WrestleMania 28: Why Maria Menounos Will Steal Show Despite Star-Studded Card

No offense to The Rock and John Cena...or CM Punk and Chris Jericho...or Triple H and The Undertaker.

But the real star to watch during WWE WrestleMania XXVIII next Sunday won't be a big, brawny dude in man-tights.

It'll be Maria Menounos.

Yes, that Maria Menounos, the petite Greek beauty who's better known to the entertainment world at large as Jules on One Tree Hill, for her work on Hollywood gossip shows and for losing bikini-based bets on national TV.

The bedazzling Bostonian will be back between the ropes for a third time as part of a Diva tag team match, partnering with Kelly Kelly against Eve Torres and arch rival Beth Phoenix.

The animosity between Menounos and Phoenix began in 2009, when Menounos, appearing on Raw with fellow Access Hollywood host Nancy O'Dell, found herself in a Six-Diva tag team match alongside Kelly and Gail Kim following a confrontation in which Phoenix berated O'Dell for swapping her to SmackDown.

Menounos' side won that match, during which Maria slapped the burlier Beth to establish herself as more than just a pretty face in the ring.

Two years later, Menounos returned to the WWE in an Eight-Diva tag team match during Tribute to the Troops, joining forces Kelly, Torres and Alicia Fox to defeat the Bella Twins and the Divas of Doom. Once again, Menounos provided the moment of the match, pinning Phoenix to secure yet another victory and further the grudge between the two.

Phoenix and Eve crossed into Menounos' realm earlier this month to bring about the upcoming tilt, interrupting an interview between Maria and Kelly on Extra to stir up a confrontation that would result in Menounos accepting a challenge to climb into the ring at WrestleMania.

And so, exactly four months removed from her last foray into the wild world of professional wrestling, Menounos will return between the ropes at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, where she'll look to silence Phoenix once again.

Whether she's joined by Mario Lopez this time around remains to be seen.

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