By Jim Valley, PWTorch contributor

No, not PEDs. No, not prescription abuse. No, not "The Crippler" (shout out to Bruce Mitchell).

"Wrestling with Death" is the new "reality" show on WGN America, the one-time home of WWE Superstars. "Morticians by day, pro wrestlers by night," according to my cable listings. I completely see why Billy Corgan's former promotion didn't get this coveted TV slot.

From Honey Boo Boo to Hoarders to Extreme (fill in the blank), reality TV is the equivalent of the Edge & Christian vs. Hardys vs. Dudleys TLC matches - it constantly has to shock, surprise, and raise expectations. I would say lower the bar, but I watch pro wrestling. Who am I to judge?

I won't get into details, but I've seen personally that mortuaries can be very lucrative. It's a service we will (most likely) all need. They are also ranchers. Good for the family. I'm all about success stories.

To me, the second most interesting part of the show is not the embalming or the dynamic that the family runs a wrestling promotion, it's that the family members all look like stereotypical indy wrestlers. They aren't in shape, aren't particularly creative, and miss the finer points of in-ring work. They have the finances, but spend about as much time and money on wrestling as the countless number of terrible indies across the country that don't. Are these people smart for knowing it's a money-losing proposition? Are they dumb for putting a clearly subpar product on national television? You tell me.

The most interesting part is the money behind the show. The premise of the fake show is that a home spun, salt of the earth family found success in a mortuary business and uses it to fund a low-rent, visually unappealing, vanity wrestling promotion. It's every stereotype about pro wrestling that Corporate America hates, on a low-level cable channel to boot. It's main sponsor: GEICO Insurance.

That's right. WWE gets junk food, soda, some action movies, video games, and toys. Vince McMahon covets brands with more prestige and a bigger budget. TNA had some cut-rate insurance company. You can see Corona beer on the mats in Mexico. UFC counts Bud Light and a big-money deal with Reebok among its sponsors.

Now, a low-rent, whiskey tango, fake reality show about indy wrestling on WGN America has a major insurance company like GEICO paying money to be associated with it. These "Wrestling with Death" people are smarter than they appear on TV, and they understand the wrestling business more than they let on. They are the epitome of what wrestling is all about.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: I'm loving all of the positive feedback the Wayback Playback is getting. Pat McNeill and I watch PPVs and shows on the WWE Network every weekend. You can watch and listen along. We provide context, back stories, personal memories, and even a few jokes. I really enjoy it. We just wrapped up Royal Rumble '92 and we are always looking for ideas for shows to watch. You can comment in the Pat McNeil VIP Zone or tweet us @RealPatMcNeill and @JimValley with suggestions...

Is it just me or is Lucha Underground losing momentum? The Aztec Warfare match was great. Prince Puma is still awesome. But, other aspects of the show seem a little flat. I think Vince McMahon is right. Facial expressions play a key role in creating drama in wrestling matches. ... WWE announcer Tom Phillips is growing on me. Now that I've been exposed to more of his work, I think he's very good for his age and experience level and will only get better. I don't know very much about his product knowledge, passion, or career goals, but he has tremendous potential. He's going to make it. Even if he's no longer on Smackdown.

(Professional broadcaster Jim Valley is a long-time wrestling fan, PWTorch subscriber, and currently PWTorch Livecast guest host and now a PWTorch.com editorialist. He won a National Edward R. Murrow Award and several regional awards during his 20 year broadcast career. He has done TV announcing for several independent wrestling promotions, hosted his own wrestling radio show, interviewed many top stars, and was flown out to Stamford to audition for WWE. He took second to Todd Grisham. His Attitude Era "Total Chaos" wrestling radio show is currently being featured on PWTorch.com's VIP membership website, with new episodes added each month.)

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