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Pro Wrestling Torch was established in 1987 by Wade Keller. One of the primary traits PWTorch has been credited with over the years is assembling the best and most diverse staff of columnists with broad knowledge, but also areas of specialty where they have a particularly strong grasp of history. Every day PWTorch.com presents that team of writers answering your questions, some of which are fact-based and others of which are opinion-based. Either way, we've got you covered with Bruce Mitchell, Pat McNeill, Sean Radican, Greg Parks, James Caldwell, and Wade Keller. Collectively they have over 80 years working for the Torch, writing about wrestling and studying industry history and trends.

If you have a question you'd like us to respond to, send your question to askpwtorch@gmail.com. I, along with the Torch staff, will address you questions in this feature and also the “Ask PWTorch: All-Star Panel” edition which is also published most days here at PWTorch.

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PWTorch reader Will S. asks: If Kurt Angle never went to TNA and broke the undefeated Samoa Joe had at the time, where would Samoa Joe be in regards to status right now?

PWTorch columnist Greg Parks answers: TNA's booking throughout its history hasn't been disciplined or patient enough to pay off any kind of undefeated streak storyline, so if Kurt Angle hadn't been the one to finally beat Samoa Joe, someone else would've come along to do it. And it probably wouldn't be remembered as fondly today as the Angle vs. Joe feud was.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: Joe feuding with (and even losing to) Angle should have elevated Joe. Losing to Angle isn't really germane; what matters is that TNA fumbled their positioning of Joe as a top star after he got the rub from Angle. Joe would have eventually lost to someone else with less name value than Angle, of course.

[Samoa Joe photo credit: Wade Keller]

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PWTorch reader Felix from Ottawa, Ont. asks: Is it possible to cash in the Money in the Bank during a match? For example, if Ambrose earns a championship match and, after like 15-20 minutes, both guys are exhausted, Rollins arrives with the briefcase, turns the match into a triple threat (always no DQ), and hits both guy swith a sledgehammer and wins the title?

PWTorch columnist Greg Parks answers: Precedent seems to indicate you have to wait until the match is finished before you can challenge, since the cash-in itself is technically a match. That would be an interesting wrinkle to have someone at least try to cash-in on, though.

PWTorch columnist Sean Radican answers: As far as I know that's not allowed, but it wouldn't be unlike WWE to invent a scenario like that and ignore their own rules that they've established.

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PWTorch reader Paul R. asks: With TNA not being able to draw more than a few hundred people at the most, seemingly, would it behoove them to change to smaller venues? How much would it help or hurt the product if they did shows and tapings from places similar to the ALP (PWG), Fete Music (Beyond), or the Palmer Center (CHIKARA)? It may sound ridiculous, but wouldn't having an "intimate" venue make the most out of a hot crowd? Granted, TNA has a lot more problems, but could it be a step towards marking a new identity for themselves if they want one?

PWTorch assistant editor James Caldwell answers: This touches on the problem I wrote about earlier this year: TNA is too big to be small, but too small to be big. They're stuck somewhere in-between an independent promotion and national TV wrestling promotion without the brand presence and awareness to draw strong, consistent audiences, and without local ties to the places they tour to draw on regionally. Whereas, the local independent promotion runs the same venue once or twice a month and draws a consistent audience based on their regular presence.

If WWE runs high-level venues, TNA runs mid-level venues, and independents run low-level venues, the issue is it would not be worth it financially for TNA to run a low-level venue because of the talent, production, and touring costs. TNA could strip down the roster to a bare minimum touring crew to minimize costs, which they pretty much already have done, but it would reinforce a perception that TNA is a nationally-televised independent promotion.

I agree that if TNA is still running in its present form in 2015, the company needs to start by addressing its identity crisis and determining who they want to be, so I would scratch house show tours until they figure that out.

PWTorch columnist Greg Parks answers: I'm not sure how much that would help, considering the Impact Zone and Manhattan Center are, all things considered, pretty small venues to begin with. They already have trouble looking "major league" on television at those smaller arenas; I can't imagine them going any smaller and being able to look good on TV.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: The problem with TNA was that by trying to look like WWE (with a stage entrance, ramp to the ring, etc.) they invited comparisons to WWE's much more major league version of the same set-up. TNA's problem wasn't the size of the arena needed to be smaller, because they would have just tried to make that look like Raw, too, and failed. What TNA should have done is present the pro wrestling TV product entirely differently. The core problem with TNA from the start was that attempting to fill the gap left by WCW put them in a position to try to look like a WWE competitor from the start rather than a completely different alternative to WWE to be judged on its own merits. Six-sided ring notwithstanding, they've been derivative when they should have been innovative. As far as house shows go, yes, they should have run buildings where they sold out and turned people away, creating the sense that they were "more successful than they anticipated" rather than hosting embarrassingly empty arenas much larger than their local fan base.

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PWTorch reader Aaron P. asks: I noticed Christian on the panel before the PPVs. Is he injured or officially retired?

PWTorch columnist Greg Parks answers: He's not officially retired, but there's a lot of tread on those tires and he's been oft-injured over the last few years. He may just be getting hands-on training for his next career move.

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