Buying or Selling John Cena vs. Logan Paul WrestleMania Plans and Latest WWE Rumors

Chris Roling

The WWE rumors landscape has hit a critical stretch, as less than a month sits between fans and WrestleMania 39.

The April 1-2 event from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, somehow feels bigger than most in history, and the buzz around it seems to match.

After all, it will host the fascinating potential conclusion to the Bloodline storyline centered around Roman Reigns, will feature all of the expected major names and will mark a landmark moment for the Triple H-led creative era.

Some of the most notable rumors center on the fate of Brock Lesnar at the event, possible returns and where names like John Cena and Logan Paul might land on the card.

Here's a look at some of the biggest rumors fans should know and whether to buy or sell them.

Vince McMahon Had Input on Omos-Lesnar

This was inevitable—WWE would make a booking decision controversial with fans and the speculation would suggest it was Vince McMahon, not Triple H, who had control of it.

The easiest culprit this year is obviously the revelation Brock Lesnar will take on Omos, something WrestleVotes suggested.

While it certainly feels like a McMahon pick, there's nothing to suggest Vince shoved his way into creative meetings and demanded it.

In fact, it can feel like a Triple H pick, too. WrestleMania is about spectacles, and Lesnar clashing with a 7'3", 400-pound giant certainly fits the bill. Omos has had his struggles at times, but he's still just 28 and the only guy who can fit this role for a long time.

It's an obvious move, really, to keep Lesnar away from title scenes and put him in a quick match that could greatly benefit Omos, a potentially key part of the company's future. That seems far more like Triple H than it does Vince at this point.

Verdict: Selling

WWE's Original WrestleMania Plans

Another report has seemingly confirmed that what fans had fantasy-booked for Mania was likely the original plan.

According to Fightful Select (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), the original plan for WrestleMania 39 was The Rock taking on unified champion Roman Reigns. One of Drew McIntyre or Cody Rhodes would have taken on Seth Rollins for the WWE championship.

The Rock couldn't make it, obviously, and one has to wonder if it would have made a difference anyway, given how well The Usos and Sami Zayn have done with the family-based storyline. This rumor implies, though, that WWE would have found a way to split the unified titles and/or create a new one for Rhodes to chase.

What this doesn't do is tell us if it equates to Rhodes actually dethroning Roman in the main event. Either way, this has always felt like the natural course of things, with Rock potentially a nice bonus atop what is already a stellar situation for WWE and fans.

Verdict: Buying

WWE wanted John Cena vs. Logan Paul

Were fans close to seeing John Cena return to take on Logan Paul in a spectacle WrestleMania match?

According to Fightful Select (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), WWE had originally planned for this match before changing course.

As of writing, though, Cena's opponent should be United States champion Austin Theory, while Paul gets into a fitting altercation with Seth Rollins.

Truthfully, it always felt like there was no way to go but Cena-Theory. Cena's the type to put over younger talent, and Theory is one of those hand-picked guys on the rise. There weren't many other appealing opponents for Theory as it is, and his parallels to Cena are almost uncanny, never mind Cena's past history with the U.S. title.

It's a similar story for Paul-Rollins. Paul has already reached the apex of fighting Reigns, and there's no more high-profile guy outside of the wrestling space than Rollins—someone who can talk up the encounter better than pretty much anyone else.

But mostly, this is about how perfect Cena-Theory has always seemed and WWE being smart enough to keep Cena and Paul away from each other to spread out their massive impacts across a two-night card.

Verdict: Selling

The Demon Set to Return

Speaking of spectacles at WrestleMania, few get bigger in the pro wrestling realm exclusively than Finn Balor's The Demon alter ego.

Fans haven't seen The Demon for a long time, at least presumably in part because sloppy booking and storytelling ruined some of the mystique.

But let the rumor mill tell it, WWE's considering it coming back. According to WRKD Wrestling (h/t Ortman), it's on the table for Balor's match at WrestleMania. And Fightful Select (h/t Ortman) says the alter ego was on the table for Balor's planned encounter with Edge at Royal Rumble.

On the one hand, there's a sense Judgment Day probably doesn't need Balor's Demon in the picture. But on the other, it would provide an interesting dynamic within the group and bring out the best in his Mania opponent.

And if nothing else, The Demon screams Mania. If not then, when? Given the flat state of Wyatt's run right now, there's always more room for a supernatural force with fans.

Verdict: Buying

Ronda Rousey Wants the Tag Titles

Conventional wisdom would have seemed to suggest that Ronda Rousey would slot into a women's title match at WrestleMania.

A solo title, that is. Rousey lost her women's title in December, and it was simple enough to expect she would be fully back in the mix by Mania season.

But according to WrestlingNews.co (h/t Ortman), the originally planned title match against Rhea Ripley was turned down by Rousey herself because she wants to win the women's tag titles with Shayna Baszler.

And the best response is...why not? Rousey has done the solo thing for a long time now. Fans might clamor for her to take on Becky Lynch at Mania or clash with Ripley, but it's hard to determine a scenario in which the loser of those hypotheticals doesn't suffer damage. Rousey herself has consistently been polarizing as a solo act for her mic work and in-ring work, too, so a foray into the tag division could help mitigate those things.

Never mind it just sounds fun. Rousey and Baszler are former UFC fighters who could tell an entertaining story against the current champions, Lynch and Lita. Given the renewed focus on Rousey and Baszler lately, this one is an easy buy.

Verdict: Buying

   

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