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 us to respond to, send your question to askpwtorch@gmail.com. I, along with the Torch staff, will address you questions.

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PWTorch VIP member David from Memphis, Tenn. asks: I have a couple questions stemming from the Triple H "Power Trip" storyline. Besides just getting themselves over on TV, is this storyline with the McMahons window dressing because they do not feel Daniel Bryan could be the top face of the company with John Cena gone? Also, do you think this storyline would even exist if WWE didn't rely on Hollywood writers in creative? I don't think that if former wrestlers or those who followed the business lead creative they would come up with something that made the current crop of talent look so weak.

PWTorch columnist Sean Radican answers: (1) Yes… (2) Have you followed Triple H's career? This falls right in line with his track record in the past. USA also thinks the McMahon's draw ratings, so what better time for Triple H to grab the spotlight and bury another guy with potential with Cena gone.

PWTorch senior columnist Bruce Mitchell answers: Second question first: You can't blame Hollywood for this one. The answer to your first question is yes, and as you probably know I've been writing and talking about with and for our VIP members for months.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: It's obvious from how WWE talks about Daniel Bryan on TV that they are not confident in his being their top central star, so Triple H (and the Randy Orton heel turn) are ways, in their mind, to prop up what they see as a weak, flawed top babyface "that the fans picked for some odd reason as their favorite." I think they're conflicted and insecure, so Triple H sees himself as "star power insurance." What Triple H and Vince McMahon don't realize or won't accept (because it seems so insane to them) is that fans aren't hung up on height and muscles like they obviously are. They walk around backstage looking down at the top of Bryan's head and tell themselves this guy isn't a top guy. But fans see Bryan at eye level because on TV the camera films him from the side, not the top looking down. His height is virtually irrelevant in most instances, just as it doesn't matter that Tom Cruise or other leading men in Hollywood are short. When it is noticeable that he's short, it works to his great advantage as a babyface with his type of character because it makes him seem like a hard-working underdog who is scrappy, tough, and highly skilled at what he does - all traits that the common wrestling fan would be predisposed to really appreciate.

This storyline has zero to do with Hollywood writers. As many ex-WWE Creative Team members have said on the PWTorch Livecast and in Torch Talk interviews in the PWTorch Newsletter in recent years, the writers' job is to fill in the blanks on the larger direction set by Vince and Triple H. The writers are not coming up with the idea of pushing the Triple H Power Trip in this manner. They may be coming up with small details that fill out the storyline, and they might be encouraging Big Show to cry and have Cody Rhodes say he can't support his wife anymore. Nonsense like that isn't something that someone who knows the history of pro wrestling and the importance of pro wrestlers, I mean Superstars, seeming to be something other than pathetic saps who have no job options unless the Royal McMahon Family bestows such a generous gift as employment on them. But no matter who suggested these emasculating plotlines for these wrestlers, Vince and Hunter should be smart enough to know the ramifications are much more negative than any gains from the sympathy generated for Cody and Show or the heat generated for Hunter.

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PWTorch reader Richard from Perth, Scotland asks: Hello, I just read Thursday 5th September's Ask PWTorch and reader Tony asked about a possible Triple H vs. Bryan match. Having read the answers by the panel, I have two questions. First, do you think that it is a possibility that Randy Orton will quickly drop the title back to Bryan (say at Night of Champions) and when he fails to regain it that Triple H takes an ego trip and says that he will have to do the job himself leading to a match at Survivor Series? And part two relates to Bruce Mitchell's answer to the aforementioned question. Do you think that if Triple H vs. Bryan happens that the outcome may be different that what he suggests as Bryan was trained by Shawn Michaels and thus Triple H may have a higher level of respect for him?

PWTorch senior columnist Bruce Mitchell answers: It's a strong possibility, and it's even more possible that, even if he wins, Daniel Bryan will continue to get his ass kicked at every turn. If Triple H has a higher level of respect for Daniel Bryan because he was trained by Shawn Michaels, why has he been beaten up at the end of seven shows and counting?

PWTorch columnist Greg Parks answers: I don't think Bryan will regain the title at Night of Champions...it's too early in this feud/process/storyline to switch the titles again. And I also think it's too early to tease dissension with Triple H and Orton. I don't think Bryan would garner any extra respect from Hunter based on HBK training him. I would hope it wouldn't take something like that for Hunter to be impressed by Bryan or to respect him...that wouldn't be a good sign for the future if Hunter's respect for wrestlers is based on who trains them. One would think Triple H would respect Bryan based on Bryan's CV, which speaks for itself.

PWTorch columnist Sean Radican answers: That's a possibility, but I see Bryan getting screwed and continuing to chase Orton at the upcoming PPV. Triple H has done damage to Bryan's character already and has booked him to look weak, so I don't think Bryan's link to HBK is a factor.

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PWTorch reader Mark Carter asks: Darren Young is gay. So what. Why is he being congratulated for being openly gay? He is certainly not the first gay person to wrestle. I don't understand why his sexual preference is newsworthy. Who really gives a crap?! It's not a major accomplishment or anything, but let's pat the guy on the back for coming out of the closet. He should be proud it, though, I guess since he is nothing but a jobber with a pick in his 'fro. I just pray that the WWE does not write this into their storyline, especially since they pride themselves in being a family-oriented company. No one wants to see the Prime Time players come out as a gay tag team.

PWTorch audio host Travis B. answers: Because not everyone is a complete bag of crap.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: What does WWE "being a show for families" have to do with whether WWE acknowledges Darren Young's sexual orientation? Many families - perhaps most - have a gay member (unless it's a really small family). Some gay kids might feel empowered not to be ashamed of who they are or hide who they are if they saw a wrestler on TV who was open about having a boyfriend. Some kids with gay parents might feel like their family is represented in yet another way on TV that it hadn't been before, making being gay seem less like something to hide or be ashamed of. I would want my son to see gay grown-ups represented proportionately on television in all types of shows, sit-coms, movies, dramas, news, and sports. I'm not saying I trust WWE to not exploit the situation in a tasteless or tone-deaf manner, although having Jane Geddes (a gay mom) as V.P. of Talent Relations gives me more trust they wouldn't blow it completely.

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PWTorch reader Andrew from Richmond Va. asks: I am a new VIP subscriber and I love the exclusive audio shows! Haven't been able to stop listening since I signed up. My question is about John Cena. Now that he will be out for a reasonably lengthy period of time and he is booed loudly every time his music hits, do you think it would be effective for John Cena to return as a heel? It would be a change of pace for an obviously stale babyface, but also could hurt the company by turning their Fruity Pebble wish-giver heel. What are your thoughts on the subject?

PWTorch audio host Travis Bryant answers: Won't happen, shouldn't happen. He's got that Fruity Pebbles deal along with a line of merch at K-Mart.

PWTorch columnist Greg Parks answers: You nailed it in noting the problem with Cena turning. WWE has had plenty of opportunities to turn him and haven't pulled the trigger. There's no real reason to think this time will be any different.

PWTorch columnist Sean Radican answers: Let this serve as another reminder that John Cena isn't going to turn heel anytime soon. He sells a ton of merchandise and draws fans in at house shows. Unless Daniel Bryan can exceed his value to the company in that role, I don't ever see WWE taking the chance of diminishing his drawing power by having him turn heel anytime in the near future.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: John Cena is booed by a certain segment of the audience, but he is their identity in the corporate world. He is the Face of WWE in so many ways and gives the Corporate WWE someone that their partners can look at as being worthy of associating with. That is extremely valuable to WWE in ways that aren't offset by the boos of adult male fans. Some day, when it's clear he beginning to run out of steam as a babyface, they can turn him (which is why Hulk Hogan turned when he did; Hogan wouldn't have turned if it wasn't clear his babyface act was running out of steam). There will not be a single month during the next stretch of years that Cena is a babyface where they couldn't hot-shot a heel turn and make money off of it. But once it's done once, it's done, and he will never mean as much as a babyface if he turns back and WWE loses the Cena Heel Turn card forever. They are smart to have the discipline to stay the course with him and look at others to be the heels in the company, as frustrating as it is for individual fans who really despite his character and the fact that he represents WWE.

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PWTorch VIP Member Gaberiel from Houston, Tex. asks: Celebrating my third month as a VIP member and really enjoy the information you guys give us for being a VIP. In the summer of 1991, Ric Flair left WCW and at the time he was the World Heavyweight Champion and still had the title belt with him when he came to the WWF. In January 2000 at WCW Souled Out, Chris Benoit won the WCW Championship, then quit the next day and shortly after went to the WWF. I realize these incidents occurred under different circumstances, but what would have been the possible results of Chris Benoit bringing the WCW Championship Title with him to the WWF and possibly appearing on WWF Smackdown or Raw holding it. This is still in the middle of the "Monday Night War." Consider that in 1995 Madusa (Alundra Blaze) went to WCW with the WWF Women's Championship title belt to throw in the trash on Monday Night Nitro.

Also, do you think WWE will ever release a complete DVD / Blu Ray edition, probably in volumes, of all the episodes of WCW Monday Night Nitro 1995-2001? I know we have the "Best of" Vol 1 and 2, but why not just release the full list of shows and break them down into 4-6 volumes. It just seems like a great investment due to the good sales they have had with other WCW videos.

PWTorch columnist Pat McNeill answers: If Benoit had taken the WCW Title with him to the WWF, it wouldn't have made much difference. At that point, World Championship Wrestling was already deader than Cuba Gooding Junior's career. I can see WWE eventually putting these shows out "on demand," but I can't see the promotion producing complete DVD box sets. They'd be too bulky and too expensive.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: Yeah, the WWF wasn't feeling the heat from WCW at that point. They were watching in bemusement at what a disaster it had become and what gift the managerial incompetence and main event wrestler dysfunction was for the WWF. As for the Nitro DVD set, there's a reason the DVD section of Best Buy is shrinking by the month, while Netflix and Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime are growing. The future is having access on demand to shows in the cloud. I suspect there's a good chance some day all Nitros and Raws will be available in the cloud for viewing on demand with a subscription to a service. I don't think the audience for the complete set of all WCW Nitros is large enough to justify a series of DVD sets, as much as I'd like to have that in my collection (well, except for most of the last couple years).

=== VIP EXCLUSIVE ===

PWTorch VIP member Stephen from Tenn. asks: On Thursday episode of the PWTorch Livecast, I asked a question about body types in WWE and Triple H's view on what body will draw he most money. You had said the Triple H is actually worse then Vince McMahon in thinking that big bodybuilders are what will draw money.

My question is, how can Triple H think that when his best friend, Shawn Michaels, doesn't fit this mold by any stretch of the imagination, but is yet considered the greatest performer of all time? Even his other buddy and frequent Livecast guest X-Pac is smaller compared to what he and Vince McMahon believe is what the audience wants. If Michaels or X-Pac talked to Hunter about needing to expand his image of what a pro wrestler is and what one looks like, would Triple H listen?

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.)

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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.
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