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ASK PWTORCH ALL-STAR PANEL 7/30: Is David Otunga still around? Could WWE be getting more out of Hulk Hogan? What is Junkyard Dog’s legacy? Does WWE set up wrestlers to fail? Could Ambrose-Rollins feud go to WM31?

Jul 30, 2014 - 9:39:39 PM
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The PWTorch All-Star Panel features an array of contributors answering your questions who have worked in various facets of the pro wrestling industry, plus PWTorch contributors join in. You get an unmatched mix of perspectives including first-hand insights from people who have worked in the ring and behind the curtain.

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PWTorch reader Jeff from Michigan asks: Could WWE be getting more out of Hulk Hogan?

PROFESSIONAL BROADCASTER Jim Valley (Long time wrestling fan and Torch subscriber. He won a National Edward R. Murrow Award and several regional awards during his 20 year broadcast career. He has done TV announcing for several independent wrestling promotions, hosted his own wrestling radio show, interviewed many top stars and was flown out to Stamford to audition for WWE. He took second to Todd Grisham.) He's broken down and 60. I think he's best in small doses on the air and as an ambassador at events. I think he's being utilized just fine.

REALITY TV STAR & EX-TNA MANAGER Jonny Fairplay (@jonnyfairplay was also former personal assistant to Roddy Piper and a frequent PWTorch Livecast guest) answers: I think they should do more with making Hulk Hogan the face of the Network via commercials outside of WWE television such as this fall during NFL games.

INDY PROMOTER & ANNOUNCER Brad Stutts (Follow @cwfmidatlantic and @stuttsy and listen to his podcast at www.WrestlingWithOptimism) answers: Not really unless they maybe made him general manager or something, but then you water down his appearances and make them less special. He definitely cannot work matches and I think you waste him as, say, a manager or GM on TV every week. Sporadic appearances are best, I think.

EX-ECW CHAMPION AND LONGTIME WWE WRESTLER Justin Credible (also current IWE Champion, visit www.TheJustinCredible.com and on YouTube here including his ongoing Wrestling 101 Series) answers: Yes, WWE can be doing much more. I'm not saying put him on TV every Monday, but he could mentor a wrestler. Tons of possibilities. WWE hasn't been very innovative in their use of talent.

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PWTorch reader Marcus from Omaha, Neb. asks: Do you think WWE sets up talent to fail? I read a criticism on a Raw review that the three hour Raw format has exposed WWE's thin and weak mid-card. That got me to thinking. Does WWE have a thin roster because the talent isn't that good or because WWE doesn't do a got job of developing talent? Just from my observation, it seems that WWE goes in with a mind set that any particular Superstar is going to be a main eventer or not and it doesn't matter what that Superstar does. If they've been labeled a "top guy,” then they're given every opportunity to succeed while every drawback (lack of crowd reaction, PPV buys, etc.) is ignored and just the opposite is true for people labeled as bad. They are always shot down and belittled no matter how popular or talented they may be.

If WWE doesn't believe certain people will be major players, then why do they bother to sign, train, develop, and promote them? I can't think of any other sports team, company, or franchise that would do this. Would the New York Yankees bother to draft a hot college pitcher only to decide he isn't good with no coaching and bench him? Would UFC sign a fighter they don't believe could make them money? Yes, I know there comes a point where a talent has to step up and overcome and earn their spot, but it's different if a talent can't go versus someone who never got the chance.

A recent example of this could be people like Paige and Adam Rose. Both were signed by WWE, both trained and developed in NXT, both have wrestling backgrounds prior to WWE, both were called up to the main roster. And both got thrown to the wolves. Creative never really gave us a chance to get to know them and they performed inconsistently (not on every show every week), then WWE acted puzzled why no one reacted to them. Yet when the going gets tough, they go back to well and make people like John Cena and Randy Orton Champion... like they have for the better part of a decade.

Why is WWE so hesitant to push new people? Yeah, not all of them will succeed, but not all of them will fail, either. You would think if they would take the extra time it would make things less complicated for them and make their jobs easier and not leave them scrambling when a top guy gets hurt because they could fill the spot with someone else and not miss a beat. The current WWE product reminds me of high school. There's the table all the "cool" kids get to sit at and they won't allow anyone they determine to be beneath them at it.

REALITY TV STAR & EX-TNA MANAGER Jonny Fairplay (@jonnyfairplay was also former personal assistant to Roddy Piper and a frequent PWTorch Livecast guest) answers: I stopped reading at... I have an observation.

INDY PROMOTER & ANNOUNCER Brad Stutts (Follow @cwfmidatlantic and @stuttsy and listen to his podcast at www.WrestlingWithOptimism) answers: I think it's very, very difficult for a talent to find constant support from the office and there seemingly is always someone in someone else's ear working against them, to varying degrees. Often times it seems like someone's fate can be determined by simply who gets in Vince's ear first.

PROFESSIONAL BROADCASTER Jim Valley (Long time wrestling fan and Torch subscriber. He won a National Edward R. Murrow Award and several regional awards during his 20 year broadcast career. He has done TV announcing for several independent wrestling promotions, hosted his own wrestling radio show, interviewed many top stars and was flown out to Stamford to audition for WWE. He took second to Todd Grisham.) Former WWE writers and talent say that Vince McMahon loses interest. They liken it to a child who gets a shiny new toy.

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PWTorch reader Chad G. asks: What do you think the Junkyard Dog's place in history is? I know he never was acclaimed as technical wrestler, but he broke a lot of racial barriers by being the top star in Mid-South.

AUTHOR & REPORTER & HISTORIAN Greg Oliver (co-author of "The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame," reporter for SLAM! Wrestling in Canada, editor of Canadian Wrestling Report Newsletter in late-'80s) answers: Junkyard Dog's legacy was that he made money in Mid-South and, for a time, in WWF. In the end, that's what this business is about and he was one of the best at it. One of JYD's tag team partners, Jerry Stubbs, once told me that JYD would make MORE money off his photos than he would for his main event position on the card. Think about that for a while, as it's a pretty impressive feat. It's been said many times before, but the only color that matters is green, and JYD brought in the dollars - at least while he still had his wits about him.

PROFESSIONAL BROADCASTER Jim Valley (Long time wrestling fan and Torch subscriber. He won a National Edward R. Murrow Award and several regional awards during his 20 year broadcast career. He has done TV announcing for several independent wrestling promotions, hosted his own wrestling radio show, interviewed many top stars and was flown out to Stamford to audition for WWE. He took second to Todd Grisham.) He's the biggest star in Louisiana history who fizzled out years later.

INDY PROMOTER & ANNOUNCER Brad Stutts (Follow @cwfmidatlantic and @stuttsy and listen to his podcast at www.WrestlingWithOptimism) answers: He was an iconic attraction in Mid-South and during the era of WWE's national expansion so I think he deserves a pretty substantial place in history. He touched people, they believed in him passionately - and, most importantly, they paid to see him.

EX-ECW CHAMPION AND LONGTIME WWE WRESTLER Justin Credible (also current IWE Champion, visit www.TheJustinCredible.com and on YouTube here including his ongoing Wrestling 101 Series) answers: He will be known as a very entertaining wrestler. He was a key figure in Black Wrestling History.

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PWTorch reader Michael of Queens, N.Y. asks: I love the Dean Ambrose-Seth Rollins feud, particularly the steady rise of the “lunatic fringe” (besides that nickname). With Ambrose potentially chasing Rollins, is it possible that Creative can keep it going through Mania 31, where you would then have Ambrose chasing Rollins chasing Reigns for the final three months of Seth's briefcase reign?

REALITY TV STAR & EX-TNA MANAGER Jonny Fairplay (@jonnyfairplay was also former personal assistant to Roddy Piper and a frequent PWTorch Livecast guest) answers: Works for me... as long as we have a break in between.

===

PWTorch reader Aaron P. asks: What happened to David Otunga?

REALITY TV STAR & EX-TNA MANAGER Jonny Fairplay (@jonnyfairplay was also former personal assistant to Roddy Piper and a frequent PWTorch Livecast guest) answers: He's married to Jennifer Hudson, which I believe has been mentioned every time he's ever been on TV. He also does the Be A Star appearances like all the other heels do for no reason.

INDY PROMOTER & ANNOUNCER Brad Stutts (Follow @cwfmidatlantic and @stuttsy and listen to his podcast at www.WrestlingWithOptimism) answers: He is still there, mostly doing Be a Star rallies and other promotions. He was also in the WrestleMania battle royal.

===

(Send questions for a future Ask PWTorch to: askpwtorch@gmail.com. If you have a particular person on the All-Star Panel you'd in particular like to direct your question to, include that in the subject line, but multiple panelists may also answer.)

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Catch up on past Ask PWTorch articles...

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===

In case you are new to this feature, let me introduce you to our All-Star Panel…

EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION: By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

Thanks to Pat McNeill and Anthony Jeselnik for the name of this feature. Just as "CSI" spawned "CSI: Miami," "Ask PWTorch" spawned "Ask PWTorch: All-Star Panel." Only without David Caruso. In any case, we are excited to present to you a new cast for the Ask PWTorch spinoff, which is available exclusively on the PWTorch App (or, for VIP members, on the VIP website too). You are reading this, so you are either a VIP member or have already downloaded the free PWTorch App on your phone or tablet. If you aren't a VIP member, why not? With VIP membership, you gain full access to both Ask PWTorch features on all devices you use to visit PWTorch - our App and our Website.

The "Ask PWTorch All-Star Panel" edition is scheduled to be published first thing in the morning (although not necessarily every single day, like the afternoon website-based Ask PWTorch is; we'll see about that as we move forward). It will feature an entirely different panel of experts and analysts than the afternoon Ask PWTorch does. We have assembled a wide range of contributors, which may expand or change over time, with the goal being to give PWTorch readers new perspectives from people who have particular areas of expertise. Along with our All-Stars from outside of PWTorch, several of our PWTorch contributors (but not the main staff who contribute to the website-based original Ask PWTorch!… you will be quizzed on all of this, so take notes) will also be regularly contributing, especially to current-events-related questions.

Let me introduce you to our panel…

Justin Credible: Current pro wrestler and former ECW Champion and longtime WWE wrestler in the 1990s and 2000s, Justin Credible (P.J. Polaco) currently is the IWE Champion. He travels as indy champion from Maine to Mexico with the title. He posts new Wrestling 101 YouTube videos at www.TheJustinCredible.com or on YouTube at his YouTube Channel.

John Piermarini: Ex-WWE Creative Team member who will provide a behind-the-scenes perspective from his years working for WWE including alongside Vince McMahon, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and John Cena. He has been a frequent PWTorch Livecast guest and was the subject of a comprehensive five-hour Torch Talk interview several years ago about his experience with WWE for most of 2009-2010.

Greg Oliver: SLAM! Wrestling reporter and wrestling book author (and hockey book author), Greg will provide a Canadian perspective on many wrestling topics. If you are a fan from Canada or have Canadian-related wrestling questions, Greg can help you. He is a wrestling historian who published a wrestling newsletter during the boom period of insider wrestling newsletters starting in the late 1980s. We were pen pals in the early 1990s and first met at a 1989 wrestling convention in Chicago run by Jon Gallagher of the Wrestling Forum (the first insider wrestling newsletter I ever received in the mail in early 1987).

George Schire: Author of "Minnesota's Golden Age of Wrestling," former Pro Wrestling Focus radio cohost with me in the early 1990s on KFAN, former contributor of history pieces to the PWTorch Newsletter, and multi-time guest on PWTorch Livecast "Interview Friday," he will be providing a historical perspective to Ask PWTorch.

Johnny Fairplay: Reality Star and Wrestling Manager, perhaps best known as Pat McNeill's Regis Philbin. He was an old neighbor of PWTorch senior columnist Bruce Mitchell who watched PPVs at his house long before he became a contestant on Survivor twice. He has been on many reality TV shows, the PWTorch Livecast numerous times, and follows wrestling very closely. You can read more about him on Wikipedia.

Brian Fritz: Host of the long-running "Between the Ropes" podcast, and now working for Yahoo! Sports radio, he also has been a guest on the PWTorch Livecast (and I've been a guest on his podcast), he brings years of reporting on wrestling including on-site interviews with wrestlers at major press events over the years. He follows today's wrestling and will provide his perspective and take on your questions.

Mick Karch: An early PWTorch Newsletter columnist over 20 years ago, Mick has been an announcer for virtually every national wrestling promotion other than the WWF, WCW, and TNA in the last 25 years. He currently works as an announcer on Minnesota indy wrestling shows. He got his start in wrestling running the Nick Bockwinkel Fan Club in the 1970s and is known for his sense of humor, strong opinions, and tremendous insight into wrestling's past dating back many decades, but he also watches today's wrestling regularly and can provide valuable perspective as a result of that span of time following and participating in the industry.

Brad Stutts: He has worked behind the scenes in wrestling in many roles, including taking jackets to the back, setting up and tearing down rings, running websites for indy promoters, running lights and music at live events, and performing as a manager, announcer, wrestler, and promoter. He currently is the lead announcer for CWF Mid-Atlantic Wrestling in North Carolina.

Jim Valley: Long time wrestling fan and Torch subscriber. He won a National Edward R. Murrow Award and several regional awards during his 20 year broadcast career. He has done TV announcing for several independent wrestling promotions, hosted his own wrestling radio show, interviewed many top stars and was flown our to Stamford to audition for WWE. He took second to Todd Grisham.

Current PWTorch Contributors: A mix of current PWTorch contributors will provide their opinion on today's wrestling scene and modern wrestling history questions, including Shawn Valentino, Michael Moore, Ben Tucker, Jon Mezzera, Brian Leahy, Jimmy Eaton, and Mike Roe.

You can send your questions for the All-Star Panel to the same address as always: askpwtorch@gmail.com. We will make sure they are directed to the appropriate panelist for potential inclusion in a published Ask PWTorch feature here on the PWTorch App or VIP Website. You may see your question asked in both versions of Ask PWTorch (the Afternoon original website-exclusive version and app-exclusive All-Stars version) so check both versions. Different groups of panelists may tackle your question on different days, so keep checking back. Because they all come from different backgrounds and have different experiences as both fans and working in some capacity in the business or covering it for the Torch, you're going to get some strong specific points of view from them.


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