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, we have a lot of developments to discuss from this week in WWE and TNA. Let's start with John Laurinaitis "fired" at the No Way Out PPV and remaining fired on Raw. Will this stick? Will he find a way back into an authority figure position? And, what did you think of WWE appearing to end this chapter in Raw's authority figure history?

Greg Parks: Yes, maybe, and I guess it was fine. Cena vanquished the big heel and got the spotlight moment two nights in a row, which, in theory, is what's supposed to happen when you oust a heel. Unfortunately, the question we're left asking is "who's going to be the next GM?" rather than anything that has to do with storylines featuring actual wrestlers. And, that's the frustrating part.

Caldwell: Kind of the theme of pro wrestling during this era where the focus is often on non-wrestlers battling for control. It is unfortunate. You mentioned Cena vanquishing the heel - do you think he just moves on from Laurinaitis to Big Show or moves on to someone else?

Parks: Big Show pretty much admitted he had no allegiance to Laurinaitis, so he's certainly not going to take up Big Johnny's agenda against Cena. Perhaps he'll just want a piece of Cena to show him that he can beat him, as the promo he cut on Smackdown indicated we haven't seen the last of those two squaring off. Big Show's mic work is main event, but the problem is his in-ring work is not. It's very difficult to get around the fact that he only has really good matches with a select few, and Cena is not one of them.

Caldwell: Yes, the cage match at No Way Out was pretty poor, especially for a PPV main event. I compared the opening Smackdown promo from Show to someone going through a break-up and saying about the other person, "I'm over this person, yep, I'm really moving on, yes, for sure, I am moving on!" And, everyone knows the person really isn't over the situation. So, I feel like Show-Cena isn't done yet, but I also don't see Cena in the Raw MITB ladder match for a WWE Title shot. But, could you see in MITB as perhaps a way to not have to move Cena to a brand new feud, but also not have Cena straight-up feud with Show since there will be four or six other people in the mix? I'm also thinking ahead to Summerslam and I don't see a headline match for Cena right now unless it's one-on-one vs. Show. I'm not sure what to make of plans for Cena right now, unless they start something completely new Monday on Raw.

Parks: Yeah, with Show tossing his hat in the MITB ring, it certainly feels like he has moved on from Cena, unless, as you said, Cena sneaks into the MITB match. I think that would be a tremendous disappointment for those looking forward to the match, and I don't know that WWE would want to put Cena in that kind of environment where an injury is more likely to happen than in a regular match. But, as you said, he doesn't seem to fit into anything as it stands right now. I don't know if Sheamus will be facing Del Rio or Ziggler at MITB, but I could see the one who doesn't face him take on Cena. I'd like to see Ziggler vs. Cena as maybe a test for Ziggler to see how he'll work with THE top guy. If you had to choose Cena vs. Del Rio or Cena vs. Ziggler for MITB, which would be your choice?

Caldwell: I'll go with Cena vs. Ziggler to see if he can hang with Cena, like you said. I think Del Rio is still recovering from damage done to him by Cena's promo last year when Cena picked apart his gimmick, so I think Del Rio needs to stay far, far away from Cena while the character is re-built. What was interesting to me on Smackdown was they did nothing to set up Sheamus's next title opponent with Sheamus beating Ziggler clean and Del Rio "sent down the contender's ladder" by Mick Foley, leaving pretty much no one left. A quick look at Smackdown - what did you think of Sheamus's win over Ziggler, Del Rio's win over IC champ Christian, and the current World Title picture without an opponent for Sheamus?

Parks: I'd have to guess Del Rio hops back into the spot he lost due to injury. In kayfabe terms, he still deserves the shot. And, like you said, with Sheamus beating Ziggler cleanly...again...it seems like he's not getting another shot. That really only leaves Del Rio. I think you could make a case for Show vs. Sheamus as a title program, but Show is going in the MITB match. That really whittles down the options. I think Del Rio did need a strong win, so I didn't mind him being put over the IC Champ. I'm not for that regularly happening, but in this case, it made sense.

Caldwell: And, Christian had a really nice showing to look strong before Ricardo's distraction led to him losing. So, I thought Christian remained even or even gained a little despite the loss. Speaking of Christian, they continued the Christian vs. Cody Rhodes feud after the match. Is this the right direction for Rhodes or should he be moving on to something else?

Parks: I think it's the right move, unless you're going to have Rhodes take on Sheamus. I'd like to see Rhodes have a few more quality wins under his belt and look good for a while longer before he challenges for a major title. I like both Christian and Rhodes, so I'm all for this feud, even if their match at No Way Out was a notch below what I expected. James, with no clear opponent for Sheamus, do you think Cody could fit that bill, at least for the short-term, like maybe one PPV match?

Caldwell: In theory, yes. But, I don't think the timing is right because I see Rhodes in the Smackdown MITB ladder match, and then I don't see him ready for a Summerslam title match against Sheamus. Perhaps at Night of Champions in September? So, I don't see it happening within the next few months, but if he moves up the ladder during this IC Title feud with Christian, then I could see him ready for a one-off. (It also depends on whether he wins MITB!) Greg, while we're on the topic of Smackdown, A.J. continued to taunt Kane and Daniel Bryan with her craziness, now in a timekeeper's role. I really liked the Bryan-Kane match; what did you think of A.J.'s role and the lack of a true "ah ha!" moment at the PPV, Raw, or Smackdown this week? Does it feel like they're just stretching this out because A.J. has taken off as a character?

Parks: First, you noted the "Smackdown MITB" match - do you really think they're going to have two MITB matches? Will they really try to separate them by brands, or just have people going after the respective titles on that brand? Yeah, I liked Bryan vs. Kane too, and, yeah, it does feel like the A.J. story was originally supposed to be on the periphery and has taken a life of its own. Unfortunately, for it to be worth it, there'd have to be some sort of reveal that she was working with, in cahoots with, or deliberately favoring one wrestler over another for a reason, and I don't know if I trust WWE to pay that off.

Caldwell: It would be fitting to only have one MITB match since the brand split is virtually non-existent! So, you could be right when it all plays out. We'll see as the weeks unfold. On A.J., at this point in the story, it feels like they've gone so far with the story that they couldn't possibly be able to explain she was in cahoots with someone all along. I mean, unless they explain that A.J. working against Bryan for several weeks was part of a long plan to finally get the WWE Title for Bryan. I'm with you that I'm not sure about the pay-off, but I feel like they need to get there soon, as the WWE Title continues to be pushed aside. On Raw, Greg, there also wasn't much follow-up on the WWE Title to determine who's next to challenge. I understand it, though, since they wanted to get through PPV fall-out before moving along to the next PPV. What do you think is next for Punk and the WWE Title?

Parks: Yeah, I think it's either Bryan or Kane in a singles match, and I'm hoping for Bryan. Although Punk has shown that he works well with Kane, too. And, really, at this point, the A.J. story is focused just as much on Punk and Kane as it is on Bryan, so since A.J. has helped both Punk and Kane at times, maybe this will be the match to test whose side she's really on. That would leave Bryan for the MITB. Do you see Punk facing either Kane or Bryan (or both again) at MITB, or will it be someone out of left field?

Caldwell: I think it will be Punk vs. Kane. You know, as you broke down the possible directions they could go, I had the thought of either Bryan or A.J. as special ref for Punk vs. Kane. Or, Bryan as special ref and A.J. as timekeeper. Or, A.J. as special ref and Bryan timekeeper. Could you see them stretch this out by creating some sort of new combination involving Bryan and A.J.?

Parks: Oh, definitely. That way they could still put Bryan in the MITB match as well. That's a good thought, because knowing WWE booking, that's really the next step to take. Taking a step back from the main event situation, we had the Heath Slater-Roddy Piper segment from Raw. Most have absolutely roasted this segment, but that would force me to agree with Michael Cole, and I'm loathe to do that. James, for a one-off, was this segment as bad as people are saying?

Caldwell: I thought the saving grace was Heath Slater. I don't know why, but he's grown on me, and I thought he made this segment not-terrible to even passable. Slater just has this over-self-confidence and arrogance that makes him a good heel to get beat up. He's not positioned to make WWE any money, either, so he can just be a guy to get beat up and not feel like WWE is wasting him like I felt like they did with Ted DiBiase two years ago when he did bad dancing segments to get fake heel heat. (That's why I didn't like Otunga doing the Carlton and other absurd dance moves on Smackdown because he's positioned a few steps above Slater, especially being in a Raw main event with Cena on Monday.) But, as for the Lauper segment, it just wasn't fair to put her and Richter out there without experience cutting a live promo on Raw. I think the worst part was Cole making pig noises and other dumb noises to be a nuisance. Overall, I thought the whole thing was a wash.

Parks: Cole's mocking is clearly a directive from WWE, and why would they put something on the air for someone to mock? If it's not good TV and they KNOW it's not good TV, don't book it! I was under the impression that we would see Raw main-eventers wrestle leading up to the 1,000th episode. Calling Piper a Raw main-eventer is really a push and he certainly didn't wrestle. I think that announcement is going the way of Devon defending the TV Title every week on Impact. Slater does have this overconfidence, but I don't find him particularly good on the mic or anything like that. He's not someone I see a whole lot in to get behind. Anything else from Raw (or Smackdown) to touch on?

Caldwell: Yes, it feels like the return of Raw main-eventers was a one-off deal, but it might just be one of those things where if they have a guy local who fits the advertising, they might trot that person out Week 996 or Week 998 or something like that. I think a few more things to touch on from WWE's undercard - Ryback continues to be fed jobbers and Brodus Clay stood up to Big Show on Smackdown, but Otunga took him out. What do you think of the two big guys's roles right now?

Parks: I'm more positive about Clay's situation than I was a few weeks ago. He came out, no dancing on Smackdown, so you knew he was serious. That was a nice, and necessary touch. Plus, it looks like they're giving him his first feud with Otunga, someone who won't necessarily make Clay look good in the ring, but he'll do the jobs and put Clay over. Ryback squashing jobbers is fun, but, eventually, someone with name value has to challenge him and he's gotta work his way up the ladder. The problem is, he won't be able to recklessly handle contracted talent as he has done the jobbers. James, who is in a better position to succeed right now: Ryback or Clay?

Caldwell: At this moment, I'm going to say Clay based on what you said - he actually has a feud right now. Otunga has been in the main event spotlight and Big Show is obviously in a main event position. So, I like Brodus's chances to break out more. I do feel like the audience is catching on to Ryback, though, so they're slowly but surely getting there with him. He just needs something to - excuse the reference - sink his teeth into more than just being fed jobbers. Greg, are you ready to move on to TNA and the end of the show?

Parks: *Sigh* Ready as I'll ever be. We've had two days to process what we saw and I'm still not sure what to make of it. I think, as far as a conclusion and following the clues, it somewhat makes sense. But, that doesn't mean it's interesting or worth investing in. How are fans supposed to feel about this - they have no idea who this woman is. And, to allow her to cut a promo to explain herself and let the live crowd have at her...I didn't get that decision at all. It seemed to have nothing to do with wrestling and was completely out of left field. James, eviscerate this segment for me.

Caldwell: Oh, TNA. It's just typical that when they finally start to put together some good programming on a consistent basis, they come up with something like this that was an Instant Absurdity Moment with absolutely nothing to do with a wrestling show. I'm sure they will try to throw a ton of explanations at the audience in the coming weeks - e.g. why didn't Dixie tell Serge what was going on? - but it won't make up for this segment. I seriously thought they were going for unintentional comedy and the joke was on Dixie and A.J. having to sell seriousness in the ring. The woman came down and started spinning this tale and they just kept adding more and more items to make this completely absurd. I just sat stunned after that segment and tried to figure out where they come up with this stuff. Greg, trying to put all of that aside, was there any saving grace with A.J. blasting away at Daniels and Kaz to close the show, or does that make it worse one week before A.J. and Angle defend the Tag Titles against the heels after A.J. destroyed them by himself?

Parks: I don't think it makes it better or worse; the segment is what it is. Like you said, I thought this was a horrible payoff for a wrestling show. Even worse for TNA is you've got fans tuning in to this show and the show before because they've heard from others that, "Hey, TNA has finally turned things around!" And, this could end up turning those fans right back out. Okay, it was also Open Fight Night, so, there is more to talk about. On the Livecast, I wondered how this would work as far as BFG series wrestlers calling out others in the series. I was happy with what I saw, but I hope they don't do this EVERY time there's an Open Fight Night. What did you think of how they tied the BFG Series in with Open Fight Night?

Caldwell: You're exactly right about the A.J./Dixie explanation not only not making sense and being terrible TV, but turning away new/returning/infrequent viewers wondering what in the world they're watching and not giving TNA another chance for a while. As for the BFG Open Fight Night, I really liked the format of wrestlers having a chance to hit the ring to call out someone backstage, but it felt very crammed. They had six BFG Series matches, three Brooke Hogan backstage segments, one KO Title match, a Gut Check try-out, a music video premiere, and the opening segment with Aries, Roode, and Hogan. That was just too much to cram into the show, leading to some very brief BFG Series matches. Some of them made sense and really worked well - e.g. Angle squashing Robbie E. without breaking a sweat - but Hardy vs. RVD in the main event and some others were unrealistically short. Hopefully for the next Open Fight Night, they limit it to like three BFG Series matches on a first-come, first-serve basis. As for the opening segment with Aries and Hogan, then Roode's involvement, what did you think of the set-up for the TNA Title match at the PPV and establishing the yearly deal of the X champ getting a TNA Title shot at Destination X?

Parks: Yeah, the short matches was a noticeable downside to how it was done. But I think who called out who made a lot of sense and I liked that aspect of it. I'm torn on the set-up for Destination X: The only negative really is having to give up the X Division Title. So, basically, no one can hold it for more than a year. But I do think making Destination X the PPV that an X Division champ gets a title shot means TNA will have to at least build up the X Division and champion leading up to that PPV. So I'm cautiously optimistic.

Caldwell: I hear you on those points. As for this year, my short-term concern is they have pretty much no one left in the X Division to take over after Aries. Zema Ion? Chris Sabin is injured. Kid Kash isn't really positioned as an X Division wrestler these days. Unless they're planning a big influx of X talent in the coming weeks, I don't see who replaces Aries. Am I missing someone from the current roster?

Parks: Doug Williams? That's the trouble though, is someone needs to step into where Aries was, and everyone who's available simply pales in comparison to the Greatest Man That Ever Lived. So the X Division will certainly take a hit, at least in the short-term.

Caldwell: It certainly appears that way. Greg, on the Knockouts side, Tessmacher picked up a win over Mickie James, who seems to be slowly moving toward a heel turn. What did you make of Brooke Hogan's involvement "eliminating contenders" before arriving at Mickie, and what's next for Tess?

Parks: I liked it, it was similar to what Hogan did last month, and I really didn't think Brooke was as bad in her acting in this instance as others have said. Overall, yes, she's a bad actor, but I didn't think she came across that way necessarily in that segment. I could see Tessmacher continuing to feud with Mickie. It's about her turn to get back into the title picture, isn't it?

Caldwell: I thought Brooke was more in her element in the sit-down segments than she was in anything else before this week's Impact. So, I thought there was improvement there. Gail Kim is also floating around due for a re-match, so perhaps Gail gets the re-match, then Mickie gets another shot at the title after flipping out on Tessmacher? I think it's the best way to use Mickie at this point in her TNA run. Greg, anything else from Impact worth breaking down this week?

Parks: I'm all set for this week. Tomorrow on "Gonzo & The Greg," however, we'll be just getting started. It's the top five autobiographies we'd like to see written by people from inside the industry. Some may be obvious but others...maybe not so much.

Caldwell: Nice segue and teaser! Yes, the world needs that Brooklyn Brawler autobiography. All right, Greg, we will call it a night here and look forward to the Livecast this coming week to see how things reset on Raw and what happens after the bizarreness from Impact. Oh…oh…oh…I did forget one item from Impact. Greg, very little follow-up on the Sting attack from last week other than Hogan saying they aren't giving the perps any pub. Your thoughts on the brief follow-up and where they might be going with this?

Parks: I thought it was smart that Hogan did address it in his opening promo, and with Open Fight Night, the Dixie reveal, and everything else going on, I understand why they'd want to wait a week before they address it further, as to ensure it doesn't get lose in the shuffle.

Caldwell: Very true with that show already bursting at the seams. If this were WWE, I would be curious if they're dropping the angle altogether, but with TNA, they're trying to be more consistent with following up on significant developments…even if the pay-off is terrible (e.g. Dixie/Styles). All right, we will call it a night here. Greg, thanks as always for the Chat!

Parks: Sure thing, James!

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