WrestleMania 27, The Rock, Tough Enough and This Week's WWE News

To all the loyal B/R wrestling readers, I'm here to provide you with this week's biggest stories from around the WWE, all in one convenient place.

From The Rock to WrestleMania 27 to Tough Enough, I've got you covered on anything and everything you need to know about the cartoon world of wrestling over the last four days.

Among the topics covered:

—The WrestleMania card

—The format for WWE Tough Enough

—The feud between The Undertaker and Triple H

—The Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania

...and more.

So sit back and enjoy this week's top WWE news.

News on Who Daniel Bryan Will Face at WrestleMania 27

Daniel Bryan Expected To Face Former WWE Champion at WrestleMania 27

In case you couldn't tell by the build on last night's Raw show, Daniel Bryan is slated to face a former WWE Champion in a United States Championship match at WrestleMania 27.

And the man he will face is none other than the Celtic Warrior, Sheamus.

According to f4wonline.com, the creative team is building toward a U.S. title match between Sheamus and Bryan at the granddaddy of them all.

As recent reports have indicated, Sheamus is being de-pushed and I guess this is WWE's way of doing that.

Fine by me (although I wouldn't call wrestling Bryan a "de-push" exactly).

I mean, when's the last time Daniel Bryan's had an actual fued? The Miz? This guy needs to have some sort of rivalry against an established heel, and Sheamus is the best option at this point.

With Miz feuding with John Cena and Randy Orton feuding with CM Punk, a Sheamus/Bryan feud makes a ton of sense.

Remember the No. 1 Contender's Ladder Match between John Morrison and Sheamus at TLC? It was one hell of a match.

Though Sheamus isn't phenomenal in the ring, he proved that he can put on a 4-star match when matched with the right opponent.

And Bryan is the best in-ring worker in the company, so a Sheamus/Bryan match at WrestleMania could be an under-the-radar bout that really delivers...if and only if it's given enough time, of course.

What Are the WWE's Plans for Alberto Del Rio After WrestleMania 27? **SPOILER**

Vince McMahon Is High Up on Alberto Del Rio, So What's That Mean for His Future?

I put **SPOILER** in the title only so you wouldn't think I ruined the outcome of a WrestleMania match for you. But I still want to stress that this is a rumor, not an absolute fact.

Anyway, wrestlenewz.com is reporting that Vince McMahon and the creative team spent the weekend going over the booking for the World Heavyweight Championship Match between Edge and Alberto Del Rio at WrestleMania 27.

And the current plan is indeed for Del Rio to win the belt at the granddaddy of them all and then have a "lengthy" title reign.

This is definitely the right call.

WWE has done an absolutely tremendous job of building up Del Rio's character since he debuted last summer, and his momentum is at an all-time high.

Having him pushed to the moon only to fall flat on his face at WrestleMania would completely kill everything WWE has done to get him over with the crowd.

While some may say Del Rio was pushed too fast—and it's hard to argue against that—the fact is that his push needed to happen. The SmackDown main event scene isn't exactly packed, so imagine what we'd be seeing if Del Rio was still stuck in the mid-card.

Edge vs. Kane? I'd rather have a root canal. Edge vs. Undertaker? Been done a thousand times. Edge vs. Wade Barrett? I'm not crazy about that.

But Edge vs. Alberto Del Rio? Well, that has a really nice tone to it.

It can be an excellent feud both promo- and wrestling-wise, and having ADR win the strap at Mania would be a passing of the torch from one legend to one future one.

Agree or disagree about ADR's appeal as a character, you can't hate on his charisma or his abilities to get over as a heel.

But, you already know that.

WrestleMania 27: Rumored Card for the Granddaddy of Them All

What Matches Can We Expect to See at WrestleMania 27?

Based on a collage of various reports, but mostly from f4wonline.com, here's a look at the projected WrestleMania 27 card.

WWE Championship: The Miz (c) vs. John Cena

World Heavyweight Championship: Edge (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio

Triple H vs. The Undertaker (with Shawn Michaels possibly as the special guest referee)

Randy Orton vs. CM Punk

Jerry Lawler vs. Alex Riley and/or Michael Cole

United States Championship: Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Sheamus

Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes

Trish Stratus and Kelly Kelly vs. Layla and Michelle McCool

Money in the Bank Match

Here are my two pennies: Those top four matches are set in stone—they're definitely happening—while Lawler vs. Cole/Riley is also taking place in some shape or form, and Mysterio/Rhodes is penned (not penciled) in.

Though I like the prospects of a Sheamus/Bryan match, I could see those two being thrown into MITB to give it a little more star power.

Also, I'm not sure we'll actually see Trish in a match. I mean, would she really come out of retirement (or whatever she calls it) for a tag team match?

I'm far from certain that she would. Just like I'm not sure we won't see some sort of Nexus/Corre match or a singles match involving Dolph Ziggler.

He's gotten way too big of a push lately to be relegated to Money in the Bank—unless the WWE plans on having him win that match—so maybe something with The Big Show (who replaced him in the Elimination Chamber) is a possibility.

Either way, I'd expect all those singles matches above to take place, with another two or three matches—Corre/Nexus, Show/Ziggler and Kofi/Swagger (?) all as possibilities—to bring the card to 10 matches.

All right, guys, please be sure to offer your thoughts on the projected WrestleMania card in the comment section below.

Also, what matches do you think will be added to the show?

Another Update on Michael Cole Vs. Jerry Lawler at WrestleMania 27

Another Possible Match Option to End the Feud Between Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler

If you're like me, then you probably thought Michael Cole addressing the death of Jerry Lawler's mom on last night's Raw crossed the line.

Well, according to wrestlenewz.com, Lawler was indeed aware Cole would bring his mother up, and most wrestlers backstage were against meshing Lawler's real-life suffering with his storyline feud with Cole.

Yeah, that was definitely unnecessary.

Anyway, the site also reports that a new match possibility involving Cole, Lawler and Alex Riley has been discussed for WrestleMania 27.

In the latest idea pitched by creative, Lawler would wrestle Riley in a singles match, with the stipulation being that Lawler would get five minutes in the ring with Cole if he wins.

Aside from the fact that the stipulation itself is a little ridiculous, I'm not really sold on making a match that has such an obvious outcome (like The Miz vs. John Cena does).

It's pretty clear that Lawler will win, then he'll beat the crap out of Cole ala what Bret Hart did to Vince McMahon last year.

Plus, if Cole and Lawler do in fact get physical at WrestleMania, then who's going to announce the rest of the show?

Would Cole and Lawler really just go back to the announce table and act all buddy-buddy? Would Lawler not announce the entire show? Or are Josh Mathews and Booker T going to announce the remainder of the show?

Maybe I'm looking into it a bit too much, but it'll make absolutely zero sense if Cole and Lawler wrestle at Mania and announce the show together, too.

Come on, WWE. Don't do that. All I ask for is a little logic when it comes to storylines.

Backstage Update on the Feud Between Undertaker and Triple H

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that original WrestleMania plans called for Triple H to have a grudge match with Sheamus and The Undertaker to take on Wade Barrett.

So why did they change?

Well, according to the WON, both Triple H and Taker levied management to feud with each other because they didn't think WrestleMania 27 had any "special" match.

It's being said that the two WWE legends are putting the feud together almost entirely by themselves, and that Shawn Michaels is expected to get involved at some point, possibly as a special guest referee or "enforcer."

I can't say that I disagree with Taker and Triple H here.

Of all the matches on the card, Taker/Triple H (with Shawn Michaels involved) is by far the biggest attraction at the granddaddy of them all.

These two men battled at WrestleMania X-Seven (so there's history there), the HBK twist gives the audience another reason to watch, and it could be a very good match wrestling-wise as well.

I'm not surprised at all that Triple H and Undertaker "petitioned" management to work with each other either, as these two men have more power and pull than any of the other wrestlers on the WWE roster.

Some might say that them choosing to work with each other is selfish. But I call it smart.

This match will draw when not many other matches on the card will.

This Season of Tough Enough Reportedly Different Than Prior Seasons

WWE Tough Enough May Have a Different Look This Time Around

If you were hoping that this season ofWWE Tough Enough would be a stark contrast from NXT, then don't hold your breath.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, at least two contestants (one male and one female) are from Florida Championship Wrestling, while two females on the show are in relationships with well-known wrestling personalities.

The WON also reports that the revival of Tough Enough will be "more scripted" than in the past—despite the fact that it's billed as unscripted reality show—and it is described as more "Hogan Knows Best" than "The Ultimate Fighter."

Why? Why? Why? Why?

This is exactly what I didn't want to happen, as turning Tough Enough into a scripted, or even semi-scripted, reality show only accomplishes one thing: making it more like NXT.

And who the hell wants to see that happen?

Tough Enough was supposed to be a show that gave fans or aspiring wrestlers from outside the company a chance to chase their dream of becoming a WWE superstar.

But using wrestlers from FCW, wrestlers with a number of connections to the business or Miss USA for that matter completely destroys the concept of the show.

This format the WWE is adapting for Tough Enough is giving the chance of a lifetime to people who are already hired by the WWE or already have a better chance of being hired by the company (because of who they know in the business or the fact that they're Miss freakin' USA).

This show could have been phenomenal. Now it's becoming nothing more than a fake "reality" show.

WrestleMania 27: Will There Be a Money in the Bank Match at the PPV?

Money in the Bank Match at Wrestlemania 27 Still Up in the Air

Here's the latest update on whether or not there will be a Money in the Bank match at Wrestlemania 27: The WWE still doesn't know.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, nothing has been said in recent creative meetings about bringing the match back to the granddaddy of them all.

However, the WON notes that if the match is pulled from the show, there will likely be another multi-man match featuring guys like Christian, Kofi Kingstong, John Morrison, etc.

Alright, rant time.

The WWE would be absolutely insane to take the Money in the Bank match away from WrestleMania, its home, the place where fans fell in love with the match.

What are we going to get if they take it away? A multi-man tag match? A battle royal? No thanks.

Money in the Bank is synonymous with WrestleMania and is often one of the matches I most enjoy watching.

I understand that the WWE has this whole themed PPV initiative going on, but that waters down the concept of what MITB was supposed to be: something special.

Having three MITB winners each year is way too many, and having a PPV dedicated to the concept is unnecessary. 

There's no reason why the WWE should ruin a good thing by replacing or simply getting rid of the Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania.

It would deprive fans of a ton of excitement, but perhaps more importantly, it would prevent at least one wrestler from having his WrestleMania moment.

WWE Officials Cracking Down on Marijuana Use

WWE Telling Its Talents To Live Above the Influence

If you like smoking a doobie every once in a while, then the WWE probably isn't the place for you.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the fine for a wrestler who tests positive for marijuana is now at a whopping $2,500, which has resulted in the number of WWE talents using the drug dropping to a probable all-time low.

Though some wrestlers have been smoking a synthetic weed substitute to beat the drug tests, most wrestlers have avoided the real stuff because they've been surprised with random visits by testers or required random trips to the nearest drug testing facility.

In other words, the WWE doesn't want its talent lighting up like Michael Phelps or Cheech and Chong, so they're instituting harsh fines to curtail the problem.

I'll leave the legalization of marijuana debate up to politicians, but I don't have a problem with the WWE coming down hard on wrestlers for smoking weed.

When you're a professional athlete...er...sports entertainer, there are some things that come along with it, namely making sacrifices.

If you don't put down the bong, the joint or the pope, you risk losing your mid-card or main event status, or even worse, your job.

Update on Return of Injured Raw Star Evan Bourne

Evan Bourne's Return Possibly Delayed

Though Evan Bourne was reportedly scheduled to return to the WWE by the end of February, we may have to wait a little longer to see the high-flying superstar back in action.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a WWE source says that Bourne might not be ready to return until late March or early April, leaving his WrestleMania status in question.

However, it's worth noting that he is advertised to return at the March 14 Raw taping in St. Louis.

By the way, I really hope Bourne is back in time for WrestleMania.

About a month or two ago rumors were circulating that the creative team had "big plans" for Bourne at the granddaddy of them all, though we never found out what those plans were actually supposed to be.

Now, I know Bourne leaves a lot to be desired with his mic skills, but he's a sight to see inside the ring and could participate in some entertaining feuds upon his Raw return.

I personally think there are only two options for Bourne's "big plans" if he returns before WrestleMania 27, though.

One, he wins Money in the Bank (doubtful). Or two, he gets involved in the CM Punk/Randy Orton feud, because Punk is the one who "put him on the shelf."

Wrestling-wise, a Punk/Bourne feud could be great, and it could also elevate Bourne's mic work.

Still, this is just speculation on my part, and I really have no idea what Bourne will be doing once he returns.

I just know that the WWE should take advantage of his in-ring skills and have him be more than just another guy on Raw.

Will The Rock Appear on Raw Again Before WrestleMania 27?

The Rock Not Expected To Continue to Appear on Raw Prior to WrestleMania

Though the WWE continues to play up the feud between The Rock and John Cena, don't expect to see the man now known as Dwayne Johnson on Raw too often.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that it's believed The Rock won't make many, if any, appearances on WWE programming (specifically Raw) prior to his guest hosting role at WrestleMania 27.

If he does, however, the WWE is expected to hype his appearance so that the Raw rating will spike more than it did when he was revealed as the guest host.

This is about as close to shocking as John Cena winning the Elimination Chamber match.

The Rock is a busy man, and I'd personally be very surprised if we saw him make another live appearance on Raw before WrestleMania.

A taped promo? Sure. But another in-ring promo? Doubt it.

Though I don't have specifics on the contract/deal that The Rock worked out with the WWE, I'd imagine that he was probably only required to appear on last week's Raw show and at WrestleMania.

Do I like it? Of course not. But I guess I gotta deal with it.

Plus, you can look at this two ways. Either him only making two appearances cheats us out of plenty of entertainment, or it makes us appreciate it more when we actually do see The Rock.

I'd go with the latter. The less often we see him, the more special it is.