Welcome to a new website-exclusive PWTorch feature! I am PWTorch founder and editor, Wade Keller. I've been covering pro wrestling since 1987 when I started the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter while still in high school. Over 25 years later, PWTorch reaches more wrestling fans every week than any other independent brand. When we launched PWTorch.com in 1999, one of the features I enjoyed doing the most was "Ask PWTorch." I haven't done it recently on the website, but did revive it in recent years in an audio format for PWTorch VIP members on my Keller Hotline. We reintroduced it to the website audience at the start of May 2013.

If you have a question you'd like me to respond to, send your question to askpwtorch@gmail.com. I, along with the Torch staff, will address you questions.

===

PWTorch reader Chris from Palm Springs, California asks: I've recently been watching some old Global episodes on ESPN Classic. What was the story behind that group? Like Herb Abrams's UWF, they seemed to have some momentum with a top notch talent pool along with solid hands from World Class's mid-card. But soon they deteriorated into being unwatchable. Who were the power players? Did they ever take their shows on the road or was it all at the Sportatorium?

PWTorch senior columnist Bruce Mitchell answers: VIP Members can access my takedown of this group at the time in the Bruce Mitchell Library in the VIP archives section spanning more than 25 years of our full time comprehensive coverage of wrestling (www.PWTorch.com/govip). The nice way to put it is that the first Global television taping featured some decent talent (Terry Gordy, Cactus Jack, Lightning Kid, Jerry Lynn, and Eddie Gilbert with Bill Eadie behind the scenes), but they soon discovered the company wasn't capitalized to the extent as their "investor" had claimed. The syndicator Max Andrews stepped in and Global became the historic first company to survive not by drawing fans but by fleecing an on-camera money mark. The less said about the late Herb Abrams the better, but his UWF was more about the party in the back than the action in the ring.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: The show aired every weekday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN. Joe Pedicino built the promotion around talent that the insider newsletters liked, thinking the more worldly fans had the right idea than the stodgy set-in-their-ways old guard of promoters running WCW and the WWF at the time. He also was deceived into thinking he had a huge budget, but the balance sheets never worked out in his favor as there were no substantial revenue sources to grow. He did run spot shows, but they didn't draw much. Later in their run they actually began allowing fans in free so they could sell them food and drinks to pay the building rent, while using the crowd as a prop in essence to make the promotion look more popular. The show gave the first national exposure to Marcus Bagwell, Cactus Jack (Mick Foley), Sean Waltman (Lightning Kid), and Jerry Lynn, plus pushed Del Wilkes to the top. There were some good matches and entertaining angles, but it didn't have the budget or vision or effective business plan to have staying power.

As Bruce noted, the VIP section covers the entire evolution of the GWF including a special mid-week bulletin we sent to our subscribers with an interview with Pedicino after he announced it in detail to us and granted us an interview immediately about his plans. Then you can follow it's progress and fall over the entire span in our weekly back issues in the VIP section. Sign up here: www.PWTorch.com/govip.

[Lightning Kid & Jerry Lynn photo credit Wade Keller (c) PWTorch]

===

PWTorch reader since 1998 Jason Noble of Quincy Wash. asks: I've really started to enjoy Steve Austin's podcast and the quality of the show and his performance has continued to improve. The quality of guests, as one would imagine, is superb as well. That said, am I the only one who had a difficult time listening to Ric Flair on the recent episodes (as well as the WWE '14 panel discussion I watched on YouTube)? While the stories he tells (constantly and ramblingly) are great, I can't help but see that 22 year old small town guy who continues to hang with the high schoolers (Wooderson, anyone?). Every single topic is dominated by the Nature Boy reliving his greatness and pretending (or is he?) that he is still 25 years old. I find him and his circumstances very sad. I'm not alone, am I?

PWTorch senior columnist Bruce Mitchell answers: Let me see if I got this straight. You thought that Ric Flair, arguably the greatest performer in the history of the business, who was appearing on another great wrestler Steve Austin's podcast specifically because Austin wanted to talk to Flair about his career, talked too much about his career? I listened to both parts of Austin's interview with Flair and thought both guys were on their game. Austin was prepared, knew and appreciated Flair's history, and asked about the right people and events. Aside from some memory and exaggeration issues (the Brody murder, War Games) Flair was entertaining and insightful. Ric Flair is Ric Flair. He's passionate about what he does and what he did. That passion drove him to be the best and it defines his life. That's not changing. There are parts of his life that he should change, but that's not one of them. It seems like some people are so focused on train wrecks they see one whether its there or not.

PWTorch columnist Sean Radican answers: Although I haven't listened to or seen the recent interviews you mentioned, I wouldn't say Flair's circumstances are sad right now compared to other people that are homeless, battling addiction, or living a life of crime. I will say that Flair has always lived the gimmick and that's not going to change, but it would be nice to see him have a more noble public persona than he has in recent years. Seeing him do an entire interview with Highspots with a black eye and the reports of his condition at the WWE '14 panel discussion come to mind.

PWTorch columnist Greg Parks answers: No, you're not; in fact, if you are a VIP member, you can read folks who share a very similar opinion to yours in the VIP Member Forum.

===

PWTorch reader Jack from Gilroy asks: I was reading Shawn Valentino’s recap of Summerslam, and I saw that he deducted a point from the John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan main event for the use of the flying headbutt. I have to agree with him, as you only have to look to Chris Benoit and the Dynamite Kid as reasons the move should not be in use. There just doesn’t seem to be a way execute the move without risking head trauma. As I watch old Chris Benoit matches, and see the vicious chairshots he took, as well as the brutal swan dive headbutts he executed, it’s hard not to see them and make the correlation between those moves and the CTE he developed that many opine led to the horrific murder/suicide of his family and himself. Specifically, I remember the end of ECW “One Night Stand” 2005 and Stone Cold instructing Benoit to “kill” Eric Bischoff with the diving headbutt. How sadly ironic. It’s almost as ironic as Joey Styles, on the same PPV, saying he wished Mike Awesome had killed himself with his swan dive onto Tanaka. My question is, should pro wrestling promotions (not just the WWE) ban moves for safety's sake? Is it even plausible?

PWTorch columnist Sean Radican answers: Yes, the diving headbutt is something that should be banned by WWE. It is plausible because WWE and other promotions can do whatever they want because they're in charge and there are plenty of other moves with less risk that can have the same meaning or more.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: It should be banned. Is it plausible? Of course. If WWE can have a dress code and punish wrestlers if they don't follow it, they can ban the top rope diving headbutt and fine or suspend or fire wrestlers who execute it. It's that simple. The WWF should have banned the top rope headbutt back when Benoit came back from his neck surgery and began doing the move again (something I suggested to a top member of WWE management at the time, which wasn't taken seriously). Everytime I see Daniel Bryan do it, I lose respect for him because it's a move so attached to Benoit symbolically plus it is tied to perhaps cumulatively leading to his debilitated condition. It really baffles me that he does that move, and just as much it dumbfounds me that everyone stands around letting him do it. I would bet if Benoit could chime in on this, he'd be shaking his head in disgust rather than nodding along and smiling at the "tribute." I think it's more likely he'd think it a slap in the face of Nancy and Daniel than a cool move that should live on.

===

PWTorch reader Ray from Montreal asks: I was wondering, seeing as Chikara looks to be done with, do you think there's any value or purpose for the WWE to purchase the rights to their tape library? If so, around what price would you think would be fair for all parties? Hey, if Luke Harper ever makes it big, they would have a lot early footage of him not to mention all the great tournaments they ran featuring some of their older stars (X-Pac, Marty Jannetty, Powers of Pain, Demolition, Haku) that might be of interest if their network ever comes to fruition. Thoughts?

PWTorch columnist Greg Parks answers: I don't think WWE would have any interest in their tape library. CHIKARA's style doesn't mesh well with WWE's current product, and I don't think they'd want to expose their fans to the kind of wrestling CHIKARA featured. They want to condition fans that WWE style is the only style. WWE likely believes there wouldn't be enough interest for CHIKARA DVDs, nor would it be worth it for the footage of current or former WWE stars.

PWTorch columnist Sean Radican answers: Chikara's style of wrestling would be of no value to WWE. I don't see any circumstance where they would purchase an entire library to highlight an individual and especially not to show their legends in action. Why would they do that when they have footage of their past stars in their prime to use?

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: I agree it's not a top priority for WWE and hardly vital, but since they buy up so much for the library just to "own wrestling past," I could see them throwing out a very very low offer (say $10,000 or less) just to say they own it. But I largely agree with Sean and Greg that what Chikara does is so far off the beaten path, WWE wouldn't want to expose their fans to that divergent interpretation of "sports entertainment."

=== VIP EXCLUSIVE ===

PWTorch VIP member Scott Briller asks: Do you think C.M. Punk is being screwed out of the number one babyface position again? When Punk was enjoying his 434 days as champion, Cena was still the face of the company and had the main event at pay-per-views. Now that Cena is out for at least four months, WWE is going with Randy Orton as the designated Face of the Company and Punk is left out again from the top spot. Your thoughts?

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: (This is part of the VIP-exclusive portion of Ask PWTorch. I am now adding a segment exclusively for VIP members to this article as a bonus for VIP members. I will select questions sent by VIP members to my VIP Ask the Editor email box that I usually answer on my VIP Keller Hotline during the week and writing a text answer. To go VIP and get all PWTorch VIP content on our app and our website and our Audio RSS feed, www.PWTorch.com/govip.)

===

EDITOR'S NOTE: This marks over 120 straight days of Ask PWTorch being featured as a daily website-exclusive at www.PWTorch.com (also available on the PWTorch App for VIP members). If you have missed any of the previous Ask PWTorch features, you can read them here:

-ASK PWTORCH - FREE WEBSITE.
-CLICKING HERE - ASK PWTORCH - VIP VERSION

********

SPECIAL NOTE We have launched a new FREE PWTorch Email Alert service where you can receive BREAKING NEWS ALERTS on occasion plus daily TOP FIVE STORIES reports. To sign up (you can easily unsubscribe anytime), click here.)

(Send your question for PWTorch editor Wade Keller and the PWTorch staff exclusively to pwtorch@gmail.com for consideration! You can hear expanded conversation on the above topics from Wade Keller by becoming a VIP member and gaining access to the daily Wade Keller Hotline, posted every day for VIP members for over 1,000 days straight. Sign up at www.PWTorch.com/govip)

We suggest these recent related articles...

ASK THE SPECIALISTS ROUNDTABLE: Who will be WWE's Next Top Star?

SATURDAY’S ASK PWTORCH STAFF for 4/11: How should WWE cater to Texas at WM32? Does WWE using Sting and Hogan add to chances more TNA wrestlers are hired? Do NXT gimmick wrestlers have a chance? Is El Generico really Sami Zayn?

THURSDAY’S ASK PWTORCH ALL-STARS 4/9: Are El Generico & Sami Zayn the same person? Next MITB cash-in for IC or U.S. belt? What match do you show non-fans so they get it? Why don’t heel teams cheat?