The Road to Wrestlemania Begins This Sunday.

I love January. It's the beginning of a new year and the beginning of the road to Wrestlemania.

The Royal Rumble has expanded this year to include and additional ten superstars, bringing the total to 40. Sometimes, when it comes to wrestling, I am all for tradition. However, I think the addition of the extra ten men will bring a little zing to the show overall and provide for some very interesting moments. Now comes the speculation of who is going to win the match and the chance to have a Wrestlemania moment. It is going to be tough to pick out a definite winner this year as there are so many great competitors. I'm going to put it out there and say that I think John Cena is going to win. There are so many factors to consider including the alliances that are involved, personal rivalries, the sheer number of opponents, and the push that some people have been getting as of late. It doesn't matter if my pick is right or wrong but it is shaping up to be one of the best Rumbles in a long time. Good luck to all involved, remember that your Wrestlemania moment is at stake.

I also have two picks for surprise entrants in this year's Rumble and they are Triple H and Chris Jericho. It probably won't happen but it would be quite the comeback for either of these men. Triple H has a movie coming out on DVD around the middle of February and Jericho has a new book, this opportunity would provide either with some great publicity. They don't even have to win the Royal Rumble. If they did, they would have sufficient time to build an angle with anybody before the biggest event of the year. Hopefully one of the two (or both!) makes an appearance this year...I'll keep holding my breath!

Another reason why I love January is that the Hall of Fame nominations start to trickle in. The first official inductee for the 2011 Hall of Fame is Shawn Michaels. He's done thing I've loved, things I've hated, but he deserves this spot. He truly defines what it is to be an entertainer. He has had a storied career in the wrestling industry and it is truly saddening to see that some people (Insert Shane Helms here) are trying to sully that. I can't wait to hear his speech at the ceremony this year. As for other inductees, there isn't much concrete evidence as to who will be in. I do have a few predictions of my own that I'd like to share:

1. Arn Anderson
2. Dean Malenko
3. Ron Simmons (more than likely to be inducted by JBL)
4. Macho Man Randy Savage
5. Lex Luger
6. Ultimate Warrior

Another thing to consider is that there could be a possible WCW tie-in this year. How that will affect the Hall of Fame this year is a little iffy, I'm sure there will be more news coming out about that in the coming weeks.

This Sunday is the first step on the road to the biggest sports entertainment event ever and I know we are in for one heck of a ride.