The January Classic is only one day away, so let's examine the final odds of our favorite Superstar, Captain Charisma, winning the Royal Rumble.
Speaking realistically, Christian's odds are slim to none.
That's simply because we still do not know if Christian will even compete in the Rumble. Jay "Christian" Reso has been inactive since mid November with a severe high ankle sprain. The good news is that Christian is booked for SmackDown live shows in early to mid February. This fact has been known for weeks and has led to internet speculation that Christian will in fact be making his official return tomorrow at the Royal Rumble.
Unfortunately, there are also developments that may signal less current Superstars making surprise entrees into Sunday's main event. According to Wrestlezone.com, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Road Dogg Jesse James, and Road Warrior Animal are three former WWE Superstars that could make surprise returns at the Rumble. What does mean for Christian? Well, if WWE is reaching to bring in off-roster talent (who are there as novelties, not competitors), it makes you wonder if they're having trouble filling out the entire Rumble card. That could mean the chances are grim for injured stars such as Rey Mysterio, Alberto Del Rio, and Christian to make their own surprise returns.
Of course, we can also go back to a January 17th update from PWInsider.com that stated WWE officials were "hopeful" that Christian would be medically cleared to compete in the Rumble. That reassures us that a Rumble return has always been in the works, and that the only thing that could truly prevent it was Christian's own ankle and not necessarily writing by design. However, the lack of buzz in the last two weeks since that report certainly casts a shade of doubt. This is just my opinion, but had things become growingly apparent that Christian would in fact be a surprise entrant, wouldn't word had easily spread to the "dirtsheet" sites that typically report those kind of rumors? Is the lack of rumors being reported a bad sign? Possibly, but who's to say?
Let us make a leap of faith and say that Christian does return on Sunday. If that is the case, then what are his odds? Better than they are now, that's for sure.
Christian certainly wouldn't be a favorite, but I think he may be the ultimate dark-horse if his music does hit and he enters the match at any number between 20 and 30. The thing that makes him a candidate, in my mind, is his reliability. Due to Wrestlemania XXVIII's stacked card, the World Heavyweight Championship match doesn't necessarily need to sell half or even one third of the entire pay-per-view. We already know about Rock vs. Cena. It is highly possible that the WWE Championship match could be CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho. If it's anything like the last several years, there will be an Undertaker match as well. All the WHC match needs to do is provide entertainment and believable competitors. After Christian's two WHC victories in 2011 and his summer-long feud with Randy Orton, I think Christian can be a viable Wrestlemania contender for SmackDown's strap depending on who his opponent is (like Orton, for example).
There's also Christian's gimmick, which people tend to overlook recently. Christian lost the World Heavyweight Championship for a second time in August. After that, he entered a side program with Sheamus, but his character did not change much. He became known for his insistent whining over wanting, "One more match," for the World Heavyweight Championship even when he dropped out of SmackDown's main event. Christian even brought up, "One more match," in one of his two appearances since being injured: The 2011 Slammy Awards.
So think about it. What's the point of having a gimmick that is completely obsessed with the World Heavyweight Championship to the point that every time he speaks, he brings it up?
Christian : One More Match
as
John Cena : Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect
What is the point? Unless of course, it's completely possible that there were always plans for Christian to re-enter the World Heavyweight Championship picture, if not win it for a third time. In fact, there were rumors of Christian getting another push after his program with Sheamus (prior to his injury, of course).
What better way for Captain Charisma to take the initiative in his, "One more match," campaign, than by taking that match by force via winning the Royal Rumble? When you put it in context to his gimmick, winning the Royal Rumble makes more sense for Christian than most wrestling fans realize.
Of course, this is just one man's opinion (a biased man at that). As I've already said, I think his odds are slim to none due to the injury. However, if he is going to enter, the moment he does, he instantly becomes the match's most dangerous dark horse, in my opinion.
Peace,
Daniel
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