Matt Hardy vs Jack Swagger:  Jack is a new champion and Hardy has held the title for pretty long, so I think Jack will hold the title for some more time.

Beth Phoenix vs Melina: Beth Phoenix all the way. Though she can beat Melina on her own, also expect Santino and Beth's number-one fan to be there to ensure nothing goes wrong, in case there is interference. Of course, having an idiot like Santino can be harmful for your own team, but if Beth loses the match, then the number-one fan story-line will be diluted. Maybe we can expect some fire from her number-one fan in case there is interference in Melina's favour (or in case Melina cleanly builds an advantage, the chances of which are less).

Jeff Hardy vs Edge: I think Edge will win this. As much as I thought that Hardy will goto Wrestlemania as champion, I think that might not be possible now. Why? Because it is rumoured that Christian Cage will make his return at the Rumble. If he returns, then expect him to be on Edge's side as they are old allies and I guess Christian will also be linked to Hardy's recent car-accident. If Christian does not return, then Edge might lose the match and Hardy will retain.

John Cena vs JBL: This is the best singles match in terms of story-telling and maybe in terms of wrestling as well if they let JBL wrestle properly. Most of his matches these days are scripted to show him as an ordinary wrestler whereas in his erlier days as Bradshaw, he was pretty talented and effective. "Character" rules everything - now that he is heel, expect him to show less skill and more cheap-shots and manipulation. Talking about manipulation, I love the storyline between Shawn Michaels and JBL - why? Its not that I like to see a legend get tainted or insulted like that, but I like the story because it has "manipulation" possible in it - you cannot predict the outcome of a match which has these 2 in the same side. They could fight for each other or for all you know, Michaels might dump JBL. That would only happen if Michaels gets to win the title because then he would not need JBL's funding. Since that will not happen at the Rumble for sure, expect him to be on the same side as JBL. That would probably mean that Cena will lose the match if Michaels helps JBL. One possibility is that Cena could retain the title if JBL gets dis-qualified due to Michaels' interference but I am sure that JBL and Shawn would've thought of that. I don't see JBL main-eventing Wrestlemania as champion but I am sick of seeing Cena main-eventing it so many times also. I'm going with JBL winning this match and then perhaps losing it at No Way Out (not sure to whom - it could be to Cena himself in a re-match). Oh and after winning the title at the Rumble, JBL might fire Shawn or he might wish to continue his employment - expect his decision to have an impact on the below match.

Royal Rumble Match: Finally comes the most star-studded match in WWE. The odds-all favourite to win the Rumble match will be once again the Undertaker. His undefeated streak draws the most money every year at Wrestlemania, so it would be good for WWE's business if they can put him in a title match and make it look like his streak is in jeopardy (like they did against Batista and Edge the last 2 years) - the title vs streak contest beats all other matches on the card in terms of viewership because the people are more interested and engrossed in it than any other match due to the wrestling-quality as well as the story-telling which the Undertaker is still able to provide in all his rivalries (with the exception of not-so-talented wrestlers like Big SLow). Remember in 2008, the Undertaker was stripped off his title and then banished due to interference by La Familia in his TLC match against Edge - therefore he never lost his title. His long title reign is still pending (due to which he was in title-matches in the last 2 Manias but couldn't retain the titles for long due to injury), so expect him to be in a title feud soon. Moreover, this time, Wrestlemania is in his "real" home-town of Houston, and its the silver-jubilee of the event, so it would be even more beneficial for the business if they could put the greatest Wrestlemania-performer of all time (whom I also call the greatest performer of all time) in a title match at his home-town with his record-streak at stake. In fact, the whole thing has a similar build-up to 2007 where Undertaker was not in any major feud in the early part of the year and then won the Rumble.

But will the Undertaker win the Royal Rumble this year again? Will he main-event Wrestlemania this time again? I doubt it. Why? Because its simple - things won't be such a simple repeat when it comes to the Dead-man, who does impeccable story-telling. Also, whom will he fight for the title? He surely won't fight Edge or Orton or Batista or HHH again. That leaves Cena, JBL, Jericho or Hardy as the possibilities but it depends on whether Undertaker is actually interested in the WHC belt or the WWE title. As of now, I don't see him getting into a title feud with these guys immediately. So who's left? Not Kane obviously as he has faced Undertaker twice at Wrestlemania. The only man left is Shawn Michaels. Also, the WWE are really promoting Undertaker a lot to win the Rumble this time and he's done verbal promos on the same as well. That is proof enough that he won't win it because it won't be so predictable. The best promo he did was in 2007 where he appeared out of nowhere in the ring and cleaned house on the Smackdown taping before the Rumble, giving everyone a preview of what was going to happen. Once again, the Undertaker proving that "actions" speak louder than words.

What I do foresee is a legend vs legend match between Undertaker and Shawn Michaels at Houston, considering that both are Texans and Shawn's career is winding down. What if Undertaker does win the Rumble and then Shawn himself wins the title from JBL at No Way Out, then Undertaker challenges Shawn? Naah, that would be an over-kill because they are both legends anyway, and a match between them would mean the greatest Wrestlemania match of all time - greater than Hogan vs Andre or Austin vs Rock or Hogan vs Rock or Goldberg vs Brock or Hart vs Michaels or Undertaker vs Flair or Undertaker vs HHH or any other. The chances of Michaels winning the title at No Way Out are very less, unless he wants a short title reign before retiring. WWE need to maximize their available talent and put the other main-eventers in title-matches to get them more viewership. That is how they draw get more viewership for the event's other matches and increase the revenue for the event, because an Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels match is anyway such a big match that it would draw an equal amount of fans regardless of whether it is a title match or not. The match should be about who is the better man. Shawn has defeated Undertaker in singles matches many times in the past, each time with outside-help or interference (e.g., Kane helped him beat Undertaker in the first Hell in a Cell match and a casket match). The only time when I remember Shawn and Undertaker having a clean one-on-one contest is the 2007 Royal Rumble's ending, where Undertaker obviously won. This time, WWE, please make it a clean match again. Since Vince is back, he might manipulate the story-line and put a stipulation that it will be either the end of the streak or the end of the show of the show-stopper (like he stopped the show of Flair last year). Who knows they might bring Flair as the special guest referee, and who knows JBL might put this stipulation into the match instead of Vince after losing the title at No Way Out since then he'd not have any need for Shawn's services or he might be angry with him. Shawn would want one good final match before he retires and I'm sure that the only 2 people he will agree to would be Undertaker and HHH. What a better event and location to do it?

But what would start the rivalry and create the build-up for the match? In the 2007 Royal Rumble, the Undertaker eliminated Shawn. In 2008, it was the reverse. This time, it must be culminated. But Shawn is not in the Rumble match as he will be in JBL's corner during his title match with Cena. Well, never mind - if JBL wins his title match, he might send Michaels to the Rumble match to eliminate Undertaker with a cheap-shot as he wouldn't want to face Undertaker at Wrestlemania. At No Way Out, there could be a further confrontation which eventually results in a match at Wrestlemania (like Shawn interfering in Undertaker's match). However, since Undertaker is being promoted a lot for the Rumble and is anyway a favourite for winning it, he will definitely have a huge impact on it. Expect him to single-handedly clean house (his feud with Big SLow helped him regain his health properly), and maybe also expect him to be in the final 2. After that, some kind of interference from Michaels or someone else might help eliminate him. I've also heard about Umaga's return at the Rumble but I don't think he will be the one to eliminate Undertaker or to win the Rumble. They had a rivalry planned last year but since it waited so many months, it can wait a few months more (be it title-oriented or not), and it can take place after Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels happens at Mania (which is the more important rivalry, obviously). What about Christian Cage's return? Well, he'll definitely not win the Rumble because it would be unfair to the other main-eventers to make his guy get into a title match at Mania immediately after joining. His return is probably going to revolve around the Hardy-accident story-line.

That brings us back to the question of who will win the Rumble? How about Kane? No, he is not Mania-level main-event material anymore. Kozlov? No, he is not main-event material either. So who will win it? My instinct says it would be Randy Orton. Why? He's never won it before. Jericho has not won it either but I think Orton needs a title push this year (Jericho had a long one last year), because Orton obviously has more talent than any other of the new breed. The other main-eventers like HHH, Batista, Cena, etc have all won the Rumble earlier. Its also possible that Orton's new friends Dibiase and Rhodes help him eliminate Undertaker, if Shawn doesn't. And after Undertaker goes 17-0 at Wrestlemania once he has retired Michaels, expect him to be in a title feud soon.