Welcome to a new app-exclusive PWTorch feature! I am PWTorch founder and editor, Wade Keller. I've been covering pro wrestling since 1987 when I started the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter while still in high school. Over 25 years later, PWTorch reaches more wrestling fans every week than any other independent brand. When we launched PWTorch.com in 1999, one of the features I enjoyed doing the most was "Ask PWTorch." Although it took a long hiatus from the website, I did revive it in recent years in an audio format for PWTorch VIP members on my Keller Hotline. We reintroduced it to the website audience at the start of May 2013.

In the month of November, "Ask PWTorch: All-Star Panel" will be an App Exclusive, and "Ask PWTorch Staff" will be an PWTorch.com Website Exclusive. As always, VIP MEMBERS (www.PWTorch.com/govip) have daily access to both versions of Ask PWTorch on BOTH the App and the Website.

VIP members have access to BOTH versions of Ask PWTorch every day on both the VIP Website and VIP section of our App. So if you want to read both versions every day on either the app or the website at your convenience, go VIP! Sign up here: www.PWTorch.com/govip).

If you have a question you'd like us to respond to, send your question to askpwtorch@gmail.com. I, along with the Torch staff, will address you questions.

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PWTorch reader & VIP MEMBER Abdou from Chelmsford, England asks: With the exception of John Cena, Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, and C.M. Punk, the most pushed wrestler in WWE in 2013 has been Alberto Del Rio. He's been in the World Title picture virtually the whole year, after winning it in a Last Man Standing match against Big Show in January. He defended it at WM29, only to lose it to Dolph Ziggler the night after, but then regained it after the double-turn at Payback in June only to lose it to Cena at Hell in a Cell. Personally, I have never been a big fan of ADR. I can see he has movie star good looks, and whilst he's improved his work in the ring, his character lacks purpose and as a babyface he didn't connect well with the fans. I would much rather his push went to Ziggler, Damien Sandow, or Wade Barrett. My question is, why does WWE rely on so much on Del Rio, but most importantly is he overrated?

PWTorch senior columnist Bruce Mitchell answers: WWE relies on Alberto Del Rio, as you put it, because he's their best chance so far to create a Hispanic drawing card, something tht could make them a lot of money for years to come. Wade Barrett and Dolph Ziggler probably don't have as much chance to do that for WWE. Is Alberto Del Rio overrated? So far he's not as over with the fans as his push would warreant, but if things ever click an he becomes a money-drawing top guy (and it's happened before (Triple H) then he won't be overrated, then or now.

PWTorch columnist Greg Parks answers: I think there's a case to be made that WWE overvalues Del Rio. I think he's a better heel than a babyface, so much of his babyface run earlier in the year could be seen as a flop. WWE has somewhat gotten away from his rich aristocratic character that was his hallmark when he first debuted. He's good in the ring, but I wouldn't say he's great. The clincher, though, is that WWE wants a Mexican star and with Rey Mysterio eternally on the shelf, Del Rio is that guy.

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PWTorch reader Aaron P. asks: Do you think on a certain level the Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels WrestleMania matches can be seen as overrated? There's a ridiculous amount of kicking out of each other's finishing moves. At what point does it become not believable? If you watch Steve Austin vs. Michaels at WrestleMania there are attempts to hit the superkick by Michaels, but he never actually connects. Isn't that a better way of putting together a match? Just kicking out of finishers over and over can seem like a cheap way to get a pop and makes a finishing move meaningless. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot to the matches if you take away the kicking out of finishers. I remember Terry Funk in the Torch saying the matches weren't anything he hadn't seen before. For it to be a truly great five-star WrestleMania match don't you think it needs to be more innovative? Randy Savage vs. Rick Steamboat, Razor Ramon vs. Michaels, and Bret Hart vs. Austin were all matches that changed the whole wrestling industry. Undertaker vs. Michaels didn't seem to have any of that but people are still always calling them the greatest WrestleMania matches ever.

PWTorch senior columnist Bruce Mitchell answers: Sigh. Innovation is nice, in the proper context, but all a great match needs to do is to pull the audience into a roller-coaster ride of emotion, building the same way a great movie or story or sex does, climaxing in, well, a great climax.

PWTorch audio host Travis Bryant answers: How dare you! Overrated?! How very dare you indeed. HBK vs. Undertaker at Mania 25 was by far the greatest match these eyes have ever seen. You are one lucky guy I'm not in charge of subscriptions around here, or you'd be out on your ass for that blasphemous statement! HOW DARE YOU!!

PWTorch columnist Sean Radican answers: In the Taker vs. HBK matches, the kickouts worked because they added a level of drama to the match. When you protect a move, it means a lot when someone kicks out of it, which was the case in the HBK-Taker matches.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: The discipline of not kicking out of that many finishers during any other matches during the year is what helped make Michaels vs. Taker stand out so much. It’s a deliberate strategy to unleash finisher kickouts in epic WrestleMania matches, and as long as they save it for epic matches and the crowd pops for the kick outs and it adds real drama to the match, then I think it’s a good tool to have in the tool box, as long as they have the discipline not to overuse it.

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PWTorch reader Zachary S. asks: Would a storyline where Big E Langston gets a push towards a world title be a good thing for WWE? I think it be a good change from having the same people as champions all the time.

PWTorch columnist Pat McNeill replies: No. I want to see a talented newer wrestler get pushed as a World Champion, and get treated better than Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan have in their most recent runs. It doesn't matter who gets pushed if you're not pushing the wrestler correctly.

PWTorch columnist Greg Parks answers: While it's a nice change-of-pace for WWE to really get behind someone and push them to the moon, so to speak, it's more of WWE's M.O. to build someone slowly to the top of the card. That seems to be what they're doing with Langston, or at the very least, giving him an opportunity to shine during this push. I don't think he's at the "major title contender" point yet, but I do like the push he has received so far (save for the clean jobs he's done the last few weeks).

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: The story WWE should be telling is that only the elite at their craft of pro wrestling can win World Titles. They haven’t told the story yet that Big E. is at an elite level. Pro wrestling is, at its heart when it works best, promoted as a dramatized version of UFC, where titles are earned by beating people along the path of contendership. I’m sure Big E. hasn’t proven that yet storyline-wise, and I’m far from convinced he has the charisma, mic skills, in-ring athleticism, and overall look to be someone on my top five list to be given a run with a world title. I think there is a time to shoot someone to the top quickly, such as Brock Lesnar and Jon Jones in UFC, and there is a time for someone to travel a long road of proving themselves for years before getting their first World Title run. The world titles, though, shouldn’t be passed around from one person to another “just to keep things fresh.” There are other ways to keep things “fresh” without diminishing the value of the world titles by giving a bunch of people “their turn.”

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PWTorch reader Brian H. asks: Who should win the 2014 Royal Rumble and why?

PWTorch senior columnist Bruce Mitchell answers: Brock Lesnar, and then he can turn down the title shots because he hates WWE and wants to ruin the most important record in all of sports entertainment - The Undertaker's 22-0 streak at WrestleMania.

PWTorch columnist Greg Parks answers: I almost said, "it's too early to figure that out," but it is now only two months away. I would be partial to Daniel Bryan winning, which could reignite him into the title picture for WrestleMania and give a new twist on his title feud. I'm not holding my breath on that one, however. I think it's more likely C.M. Punk could win it. There don't seem to be a lot of options right now.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: It really does depend on how WrestleMania 30 shapes up. The Royal Rumble is booked backwards from whatever is planned for WrestleMania, it’s not like the old King of the Ring PPVs where you could propose someone wins “because they’re ready to be elevated.” If WWE decides to book Cena being challenged by Brock Lesnar for the World Title, for instance, then Lesnar would be a good choice to win the Rumble to give a storyline reason for him suddenly being the no. 1 contender despite not having beaten anyone lately. If the story WWE wants to tell is Bryan reasserting himself in the WWE Title picture at WM30 against Orton after Triple H wrongly omitted him from the title picture this fall, then Bryan should win the Rumble.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: There are TWO new versions of "Ask PWTorch" every day. The "Ask PWTorch: All-Star Panel" feature is now exclusive on our PWTorch App. As a VIP member, you can access both versions of Ask PWTorch on the VIP website, also (www.PWTorch.com/govip). Many of these topics in "Ask PWTorch - All-Star Panel" are also addressed by the experienced expert Torch staff ever day including PWTorch editor Wade Keller.

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