himself as a threatening heel. Still, I tend to think that a loss hurts a heel less. Besides, if Y2J loses again, he’s going to start looking like a chump after all of that “save_us” stuff.

Winner: Chris Jericho

Chris Lansdell: I hate trying to predict matches where both men need the win. Jericho has been squashed in this feud so far, and is coming of a loss to Orton. JBL just got out of the commentator’s chair, and in an ongoing feud the heel normally wins round 1, if they follow conventional booking. Of course, round 1 could have been the beatdown with the wire, so…

Winner: Christian Chris Irvine, I mean Jericho

Ari Berenstein: I have really liked what they have done with this fued to make it much more than what it started out as, which was a simple miscommunication. The storyline has gotten very personal very quickly. Its good to see Jericho react human and vulnerable to JBL’s mind games, because it makes for a good storyline. However, as stated, the intensity of this match, the fact that the feud has just begun and the status of the participants as just returning to the ring (Y2J’s third or fourth match and JBL’s first out of retirement) makes a clean victory a long shot. I’m going to pick a clean finish anyway, with Y2J rolling up JBL just as he’s on the brinks of getting blown out with the closeline. JBL destroys him the the closeline after the match just to further the feud.

Winner: Chris Jericho

Jerome Cusson: This feud has no reason to be as good as it has been. However, when you have two guys as good on the stick as these two, that’s what happens. JBL’s promo last week about Jericho being a coward for not showing up to RAW was awesome. Then Jericho’s response was even better because he didn’t act like a clown or cut some over-the-top promo. He went out and talked about his children questioning whether he was a coward. This match will likely not be a classic, but I have to believe this feud is going until Wrestlemania meaning a JBL win.

Winner: JBL

Daniel Wilcox: Let’s start off by saying that this feud has been terrific and that has more to do with both men’s promo ability. JBL’s return has been portrayed as a big deal which obviously helps. Jericho’s promo last week was tremendous as it was not what we’re used to from Jericho and that put over the nature off the match perfectly. With that being said, we have a typical situation where WWE have booked themselves into a corner here as both guys really need the win; JBL hasn’t had a win since he came back and Jericho is coming off failing to “save us” from Randy Orton. With that in mind and the fact that this match is going to, as Jericho put it, a fight, the smart money is on a DQ finish or no contest here. Hey, at least it isn’t a title match. We’ll go with JBL using one of those wicked chair shots on Jericho, only for Y2J to get some heat back by throwing the Walls on JBL with officials trying to pull him off.

Winner: Chris Jericho by DQ

Andy Clark: This feud has been gold and the people that think this is a step down for Jericho are idiots. Since I think we’re in for some clean finishes later in the show I could conceivably seeing this one go to a double DQ. I anticipate a Street Fight on Raw in the upcoming weeks.

Winner: Double DQ

Ryan Byers: After all of the buildup for his return to the company, Jericho was made to look like an utter goof last month with two matches against Randy Orton in which he was incapable of getting the job done. As such, he needs a major victory. Yet, at the same time, I think we’re going to see this feud continuing on to a gimmick match, and that will be difficult if you put Y2J over too decisively. As such, I’ll put my money on Jericho getting the pinfall via rollup and Bradshaw beating the hell out of him after the bell.

Winner: Chris Jericho

Michael Bauer: Chris Jericho needs this win in order to justify coming back to the big time. Or he could just look like a total chump, but that has already happened since JBL kicked his head in a month ago.

Winner: Chris Jericho

Michael Weyer: It is JBL’s big return to action and that can lead to a push but Jericho does need a big PPV win to keep fans excited since his return. So I see Jericho getting it here but JBL putting up a good fight for it.

WINNER: Y2J

Bayani Domingo: If JobMe_222 doesn’t get a win this Sunday then there was no reason for him to come back at all. Not only did they wait waaaay too long to bring him back, but they already squandered any potential momentum by having him job so quickly to Orton and then be dropped from the Main Event scene. Jericho needs a win almost as much as JBL needs to get back in the Smackdown booth.

Winner: Ynot?2J

Derek Robbins: It’d be a waste for Jericho to come back and simply job to JBL. Some people consider his return to be a bit of a bust, so he REALLY needs this win to re-legitimize his return. So, I have to go with Jericho here. I’m very curious to see how JBL looks in his first big match since returning to the ring.

Winner: Y2J via submission

Jarrod Westerfeld: This is personal, and this feud will not end after a single match, so I don’t expect Jericho to get a clean victory here to try and redeem his loss at Armageddon, or the beating he’s received, and the verbal humiliation he’s been subjected to on Raw. I think Chris will throw this match out himself.

Winner: JBL via DQ

Matt Adamson: If these two hadn’t have taken so much time off, I may very well have shit my shorts at the prospect of seeing this. However, time has hurt this match in my eyes and while I believe it will still be quite good, I just don’t care as much as I could have. Perfect choice for a match at the Royal Rumble though, so good job WWE on booking this one for this show. I’m counting on JBL to win this one setting up a nice long term feud between the two. Is that too much to ask?

Winner: JBL

T.G. Corke: It’s JBL’s big in-ring return versus Jericho’s second pay-per-view match since he came back, and his first match ended in a disqualification. For that reason, I highly doubt a clean result is likely this time around either. Of the two of them, Jericho is probably more in need of looking strong, since he’s been on the receiving end all the way throughout the feud and JBL’s character is that of a big girl’s blouse. Therefore, I’m going to guess that Jericho loses his rag and beats the shit out of JBL with a weapon. At least this way, there’s no reason to host a DQ in either of the title matches.

Winner: JBL via Disqualification

Randy Harrison: This feud has been all about the mic work, plain and simple. Both JBL and Jericho have been ROCKING the mic the past few weeks in the lead-up to this match. I’m sure a lot of people are disappointed that this is who Jericho is feuding with and that he got sidetracked from his WWE Title hunt as quickly as he did, but there’s also the consideration that this is about respect. In a neat bit of booking, a feud about JBL feeling disrespected by Jericho and vice versa is probably being put together because of how much these two respect each other backstage. I’m sure both men had a short list of guys that they would want to work with upon their returns, and Jericho has to feel pretty good about the fact that he was the guy that JBL wanted to work with enough to come out of retirement. We still have no idea how well JBL can go in the ring at this point, but if they had to put him in with someone to disguise that he might not be what he was in the ring, they picked a good one in Jericho. Jericho has always bumped really well for big man offense and he knows how to work a match to hide the flaws of his opponent. That being said this one is more than likely going to be a brawl all over the arena and, since I can’t really see a way for this to end up as just a one-match feud, look for JBL to get the duke through some nefarious means to set up a rematch at No Way Out (or possibly even costing each other the title shot in the Chamber match) and then a mega-blowoff win for Jericho at Wrestlemania.

Winner: JBL

Larry Csonka: There has been some fantastic promo work from both men, which has really helped the angle proceed. But I can’t shake the feelings I have that while it has been good, that they have really killed what could have been a great return for Jericho. JUST ANOTHER GUY! I would expect with this being their first match, and the strangling angle, that we’ll get a no finish and move to the BULLROPE match. If they keep it to an intense brawl, it should be good.

Winner: No Finish

Andy Critchell – This feud had so much promise. I mean you put two of the best promo guys against each other you expect some verbal fireworks at least, right? Well, we haven’t gotten it. Now I am not as down on JBL’s ring work as a lot of people and I do think this match could be fun as long as they keep it as a big brawl. I just hope that when the bell rings they don’t LOCK UP or something lame like that. That being said since this feud has been so much of an afterthought on TV I really don’t think they can end it here. Maybe these guys can be part of the Elimination Chamber at No Way Out or something but at the Royal Rumble, look for a non-finish of some kind.

Winner: Double DQ

Stephen Randle: I was tempted not to even offer the ability to predict the outcome of this match, since everyone and their sister knows that Flair’s career isn’t ending short of WrestleMania, and definitely with more build than a couple VIP Lounge segments, and probably to a more established talent. I know, we all want Flair to put over a new young guy in his final match, but who really sees that happening? After all, they have suspiciously failed to put Flair against HBK thus far, and you’d think that after Trip and the champion Orton, he’d be obvious. Anyway, MVP has been making a career lately out of intentional count-outs, so we’ll see another here.

Winner: Ric Flair

Mike Minotti: Obviously, Ric is going to live to fight another day. I don’t see why they wouldn’t save his final match for WrestleMania. I’m sure he’ll win using some of his patented Flair cheating tactics, so hopefully MVP won’t be completely buried.

Winner: Ric Flair

Chris Lansdell: Despite the rumblings that Flair’s last match will be at the same event as his WWF title win, I can’t see it. MVP hardly needs the uber heel push this win would give him, Matt Hardy should be ready to come back and cost MVP the match in order to further the feud and help his fellow Cackalakian, and Mania makes more sense for Flair to lose, especially if WWE can get Sting for the night.

Winner: Ric Flair

Ari Berenstein: The non title stipulation makes the winner of this match a no-brainer. Ric Flair will come out ahead here, but again the question is whether it will be via a no contest or some sort of unclean finish that protects MVP. I’m thinking something else entirely: Matt Hardy unexpectedly returns and hits the Twist of Fate on MVP. Flair covers for the win. The Hardy revenge tour has begun.

Winner: Ric Flair

Jerome Cusson: This is a great chance for MVP to once again prove himself. Unfortunately, there seems to be very little drama cause everyone pretty much knows Ric Flair is going to keep winning until Wrestlemania. If nothing else though, all of Flair’s matches contain some significance because there’s always at least a chance it could be his last. Let’s see what kooky way WWE finds to insure a star doesn’t cleanly job to Flair. Should be a good match at least.

Winner: Ric Flair

Daniel Wilcox: If it wasn’t already a certainty that Flair was going over here, the fact that the United States Championship isn’t on the line should give it away. By the way, that is a good thing as it ensures we don’t get a count out or DQ like last month. However, the bad news is MVP is likely going to getting pinned or tapping out here, which is a shame. Still, at least he has instant heat for the continuation of the Hardy/MVP feud which should recommence any time now. Both men have bigger and better things to move on to after this match so hopefully they’ll both put in a stellar performance and give us a good match.

Winner: Ric Flair

Andy Clark: Hopefully this match is better then their match at Vengeance: Night of Champions. No way MVP wins here, the question is how much do they let Flair get? Does he get a clean win or a count out or what? I actually think he gets the legit win via a sneaky rollup. Maybe MVP can beat him down afterward to get his heat back.

Winner and STILL Not Retired: Ric Flair

Ryan Byers: Well, WWE is doing the match that I wanted to see as part of Flair’s retirement angle. They’re just doing it two months earlier than I wanted to see it. The two men had decent enough chemistry last year at Vengeance and MVP has only improved since then, so I’m guessing we’ll get a passable match. The winner should be blatantly obvious, as there’s no way that the Nature Boy is going out until Wrestlemania. I’m betting that they’ll even let him pin Montel, since Porter is red hot anyway and not at a point at which a loss to Flair would hurt him too badly.

Winner: The Nature Boy

Michael Bauer: Does anyone really expect MVP to actually end Ric Flair’s career? I didn’t think so…

Winner: Ric Flair (WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!)

Michael Weyer: The fact it’s not for the belt gives away the result. We’re a long way away from Flair to hang it up yet and taking away the belt leaves it open for when Matt Hardy comes back to face MVP. You can expect Flair to give MVP a great rub in a terrific match but in the end, the Nature Boy comes out on top.

WINNER: WOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Bayani Domingo: This seems pretty obvious. Flair wins via some kind of DQ by MVP or MVP walks or a giant monster attacks MVP during the match leading to Flair fleeing the city with his handheld camera and….

Winner: Ric Flair, via SHENANIGANS!!

Derek Robbins: I think it seems fairly obvious that Flair isn’t going to retire here, but wait until Wrestlemania (or close to it) to do it. What I think will probably end up happening is that Flair will give MVP more fight than he expected, and MVP will duck out of the match and lose by count-out for the second PPV in a row. It seems sort of predictable, but it does the least damage to MVP and really…that’s what I think is going to happen.

Winner: Ric Flair via Count Out

Jarrod Westerfeld: This should make the little idiots upset – a champion involved in a pay-per-view match where his title isn’t on the line… Personally, I don’t mind seeing as I love where this is going, and enjoy seeing these two trade off on one another. I expect this one to last until No Way Out before a transition is made to move Flair over to his finale against either Triple H or HBK. I see this one snapping MVP’s little streak of avoiding conclusive losses, and this turning out to be much like Flair and Carlito’s bout for the IC title at Survivor Series some time back.

Winner: Ric Flair via Submission

Matt Adamson: This better damn well not be the last time I see Ric Flair wrestle. The old man needs to go out with a bang and vs. MVP at the Royal Rumble for nothing but his career is not the way to do it. Man, for once I wish somebody would pull a Verne Gagne or Fritz Von Erich and just give the old man the BIG GOLD BELT in his retirement match. I think I’m right in assuming the WWE are smarter than that and will extend Flair’s career.

Winner: Ric Flair

T.G. Corke: The match that many suggested should be held at Wrestlemania is taking place at the Royal Rumble, and as a result I don’t really think the outcome is in doubt. Clearly, Flair’s retirement is penciled in for two months’ time, and anything less than that would be considered a disappointment. Thankfully, the US Title is not on the line, so MVP vs Matt is very much a possibility at the Big Dance as well. Flair’s not going over strongly against MVP, but I’d suggest he gets a fluke roll-up rather than a count-out victory as MVP is brash enough to want to win this one.

Winner: Ric Flair

Randy Harrison: I wonder if they could have made who was going over in this one just a LITTLE more obvious. Maybe they should have called it a “Career on the line/not for the US Title, Ric Flair won’t lose” match or something. MVP has been one of the best things about Smackdown for a long time and I’m sure that the feud with Matt Hardy will finally get to end at Wrestlemania, so I’ll be looking for him to stick his nose into this one at some point to help put Flair over the top, and get the Hardy/MVP issue restarted. Flair is going to retire at Wrestlemania, end of story, so at this point to wonder if he’s going to lose is kind of moot. I love the way their doing the angle and am excited to see where they go with it and who is actually going to end up being the guy that retires Flair. This one will feature all of Flair’s classic spots and MVP will sell them all like a champ and it will be another decent/good match in the Ric Flair Farewell Tour.

Winner: Ric Flair

Larry Csonka: Unless the WWE gets wacky and predictable, this is painfully obvious what the result will be. With the US Title NOT on the line in the match, Ric Flair wins and keeps his career going strong, for now. I would also expect Matt Hardy making an appearance or getting involved to get he and MVP back on track. The match should be fine, but does have the chance to be pretty good if Flair is having a good night.

Winner: Ric Flair

Andy Critchell – Another match-up that seems to be an afterthought even though it was fun seeing Flair in the VIP lounge. I do think this can be another decent to good match since MVP is awesome and Flair can still work well with guys who are awesome. Still, the ending here is really just too easy to see; there is no way Flair loses here, there, or anywhere until Wrestlemania. Don’t be surprised of there is a Matt Hardy run-in.

Winner: Ric Flair via “dirtiest player in the game” shenanigans

Stephen Randle: The Edge Army is just way too powerful for Rey to have any chance, which, really, is the idea. Although I really don’t think putting the ECW title on Chavo was the best idea, but if it ends up meaning good things for Punk, I’m okay with it. But I digress, and for good reason.

Winner: Edge

Mike Minotti: This match has that “throw away feud” feeling all over it. The build up for this match just hasn’t been doing it for me, which is a shame, since the match itself should have potential. Well, it should, but I’m pretty sure that we’re going to see more Edge shenanigans here, resulting in another win for ol’ Rated R. Besides, I think it’s pretty clear that they want Edge vs. Taker at WrestleMania

Winner: Edge

Chris Lansdell: Why do I feel like we’ve been here before? In Smackdown’s defense, at least we have a pay per view main event NOT featuring Batista. It’s been a while, and I am heartily sick of him. However, a title change here is only marginally less likely than in the Raw match, simply because we have no reason to believe Rey can do it. And he won’t.

Winner, and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: Edge

Ari Berenstein: Edge has his posse for protection much like Kurt Angle had Team Angle to help him back during early 2003. Its that extra oomph that will push Edge over the top as far as keeping the title until Wrestlemania 24. Mysterio should be game enough to provide a solid to very good match, but expect him to come up on the losing side of this one.

Winner: Edge retains the World Title.

Jerome Cusson: Rey Mysterio has jobbed a whole lot since making his grand return, but if nothing else this should be a very good match. And really the appeal of this Pay-Per-View has nothing to do with any of the world title matches. This is a good chance to get Edge a big victory but also a good match.

Winner: Edge

Daniel Wilcox: And so we come to the token filler World Championship match at Royal Rumble. There’s no way that Rey Rey is going over here but what we will get is a tonne of interference. The Rated R Army are bound to put in an appearance, as is Chavo Guerrero and thus CM Punk will have to show up to make the save. There’ll be a ref bump and Mysterio will get screwed as Edge continues to roll as the best heel in the company heading into Mania.

Winner: Edge retains

Andy Clark: Provided they keep Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder out of this match it could be really fun. I would love to see Undertaker or CM Punk cost Edge the match and setting up Rey Mysterio vs. Umaga for the World Title at WrestleMania, but that’s why they call it FANTASY booking. Edge’s title really isn’t in any jeopardy here, but hopefully we get a great match.

Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: Edge

Ryan Byers: This feud has been decent for what it is, but you’re blind if you think that it’s doing anything other than killing time until Edge’s Mania rivalry is ready to start up. We’re not going to see any title change here.

Winner: Edge

Michael Bauer: Edge has got a hell of momentum right now and there is no way the little guy pulls a miracle out of a bottle twice. Not much else needs to be said.

Winner: Edge

Michael Weyer: I know people bitch about the setup with Vicky and Chavo and all but I do think this will be a good match. I think they’re sort of treading water until they decide who Edge faces at Mania but Rey can give him a good matchup with some chicanry allowing Edge to retain.

WINNER and still World Champion: Edge

Bayani Domingo: I can’t see Edge losing to Mysterio, not after solidifying the Rated Rmy with Chavo being his second in command. Then again CM Punk might play a role here and cost him the match, but I just can’t see them putting the belt on Mysterio so close to WM. That would then leave you with only the RAW title as the obvious choice for the RR winner to go after since it’s basically a foregone conclusion that the winner this year will end up being a “face”. While I think Edge retains here, I think his title will be safe from the Rumble winner either way.

Winner: Edge

Derek Robbins: God love little Rey, I just don’t give him much of a shot in this match. Edge’s faction is being given a pretty big push and it’d be counter-productive to have him drop the title here. What I think will probably happen is Rey will look like he’s going for the huge upset, but Edge will find some chicken shit way to pull out a win (Roll up? Distraction by the Edgeheads leading to a spear?) Hey, whatever. I’m loving Edge since his return.

Winner: Edge via Pinfall

Jarrod Westerfeld: I like where this is going, as you have the involvement of Chavo and CM Punk. This could ride out to be an interesting match before some storyline kicks in with some overbooking, but it’ll still be fun to see.

Winner: Edge (Retaining World Heavyweight Championship)

Matt Adamson: In the Fall of 2002 this match would have been awesome. Mysterio was still fresh and while Edge wasn’t quite as awesome as he is now as a character, he wasn’t so bulked up and could move much more quickly in the ring. Mysterio has seen his day, and I don’t suspect he’ll be getting another title run.

Winner: Edge

T.G. Corke: Unless the plan is for Edge/Undertaker to be a non-title match – which I actually suggested as ‘streak vs. streak’ is enough of a selling point without the World Heavyweight Championship adding extra prestige – there’s absolutely no chance of a change taking place here. We just saw Chavo win the ECW Championship, so the next logical step is for the Edgeheads to take Tag Team gold so that la familia puta can reign supreme across both brands. A title win for Rey here would simply be the wrong choice, especially considering how lacklustre his first reign was. We may see another DQ or something, but in all honesty I hope Edge is picking up a pin. It won’t be clean, and that’s fine, but a pin is required here.

Winner: Edge

Randy Harrison: Remember in Fact or Fiction this week when I said that the Rumble was home to some of the worst Title matches ever. This one fits the bill, not because it’s going to be a terrible match, but because honestly there’s NO way that Rey is going to win the title. It’s going to be a good match because these two guys are ultra-talented and Edge always seems to up his game just that little bit more on PPV, but the result is not in doubt at all. As such, this is probably my shortest answer out of all of them.

Winner: And STILL World Heavyweight Champion, Edge!

Larry Csonka: This could be a kick ass little match here. Rey and Edge have history as partners and now as enemies. It should be good stuff, but rey isn’t winning here. Edge SHOULD get the clean win and this should lead to Edge vs. Taker at WM. I just hope for a clean finish and NO DQ BULLSHIT!

Winner: Edge

Andy Critchell – Edge is just way too hot right now for someone of Rey’s stature (pretty much a midcard guy) to take the belt from him. As I said about Flair before, Rey can work well with guys who are awesome and Edge is most definitely awesome. This isn’t on the Lesnar/Holly level of throw away Rumble Championship matches but it’s nowhere near Orton/Hardy. Still, if both guys work really hard this could end up being the second best match on the show.

Winner: Edge

Stephen Randle: If it were me, I would put the title on Hardy. Yeah, sure, Trip-Orton is once again set in stone for Mania, but you’ve got a guy who’s pretty much hit his peak in popularity, moves a metric tonne of merchandise, and has been booked phenomenally well to the point that people believe he can win the title and be a credible champion. Which is pretty much the opposite of what Orton has going for him, he of the losing record on PPV while holding the title, with absolutely no momentum against Jeff, who has been booked as the superior athlete the entire feud. I have to believe that, as in the past, plans can change.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

Mike Minotti: The build for this match has been great. This match already has that “main event” feel, which is kind of rare for Royal Rumble match that isn’t the actual Royal Rumble. I’m hoping that the match will live up to the build-up. Anyways, I doubt Jeff will actually win it here, especially since it seems like he’ll be part of the Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out. I do expect Jeff to almost kill himself at least once, though.

Winner: Randy Orton

Chris Lansdell: Orton’s title reign so far has been superbly booked, his matches have been well built, and he has never come off as lucky to be the champ. This match is no exception. Hardy is looking like a credible challenge, Orton has looked genuinely shocked that Jeff had that level to step up to, and we go into the match wondering exactly how crazy Jeff will get to win, whether Matt will interfere, and whether Orton learned anything. Much as I’d love a title change…

Winner, and STILL WWE Champion: Randall K Orton

Ari Berenstein: If I’m booking, I have Matt Hardy, fresh off attacking MVP, make a play for Orton in the back but being held back by security and escorted out of the building, leaving it just Orton vs. Jeff. WWE has earned my PPV money for the first time since Vengeance 2007 solely with the build for this match. I fully believe Hardy is ready for a WWE title run, even if its a short one to bridge the gap between Rumble and Wrestlemania. I really would love to see Hardy win it at MSG in a hell of a career defining moment. Then he could lose it back to Orton at No Way Out. I don’t think that’s going to happen, mostly because of Triple H’s quest to win the WWE title being the overarching theme of the next few months. However, it isn’t out of the question (Mankind did win the WWF title in the gap between Rumble and Wrestlemania 1999). . Unfortunately, while Hardy has been built up super strong in this fight, maybe he has been built too strong and Orton will win the match here to keep his title reign going. But screw that, I’m not going with my HHHead, I’m going with my Hardy Heart.

Winner: Jeff Hardy to win the WWE Title.

Jerome Cusson: I don’t need to tell anyone how impressive one Jeff Hardy has been these last few weeks. To see a guy go from being booed in Elizabeth New Jersey at an ROH show to being in the second most anticipated match on this show. I’m not a huge fan of Randy Orton, but his promo work during this feud has been exceptional as well. Many think Hardy has a chance, and clearly if WWE had any intelligence they’d give the Garden another classic moment with a title change. Sadly, WWE is likely going to go with something more predictable.

Winner and still champion: Randy Orton

Daniel Wilcox: I really, really, really, really want to predict a Jeff Hardy win here, but I’m not confident enough of it happening, though there are signs. The guy has a clean win over Triple H, and I have to think that they wouldn’t give that up for someone who won’t be winning gold any time soon. He’s also been doing all of these bad ass stunts to make him look like a massive star and they’ve even let the guy punk out McMahon and be the final image on Raw for the last few weeks and it’s got me thinking why they would the guy so hard if this is just a transitional feud for Orton leading to a bigger title defense at Mania. On the other hand, Randy Orton has got absolutely nothing over Jeff Hardy yet other than punting his big bro in the head. Orton could really use a clean win, but that would kill Hardy’s momentum dead. I really wish WWE would stop booking themselves into a corner with this stuff. I’ll go with the safe bet.

Ha, no I won’t!

Winner: And NEW WWE Champion, Jeff Hardy

Andy Clark: I haven’t been this excited for a match since Eddie Guerrero challenged Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title. Unfortunately (and kind of fortunately) I don’t think Jeff will be winning. I’d have more faith in him if Orton had gotten anything over on him in this feud and if Hardy had dropped the IC Title at some point. The match should be great and I hope they put Hardy over big time on commentary. If all goes right this won’t be Jeff’s last shot at the title on a big stage. Ultimately this match isn’t that important in the grand scheme of things, it’s how they treat it the next night on Raw that matters.

Winner and STILL WWE Champion: Randy Orton

Ryan Byers: Though Hardy has gotten over like rover lately, this angle is exactly the same as the Edge/Misterio rivalry. It’s just there to kill time, not to make Jeff Hardy in to a champion. I dig the guy, but anybody who thinks that he is headed to the Wrestlemania event at this or any other point in his career is a touch delusional.

Winner: Randy Orton

Michael Bauer: Ok, I am REALLY, REALLY, REALLY torn here. I was all set to go with Jeff Hardy, seeing as nobody else would, but now I see that it won’t happen. Jeff Hardy deserves this push and being booked as the man who can beat Randy Orton. Yet, they have giving Jeff just about every advantage under the sun in the past few weeks that I just can not put myself in a position to really think Jeff will pull it off. And that just sucks.

Winner: Randy Orton

Michael Weyer: Look, I know he’s got a following but I have to be brutally honest: I have NEVER bought the idea of Jeff Hardy as WWE champion. Matt, maybe, but not him. I know he’s pretty together and all and a good performer but I don’t think he’s ready for the big slot. I think WWE recognizes that so while Jeff will give his all and make it a damn good match, I don’t see them pulling the trigger and letting him win. Sorry but it’s fact.

WINNER and still WWE Champion: The Legend Killer

Bayani Domingo: I’m going with the poster spoilers here…

Winner: “The Tweaker Killer” Randy Orton

Derek Robbins: Do I ever hope they have a Rated RKO reunion at the Rumble. With Chavo in the equation, does this become Rated R QUE O? Bad puns aside, Jeff has been pushed really fiercly coming into this match…but I just don’t see him winning. I think he’ll put up a good fight, but…I think Hardy’s destination is the Elimination Chamber next month. How I think it’ll go down is that Orton will actually get the clean win after a reversed twist of fate. The match’ll keep Hardy looking strong…and give Orton only his second clean title defense victory, so it’s a win all around!

Winner: Randy Orton

Jarrod Westerfeld: This is a no-brainer, and an obvious finish is involved, though the opposite finish is what is desired. Hardy is the most over face in Cena’s absence, despite what piped in nonsense Triple H gets for himself. By all rights Hardy should be the guy given the opportunity to carry the company in Cena’s absence, but that’s not what we’ll get as they may just further build Orton as a heel main eventer that is later deflated by the returning Superman of the WWE, John Cena.

Winner: Randy Orton (Retaining WWE Championship)

Matt Adamson: I’ve made no secret that I’m not an Orton fan. He needs to wear a neck brace all the time and I might start liking the guy, but as it is, I’d love to see Hardy get a run with the title, even if it’s only until No Way Out. The guy is over something fierce, still puts on interesting wrestling matches and has a good amount of charisma. That makes him 2 up on Randy Orton. I think I’m going with the long shot.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

T.G. Corke: This is a much more intriguing situation, but it’s no less easy to call. Jeff has absolutely dominated the rivalry. Whoever takes the title is likely heading into Wrestlemania with it. A face usually wins the Rumble. The WWE clearly want the Rumble winner this year to head to Raw so that they can host Undertaker against Edge. Jeff has come along leaps and bounds in the last few months, but I would be very surprised if he took the WWE Championship this time around. He’ll likely win the Money In The Bank ladder match and take the title when he’s had more experience. Orton wins this one clean, but nearly loses it first.

Winner: Randy Orton

Randy Harrison: Again, going back to my Fact or Fiction, they’ve done a great job in getting me interested in this title match and in believing that Jeff Hardy might just win the big one. It’s not going to happen sure, but there is still that little sliver of doubt that is going to have me on the edge of my seat Sunday night and that’s always a good thing. Jeff deserves more than just a three-week suckoff with the title before handing it back to Orton at No Way Out, and I think that he’s done well enough with his current push to merit getting a longer title reign in the future. They’ve been building to Orton/HHH as a Wrestlemania main event for what seems like an eternity and they managed to take a bit of a roundabout way to it from Armageddon so that people aren’t completely bored with the Orton/HHH deal yet. It transitioned from Orton/HHH, to HHH/Hardy, to Hardy/Orton so seamlessly that you can see from a mile away it’s going to come full-circle to close out the WWE year at their biggest show. All of that being said, this is still going to be a great match and if Hardy is able to put on a great showing here he could further cement his status as a future WWE Champion. I’d love to see HHH and Hardy keep up a little interaction between now and Mania, have HHH win the belt there, and then turn on Hardy viciously a little bit later before they feud for a few months and have Hardy go over HHH to win the belt and have it be a huge deal. For that to happen though, Orton has to win here so…..

Winner: And STILL WWE Champion, Randy Orton!

Larry Csonka: As I said in the R’s this week, many title matches for the Rumble are throw away in nature, this one has been built very well. If I was just a guy watching the shows that they were trying to convince to buy the show, they have accomplished their mission. From the win over HHH to the build to the match, I not only buy Jeff Hardy as a main event guy, and not only as a challenger, but would think that he has a damn good chance of winning. I would spend money on the show to find out if he does. THAT is their job and they have done it well. The thing is that most say Jeff has NO chance at winning the title. And the ending of Raw, with Jeff getting the upper hand again usually leads to the other man winning. If Orton is heading to WrestleMania to defend the title he needs a CLEAN win in the worst way to get momentum. While I would do the title change here, I think they are sticking with the original plan and that means Orton winning. It should be a good match. I just hope for a clean finish and NO DQ BULLSHIT!

Winner: Randy Orton

Andy Critchell – This is the match everyone has been waiting for and it is easy to see why. Jeff Hardy is at a white hot level most guys never reach in their careers and Orton has never been better. As clichéd as it sounds, this is a match that can make the careers of both guys. It would be a shame if one of these guys cracked once he realized the type of pressure that’s on them to deliver but I have faith that won’t happen. In fact, if both guys reach their potential in this match it will be an easy MOTY candidate. Conventional wisdom says that Orton is going to retain but WWE would be wise to strike while the iron is hot with Hardy. Plus it would be an awesome moment if Jeff freakin’ Hardy finally won the belt. WWE has been known to flip the script from time to time just to shock the fans and I think they do that here.

Winner: Jeff Hardy

Stephen Randle: It’s actually kind of disgusting. Initially, everyone was pretty sure that Undertaker was winning, just because he was the only credible entrant, plus we all “know” the plans for the title matches at WrestleMania. Then they wussed out and put Trip back in the match, in a horribly underwhelming gauntlet match, I might add. I mean, William Regal as the ultimate obstacle to Trip? I don’t think so. What I do think is that, if the Big Show is coming back, he was the person Regal told to hang back on Raw, and will enter the Rumble and take Trip out. I (and most of the staff, it seems) assume that Punk will also be entered in the match after losing the ECW title, giving us a dark horse candidate. Throw in the possibility that Bobby Lashley is working us all, and what do you come up with? Unfortunately, the same result.

Winner: The Undertaker

Mike Minotti: HHH is going to win this match. I’ve been saying it for awhile now, and I feel as confident about that prediction as ever. So why don’t I make some predictions I’m less certain about? The number 1 and 2 entrants will be Shawn Michaels and Mr. Kennedy. The Final Four will be HHH, Undertaker, Batista, and Mr. Kennedy. The runner-up will be Taker. This is always my favorite event of the year, so I’m pumped for this match. I will be embarrassingly giddy just watching it. In that regard, maybe I am the real winner? Wow, that’s corny as hell.

Winner: HHH

Chris Lansdell: Interesting that so far we have heard 0 rumblings (sorry) about surprise entrants. This match is going to have to go a long way to beat the drama of last year’s finish, and I frankly don’t see it. Still, I’m not going with conventional HHH wisdom, nor do I think Taker gets it. I was going to pick Lashley, but apparently he’s poontang-whipped. CM Punk is what my heart would love to see, and my head knows I won’t. Still, Final 4 will be HHH, Taker, Kennedy and my pick for winner…

Winner: HBK

Ari Berenstein: Well, it was a wide open field…until HHH came back into the fold this past week. This Rumble has now become the HHH show, but I expected that and I am prepared to accept that. There’s nothing even really wrong with HHH winning here, as there is a logical story being told for a while now of HHH and Vince McMahon that should come to a head as he gets closer to Wrestlemania and fighting for the title. I expect him to come in at a lower number, say between 12 and 16, in order to give him time to tell the story of him earning his way to the Rumble win (Shawn Michaels did this in 1996 when he came in at number 18 and had to work his way to winning the match). Other predictions: number 1 is going to be CM Punk and number 2 will be Shawn Michaels. Foley will interact with Hornswoggle and Finlay. HBK and Kennedy will eliminate each other. Colin Delany will come out when Kane, Mark Henry, Great Khali and Big Daddy V are all in the ring and they will destroy him GLORIOUSLY. HHH will have the most eliminations. Final Four will be HHH, Undertaker Batista and making his return, Big Show, who is also the number 30 man and Vince McMahon’s “HHH Hunter”. HHH eliminates Big Show for the win.

Winner: Triple H

Jerome Cusson: Even though there are only five matches, they all look very good and there’s no reason this shouldn’t be the best Pay-Per-View WWE ultimately puts on all year. As far as the Rumble itself, it remains a classic twenty years later because of the unique format. It’s almost impossible for this to be bad unless Vince Russo makes his grand return. The qualifying matches have only lent more to the build-up and have done a fantastic job giving more guys a realistic possibility of winning. I’ve always wanted to see an underdog win this thing, especially since there are two (ECW DOES NOT COUNT.) world title matches at Wrestlemania the WWE can have on the card. Sadly, it comes down to only three or four guys possibly winning it. And seeing as how Regal held someone back this week and a list of chamber participants included RAW guys, I’m going with a Smackdown guy.

Winner for the second straight year: The Undertaker

Daniel Wilcox: Please not Batista. Please not Undertaker. Please not Triple H. Alas, those three seem to be the three favourites as I don’t see the likes of Michaels, Kennedy, Big Daddy V or Jamie Noble headlining WrestleMania any time soon. If Bobby Lashley returns, it shouldn’t be him either, based on the fact that he, y’know, sucks. If Big Show returns, it’s mark out city, but there’s no way he’s going to be headlining Mania either. Hey maybe Cena will return early! Na. If Punk is in it, I’d love for him to win and go on to face Edge at WrestleMania but this is the guy they’ve booked as someone who can’t even get a clean pin on Chavo Guerrero. Maybe Kurt Angle will come back? Damn, now I’m really short of people who I could see winning this. So it looks like we’re down to Taker. ‘Tista and The H’s. I think we can take Batista out of the equation based on the fact that Edge/Taker has been done to death and Raw is already main-event-heavy for him to switch. So it really is a toss-up between Taker and The Game. They’ve run a big story behind Triple H getting into the Rumble and Taker won the thing last year so it looks like Trips is going over here. Terrific. Excuse me while I go cry while watching some Paul London matches.

Winner: Triple H

Andy Clark: Of the three possible winners I think Batista is the most interesting. Unfortunately a Batista win shatters my hopes of Jeff Hardy in the WrestleMania main event. I really don’t think we’ll see Triple H win, but it’s hard to give Taker the win for the second year in a row. There is always the possibility of a heel winning and then losing the title shot to Taker at No Way Out, but I doubt it. When I first predicted the Final Four for my column I picked Triple H, Undertaker, Batista, and Mr. Kennedy, with Triple H last eliminating Kennedy. I still think it’s the same Final Four but now I’m going with Undertaker eliminating Triple H. I think WWE will try and recreat the magic of last year’s Rumble by having HBK’s DX teammate take on Undertaker in the final minutes. I’m curious to see what kind of good stories they can tell during the match and if there are any surprises in store.

Winner of the 2008 Royal Rumble: Undertaker

Ryan Byers: For months, the rumored Mania title matches have been Randy Orton vs. Triple H and the Undertaker vs. Edge. Knowing this, the question then becomes which of those feuds would benefit more from having the challenger come in as the Rumble winner. Frankly, I don’t think that Edge/Taker needs it as much as HHH/Orton. In the potential Edge versus UT rivalry, you’ve already got an excellent backstory with Edge screwing the Deadman out of the title last year in addition to the gimmick with Taker’s unbeaten streak going up against Edge’s unpinned (but not unbeaten) streak. With HHH/Orton, there is less of a backstory. Yeah, you could easily play off of the split of Evolution, but that was three years ago and hasn’t really been revisited since with the exception of a one-shot at the fifteenth anniversary special. I’m guessing that the feud between those two men, at least in its early stages, will be built more on the basic story of a dominant challenger going up against a dominant champion. The final step towards making HHH in to that dominant challenger is a Rumble victory.

Winner: HHH

Michael Bauer: This whole deal has been able HHH being screwed out of this chance to get the title back and now he just fought his way back in. All that is missing is a bounty on his head like Austin ten years ago. The Taker could win to set up his title shot, but I agree with what has been said, HHH needs the win more.

Winner: HHH

Michael Weyer: Pretty tricky to figure out the Rumble with the roster the way it is. I know HHH is the favorite and does have a lot going for him but possible it’ll be Taker to set up the Mania matchup or Batista. But I’m going to go out on a limb and think that WWE is going to try and sell ECW better by having the winner challenge for that belt. Which means we get a surprise entry into the Rumble itself who wins it and challenges for the title, the man who’s the one bright spot of the ECW brand and a guy who could rise big-time via a Rumble win.

WINNER: CM PUNK BABY!

Bayani Domingo: Yikes. So I assume Lashley is out, Big Show and CM Punk are probably in. That leaves us with them, HBK, HHH, ‘Taker, and Batista as the only real viable candidates. So far half of those guys have already won the Rumble and I’d hate to see HBK get his 3rd, HHH get his 2nd, or ‘Taker to win two in a row ala Stone Cold and Michaels. It doesn’t make sense for Show to win as I can’t see Orton/Show being a big draw, but I also can’t imagine Punk winning because he just seems so pedestrian at this point. While a Punk/Edge program seems to be heating up while ‘Taker/Edge is on the back burner, I don’t see either of them needing to win the Rumble to get a title shot. I know the popular pick here is to go with HHH, but I really don’t want to go there. I am more intrigued by a Batista/Orton program than HHH or HBK vs Orton, but I doubt ‘Tista gets the win either. Damn it, can I go with a tie? Or maybe the ring collapses and everyone falls out at once? Okay, let go process of elimination based on my predicted WM title matches: Chavo vs Rey, Edge vs ‘Taker/Punk, Orton vs HHH… awww hell. If you’re going to be wrong, you might as well be colossally wrong.

Winner: CM Punk, FTW??

Derek Robbins If you had asked me this question Monday, I would have said the Undertaker or Triple H. Heck, they’re the odds on favorite to win it all, anyhow. That said…after the events of ECW, I think they have something BIG planned for Punk, and I actually see him winning the Royal Rumble. Not only does this help bolster ECW as a brand (Their ex-champ wins the rumble!), but it also helps to set up a REALLY interesting wrestlemania match between Edge and Punk (as they have been hinting at it the past couple of weeks). This is Punk’s chance to make it big, and it’ll be interesting to see if WWE has the faith in him that the rest of the IWC seems to have. Really, Punk needs to have a strong showing at the Rumble to make up for losing the title. If he doesn’t win, I think he will at least be in the final four. If this goes down as I think it will, this will be my favorite Rumble ever. Here’s my final four real quick: Punk, Triple H, Kennedy, HBK.

Winner: CM PUNK

Jarrod Westerfeld: If all of the plans are set, and everyone is hunky-dorey with the decisions, we’ll be seeing a repeat Royal Rumble winner, that’s almost guaranteed. The problem is, many are split as to who it’ll be, and though the storyline suggests Triple H, I don’t see that happening as I recall notes about Batista being the headlining act against Orton, seeing as that was something the WWE wanted to do back at Wrestlemania 22, before Batista’s big injury. If CM Punk is involved in this, mark my words – he’ll get the biggest pop of the night right behind Jeff Hardy taking his shirt off.

Winner: Batista

Matt Adamson: I can’t recall a year that I am less excited about the Royal Rumble than this year. That of course can change if one man wins. Don’t get me wrong here, I’m no ROH lover, and while I enjoy Punk, I do not think he is the savior of the WWE. The one thing I like about Punk winning the Rumble is that it will be special for so many people. Much like Benoit’s win, a CM Punk win would be a thank you to many of the die hard wrestling fans who have stuck by through much of the bullshit.

Winner: CM Punk

T.G. Corke: I’ve predicted this for ages, and I still do – Batista wins the Rumble, he and Undertaker perhaps have another match because Undertaker’s so pissed off at not getting another shot, Triple H wins the Elimination Chamber, and then Batista jumps ship to Raw to set up Orton/Triple H/Batista and pave the open path for Undertaker to challenge Edge. It might not go down exactly like that, but I’m guessing it’ll be similar. Either that, or they decide to throw out a completely unlikely winner as a swerveball, such as CM Punk. But really, I think it’s a three horse race between Batista, Undertaker and Triple H. Out of those three, Batista is my bet.

Winner: Batista

Randy Harrison: The Title matches look like they’re going to be HHH/Orton and Undertaker/Edge for WM so that leaves us with essentially two options. I’m sure that guys like HBK, Kennedy and even CM Punk will get close but there’s not really any way that they’ll be able to get the job done. Now the question is, do they go the usual route of “guy that gets screwed by the establishment comes back and defies the odds to win the Rumble” with Triple H, or do they do the “guy that won last year wins it two years in a row and looks to continue his Wrestlemania winning streak against the guy that stole the title from him way back when” with Undertaker. Honestly, with the way it looks for the Elimination Chamber to be at No Way Out and full of Raw guys, that leads me to believe that the Undertaker will win this one for the second year in a row. It will be interesting to see if guys like Ron Killings, Chris Harris or Big Show make appearances as “surprise entrants” in the Rumble match but this one for intrigue seems fairly low. Final four of HHH, Kennedy, Taker and Punk with Taker elminating Kennedy at the end to win it.

Winner: The Undertaker

Larry Csonka: While I would like to see something else, I just feel that they are sticking with the plan, which means HHH wins. Which should lead to taker winning the Chamber the next month.

Winner: HHH

Andy Critchell – Most people think it is either going to be Triple H or Undertaker winning and I agree that those are the smart money bets. However, I would like to see someone else win the RR and have that be the push to the next level like it was for Batista and Benoit. With that in mind, I am going to pick a guy who is right on the cusp of main event stardom and ISN’T a disappointing & overrated indy super-hero…

Winner: Misssssterrrrrrr Kennedy…Kennedy!