By Tony Donofrio, PWTorch columnist

WWE

-WWE would be making a mistake of epic proportions if they turn Daniel Bryan heel this Sunday at Payback or any time in the near future. Right now, Bryan is getting face reactions from the live crowd that guys like John Cena only wish they could get! It's amazing that just three short years ago, many of us wondered if Bryan Danielson would ever get a fair shake in WWE. Now, Daniel Bryan is living on in a major way.

WWE fans have come to love Bryan; he's getting cheers from casual fans that like to be entertained and like to see exciting matches. He also gets the cheers from the kids that WWE wants to attract. In terms of size, Bryan isn't a huge guy and can be seen as the underdog in the "David vs. Goliath" type stories. Everybody loves an underdog!

Recently, WWE turned another budding face into a heel, Ryback, which fans did not want to see. This weekend should be the end of feeding Ryback to Cena, and the belief is that Bryan would be next. The rumblings are that Cena was behind Ryback's heel turn because he was stealing too much of his face thunder. The same rumors will only escalate when/if Bryan is turned. As I said a few weeks back, the renaissance has begun in WWE. I hope they don't take the wind out of the sails of what could be a big moment in that renaissance. Bryan could be the next Rey Mysterio-type fan favorite for the next 3-5 years if he's utilized properly.

-I'm very curious to see what happens this weekend, or should I say after this weekend, with C.M. Punk. Speculation is swirling about a double turn when Punk faces Chris Jericho on Sunday. As exciting as that could be, I don't know if I'd be for that. When you break it down, Punk and Chris Jericho are both great heels. However, Punk is much better as a heel than a face. The same could be said for Jericho, but Jericho plays much better as a face than Punk.

Punk will always be a fan favorite among hardcore fans; you can't change that. However, how soon we all forget that the first-half of Punk's 434-day title reign was as a face and wasn't nearly as exciting as the second-half of the run. Also, Chris Jericho is a part-time act at this point in his career. Fans don't want to boo him - even if he has the ability to make them boo him - and the double turn wouldn't make much sense in the long run.

That doesn't mean that this Sunday, the roles won't be reversed. Payback is in Chicago, in case you haven't heard. That's also not to say that the double-turn couldn't work. They've already referenced that Jericho is/was a Paul Heyman guy, and Jericho replacing Punk in that fold wouldn't be all that unrealistic. With that said, I'm still hoping Punk remains a heel for the foreseeable future. Regardless, this journalist is very happy to see Punk return to action for the first time since WrestleMania.

TNA Impact Wrestling

-It's hard to believe that TNA has regressed since last year. Last year at this time, there were many intriguing characters and stories between Austin Aries, A.J. Styles, Bobby Roode, James Storm, and Bully Ray. It was an exciting time to follow the product. Of the names I just mentioned, is anyone really excited about anyone on that list other than Bully Ray? I suppose A.J. Styles…maybe.

I can't put my finger on why TNA can't sustain momentum when last year at this time, I was excited on a weekly basis to see what would happen next. Every time it feels like TNA is going to turn that proverbial corner, it just doesn't. I thought 2012 was a break-through type year for TNA. I can't say it is any more because the first half of 2013 has been a regression year. It is coincidental that what I have called the WWE Renaissance was kicked into high-gear right after Bound for Glory this past year when TNA seemed to peak? I'd love to get some feedback on this from PWTorch readers. Why do you think TNA has lost momentum since BFG last year?

Independent/Other News

-If you're a long-time reader of this column, which has disappeared and re-appeared many times over the past couple of years, you'll know that I was very outspoken when Matt and Jeff Hardy were having personal issues. At the time, I believed they both should have left the business to get their lives together. Fast-forward to today and I can take a step back and say that everything indicates that both men have their lives together.

Matt Hardy is doing the best work of his career since the V1 gimmick in the mid-2000s. His promos have been amazing, but specifically the anti-bullying promo he did just a few weeks ago, which can be found below. If you don't take five minutes to watch this video, you're really missing out on some of what Matt Hardy has been doing lately. Kudos to him and his brother, Jeff. It's good to see that both seem to be back on the right path again.



Non-Wrestling News

-I'd like to think that I'm a fairly intelligent sports fan. However, in my past two columns I've stated that the Miami Heat were a shoe-in for the NBA Title and that my Pittsburgh Penguins were the best team in hockey. I had no idea that the Heat were gonna play up this "we're tired" act and that the Pens were gonna be the most disappointing team I've ever seen with as much talent as they had!

With that said, the Heat still have a chance and congrats to PWTorch columnist Sean Radican's Boston Bruins. Now, I just wait for them to be finished off by my second favorite team, the Chicago Blackhawks. I only have one more not-so-bold prediction to make and even if I'm wrong, it won't happen until September and by then no one will remember. On this day, the Pittsburgh Pirates are 13 games over .500. I'd be willing to bet that they still have a losing season. I've seen this fish before; as recent as the past two season. It will be another losing season and will keep the drought where it's been since 1992 in Pittsburgh. So, it's been written, so it shall come to pass. And if it doesn't, no one will remember by then!

Tony Donofrio is a Specialist for the Torch covering a variety of topics and promotions. You can reach Tony at TonyDonofrio@icloud.com or follow him on Twitter @TonyDonofrio .

[Graphic (c) WWE.com]

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