The Road to WrestleMania is upon us. At this time of year, the WWE rumor mill is ramped up, giving fans insight into some of the plans for the marquee matches and the Superstars who will help make this Showcase of the Immortals the spectacle it has become over the last 33 years.

This week, speculation regarding Ronda Rousey, Rey Mysterio and Braun Strowman has fans buzzing, and it suggests WWE may not have all of the show's top matches ironed out at this point.

Rey Mysterio to Re-Sign with WWE, Face John Cena at WrestleMania?

Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated reported Rey Mysterio is not only in the midst of re-signing with WWE, but he will battle John Cena at WrestleMania on April 8: "Rey Mysterio is finalizing his return to the WWE, which includes a match at WrestleMania 34. The deal is expected to be complete by the end of the week."

Barrasso went on to suggest it was Cena's call to face Mysterio once it became apparent the long-rumored match with The Undertaker would not take place.

"Cena requested to work a 'Mania match with either Samoa Joe, who is currently injured, or Mysterio, who left more of a buzz at the Royal Rumble with his appearance than any other wrestler, including the debuting Ronda Rousey," Barrasso wrote. 

Buy or Sell?

Buy. Say what you will about the prospects of Cena vs. Mysterio in comparison to Cena vs. Undertaker, but we have seen the leader of the Cenation battle the most iconic luchador of his generation in the past. In 2011, they squared off in the finals of a tournament to determine the new WWE champion.

That match, a Monday Night Raw main event, was one of the year's best free television matches and demonstrated the chemistry between them.

While both are older now and at the tail end of their careers, they each have at least one last great match in them and could well deliver the type of iconic bout, between all-time greats, WrestleMania demands. 

It may not be the dream match fans wanted, but given the strength of Mysterio's performance in the Royal Rumble, it could be much better from a quality standpoint than Undertaker would be able to deliver at this point in his career.

Management Sees Ronda Rousey as Female "Stone Cold" Steve Austin

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio suggested WWE management sees Ronda Rousey as an anti-authority badass in the same vein as Steve Austin.

In Stephanie McMahon, she has the perfect foil, and WWE programming would have the latest incarnation of its greatest, and most effective, storyline.

To this point, the rowdy one and The Billion Dollar Princess have carried their story while Triple H and Kurt Angle have been almost supporting players, suggesting the emphasis will be on the women to tell the story and dominate the airwaves en route to Wrestlemania.

Buy or Sell?

Sell. Rousey and McMahon carrying their program ahead of WrestleMania is absolutely the right idea. This rumor should be sold, though, because WWE will seemingly never stop trying to discover the next Superstar vs. Authority Figure angle to reinvigorate the fanbase.

It has not quite figured out there will never be another Steve Austin or Mr. McMahon, nor will any two on-screen characters generate the type of chemistry with each other that they did. It continues to go back to the proverbial well, unaware the water dried up a long time ago.

It is a story that has dominated WWE airwaves for so long it is tiresome and boring.

Let Rousey be a badass, but don't define what she does based on interactions with McMahon every week.

Otherwise, fans will see right through the company's attempt to shoehorn her into a role she is not ready to fill.

A Monster of a Backup Plan for WrestleMania?

As is well-known by now, Brock Lesnar did not appear as scheduled on the February 26 episode of Raw, prompting a scathing promo from Roman Reigns and speculation he may be leveraging WWE against UFC for his services.

Should Lesnar's actions affect the WWE WrestleMania 34 main event, scheduled to pit him against Reigns for the Universal Championship, officials have a backup plan in place.

According to Wrestling Observer Live's Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive, Braun Strowman has been prepped to step in if necessary.

Strowman was last seen chasing Elias through the backstage area, but 24 hours earlier, he left Reigns lying to close out the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.

Buy or Sell?

Buy. In the fluid environment of WWE, where injuries or Wellness Policy violations are awaiting top stars, it is smart for the company to have a backup plan at all times.

Given how influential Strowman has been to WWE programming this past year, he has earned the right to be in that match if Lesnar does anything that threatens the planned bout. The story between him and Reigns is a never-ending one and would deserve the WrestleMania marquee spot.

Hopefully, though, all sides come to some sort of agreement and the advertised matches go ahead as scheduled.