Thursday 3/24 Torch Today – Interesting WM32 Poll Results, Taker gets HIAC birthday, HBK replacing D-Bryan, Reigns talks normal-people topics, Charlotte on Divas vs. Women’s Title, Ranallo calling WM32?, EY taking post-TNA bookings, Yoshi Tatsu wrestling for ROH, Reyes, Tyler Breeze, NJPW Results, Video – Cena’s latest “American Grit”

By James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

Roman Reigns (artist Travis Beaven © PWTorch)

SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...

TORCH TODAY – Thursday, March 24, 2016

– POLL RESULTS: We asked you, the discerning PWTorch reader, how The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon match will end at WM32. Most, but not a majority, believe there will be a No Contest/chaotic ending…

  • 34% – No Finish/chaos
  • 28% – Taker lets Shane win to undermine VKM
  • 25% – Taker wins, Shane goes away
  • 14% – Shane wins, gains control of Raw

Also, in the Wednesday Pat McNeill PWTorch Livecast Poll, we asked which wrestler/personality you will miss the most from this year’s WrestleMania…

  • 36% – Seth Rollins
  • 19% – C.M. Punk
  • 12% – Jim Ross
  • 11% – John Cena
  • 7% – Cesaro
  • 6% – Sting

At MMATorch.com: Coverage of fighters jockeying for position ahead of the UFC 200 card later this summer.

The Undertaker turns 51-years-old today. Ahead of his Hell in a Cell match against 46-year-old Shane McMahon at WrestleMania, Taker got a cage-themed birthday cake. Triple H also gave him a shout-out on Twitter.

Daniel Bryan has officially been pulled from WrestleMania Weekend. Bryan is being replaced by Shawn Michaels for a Premium VIP Axxess signing on WrestleMania Sunday, April 3 at 10:00 a.m. (FULL WRESTLEMANIA WEEKEND SCHEDULE)

Roman Reigns was booked for a humanizing interview with USA Today covering normal-people subjects like Fresh Prince, Pepsi vs. Coke, hamburgers, Girl Scout cookies, etc. trying to have him relate more to the audience. The interview closed with his preview of facing Triple H for the WWE Title at WrestleMania.

“Well, this is a classic case of an older lion taking on a younger lion. Triple H describes this business as his religion; I was born in it. It’ll be two phenomenal, heavyweight athletes going at it. He’s the authority so I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s able to do whatever he wants. I’m pretty much fighting a juggernaut, but it’s gonna be fun!” Reigns said.

– WWE Divas champion Charlotte talked to USA Today about how she views the “Divas Title” versus wanting a “Women’s Title” to be introduced as part of the “Divas Revolution” storyline culminating with her title match against Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks at WM32.

“It’s an honor having the Divas championship and there is lots of history behind the Divas  championship. I look at it as a new beginning for women’s wrestling so let’s have a new title,” Charlotte said. “While I’m honored to have the Divas championship, this is 2016 — let’s make it the women’s championship. But I will be privileged to represent women’s wrestling with a women’s championship or the Divas championship.”

– New Smackdown announcer Mauro Ranallo talked to Fansided.com about potentially calling match(es) at his first WrestleMania. “It would be an incredible moment for me for sure. Honestly, at this point, I will be there along with my two brothers and I let the WWE know I am willing to do anything they need. I understand there is a pecking order involved and Michael Cole, JBL, and Byron Saxton are the PPV team and deserve to be there,” Ranallo told Ted Gruber.

“If I’m not involved and only there to watch believe me, I would be grateful as anyone. I am looking forward to my first WrestleMania as a member of the WWE family and if I can call a match or two all the better. It’s up to them to decide and what do they say ‘what’s best for business.’”

Tyler Breeze shared an interesting story about recording his own theme music for his WWE character. “I got an email saying, ‘We’re going to need you to come in at 9 a.m., and record some voice-over stuff.’ It was a whole sheet of lyrics. As I read them over, I was like, ‘Whoah, am I singing something?’ They said, ‘Yeah, you’re singing your new entrance music.’ I looked over the lyrics and there were a couple that I thought I could insert something that felt a little more ‘me.’ We did a couple of takes, auto-tuned it, and you get what you hear now,” Breeze told The Flagship publication (Va.) promoting this week’s WWE house show in Richmond.

Eric Young is now taking independent bookings after leaving TNA. EY, who is based in Nashville, is available through Bill Behrens at SBIBookings.com.

Yoshi Tatsu is returning to action in North America at the ROH TV taping in Toronto on May 11, according to Bill Behrens. Tatsu, who is going back and forth between Japan and the U.S., is available for bookings.

– Former ROH tag champion Ricky Reyes is available for bookings through Behrens. Reyes, who is based in Philadelphia, is currently on Lucha Underground as Cortz Castro.

The Daily Record (U.K. newspaper) published the latest WWE European Tour info for Roman Reigns’s tour hitting Glasgow, Scotland in April. Included is Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt on top and New Day vs. League of Nations for the Tag Titles.

New Japan’s latest “Road to Invasion Attack” Results from Thursday in Toyama, Japan.

– Finally, the latest preview for John Cena hosting “American Grit” on Fox starting April 14.

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