Rey Mysterio, Snooki, Wrestlemania 27 and This Week's Top WWE News

Well, Bleachers, it's been a busy week in the world of the WWE.

As Wrestlemania 27 approaches, more and more huge backstage news stories and rumors break each and everyday.

Of course, I do my best to provide you with a look at that news while also offering my own insight and perspective into the situation.

And this week has been no different, as there have been a number of groundbreaking updates that have sent the IWC abuzz.

We've heard reports that high-flying WWE superstar Rey Mysterio threatened to leave the company, we found out that Snooki was going to Wrestlemania 27, and we witnessed the return of Jim Ross to WWE programming.

But that was just the start.

So let's take a look at the biggest news stories from the WWE this week and combine them all in one convenient place.

Enjoy. 

Would Rey Mysterio Rather Retire Than Work for the WWE?

Rey Mysterio Reportedly Requests His Release from the WWE

Stop me if you've ever heard this one before: Rey Mysterio is unhappy in the WWE and wants to leave the company.

According to wrestlingnewsworld.com, Mysterio has been looking to leave the company since early February, when he asked John Laurinaitis to be released, was told that it'd be discussed later, and then went straight to Vince McMahon to request that he be future-endeavored.

McMahon denied the request and Mysterio threatened to retire, but the two were able to work something out so that Mysterio will compete at least through Wrestlemania 27.

Though it's being said that Mysterio and McMahon have had a rocky relationship for years, the widespread belief in the company is that the two will work things out and Mysterio will stay in the company.

I've gotta say, I've lost more and more respect for Mysterio over the past few years than any other wrestler in the WWE.

First, there was his failed drug test. Then, there was Mysterio refusing to drop the Intercontinental Championship to Dolph Ziggler (after failing that test). And finally, there's this: Mysterio asking for his release for what I can only assume is a petty reason.

Maybe he wants more money, or maybe he wants a bigger push. I really don't know.

But Mysterio has millions in the bank, is still making a ton of money on merchandise sales, and has to realize his days as a top talent are numbered.

I'm sure he'd like to be in the main event at Wrestlemania 27. But so would the other 40-plus wrestlers on the WWE roster.

Again, details are sparse, but Mysterio is an aging wrestler (he's 36) with a flashy but overrated move set, terrible mic skills and a knack for getting injured.

If he wants to walk, I say let him go. He's damn sure no Chris Jericho.

Rey Mysterio's Unhappiness Amps Up WWE's Pursuit of Mistico

Did the WWE Sign Sin Cara Out of Fear of Losing Rey Mysterio?

As you read in the first update, the word coming out of the WWE (courtesy of wrestlingnewsworld.com) is that Rey Mysterio is dissatisfied with his current position and has threatened to retire rather than remain with the company.

And it's no coincidence that the WWE's pursuit of Sin Cara (a.k.a Mistico) really picked up steam when Mysterio's unhappiness came to light.

According to wrestlingnewsworld.com, Mysterio's request to leave the WWE made company officials pursue Sin Cara more aggressively.

In other words, they thought Mysterio was on his way out, so they wanted Sin Cara on his way in. In fact, there are already plans for Sin Cara to debut on Smackdown in the near future.

So, whether or not Mysterio does actually leave the WWE, the company is certainly preparing for life without him.

And to be honest, there's no one better to replace Rey Mysterio than Sin Cara.

The high-flying lucha libre style, the mask, the appeal to the Hispanic viewing audience—they're all still there.

The difference is, Sin Cara's eight years younger.

Was Sting-to-WWE Ever a Real Possibility?

Sting and WWE Reportedly Had Little Contact About a Role in the Company

I know, I know, you're probably really tired of hearing "Sting" and "WWE" in the same sentence. 

But I'm here today to finally put to bed any and all rumors about how close the two were to joining forces.

According to the Pro Wrestling Torch, multiple TNA sources have indicated that there were never any real discussions between Sting and the WWE.

The sources believe that Sting has developed a sense of comfort working with the current TNA wrestlers and didn't want to jeopardize that by jumping ship to the WWE.

This is understandable, as Sting has had a reputation—and even will admit this himself—of having to be carried in the ring.

Making the move to the WWE would involve working with wrestlers who he's never faced inside the squared circle, and no one really knows how that would have come across on WWE programming.

I'll admit that I would have marked out had it been Sting behind the "2-21-11" videos, but I'm not overly disappointed that it wasn't him, either.

Sting is where he belongs (in TNA), doing what he loves to do, and that's all that really matters.

WWE Fans Witness the End of the New Nexus on Raw

What Exactly Did CM Punk's New Nexus Accomplish?

Husky Harris, Michael McGillicutty, David Otunga and now Mason Ryan.

After "Batistwo" was punted in the skull on last night's Raw, it looks like CM Punk's entire New Nexus group has officially been written off of television and sent back down to FCW.

The group was destroyed after only a few months of existence, and now I find myself wondering why this faction was formed in the first place.

Admittedly, I was incredibly excited when CM Punk took over Nexus. Not that I thought Wade Barrett did a bad job with the group—that isn't the case at all—but I knew that, if anyone could take them to the next level, it was Punk.

Oh, how wrong I was.

Though the New Nexus received a strong initial push, I never thought that the creative team got fully behind the group with Punk as its leader.

Sure, Punk's mini-feud with John Cena was pretty good, but his feud with Randy Orton has consisted mainly of Orton punting Punk's followers in the skull and eliminating them from the group.

I understand that most of these guys will be repackaged in developmental before eventually coming back to the main roster.

But I can't comprehend why the creative team would even form a faction only to have it decimated by a single man, especially after Super Cena couldn't do it at SummerSlam 2010.

Orton's destruction of the New Nexus made McGillicutty, Harris, Otunga and Ryan look like the Jobber Squad, not the "most dominant group in WWE history" as Barrett once labeled it.

And that, my friends, really is a shame.

Is There Beef Between John Cena and Triple H?

Triple H Comments on John Cena's Main Event Status

While I haven't been able to locate the link to the actual interview, Triple H recently appeared on The Opie & Anthony Show and made a rather interesting comment about the one and only John Cena.

A reader sent in this recap of the show to PWInsider.com:

"I haven’t seen this anywhere but during Triple H’s appearance on Opie and Anthony last week, they talked about people not wanting to see John Cena in the main event of every RAW and pay-per-view event. Triple H agreed with them and said it’s a discussion WWE officials have all the time but they never make the change because they are concerned for ratings.”

Well, talk about the pot calling the kettle black, huh?

I mean, Triple H doesn't really have any business talking about another wrestler being in the main event too often.

But I obviously see his point, and apparently so do WWE officials.

The thing is, though, that if you never keep Cena away from the main event, then you're never going to know what it'll do to the ratings.

Sure, there is a reason to be concerned about younger viewers not tuning in if Cena isn't in the top feud on Raw, but let's not act like Cena's never missed any action.

He was out for a good portion of time after undergoing surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle, and the WWE didn't fall apart.

Truth is, there's not much that can bring that company down, and Cena certainly doesn't have enough drawing power to kill the WWE.

So, until we see what it's like for Cena to be on Raw but not be the show's focus, then the WWE will always have the excuse of being "concerned for the ratings."

If the WWE and Vince McMahon have any guts, they'll at least try to stick Cena in a feud that doesn't take up 25 percent of every Raw.

But let's be honest, we're more likely to see Santino Marella win the WWE Championship than we are to witness that.

Which Match Will Close Wrestlemania 27?

Will John Cena vs. The Miz Be the Main Event of WrestleMania 27?

With much of the Wrestlemania 27 card already set, we can now turn our attention to the order of the matches.

And, according to PWInsider.com, WWE officials have already decided which bouts will close the show. The current plan is for the WWE Championship between John Cena and The Miz to go on third-to-last, with Triple H vs. The Undertaker as the show's main event and a match in between.

No word on what match will split the two biggest matches on the card, but I'd expect it to be the the match featuring LayCool and Dolph Ziggler vs. Snooki, Trish Stratus and John Morrison, because Divas matches usually come between the two main events of WWE PPVs.

Anyway, while that's just speculation on my part, I think we can all agree that Taker vs. Triple H will indeed close the show.

As you know, I've gone on record in saying that the outcome of that match is way too predictable to close the biggest PPV event of the year.

But, then again, the match is too huge not to put it as the main event as well, so I'm a bit torn over the WWE's decision.

On one hand, I know that Triple H and The Undertaker deserve the spot, but on the other, I know that The Miz vs. John Cena (followed by a confrontation with The Rock) is a bit less predictable.

The creative team has done an excellent job building up what is essentially a three-way feud between Rock, Cena and Miz, and I really have no idea what to expect out of these three at Wrestlemania 27.

Am I leaning toward a Cena win? Absolutely.

But I'm also highly intrigued by what role The Rock will play in the match, and I'd love to see it go on last so that the show can end with Cena getting hit with The Rock Bottom.

Find out Who Will Announce at the Granddaddy of Them All

Who Will Be the Announcers at Wrestlemania 27?

With the feud between Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole reaching an all-time high on last night's Raw, you have to think that WWE officials will keep them away from each other at Wrestlemania 27.

And you'd be right.

According to PWInsider.com, the current plan is for Cole and Lawler to only wrestle and not announce the show, which means that the two announcers for the show would be Josh Mathews and Booker T.

Hmm, this one gets a mixed reaction from me.

While I've said for weeks now that it would make zero sense for Cole and Lawler to announce the show together (and thus, I agree with that decision), I'm not at all crazy about the prospects of Mathews and Booker T as the announcers for the granddaddy of them all.

This isn't a knock on Mathews, as I feel like he's well on his way to being the best announcer we see on weekly WWE programming.

It's just that Booker T still has a long way to go as an announcer, and this is the exact type of situation when the WWE should use—you guessed it—Jim Ross.

I mean, I honestly don't think Good Ole J.R. would have been brought back on last night's Raw if he wasn't going to be involved with Wrestlemania in some way or another.

And personally, I'd love to see Ross call the show, then have he and Lawler beat down Cole after "The King" wins the match, sending Cole back to Smackdown to announce with Booker T and Mathews while Ross and Lawler reunite on Raw.

Maybe I'm just dreaming, though.

Is It the Right Decision to Have Snooki Compete at Wrestlemania 27?

Should Snooki Be Involved with the Granddaddy of Them All?

As was announced on last night's Raw, MTV's Jersey Shore star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi will compete at WrestleMania 27, where she will team with Trish Stratus and John Morrison to take on LayCool and Dolph Ziggler.

The question is, should this match even be happening?

And my answer is, "Hell no."

While I do understand that Snooki has a certain appeal to that 18-34 demographic and she probably will affect the number of PPV buys in a positive way, this is still Snooki we're talking about.

Alcohol-drinking, pickle-eating, slipper-wearing Snooki, a 23-year-old drunk who gets paid to act like a moron and think she's 368 times hotter than she actually is.

While I'll admit that I do watch Jersey Shore, I'll be the first to tell you that the show is what's wrong with America. Under-worked and overpaid stars get more money for one appearance than I make in a year simply because they're famous for being famous.

And that's the only reason Snooki will be appearing at WrestleMania.

It's not because she's going to be a future WWE Diva or because she's good in the ring. It's because Vince McMahon will sell his soul to make a quick buck.

You think he's ever watched an episode of Jersey Shore? Hell no.

But he still decided that it would be a good idea to bring in Snooki and give her a spot in a WrestleMania match that was, according to reports, originally scheduled for Kelly Kelly.

Way to go, Vince.

You screwed over a current employee to give a job to someone you've probably never heard of and probably will never use again.

I like to call that "pulling a TNA."

Update on Jim Ross's Possible Role at Wrestlemania 27

Will Jim Ross Announce Any Matches at the Granddaddy of Them All?

In other case of "he said, she said," there are conflicting reports about whether Jim Ross will return to the announce table at WrestleMania 27.

According to F4WOnline.com, current creative plans call for J.R. to announce at least two WrestleMania matches.

This is pure speculation on my part, but I'd assume those matches will be The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels and Michael Cole vs. Jerry Lawler.

Anyway, Ross gave an interesting response to reports that he would be announcing at this year's huge PPV event.

"I find it interesting that so many websites know my wm27 role, allegedly, and I don't. 'Net rumors= news items. Irresponsible 'reporting'," he wrote on Twitter. "My role at WM27 is to appear @ Axxess. NOTHING else has been confirmed. 'Net sites should tell me the outcome of my Drs visit later 2day."

So, who are you going to believe in this scenario?

Interestingly enough, the source of the report (which I mentioned was F4WOnline.com) noted that Ross appeared to be unaware of WWE's plans to use him at WrestleMania.

Of course, that throws a new wrench into this situation.

Why would Ross not know that he was announcing on the show? Isn't this the kind of thing he'd be made aware of in advance?

I can't give you an answer one way or another, but I can tell you this: I hope F4WOnline.com is right.

It's no secret that I'm a huge J.R. fan (he's the best announcer ever) and he absolutely deserves to be part of the show.

So, even if he doesn't know it, Ross might very well be calling this year's WrestleMania.

And if that's the case, then we're all winners in this situation.

A Look at the Effects Two New Main Eventers Are Having on Raw's Ratings

Why Two Wrestlemania Main Eventers May be Turning Viewers Away

The Miz may not be the "most must see WWE Champion in history" after all.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the interview with The Miz and his match with The Great Khali on Monday Night Raw lost a whopping 380,000 viewers.

While I'm pretty convinced that had more to do with watching Khali wrestle than anything else, perhaps what occurred later in the show is more telling.

The 15-minute overrun, which featured Alberto Del Rio vs. John Cena and Miz's attack on Cena, lost another 270,000 viewers.

Of course, you could blame this second drop in viewership on a number of different factors (including Super Cena being involved), but two aspects of this ratings might be troubling.

First, the two main segments involving the miss turned viewers away. And second, a "never before seen" match between Del Rio and Cena did the same.

These are three wrestlers involved in two of the top three matches at Wrestlemania 27, and people are changing the channel when they come on Raw?

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but it's never a good sign when your supposed-to-be-top draws are actually doing the opposite of what they should be doing (gaining viewers).

As you may or may not know, I'm not exactly thrilled with the Wrestlemania card, and I think having fresher faces in both world title matches has a lot do with it.

While I'm all for the pushes of both The Miz and ADR, the ratings are telling us that we like long-time top names in the main events of the granddaddy of them all.

And if The Miz and Del Rio continue to steer fans away from WWE programming, that'll probably be the case come Wrestlemania 28.