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THE SPECIALISTS
DONOFRIO'S FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE 3/7: Top Stories of the Week reviewed - WWE, TNA, ROH, Social Media, more

Mar 7, 2012 - 5:24:55 PM
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By Tony Donofrio, PWTorch specialist

WWE

- The Rock vs. John Cena story continues to develop in a way that not many expected and I believe it's been great for TV so far. Like I said last week, I still don't think it's clear whether Cena is undercutting Rocky on purpose or this is all part of a greater goal. The one thing that does throw me is that considering how "serious" of a tone this has taken, WWE has chosen to seemingly backpedal into comedy next week with a Rock-Rap battle between the two. Don't get me wrong, I bet it will be very entertaining and full of laughs. However, wouldn't this have been better served to re-ignite the feud a few weeks back and let it evolve from there? I guess this could be part of a master plan and I'll be proven wrong. However, it just seems like things are working in reverse and I'd hate to see a rivalry becoming more intense by the week take a step or two back.

- As for the "other matches" on the WrestleMania card, adding Shawn Michaels to the Triple H-Undertaker mix seems a bit forced and it almost came out of nowhere, but I'm still going to wait and see on this one. The past few encounters between HBK and Hunter on Raw have been pretty tense, so there is a feeling that he could "screw" Hunter. I'm sure more will develop this coming Monday.

Also on Raw, it felt like a layover week for Chris Jericho and C.M. Punk. I also would have held off on them touching until WrestleMania or maybe let them have a big brawl on the Mania lead-in show to convey that things have finally exploded and the time has come. But, that's just how I would book it. Also, Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan is getting the ultimate "red-headed stepchild" treatment (no pun intended towards Sheamus) this year. But, that was to be expected, and they do have a chance to steal the show because of it. I expect things to heat up a little more this week on Smackdown.
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- The saddest news to come across my desk was this morning's news that Kharma (a/k/a Kia Stevens) has come out and told the masses that her child passed away before birth. This was despite reports from TMZ that she gave birth to a healthy baby on December 31. My sincerest condolences go out to her and her fiance. I'm sure this was difficult to a degree that not many people can understand, especially since she went public with the pregnancy last year on WWE TV. I guess it makes sense now on more levels than one on why there was no rush for her to resume a regular role yet with WWE.

TNA

- The other news that came out this morning was that Hulk Hogan supposedly has a sex tape that has been leaked. I hate to make light of something that could potentially be damaging to him, but I'm sure there will be a rampage of jokes in the coming days and weeks about this item. I can't help but also wonder if this tape was "leaked" as a message to his ex-wife to show that he isn't what she says he is...if you know what I mean. Obviously, that is pure speculation on my part and I guess we'll see where this goes in the coming weeks.

- It's almost like TNA knows it's WrestleMania season and each week it's harder to find news about the company that is relevant. But, it appears TNA's Slammiversary PPV in June will be taken out of the Impact Zone and back on the road. Well, TNA has that going for them...which is nice.

Independent Wrestling

- Right after I wrote last week's column, the story broke that ROH allegedly blocked WWE from signing the Briscoe Brothers and Adam Cole. It was later stated that ROH blocked any feelers from being sent to those wrestlers. But, are we really going to split hairs here? I can understand the frustration from both sides of this argument. Earlier this year, ROH management stated they would not block any talent from reaching a larger goal in working with a company like WWE. However, if that talent is under contract, those contracts should be honored.

I can see the argument of both sides and still don't know which side I am on. ROH has never stood in the way of its wrestlers to leave before, though. Maybe it is because they're under new management that will hold their feet to the fire with contracts? If that is the case, though, why publicly say otherwise just a few months ago? Stay tuned on this because I'm sure we haven't seen the last of this story.

Social Media Moment of the Week

- In the latest chapter of C.M. Punk vs. men in the news for trouble with women (I guess that's a PC way of saying that), Shawne Merriman recently went on another Twitter rant against C.M. Punk, as he is apparently good friends with Chris Brown and Punk called out Merriman for hitting on WWE Divas. Merriman hasn't been relevant the past few years in the NFL (now with the Buffalo Bills) after he failed a drug test (steroids). Since that time, he has pretty much dropped off the planet as a relevant player in the league.

The rant against Punk is barely understandable, though, and really kind of silly when you are able to eventually put it together. This time around, Punk chose to pretty much not acknowledge it and I think that was the right move. I also can't see Vince McMahon beating down Merriman's door anytime soon for a potential feud since he really has lost any and all celebrity status in the past few years. So, if this was his way of trying to get back in the news and work his way into a potential one-off match with WWE, I'd be surprised if that would work out for him.

Non-Wrestling Moment of the Week

- For those crying about how the Indianapolis Colts are treating Peyton Manning, I really think you shouldn't be. Manning will be fine. He has plenty of money and I'm sure a few teams will be willing to roll the dice on his bad back/neck. The NFL is also a business and if you're not winning and spending $28 million in one fell swoop on a guy you're not sure can even play, then you're not going to win.

Here in Pittsburgh, many are still whining about the Steelers letting go of Hines Ward. I wasn't one of them and still claim he was lucky to make it through this season without being cut. As an NFL fan, you cheer for the team and hope they make smart decisions that will aid the team in winning. I applaud both teams for doing so and if both teams make out on their "tough decisions," fans will clamor about how smart their front office was to cut bait when they could. You cheer for the team, not the individual. Isn't that what TEAM sports is all about?

Tony Donofrio is a Specialist for the Torch covering a variety of topics and promotions. You can reach Tony at TonyDonofrio@me.com or follow him on Twitter @TonyDonofrio

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]


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