December 26 , 2012 Main Event results The December 26 , 2012 Edition of Main Event is a Professional wrestling television show of the WWE , it was taped at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester , New York on December 19 , 2012 . Summary . In one month , the annual Royal Rumble Match – to be held Jan . 27 in Phoenix , Ariz . - will determine a challenger for either the WWE or World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania . The evening after Christmas on WWE Main Event , the WWE Universe was treated to an early preview of the action - packed , over - the - top - rope contest , as 20 Superstars engaged in a battle royal to establish a No . 1 contender to Antonio Cesaro ’ s United States Championship . The opportunity for the prestigious title – and silence Cesaro ' s constant rants – featured former U . S . Champions like Santino Marella and Zack Ryder , as well as former Intercontinental Champions Cody Rhodes , Drew McIntyre and Wade Barrett . The United States Champion , meanwhile , joined Michael Cole and The Miz at the announce table to observe his potential opponents . Former World Heavyweight Champion The Great Khali undoubtedly posed the greatest threat for the other 19 competitors , which included Brodus Clay and The Prime Time Players . As soon as the opening bell sounded , it appeared that the Punjabi giant might be teamed up on and the first to go . However , as Yoshi Tatsu charged the goliath , the Japanese Superstar was tossed over the top rope with ease , and the in - ring chaos ensued . Though a number of tag teams competed in the battle royal in addition to The Prime Time Players , the contest proved a key element that will undoubtedly play into the Royal Rumble Match : when a prestigious World championship is on the line , allegiances are fragile and contests become every man for himself . That was certainly the case when the field cleared down to only four competitors – Barrett , Marella , Ryder and Khali . Each Superstar was exhausted from the high stakes battle that tested the mettle of everyone involved . Santino – who nearly won the Royal Rumble in 2011 – built up a great deal of momentum against Barrett , and brought the WWE Universe to its feet as he unleashed a devastating Cobra . With The Bareknuckle Brawler reeling , Santino encouraged Ryder to deliver a Broski Boot . Often joining forces as tag team partners , the duo appeared to be on the same page , poised to remove Barrett from the equation . Santino had other plans , however , and eliminated The Long Island Iced - Z immediately after a Broski Boot was delivered . His actions against Ryder soon proved to be Santino ' s folly . Barrett recovered , then successfully tipped the Italian Stallion over the top rope . Cesaro could only watch as he was moments away from a daunting challenge no matter the victor – Wade Barrett or The Great Khali . Refusing to back down , Barrett and Khali traded blows , though the impact of the Punjabi ' s massive blows couldn ’ t prevent Barrett from taking his eye off the prize . The Bareknuckle Brawler mounted an aggressive offense trying to wear down his monstrous foe and make the journey over the top rope as effortless as possible . However , the sheer size of The Great Khali was too much for Barrett ; The Punjabi Playboy overpowered him , and after tossing him over the top rope and onto the apron , he secured the victory with a massive chop to the skull . With the No . 1 contender to Cesaro ’ s U . S . Title decided and the battle set for next week on WWE Main Event , Cesaro congratulated his gigantic opponent . However , the Swiss Superman ' s apparent sportsmanship was short - lived , attacking his challenger during a post - match interview . Khali was barely phased , though , striking back and sending the champion running from the fight he started . Two weeks removed from a highly competitive 3 - on - 2 handicap contest on WWE Main Event , Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd once again battled 3MB – only this time the odds were even as the injured Heath Slater remained at ringside while Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre competed . Even though all four Superstars engaged had just competed in the 20 - man battle royal , the fast - paced and incredibly agile performance of Gabriel & Kidd made it seem as though the tag contest was their first match of the evening . Mahal and McIntyre mounted a dominant offensive , but the resilience and agility of Gabriel & Kidd ultimately proved to be too much , as they seized every opportunity available to execute high - impact , high - reward maneuvers . Their strategy paid off , and the high - flying duo executed an incredible move that widened eyes and dropped jaws across the WWE Universe before securing the win .