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THE SPECIALISTS
DONOFRIO'S FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE 3/14 - Top Stories of the Week Reviewed - WWE, TNA, Independents, Social Media, more

Mar 14, 2012 - 5:40:02 PM
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By Tony Donofrio, PWTorch specialist

WWE

-For those thinking that the Chris Jericho-C.M. Punk feud has taken an awkward, unnecessary turn...I think you're wrong. This was already a good feud and now has even more juice than it did before. I heard another argument this week that this turn of events hits "too close to home" for some people; that some people grew up in this environment and it shouldn't be exploited in a storyline. I dismiss that argument with this: it makes C.M. Punk a sympathetic figure for the first time in his WWE career. People want him to win even more now. It makes Jericho more hated. It makes people want to really see him take the beating that he deserves for bringing up something so personal. Does a WWE Title match always have to be personal? No. But, let these two do what they do best and I bet you this storyline will lead into a show-stealing match at WrestleMania.
Miz_130GG_17.jpg

-A rumor that The Miz could do a run-in during The Rock-John Cena match at WM scares me a bit. If the run-in doesn't ruin the match or result in a screwball finish, I can live with it. However, if a year-long build (even if it wasn't a strong full-year) is ruined by one run-in, WWE will receive much more heat than Miz.

I actually prefer Miz to turn face and join Teddy Long's team at the last second at Mania. (This is an idea floated to me by my friend, John Gigliotti, who may help me start a Falls Count Anywhere Facebook page, but stay tuned on that; until then, follow John at @JohnGigliotti for some great wrestling insight.) Miz has become a bit stale the past few months and I agree with my pal that the time is now for Miz to make a change. I wouldn't even mind MIz being part of Team Johnny and he turns at the end of the match to cost his team. I just don't see much of a point of a main event that's been promoted a whole year to be affected by a run-in.

TNA

-Does anyone else find it ironic that Vince Russo, possibly the most criticized wrestling writer ever, is going to hold seminars on how to book pro wrestling? I'm surprised I haven't seen more discussion of this by wrestling fans. I hope there's a strong follow-up to these seminars so that we can see what exactly is being "taught." If anyone reading this ends up attending one of these sessions, I'd love a full report. My contact information is below.

-I'm curious to see if the Eric Bischoff-Jeremy Borash issue is a work, a shoot, or something that is a shoot that will turned into a worked-shoot. I know there is some bad blood between the two, but I'm surprised Bischoff would stoop this low to rip Borash after talking to a bartender if the event really took place. If it's a work, I don't understand what the point is really. If there's one thing that WWE proved last year, it's that wrestling doesn't need untrained wrestling announcers trying to work matches. I don't think it's exciting and I don't think it draws money. From a news perspective, I want to see where this goes. From a potential storyline perspective, I would turn the channel.

Independent Wrestling

-This week, WWE signed Brodie Lee (mostly known from DGUSA). This is a high-quality signing for WWE. Lee is a strong worker, has a great frame to him, but is still a little rough around the edges. However, that's nothing that can't be ironed out. The only thing that worries me about about Lee is that WWE dropped the ball last time with a big guy that I thought had potential, Mike Knox.

Also, this is potentially another big loss for Gabe Sapolsky and DGUSA. However, if there's one thing that Sapolsky knows how to do is reload a roster/promotion. Case in point: when he was with ROH, the roster was constantly reloaded and the product stayed stronger than ever. Once he left ROH, I would argue the product isn't what it was while he was there, and it doesn't rebound like it did when he was, more or less, running the show.

Social Media Moment of the Week

-Last month, I sang the praises of Mark Madden, a Pittsburgh guy who has done great for himself. This time I advise you all to follow Dino Costa. If you like outspoken personalities and controversial statements, Dino is your guy! I listen to Costa's show usually a few times per week on Mad Dog Radio on SiriusXM and he might be the most outspoken sports talk show host in the nation. However, he's also entertaining as it gets.

SiriusXM is a paid service, but Twitter isn't. So, if you don't know who Dino Costa is and you're a sports fan, I highly suggest you follow him. You'll either love him or hate him, but he'll almost certainly elicit a reaction! You can follow Dino @DINOCOSTA and hear him weeknights on Mad Dog Radio on SiriusXM from 7:00-11:00 p.m. EST.

Non-Wrestling Thought of the Week

-Last night on Twitter, I posted a column about Nike feeling the need to apologize for one of their new sneakers having the unofficial name of "black and tan" because of it's black and brown leather design. The original name "black and tan" came from the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force, which became notorious in the 1920s for its attacks on Irish civilians during the War of Independence. I guess I am part of a group that is tired of the sensitivity that is making the world turn. We're talking about something that occurred nearly 100 years ago and the "black and tan" that most know of (especially in the United States) is pertaining to the mix of a stout and lager (the original recipe is Guinness and Harp Lager). Does this make me insensitive and look like I'm trapped in a bubble for not being PC about the feelings of those outside of the U.S.? Possibly, but I still feel like Nike didn't have to apologize, let alone release a statement.

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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