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CALDWELL'S TAKE

CORNER CUBE FRIDAY: ROH recommendation, Smackdown preview, Impact analysis

Dec 14, 2007 - 6:20:27 PM


By James Caldwell, Torch columnist

Updated throughout the day, Torch columnist James Caldwell's weekday blog focuses on hot topic current events and issues from around wrestling.

From the Cube: Friday, December 14

6:20 p.m. Here's a weekend recommendation: watch Ring of Honor's Manhattan Mayhem II DVD. It's one of ROH's top releases of the year and we'll be covering it this coming week on the site. Here's a match rundown: ROH champion Morishima vs. Bryan Danielson, ROH tag champs Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. Steen & Generico, Hero vs. Claudio, Aries vs. Strong vs. Jack E., and Davey Richards vs. PAC in the "PWG goes East side" invitational.

- On the broadcast TV tonight, starting in less than an hour, WWE Smackdown has the return of Vickie Guerrero after selling the Tombstone from Undertaker for a few weeks ago. On the final stop to Armageddon on Sunday, Vickie will book World champ Batista, Undertaker, and Edge in singles action. No surprise that Edge will get an easy opponent, while Batista gets a tough opponent, and Undertaker gets the toughest match-up.

Also on the show, they pick up ECW with a Kelly & Michelle vs. Victoria & Layla tag match, Festus is in singles action vs. The Miz, they do more with Khali and Hornswoggle, and Chuck P. shows up on a bike.

***

3:30 p.m. Scott Steiner won an X Division Title shot last night. That we know. Torch reader Matt Smith checks in with a question that might be the most unanswerable question in TNA storyline history since: "Where is the Jackie Gayda blackmail tape?"

Matt writes: So after last night's headache-inducing Impact, there is but one question I think should be answered regarding Scott Steiner's X Division Title match. Will he get an actual shot at the belt, or will he only get a crack at having the right to walk around with it?

JC: Good question. Is there an answer? Well, probably not. I'm reasonably sure a few folks in TNA have at the very least come up with a rough draft for the conclusion of the Team 3D vs. Sabin & Shelley & Lethal program that will eventually get the belt back on Lethal. That's step 1. But it won't happen until 2008.

As for Steiner getting his title shot - or the right to walk around with the belt - if they needed a PPV and two TV shows to reveal the finish of the Feast or Fired match, then Steiner's shot might take a while. Looking at the next round of TV tapings, Steiner is in a multiple-person tag match on Dec. 20, then TNA runs a bunch of gauntlet matches on Dec. 27. So, TNA isn't in a hurry for Steiner to get his shot at X Division gold.

Let's say Steiner wins possession of the belt - whatever that entails - and doesn't trade it to Petey for a box of protein powder and a one-way ticket to Canada. As we know, the X Division isn't taken seriously right now. Through the booking, TNA has basically said the X Division isn't a centerpiece act, they never will be, and we're going to try to get them over by making everyone seem like likable, funny nutcases. Case in point: Shark Boy walking around with bandages from head to toe.

Steiner walking around with the belt doesn't sound right at first blush, but if the goal is to increase the entertainment value provided by the X Division, then Steiner could be the missing piece of the puzzle to delivering unprecedented filler comedy on Impact. We got a taste with Steiner and Petey having a posedown showdown last night, so why not take it to the next level?

***

10:20 a.m. I thought last night's edition of TNA Impact was an improvement over the previous week's show. Granted, it's now become a situation where I judge Impact based on how frustrated I am after watching the show. Last week, my frustration level was significant. Last night, I wasn't really frustrated with the show. Yes, there are flaws with the booking that need to be addressed, but I thought the overall wrestling content was a step above last week.

One of the things that bothered me about last night's show was the sudden transition to Samoa Joe being the disgruntled employee. Last week, there was zero mention of his PPV promo. They barely acknowledged that there was a PPV the previous Sunday, as Joe was chummy with Nash, Booker, Kaz, and Eric Young. So, they essentially told the audience to forget about the PPV. Pretend like it never happened.

Suddenly, this week, Nash, Booker, Kaz, and Joe had nothing to do with each other, Young was nowhere to be found, and Joe picked up his PPV temper tantrum with a profanity-laced promo on Christian Cage. So, now are we supposed to pay attention to what happened at the PPV with a sudden Joe anti-establishment program? And what happened to Joe and Nash being buddies? It's one of those inconsistencies with the booking where they completely ignore a big PPV moment one week, then expect the TV viewers who saved $30 to understand what's going on the next week with no back story.

Kurt Angle is intriguing to me. His backstage comedy hour has virtually disappeared. The last two weeks, he hasn't done much talking on the mic in promo situations. In the ring, he's giving a lot of offense to opponents. But, when it comes to winning a match and delivering a post-match beating, he's showing the killer instinct necessary as champion. Right now, it won't translate into anything tangible, as the same number of people will watch on Thursday nights and the same percentage will buy the PPV, but at least Angle is being presented more seriously the last two weeks. That's important in the long-term.

Just like every other big star who has come to TNA, Booker T. is slowly losing that shine and becoming just another roster member. It's inevitable. It just happens. Eventually, everyone in the Top 10 of the roster settles to that same water level where no one is special, and everyone is about the same.

It's just how the TNA formula works. Big Star comes in to make a splash, he cuts some promos about being happy to be here. Someone interrupts and complains about him taking a spot on the roster. Big Star picks up a win, then settles into a role of winning non-hyped, ordinary TV matches that the fans enjoy, but don't really get invested in. The law of diminishing returns says the honeymoon can only last a short time before fans get used to the Big Star and realize he's just another big name on the roster.

From the Cube: Thursday, December 13

6:55 p.m. Hulk Hogan was interviewed during an American Gladiators press conference and talked about the situation with his son, Nick, following the near-fatal car accident a few months ago. Hogan said Nick's well-being is his primary concern right now while going through the divorce with Linda.

"My main concern in life is my son, and his situation with the boy in the car," Hogan said optimistically. "Everything seems to be getting better in that situation." He said his only choice is to face his family's issues rather than crawl into a hole and hide. "There is no other choice but to be okay," he said.

When asked about the VH-1 series on the Hogan family, Hogan said he's not sure if he's up for another season. "I know VH-1 would like more programming," he said. It’s a situation where I would love to focus more on my daughter's career." Hogan said VH-1 was talking two days ago about renewing the series.

***

5:45 p.m. Tonight on Impact, airing on Spike TV, the contents of the briefcases from the last PPV are finally revealed. We'll find out who gets fired and who gets title shots. In case you forgot, the involved parties are Christopher Daniels (via victory over Senshi last week), Scott Steiner, Petey Williams, and B.G. James, who doesn't like his partner. No word on whether Mr. Maple Leaf muscle, the purveyor of the protein shake, is on the Mitchell report.

Matches include Christian Cage trying to find a partner for a tag match against Kurt Angle and Robert Roode. ... The gimmick match of the night is X Division champion and non-possessor of the belt, Jay Lethal, against Johnny Devine in a lumberjack strap match ... Also, Booker T. vs. Chris Harris and Knockouts tag team action. ... James Mitchell confronts Abyss on the latest super secret we haven't heard yet about Abyss's checkered past ...

We welcome your feedback on the show!

***

3:15 p.m. There was a story reported by the AP and Reuters on an investigation into unsafe children's toys in the state of New York. Some of the toys identified were labeled as "Wrestle Mania", but WWE quickly said the toys were unlicensed products using the WWE trademark. WWE said they will file paperwork to stop the manufacturer from selling unlicensed toys on the market.

- WWE will be taping Smackdown and ECW on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at Toyota Center in Houston. A special pre-sale started this morning at 10:00 a.m. CST for people on the Toyota Center mailing list. The pre-sale lasts until tomorrow at 10:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at toyotacentertix.com and the special code is CHAMP.

***

11:20 a.m. Major League Baseball's D-Day came today. Up and down the list of former and current players linked to Sen. George Mitchell's investigation into baseball's drug culture are major names from Roger Clemens to Barry Bonds. This will assuredly push forward the Congressional hearings in early 2008 that pro wrestling is expected to be part of. Both sports will have to answer questions. MLB has its list - All-Star steroid users. Pro wrestling has its list - dead wrestlers.

The key for the future of each sport is how the fans react. Do fans even care? The hometown Astros just acquired Miguel Tejada, who is on the list, while former Astros legends Jeff Bagwell, Ken Caminiti (dead), and Darryl Kile (dead) are on the list. Will ticket sales be affected? Will people turn away from baseball like they did after the 1994 strike before flocking back when juicers were bashing homers?

Pro wrestling's most-recent dark period was the Chris Benoit story - when the business was exposed for an entire month on national TV shows. Casual wrestling fans turned away in small numbers for a time, but there hasn't been a sweeping drop off in viewership or PPV buys, despite plenty of exposure on the mortality rate in pro wrestling, largely due to drug abuse.

Sure, ratings slumped in the second-half of this year following the Chris Benoit news and subsequent fall-out. But, after casual fans digested the news for a few weeks, was it enough for them not to tune in anymore? Maybe a small percentage stayed away, but Raw continued to be a Top 10 cable show. Five months later, Raw is still in the Top 10.

As long as casual fans don't have the big picture issues in their face, they'll ignore the issues facing sports. And who can blame them? There's more concern on the mortgage payment, child care, college tuition, and helping an elderly parent than worrying about whether the All-Star 1st baseman took steroids, or whether the WWE champion passed a drug test.

Does that mean fans won't buy season tickets or show up when the WWE show comes to town next time? Baseball - we'll see. Wrestling - fans are still showing up in big numbers across the world. Regardless, both sports will always be linked by a common issue of how to handle performance-enhancing drugs with its top performers. Fans will ultimately decide what the penalty should be for each sport.

From the Cube: Wednesday, December 12

7:15 p.m. In this week's Torch Newsletter, we're putting together a few articles looking at the top WWE superstars in Raw history. Here's my Top 10 list.

1. Steve Austin
2. The Rock
3. Shawn Michaels
4. Mick Foley
5. Bret Hart
6. Triple H
7. John Cena
8. The Undertaker
9. Jeff Hardy
10a. Chris Jericho
10b. Chris Benoit

Vince McMahon and Jim Ross are certainly worth mentioning on the list for their non-wrestling roles. I couldn't make a decision on the final spot, so I cheated and picked two.

3:40 p.m. The Times of India has a story on a 17-year-old boy in India killing another boy of the same age with an elbow strike to the throat. The report calls it "true WWE style," as the boy was a fan of wrestling on TV. He left the victim in a toilet for five days, and even helped the father of the boy file a missing person complaint with the police to cover up the killing.

A similar incident occurred in India a few years ago and there were threats to pull WWE programming from TV, or at least push it to a later timeslot. I never heard anything more after the previous incident, but today's newspaper report headlining with: "Inspired by TV, teen kills friend in 'wrestling style'" will rekindle some of that negative sentiment toward WWE's product overseas.

***

12:15 p.m. Earlier in the month, Yahoo revealed that WWE was its second-most searched term in 2007. AOL revealed its top search results for 2007 - Chris Benoit was the most-searched for news item of the year. WWE was the most-searched for sport of the year. (Well, it is sports entertainment.)

Although 2007 was a low mark for WWE in terms of TV ratings, as they regularly set 10-year lows in the second-half of the year, WWE created plenty of buzz on the Internet. Only problem is that it was usually negative buzz. There was a two-month span when Vince McMahon faked his death on Raw and news of Chris Benoit's murder-suicide received mainstream coverage everywhere. There was a lot of interest in WWE, but it didn't necessarily translate into people watching the shows or ordering PPVs. From WWE's perspective, the only bad publicity is no publicity, right?

- ESPN finished first among cable networks last week, thanks in large part to the record-setting cable numbers for the Patriots vs. Ravens game on Dec. 3. USA Network finished second with Raw grabbing a below-average total viewers of 4.83 million. Despite the drop-off, Raw still finished in the Top 10 among cable TV shows.

***

11:10 a.m. Last night's ECW was an above-average episode. It played out the same as most weeks, but the action in the Miz & Morrison vs. Yang & Moore tag match was a step above the usual tag team action featured on ECW. Jimmy Yang is unbelievably underutilized, so it was good to see him in a meaningful role. ECW could really have a very strong brand if they took all of the underutilized talent from Raw and Smackdown and gave them a significant role on ECW, similar to Shelton Benjamin.

Speaking of Shelton, I thought his promo was good. Not spectacular. The story was dated and didn't play to a mass audience, but his delivery has improved dramatically. He's going to tell you a story and you're going to listen. He's not rushing through it; just taking his time, and not screaming AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS like too many people do these days.

The booking of C.M. Punk continues to puzzle me on a week-to-week basis. He's just not treated the same way World Hvt. champion Batista is. (I was going to include WWE champion Randy Orton in that sentence, but he's not exactly piling up significant victories in meaningful matches right now.) More often than not, we see Punk flat on his back with someone else making a comeback (Kane last night), or not making a comeback at all.

It's really getting old for people to make predictions of victory in sports. Wrestling will always have that element because the writers have control of the finishes, so a prediction can be mixed in from time-to-time depending on how they want to present a character in a positive or negative light. Elijah Burke making a prediction about beating Batista was completely unnecessary. It made him look silly, as everyone and their momma knew Batista was winning that match. Burke is too valuable to the ECW brand to be turned into the butt of jokes.

***

9:30 a.m. Last night, ESPN aired a best of show for the "This is SportsCenter" ad campaign. Of course, that sent me to youtube last night to catch up on old times, including the classic Steve Austin chair shot from Dan Patrick. Then, there's the much older WWF clip with King Kong Bundy, Shawn Michaels, Diesel, Undertaker, and Paul Bearer. Probably a fanny pack involved there.

Somehow, I stumbled upon the legendary mistrials of Robocop and Sting from 1990. If you wonder why WCW went out of business, well, just take a look at how doomed WCW was during the Jim Herd era. Unbelievable how the Horsemen, Sting, Jim Ross, and Gordon Solie had to sell this.

From the Cube: Tuesday, December 11

6:50 p.m. I was pleasantly surprised to see the 4.4 rating in the usual timeslot for last night's Raw, as I predicted a 3.8 rating for those final two hours. The number shouldn't be surprising, though. WWE delivered an entertaining and memorable show that caught a big audience with its large net. There was a little bit of everything for everyone.

For newer fans, maybe it was the first time seeing legendary clips of Kurt Angle spraying the milk truck or DX invading WCW. For older fans, it was a nice trip down memory lane to remind them of why they sat through moments like Mae Young giving birth to a hand to see the classic Rock vs. Austin confrontations.

WWE was certainly helped by going up against a non-competitive Monday Night Football game that was pretty much over during the third hour of Raw. Now, the key is how much momentum they can carry over to next week without the nostalgia and party atmosphere.

***

5:15 p.m. Tonight on ECW, it's Batista vs. Elijah Burke in a non-title match. Batista hasn't been on ECW since the very early days of ECW on Sci-Fi when they taped TV in smaller venues to create a more intimate crowd setting. In August 2006, Batista faced Big Show at the Hammerstein Ballroom and he was booed out of the building. So, Batista should fare much better at the same venue where Smackdown is taped tonight.

Also tonight on ECW, it's Kelly Kelly vs. Victoria & Leyla in a handicap match. Smart move to get the more experienced Victoria in the middle of this to help out Kelly.

- There was an Impact taping last night in Orlando, but we haven't received a report on the show. The last taping of 2007 is tonight in Orlando, so if you attend tonight or attended last night's taping, please send in a report!

- The Black Anthem website has an in-depth look at WWE's overseas tour for the Tribute to the Troops show. Lots of details on the trip. We're just missing Rita Cosby.

***

2:45 p.m. Batista has an interview with the U.K. Sun where he comments on fellow WWE superstars, including Melina. He said: "It started out completely innocently, but I just fell in love with her. It’s been on and off for a long time and I still love her death. But I can’t see us getting married. I still don't think I'm over my ex-wife."

He said Randy Orton has found himself as a person and a wrestler. "He was lost for a while," Batista said. It's encouraging to hear that Orton is getting his personal affairs in check after really struggling the previous three years.

Batista's most critical remarks came for Great Khali. Regarding Khali's World Hvt. title reign, Batista said, "I didn't think he deserved the world championship. I don’t want to say it made me sick to my stomach to see the title in his hands, but it really did make me sick to my stomach."

I'll make the argument that, like Khali, the only reason why Batista became champion was because of his size. He has a certain big-man charisma that certainly helps and he was hand-picked by Triple H, but if he were 6'1" and 200 pounds with the self-admitted weak wrestling skills he had when he first came to WWE, I doubt he would have even sniffed title gold.

The full U.K. Sun interview can be downloaded at the link above.

***

9:35 a.m. Time to snap back to reality and I'll play the role of Debbie Downer today. So, now that the big Raw party is over, everyone's had a few (too many) drinks on the house, and everyone picked up another payday to spend...um...in a prudent manner, WWE has some business at hand. Namely, they have that PPV on Sunday. Ya know, the one where Randy Orton beats Chris Jericho, Triple H beats Jeff Hardy, and they set up Orton vs. Hunter V.105 at the Rumble.

But, after that, Raw will have to go back to developing the underneath storylines to boost up the top of the card. Which means devoting time to the tag division, Intercontinental division, and figuring out a way to keep viewers when Hogan, Austin, and Foley aren't on the show. Fortunately, they have a good crop of main eventers - the best line-up probably this year considering all of the injuries in 2007.

However, fans are going to look at the wrestlers like Michaels, Hunter, and Flair a little different now. They seemed to be tied more to the past on Raw last night than doing anything really special in the present going to the future. Another DX reunion. An Evolution reunion. Marty Jannetty returning for a main event in Shawn Michaels's place.

To the average viewer tuning in for the nostalgia show, it certainly didn't seem like the big stars of today who were big stars of yesterday are actually doing anything important right now. It certainly sent mixed signals on trying to a sell a PPV on Sunday. WWE will have to change that message on next week's Raw before going into the holiday programming leading to 2008.

From the Cube: Monday, December 10

4:25 p.m. From the Cube inbox - Torch VIP member Joe Crowe asks...

When I heard tonight’s Raw 15-year anniversary would have stars from the past, some questions arose: How many "stars of the past" aren’t in TNA? Or dead? If these "stars from the past" are able to perform to some degree on Raw tonight, why can’t they have regular jobs in WWE? That’s rhetorical; I know why. The WWE has no further use for them, for political reasons, or the stars have "personal demons." But still, it would do an '80s and '90s wrestling fan good to see some of their old favorites contribute meaningfully again.

JC: I don't know how much "performance" we're going to get from old stars being brought back for the show, as most of them are not in peak physical condition. But, I believe a good handful of the older stars can still contribute. WWE already has plenty of older wrestlers contributing off camera - Mike Rotunda, Arn Anderson, and Ricky Steamboat are backstage agents/producers. Dusty Rhodes and Michael Hayes are on writing staff. Would it be nice to see more appearances like Michael Hayes confronting MVP to deliver great TV? It sure would be.

But, there aren't too many older stars who aren't currently on staff with WWE or in TNA who are capable of delivering the entertainment value expected on WWE TV. Tonight could be considered an informal try-out to see what everyone can contribute. Who's in good shape? Who can talk? Who has a good attitude? Who can share nuggets of information with younger stars and be on the road 200 days per year as an agent? A lot of it depends on schedule, stamina, and a willingness to work with younger talent from a completely new generation of wrestling stars.

Have a question you'd like to see answered in the Cube? Send an email to Caldwell's inbox for future consideration.

***

1:35 p.m. Here's a rather interesting business development for WWE. A gossip website Jossip has a story on a WWE seeking an editor for a new WWE magazine aimed at children.

The job description reads, in part: "WWE is seeking someone to be a part of a magazine launch, sister magazine to flagship WWE ... Candidate should have a strong knowledge of children based subject material. Wrestling knowledge is also a plus. ... Requirements: 4-6 years experience as a magazine editor at a children’s publication and/or have worked for other various children’s related media."

***

11:45 a.m. Midway Games released a new trailer for the first TNA video game, set for release in the spring of 2008. The new trailer opens with real-life footage normally reserved for PPV video packages, then showcases various signature moves from A.J. Styles, Samoa Joe, and Christian Cage in the video game. It shows some additional arenas beside the Impact Zone that matches can be contested in. Gamershell.com streaming video link.

***

11:10 a.m. WWE Raw's 15-year anniversary show tonight is getting considerable buzz on mainstream news outlets today, especially in TV listings. The announcement of the two-year cable TV deal with USA Network was timed perfectly late last week, as every major entertainment news outlet has reported on the deal and plugged the show tonight.

WWE was also helped by the writer's strike talks breaking down over the weekend. Doing a quick Google search for WWE, many newspapers are reporting details of the talks breaking down, and segueing that to WWE having original content tonight with the anniversary show.

The regular two hours of Raw should do a very strong rating against a weak Monday Night Football game, and be helped by broadcast television airing re-runs or holiday specials without original content available. The first hour at 8 p.m. EST will drag down the overall three-hour rating, but I'm predicting an average of 3.8 for the second and third hours in the normal timeslot.

- WWE Smackdown from Friday night was a strong show with two very strong confrontations on the mic. Teddy Long was terrific matching Edge sentence for sentence in the opening segment. He appears to be very refreshed and eager to be in his authoritative role after being off TV for several months. Again, it provided more evidence that any TV wrestling personality needs a break from time-to-time to recharge and come back with more energy.

MVP and Michael Hayes had the promo exchange of the year for Smackdown. MVP has really grown into a legitimate star the last four months, beginning with the Matt Hardy program. Hayes played a very strong protagonist, but did so in a way that put the spotlight on MVP, not himself.

Of course, the PSA messages of "Don't Do Drugs, kids!" or "drugs were only done in the '80s, but everyone is squeaky clean now!" were almost laughable, despite there being a good message in the World Class story on drug prevention.

But, outside of that, I haven't seen a better ten minutes of TV on Smackdown in some time. Besides plugging the DVD, they effectively built up Matt Hardy's return to chase down MVP, and they built up Rey's challenge to MVP for the U.S. Title without Rey having to talk on the mic. This seemed to be a one-time deal for Hayes, but I think he could be a very strong character as a part-time manager/adviser. We don't need the return of Dok Hendrix, though.

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.

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WWE News: Rey Mysterio vs. C.M. Punk now official for WrestleMania 26
TNA News
TNA News: Full preview for Sunday's Destination X PPV - Match line-up, 30-minute hype show (w/VIDEO)
TNA News: Daniels interviewed on X Division, WWE not spotlighting wrestlers his size, Monday night battle, more
TNA News: Impact replay on Thursday night draws more viewers than Monday first-run episode
WWE/TNA News: Jim Ross evaluates TNA product, suggests Impact move up one hour on Mondays
TNA News: Jeff Jarrett on TV & radio promoting tonight's house show, Full details on "Evening with the Legends" event
TNA News: Impact replaying on Spike TV & TNA begins house show tour tonight
ROH News
ROH News: Full previews for this weekend's ROH shows in Detroit & Toronto
ROH News: Local Detroit press for weekend shows, stipulation for Toronto main event, ROH TV pre-empted due to college b-ball
ROH News: Preview for tonight's ROH TV on HDNet, new ROH Video Wire (w/VIDEO)
ROH/EVOLVE News: Previews for EVOLVE and ROH developmental promotion in New Jersey this weekend
ROH News: Austin Aries joins stand-up comedy show WrestleMania weekend, LA debut DVD, New WM weekend matches
WWE News: Colt Cabana calls WWE "ignorant" for how they handled his WWE run last year, talks not being on NXT
Other News
Other News: Piper's Pit, Dreamer vs. Lawler, Booker vs. Anderson headlining NEW N.Y. show on Saturday night
Rock News: Los Angeles Times profiles "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson in new action movie role
Umaga News: Full details on "Umaga" Eddie Fatu's death - heart disease a contributor
Other News: Booker T, Mr. Anderson, Tommy Dreamer headlining New York show tonight
Other News: A&E filming new documentary at two wrestling shows this month, including DGUSA WrestleMania weekend show
Hardy News: Jeff Hardy's court date continued yet again
PPV Reports
RADICAN'S DGUSA "FEARLESS" PPV REVIEW - Dragon Kid-Hulk, Richards-Mochizuki
KELLER'S WWE ELIMINATION CHAMBER PPV RESULTS 2/21: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live event
CALDWELL'S WWE ELIMINATION CHAMBER PPV REPORT 2/21: Complete coverage of Raw & Smackdown Elimination Chamber matches - Sheamus and Undertaker defend titles
KELLER'S TNA AGAINST ALL ODDS RESULTS 2/14: Live ongoing results of PPV - Styles vs. Joe, Nastys vs. Team 3D, tournament
CALDWELL'S TNA AGAINST ALL ODDS PPV REPORT 2/14: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe, Nastys vs. 3D
RADICAN'S TNA AGAINST ALL ODDS PPV BLOG 2/14: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of TNA's February PPV
TV Reports
KELLER'S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 3/19: Undertaker vs. McIntrye, Jericho on Cutting Edge, Rey vs. Gallos with WrestleMania stip at stake
PARKS' WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 3/19: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the show, including Jericho on the Cutting Edge
WWE SUPERSTARS ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 3/19: Caldwell, Mezzera, Parks rate and review
CALDWELL'S WWE SUPERSTARS TV REPORT 3/18: Complete coverage of six-man ECW Reunion, Shelton vs. Kane
WWE NXT ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 3/16: Mayer, Mezzera, Parks rate and review
WWE RAW ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 3/15: Donofrio, Mezzera, Parks rate and review
Arena Reports
3/19 ROH in Dearborn, Mich.: Tyler Black & Briscoes vs. Wolves & Hero, Petey Williams vs. Austin Aries
3/18 TNA in Hattiesburg, Miss.: A.J. Styles vs. The Pope, Nash & Young vs. Beer Money, Jarrett vs. Wolfe
3/14 WWE in Bakersfield, Calif.: Cena & DX vs. Batista & Sheamus & Swagger, Miz defends U.S. Title, Orton vs. Legacy
3/14 WWE in San Francisco, Calif.: Chris Jericho pelted with objects, comments on Twitter about rough night; All-star six-man tag, Ziggler vs. Goldust
3/14 TNA in Wheeling, W. Va.: Kurt Angle & Jeff Jarrett vs. Beer Money, Abyss vs. Styles, The Pope vs. Wolfe
3/13 WWE in Stockton, Calif.: Second report on All-star six-man tag match, Hardy vs. Zeke, McIntyre vs. Kane
MMA / UFC Coverage
PENICK: UFC on Versus: Vera vs. Jones Main Card Previews and Predictions
UFC News: Tito Ortiz denies rumors he left TUF early, says he's still fighting Chuck Liddell
UFC NEWS: UFC 114: Evans vs. Jackson officially announced for May 29 in Las Vegas
MMA News: Bobby Lashley's next career fight scheduled - details and analysis
UFC EDITORIAL: Will fading stars in Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz be able to sell TUF 11?
TNA/MMA News: Bobby Lashley updates his status with TNA, talks WWE vs. TNA
KELLER'S TAKE
KELLER: March 8 - An evaluation of whether Impact is showing its ready to compete with Raw
KELLER'S TAKE: What's in a name? Survivor Series a goner, but does it matter?
KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT 2/8: Bret Hart appears again after John Cena reveals to McMahon that Bret wants him one-on-one at WrestleMania
KELLER'S VIP BLOG: A ratings experiment for TNA to try with the Knockouts
KELLER: Vince Russo owes wrestlers another apology, plus one to the fans
KELLER: Russo wants to be a better friend, not explain his booking decisions
MITCHELL'S TAKE
MITCHELL: Mojo Mitchell's 3/15 Raw Stream of Disciplined Focus on the Main Issues of The Main Eventers on The Main Show of The Year
MOJO MITCHELL: Mixed-Up Mojo's Raw Impact Stream of Shocking Sting, Shocking RVD, Legacy Actually Beats Orton, and Mr. McMahon is Real Big
MITCHELL: Mojo Mitchell's 3/1 Raw Stream DX, Batista, Johnny Cash, Mad Dog
MITCHELL: Mojo Mitchell's Raw Stream of Ty, Jewel, Piper, a Fake Bull, A Real Money Stipulation. The Worst Plan Ever, And John Cena Twice A Patsy
MITCHELL: Vince Russo: The wrestling business has hurt me more than any other
MITCHELL: Mojo Mitchell's Raw Stream of Turning Left, The WNBA, Clapping, Miz is better than Jericho, Everyone is Better than Shawn Michaels, and Bret Hart Gets Over
MCNEILL'S TAKE
Rise Up: McNEILL Previews WWE Elimination Chamber 2010!
To Wait For You Is All I Can Do: McNEILL previews TNA Against All Odds 2010!
There Can Be Only One: McNEILL Previews the 2010 WWE Royal Rumble!
Calling All Stations: McNEILL previews TNA Genesis 2010!
It's On, Brother: McNEILL previews TNA Final Resolution 2009!
Tables And Ladders And Chairs, Oh My!: McNEILL Previews WWE's TLC pay-per-view!
CALDWELL'S TAKE
CALDWELL'S WEEKLY CHAT w/GREG PARKS - Raw, Impact, NXT, and Smackdown discussed in-depth
CALDWELL'S BOOK REVIEW: One of the best wrestling storytellers delivers highly entertaining history & insight in "The World According to Dutch"
CALDWELL'S WEEKLY CHAT w/GREG PARKS - Raw, Impact, NXT, and Smackdown discussed in-depth
CALDWELL: The biggest question going into March 8 - What is TNA?
CALDWELL'S WEEKLY CHAT w/GREG PARKS - Raw, NXT, and Smackdown discussed in-depth
CALDWELL'S BLOG: NXT Day-After thoughts, TNA out of the Impact Zone, Kid brings cereal laced with pot to school
RADICAN'S TAKE
RADICAN'S VIP BLOG: More thoughts on HBK: My Journey, HBK talks early WWF years
RADICAN'S VIP BLOG: Early review of new Shawn Michaels DVD
RADICAN'S VIP BLOG: A special moment on Impact between Abyss and Hogan (w/VIDEO)
RADICAN'S VIP BLOG: Having a concussion was "no biggie" according to Russo
RADICAN'S EVOLVE DVD REVIEW SERIES: Evolve 1 - Richards vs. Ibushi, Sawa vs. TJP
RADICAN'S TNA AGAINST ALL ODDS PPV BLOG 2/14: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of TNA's February PPV
The Specialists
3/18 WWE Superstars Hits & Misses: Kane vs. Benjamin, WrestleMania Recall, Christian, Tatsu, Henry vs. Swagger, Regal, Ryder
3/16 WWE NXT Hits & Misses: Wins/Losses, Gabriel & Hardy vs. Young & Punk, Still No Format Explanation
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - TNA Impact: Where's Samoa Joe?, How Did The Nastys & Spike Get On TV?, Destination X - "Wait, It's This Sunday?"
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - WWE Raw: USA Network Censors Stone Cold & Blood, Mega Legacy Explodes, Stone Cold Gives John Cena The Ring?
3/15 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Sheamus, Triple H vs. Orton, Legacy, Contract Signing
3/12 WWE Smackdown Hits & Misses: Punk Sings, McIntyre in MIB, Truth vs. Miz, Highlight Reel
Guest Editorials
GUEST EDITORIAL: TNA presents Hulk Hogan as "Randy the Ram" and other Oscar Week ploys
GUEST EDITORIAL: Abyss - Let's Not Give Up On Him Yet, How to fix the Monster
GUEST EDITORIAL/ECW TV REAX: The final ECW TV episode was a microcosm of all that was good and bad about WWE's version of ECW
GUEST EDITORIAL: The End of an Error for the ECW brand, What to do with ECW's current stars
GUEST EDITORIAL: Proposal on how to use the ECW timeslot to create innovative TV feeding Raw & Smackdown
GUEST EDITORIAL - CD REVIEW: WWE's new album features work-out quality jams, awful tracks, screeching guitar solos
Torch Feedback
Monday Night Reax #4: "One word summarizes this week's Raw: focus"
Monday Night Reax #3: "I don't need to see The Nasty Boys or Jimmy Hart wrestling in 2010"
Monday Night Reax #2: "I want to be entertained and I want TNA to succeed, but this was bad"
WWE Raw Reax #1: "Austin showed more charisma than the rest of the roster combined before even opening his mouth"
WWE NXT Reax #2: "Slater & Christian could one day re-create the magic of Edge & Christian"
Monday Night Reax #6: "There is so much potential in TNA with RVD, Hardy, and Styles"
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"?
ASK THE EDITOR: Why didn't Curt Hennig get a run with the WWE World Title?
ASK THE EDITOR: Would Jesse Ventura make a good U.S. President, since he served your state as Governor?
ASK THE EDITOR: WWE excluded the Dudleys from Greatest Tag Team Ever - justified or not?
DVDs - VGames - Books
CALDWELL'S BOOK REVIEW: One of the best wrestling storytellers delivers highly entertaining history & insight in "The World According to Dutch"
RADICAN'S EVOLVE DVD REVIEW SERIES: Evolve 1 - Richards vs. Ibushi, Sawa vs. TJP
GUEST EDITORIAL - CD REVIEW: WWE's new album features work-out quality jams, awful tracks, screeching guitar solos
CALDWELL'S DVD REVIEW - "The Marine 2" strong on DiBiase's performance, weak on plot and storyline
RADICAN'S ROH DVD REVIEW SERIES: 10/9 "Clash of the Contenders" - Omega-Richards, Delirious-Aries
RADICAN'S DVD REVIEW SERIES: CHIKARA'S "Three Fisted Tales" - Castagnoli-Kingston, Colony-Portal
Torch Flashbacks
WWE WRESTLEMANIA COUNTDOWN - 2001 PPV Report (WM 17): Rock vs. Austin II, Undertaker vs. Triple H, TLC, Shane vs. Vince, Benoit vs. Angle
WWE WRESTLEMANIA COUNTDOWN - 2000 PPV Report (WM 16): Rock vs. Hunter vs. Foley vs. Big Show, Angle vs. Benoit vs. Jericho
WWE WRESTLEMANIA COUNTDOWN - 1999 PPV Report (WM 15): Steve Austin vs. The Rock, Mick Foley vs. Big Show, Brawl for All
WWE WRESTLEMANIA COUNTDOWN - 1998 PPV Report (WM 14): Steve Austin wins WWF Title, Undertaker vs. Kane, Mike Tyson, Pete Rose
WWE WRESTLEMANIA COUNTDOWN - 1997 PPV Report (WM 13): Undertaker vs. Sid, Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart double-turn
WWE WRESTLEMANIA COUNTDOWN - 1996 PPV Report (WM 12): Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart Iron Man match, Ultimate Warrior vs. Triple H
VIP Exclusive Features
3/20 Wade Keller Hotline: Detailed Smackdown Analysis and thoughts Bischoff's reaction to ban on chairshots to the head (16 min.)
3/19 Wade Keller Hotline - The News: Ross's future, Linda McMahon campaign update, Rock vs. Austin for movie roles, Umaga, Tommy Dreamer, TNA-ECW, Impact replay rating (15 min.)
3/19 Bruce Mitchell Audio Show (pt. 1): Chairshots to Head WWE Ban, Jim Ross's potential future, TNA rants, rumor of TNA-ECW angle, more (59 min.)
3/19 PWTorch Livecast & VIP Aftershow: James Caldwell & Greg Parks discuss with live callers TNA PPV, Samoa Joe ideas, Future WWE champs, Smackdown, more (75 min.)
3/18 PWTorch Livecast & VIP Aftershow: James Caldwell & Brian Hoops discuss with live callers TNA panic time?, Jim Ross at WM26, Trivia on Gorgeous George, more (93 min.)
3/17 VIP East Coast Audio - NXT: Daniel Bryan 0-4, Hardy vs. Punk tag match, Are there any rules for this show? (50 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 TRIVIA 2/24: What do you remember about the World Wrestling Network promotion from 15 years ago?
TORCH TRIVIA 2/22: Answer to who defeated Paul London on a TNA PPV from February 2003
TORCH TRIVIA 2/22: Who defeated Paul London on a TNA PPV from February 2002?
Torch Instant Polls
WWE & TNA POLLS: Vote on Raw vs. Impact Weeks 1 & 2, MVP of 3/15 shows
WWE SMACKDOWN MVP POLL: Who was the MVP of the 3/12 Smackdown if you saw the show?
WWE NXT POLL: Who was the MVP of the 3/9 NXT if you saw the show?
TNA IMPACT POLL: Who was the MVP of the 3/8 Impact if you saw the show?
WWE RAW MVP POLL: Who was the MVP of the 3/8 Raw if you saw the show?
WWE SMACKDOWN MVP POLL: Who was the MVP of the 3/5 Smackdown if you saw the show?
PWTorch Free Podcast
FREE: Friday PWTorch Livecast (3/19) now available featuring James Caldwell & Greg Parks
FREE: Thursday PWTorch Livecast (3/18) now available featuring James Caldwell & Brian Hoops
FREE: Wednesday PWTorch Livecast (3/17) now available featuring Wade Keller & Pat McNeill
MMATorch Daily Audio News Brief (13 min.): Rapid-fire overview of the news of the day in world of UFC, Strikeforce, all MMA
FREE: Tuesday PWTorch Livecast (3/16) now available featuring Wade Keller & Bruce Mitchell
FREE: Monday PWTorch Livecast (3/15) now available featuring Wade Keller & Jason Powell
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
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2002 (Wahoo, Thesz, Rocco, Mr. Wrestling)
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2002 (Wahoo, Thesz, Rocco, Mr. Wrestling)
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2003 (Hawk, Hennig, Blassie, Liz)