By Jon Cudo, PWTorch specialist

TRUE - WCW SATURDAY NIGHT IS STILL ON

While watching TNA Impact last Thursday, I was struck by how much a show taped a dozen years later feels and looks like WCW Saturday Night...which is not a good thing.

Gunner's entrance is eerily similar to the TBS show format and feel. The industrialized set, the studio lights, and compact crowd along with the obviously-enhanced crowd noise set the stage for a bug eyed, grunting, muscle-head to slobber on the way to the ring. TNA even added Ric Flair to his side, showing someone still knows how to minimize the effectiveness of one of the all-time greats. Gunner's in-ring work confirmed he must have trained at the WCW Power Plant with his rudimentary green clotheslines peppered with chops and hip tosses.

Gunner won with interference, showcasing the booking flair of the shuttered WCW is also intact. And, TNA pushed a completely inferior performer over a smaller completely more talented star in A.J. Styles.

Oh, and did I mention his name? "Gunner"...which fits snuggly in the WCW naming scheme that included such clever and compelling classics as The Wall, The Demon, Kaos, and Rage. The flashback was complete when Crimson strode out in the next segment.

FALSE - WWE IS GOOD AT MATH

If in 25 years only two men have won the Royal Rumble after drawing number one, then it is NOT a disadvantage to draw #1. As a matter of averages, each number should have 3.3 percent chance of winning. The Superstar drawing #1 has won at a 8.3 percent clip. You can't make the case that's a horrible thing to draw #1 and a great thing to draw #30, then explain that two men have won as entrant #1 and two men have won as #30. Especially when WWE can't name both men who won after drawing #1. I know the target market is kids, so perhaps this explains why kids struggle with match.

As a math dork, I kept thinking Monday night that Miz and R-Truth shouldn't mind losing at getting the #1 draw, since that number wins at a better clip than all but two numbers (24 and 27) in all of the Royal Rumble matches. But, then I recalled Michael Cole asserting everyone in a four-way match has a 25 percent chance of winning, so all of this is irrelevant since everyone in the Rumble actually has a 3.3 percent chance, according the Cole Theorem. Then, I took some Advil.

Also FALSE - IMPACT WRESTLING "GETS" TWITTER

Any company that suggests viewers hash tag #impactwrestling on their next tweet is admitting they don't really understand the medium. Or, perhaps they are hedging their bets and taking away 17 characters of the allotted 140 so viewers have fewer arrows in their quiver to shoot down the product on Twitter. Please use the hash tag #JonCudoIsTheAuthorOfTheTrueFalseTBDColumnOnPWTORCHdotComWhichIsSomethingYouReallyShouldBeReadingIfYouFollowProfessionalWrestlingEachWeek and let me know if you disagree with my perspective.

TO BE DETERMINED - ROYAL RUMBLE'S BIGGEST POP

The Royal Rumble's unique format is a booker's dream, creating on a canvas with nearly ever star on the roster. Classic moments and stories come from clever groupings or eliminations. Forgotten careers like Maven's will never completely fade thanks to his elimination of The Undertaker. Characters like Diesel and Undertaker were made thanks in part to their domination of Rumbles (that they didn't even win) and comedy characters like Jerry Lawler and Santino Marella have even carved out effective and memorable moments.

Many of those great moments are crafted by the brilliant booking mind of Pat Patterson, yet they are often superseded by the simple countdown to a shocking entrant. John Cena, Edge, Diesel, and Booker T have all gotten the hot pop of a shocking return. Whose music will hit when then clock strikes zero this weekend causing the crowd to explode? John Morrison, Triple H, Christian, Alberto Del Rio, Brock Lesnar, Undertaker...or, all of them? That pop remains to be determined.

***

Jon Cudo is the newest PWTorch specialist, presenting the "True-False-TBD" format. Jon has worked in the sports entertainment industry for over 20 years, including major league sports teams and Nike. He has been a life-long pro wrestling fan and has attended WWE, WCW, and ROH events in person, including backstage access at multiple events. He grew up in Minnesota and now lives in Cleveland. He runs his own business, www.GameOps.com, a website designed to connect sports teams and event producers with ideas and tools that will enhance the entertainment value for fans attending their events.

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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