PWTORCH.COM
VIP SIGN-UP JUMP TO VIP
CONTACT US VISIT MMA TORCH




Select Next Article by Category





TAKE PWTORCH
WITH YOU!

PWTORCH IPHONE APP
Get our iPhone App (FREE!): Click Here
Or enter "PWTorch.com" on your Blackberry or other Smart Phone browser for mobile-version of PWTorch.


The Specialists
SPECIALIST - ECW Storylines and Feuds: Newth rates and analyzes based on latest developments
Sep 25, 2007 - 2:13:27 PM


By Chris Newth, PWTorch.com Specialist Contributor

Extreme Championship Wrestling
September 18, 2007
Upcoming PPV: No Mercy (3 episodes left until PPV)

ECW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the fifth edition of ECW Storylines and Feuds.

For those wondering about the Intrigue Level system that I employ, you can refer to the numbers as follows:

10 (excellent), 9 (great), 8-6 (very good, good, pretty good), 5 (decent; has its good and bad qualities), 4-3 (needs work, poor), 2 (bad), 1 (terrible)

ECW Champion C.M. PUNK vs. ELIJAH BURKE (2 weeks)

It's pretty obvious that Elijah Burke is going to ultimately win the Elimination Chase to earn number one contention for the ECW World Title. And since there's going to be ongoing analysis on the Richards-Burke-Thorn-Dreamer program as each week progresses, I'll leave this individual section reserved specifically for the interaction between Punk and Burke.

This week the only true confrontation occurred in the back where Punk and Burke ran into each other in the hallway. Punk wished Burke luck, which soon turned into an obvious burn. As for character, nothing much was done here beyond showing Punk as a confident champion and Burke as a determined and angry contender.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
C.M. Punk: The New Breed, John Morrison
Elijah Burke: Tommy Dreamer

BIG DADDY V (w/ Matt Striker) vs. BOOGEYMAN (11 weeks w/ 4 week hiatus)

So in ECW's big main event, Big Daddy V finally got a one-on-one match with The Boogeyman. Their conflict has been brewing for almost three months now, and WWE surprisingly hadn't decided to bulldoze V through the remnants of a deflated and directionless Boogeyman yet. That was, until this week. Finally they had the match that inevitably was to take place from day one. Big Daddy V made quick work of the Worm Eater, covering him for the clean pinfall victory.

What went wrong here? Well, a few things. The audience doesn't care about Big Daddy V yet, nor do they care about Boogeyman. So why have these two battle in the first place? If it was to get The Man Formally Known as Viscera pushed more, why did it take this long? It is nearly impossible to root for The Boogeyman. His promos usually involve messing with his opponents' mental states. Then he feuds with people and isn't really placed in any kind of engaging storyline. That's the problem. So how can this be fixed?

One idea that might work is to almost give him a run of squash-like segments, but not matches. Have Boogeyman not be affiliated with any kind of feud himself. Instead, have him show up during other people's segments every now and then. If he came out, say, every other week and tormented a heel with worms (as well as other ways to keep things fresh) for doing heelish things, WWE can create something extra with him. The heel of course would not be able to retaliate the next week because the Boogeyman's mysterious qualities don't allow him to be found. They could have him doing this non-wrestling—but still slightly entertaining—role while building some kind of entity out of his name.

Perhaps after a few months, many of the heels could join forces and try to find and destroy the elusive Boogeyman. Plus, the idea that he's haunting heels as they do bad things will put a definitive babyface aura to his currently empty character at the moment. He'll be doing some good and getting cheers for it, but he's also tormenting people (as his name suggests). It would be like a vigilante character. His popularity may increase without the need for even a single match. Plans can always change later to bring him into the ring, but until then a long series of character-building segments can influence people to want to see him compete when the time comes.

Another problem this week was the hype that went into this match. Last week, Styles and Tazz made a big deal of it. WWE advertised it on Raw and then placed it as the main event of this week's ECW. The match was pretty much a squash. I don't remember Big Daddy V ever in any danger of losing. Was it really 11 week's worth of a spectacle? I think not. Although, it was nice to see this one conclude.

These two have to move on to something else. If Big Daddy V is being pushed, have him get through his opponents a little more quickly (which is understandably tricky with ECW's paper thin roster), and if they are trying to have a babyface get in his way, let there be some kind of real story involved to enhance both of their characters. By the end of this V-Boogeyman feud, we know nothing more specific about either person. It seems kind of like a wasted opportunity with the only real success being a temporary upswing in Big Daddy V's match record (and that isn't saying much because a win over the Boogeyman isn't exactly something you should tout).

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 4.5 [up 0.5 from last week]

Previous Feuds
Big Daddy V: Boogeyman
Boogeyman: Big Daddy V

THE MIZ (w/ Extreme Expose) vs. BALLS MAHONEY (8 weeks)

I've criticized the speed and duration of this particular feud last week, citing it as beginning to lull. The build itself had been slower than usual, which is understandable considering that it is highly unlikely that it will ever see the light of day at a WWE PPV event. However, despite last week's re-introduction of Mike Knox, the story seemed to hit a wall. Something new, different, and bold had to happen to rejuvenate the story.

This week, WWE gave us just enough to stir slight interest, while maintaining a deliberately leisurely pace. First, Balls surprisingly pinned Mike Knox for a clean win. Did Mahoney just win a match with the finisher that I've never actually seen work? I’m not sure if that says a lot about Balls or very little about Knox. In any event, Balls then found the ba…courage to ask Kelly a big question.

This was one of the pivotal—if not the most important—moments of the feud's entirety thus far. Breaking the story down, the Miz begins the self-proclaimed Chick Magnet gimmick, and with Extreme Expose by his side, who can argue? Oh, that's right, anyone who noticed that Miz isn't actually dating any of them. After winning a match against Balls Mahoney, who looked to be doing another job that night for no real reason, Kelly Kelly found some kind of interest. She began to exhibit a deeper, caring disposition whenever Balls was in trouble. The Miz, who assumes that his looks and charm will always win out against a guy like Mahoney, didn't seem to care. That was, however, until Kelly hinted that there may actually be something there.

The way they had Balls Mahoney get on the mic and ask Kelly out directly was a good plan. They may have wanted to have Kelly show a straight, contemplative face for a little longer before the big smile, but it doesn't matter too much. Another great choice was to have Mahoney test the proverbial waters, so to speak. Last week, he carefully approached Kelly when she was alone backstage to give her a teddy bear. Once he saw her reaction to his thoughtful gift, his confidence was reassured. All of those ambiguous feelings during the weeks where she would check up on him after matches started to become a little bit more concrete.

So Mahoney's question is acknowledged with a smile. Miz, Layla, and Brooke, however, usher Kelly away before she can give a conclusive answer. Not bad.

Now, WWE has stalled enough here. There should be an answer to that question next week, or at least an attempt by Miz, Layla, and Brooke to now take this thing seriously and try to talk Kelly out of it. Maybe Knox will be involved in some way. Maybe WWE will finally define the relationship Miz has to Extreme Expose. Maybe Balls will be dating Kelly with some serious repercussions. They gave us something this week, which is always helpful.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5 [up 0.5 from last week]

Previous Feuds
Miz: no notable feuds since coming from Smackdown
Balls Mahoney: no notable feuds in recent memory

ELIMINATION CHASE: STEVIE RICHARDS vs. KEVIN THORN vs. ELIJAH BURKE vs. TOMMY DREAMER (1 week)

What a great idea it is to have an Elimination Chase determine the number one contender for C.M. Punk's ECW World Title. It's a fresh and unique setup that allows all of the challengers to compete at once with a single elimination each week to narrow the field. Unlike the usual tournaments WWE frequently employs, this Chase allows for an event that is analogous to other popular competitions on television. The Chase is like a rousing tournament in poker, where a set number of people play at once, and one by one they drop out of the game. It can also be compared to most reality shows, which feature a group of people who all share the same desire. One elimination per week will bring C.M. Punk his official challenger.

The compelling concept, which had to be limited to four starting wrestlers due to a fast-approaching PPV in three weeks, pits Stevie Richards, Kevin Thorn, Elijah Burke, and Tommy Dreamer in this week's challenge—a Fatal Four-Way match. Unlike generic four-way matches, this one doesn't provide a single winner; instead, it provides a single loser.

So, with both heels applying a doubly strong cover, Stevie Richards was the first of the four to be eliminated. His loss indicates that next week, The Silver-Tongued Pugilist, The Vampire, and The Heart and Soul of ECW will compete in another elimination match, which will subsequently narrow the competition to two individuals.

The absence of a legitimate storyline here is warranted. There's no need. This is a part of the show where the audience is given an opportunity to focus on the in-ring aspect of the show. This is where competition, technical strength, and athletic ability tell an adequate story. With tournaments and other like events, the use of story can sometimes get in the way of the action. Viewers just want to know who will win so that the ECW Championship match at No Mercy is set. Now, it's always a good idea to think ahead and plant small storyline devices into the Elimination Chase to give Punk versus whoever a leg to stand on once it is finalized (which most likely was the interaction between Burke and Punk earlier in the show).

So this thing cannot be evaluated so much on storyline or character strength. There's no need for that just yet. The wrestlers will basically be using the characters that have been created up until now to guide us through this competition until a winner is revealed. The real story here is the series of matches. Expect next week's story to be Tommy Dreamer's valiant struggle to make it through a tough matchup against two heels.

So, until we get an actual storyline between C.M. Punk and the winner of this challenge, just enjoy the Elimination Chase for what it is: an interesting concept that acts as a unique determinant for the challenger that will participate in one of the three world title matches being defended at No Mercy.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 6.5

Previous Feuds
Stevie Richards: n/a
Kevin Thorn: no notable feuds in recent memory
Elijah Burke: Tommy Dreamer
Tommy Dreamer: Elijah Burke

FEUD CONCLUSIONS

(1) Stevie Richards vs. Kevin Thorn?
(2) Big Daddy V vs. Boogeyman?

POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Mike Knox vs. Balls Mahoney?
(3) C.M. Punk vs. Armando Estrada?

Thanks for reading, everyone. If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to email me at newthtorch@hotmail.com. I appreciate all of the feedback.


Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.

For more BREAKING NEWS on WWE, TNA!
VISIT OUR AFFILIATE - PROWRESTLING.NET


For UFC & MMA NEWS & BLOGS:
VISIT OUR SISTER SITE - MMATORCH.COM

Upgrade to PWTORCH VIP: DETAILS & SIGN-UP INFO


MORE "The Specialists" ARTICLES
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - TNA Impact: CLICK ON THIS LINK TNA, If You Dress Like Hulk Hogan People Will Give You Money, I Use Amazing Red To Floss My Teeth
11/19 WWE Superstars Hits & Misses: Rosa Mendes, Eric Escobar, Lackluster Show
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - TNA Impact 11/19: Forgotten history between A.J. and Angle, TNA's new cameras, Pope gets referee assist, Numbers - The Rock a horrible tag champ
HITS & MISSES - TNA IMPACT 11/12: Review of last week's show before tonight's Impact - Wolfe-Angle build-up, Lethal loses to Niedhart
11/17 WWE ECW Hits & Misses: Intensity, Hurricane vs. Burchill, Regal & Punk vs. Christian & Truth
11/16 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Miz vs. MVP, Piper - McMahon, Kingston's Moment, Survivor Series Hype, JeriShow vs. DX vs. Cena & Taker
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - WWE Raw: Kofi's Boom Drop In The Garden, Triple H Fears Hornswoggle, Piper To Star In John Carpenter's "They Bald" Starring Hulk Hogan
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - TNA Turning Point: Rewarding Main Events, Nash And "The Fingerpoke of Doom" Incident, Why Jay Lethal Should Be A TNA Cameraman
11/13 WWE Smackdown Hits & Misses: Punk vs. Truth, Lame DQ, Ziggler vs. Morrison, Jericho vs. Undertaker
PARKS BLOG: A Mind-Boggling, Legendary Loss for Jay Lethal on Impact
GARDNER'S KEY MOMENT OF THE WEEK: Where the Survivor Series build-up has fallen short
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - WWE Smackdown: Chris Jericho vs. Undertaker For The First-Time Ever, Batista Wants To Snap His Friend's Neck, Jim Neidhart Squashes Evan Bourne
WILKENFELD'S TNA Turning Point 2009 PPV Preview
11/12 WWE Superstars Hits & Misses: Hardy vs. Smith, MVP vs. DiBiase
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - TNA Impact 11/12: Jay Lethal's ridiculous Impact losing streak, More 1980s music quotes, What else does STF mean?, Numbers - top and bottom title averages
PARKS BLOG: WWE could learn something about character development from Food Network's WWE-themed show
11/10 WWE ECW Hits & Misses: Abraham Washington, Ryder's Fantasy, Christian vs. Regal
11/9 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Miz - Swagger, Guerrero vs. Hatton, VIP Lounge, Cena vs. Triple H vs. Michaels Hype
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - WWE Raw: Trust Funds Babies vs. Ex-Cons, Two Things for C.M. Punk Fans To Look Out For, DX and Cena To Break Sensational Record
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - TNA Impact: "Do Not Undermine Mother TNA, Comrades. TNAism Will Crush The Weak And Corrupt North!"

(c) 1999-2009 TDH Communications Inc. - All rights reserved.

Current Top Ten Staff Picks
Staff Picks
11/21 Hulkamania Tour in Melbourne: Very detailed report on Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair's first matches back, Hogan and Flair bleed heavily, Undercard matches re-create Attitude Era
TORCH TALK DAILY with Eric Bischoff: In-depth look at why Vince McMahon is marketing the WWE product as PG family-friendly
WWE News: TOP STORY - "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson working with WWE on a TV project beyond guest-hosting Raw
WWE News: Linda McMahon reveals the McMahon Family's vast wealth in Senate campaign filing
WWE News: Raw TV ratings are in - Did Raw rebound from the 2009 year-low?
WWE News: WWE announces guest hosts for the next four weeks of Raw, including two new names
Hogan News: Watch VIDEO of the Hulkamania Press Conference breaking down into a staged fight (w/VIDEO)
TNA News: SPOILERS - first two matches announced for TNA's December PPV
MOJO MITCHELL'S WWE RAW 11/16: Stream of Piper In The Back, Hornswoggle Stabbed in the Back, An MSG Look Back, Mr. McMahon Backs Out, Kofi Kingston Backs Randy Orton Up
CALDWELL'S WWE RAW REPORT 11/16: Complete coverage of Roddy Piper hosting, DX vs. Cena & Taker vs. Jericho & Show


TORCH QUICK-CLICK REFERENCE LIST
-CLICK TO FOLLOW PWTORCH ON TWITTER!
-CLICK FOR OUR FREE PWTORCH IPHONE APP

-CLICK FOR OUR FREE PODCAST (#1 in iTunes!)
-CLICK TO GET INFO ON BECOMING A VIP MEMBER
-CLICK TO VISIT MMATORCH.COM
-CLICK TO VISIT PROWRESTLING.NET

-CLICK TO EMAIL PWTORCH EDITORS




PWTORCH READER POLL

SMACKDOWN POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/20 Smackdown if you saw the show?
The Undertaker
Kane
Chris Jericho
Big Show
Batista
Rey Mysterio
Matt Hardy
Tyson Kidd
John Morrison
Dolph Ziggler
C.M. Punk
R-Truth
Drew McIntyre
Finlay
Mickie James
Layla
Eric Escobar
Vince McMahon
Teddy Long
Vickie Guerrero
  

VOTE IN OR SEE RESULTS OF PREVIOUS POLLS

ARE YOU VIP? SIGN UP NOW FOR $7.50 A MONTH FOR INSTANT ACCESS TO AD-FREE, BENEFIT-PACKED VIP VERSION OF PWTORCH.COM (see screen capture)
PWTORCH VIP HOME PAGE

INFO ON SUBSCRIPTION TO AD-FREE VIP SITE

INCREDIBLE BENEFITS!
Over 50 full-length audio updates per month (iPod compatible)... New weekly award-winning Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter (text and printable pdf versions) with latest exclusive insider news, new Torch Talks, great columns, Keller's cover story, much more... Hundreds of full-length back issues of PWTorch Newsletter from late-'80s to today... Ad-free access to PWTorch.com's Main Listing... VIP Forum with interaction with other subscribers and Torch staff... Torch Talk Library with text and audio of hundreds of interview installments from last 20 years... Great layout... Deepest archives on pro wrestling history anywhere... Keller's PWTorch Today PDF Bulletins with email alerts... VIP Email reports on major PPVs and TV shows... Staff Roundtable Reviews (text and audio) followiing major events... The best staff of writers and world class reporting since 1987... We'd love for you to join us and experience the most entertaining, authoritative, experienced staff of professional reporters and commentators in the business...

SIGN ME UP NOW!

Compare the value of four or five months of PWTorch VIP content to the price of just one PPV. Can you cut 25 cents a day from your budget to make room for PWTorch VIP?

AND NEW FOR 2009!
Monthly "Vintage Audio Torch Talks." We are releasing for the first time ever audio versions of our text Torch Talk updates, the historical first series of insider interviews ever. Wade Keller's newsmaking in-depth interviews with wrestling's biggest names are now being made available exclusively to VIP members. But you must be a member each month, as these are not archived, so they are replaced with a new one each month! This debuted in January 2009 with a 68 minute interview with the late "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. Who's next? Hulk Hogan? Eric Bischoff? The Rock? Goldberg? Jeff Hardy?

SIGN ME UP NOW!


UPCOMING EVENTS LISTING

Articles Grouped by Category
Torch Today
WWE SURVIVOR SERIES PPV PICK 'EM CONTEST: Prediction Contest for Sunday's PPV
WWE RAW 11/16: Place Your Bets on tonight's Raw - Week 12 featuring Roddy Piper
WWE RAW 11/2: "Place your Bets" Scoreboard after Week 11 - Review the previous scores before tonight's Raw PYB contest
WWE News
TORCH TALK DAILY with Eric Bischoff: Bischoff talks Standards & Practices in WCW before Vince Russo came along
WWE News: What's on Smackdown tonight - Taker & Kane vs. Big Show & Jericho
WWE News: Jim Ross comments on possible WrestleMania 26 return, current WWE contract status
TNA News
TNA News: Spike TV pre-empting episode of Impact in December
TNA News: TNA Impact ratings break down - Inside the numbers on TNA's recent ratings trends
TNA News: Impact rating is in - how did post Turning Point episode fare?
ROH News
ROH News: ROH Title match signed for Final Battle; Air dates for McGuinness and Danielson's Farewell speeches
ROH News: Ring of Honor announces details on Austin Aries's next ROH Title defense
ROH News: Tonight is Bryan Danielson's final ROH match - details on tonight's special ROH TV episode (w/VIDEO)
Other News
Other News: "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson records PSA for NASA as new spokesman (w/VIDEO)
PWG News: Results from Battle of Los Angeles first round matches; final matches scheduled for tonight
PWG News: First round matches for tonight's Battle of Los Angeles tournament - Aries vs. Kendrick; Cabana, Shelley, Strong in action
PPV Reports
CALDWELL'S TNA TURNING POINT PPV REPORT 11/15: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Daniels
RADICAN'S DGUSA "Untouchable" PPV review - Doi vs. Danielson, Shingo vs. Richards
10/25 WWE Bragging Rights Results: KELLER'S detailed match-by-match PPV report - Cena vs. Orton Iron Man match
TV Reports
PARKS' WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 11/20: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the show, including Jericho & Show vs. Undertaker & Kane
CALDWELL'S WWE SUPERSTARS TV REPORT 11/19: Complete coverage of Henry vs. Rhodes on WGN
PARKS' TNA IMPACT REPORT 11/19: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the post-Turning Point show
Arena Reports
11/21 Hulkamania Tour in Melbourne: Very detailed report on Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair's first matches back, Hogan and Flair bleed heavily, Undercard matches re-create Attitude Era
11/14 TNA in Scranton, Pa.: Second Report - Styles vs. Joe vs. Daniels, Chris Sabin vs. Suicide, Amazing Red vs. Homicide
11/14 WWE in Dublin: The Undertaker very limited in the ring vs. C.M. Punk, Rey vs. Dolph, Very interesting John Morrison vs. Matt Hardy match, No Jericho
MMA / UFC Coverage
MMA News: Update on Brock Lesnar's health - how long Lesnar had been dealing with health problems, expected return to UFC
MMA News: Brock Lesnar health update - UFC president much more optimistic than this weekend
MMA News: Brock Lesnar released from the hospital tonight; Lesnar's UFC future in doubt
KELLER'S TAKE
KELLER BLOG: WrestleMania goes up to $55, all other PPVs $45 - let the pirate feed frenzy begin
KELLER BLOG: Dixie Carter asks wrestlers to step it up, but what does that mean? Shouldn't their goal to be winning matches and nothing else?
KELLER FLASHBACK: Review of Hulk Hogan's first autobiography - Hogan's political maneuvers evident in who he protects and buries
MITCHELL'S TAKE
MITCHELL FLASHBACK (Dec. 1994): C.M. Punk's character is the latest Vince McMahon creation responding to criticism of his WWE product
MOJO MITCHELL'S WWE RAW 11/16: Stream of Piper In The Back, Hornswoggle Stabbed in the Back, An MSG Look Back, Mr. McMahon Backs Out, Kofi Kingston Backs Randy Orton Up
MOJO MITCHELL'S RAW 11/2: Stream of My Fourth Grade Hero and The Mid-Card Kicks Main Event Ass
MCNEILL'S TAKE
Get Thru This: McNEILL Previews WWE Survivor Series 2009!
The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down: McNEILL previews TNA Turning Point 2009!
McNEILL BLOG: The Big Questions About Hulk Hogan in TNA
CALDWELL'S TAKE
CALDWELL'S PPV/DVD REVIEW: Dragon Gate USA's "Open the Historic Gate" debut event - Review of whether following DGUSA is worth your time and money
CALDWELL'S TUESDAY CHAT w/GREG PARKS: Raw, Smackdown, TNA PPV discussion - MSG crowd, Survivor Series hype, Kofi breaks out, CSI:Miami vs. 30 Rock
CALDWELL'S BLOG: Hitting the hot topics - Raw tonight, Turning Point vs. Survivor Series, Jesse Ventura, Brock Lesnar, Shane McMahon
RADICAN'S TAKE
RADICAN: A list of things wresters and TNA fans can support for Dixie Carter
RADICAN'S SHIMMER Vol. 23 Review - Busic-Melissa, Kong-Martinez, MsChif-Deeb
RADICAN: Daddy's little girl V 2.0 debuts on Impact
The Specialists
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - TNA Impact: CLICK ON THIS LINK TNA, If You Dress Like Hulk Hogan People Will Give You Money, I Use Amazing Red To Floss My Teeth
11/19 WWE Superstars Hits & Misses: Rosa Mendes, Eric Escobar, Lackluster Show
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - TNA Impact 11/19: Forgotten history between A.J. and Angle, TNA's new cameras, Pope gets referee assist, Numbers - The Rock a horrible tag champ
Guest Editorials
GUEST EDITORIAL: Disgruntled TNA fan says he's done with the promotion after today's Impact taping (Contains SPOILERS)
GUEST EDITORIAL: The ultimate irony - Hulk Hogan appears on TNA Impact and pre-taped TV sitcom promoting WWE on the same night
GUEST BOOK REVIEW: Hulk Hogan provides strong defense of his public image in new autobiography
Torch Feedback
ECW TV Reax #1: "C.M. Punk scoring the pin in the main event made Smackdown seem more important than ECW"
WWE Raw Reax #3: "While WWE delivered an above-quality show, they still haven't given viewers a reason to order Survivor Series"
WWE Raw Reax #2: "This was NOT one of the best Raws of 2009, but one of the worst..."
Ask the Editor
Ask the Editor: Wouldn't incorporating MMA-style holds into pro wrestling matches just be trying to be something it's not?
ASK THE EDITOR: Have the Michaels-Batista promos crossed a line with use of insider terms, references to "jobs"?
ASK THE EDITOR: Why do wrestlers in WWE refer to wrestling as "the business" and not "the sport"?
DVDs - VGames - Books
CALDWELL'S PPV/DVD REVIEW: Dragon Gate USA's "Open the Historic Gate" debut event - Review of whether following DGUSA is worth your time and money
RADICAN'S ROH DVD REVIEW SERIES: Death Before Dishonor VII: N2 - Storm-Hero, Ryan-Cabana
RADICAN'S SHIMMER Vol. 23 Review - Busic-Melissa, Kong-Martinez, MsChif-Deeb
Torch Flashbacks
KELLER'S WWE SURVIVOR SERIES PPV REPORT 5 YRS. AGO (11-14-04): Benoit & Orton & Jericho vs. Evolution & Edge, JBL vs. Booker T, Team Angle vs. Cena Dream Team
PARKS'S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 1 YR. AGO (11-21-08): Final Survivor Series build-up to Undertaker vs. Big Show casket match, Jeff Hardy vs. Triple H, Morrison & Miz
KELLER'S WWE SURVIVOR SERIES PPV REPORT 10 YRS. AGO (11-14-99): Big Show vs. Triple H vs. The Rock, Edge & Christian & Hardys team, Chris Jericho vs. Chyna
VIP Exclusive Features
11/20 Wade Keller Hotline - Guest Bruce Mitchell: Survivor Series Match by Match Preview & Predictions (20 min.)
11/20 Bruce Mitchell Audio Show: Listener Questions - How Vince McMahon was perceived before he took over, Outlaw Promotions stories, Sting Flips off Bruce, Albano Craziness (45 min.)
PWTorch Newsletter #1117/1118 (31 pages!): Raw at MSG, TNA Victory Road PPV Roundtable, Mitchell on Russo-Hogan, Keller on Dixie Speech, more
Torch Trivia
TORCH TRIVIA 2/28: Which wrestler backed out of a WWA PPV in February 2002?
TORCH TRIVIA 2/27: Who said this quote about Hulk Hogan's athleticism 11 years ago?
TORCH TRIVIA 2/25: What said this quote about WWE's mid-1990s drug testing policy?
Torch Instant Polls
SMACKDOWN POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/20 Smackdown if you saw the show?
TNA IMPACT POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/19 Impact if you saw the show?
ECW MVP POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/17 ECW TV if you saw the show?
PWTorch Free Podcast
11/4 Nostalgia Audio with Brian Hoops: Format change to the show, new guest host, upcoming shows
FREE FOR ALL: 10/27 Bruce Mitchell Audio Special: Hogan-Bischoff-TNA story from all angles including Monday Night War II possibilities (32 min.)
6/23 Nostalgia Audio with Brian Hoops: Former WCW rapmaster PN News joins Brian Hoops to preview upcoming Midwest shows (10 min.)
Annual Obituaries
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 1999 - Muchnick, Rick Rude, Owen Hart, Renegade...
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2000 - Solie, Albright, Duncum, Tsuruta, Blue Demon, Al Costello
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2001: Johnny Valentine, Terry Gordy, Chris Adams, Bertha Faye, Helen Hart