Do you agree with Jim Ross that Batista is favorite to win Royal Rumble?

Jim Ross is known for cutting to the chase. Who does he have winning the Royal Rumble on Sunday?

“Batista is my favorite to win the Rumble Match this Sunday in Pittsburgh on PPV. One could assume that a major talent like Batista will have a huge role in NOLA at WM30,” Ross wrote on his blog.

That’s if you’re assuming that Batista needs to win the Rumble to be able to play a major role at WrestleMania 30. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t. Certainly a chase for the WWE Title is in Batista’s future, but right out of the chute?

What looks as likely as him wrestling for the title at ‘Mania is a match with fellow monster Brock Lesnar, who is currently engaged in a dustup with Big Show. No way that one lingers into WrestleMania season. Show, love him or what, has long since been reduced to a sideshow role.

With the talk that Lesnar might be heading back to UFC, either full time or part time, look for WWE to give him the logical send off, a controversial loss, maybe by DQ, maybe by run-in, to Batista at WM30. The enraged Lesnar protests the decision at Raw the next night, then stalks off to UFC in protest.

Batista, meanwhile, gets the rub of having just sent Lesnar packing, and is turned heel to start a chase of John Cena for the WWE Title in a feud that will culminate at SummerSlam.

So that’s all nice, you’re asking, but who wins the Rumble?

How about Hulk Hogan?

More on my thoughts on a Hogan victory tomorrow.

Column by Chris Graham