On a weekly basis, PWTorch staffers James Caldwell and Greg Parks have a casual, yet insightful, Lounge-style chat reviewing the week in TV wrestling and looking ahead to what's next for key storylines, matches, and future events. An occasional "Seinfeld" or "The Office" reference is also mixed in for good measure.

James Caldwell: This is PWTorch assistant editor James Caldwell joined by PWTorch columnist Greg Parks for our weekly TV wrestling chat. Greg, let's start off with the just-completed WWE Smackdown episode that you covered. I have to ask - thumbs up or thumbs down on the explanation for Kane picking up a feud with Randy Orton setting up a Mania match?

Greg Parks: I give it a soft thumbs up. I'm not a huge fan of something happening in the past between two guys, then having one guy feud with another guy, seemingly ignoring that incident, then coming back and referring to it as if it's been on his mind all along. It's kind of a stretch in that scenario. However, bravo for WWE for dipping into the past like that since they too often forget things that even happen weeks ago let alone months, and also, it does fit Kane's current character that he'd hate how he shook Orton's hand back in a "weaker" moment.

Caldwell: That's the part I liked - Kane acknowledging a "weaker" moment to fuel his current hate-filled rampage. But, it's so maddening that WWE rarely acknowledges history, conditions viewers to forget about the past, and only refers to the past when they're sort of out of ideas. We talk about this so often in the Chat and on the Livecast - is something important for building a story, or will it never be acknowledged again? In this case, it was "something that won't be acknowledged until eight months from now!" Greg, now that the Orton-Kane match is set, what do you think WWE is looking to accomplish with this pairing? Or, it simply two guys who are big stars and they needed a singles match at Mania?

Parks: I'm thinking it's two big stars who just needed a singles match at Mania. It seems as if there's a match like this every year with leftover parts. If WWE does go with a Bryan vs. Orton title feud after Mania (if Bryan does win), then going over strong can help propel Orton back into the title picture.

Caldwell: I think Sheamus will win the title at Mania, but I'm with you that I like a Bryan-Orton feud coming out of Mania. I just don't see a lot of momentum behind Sheamus right now. I think WWE has dropped the ball there, but what are your thoughts on the latest build-up to Bryan-Sheamus at Mania from tonight's show?

Parks: Just basic, by-the-books booking, which isn't a terrible thing. The rest of the card is so steeped in big-time booking that it's almost a breath of fresh air to have a match that's about two guys fighting for the World Title.

Caldwell: Elsewhere, one of the big stories was Christian's TV return and subsequent addition to Team Johnny at Mania - another one of the injured wrestlers picking up a slot in the 12-man tag match. What did you think of the return of the Peep Show and latest from Laurinaitis and Teddy Long?

Parks: The Peep Show set seemed to get a face-lift for the better, which was a nice way to have Christian return. I wonder how many times they can really do the "Teddy and Johnny get into an argument at ringside" thing before it becomes old hat.

Caldwell: They seem to be stuck at the reinforcement stage that could turn into annoyance if they're not careful. It's tough when non-wrestlers are involved because there's only so much they can do to promote a match, even involving 12 other guys. Now that three heels and three faces have been announced for the teams, give me a prediction for who fills the remaining six slots.

Parks: Del Rio, Swagger, and Ziggler on the heel side (maybe Miz instead of Del Rio). The babyface side is tougher. I'll go Rey (or Evan), Clay, and I think either Lawler or Booker could be a dark-horse third candidate.

Caldwell: Wow. Bringing out a 15 seed over a 2 seed never-saw-it-coming prediction with Lawler or Booker. I like it with some major college basketball upsets today. Yeah, I'm with you on the heel side - I think it's unfortunate Ziggler doesn't find himself in a singles match this year, but it's better than being left off the card... There seemed to be more items of note than usual on tonight's Smackdown including a Chris Jericho main event appearance on Smackdown, Cody Rhodes in action, Henry with a pre-Cena squash win, and even A.J. in action. Which of those four items stood out to you? And, do you see any glimmer of hope for this mini-Henry resurgence to be anything more than just build-him-up-and-feed-him-to-Cena Monday night on Raw?

Parks: I think what could happen is Cena beats Henry, but maybe after that, Henry still continues on his tear, with it being more of a bump in the road than anything else. But, that's certainly wishful thinking at this point. The only other thing is A.J. returning to action and Bryan promising her a Divas title shot down the line if she won. She did...so how does she play into the Divas Title situation?

Caldwell: Apparently Bryan has booking power now, or he just knows he has a good relationship with ol' Laurinaitis to ensure A.J. that he can keep the promise...or, he lied to keep A.J. "in the game" of their dysfunctional relationship, and he knows she won't press him (and WWE won't follow up). But, aside from that, assuming A.J. does enter the Divas Title picture, I don't see her winning the title, as it would draw Beth Phoenix away from the current issues with Kelly Kelly and Eve that were documented on "Extra" last night. I could see Beth coming over to Smackdown for a one-off or A.J. wrestling Beth on Raw in a one-off situation. Nothing more, though. It would make for an interesting Power Couple storyline going into Mania, though, if A.J. were to win the title from Beth. I just don't see that happening. What do you think?

Parks: I don't see it either, that's why I see AJ getting caught up in the third scenario you presented. Beth is busy with the tag match at Mania and likely Kharma sometime afterward, so I think you nailed it, that Bryan is using the promise of a title to string AJ along.

Caldwell: But, Bryan is a role model and would never do such a thing! We shall see how it unfolds. One final thing on Smackdown - what did you think of the follow-up on Drew McIntyre "re-hired" last week, then squashed by Big Show this week? Are they back to square one with Drew?

Parks: The only thing I really wanted to see addressed there was how they'd justify not having Long fire him once he took back over Smackdown. They did that by saying Drew was hired to a one-year, no-cut contract (if that even exists). So, I guess Teddy will bury him for the next year? He's another one that could find his way onto one of the GM teams at Mania, since his story plays into that feud.

Caldwell: Good point. Perhaps if Del Rio isn't ready or if WWE moves Del Rio somewhere else, they could use Drew in one of the heel slots along with Ziggler and Swagger. Perhaps Drew even gets a "play-in" match to earn the spot. Too much Tournament for me this week. Anyways, Greg, any other over-arching thoughts on Smackdown before we tackle the Big Items from Raw?

Parks: We didn't get to chat about Smackdown from the previous week, so...anything on the Johnny Ace-led episode you want to talk about?

Caldwell: The only things that stand out in my mind a week removed are The Miz taking an expected loss in the six-man tag main event and Santino retaining the U.S. Title over Swagger in the cage. I'm not exactly enthralled by Santino as U.S. champion, but those mid-card titles are so de-valued that it really doesn't matter anymore, so it seems. What did you think of the cage and main event matches?

Parks: Cage match was fine, and it gave the U.S. Title some cred by putting it in such a high-profile gimmick match. I like Santino as U.S. champ better than Swagger because it seems WWE is at least somewhat invested in Marella and are determined to use him, unlike Swagger.

Caldwell: Whereas Swagger seemed more like a placeholder with the title - I can see that argument. One other thing that sort of plays into both recent Smackdowns is the Rhodes-Big Show IC Title hype. The only thing I'm seeing here is Big Show wins via DQ so he doesn't hold the title, Rhodes doesn't lose it, and Show gets his Mania win over Rhodes. Is there another possible finish with the title on the line?

Parks: I guess Show could win the IC Title, but I don't see how that helps either man - at this stage of his career, Show doesn't need a title. DQ finish could be the right way to go...as one of the only less-than-clean finishes the show should feature.

Caldwell: Agreed, and WWE can stress whatever comeuppance Rhodes receives via post-match KO Punch or something else to avoid focusing on the DQ result. While we're on the subject of secondary titles, also on last week's Smackdown, Kofi & Truth picked up a non-title victory over the champs, Primo & Epico. No follow-up there, yet, but do you see something happening with those teams in the tag division or was it a one-week thing?

Parks: I see something happening down the line, but only after the dust of WrestleMania settles.

Caldwell: I can see that occurring. It reminds me of an old western, which is now modern-day Triple H vs. The Undertaker with Shawn Michaels involved. As we shift to Raw, Greg, do you think the Taker-Michaels exchange accomplished what it was designed to accomplish, and what do you think of Triple H's brief appearance throwing out a crotch chop toward Taker?

Parks: I really didn't think the Taker-HBK exchange was that great, but to me, it was meant to give the idea that HBK might be backing his old running buddy, Triple H, after hinting the previous week that he might screw Hunter out of the match. And, Triple H's crotch chop toward Taker hearkened back to the days of DX, maybe telling Taker that he'll have to deal with both members in the match.

Caldwell: I thought that final visual helped accomplish the goal of making it seem like the deck is stacked against Taker and The Streak, so I will be interested to see how they continue to play this up with two weeks to go. Is it just me or does Taker seem a little shaky on the mic a la Kevin Nash when he came back to WWE last year and had some big spotlight promos for the first time in a while? Part of it feels like he's being deliberate to sell the magnitude of his words, but part of it feels like he's lacking some confidence on the mic. What do you think?

Parks: I think he's been more hit-and-miss than just plain miss. I don't think he was given a lot to work with this week as far as substance, but his mic work with Hunter a few weeks ago for the most part was solid.

Caldwell: Any other thoughts on Taker-Hunter? It feels like there should be more to talk about from this feud at this point, but I'm with you on Monday's Taker-HBK exchange lacking substance and not giving us much to talk about, especially with the foundation of the feud already established in past weeks.

Parks: Nah, I think it's fine the way it's gone so far. Alternating them squaring off on the mic against each other, building to all three men being in the ring at the same time, as will happen on Raw, is the smart way to go. Makes you wonder what they'll save for the PPV lead-in show, though.

Caldwell: It might be a straight video package recap since I don't believe HBK and Taker are advertised for the Raw before Mania. They may just throw on another video with top stars talking about the match. I think that will be enough at that point. We do know Rock will be on the final Raw before Mania, as well as this coming week's show. Greg, what did you make of the Rock Concert and John Cena's rap session this week?

Parks: It was unique, that's for sure. I don't know that it got anyone more fired up for that match, but it certainly escalated the war of words between the two men. I'd prefer to have more of a focus on actually winning the match and what that would mean for each man, like was the case two weeks ago, but I know that's asking a lot.

Caldwell: Do you think WWE will actually get to that point of focusing on the win/loss element with these final two weeks of TV, or does it feel like they're content basically extending the Twitter War of Words to TV?

Parks: I don't know how much further they can go with the war of words is the only thing. They can keep escalating it, but are fans going to keep tuning in for it? And is too late to veer off-course and take another tact with it, that being more of a focus on the win-loss aspect?

Caldwell: I almost picture them doing a Summary of what's been said, then just give that final sales pitch on next week's Raw. I think this coming Raw would have been a good week to not have Rock (and perhaps not even Cena) on the show and just run the video before hammering it home in two weeks. I feel like they're very close to making Rock not seem special, which could hurt the buyrate. But, if they don't visit the Win/Loss aspect, they really need a purpose for him to be on this week's Raw, and I don't know what else they can do besides him playing to Philadelphia by referencing the Sixers and Eagles. One big topic we discussed on the Livecast, Greg, was whether Cena is walking a fine line of losing some of his fanbase by essentially going against what he promoted during the Kane feud - being himself and not trying to change - even if it's to try to help sell Mania. What do you make of Cena's current character and how should he "behave" on Monday's Raw entering the home stretch of Mania hype?

Parks: Either way, I think he goes back to being PG Cena after Mania, so I don't know that it really matters. I think his fans may see him as being draw into this war of words by Rock, not necessarily being a willing participant in it. I'm not saying that's right or wrong, but if his fanbase is really behind him, there are ways to reconcile Cena's non-PG behavior as of late.

Caldwell: As of right now, Greg, do you have a firm idea in your mind on the finish to Rock-Cena, or do you need to see the final two weeks of build-up before settling on a finish prediction?

Parks: I think Cena wins; I don't know how. So that's as far as I'll go with a prediction right now.

Caldwell: I'll get you to crack! I have two weeks! The other big item of note was, of course, the introduction of C.M. Punk's "alcoholic father" storyline. What did you think of that development and how should Punk respond on Raw?

Parks: I think Punk will be honest, drawing further on the sympathy of the fans. I really don't mind that story coming into play; Punk's character of being Straight Edge just begs for that sort of thing to be introduced one way or another. Is it in poor taste? I mean, if you think THAT is poor taste, I could list about two dozen other examples in the past few years alone that beat that out for poor taste.

Caldwell: Yeah, I don't see it being in poor taste; I think some people might have an issue with it being "too real" or hitting too close to home when they use wrestling for escapism. But, to your point about creating sympathy on Punk, I think that's a good thing and something Punk needs. I just question the timing at this point. It feels like Punk and Jericho, via the writers, have been throwing darts against the wall at times trying to figure out how to promote this feud. I don't see it as them adding building blocks each week, as I never really saw a foundation built in the first place, and it goes back to how poorly Jericho was booked following his first promo in January. Do you sense they're throwing darts, or can they still be effective with this, no matter how they've arrived at this point?

Parks: Jericho's promo on Smackdown brought it back around to the best in the world argument, which is what this feud was about before this past Monday's Raw. It feels like now they're trying to weave both story threads into this feud, which is okay, but I just want to see how effective it is in the coming weeks. I think WWE wanted to add some real drama and conflict into the feud, feeling maybe that just going off the best in the world debate wasn't heated enough.

Caldwell: It does feel like WWE didn't think that was enough, and that the match simply being for the WWE Title wasn't enough, either. I think Jericho is trying to be convincing that he actually cares about winning the title, but I don't get this sense that his "plan will be ruined" if he doesn't win the WWE Title. Perhaps that's why they went the "personal" route because no one believed Jericho actually wanted the title, so they decided to make the focus more about a "personal" feud between Punk and Jericho. I'm really concerned about the state of titles in wrestling, Greg!

Parks: You've got Bryan vs. Sheamus, which is solely about the title and not exactly lighting the world on fire, so I can't blame the writers for wanting to introduce more of a story into the WWE title feud. We were just talking about how the Bryan vs. Sheamus feud is so thin, so I can't complain when WWE adds some intrigue to the Jericho vs. Punk match.

Caldwell: At the same time, I don't think WWE is as invested in Sheamus-Bryan because it's on Smackdown and doesn't have the established star power like Punk-Jericho, so it feels like WWE is just saying, "Okay, we have other priorities for WrestleMania, so we'll just make Bryan-Sheamus about the title." Almost like it's an insult. It just feels off a bit, to me. Somewhat related, there have been reports this week of WWE considering opening Mania with Punk-Jericho. When we did our Big Four match line-up prediction a few weeks ago, we had Sheamus-Bryan opening the PPV. What do you think is the way to go for Mania, Greg?

Parks: I don't mind Jericho vs. Punk as the opener. I think the argument for it, that it can get all the time it needs without having to shave any time off for anything that went long previously in the show, is a positive. The way the show is structured these days, especially without Money in the Bank, it's almost a foregone conclusion that one of the title matches will open the show.

Caldwell: Do you think match order or the "prestige" of where a match is slotted at Mania (or any big show) is a big deal anymore or has that gone away and been re-defined? Even looking back to Elimination Chamber, WWE surprised everyone by opening the PPV with the Raw WWE Title Chamber match.

Parks: I think there's a certain prestige in being in that last hour and of course, the main event. Other than that, just being on the Mania card itself is a great accomplishment.

Caldwell: Elsewhere on Raw, Greg, there seemed to be the usual bits & pieces of material filling time in-between the Big Three Raw programs. But, WWE did throw out a curveball with the return of Brodus Clay. Your thoughts on WWE re-visiting Planet Funk before Mania?

Parks: It's the main reason I think he'll end up on Team Teddy: Why reintroduce him before Mania, causing him to possibly get lost in all the Mania hubub, unless you plan on using him at the show? Otherwise, I'd re-debut him after Mania.

Caldwell: It was definitely odd timing if they are not planning to slot him on Team Teddy. There was also the latest with Eve, who stood up Zack Ryder, as expected, and the return of Beth Phoenix to form an alliance with Eve. What's going on with Ryder's character and does he make Mania or get left off the card?

Parks: Tonight they showed some of his YouTube show where he begged Long to be in the match. I could see Long picking him - they do have a history with Ryder as former Smackdown assistant GM. However, the way WWE has booked him lately, I wouldn't be surprised to see him completely left off the card, unfortunately.

Caldwell: I don't think WWE would highlight that if Long is going to reject him from the team, but I'm with you that I could see WWE ignoring him for Mania, even with all of the progress he's made over the past year. Greg, anything else jump out at you from Raw?

Parks: Nope - time for Impact. A step up this week I thought from last week's lackluster show. Bobby Roode cut a heck of a promo on Sting in the main event segment, really laying all his problems with Sting on the table. I think that's what this feud really needed, and both men were effective in their roles. What did you think of the segment?

Caldwell: I thought it answered the very question you and I discussed in the Livecast Aftershow Thursday night - what were they going to do to provide a further explanation of the feud/hook for the PPV? And, I thought they accomplished what they set out to do. Roode is really entering his comfort zone on the mic. If TNA could just give him some credibility in the ring or tweak something about how he's presented, he could help out this company. Until then, I don't see him "moving the needle" as the lead star. We also talked about TNA seemingly booking themselves into a corner with the potential finish of Roode-Sting at the PPV. Did Impact give you any more clarity on how the PPV main event will play out on Sunday?

Parks: It'll probably end with a screwy finish allowing Roode to win and take that momentum into Lockdown against Storm, but also let Sting save face as the authority figure in that he didn't lose cleanly. I don't see Sting winning here in any fashion; that would put Roode in his place, but at what cost?

Caldwell: That would be a big price to pay. I think they've already made Roode as vulnerable as he possibly could entering the Lockdown title defense, so I think it would be in the best interest of the Roode-Storm main event next month for Roode to have SOME momentum and actually have a credible win to brag about. But, Sting needs something so he doesn't like all credibility as an authority figure. It will be interesting to see how it plays out and how the announcers handle the story. TNA also had strong hype for Bully Ray-James Storm at the PPV. I don't see that one selling PPVs, but it's a nice addition to the line-up. What did you think of the latest from Ray and Storm?

Parks: Ray's a great heel to get heat on the babyfaces and to put them over. His character has so much credibility on the mic, he doesn't need to win a whole lot, and obviously, shouldn't at the PPV coming up either. But he's still a guy worth pushing due to his performance on the mic and even in the ring in the last several months.

Caldwell: If Storm captures the title at Lockdown, I could see a strong Storm-Ray feud following the April PPV. Perhaps even a Bully Ray title run. Call me crazy, but he could be the next big heel in wrestling if he's champ. Again, I don't know if he could "move the needle," since it seems like nothing has for TNA this year, but you have to think he's worth a shot. Elsewhere, Greg, there seemed to be a proliferation of heel-heel match-ups on the show leading to the PPV. I'm not sure what to think of the Aries-Ion situation at this point. And, I certainly can't see Aries wrestling as a face in their PPV match. What do you think?

Parks: That's one that has really confused me. I know the fans love Aries, but they love him as a heel and I don't know that you want to turn him face. I'm not saying that's what they're going to do, but Ion is clearly being positioned as a heel, even stronger than Aries. So, it should be interesting to see how that match plays out at the PPV.

Caldwell: And then there's Gail Kim vs. Madison Rayne from the Knockouts. Is this the impetus for Gail to turn face or another potential "one-off face role," a la Aries, before Gail is re-established as a heel?

Parks: It could be either one, really, and it wouldn't surprise me to see Madison end up as the babyface here, strange as that sounds.

Caldwell: Swerve! There was also the latest Tag Title match build-up with a Crimson vs. Samoa Joe match. Do you see the Twin Towers of Crimson and Morgan exploding at the PPV on Sunday?

Parks: They've been teasing it, so I assume it'll happen sooner rather than later. I don't know where Joe and Magnus would go from there, but they could always just throw a team together...just like they did with Magnus and Joe.

Caldwell: I think it's time to see if Crimson can sink or swim as a singles wrestler, while also moving Morgan back into a singles run. It feels like TNA just needed something for Morgan and Crimson to do for a while. Anything else jump out at you from Impact or the PPV hype?

Parks: Not really, so I'll take the time now to hype this weekend's Gonzo & The Greg: Best on-screen authority figures, in honor of Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny at WrestleMania.

Caldwell: The Jack Tunney List! I am certainly looking forward to the discussion this weekend. Greg, thanks as always for the Chat and we'll talk again on Thursday's Livecast!

Parks: Great, thanks, James!

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