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
Raw Storylines and Feuds - Where does Regal stand and what can strengthen the Orton-Hardy feud?
Jan 12, 2008 - 10:00:46 PM


By Chris Newth

WWE Monday Night Raw
January 7, 2008
Upcoming PPV: Royal Rumble (third-to-last episode before PPV)

RAW STORYLINES AND FEUDS

Welcome to the twenty-first 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)

This particular edition of Raw is going to be remembered for its conclusion. The show ended up being quite gimmick-crazy, but at least there was justification for it with Raw Roulette being a rare episode. The ending was excellent in grounding the show and driving the main event home. Jeff Hardy has never looked better, and a win over Umaga is not something that you'll find every week on Raw. What a terrific way to build Raw's newest top babyface.

WWE Champion RANDY ORTON vs. JEFF HARDY (4 weeks)

Jeff Hardy was set to cut a backstage promo on Randy Orton after the Legend Killer's attack on a vulnerable, injured Matt Hardy last week. Jeff claimed that he will go to the Royal Rumble and take Orton's WWE Championship for his brother. It was then announced that Jeff Hardy would compete in a Steel Cage Match against The Samoan Bulldozer, Umaga.

The main event eventually got underway, and it had great back-and-forth action between both Hardy and Umaga. Randy Orton stood at ringside cheering Umaga on. He threw a few steel chairs into the ring to help The Samoan Bulldozer. Hardy did a nice job taking the brunt of the beating before coming back at the end. The entire match built to an amazing crescendo, where Jeff Hardy found himself at the top of the cage with Umaga on one side and Randy Orton on the other. He then risked his body with an incredible high-spot where he jumped back into the ring, launching himself at Umaga with a Whisper in the Wind. The impact floored Umaga, and Hardy was able to cover him for the clean pinfall.

Orton watched on in astonishment. Shock doesn't quite describe it. Orton was finally given more than adequate reason to fear this upcoming bout with Jeff Hardy for the WWE Title. Hardy ascended the cage again and looked down at Randy Orton from above. The intensity of the stare-down complemented the similar intensity of the match itself. They replayed the Whisper in the Wind spot again, and the show ended on a great note.

Overall, this feud is on fire at the moment. WWE did exactly what needed to be done, which was to give Jeff Hardy a chance to get more fans to believe in him. The incredible delivery of the Whisper in the Wind from atop the steel cage in conjunction with the subsequent pinfall victory over Umaga certainly accomplished everything that needs to be done on the babyface side of the equation. Is Orton a strong enough heel to match Hardy's meteoric success? I don't know, but it's probably not worth dousing Hardy's momentum by giving Orton some more steam heading into the Rumble. Perhaps there's a way for Orton to be built a little better while maintaining Hardy's fire.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 9.5 [up 1.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Jeff Hardy: Umaga, Mr. Kennedy, Triple H
Randy Orton: Dusty Rhodes, Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho

THE JEOPARDOUS ULTIMATUM FOR RIC FLAIR (7 weeks w/ 2 weeks hiatus)

The Nature Boy didn't show up this week on Raw. Maybe his upcoming feud with MVP is going to keep him over on Smackdown for awhile.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7 [down 1 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Ric Flair: n/a

HORNSWOGGLE vs. MR. McMAHON (18 weeks w/ 1 week hiatus)

Hornswoggle was shown backstage gleefully circling the spinning roulette wheel. Mr. McMahon soon stepped in to calm his hyper son. He began to tout his win at the Royal Rumble years ago and planted the idea in his son's head that Hornswoggle could be the next McMahon to win it. The Chairman then promised Hornswoggle a Royal Rumble Qualifying Match. The match would be a tag team contest.

Hornswoggle scoured the back for a teammate. Super Crazy said that he wasn't "that crazy" and left Hornswoggle to continue his search. Super Crazy hasn't had a relevant match on Raw in months. Does it really make sense for him to turn Hornswoggle down? Furthermore, let's see if he makes it into the Rumble in a few weeks. If he doesn't participate, we'll know it was utterly stupid for him to make that decision (from a character's perspective).

Next Hornswoggle tried to talk Santino into being his partner. It's still great to know that Hornswoggle sees everyone as a potential friend. His character doesn't really differentiate heels from faces. Santino rejected the offer, more-or-less saying what Super Crazy said—that he'd have to be crazy to team with Hornswoggle for a shot at the Rumble. He also mentioned that he didn't want to irritate Mr. McMahon. At least that's a good reason for a heel to use. Something seemed off with Santino this week, though. It wasn't that his lines were unfunny per se, but his timing or delivery may have been off.

It was soon match time, and Hornswoggle had apparently made his pick, an unknown wrestler named B.K. Jordan. Their opponents? The Highlanders. Uh, does anyone want to ask Super Crazy or Santino if they have changed their minds? Suddenly, Mick Foley's music hit, and he immediately replaced Hornswoggle's unknown friend. The match was kept short, and the babyfaces won when Hornswoggle landed his top rope splash for the victory.

Overall, this feud is coasting. Hornswoggle's entry into the Royal Rumble will be unique, but likely forgettable.

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

Previous Feuds
Mr. McMahon: Bobby Lashley, Triple H, Hornswoggle

CHRIS JERICHO vs. JBL (4 weeks)

A video package started things off by reminding us about the issues between these two. Because the reasoning seems so weak—with Jericho being thrown into JBL at Armageddon as the fuel for the feud's inception—WWE needs to keep bringing it up so that we don't forget. I guess it won't matter later, as his week's events can become a much more fulfilling type of justification for the rivalry's continuation.

Chris Jericho walked out to the ring, and video of Mr. McMahon aired. He spun the wheel, then they went to commercial. When the break ended, it was announced that Jericho would be in a Handicap Match. Isn't it weird that he didn't get a partner to face some single heel? I mean, the Handicap Match option on the Raw Roulette wheel doesn't necessarily specify who gets to team up. Of course, that argument is quickly rendered meaningless when you consider that Mr. McMahon is the one in charge of spinning the wheel and making the matches, but I still raise these questions nonetheless.

Jericho's opponents were Snitsky and JBL. Lawler said that Jericho didn't just bump into John Bradshaw Layfield, he "plowed" into him, embarrassing JBL. The match quickly broke down, and the action immediately spilled to ringside. JBL slammed the ring bell upside Jericho's head. He then hurled Y2J's head into the steel steps. Suddenly, JBL grabbed a long cable near Lilian's seat, and he harnessed it around Jericho's neck. What was somewhat questionable soon turned into something even more controversial as JBL dragged Jericho by the neck and began to feed the cable through a high piece of stage setting as if to hang his opponent (for bumping into him a few weeks ago). Officials arrived on the scene to stop JBL.

Overall, this feud just picked up some more steam. It will be imperative to keep things rolling into the Royal Rumble, and WWE is likely to maintain that momentum for this key feud. In terms of the story, it still suffers from a weak premise, but new twists and turns throughout its development could correct that issue. Soon, if they haven't already, casual viewers will forget why they are fighting in the first place. Then it's going to just be a matter of keeping the story moving.

And as for my observation last week about the potential effects of having too many top-level stars on a single show, it was met by similar opinions by readers.

Terrie Neilson writes:

I took a look at the rosters for WWE and TNA, and Raw is definitely suffering from "Too Many Cooks" syndrome. The way Michaels-Kennedy is being treated, your statment is true: "The second scenario is that because all of the main eventers cannot possibly fit
at the top of the show in the biggest one or two feuds, they are spread out and are soon perceived by viewers as not-as-important mid-card-esque acts." As the adage goes, "too many cooks spoil the soup", and if legends and sure-fire hall-of-famers are suddenly
playing mid-carders (Michaels, Flair despite the storyline potential), where does that leave those who were mid-carders before this? For the record, who were the mid-carders before this?


Shane McKinley writes:

Smackdown will always be gutted for talent for Raw. From Tag Teams (London & Kendrick) to potential up and comers (Kennedy, MVP in the future) it happens. I would love for anyone of those guys to move over to Smackdown or ECW, as Punk vs. Anyone and Batistia/Undertaker/Mysterio vs. Edge and his cronies will not last forever. Remember what happened last draft though: Flair complained that he got moved to Smackdown, Booker complained that he got moved to Raw.

***

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7.5 [up 0.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Chris Jericho: Randy Orton
JBL: n/a

TRIPLE H vs. Raw GM WILLIAM REGAL (2 weeks)

The show opened with Regal doing his best to remedy issues with his boss, Mr. McMahon, after he showed some heart last week. McMahon hyped Raw Roulette as he stood in front of the big wheel of misfortune (I don't know, I couldn't think of anything else). After apologizing, Regal reminded McMahon that he took Triple H out of the Royal Rumble. The Chairman enjoyed that, but he set up a match pitting Regal against Triple H later in the show. He then spun the wheel, and the arrow stopped on a First Blood Match. Regal soon exited to find an awaiting Triple H in the hallway. Fighting ensued before officials in the back broke things up.

The First Blood Match then got underway as Regal and Triple H went head-to-head. Various attempts were made by both men to open up their opponent. In the end, The Game managed to break the skin of Regal with consecutive punches to the forehead. The busted-open Regal then took a Pedigree for the exclamation point.

Overall, it's nice to see the sheer aggression by Triple H after being cheated last week. The point was really driven home: the Royal Rumble is an incredibly important opportunity for these wrestlers, and Triple H wasn't taking his loss lightly. Regal played his part well, although things turned out different this week. On the last episode, Regal looked to be turning a new proverbial leaf when he refused to hit Hornswoggle. This week, Raw's General Manager seemed to be apologetic for showing heart, and he wanted to correct his actions. That particular story—complete with Regal's inner struggle—could turn into one of the better storylines on Raw. If Regal continues to referee this battle between his heart (which tells him to do good) and his brain (which tells him to do what Mr. McMahon wants), the results could be really captivating.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 7

Previous Feuds
Triple H: King Booker, Umaga, Jeff Hardy
William Regal: n/a

WWE Women's Champion BETH PHOENIX vs. MICKIE JAMES (7 weeks w/ 2 weeks hiatus)

It is now somewhat uncertain whether Beth Phoenix and Mickie James are still rivals. Why does it feel as though Phoenix only shows up every other week? Anyway, Maria was shown backstage with Mr. McMahon and the gigantic wheel. She spun the wheel, and it landed on Submission Match. McMahon told her to close her eyes. He drew her some visual imagery, complete with a romantic evening and Santino. As he spoke, he dragged the wheel until the arrow pointed to a Lingerie Pillow Fight. Maria then saw the change, quickly forgot about the Submission Match, and became mindlessly joyful.

The match later commenced, with each of the competitors—Maria, Jillian, Mickie James, Melina, and Ashley—dressed in, well, lingerie. The ring housed a big bed and tons of fluffy pillows. Eventually it turned to a shoving contest with pillows and bodies rolling everywhere. The end of the match came when Ashley hit her Star Struck elbow drop from the ropes onto Jillian. She quickly made the cover (on the bed) for the three count.

Overall, it's an interesting introduction to Raw by Ashley Massaro. Whether it really means anything will remain an unanswered question for the next week or so…or perhaps longer. This segment did nothing for Beth Phoenix, who WWE continues to shield from gimmick matches such as this one (remember the Halloween Costume Battle Royal? No? Oh, well, she wasn't involved there either).

Hopefully next week provides some answers. In the midst of building the Women's Championship around a powerhouse female competitor, WWE seems to be lacking a defined feud to get the crowd behind the action. Luckily for them, many of the women in the division have the ability to garner nice crowd reactions by just being in the arena. A Mickie-Phoenix match after a month of no hype or continuation would produce more audience interaction than a Carlito-Hardcore Holly bout under the same circumstances. Still, WWE should be pushing the division, especially if they want to bank on this new, powerful champion.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 4 [down 1 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Beth Phoenix: Candice Michelle
Mickie James: Melina

SHAWN MICHAELS vs. MR. KENNEDY (7 weeks)

In the first match of the night, Shawn Michaels appeared to be taking on his latest rival, Mr. Kennedy, in a rematch from the week before; however, Mr. McMahon spun the roulette wheel, which soon changed everything. The match became a Strange Bedfellows Match, which meant that instead of facing each other, these bitter rivals had to team up to face another eclectic tandem. Who entered the arena next? Well, it was none other than Charlie Hass and his partner for the match, Trevor Murdoch.

The match was booked interestingly. For one thing, Charlie Hass (for whatever reason) found a mask under the ring and put it on. Later in the match, Michaels gave Hass some Sweet Chin Music, but Mr. Kennedy strategically used a blind tag. He then entered the ring, delivered the Mic Check on HBK, then pinned Hass for the victory. Good in-ring storytelling while it lasted. Generally, it's not uncommon to see rivals who team end up trying to steal pinfalls, but this one was a little different because Kennedy attacked Michaels while the match was still ongoing before covering Hass for the win.

Overall, this feud is fighting a plateau. Mr. Kennedy's victory last week and the tension inherent in this week's episode helped pull it further, but it's going to take some intelligent booking to keep this feud fresh and important. Because there are so many other top acts on the card, Michaels and Kennedy are left competing for relevance on the show.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 8 [up 0.5 since last week]

Previous Feuds
Shawn Michaels: Randy Orton
Mr. Kennedy: Jeff Hardy

SANTINO MARELLA (w/ Maria) & CARLITO vs. World Tag Team Champions HARDCORE HOLLY & CODY RHODES (1 week)

The match was determined again by the Raw Roulette wheel: a Trading Places Match. The gimmick is simple. Carlito had to dress like Hardcore Holly during the match, while Hardcore Holly had to don Carlito's outfit and mannerisms. Other than that, it was what you'd probably expect from a Carlito-Hardcore Holly matchup. The match resulted in a win for Hardcore Holly when he hit the Alabama Slam on Carlito after spitting some apple. The segment was interesting only in that we saw Hardcore Holly attempt to show a lighter side. It's actually kind of hilarious that he looked so uncomfortable pretending to be Carlito in that ridiculous getup.

Overall, this feud has some potential. I'm not sure if WWE is putting the Santino/Carlito team in the title picture a little too early (before actually giving some more exposition on how they act together), but perhaps there's a reason they broke the Santino/Carlito-London/Kendrick program that appeared to be forming. At this point, there are two logical directions this one can go. The first is a long, dragged out feud between these two teams that can be very entertaining considering the participants. But eventually, Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes move on to something else (with their titles in tact). The second option is to give Santino and Carlito the tag titles so that their team can become a comedy team with some credibility.

Personally, I think it's probably a good idea to give this new Santino/Carlito team the titles. If WWE is against the idea of having Santino progress as a singles competitor—something that has been explicitly implied for months with Santino jobbing left and right—then it would be valuable to allow Santino to grow in the context of a tag team effort. If they do well together, win a lot of matches, and eventually take the World Tag Team Championship, either man can probably emerge as a more believable singles wrestler later.

Intrigue Level (out of 10): 5.5

Previous Feuds
Santino Marella: Umaga, Ron Simmons, Val Venis, Steve Austin
Carlito: Triple H
London & Kendrick: Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch

CONCLUDED FEUDS

(1) Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes vs. Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch?
(2) Beth Phoenix vs. Mickie James?


POTENTIAL FEUDS

(1) Santino Marella & Carlito vs. Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes?
(2) Mr. McMahon vs. William Regal?
(3) Snitsky vs. ??


Thanks for reading, everyone. If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to email me at newthtorch@hotmail.com. I appreciate all the feedback I receive. Please insert a word in the subject line that deals with a wrestling topic or write something such as "WWE," "feud," or "Charlie Haas" so that I know it's not junk mail.


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 - Greed Is Good For PPV Business (Just Not For You), Jericho vs. Undertaker, Punk vs. Scott Armstrong, Batista vs. My Boredom
GARDNER'S KEY MOMENT OF THE WEEK: WWE's Even-Steven booking isn't elevating younger stars, just benefiting Triple H
11/7 WWE Smackdown Hits & Misses: Mysterio vs. Knox, Punk vs. Truth, Batista vs. Hardy
PARKS BLOG: Chris Jericho should know better
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - TNA Impact 11/5: TNA = The Office, What Vince Russo was thinking during Dixie Carter's speech, Desmond Wolfe and Duran Duran, Highlander spotting, Numbers - Titleholders since 1990
11/3 WWE ECW Hits & Misses: Goldust vs. Regal, Ryder's POV, Burchill - Hurricane
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - Chris Jericho Should Drink Some Shut Up Juice, Zack Ryder Fantasizes About Mrs. Potato, Vance Archer - Who Wants to Get Infected Tonight?, I Love TNA!
11/2 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Miz vs. Bourne, Raw's Got Talent, Kofi - Orton, Cena vs. Jericho vs Show
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - WWE Raw: Sheamus The Bad Barbarian, Chris Masters Finds His New Gimmick, The Beginning Of The End Will Happen When Triple H Retires
HITS & MISSES - TNA IMPACT 10/29: Hulk Hogan the good and bad, Styles Stalker Angle, TNA's handling of Chris Sabin's injury, Title Name change
10/30 WWE Smackdown Hits & Misses: Grisham & Striker, Mysterio - Batista, Kane vs. Jericho
GARDNER'S KEY MOMENT OF THE WEEK: Is Hulk Hogan a difference-maker for TNA or just another addition to the aging roster?
VALENTINO'S MAGIC, MEMORIES, AND MANIA: Top Five Best Hell in a Cell matches and why they worked - HBK vs. Taker, Batista vs. Triple H
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - WWE Smackdown: WWE Gives Into Matt Hardy's Demands to Showcase Acting Ability, Scott Armstrong's a Hulkamaniac, Rey and Big Dave Have a Moment
10/29 WWE Superstars Hits & Misses: Swagger vs. Primo, Cryme Tyme & Truth vs. Hart Dynasty & Knox
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - TNA Impact: Kurt Angle Is Fine, Ladies And Gentlemen...and we guess Chris Sabin too, plus more Humble Hero Hulk Hogan Hogwash!
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - TNA Impact 10/29: TNA defends Chris Sabin injury, Prince Justice flashback, Qualifications for Legends Title shot?, Numbers - Hulk Hogan's age vs. TNA roster
PARKS BLOG: WWE is still relevant (to kids, at least)
10/27 WWE ECW Hits & Misses: Abraham Washington Show, Shaemus vs. Benjamin, Christian vs. Tatsu
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - Hogan & ECW: Why Hogan Joined TNA, New Announcer Bryon Saxton Doesn't Want To Wake The Baby, Tatsu Is Annoyingly Adorable

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

Current Top Ten Staff Picks
Staff Picks
TNA News: Ratings are in for Thursday's Impact - did TNA retain the audience from last week's Hulk Hogan Impact?
WWE News: Major update on 2010 PPVs - price change, PPV name change, WWE addresses PPV criticism (w/Detailed Analysis)
WWE News: WWE announces details on three-hour Raw featuring Slammy Award Show and special guest host Dennis Miller
WWE News: Report on WWE's conference call with investors - serious discussion of WWE TV, Vince McMahon: "This is not a Family Business"
WWE News: WWE announces third quarter 2009 earnings results - revenue up due to int'l, PPV business weak
WWE News: Raw TV ratings are in - how did the Osbournes fare as guest hosts?
WWE/TNA News: Hulk Hogan claims he taught Vince McMahon the wrestling business, talks more about his role in TNA
WWE Raw Results 11/2: KELLER'S rundown of all matches and segments, plus analysis, star ratings, quotebook
TNA News: Ratings are in for Hulk Hogan Impact - did the publicity help TNA?
WWE News: Hulk Hogan knocks WWE Hall of Fame ring and Vince McMahon in mainstream interview


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

How will WWE's price raise to $44.95 per PPV event affect you?
I buy many PPVs a year and will continue to do so regardless
I buy a few PPVs a year and will selectively continue despite the price raise
I will cut back somewhat as it seems a little pricey
I will cut back drastically as this feels like gouging
Out of principle and protest, I will stop ordering any other than maybe WM
They had previously priced me out of the market, so this affirms my non-ordering habits
I will order any and all WWE PPVs because price isn't an issue for me
Price doesn't matter. I've been watching pirate feeds for a while
  

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
TORCH MONTHLY AWARDS: List of the 2009 Torch Monthly Award winners through October
TORCH MONTHLY AWARD VOTING: Results for Best/Worst in pro wrestling for October
TORCH MONTHLY AWARD VOTING: Polls OPEN for best/worst in pro wrestling from the month of October (Part 2 of 2)
WWE News
WWE News: NBA player awarded WWE Title belt for Iron Man competition
Torch Talk Daily with ERIC BISCHOFF: Could Bret Hart have been better utilized in WCW after strong initial PPV business?
WWE News: "Target" of Chris Jericho's drunken slur turns the incident into a joke (w/VIDEO)
TNA News
TNA News: Ratings are in for Thursday's Impact - did TNA retain the audience from last week's Hulk Hogan Impact?
TNA News: Next week's TNA Impact - Sting reappearing to talk Hulk Hogan, A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe
TNA News: Watch TNA president Dixie Carter's "Love it or Leave It" speech to the roster from Impact (w/VIDEO)
ROH News
11/7 ROH in Edison, N.J. results (live reports wanted)
ROH News: Jim Cornette officially begins as ROH executive producer at today's ROH TV tapings (w/VIDEO)
ROH News: Ring of Honor receives positive press for ROH TV taping this weekend
Other News
DGUSA News: Untouchable PPV debuts for most Indemand customers this week
Hogan News: Can Hulk Hogan wrestle again? Hogan needs help walking during TV interview (w/VIDEO)
DGUSA News: Gabe Sapolsky predicts the wrestling industry will die without new TV wrestling stars
PPV Reports
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
CALDWELL'S WWE BRAGGING RIGHTS PPV REPORT 10/25: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Cena vs. Orton, Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown
TV Reports
WWE SMACKDOWN ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 11/6: Donofrio, Mezzera, Parks rate and review
WWE SUPERSTARS ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 11/5: Caldwell, Donofrio, Parks rate and review
PARKS' WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 11/6: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the show, including Batista vs. Hardy
Arena Reports
11/6 ROH on HDNet tapings results: Pick 6 contender series continues, Strong-Richards, Omega-Hero
11/5 ROH on HDNet tapings results: Pick 6 contender series announced, Aries defends title in four-way
11/6 WWE in Brussels: Undertaker vs. Punk casket match, Christian vs. William Regal, Cryme Tyme vs. Hart Dynasty, of course
MMA / UFC Coverage
Strikeforce News: Fedor vs. Rogers Fight Results - Exciting fight lives up to expectations live on CBS
FEDOR VS. BRETT ROGERS - Keller's detailed report, analysis, star ratings of CBS live MMA fight card (redirect)
FEDOR vs. BRETT ROGERS on CBS Saturday Night - Torch Team Coverage (redirect)
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
MOJO MITCHELL'S RAW 11/2: Stream of My Fourth Grade Hero and The Mid-Card Kicks Main Event Ass
MITCHELL FLASHBACK #4: In 1993, after Hogan first left the WWF, he had a lot of career choices
MITCHELL FLASHBACK #3: Hogan's autobiography review - insight into his world
MCNEILL'S TAKE
McNEILL BLOG: The Big Questions About Hulk Hogan in TNA
Fight For Your Right to Bragging: McNEILL Previews WWE Bragging Rights!
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! McNEILL Previews TNA Bound for Glory 2009
CALDWELL'S TAKE
CALDWELL'S BLOG: Vince McMahon is officially delusional, plus Vince's hidden message to Stephanie McMahon
CALDWELL'S TUESDAY CHAT w/GREG PARKS: Raw & Smackdown discussion - Orton-Kofi build-up compared to Rey-Batista, DX dissension, Sheamus stands out
CALDWELL FLASHBACK: TNA Year-End Review 2005 - Must-read flashback to when TNA became a choice for wrestlers in an era very, very similar to 2009
RADICAN'S TAKE
RADICAN: Daddy's little girl V 2.0 debuts on Impact
RADICAN: Wolfe-Angle follow up displays typical warning signs of danger from creative standpoint
RADICAN: TNA finally straps a rocket on the right ass
The Specialists
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - Greed Is Good For PPV Business (Just Not For You), Jericho vs. Undertaker, Punk vs. Scott Armstrong, Batista vs. My Boredom
GARDNER'S KEY MOMENT OF THE WEEK: WWE's Even-Steven booking isn't elevating younger stars, just benefiting Triple H
11/7 WWE Smackdown Hits & Misses: Mysterio vs. Knox, Punk vs. Truth, Batista vs. Hardy
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
WWE PPV Price Increase Reax #2: "I spent more money on Vince every year than anything else and he does not even care about me or the people like me!"
WWE PPV Price Increase Reax #1: Outrage expressed over WWE's latest PPV price raise - could the backlash cause WWE to second-guess decision?
TNA Impact Reax #3: "The build for the PPV matches somehow featured Hulk Hogan despite him yet to show up on TV"
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
VIDEO GAME REVIEW - Smackdown vs. Raw 2010: WWE's latest video game called best since the No Mercy measuring stick
RADICAN'S ROH DVD REVIEW SERIES: 7/24 DBD VII: N1 - Hero & Richards vs. Storm & Steen
RADICAN'S CHIKARA DVD REVIEW: 5/24 "Anniversario Yang" - The Colony vs. F.I.S.T, 8-Man Tag
Torch Flashbacks
TORCH TALK FLASHBACK with Hulk Hogan: Hogan talks to PWTorch editor Wade Keller about Eric Bischoff, the demise of WCW
TORCH TALK FLASHBACK with Hulk Hogan: Hogan talks to PWTorch editor Wade Keller about his relationship with Ric Flair
TORCH TALK FLASHBACK with Hulk Hogan: Hogan talks to PWTorch editor Wade Keller about his relationship with Vince Russo
VIP Exclusive Features
5+ HOURS: Definitive all-new Eric Bischoff "Torch Talk" available exclusively to PWTorch VIP members
11/7 Bruce Mitchell Audio Show: Reader questions on Goldberg's Winning Streak, Zbyszko's HOF Credentials, Overrated Matches, X-Pac Sucks Chants, Test's Name, Paul Ellering's Story (44 min.)
11/6 Bruce Mitchell Audio Show: Why Vince McMahon said WWE isn't a family business, Hulk Hogan-TNA analysis, Dixie Carter's last-gasp speech (65 min.)
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
INSTANT POLL: How will WWE's price raise to $4.95 per PPV affect you?
SMACKDOWN POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/6 Smackdown if you saw the show?
TNA IMPACT POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/5 Impact 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