CSS Daily Wrestling Rumor Roundup for Monday, Feb. 11

Speculating on the rumors surrounding pro wrestling is a favored pastime of many fans, perhaps second only to actually watching the matches. In this daily column, we will be taking a look at the latest rumors being churned out by the pro wrestling rumor mill.

Important reminder: Rumors are just that -- rumors. None of this has been confirmed as legitimate news or fact; so remember to take it all with a grain of salt.

For my inaugural "CSS Daily Rumor Mill" column, I've decided to recap the rumors surrounding the return of one of WWE's biggest stars:

Chris Jericho ~

Jericho's return as the #2 entrant at last month's Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) event was a major surprise. He reportedly drove into Phoenix, AZ in order to avoid fans at the airport potentially spoiling his return. He then stayed on a bus outside of the arena until it was time to make his entrance.

It wasn't long after his return that the rumor mill began to churn. Initial rumors regarding the plans for Jericho stated that he would first reignite his feud with Dolph Ziggler from the summer. Then, Jericho would be turning heel in order to feud with Ryback and put him over in a match at Wrestlemania 29.

During last week's Monday Night Raw, Jericho was scripted to interact with Ziggler. However, he won the "Raw Active Poll" which determined he was instead to have a match with CM Punk. Apparently, this was much to the surprise of WWE, since it was expected that Randy Orton would win the poll. Whether the "Raw Active Polls" are legitimate or not is another can of worms entirely, but it is interesting nonetheless.

Additionally, Jericho is currently scheduled to have a match at this Sunday night's (Feb. 17) Elimination Chamber pay per view event. However, no match has officially been added to the card for him at this point. There is speculation that a match with Ziggler could possibly be added to the card at some point during the week-long build to the Elimination Chamber.

There is also the possibility that, as a former world champion, Jericho could be a surprise entrant in the chamber match to determine the challenger for the World Heavyweight Championship on April 7 at WrestleMania 29.

Regardless of how it plays out, Chris Jericho looks to be playing a major part in WWE storylines over the next several months.

Other Rumors for the Day:

• Four superstars (Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, and Mark Henry) have already been confirmed for the Elimination Chamber match this weekend (Feb. 17); which will determine who faces the reigning World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania 29 later on this year. Two remaining spots have yet to be filled. Currently, it is expected that Jack Swagger and The Great Khali will be getting those spots, with announcements coming on this week’s televised shows. There is also a possibility that one spot will be left open so that the final entrant will be a surprise at the PPV itself.
• Previously, I have mentioned WWE is expected to announce WrestleMania 30 will take place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA in 2014. This announcement is expected to come at this Sunday’s Elimination Chamber PPV, which just happens to take place in... New Orleans. Madison Square Garden (MSG) was apparently making a last minute push to host the event. However, WWE would prefer to hold all future WrestleMania events in stadiums, rather than smaller arenas like MSG, due to the profitability a 70,000+ capacity stadium provides.
• Along that same vein, there is some talk that WWE could be looking to hold other major PPVs, particularly SummerSlam, in stadiums as well.
• Once again, John Cena was not scheduled at any of this weekend’s (Feb. 8-10) house shows. There was a rumor several weeks ago implying Cena is nursing a number of minor injuries that have built up over time, similar to the bone chips in his elbow which caused him to miss October’s Hell in a Cell 2012 PPV. WWE is rumored to have a plan in place to wind down the 35-year-old’s schedule over the next two years, in order to extend his career in the long run. This plan likely includes limiting his house show appearances, before eventually eliminating them altogether, and having him wrestle fewer televised matches, while still making appearances.

If you have heard of any interesting rumors that you'd like to add, feel free to post them in the comments section below. Please remember these are merely rumors. Try not to take them too seriously, just have some fun with them.