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




Select Next Article by Category





WE ARE A PROUD UGO AFFILIATE SINCE 1999




prowrestling.NET

WANT MORE NEWS? JASON POWELL, A TEN YEAR VETERAN INSIDER FULL-TIME PROFESSIONAL REPORTER, BREAKS NEWS AND OFFERS INSIDER INSIGHT EVERY DAY

MMATORCH.com

CLICK FOR DAILY UFC NEWS, UFC PPV LIVE COVERAGE, DAILY PODCASTS, BLOGS




The Specialists
SPECIALIST - Newth rates and reviews Raw storylines going into DX and Austin reunions
Nov 7, 2007 - 9:21:48 AM


Email This Article - Contact Us - VIP Sign-Up - Back to Home Page

| subscribe to this feed

By Chris Newth, Torch specialist

WWE Monday Night Raw
October 29, 2007
Upcoming PPV: Survivor Series (third-to-last episode before PPV)

RAW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the twelfth edition of Raw 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) Attention readers! Beginning this week, Nov. 5-9, I will be poring through my email messages looking for the most creative and interesting storyline idea for an ongoing WWE feud. If you happen to spark a great idea that would enhance a current feud for Raw, ECW, or Smackdown this week, send it in to newthtorch@hotmail.com (with the name of the show in the subject line). Three ideas will be chosen—one for each WWE show—and posted on this column at PWTorch.com.

Decisions will be based on creativity, clarity, and relevancy. Here are some guidelines to help your chances of being chosen:

(1) Be sure that you write about WWE feuds. I don't currently have a TNA column.

(2) Write about a feud that's already established on one of the shows. Don't speculate with dream matches or feuds between two people not currently in a program together.

(3) Don't ignore the elements of the story that have been featured so far. Use the current storyline as a starting point from which you can build your own continuation.

(4) Have your idea be something that WWE could start to get into next week, not something that they "should have done."

(5) Be realistic. Don't include features that would be nearly impossible for WWE to pull off.

(6) Originality is paramount. Try to avoid falling into formulaic booking traps.

(7) Time your storyline for the short-term. Aim to talk about developments for the next few weeks and up until the next PPV, not year-long Wrestlemania plans.

I've decided to expand the length to a 600-word maximum since I'm only choosing one for each show. That should be more than enough space for your ideas, and many will be able to do it with fewer words. The emphasis can be on whatever you'd like. If you want to just discuss the value of your specific storyline and how it might enhance character, go ahead. Or maybe you would rather include detailed coverage of what we should see in backstage vignettes or promos. Creating a visual depiction is always great. Talk about what each character is saying, what they are doing, what their emotion is, etc. Talk about the purpose for each segment.

So, the process for this contest is as follows: choose a storyline first, watch whatever show is carrying that storyline this week, then type up your idea and email it to me. The goal here is to gauge the direction of WWE, then continue it with your own idea.

This opportunity is exclusive to the Storylines and Feuds sections of PWTorch.com. Remember, this is a feature that's geared toward posting story ideas. No analysis, please. And don't forget to include your first and last name in the body of the email. I won't post anything without crediting the writer.

And now to WWE Monday Night Raw.

Well, with only three weeks to prep for one of WWE's Big Four PPVs, it seems that they didn't want to make too many changes to their current list of ongoing feuds. It's interesting to note that even today, with a little over two weeks left, the company has only two listed matches for the Survivor Series card. Clearly they will be throwing a lot of weight on the return of Edge on that Nov. 18 pay-per-view.

As for this week's show, I find it curious to say the least. The reaction seems overwhelmingly negative, yet many aspects of this show were pretty good in terms of developing storylines and forwarding feuds. The wrestling may have been weak, but there should be times when the storyline reliance may make up for a lack of in-ring competition. In this case, we saw many positives: a new life for Shawn Michaels in the main event, nice progression in the Rhodes-Holly feud, some strong Beth Phoenix segments, more focus on the tag team story with a new element regarding Mickie James, a promising setup for Santino and Steve Austin, and a solid match to push D.H. Smith and Jeff Hardy.

I understand that the main event was short and had a disappointing finish, but I think too many people may have overlooked all the good on the show while they were mistakenly anticipating the return of Chris Jericho. For those who were contemplating where Jericho may have fit in with multiple segments of the show, disappointment was inevitable. Yes, the binary code video package included a hint that Jericho's return may come on Raw, but that thing is inherently puzzling. If clues serve as red herrings or have other meanings, so what? Isn't that the intended purpose of a "mysterious" video package?

I may be in the minority here, but this week's Raw was moderately strong. It's a shame so many people focused more on overly-speculated hype to ignore an above-average episode of WWE's flagship show.

WWE Champion RANDY ORTON vs. SHAWN MICHAELS (4 weeks)

At Cyber Sunday, Orton delivered a blatant low blow to retain the WWE Championship via disqualification. This week, Shawn Michaels appeared to get another shot. The promo he gave was straightforward and logical. After technically winning his PPV match, he claimed that he deserves a rematch.

Well, because WWE Title matches fall under The Chairman's purview, Mr. McMahon strutted out to surprisingly grant The Heartbreak Kid his rematch without any kind of stipulation as an addendum. After McMahon tried to incite more aggression from HBK, the newly appointed Number One Contender unleashed a Superkick that (intentionally) missed McMahon.

Later, Michaels showed up to help Triple H with his Handicap Match against an eclectic team consisting of Randy Orton and Umaga.

WWE is taking a strong direction with Shawn Michaels now. It would have been nice if the reigning WWE Champion was given more time with either a promo or backstage scene of some type, but the Michaels-McMahon conversation certainly set this feud on the right track.

People have criticized Mr. McMahon for waffling his statements and setting up extensive promos without any clear purpose, but what transpired this week should not be categorized in that regard on any level. In fact, it really helped to support the Michaels-Orton feud and revitalize it with more energy. McMahon's interaction with HBK proves that his character still has a beneficial purpose if written correctly. This week perfectly exemplified how to use Mr. McMahon's character to achieve something big.

McMahon fomented the anger inside Shawn Michaels and helped to unveil some of his inner-thoughts. This, of course, led to Michaels admitting that he promised that he would never let somebody determine when he was going to leave the business. He alluded to the injury that took him out for years as well as the one he suffered from Orton's kick months ago. Although strong in premise, the inflection of his voice during the promo was mildly revealing; if you really paid attention, you could clearly tell that he was just going through the motions and repeating his lines. I'm sure that there was some solid backing behind it, but the tone was unconvincing. Despite that, however, the segment was effective in reigniting a clearer focus on Raw's main event.

Overall, this thing is coming together nicely. The excitement behind the notion that HBK may get another WWE Title run is infectious. One may need to approach this with caution, however, as it may be emanating from a vacuum now that Jeff Hardy is out of the title picture. Since WWE has concentrated its efforts on Michaels while sidetracking Hardy with the inevitable midcard track again, a clearly defined main event feud is unfolding.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8.5 [down 0.5 from last week]

Previous Feuds
Shawn Michaels: Randy Orton
Randy Orton: Dusty Rhodes & Cody Rhodes, John Cena

HORNSWOGGLE vs. WILLIAM REGAL & JONATHAN COACHMAN (8 weeks)

In one of the weaker segments on Raw, Hornswoggle participated in a one-on-one match with Jonathan Coachman, a match that saw The Little Bastard pin Coach for the 1, 2, 3. The difference maker was the special guest referee, Mick Foley. That's right. The man who barely beat out JBL in the Cyber Sunday poll was back on Raw determined to get his stint as referee through.

After some teamwork with Mrs. Foley's Baby Boy, Hornswoggle pulled out a victory with his Tadpole Splash. This wasn't supposed to be considered a "match," but rather a fun segment for another demographic. I tend not to complain when WWE throws things like this my way every once in awhile. We should keep in mind that although the 18-34 demographic may be the most important for advertising purposes, there are many young kids that enjoy the show as well. This match, as with the majority of Hornswoggle-Coach segments, are geared toward younger audiences. If the attempt—as I presume it to be—is to make the show more of a something-for-everyone type of deal, then there shouldn't be a problem.

Interestingly, there was another valid, well-planned, and note-worthy McMahon segment here. It involved Mr. McMahon explaining his point of view on life to Hornswoggle after acknowledging that he hasn't been there for his son lately. For the most part, a lot of that information seemed based on reality. I wouldn't be surprised if he felt that way in real life. Then again, if he didn't, it just underscores how convincing he is in his role as Mr. McMahon.

The conversation came off very genuine, and the reactions were right. Also, it made sense; McMahon seems to be trying to help his son out, perhaps reluctantly accepting the reality that Hornswoggle is indeed a part of his family. Plus, it served multiple purposes as it allowed us insight into Mr. McMahon's (character's) thought-process through a venue that differs from his usually-enraged disposition.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 4 [up 0.5 from last week]

Previous Feuds
Hornswoggle: Jamie Noble
William Regal: n/a
Jonathan Coachman: n/a

TRIPLE H vs. MR. McMAHON & UMAGA (10 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

Has Mr. McMahon faded out of this storyline? He seems to be preoccupied with other issues on the show, namely Shawn Michaels and Hornswoggle. In the last few weeks, Triple H and Umaga have been on their own. This week, Triple H was booked in a Handicap Match against The Samoan Bulldozer and WWE Champion Randy Orton.

The match, as mentioned previously, ended in a no contest when Michaels made the save after the heel tandem beat down The Game during their imbalanced main event bout.

As a feud itself, there really isn't anything left in the Hunter-Umaga tank; after all, we've seen Triple H beat Umaga twice now. With no believers left in Umaga, only a new opponent for The Game makes sense. However, that doesn't look likely, as this week they had him involved with Hunter yet again, and next week we can anticipate a DX reunion that features a match pitting Triple H and Shawn Michaels against Randy Orton and Umaga.

Overall, this feud is practically dead, but only in an I-look-forward-to-seeing-Umaga-pose-a-legitimate-challenge-for-Triple-H kind of way. Watching The Game clash with The Samoan Bulldozer isn't weak in and of itself. So how long will WWE stretch this one? That's the big question.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8 [down 0.5 from last week]

Previous Feuds
Mr. McMahon: Bobby Lashley
Triple H: King Booker
Umaga: Jeff Hardy

CODY RHODES vs. HARDCORE HOLLY (6 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

One week after Hardcore Holly (who really needs a nickname that I can use for alternation purposes) helped defend a vulnerable Cody Rhodes against the heel combination of an underutilized Shelton Benjamin and a largely-ignored Charlie Haas, a tag team match took place to balance the field.

Cody managed to obtain the win for his team by pinning Haas. In the post-match aftermath, Hardcore Holly gave an unexpected response to Cody's celebration when he gave the kid a stern glare before leaving the ring. What's up with that? We'll find out next week, which is a telling sign that this one is moving forward nicely.

The synergism just works here. Cody, as well as most viewers, may have taken Hardcore Holly's actions last week for granted when we assumed they were a strong team this week. That was quickly dispelled when Holly explicitly refused to celebrate with his future protégé. Interestingly, Cody has already verbally expressed his respect for Holly in a backstage vignette with Benjamin and Haas. So the idea that Hardcore isn't returning that respect just yet is intriguing because viewers are saying, "Come on, just give the kid some credit."

The story is still rolling along smoothly. WWE was able to broaden the feud when inviting The World's Greatest Tag Team to join. From here, we'll have to see how it goes. It would be interesting to play off of the idea that Holly didn't want Cody to celebrate after just one win. That argument can lead to an alternative one that suggests that all victories are valid and worthy of celebration. Or maybe Hardcore was just angry that he didn't get the win, that Rhodes managed to get the pinfall for their team. The directions are virtually endless, which is always good for both WWE as well as the WWE audience.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
Cody Rhodes: Randy Orton
Hardcore Holly: n/a

WWE Women's Champion BETH PHOENIX vs. EVERY WOMAN IN WWE

I won't spend too much time on this as it doesn't even qualify as a feud and no one really stands out as being the clear Number One Contender for Beth's Women's Championship.

Raw opened with a just-for-fun Halloween Costume Battle Royal that featured WWE Divas from all three brands masquerading in various outfits. In the end, Kelly Kelly from ECW scored a surprising victory when she eliminated Torrie Wilson. This brought out Beth Phoenix, who quickly and decisively tore The Exhibitionist to proverbial shreds with her power moves.

Later, Phoenix cut a strong backstage promo on Candice Michelle as well as her role in WWE. About Candice, she claimed that the former Women's Champion can go back to Wisconsin and wait tables. About the other WWE Divas, she said that they are all weak women who like to dress up and pretend to be people they aren't. Maybe one of them should have dressed up as The Glamazon this year.

With nobody currently slated to battle Phoenix for the title, the Women's Champion's presence has been booked well. Having an unannounced interpromotional women's battle royal gave the solid impression that no other diva was quite at the same level as Phoenix (after all, she didn't participate, she criticized the participants in her promo, and she beat up the winner). Plus, she's great on the mic. It will be interesting to see who WWE chooses as The Glamazon's next opponent.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5

Previous Feuds
Beth Phoenix: Candice Michelle

PAUL LONDON & BRIAN KENDRICK vs. World Tag Team Champions LANCE CADE & TREVOR MURDOCH (9 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

There are two specific parts to this feud that should be discussed. The first regards WWE's constant tag team switching. Each week, they seem to change Cade and Murdoch's opponents from Kendrick and London to The Highlanders. It gets more disconcerting with each passing week. Why aren't official Number One Contenders named and why hasn't there been a clear direction?

It's not that I’m against any attempts to make feuds more complex with a greater number of opponents, but that's not the case here. It seems that WWE pushes The Highlanders every other week, and viewers aren't able to differentiate which team is currently the one feuding for the titles. At one point, it seemed that they were trying to incorporate all three teams, but then there was a week where only two showed up. It's a mess.

However, the second point I'd like to make is the great development in terms of Mickie James's role in this feud. Last week, Murdoch appeared to have saved Mickie from a hard clothesline from Cade. This week, she expressed her gratefulness to Murdoch in the back. Their conversation was slightly friendly, while slightly flirtatious. Lance Cade interrupted and questioned Murdoch's ability to get a girl like Mickie even if he tried.

Overall, I like the focus on what's left of the Raw tag team division. Now WWE has planted a subplot into the feud using a potentially romantic angle with Mickie James. May the inherent tension split the champions apart? At least there's something to look forward to about these segments now. On a side note, although London and Kendrick may have the most potential in an entertainment perspective, the team of Cade and Murdoch is by far the one with the most character improvement, which is due to both the writing as well as the performances by Cade and Murdoch themselves.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5 [up 0.5 from last week]

Previous Feuds
London and Kendrick: no notable feuds since being drafted from Smackdown Cade & Murdoch: The Hardys

Intercontinental Champion JEFF HARDY vs. MR. KENNEDY (4 weeks)

This week, WWE continued the Hardy-Kennedy feud with a tag match that combined these two with Carlito and newcomer D.H. Smith.

The match was considered by many to be the highlight of the show, and it did a nice job in building Hardy with another TV victory. D.H. Smith also got a lot out of this match because not only did he team with the popular Jeff Hardy, but he also continued his undefeated record on Raw.

Other than in this match up, neither Jeff Hardy nor Mr. Kennedy were featured on the broadcast. It would have been nice to see some more development here, as this week seemed to be more about maintenance than about advancement. In any event, these two are still strong personalities with differing styles that result in interesting matches. Strong feud.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7.5 [same as last week]

Previous Feuds
Jeff Hardy: Umaga, Shelton Benjamin
Mr. Kennedy: no notable feuds since returning from injury and suspension

Comment on this Article Below (New!)

(CLICK FOR COMMENTS RULES OR TO REPORT ABUSE)
[an error occurred while processing this directive]

(CLICK FOR COMMENTS RULES OR TO REPORT ABUSE)

ALSO DISCUSS MORE SUBJECTS IN OUR PWTORCH FREE FORUM

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


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

Upgrade to PWTORCH VIP: DETAILS & SIGN-UP INFO


MORE "The Specialists" ARTICLES
1/6 WWE ECW Hits & Misses: Finlay vs. Swagger, Boogeyman, Hardy vs. Henry
1/5 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Michaels - Cena, IC Title Match, Legacy, Main Event
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - 1/5 WWE Raw: HBK's "history," Axiomatic Jericho, Substantial Penalty for Early Withdrawal
THE ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - WWE RAW 1/5: Thou shall not come off the top rope, Conflicted HBK, Evil Kelly Kelly, Chumpy Punky
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - 1/2 WWE Smackdown: Triple H selling eBay pics, Not-so-hot history of Smackdown GMs, Paging Boris Zhukov
KEY MOMENT OF THE WEEK (highly recommended read!): U.S. Government Remembers the Wrestling Industry
1/2 WWE Smackdown Hits & Misses: McCool, Edge's Promo, Helms Loses, Big Show & Edge vs. Hardys
THE ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - WWE SMACKDOWN 1/2: Trips plays with Dolls, Kozlov = New Khali, Scary Debut of Kizarny, Saturation, Snail Races
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - 1/1 TNA IMPACT: The perfect example of how to present a best-of show
WWE Misses of 2008: Suspensions, Coach, Adamle, Khali Kiss Cam
The 1st Annual Absurd Awards: Awarding the Very Best and the Very Absurd of both WWE and TNA in 2008
WWE Hits of 2008 - Flair Farewell, Miz & Morrison, Michaels vs. Jericho
12/30 WWE ECW Hits & Misses: Dirt Sheet, Finlay & Boogeyman, Hardy vs. Henry
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - 12/30 WWE RAW: JBL-HBK employee relations, How to play Hunter's Monopoly Game, Who played Charlie Snuka's coconut?
ECW Storylines and Feuds - A short edition as WWE wraps up many of the brand's ongoing rivalries
Raw Storylines and Feuds - A look at a possible feud collision, plus a rundown of all the other rivalries
Smackdown Storylines and Feuds - Full analysis on a chaotic main event landscape and more
12/29 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Glamarella, Haas vs. Snuka, Kelly & Orton, Fatal 4 Way
THE ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - WWE RAW 12/29: HBK Melodrama Mania, Designing Raw For Five Year Olds, Mr. Fuzzy Is A Year Old!
MAGIC, MEMORIES AND MANIA: Making house shows more important - use TV to hype local events

(c) 1999-2008 TDH Communications Inc. - All rights reserved.

Latest Free Podcasts
PWTorch Free Podcast
1/7 East Coast Audio: ECW - Two fine matches, Alicia's debut loss, Boogey is Boogey, End of Hardy vs. Henry? (7 min. clip)
1/5 WWE Raw post-game Show: HBK delivers again, When Bam Neely was relevant, Who's the Boss? (7 min. audio clip)
1/4 East Coast Audio: Smackdown - Sputtering Show, Vickie pics, Kizarny debut (7 min. clip)
1/3 Radican Audio Showcase with Burgan (pt. 2): Radican and Burgan are joined by Torch VIP member DrunkNinjaMast2 for his in-person perspective of ROH's Final Battle 2008. (FREE 5 min. CLIP!)
NEW VIP FEATURE: Vintage Audio Torch Talk Series - Keller's 68 minute British Bulldog interview from 1993 (never-before-heard!) - FREE 7 MINUTE CLIP
1/3 Radican Audio Showcase with Burgan: Reader mail, Mitchell announcement, Derek reviews The Wrestler and big picture analysis, special listener thank you, more! (FREE 5 MIN. CLIP!)




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!


PWTORCH READER POLL

Who was the MVP of the Jan. 5 Raw if you saw the event?
John Cena
Chris Jericho
Randy Orton
Shawn Michaels
JBL
Stephanie McMahon
Rey Mysterio & Kofi Kingston
Cody Rhodes
Sim Snuka
Manu
Kelly Kelly
Jillian Hall
Melina and/or Goldust
Santino & Beth Phoenix
William Regal
C.M. Punk
Cryme Tyme
The Miz & John Morrison
Kane
  

VOTE IN OR SEE RESULTS OF PREVIOUS POLLS

UPCOMING EVENTS LISTING

Articles Grouped by Category
Torch Today
PWTORCH YEAR-END VOTING ANNOUNCEMENT: Torch readers nominate top picks for major categories
NEW APP NEWS: Announcing a second pro wrestling news app (free) available for download as of this week
TORCH TODAY RECAP 1/6: Every News Item for Tuesday in one handy guide
WWE News
WWE News: First TNA, now WWE could be severely affected by Time Warner Cable
WWE News: John Cena's "12 Rounds" movie poster released here; Analysis of the importance of Cena's movie
WWE News: JBL comments on "The Wrestler" movie; describes drug testing performed by WWE through Wellness Policy
TNA News
TNA News: Profile of new TNA Knockout appearing on Thursday's Impact against Awesome Kong (w/VIDEO)
TNA News: Rhino discusses wrestling Kurt Angle, his time in WWE, future of TNA
TNA News: TNA heavily discounting tickets for Sunday's PPV with three ticket offers
ROH News
ROH News: Best 10 minutes of your day - new Video Wire includes Jerry Lynn and Claudio promos (w/VIDEO)
ROH News: Cary Silkin discusses WrestleMania weekend fan convention, Gabe Sapolsky firing, Paul London and TV deal rumors
ROH News: Latest Video Wire footage of Austin Aries attacking Tyler Black; steel cage match promos (w/VIDEO)
Other News
Other News: Why "The Wrestler" was almost scrapped; wrestlers who were used to model Mickey Rourke's character
Other News: Notes from "The Wrestler" U.K. premiere - Mickey Rourke describes most difficult scene; conflict with Marisa Tomei
Where Is He Now: Former U.S. champion Mongo McMichael lined up for NFL coaching job
PPV Reports
KELLER'S WWE ARMAGEDDON PPV REPORT 12/14: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live event - John Cena vs. Chris Jericho
CALDWELL'S WWE ARMAGEDDON PPV REPORT 12/14: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of John Cena vs. Chris Jericho
TNA Final Resolution ALT PERSPECTIVE mini-recap by Wilkenfeld
TV Reports
ECW ON SCI-FI ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 1/6: Caldwell, Mezzera, Stevens rate and review
1/6 ECW on Sci-Fi Report: Mayer's "alt perspective" report on Swagger vs. Finlay, Hardy vs. Henry, Kennedy DVD drinking game
CALDWELL'S ECW TV REPORT 1/6: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of WWE Sci-Fi show featuring Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry ...again
Arena Reports
12/30 WWE Smackdown Taping Results: Full results of Jan. 2 and Jan. 9 editions taped in New Jersey
12/28 WWE in New York City: John Cena cage match and crowd reaction, Team Rey vs. Team Orton, HBK vs. Kane
12/27 WWE in Trenton, N.J.: John Cena vs. Chris Jericho, Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels, Jack Swagger real deal
MMA / UFC Coverage
MMATorch Briefing: Fight announcements, contributor editorials, ESPN.com covers UFC's attempts at New York regulation
UFC 92 PPV Coverage: Detailed team coverage of Frank Mir vs. Nogueria, Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans, Wanderlei Silva vs. Rampage Jackson, Brock Lesnar at ringside
MMATorch Quick Hit: Penick's Fight Night 16 coverage
KELLER'S TAKE
KELLER: John Cena is the perfect son Vince McMahon never had
KELLER: WWE lacks basic human decency and judgment one again as they tease: Jeff Hardy might be dead! Stay tuned for update!
KELLER: ROH's new "subscription" plan falls short in about every regard for its fans
MITCHELL'S TAKE
MITCHELL: Kayfabe Commentaries Owner Disputes My Characterization of Iron Sheik Roast DVD
MOJO MITCHELL'S RAW 12/29: Stream of Manu Out, Shawn Michaels Sold Out, C.M. Punk Counted Out, and JBL On Top
MITCHELL SHORT: Statistics and Superlatives From WWE Smackdown/ECW Greensboro N.C. House Show
MCNEILL'S TAKE
Tougher Than Chinese Democracy: McNEILL Previews WWE Armageddon 2008!
McNEILL's Mailbag: On WrestleMania, Punk & The DiBiases
Deja Vu All Over Again: McNEILL previews TNA Final Resolution 2.0!
CALDWELL'S TAKE
CALDWELL'S Daily Word 1/1: Happy New Year, HBK employee program, McMahon and Torch reader response to "The Wrestler"
CALDWELL: Christmas edition of Impact showed TNA's contempt for itself as a pro wrestling promotion
CALDWELL'S MEDIA CLUB: Eddie Guerrero DVD review series - final overview of WWE-produced DVD on Eddie's life and career
RADICAN'S TAKE
The Top 15 ROH Matches of 2008 Countdown: #1 Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. Age of the Fall from Driven PPV
The Top 15 ROH Matches of 2008 Countdown: #2 Nigel McGuinness vs. Austin Aries from Rising Above 2008
The Top 15 ROH Matches of 2008 Countdown: #3 Nigel McGuinness vs. Tyler Black
The Specialists
1/6 WWE ECW Hits & Misses: Finlay vs. Swagger, Boogeyman, Hardy vs. Henry
1/5 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Michaels - Cena, IC Title Match, Legacy, Main Event
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - 1/5 WWE Raw: HBK's "history," Axiomatic Jericho, Substantial Penalty for Early Withdrawal
Guest Editorials
GUEST REVIEW: "The Wrestler" will make manly men cry, Mickey Rourke makes you believe he's a wrestler
EDITORIAL: JBL/Shawn Michaels "con" argument - Insulting to fans with real economic issues
EDITORIAL: JBL/Shawn Michaels "pro" argument - Suspend disbelief and enjoy the mic work
Torch Feedback
WWE Raw Reax #2: "Raw was the story of little things adding up to equal big things."
WWE Raw Reax #1: "Angry and conflicted Shawn Michaels is much more effective than sad, facially twitching Michaels"
ECW TV Reax #1: "There was nothing to write home about, but nothing offensive in the last episode of 2008."
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
RADICAN: Iron Sheik gets roasted and hilarity (and controversy!) ensue
RADICAN'S ROH DVD REVIEW: Return Engagement (Ibushi-Generico, Briscoes vs. Shelley & Sabin)
RADICAN: Last Call with Raven & Sandman dissapoints despite fantastic production and high expectations
Torch Flashbacks
RATINGS: Vintage 1988 PWTorch ratings of top singles, top tag teams, top all-time masked wrestlers
KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 5 YRS. AGO (12-29-03): Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H for 30 minutes, Lita & Trish & Stacy, Mick Foley and Steve Austin
POWELL (2003 Flashback): Rock refuses to wrestle Cena at WrestleMania, but he's earned right to reject proposed match
VIP Exclusive Features
1/5 Daily Keller Hotline: In-depth walk through Raw with the pros and cons of the current direction and storylines (22 min.)
Tazz wins title on ECW TItle, Keller's ECW Roster Evaluation, Monday Raw Ratings Battle - 1999 PWTorch Newsletter Back Issue (PDF and Text Formats!)
Nash lays down for Hogan, Keller's WCW Roster Evaluation, Schiavone-Foley comment - 1999 PWTorch Newsletter Back Issue (PDF and Text Formats!)
Torch Trivia
TORCH TRIVIA 1/7: Checking your WCW Saturday Night knowledge - main event 14 years ago
TORCH TRIVIA 1/6: Answer to the main event of the first Raw of 2002 when Triple H returned from his quad injury
TORCH TRIVIA 1/6: What was the main event of the first Raw of 2002 when Triple H returned from his quad injury?
Torch Instant Polls
Who was the MVP of the Jan. 5 Raw if you saw the event?
Rate the 1/5 WWE Raw on a 0-10 scale if you saw the event
Who was the MVP of the Dec. 29 Raw if you saw the show?
PWTorch Free Podcast
1/7 East Coast Audio: ECW - Two fine matches, Alicia's debut loss, Boogey is Boogey, End of Hardy vs. Henry? (7 min. clip)
1/5 WWE Raw post-game Show: HBK delivers again, When Bam Neely was relevant, Who's the Boss? (7 min. audio clip)
1/4 East Coast Audio: Smackdown - Sputtering Show, Vickie pics, Kizarny debut (7 min. clip)
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,