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Updated daily from the corner cubicle, Torch columnist James Caldwell's weekday blog focuses on hot topic current events and other items of interest from around wrestling.

Updated Sunday, May 18, 2008

A little pre-Judgment Day appetizer with a sample of reader response to five questions from Friday. The questions...

(1) What match are you looking forward to the most at the Judgment Day PPV on Sunday?

(1a) For those of you who forgot there is a PPV on Sunday, what did you get your mother for Mother's Day when you weren't watching the TNA PPV?

(2) After five weeks of TV and one PPV, give a rating on a 1-10 scale of how TNA has presented Samoa Joe's TNA Title reign. Unless you give the reign a 10, explain what you would do to improve his title reign.

(3) Should WWE have acknowledged or should WWE acknowledge on TV why Jeff Hardy was suspended for 60 days?

(4) If you had regular ROH DVD buying habits, has your habit increased or decreased since ROH starting putting major shows on PPV last year?

(5) In 50 words or fewer, explain why Sonjay Dutt is the greatest man alive on Friday, May 16, 2008.

***

The answers...

Wayne Maye, Torch VIP member

(1) The match I'm looking forward to the most at Judgment Day this Sunday is the Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho match. At WrestleMania XIX in 2003, they stole the show on that night with a tremendous match, and this Sunday should be no different. I just have this feeling that Batista will show up Sunday and cost my favorite performer, currently and of all time, HBK the match.

(1a) This is an easy one. My mother said anything I get would be great. Even if I got a card, which I did, and tell her Happy Mother's Day, which I did, that would make her happy.

(2) I don't watch TNA, and even though I'm loyal to WWE, I still know what's going on in TNA, and with that in mind, based on what I know, I would give it a five. Why, well, you'd think that with Joe finally getting the title would be one of the greatest things to happen to TNA, but that's not the case. It would've been better for them to put the belt on him when he had that momentum a while back, but, that didn't happen. They're treating his reign sort of like the WWE did with (shakes head) Benoit (last mention of him in the email) in 2004. He's champion in name only, but he's not really the focal point of the show, playing the background so to speak.

Shane McKinley, Torch reader

(1) HBK vs. Y2J. Even though I thought the storyline leading up to this match was pretty bad, I'm sure that they will be given enough time to do what they do. Unless it's just a set-up match.

(1a) I bought my mom a candlier from Home Depot. Me watching a TNA PPV? Ha ha, that's a good one.

(2) A score of 6. Joe knows promos. Joe can deliver promos. Joe, however, cannot rise above crappy main events that are really just filler and an excuse to get a storyline across. Tag team matches do not usually work in the favor of pushing a champion. Does Joe need Nash? No. Joe needs a credible opponent to have his title reign mean something. But I'm sure the head honchos over at TNA have a well thought out plan for the following months for Joe, right? Oh wait, Steiner's "hamburger" promo at Joe a few weeks back. Yeah.

(3) I'm surprised that they even had Jeff mention that he made a mistake on Raw. I would like a sit-down interview with J.R. so that fans can connect emotionally with his character, but dollar to donuts this won't happen. What will probably happen is that Jeff's "mistake" won't be mentioned on air again. Stop trying to ignore like it never happened and show that wrestlers are people too.

(4) They don't show ROH PPVs I think on the west coast. I can't find it.

(5) Because anyone who doesn't see him turning on Lethal needs their eyes checked. The phrase "painfully obvious" can apply here.

Matt Smith, Torch reader

(1) Looking at the current Judgment Day card as it stands, I'd say I'm most looking forward to Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho because as wild as it seems to write about that match in 2008 it's really the freshest match on the card despite being one that's we've seen already. We've seen Beth vs. Mickie and Hunter vs. Orton enough to last us through WrestleMania 30, and while JBL has begun to finally regain his 2004-2005 form, it's still questionable if he can revive the chemistry he and Cena had during their barn burner of a feud on Smackdown.

Now Michaels and Jericho's storyline is also a leading reason I'm looking forward to the match. While Michaels confirmed for us he's a faker I'm still intrigued over how the match itself will play out. Will Michaels break out some rule breaking or will Y2J finally snap and cement a heel turn, a role he's best suited for? Quality wise I have high expectations for it.

(2) On Samoa Joe's title reign thus far, I'd give TNA a four at best for how he's been handled and portrayed. Kevin Nash grabs more attention standing in the background and talking about money than Joe does as the leader of the pack in the entire company. Perhaps I'm unfairly expecting the company to follow the blue print ROH laid out for Joe during his awesome 14 month reign as their world champion but it's not unreasonable for me to expect them to at least present him as someone that's not just another member of the roster who lets Nash hold his belt for him and yells a lot when it's not necessary. Right now his reign almost reminds me of Mysterio's doomed to fail run with the Smackdown World Title in that he has it but he's not being booked like a champion who can decisively retain the belt but rather just a clueless putz who you know will eventually get beaten. Still it is early so I won't be too harsh on them. That said they need to establish a singles feud for him that's not revolved around Kurt Angle (maybe AJ, Booker, dare I say Tomko??) and lay off the multi-man defenses already.

That would be a great start to improve his reign off the bat. Man against man and Joe can come out on top on his own without the shadow of a Master Blaster or the Angle Family Hour lurking near by every segment, every promo. Joe is unique and that should be explored further because right now he doesn't seem like a champion to me.

(4) My purchases of ROH DVDs has remained the same since their entry into the PPV universe. And by "stayed the same," I mean I buy every new title I can afford to buy. I attended last weekend's Hammerstein debut and can not wait to buy it. To me their PPV offerings are an added bonus to the shows I regularly attend in the NY/NJ area and any show that piques my interest (the Orlando shows on Mania weekend and the May 9 VA debut specifically). I'll buy those as well.

***

Updated Friday, May 16, 2008

It's been a slow news week and I'm still reeling from the season finale of The Office last night. (C'mon, Andy, show some discretion!) So, I'm turning over today's blog to you, the loyal Cube reader. I have five questions. And I want to hear answers for posting in the blog. Click on the "Contact Us" link up top and send me an email with your thoughts.

(1) What match are you looking forward to the most at the Judgment Day PPV on Sunday?

(1a) For those of you who forgot there is a PPV on Sunday, what did you get your mother for Mother's Day when you weren't watching the TNA PPV?

(2) After five weeks of TV and one PPV, give a rating on a 1-10 scale of how TNA has presented Samoa Joe's TNA Title reign. Unless you give the reign a 10, explain what you would do to improve his title reign.

(3) Should WWE have acknowledged or should WWE acknowledge on TV why Jeff Hardy was suspended for 60 days?

(4) If you had regular ROH DVD buying habits, has your habit increased or decreased since ROH starting putting major shows on PPV last year?

(5) In 50 words or fewer, explain why Sonjay Dutt is the greatest man alive on Friday, May 16, 2008.

***

Updated Thursday, May 15, 2008

A.J. Styles is a character TNA hasn't been consistent with over the last year. At least not until this point, but things could be changing starting with the next two weeks of Impact. The problem has been that Styles is such a great athlete in the ring that TNA has decided he needs to be something different in "character segments" outside of the ring.

After perusing the Impact spoilers for the next two weeks, I've determined we could be in for a change on how Styles's character is presented. It's difficult to tell tone and context in a spoiler report, so we'll have to wait and see how TV is presented the next two weeks, but Styles's interaction with Karen Angle seems to finally be going somewhere.

A few months ago, Styles was nervous wreck with a schoolboy crush on Karen Angle. That turned into being serious about protecting Karen during Kurt's program with Samoa Joe. They were moving toward a more serious presentation of Styles until the stupidity with Deuces Wild, Booker T pretending like he had no idea who this man was, and Styles's eventual involvement with Super Eric.

It reads like the regression into Deuces Wild idiocy will be erased over the next two weeks. One thing TNA is good at is erasing the past. I'm somewhat facetious with that statement, as TNA bringing out the eraser usually means changing the history of storylines and wrestlers no-selling everything from the most recent PPV. But, it also means TNA can erase the goofball stuff with Super Eric and present Styles as a more legitimate character going forward.

Styles came to mind when I was watching Mick Foley's Hard Knocks and Cheap Pops DVD from 2001. My brother just came home from college and out of tradition, we watched this DVD for the umpteenth time because it's absolute gold, especially the Edge & Christian comedy from back in the day when they were messing around with Foley, Angle, and Triple H.

I bring this up because WWE walked a fine line on how they presented Edge & Christian. Yes, they were a secondary team doing comedy, much like Styles has been a secondary figure acting very scatterbrained. The difference is that Edge & Christian retained their credibility in the ring. In TNA, Styles hasn't been afforded the opportunity to keep his credibility in the ring.

Quick, name the last time Styles has a main event singles match on TV or PPV. Having trouble? That's because it's just not there. He's either been a lackey for Tomko or played second to Super Eric. The last time he looked credible in the ring was when he frustrated Kurt Angle in the sparring session, yet TNA didn't capitalize on that.

Styles has been underutilized for far too long in TNA. I don't buy the counter argument that, well he's been on TV, he's rubbed shoulders with Kurt, and he's been involved in major angles. It looks good on paper, but the execution of Styles as a secondary "entertainment" character has been lacking compared to the template of Edge & Christian on WWE TV a decade ago.

Things could look different by the end of the month. Styles is too valuable and dynamic of a character to simply play a secondary character who can't tie his own shoes. Fortunately, TNA has developed a framework for Styles to become a top babyface in this company after months of segments with Karen Angle.

What I'm reading as progression for Styles's character should entail more credible wrestling matches for Styles on TV and PPV. Impact needs a shot in the arm to boost viewership, and the return of A.J. to regular, credible in-ring competition should generate more interest in the product.

We've missed out on the Styles who can be a dominant player in TNA. It's long overdue and it's time to get reacquainted the dynamic A.J. Styles who attracted many people to TNA in the first place.

***

Updated Wednesday, May 14, 2008

While poring over WWE's latest financial numbers for a story in this week's Torch Newsletter, two things occurred to me. One - WWE has tremendous growth potential overseas. Two - WWE has a ton of cash on hand.

First conclusion is quite obvious. Three years ago, international business saved WWE's back sides when domestic business was down. Two years ago, international business really took off as WWE's product became a huge hit in Europe. One year ago, domestic business finally started to catch up to international growth with the Kids Movement driving toys, merchandise, and assorted apparel sales.

Now, WWE is looking to turn that international growth into a significant portion of quarterly revenue. They're going to sacrifice small market domestic house shows for more international dates. They're opening more distribution centers for delivering merchandise faster and more efficiently. International customers are starting to pay for the premium PPV product when they were getting it for free previously.

WWE's global expansion is slowly coming into form. It's not just a novel concept to boost the bottom line, but rather The Future of WWE's business. Domestic is still the company's bread and butter with Top Five cable ratings, two-thirds of PPV revenue coming from U.S. customers, and an average of 85 domestic live events per quarter.

But, considering how many untapped markets there are outside of the U.S., and considering how much free cash WWE has on hand, there are unlimited possibilities for expansion. WWE has barely set foot in China and India, which have billions of people to market the product to.

Let me bring up TNA for a second. TNA is still in a growth stage domestically, but eventually, they'll have an opportunity to have their own international expansion. I bring up TNA because there are endless corners of the globe that could be wrestling markets. TNA will have an opportunity to fill in the gaps where WWE chooses not to reach, or where WWE blazes the trail and TNA follows.

Back to WWE, where the buzz last year was about starting new promotions overseas. That idea has fizzled out, most likely because WWE realized their current talent pool of wrestlers, agents, and officials is too shallow to draw from.

A more plausible business plan is setting up training facilities in overseas markets to find a variety of talent. Major League Baseball ran with this idea a long time ago by helping set up baseball academies in Latin America, which have produced countless All-Star hitters and pitchers.

Great Khali has talked about a training facility in India during his vacation/trip. Certainly, part of that is Khali talking himself up to say the right things during his current status of India's favorite son, but if WWE wants to create a new pool of talent for Raw, Smackdown, and ECW, they might want to look beyond Florida.

I think of Yao Ming playing for the Houston Rockets. Millions of people back in China watch his regular season NBA games and follow his every move closely. And in Japan, millions of people follow the likes of Ichiro and Matsuzaka playing baseball in the U.S.

WWE incorporating more international stars on the main roster will create more interest in those home countries for the product - TV viewership leading to live event tickets sold leading to merchandise revenue. With Khali on TV, ratings in India have increased 10 percent over the last year. 15,000 people turned out for a Khali meet-and-greet this past weekend.

WWE's future internationally isn't just taking the product overseas, but also incorporating overseas talent on the main shows. With the right capital investments - putting all that free cash to work - WWE can set up shop in China, India, Europe, and Latin America to find, train, teach, and develop international stars that will drive the future of domestic and international business.

***

Updated Tuesday, May 13, 2008

First off, I want to congratulate Jamie Penick on becoming the new managing editor of our sister site, MMATorch.com. Penick is my partner in crime every other week on the Raw audio post-game show, and he is already busy at work on the site. If you're an MMA fan, I hope you'll check out the revamped site in the weeks and months to come.

On to Raw. WWE wasn't about to hold back on this show. They weren't thinking about holding off the heavy hitters until after Judgment Day, as there was a clear sense of urgency to this show after last week's Raw continued the disappointing ratings slide.

Bringing back Jeff Hardy and John Cena, while keeping Triple H virtually non-existent until the final segment, will give WWE a very strong indication of Hardy and Cena's collective impact on the viewing audience.

On paper, it reads like WWE put more effort into advancing TV storylines rather than trying to sell the Judgment Day PPV on Sunday. Quite the contrary, as the entire show seemed to create momentum going to Judgment Day with each storyline from top-to-bottom advancing to some degree. WWE kept its eye on the ball building to a crescendo in the final segment that sold two of the main matches on Sunday.

What seemed like a completely dead-in-the-water PPV prior to Raw instantly became a show worth a second look on Sunday evening for whether it's worth $40 and three hours. It helped that the crowd in Detroit was red-hot throughout this show. John Cena certainly did his job in the opening segment getting folks in the building fired up for two hours of Raw.

I hold to the theory that one of the keys to selling a PPV is the interest level of the live audience on the final show before the PPV. If the crowd seems lethargic or indifferent when WWE is trying to pitch their top storylines going into a PPV, then undecided home viewers are most likely going to balk at the idea of another $40 on a blah product. If the live audience is hot for everything, then undecided home viewers are going to lean a little more to ordering the PPV.

The momentum of an energetic John Cena return, a memorable Jeff Hardy return, a poignant sweet chin music from Michaels, the women's division advancing, Cade turning on Murdoch, a very hot main event between Orton and Cena, and two of the top PPV matches being sold at the end of the show created a strong sales pitch for Sunday night.

WWE brought out the heavy hitters on Monday night, and in the process, they sold a PPV better than they had at any point the previous two weeks. WWE had an eye on delivering a better TV product, but they also gave themselves an opportunity to earn additional buys that weren't there prior to last night.

***

Updated Monday, May 12, 2008

This time last month, we were talking about TNA having an opportunity to turn the corner after the Lockdown PPV when they presented the template of how to promote serious pro wrestling. In the weeks that followed, TNA returned to what they know - confusing gimmick matches, zany angles, and A.J. Styles as a goofball character.

That culminated at Sacrifice, which turned into one of those forgettable PPVs that wasn't particularly bad or insulting, but it wasn't good. It was what was expected, with TNA wanting to dip into the bag-of-tricks, while also trying to present a somewhat more serious product. They want to overbook because that's what they know.

As a result, Sacrifice delivered seven tag matches that were all very similar until the final match of the tournament, one giant structure monkey bars gimmick match featuring eight people, one battle royale/ladder match/head-shaving three-piece combo that featured ten people, and one three-way main event for the TNA Title with a de-pushed X Division wrestler replacing a former World champion. It added up to an overloaded show that was a blur by the end of the night.

TNA's TV ratings are reflecting a lukewarm response to a lukewarm product. The shows are fine; I'm not feeling stressed out after watching two hours of Impact. The current product mix just doesn't lend itself to a strong response one way or the other.

It starts at the top with Samoa Joe. During the pre-match introductions for the main event, the crowd response to Joe was indifference. Granted, it was the tenth match on a show that seemed to wear on the psyche with repetitive tag matches. There are only so many two-on-one beat downs and hot tags that fans can tolerate in one night. But, the response to Joe is indicative of fan response to the product right now.

It doesn't help that Joe has been presented on TV as overly-aggressive compared to calm and cool Kevin Nash. Joe yelling and screaming doesn't play well juxtaposed to the coolest man in the room. I'm tempted to call for a Joe heel turn, but that's falling into the same trap TNA falls into by writing a 10-chapter story that is missing chapters 2-9. That was the case with Awesome Kong's first match with the men, as there was no story behind the most-dominant heel on the roster mixing it up with the men.

It's obvious TNA doesn't want to give up its bag-of-tricks. The bag is like a security blanket that keeps the company aligned with the vision for let's-not-take-ourselves-too-seriously wrestling. When something unfamiliar, such as legit build-up to Joe vs. Angle at Lockdown creeps in, TNA knows exactly where they can turn for comfort.

Joe as a serious champion trying to have serious matches doesn't mix well with TNA's vision for attempted comedy and overbooking. It creates a strange mix that doesn't play well with audiences, as evidenced by the ratings trends the last four weeks.

I don't see this mix changing. TNA will continue to overbook and come up with more "concept matches". We know next month's PPV will feature yet another gimmick match with King of the Mountain. It's the reality of how TNA presents its product. Right now, it's not bad enough to be hair-pulling and worthy of tuning in for a trainwreck, but it's not good enough to be memorable and worth spending money on the product.

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