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James Caldwell: This is Torch assistant editor James Caldwell joined by Torch columnist Greg Parks breaking down WrestleMania 26 Week and also looking ahead to what's to come. Greg, we've had a few days to digest the apparent end of Shawn Michaels's wrestling career. Processing that, what thoughts come to mind as far as Michaels's career, his final two nights at WrestleMania & Raw, and whether WWE has a big void in their programming going forward.

Greg Parks: I thought you were going to ask me what stood out most for me on Monday night, and I was going to jokingly say it was the X Division match on Impact. That aside, there's no doubt Shawn Michaels will be missed on WWE TV from here on out. But really, it just gives WWE another upper-card position to move a younger guy into, and hopefully, they'll take advantage of that. Michaels has been off TV for years when he first retired after his back injury, and he's taken long sabbaticals at times since then, so it won't be completely weird to not see him on TV.

Caldwell: I actually started to type that on what stood out Monday night because I'm so predictable, but I decided to change it up! Have to mix in the change-up or the curveball every once in a while. Yeah, Michaels has been off-and-on on WWE TV over the years, but he's had some of the more memorable programs over the last three years that I wonder where that next memorable program is going to come from on the Raw brand. Triple H and Sheamus could up the ante, same with John Cena and Batista. When Michaels was involved in big angles and not doing the DX comedy, there was no one better at selling emotion and drawing the crowd into what he was doing. Who do you see being one or two guys who slide into that slot Michaels is vacating?

Parks: I don't really see a stand-out babyface on Raw to replace him, and it's hard to predict especially since the draft is coming up and you could select someone from either brand. As a face, I could see John Morrison stepping up on the Raw brand and replacing Michaels. He has already drawn comparisons to Shawn inside and outside the company.

Caldwell: John Morrison moving to Raw would be a good move, I agree. Perhaps he could take the U.S. Title belt from The Miz, who's holding it hostage, and try to get some heat on the undercard title. Like you said, it really depends on how the Draft shakes up, but I think Morrison is due for a chance to be a top babyface on either brand. One last thing on Michaels before we move on to covering other subjects - do you see him coming back to TV in a different role or being involved with the company in a different role? Do you see him fitting in anywhere in WWE post-retirement?

Parks: Definitely I do; based on the history of wrestling retirements, Shawn will show up somewhere. Maybe as the GM of Raw when the guest host thing runs its course. That's really the only spot I could see, unless he somehow became color commentator, which I doubt (even though he has been good on commentary in the past). I can't give you a time-frame, but we have not seen the last of him. How about the headliner for HOF 2011?

Caldwell: Hall of Fame 2011 will be absolutely loaded, but I could see Michaels getting the induction next year. It could also depend on where the 2012 WrestleMania is held and perhaps they could save him for down the road when they really start to run out of HOFers. I don't know if Michaels would be up for the weekly travel for commentary, but he could be valuable for possible work when WWE launches their TV Network sometime within the next two years doing something depending on the programming model. I think he could also be a creative team consultant. I hope they find a way to utilize his services because he has such a great mind for wrestling. Let's talk other Raw subjects. What jumped out at you from the show besides HBK's speech?

Parks: Bret Hart staying on the show, to apparently aid the Hart Dynasty. Like most people, I thought he'd be out (at least for a while) after the Vince feud, but it appears he's sticking around. Either that, or he was already in Phoenix, so they used him to give some rub to the Dynasty for one night while they got their feud with Miz and Show started up. What do you see his role, if any, going forward?

Caldwell: I couldn't imagine him sticking around just to play the role of a manager for HD. I also don't see Vince McMahon returning to TV, so it wouldn't make much sense for Hart to be able to run free on Vince's show and not have any consequences after the beating he gave him at WrestleMania. So, I think Hart was there to solidify HD as babyfaces going forward and it will be up to The Miz and WWE to continue making sure HD stays babyface if this tag title feud continues. I know Hart will be on the European Tour, so it will give him something to do post-WrestleMania, but I just don't see him having a consistent role on the show. It would be cool to see him stick around and do something, especially helping elevate Miz, but I don't see it happening. We'll see though! What did you think of the Jack Swagger MITB tease and being involved with three big stars, Orton, Cena, and Batista, plus Cena and Orton as a tag team! Who woulda thunk it?!

Parks: I liked the Swagger part; I'm lukewarm on the Orton part. To his credit, Orton isn't playing to the crowd like a babyface, because they really need to somehow acknowledge his terrible past deeds before turning him full-fledged heel, and he's going to need to do some mic work to explain things. As for Swagger, I liked what they did. The false start MITB cash-in was believable (a ref isn't always standing by!) and unique. He didn't look out of place in the main event, but his mic work could still use some polishing (having nothing to do with the lisp)

Caldwell: I imagine Orton will remain relatively quiet on the mic just to keep letting the audience react to him and not try to explain things just yet. If he tries to explain things, it might make the audience go, 'Oh yeah, he's the guy who tried to kill Cena a few months.' So, I would let the audience get used to cheering him before Orton begins to explain himself a little bit. I'm just really curious to see if WWE keeps Cena, Hunter, and Orton together on Raw as babyfaces. Do you see that happening post-Draft? Do you see one going to Smackdown? Does one turn heel?

Parks: Triple H could turn heel, but it would be tough to do so immediately after his heart-felt words and embrace with Shawn Michaels on Monday. Orton going to Smackdown would be interesting. Presumably, he'd be a face there, and his match-ups with guys like Jericho and Punk could be interesting. Plus, it would give Smackdown some more star power and open up another spot to be filled by a younger guy on Raw. With Taker out with injuries and taking the summer off, Orton could replace him as another top face (along with Edge) on the Friday night show.

Caldwell: I agree with Orton moving to babyface. I made the argument for him moving to Smackdown during yesterday's Livecast with Bruce Mitchell, but I didn't have any opponents in mind, so, yes, I like the ideas you presented with Orton feuding against Jericho and perhaps Punk. I think Orton vs. Punk would magic with Punk trying to convince Orton to join SES and Orton just shoots him these looks and turns his head over and over. As far as Hunter goes, I believe he'll have a long-term feud with Sheamus. He would have amazing heat if he turned heel after using the HBK retirement to pivot the other way, but I like the Hunter-Sheamus feud thus far and see it continuing. Do you agree or does it end, presumably at Extreme Rules?

Parks: It's going to take some good mic work from both men to continue the feud, since the entire thing was built around Sheamus trying to get a win over the gatekeeper of WrestleMania, Triple H, at the Grandaddy of them all. Now that the show has passed, there needs to be something else to grab on to in this feud. I wouldn't complain if it lasted past Extreme Rules, because it's a good match-up for both men. However, the feud seems thin at this point, but I'm willing to wait to see what they come up with.

Caldwell: I like the idea of Sheamus winning at Extreme Rules, then Hunter being so agitated that they have the rubber match on a following Raw or the next PPV. We'll see. Anything else jump out from Raw worth commenting on?

Parks: Well, do we really want to spend time talking about the Divas mess from WM and Raw?

Caldwell: Haha, I had a feeling that might come up. At least they seem to be settling on a Maryse vs. Eve feud after this WrestleMania season debacle goes away. We'll see if they ever get there, though. Regarding Impact now. I see a product that's like a stool without a third leg to stand on. It's like they keep jumping back and forth on two legs trying to find balance, but they need that third leg. Bear with the analogy here. They simply don't have the creative aspect (the third leg) working right now. It's a mess. What was your overall impression of Monday's show?

Parks: Like most Impact shows, there were things to like and things to not like. And like most of them, more things to not like. The good news is there was less Bischoff on the show. The bad news is there was more Bubba. Seriously, how do you start the show with that guy, someone who is an instant channel changer for most people? The Angle vs. Anderson feud continues to be the one flower amidst the manure that is the rest of the TNA upper card.

Caldwell: Angle vs. Anderson was great and probably the lone highlight of the show...then Angle greeted the top heel faction after his segment and I just wanted to throw my hands in the air. Insane. I thought there was too much Bischoff, actually, but I guess six segments instead of eight is a victory. The show felt like the TNA B-Show with random appearances by Orlando Jordan, Jay Lethal, the X Division, and a Samoa Joe sighting. What do you make of the latest Joe weirdness and what do you think is going to happen with the latest storyline involving him yelling and screaming?

Parks: I'm hoping he ends up in the main event scene after all of this. I'll admit that I'm intrigued by the "who" in this storyline, but I'm definitely prepared to be let down. After all, it is TNA booking this - often, they are fine in starting off an angle, but have problems in the middle and end. So that's why I'm prepared for a terrible end to this.

Caldwell: The key to TNA: lower your expectations. A word if wisdom for the kids out there. Just for the heck of it, who else do you see joining the two Lethal Lockdown squads for the Team Hogan vs. Team Flair business at the PPV? Hogan already has Abyss and Jarrett, with two spots to fill. Flair has Sting, who was nowhere to be found on this week's show, and three spots to fill.

Parks: Dinero and Styles are out, because they're in the title match. As are Angle and Anderson, in a stupid key ladder match. So who does that leave us with? Will Rob Terry be on Hogan's team? I say that half-in-jest. How about Wolfe on the heel team (since he's already aligned with Flair) and perhaps either Jeff Hardy or Rob Van Dam on the face team? Maybe an X Division wrestler on each side to elevate them? Hahahaha, I know, there's no chance.

Caldwell: Thanks for providing some levity and good humor to this TNA discussion. If they don't go ahead and do singles matches with Hardy and RVD on the PPV, then I say they'll put them with Abyss and Jarrett for Team Hogan. Wolfe seems like a logical pick for Team Flair to have someone bump around and maybe fall through the ring again or something. Perhaps Brutus Magnus, Daniels, or Brutus Beefcake gets another heel spot. There really is no rhyme or reason to half of what they do or when people show up, so I'll cop out and say "wait and see." Anything else from Impact to discuss?

Parks: Orlando Jordan? I feel like we should talk...something about this. It was an intriguing debut, but he got to the talk show set...and that was it. Did he really come down just to come out and do nothing? That was bizarre.

Caldwell: This goes to TNA just throwing stuff against the wall. As I said in my column yesterday, it's just like "And now for something completely different" from Monty Python, except it's not funny, entertaining, or creative. I don't know who the act is marketed toward, I don't know how we're supposed to react or feel about this, and it's Orlando Jordan. I imagine they'll follow up in the weeks to come on what exactly this act is, but it's Orlando Jordan.

Parks: In the end, yes, it is Orlando Jordan. NXT last night: Was it at least the most entertaining episode thus far, thanks in part to the hilarious commentary of Jericho, Mathews and Cole? Was Vince McMahon in the can or something? How did that even make it to air?

Caldwell: I think Vince McMahon stopped caring about NXT the minute he made the announcement on the second-to-last episode of ECW, so apparently they snuck a piece of cheese by him. Jericho was absolutely amazing on commentary. Just amazing. I would say it was one of the most entertaining episodes, right up there with Week #3, which was stellar from Seattle with Bryan and Miz having that great tension play out. Bryan ripping Otunga on the mic was entertaining as well. So, yes, it was right up there. What do you think about all the news that happened on the show with the Raw guest host battle royal, the PPV title match, the eliminations, and the Rankings? Anything jump out from the rankings?

Parks: Yeah, the fact that they're not even based on the criteria they're supposed to be based on. But they're pretty close with rankings I'd put out there, actually.

Caldwell: I think someone drew the rankings out of a hat and maybe flipped a few guys around to make it seem logical. There was no 1/4th breakdown of all the criteria they listed to see how they came up with the percentages. I mean, where were the Others Receiving Votes? It gave the announcers some more talking points to stir the drama, so that worked, but it still feels like they're making things up on the fly. What do you make of Otunga guest-hosting Raw this week? I was hoping Daniel would win and force Miz to defend the U.S. Title against him, with Daniel winning the title. But, that was from fantasy land booking.

Parks: I also thought that too, but they already put Bryan over as #1 in the rankings, so why not share the wealth and put someone over as Raw guest host? That's also what they did by putting Barrett in the tag match, so they essentially elevated three guys in one one-hour show. Pretty nice.

Caldwell: That's a good point, too. It's obvious Bryan, Otunga, Barrett, and Slater are the four guys they really want to elevate with this show. Justin Gabriel is also pretty popular and could be a strong complement to Evan Bourne on Raw or Hardy on Smackdown post-NXT. Who do you see eventually winning this thing? Does Bryan go circuit-to-circuit or does someone else actually win this?

Parks: Man, it's hard to bet against Bryan at this point. But he, Barrett and Otunga are three that to me, have separated themselves from the pack.

Caldwell: Agreed. Let's talk Smackdown to wrap. Chris Jericho retained the World Title at WrestleMania, C.M. Punk lost to Rey Rey, but it doesn't feel like their feud is over. Undertaker could be off for a little R&R after April perhaps. What do you make of the Smackdown brand post-Mania?

Parks: Well, I get the sense that things change somewhat this week (I accidentally ran into a spoiler today), but I expect C.M. Punk and Rey Mysterio will continue their feud. Plus, the Hart Dynasty should see a rise up the card with their rub from Bret Hart and probable feud with Miz and Big Show on deck. Morrison, McIntyre, and others look like they'll be slotted into new feuds post-WM

Caldwell: I know you avoid spoilers at all costs, so I wasn't sure if you were going to avoid the big one all this week before covering the show on Friday! We'll be able to talk more about that next week, but I want to ask about the SES group. Do you see Rey joining eventually via force or anyone else joining to expand the group? Or, is the group good where it is right now?

Parks: I really don't see how he'd join now, after he got out of it at 'Mania. If they wanted to put him in, they just would've had him lose there. To put it that stip up again would seem repetitive. I think they're good at three now, but it could certainly increase if the storyline calls for it.

Caldwell: I think they might bring up another guy from developmental if they find someone who would be a good fit for the group. They have the leader, they have the muscle, they have the valet/manager/brains. I guess all they need is a Tully Blanchard type character. We'll be able to talk more in-depth on Smackdown next week, but anything else from the brand worth commenting on?

Parks: I'm all set right now, I think. My roommate is watching the tape of NXT right now, and I want to be able to catch the replay of Jericho on commentary!

Caldwell: Haha, I hear that! It's gold, Jerry, gold. Anyways, we'll talk more next week with more things sorted out via hitting the reset button.

Parks: A Seinfeld reference! That's one to go out on.

Caldwell: Indeed it is! Good talking to you. I'll catch ya next week!

Parks: Absolutely James!

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