PWTORCH.COM
VIP SIGN-UP JUMP TO VIP
CONTACT US VISIT MMA TORCH




Select Next Article by Category





TAKE PWTORCH
WITH YOU!

PWTORCH IPHONE APP
Get our iPhone App (FREE!): Click Here
Or enter "PWTorch.com" on your Blackberry or other Smart Phone browser for mobile-version of PWTorch.


The Specialists
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - Judgment Day PPV Review: WWE Continues Its Mission to Drive Away People Who Don't Sleep in John Cena PJs
May 18, 2009 - 11:40:23 AM


By Shane McKinley, Torch specialist

courtjester_6.JPG
" You ain't no gangsta
You'se a busta, a customer, a sucker
You fake fraudulent...
You ain't a gangsta...
We don't trust ya
"
-"You Ain't No Gangsta" by 50 Cent

Comparison:

jdaytrips.jpg


J-Day 2008 Poster: A psychotic madman welcomes you to hell.

jdayedge.jpg


J-Day 2009 Poster: A kid playing dress up welcomes you to jury duty.

"Screw the dress code. It's retarded...Maybe it's because I'm not good at it, or I'm a d---head in real life...People want to see messed up s---. So they watch Raw." (Herald Sun Interview.)
-Randy Orton 2008

"We’ll blow everyone’s socks off at Judgment Day with them...Right now though, I think we’re fine. I feel like everything is running its course. It’s going smooth." (U.K. Sun interview.)
-Randy Orton 2009

Randy Orton hears voices in his head. Their names are Vince and Paul.

Welcome to Judgment Day. Hope you atoned for your sins. And that you sacrificed $40. WWE: We're reliable. Mostly predictable.

Will they cut down the number of PPVs? No. This "PPV every month" way is to "lock in" viewers to get caught up in the drama. However, what it mostly leads to is subpar PPVs that are not really worth buying. Like Budget Day here.

Judgment Day to me was a good example of what the WWE is all about. It seems that this age of the "WWE Universe" will be marked by family friendly broadcasting, sterile but effective storylines, and a true lack of fire in the belly.

Punk vs. Umaga. On Smackdown it's been three weeks of this: Punk wants to cash in his briefcase. Umaga comes out of nowhere and stops him from doing so. How the hell does this happen? Does Umaga wait by the hot dog cart? Dunno.

Naturally WWE only points out the first time it happened. The last two weeks this tease has happened, they ignored it. Those darn hardcore wrestling fans. The ones who follow what's going on. So hardcore.

So Umaga and Punk are fighting because Punk is upset at the Samoa Bulldozer for blocking his chance to become World Champ. Umaga is upset because...um...(applies nerve hold on himself because he does this whenever he is out of options).

It's not Punk vs. Joe. Jim Ross goes on the offensive with talking about announcers who go "I had a chat with so and so." Oooh. Can I get a WWE/TNA announcers flame war? Because most of these wrestling feuds are not doing the trick.

Punk is wearing Chicago blue and orange. How cute. Punk is so cute. Yes he is! Cutey wutsey.

Not a great opening, as Umaga loves to do those darn nerve holds. The PPV opened up with a dragging "bottom of the seventh" snore fest.

Yep, I don't pay to see Punk in these types of matches. These "WWE'ed up" matches. Meaning Mr. Asshat dominates until Lord Puffypants gets a little fire in his belly in the last minutes of the match. Miraculously.

Umaga won this one. There's your possible new world champ, folks. C.M. Punk. The man who jobbed to Kane and Umaga recently in PPV matches.

WWE is trying out this crazy new thing of pushing somebody as they lose (recent example: MVP). Personally I'm glad that Umaga got the victory over that annoying Punk.

Umaga, happy with himself, talks to his thumb. "Cannonball! Gabba Gabba Hey!" And Punk has apparently forgotten to do a submission move. Why would you try to pick up somebody who easily outweighs you? Because you're Punk and you have the brain of a sea monkey, apparently.

Punk will probably respond with another month of cheesy "I'm going to cash in my briefcase, yay for me" crud. I really hate that Smackdown tease.

Show says to Vickie that he's gonna injure Cena. He won't get his attitude adjusted. No sir. Show doesn't know denial.

Woo woo! Here comes the Edge hype train. Jeff had no chance.

The ECW belt has got to be the biggest championship belt ever. It is dwarfing Christian.

Matt Striker plugs ECW. You see, their ratings are down. Why? Lack of dance/strip offs. And Joey Styles punking out some fool.

Nice. Swagger threw Christian into the pole.

Ugly. Christian bluntly sets himself up to be body splashed by Swagger.

Plot here is that Christian cheats to win. At "Extreme Rules" (or Judgment Day + Weapons), I can envision Christian, Swagger, Mark Henry, Tommy Dreamer, Finlay, and Evan Bourne in a six-man Singapore Cane match.

Edge tells Chavo that he should go beat up that "cross-dressing idiot" Santino. Hear hear.

It's Kofi Kingston vs. Shelton Benjamin. Kofi was amazing in this match. He did a double back flip off the diving board and the crowd went, "Holy S---." He did a lot of twirly and spinny moves. He leaped through a ring of fire. He walked on his hands. He managed to touch the tip of his nose with his tongue. It was awesome.

Yes, Kofi was...oh wait. It wasn't Kofi. It was John Morrison. "Innovative offense" is nice and all, but it's easily replaceable and prone to fan burnout. In my "favorite JoMo matches memory bank," I'll remember his matches with C.M. Punk and Evan Bourne. I'll choose to forget this one.

Shelton Benjamin will never, ever escape the mid-card. And after his performance, he should remain there. Being saddled with that anchor Charlie Haas doesn't help.

JoMo's flying spinny flippy pin off the top rope is called "The Star Shift" or something. Uh...

The Miz! All right! WWE is not totally asleep behind the wheel. And hey, maybe they won't do a "lesbian Santina kiss skit."

Miz compares John Morrison to Marty J. Comparing yourself to HBK. Wow.

"What? What? You sound like a bunch of ducks. Shaddup!" Ha ha.

Miz wants to face Cena, but Cena fears The Miz. Cena is a luvable loser, just like the Cubs. The Miz wants a Cena sub. So he picks...

Brian Urlacher!

Well, no. Would have been a hoot for Miz to call out Urlacher.

Instead we get...Cubs Alfonso Sariano or something.

His main contribution was smiling like a doofus and reacting to Miz's bashing like Miz was speaking in Mizerian.

"You're right, it is pretty cheap to bash the Cubs. Watch as I do it some more." I get the feeling that WWE leaves Miz stranded on an island to fend for himself with these bits. Okay. The Cubs suck. I get it. Really? Really?

Oh, here comes Santino. Will they go with the newness? Or will they continue with the stagnant WWE comedy?

Santino gets all facey and makes fun of Vickie for being a pig. Compares Kozlov to a Muppets character. And hey, subdued laughter from Lawler and Cole.

Miz and Santino scuffle. Miz punks him out. Chavo comes out to pick up the scraps. A possible Santino vs. Chavo feud doesn't look half bad. Santino would probably have to learn some offense. Unless they want Chavo to lose by tripping over his feet or something.

I don't doubt that "Santina" won't make an appearance on Raw's women matches. Or Hornswoggle to be the special ref. Something to keep fans from changing the channel. Because it sure ain't the ladies wrestling.

Jericho is a "conspiracy victim." His shtick got old fast on Smack. He needs an opponent. Otherwise we'll be too busy mocking him for his promos that always include phrases like "blubbery sycophants" and "mindless cockroaches."

It's Y2J vs. Mysterio. Story of the match is the "619." This match is not a "WWE formulaic match." It was enthralling. It was one of those matches that made me smile and I was sucked in. Could have been longer, but time had to be devoted to Show vs. Cena. Damn.

Benefits all around in this match: Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, the IC belt, and the notion that WWE PPVs aren't complete throwaways nowadays.

Up next, it's Dave vs. Randy. Randy cuts a promo about how Jericho vs. Mysterio screwed them for being so good.

To me, that "previous match screwed us" is a copout. Yes, it is understandable that the WrestleMania fans would be burned out. But that logic states that the rest of the card should stink so that the main event is well-received.

Great bands understand that while it is important to involve the crowd during their performance, ultimately whether the fans are into it or not does not dictate the performance. Regardless of how burned out the fans were, Orton vs. Trips was marked by a lack of fire. It was a real snoozer because the buildup did not match up to the payoff...and even then, the match itself was not a keeper.

I agree with Mr. Orton that their match was restricted by the ridiculous "don't get disqualified Trips!" rule, which was ignored by many.

I want to know who thought up the great idea that Orton should take the "bathroom break" during the opening to his Backlash match.

Yes, Orton might have punted Vince McMahon in the head and might have kissed a zonked out Steph in front of a cuffed Trips, but never have I witnessed a butchering of a character. In 2009 Randy Orton is placed to look idiotic in nearly every situation. "His character is meant to get little kids yelling at the screen" only goes so far. To me this castration of Orton's character isn't worth the sacrifice.

Great fan signs and art in the crowd tonight.

Orton vs. Batista started off hot, but then went into a slow gait of crud.

The match was sapped of its energy the moment Orton grabbed the pole and clung to it, wanting to get counted out to retain his title.

There's a difference between a coward and a quitter. Heels are cowards at heart, but their actions can be construed depending on the viewpoint of the subject. When Edge walked out of his non-title match with C.M. Punk, one can view it as smart or cowardly. Same thing with Christian using Swagger's tights to pin him. A veteran move. Or clubbing baby seals in the face, according to Matt Striker.

Orton is a quitter. I don't cheer or boo quitters. Because I don't watch quitters. I don't pay to see quitters.

But that's how the match played out. In the kayfabe sense, Orton thought he could hang with Dave. When things didn't go as well as planned, he tried to get himself DQed. And looked idiotic when he tried to do so.

With Orton, he plays the coward for the sole benefit of little kids to scream that Orton's a coward. I really don't get it. The character of Orton is appealing to only the kiddie demographic. Until Orton grows a set, I have lost all interest in his character. What's frustrating about it is that we can envision Orton sitting on top of the mountain top and carving his own name. But WWE had saddled him with this "male model coward" gimmick along with DiBiase and Rhodes. Does Orton need to play the idiotic coward? In the WWE universe he does.

WWE seems determined to have Orton chase away all of his hardcore following. He's not this psychotic ultra-badass. He's this jumbled confusing mess WWE constructed. Some moody male model whose cowardly ways go overboard and are embarrassing. He's like the heel John Cena - constructed, manufactured, and has little of a hardcore following.

Orton has become a WWE tool, plain and simple.

Match ends with DQ. No surprise here. Judgment Day + Weapons is only three weeks away. And many of these feuds will continue, but now with weapons.

Judgment Day 2008
-- WWE Champion Triple H vs. Randy Orton (Steel Cage Match)
-- Undertaker vs. Edge
-- John Cena vs. JBL

One Night Stand 2008
-- WWE Champion Triple H vs. Randy Orton (Last Man Standing Match)
-- Undertaker vs. Edge (TLC Match)
-- John Cena vs. JBL (First Blood Match)

Ric Flair comes in. Don't know why. Maybe just so WWE can hype up "anything can friggin happen! It's bedlam!" This will be the Budget Day hype commercials: Ric Flair, Matt Hardy, JoMo doing his flip, Cena lifting Show, and Orton picking his nose.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Ric Flair gets the punt of doom on Raw tonight.

In three weeks, Extreme Paintball comes your way. Wait. Extreme Bull riding? Extreme Disco? No, it's "Extreme Rules." Or "ER" for short. Still a bad name for a wrestling PPV.

It's Show vs. Cena. Oh no. The announcers are going crazy with the whole "internal injuries" bit. Look, I want to believe. Trust me. It's me who paid for the damn thing. It makes things much easier if I can convince myself to believe in the illusion. But the whole "Cena is injured" was such a crappy job. Give me something. Bruised ribs. Taped up. Could have gone with "numbness in his arms and legs." Anything. But WWE wasn't talking to me. No, this match was for those kiddies who sleep in Cena PJs.

This has nothing to do with being a "hardcore" wrestling fan. A common wrestling fan likes to be fooled by the magician. But they were lazy with the Cena injury bit, plain and simple. They didn't even bother. They might as well put up a graphic that said, "If you don't sleep in Cena PJs, this will be a bathroom break match."

I remarked that while watching the Backlash PPV I did fast-forward through some parts (namely the Orton six-man male model frenzy). But I can't remember the last time I fast-forwarded through an entire PPV main event. There was nothing for me here.

cena_3.jpg
A full minute of Show doing a grand total of three body punches? Pass. The match failed because even if I wanted to see Cena beat up, it was all too predictable that he would win in the end.

Maybe this proves that I'm not a "true wrestling fan" (whatever that means). I don't care. Hey look, Cena wins. No one can doubt that the match worked, but this is not the type of wrestling execution (storyline, match) that I choose to emotionally involve myself in.

Edge vs. Jeff was solid. Did like it how after Matt committed his dastardly deed, the pad that he was hiding behind fell down, so that he was hiding behind the framework.

Might have seen our last Jeff Hardy WWE Title match, ladies and gentlemen. WWE has gotten on the Edge train.

I don't mind any belts changing hands. There were no horrendously bad bits on this PPV. I would only recommend Mysterio vs. Jericho. Everything else? Meh.

The PPV itself was serviceable, but after the end, there is more cause for concern than for fulfillment. Mysterio vs. Jericho proved that the old dogs can still work their magic. The Miz's promo (along with the hopefully repackaging of Santino) showed that WWE can still execute in bringing in fresh new faces. The rest was WWE garbage, through and through.

JUDGMENT DAY'S FINAL VERDICT: Very Absurd

(credit to impaawards.com, webhush.com, and s.bebo.com for pics)

Email is mckinley.torch@gmail.com


Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.

For more BREAKING NEWS on WWE, TNA!
VISIT OUR AFFILIATE - PROWRESTLING.NET


For UFC & MMA NEWS & BLOGS:
VISIT OUR SISTER SITE - MMATORCH.COM

Upgrade to PWTORCH VIP: DETAILS & SIGN-UP INFO


MORE "The Specialists" ARTICLES
11/7 WWE Smackdown Hits & Misses: Mysterio vs. Knox, Punk vs. Truth, Batista vs. Hardy
PARKS BLOG: Chris Jericho should know better
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - TNA Impact 11/5: TNA = The Office, What Vince Russo was thinking during Dixie Carter's speech, Desmond Wolfe and Duran Duran, Highlander spotting, Numbers - Titleholders since 1990
11/3 WWE ECW Hits & Misses: Goldust vs. Regal, Ryder's POV, Burchill - Hurricane
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - Chris Jericho Should Drink Some Shut Up Juice, Zack Ryder Fantasizes About Mrs. Potato, Vance Archer - Who Wants to Get Infected Tonight?, I Love TNA!
11/2 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Miz vs. Bourne, Raw's Got Talent, Kofi - Orton, Cena vs. Jericho vs Show
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - WWE Raw: Sheamus The Bad Barbarian, Chris Masters Finds His New Gimmick, The Beginning Of The End Will Happen When Triple H Retires
HITS & MISSES - TNA IMPACT 10/29: Hulk Hogan the good and bad, Styles Stalker Angle, TNA's handling of Chris Sabin's injury, Title Name change
10/30 WWE Smackdown Hits & Misses: Grisham & Striker, Mysterio - Batista, Kane vs. Jericho
GARDNER'S KEY MOMENT OF THE WEEK: Is Hulk Hogan a difference-maker for TNA or just another addition to the aging roster?
VALENTINO'S MAGIC, MEMORIES, AND MANIA: Top Five Best Hell in a Cell matches and why they worked - HBK vs. Taker, Batista vs. Triple H
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - WWE Smackdown: WWE Gives Into Matt Hardy's Demands to Showcase Acting Ability, Scott Armstrong's a Hulkamaniac, Rey and Big Dave Have a Moment
10/29 WWE Superstars Hits & Misses: Swagger vs. Primo, Cryme Tyme & Truth vs. Hart Dynasty & Knox
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - TNA Impact: Kurt Angle Is Fine, Ladies And Gentlemen...and we guess Chris Sabin too, plus more Humble Hero Hulk Hogan Hogwash!
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - TNA Impact 10/29: TNA defends Chris Sabin injury, Prince Justice flashback, Qualifications for Legends Title shot?, Numbers - Hulk Hogan's age vs. TNA roster
PARKS BLOG: WWE is still relevant (to kids, at least)
10/27 WWE ECW Hits & Misses: Abraham Washington Show, Shaemus vs. Benjamin, Christian vs. Tatsu
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL - Hogan & ECW: Why Hogan Joined TNA, New Announcer Bryon Saxton Doesn't Want To Wake The Baby, Tatsu Is Annoyingly Adorable
10/26 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Kofi Kingston's Big Night, Shaemus, Hornswoggle
ABSURDITY OF IT ALL Raw Review - Kofi Hates Bugs, Stephanie McMahon Is Married To Two Men, Michael Cole Makes John Cena Eat Lead, Didn't Jack Swagger Vow Not to Lose Again in 2009?

(c) 1999-2009 TDH Communications Inc. - All rights reserved.

Current Top Ten Staff Picks
Staff Picks
TNA News: Ratings are in for Thursday's Impact - did TNA retain the audience from last week's Hulk Hogan Impact?
WWE News: Major update on 2010 PPVs - price change, PPV name change, WWE addresses PPV criticism (w/Detailed Analysis)
WWE News: WWE announces details on three-hour Raw featuring Slammy Award Show and special guest host Dennis Miller
WWE News: Report on WWE's conference call with investors - serious discussion of WWE TV, Vince McMahon: "This is not a Family Business"
WWE News: WWE announces third quarter 2009 earnings results - revenue up due to int'l, PPV business weak
WWE News: Raw TV ratings are in - how did the Osbournes fare as guest hosts?
WWE/TNA News: Hulk Hogan claims he taught Vince McMahon the wrestling business, talks more about his role in TNA
WWE Raw Results 11/2: KELLER'S rundown of all matches and segments, plus analysis, star ratings, quotebook
TNA News: Ratings are in for Hulk Hogan Impact - did the publicity help TNA?
WWE News: Hulk Hogan knocks WWE Hall of Fame ring and Vince McMahon in mainstream interview


TORCH QUICK-CLICK REFERENCE LIST
-CLICK TO FOLLOW PWTORCH ON TWITTER!
-CLICK FOR OUR FREE PWTORCH IPHONE APP

-CLICK FOR OUR FREE PODCAST (#1 in iTunes!)
-CLICK TO GET INFO ON BECOMING A VIP MEMBER
-CLICK TO VISIT MMATORCH.COM
-CLICK TO VISIT PROWRESTLING.NET

-CLICK TO EMAIL PWTORCH EDITORS




PWTORCH READER POLL

SMACKDOWN POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/6 Smackdown if you saw the show?
Chris Jericho
The Undertaker
Batista
Rey Mysterio
Matt Hardy
C.M. Punk
R-Truth
Dolph Ziggler
Hart Dynasty
Cryme Tyme
John Morrison
Drew McIntyre
Jimmy Wang Yang
Mike Knox
Beth Phoenix
Mickie James
Michelle McCool
Ref Scott Armstrong
Matt Striker
Brittany Carter
  

VOTE IN OR SEE RESULTS OF PREVIOUS POLLS

ARE YOU VIP? SIGN UP NOW FOR $7.50 A MONTH FOR INSTANT ACCESS TO AD-FREE, BENEFIT-PACKED VIP VERSION OF PWTORCH.COM (see screen capture)
PWTORCH VIP HOME PAGE

INFO ON SUBSCRIPTION TO AD-FREE VIP SITE

INCREDIBLE BENEFITS!
Over 50 full-length audio updates per month (iPod compatible)... New weekly award-winning Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter (text and printable pdf versions) with latest exclusive insider news, new Torch Talks, great columns, Keller's cover story, much more... Hundreds of full-length back issues of PWTorch Newsletter from late-'80s to today... Ad-free access to PWTorch.com's Main Listing... VIP Forum with interaction with other subscribers and Torch staff... Torch Talk Library with text and audio of hundreds of interview installments from last 20 years... Great layout... Deepest archives on pro wrestling history anywhere... Keller's PWTorch Today PDF Bulletins with email alerts... VIP Email reports on major PPVs and TV shows... Staff Roundtable Reviews (text and audio) followiing major events... The best staff of writers and world class reporting since 1987... We'd love for you to join us and experience the most entertaining, authoritative, experienced staff of professional reporters and commentators in the business...

SIGN ME UP NOW!

Compare the value of four or five months of PWTorch VIP content to the price of just one PPV. Can you cut 25 cents a day from your budget to make room for PWTorch VIP?

AND NEW FOR 2009!
Monthly "Vintage Audio Torch Talks." We are releasing for the first time ever audio versions of our text Torch Talk updates, the historical first series of insider interviews ever. Wade Keller's newsmaking in-depth interviews with wrestling's biggest names are now being made available exclusively to VIP members. But you must be a member each month, as these are not archived, so they are replaced with a new one each month! This debuted in January 2009 with a 68 minute interview with the late "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. Who's next? Hulk Hogan? Eric Bischoff? The Rock? Goldberg? Jeff Hardy?

SIGN ME UP NOW!


UPCOMING EVENTS LISTING

Articles Grouped by Category
Torch Today
TORCH MONTHLY AWARDS: List of the 2009 Torch Monthly Award winners through October
TORCH MONTHLY AWARD VOTING: Results for Best/Worst in pro wrestling for October
TORCH MONTHLY AWARD VOTING: Polls OPEN for best/worst in pro wrestling from the month of October (Part 2 of 2)
WWE News
TORCH TALK DAILY with Eric Bischoff: The first of a series of questions pushing for answers on Bret Hart's lackluster run in WCW - "Montreal was a life-threatening wound"
WWE News: WrestleMania 26 tickets officially on-sale today
WWE News: WWE books Intercontinental Title match for next week's Smackdown, adds match to the Survivor Series PPV
TNA News
TNA News: Ratings are in for Thursday's Impact - did TNA retain the audience from last week's Hulk Hogan Impact?
TNA News: Next week's TNA Impact - Sting reappearing to talk Hulk Hogan, A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe
TNA News: Watch TNA president Dixie Carter's "Love it or Leave It" speech to the roster from Impact (w/VIDEO)
ROH News
ROH News: Jim Cornette officially begins as ROH executive producer at today's ROH TV tapings (w/VIDEO)
ROH News: Ring of Honor receives positive press for ROH TV taping this weekend
ROH News: ROH TV episodes now available on DirecTV's Video-On-Demand service
Other News
Hogan News: Can Hulk Hogan wrestle again? Hogan needs help walking during TV interview (w/VIDEO)
DGUSA News: Gabe Sapolsky predicts the wrestling industry will die without new TV wrestling stars
Hogan News: Hulk Hogan cracks the Top 15 of a Best-sellers List
PPV Reports
RADICAN'S DGUSA "Untouchable" PPV review - Doi vs. Danielson, Shingo vs. Richards
10/25 WWE Bragging Rights Results: KELLER'S detailed match-by-match PPV report - Cena vs. Orton Iron Man match
CALDWELL'S WWE BRAGGING RIGHTS PPV REPORT 10/25: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Cena vs. Orton, Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown
TV Reports
WWE SMACKDOWN ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 11/6: Donofrio, Mezzera, Parks rate and review
WWE SUPERSTARS ROUNDTABLE REVIEWS 11/5: Caldwell, Donofrio, Parks rate and review
PARKS' WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 11/6: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the show, including Batista vs. Hardy
Arena Reports
11/6 WWE in Brussels: Undertaker vs. Punk casket match, Christian vs. William Regal, Cryme Tyme vs. Hart Dynasty, of course
11/4 WWE in Dublin, Ireland: John Cena vs. Jack Swagger WWE Title match, DX vs. Legacy, Randy Orton vs. Kofi Kingston
10/30 Dragon Gate in Germany: Young Bucks, CIMA vs. Mike Quackenbush, El Generico
MMA / UFC Coverage
FEDOR vs. BRETT ROGERS on CBS Saturday Night - Torch Team Coverage (redirect)
MMA WEEK-IN-REVIEW: Lesnar Out, Dumbass of Week, Fight of Week, Kimbo Rumor, DVR + Twitter = Spoiler (redirect)
UFC News: Forrest Griffin addresses devastating loss to Anderson Silva, running from Octagon afterward, Tito Ortiz fight (redirect)
KELLER'S TAKE
KELLER BLOG: WrestleMania goes up to $55, all other PPVs $45 - let the pirate feed frenzy begin
KELLER BLOG: Dixie Carter asks wrestlers to step it up, but what does that mean? Shouldn't their goal to be winning matches and nothing else?
KELLER FLASHBACK: Review of Hulk Hogan's first autobiography - Hogan's political maneuvers evident in who he protects and buries
MITCHELL'S TAKE
MOJO MITCHELL'S RAW 11/2: Stream of My Fourth Grade Hero and The Mid-Card Kicks Main Event Ass
MITCHELL FLASHBACK #4: In 1993, after Hogan first left the WWF, he had a lot of career choices
MITCHELL FLASHBACK #3: Hogan's autobiography review - insight into his world
MCNEILL'S TAKE
McNEILL BLOG: The Big Questions About Hulk Hogan in TNA
Fight For Your Right to Bragging: McNEILL Previews WWE Bragging Rights!
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! McNEILL Previews TNA Bound for Glory 2009
CALDWELL'S TAKE
CALDWELL'S BLOG: Vince McMahon is officially delusional, plus Vince's hidden message to Stephanie McMahon
CALDWELL'S TUESDAY CHAT w/GREG PARKS: Raw & Smackdown discussion - Orton-Kofi build-up compared to Rey-Batista, DX dissension, Sheamus stands out
CALDWELL FLASHBACK: TNA Year-End Review 2005 - Must-read flashback to when TNA became a choice for wrestlers in an era very, very similar to 2009
RADICAN'S TAKE
RADICAN: Daddy's little girl V 2.0 debuts on Impact
RADICAN: Wolfe-Angle follow up displays typical warning signs of danger from creative standpoint
RADICAN: TNA finally straps a rocket on the right ass
The Specialists
11/7 WWE Smackdown Hits & Misses: Mysterio vs. Knox, Punk vs. Truth, Batista vs. Hardy
PARKS BLOG: Chris Jericho should know better
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - TNA Impact 11/5: TNA = The Office, What Vince Russo was thinking during Dixie Carter's speech, Desmond Wolfe and Duran Duran, Highlander spotting, Numbers - Titleholders since 1990
Guest Editorials
GUEST EDITORIAL: Disgruntled TNA fan says he's done with the promotion after today's Impact taping (Contains SPOILERS)
GUEST EDITORIAL: The ultimate irony - Hulk Hogan appears on TNA Impact and pre-taped TV sitcom promoting WWE on the same night
GUEST BOOK REVIEW: Hulk Hogan provides strong defense of his public image in new autobiography
Torch Feedback
TNA Impact Reax #3: "The build for the PPV matches somehow featured Hulk Hogan despite him yet to show up on TV"
TNA Impact Reax #2: "I'm tired of non-stop talking. This isn't a Broadway play; it's professional wrestling and the best stories are told in the ring"
Thursday Night TV Reax #1: "I feel anything TNA does right is inevitably drowned out by what they fail at"
Ask the Editor
Ask the Editor: Wouldn't incorporating MMA-style holds into pro wrestling matches just be trying to be something it's not?
ASK THE EDITOR: Have the Michaels-Batista promos crossed a line with use of insider terms, references to "jobs"?
ASK THE EDITOR: Why do wrestlers in WWE refer to wrestling as "the business" and not "the sport"?
DVDs - VGames - Books
VIDEO GAME REVIEW - Smackdown vs. Raw 2010: WWE's latest video game called best since the No Mercy measuring stick
RADICAN'S ROH DVD REVIEW SERIES: 7/24 DBD VII: N1 - Hero & Richards vs. Storm & Steen
RADICAN'S CHIKARA DVD REVIEW: 5/24 "Anniversario Yang" - The Colony vs. F.I.S.T, 8-Man Tag
Torch Flashbacks
TORCH TALK FLASHBACK with Hulk Hogan: Hogan talks to PWTorch editor Wade Keller about Eric Bischoff, the demise of WCW
TORCH TALK FLASHBACK with Hulk Hogan: Hogan talks to PWTorch editor Wade Keller about his relationship with Ric Flair
TORCH TALK FLASHBACK with Hulk Hogan: Hogan talks to PWTorch editor Wade Keller about his relationship with Vince Russo
VIP Exclusive Features
5+ HOURS: Definitive all-new Eric Bischoff "Torch Talk" available exclusively to PWTorch VIP members
11/6 Bruce Mitchell Audio Show: Why Vince McMahon said WWE isn't a family business, Hulk Hogan-TNA analysis, Dixie Carter's last-gasp speech (65 min.)
PWTorch Newsletter #1115_16 (31 pages!): Hogan-Bischoff-TNA Deal Covered In-Depth - Keller, McNeill, and Powell, plus six pages of Eric Bischoff Torch Talk, and much more
Torch Trivia
TORCH TRIVIA 2/28: Which wrestler backed out of a WWA PPV in February 2002?
TORCH TRIVIA 2/27: Who said this quote about Hulk Hogan's athleticism 11 years ago?
TORCH TRIVIA 2/25: What said this quote about WWE's mid-1990s drug testing policy?
Torch Instant Polls
SMACKDOWN POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/6 Smackdown if you saw the show?
TNA IMPACT POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/5 Impact if you saw the show?
ECW POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/3 ECW if you saw the show?
PWTorch Free Podcast
11/4 Nostalgia Audio with Brian Hoops: Format change to the show, new guest host, upcoming shows
FREE FOR ALL: 10/27 Bruce Mitchell Audio Special: Hogan-Bischoff-TNA story from all angles including Monday Night War II possibilities (32 min.)
6/23 Nostalgia Audio with Brian Hoops: Former WCW rapmaster PN News joins Brian Hoops to preview upcoming Midwest shows (10 min.)
Annual Obituaries
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 1999 - Muchnick, Rick Rude, Owen Hart, Renegade...
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2000 - Solie, Albright, Duncum, Tsuruta, Blue Demon, Al Costello
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2001: Johnny Valentine, Terry Gordy, Chris Adams, Bertha Faye, Helen Hart