The PWTorch All-Star Panel features an array of contributors answering your questions who have worked in various facets of the pro wrestling industry, plus PWTorch contributors join in. You get an unmatched mix of perspectives including first-hand insights from people who have worked in the ring and behind the curtain.

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PWTorch reader Will S. asks: Is it finally time to turn John Cena heel?

PROFESSIONAL BROADCASTER Jim Valley (Long time wrestling fan and PWTorch subscriber. 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 our to Stamford to audition for WWE. He took second to Todd Grisham.) John Cena sells shirts, tickets, and makes money for WWE. When people stop buying Cena as a product, then he MAY turn. It may not happen.

MAINSTREAM WRESTLING MEDIA REPORTER Brian Fritz (host of Between the Ropes podcast, former AOL Fanhouse and Yahoo Sports reporter) answers: No, John Cena will never be turned heel and shouldn't. He does way too much when it comes to charity work and he is still one of the biggest faces of the company and is known for being in the role of a good guy. It's who he is. Steve Austin now laments turning heel when he did late in his career and says it wasn't right. The same would be true for Cena. He doesn't need to turn heel either. I know Hulk Hogan turned heel late in his career and it worked but it's a different era now, especially with the current WWE. The time for Cena turning heel has long passed and I don't ever want to see it happen. And would people really take to it? He would get a positive reaction by some of the crowd immediately just for turning but they would quickly boo him for the wrong reasons after that. He's better off just being a good guy for the rest of his career.

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PWTorch reader & VIP MEMBER Austin H. asks: Over the last few months it seems like the consensus has become that Roman Reigns is the next huge breakout star in WWE to the extent that people are actually predicting that he will main-event WrestleMania 31 and beat Brock Lesnar next year. I have to ask - what has he done to justify this perception? As far as I can tell, he's an average at best worker and below average on promos. Despite steady improvement, he's still very raw. He's never even been asked to carry his end of a major program. Has he ever cut an in-ring promo longer than 30 seconds? Sure, he has a great look, but so do plenty of guys who have flamed out. He's benefitted greatly from being part of a cool and heavily-pushed faction and it just seems like he's at least a few years away from being a top, top guy. Am I taking crazy pills here or do you really think he's going to take that next step this quickly?

PWTorch contributor Benjamin Tucker answers: Reigns has a ridiculously strong scent of "It factor" about him, stronger than any WWE rookie I've seen in years. He has a great look, works a deliberate in-ring style that visually looks fantastic, and isn't that bad of a worker either. Reigns will be a force to be reckoned with by this time next year.

PWTorch contributor Jimmy Eaton answers: I think a lot of people are seeing charisma. He hasn't talked much, sure, but he has a presence in the ring that few young guys have at this point. I agree that he may still be over-hyped but when you have a crowd behind you with an exciting move set, athleticism, and size going for you, that's a good place to start. I think his work will keep improving but taking on the Undertaker? I wasn't sold on that previously myself. I think when the time comes we'll see if he can sink or swim on his own. So far he's held his own though and the crowd responds to him when he's in the ring which he seems to feed off of.

PWTorch contributor Jon Mezzera answers: To me, Roman Reigns is the worst all-around performer in The Shield (not to say that he is bad, but not as good all around as Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose). I have said in my Hits & Misses articles that Reigns isn't there yet, but that he will get there. He has a great presence about him that can't be taught. He is getting very strong reactions from the crowds for his big moves like the spear and the Superman Punch. He has improved over the past year. He is starting to show more confidence on the mic. From what I've heard, he has impressed people behind the scenes with his attitude and the questions that he asks. That counts for a lot. It is hard to say where he will be one year from now. I hope he continues to improve in the ring and on the mic. I think he can and I think he will. I think the perception that he will be a top main event wrestler next year isn't based on his abilities, but based largely on the fact that WWE management is so high on him.

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PWTorch reader Jeff from Michigan asks: If ECW and Paul Heyman had the backing of Ted Turner instead of WCW, would ECW still be around today?

EX-ECW CHAMPION AND LONGTIME WWE WRESTLER Justin Credible (also current IWE Champion, visit www.TheJustinCredible.com and on YouTube here including his ongoing Wrestling 101 Series) answers: Yes. ECW went out of business because Paul had to pay guys to stay. ECW was still drawing great houses, but he was paying more than he was taking in. I was making as much in ECW than some years I had in WWE. Paul paid the top guys six figure salaries when he really couldn't. I have a lot of respect and admiration for Paul.

PROFESSIONAL BROADCASTER Jim Valley (Long time wrestling fan and Torch subscriber. 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 our to Stamford to audition for WWE. He took second to Todd Grisham.) No. A huge company like Turner would not want the risk and bad publicity. That goes the same for the company that absorbed it. Pro wrestling, while it gets decent ratings, has some of the lowest ad rates. What brand is going to want to associate itself with blood, tables, and swearing? There are only so many divorce attorneys and high risk car insurance companies.

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PWTorch reader Aaron P. asks: On the podcast a caller mentioned that Undertaker's WrestleMania loss was to take away from Bryan's win. How much do you think this is true? It really took the air out of the show and I felt that it was difficult to get back into the show and care as much after the loss. Also on the podcast it was talked about how much the Streak didn't seem to mean as much anymore going into the match with Brock because nobody thought Brock or anyone could beat Undertaker. It was also mentioned how there was not much response for Undertaker kicking out of Brock's finisher. How much do you think this is because it became so much the norm in Undertaker WrestleMania matches? I've said before that the ridiculous amount of kicking out of finishers over the past five Undertaker WrestleMania matches, especially in the Shawn Michaels matches, maybe sort of killed it. I think I counted something like seven times where they kicked out of each other's finishers the last time I watched the first Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania. People often called that the greatest WrestleMania match ever, but was the cost too much as it seemed to sort of kill the intrigue of the streak over time if that makes sense?

PROFESSIONAL BROADCASTER Jim Valley (Long time wrestling fan and Torch subscriber. 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 our to Stamford to audition for WWE. He took second to Todd Grisham.) No, they didn't break the streak to undermine Daniel Bryan. Wrestlers have injuries. Over time you can't perform like in the past. It was simply Taker's time. As far as false finishes, everything can be overdone. It's a reason some things used to be saved for the main event.

EX-ECW CHAMPION AND LONGTIME WWE WRESTLER Justin Credible (also current IWE Champion, visit www.TheJustinCredible.com and on YouTube here including his ongoing Wrestling 101 Series) answers: I don't think that's true at all. I think that it was the decision that the WWE made that was best. We have no idea what they have planned for the future. WWE is not stupid, either.

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PWTorch reader Chris M. asks: Satisfied VIP member here! Would a "Talking Dead" type talk show format after Raw and "Live Events" be a possibility? Kayfabe is dead and all anyway, so if they're so set on it being entertainment rather than sports, I think this format would work well.

INDY PROMOTER & ANNOUNCER Brad Stutts (Follow @cwfmidatlantic and @stuttsy and listen to his podcast at www.WrestlingWithOptimism) answers: I think so, sure. That'd be a good approach for the Raw and Smackdown post shows I think.

MAINSTREAM WRESTLING MEDIA REPORTER Brian Fritz (host of Between the Ropes podcast, former AOL Fanhouse and Yahoo Sports reporter) answers: Chris, I'd be up for that but I don't think WWE is ready to go that far. Sure, kayfabe is dead and their air documentaries and legends roundtables on the WWE Network but I don't think WWE wants to go that far and do a post-show breaking down Raw in that manner.

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(Send questions for a future Ask PWTorch to: askpwtorch@gmail.com. If you have a particular person on the All-Star Panel you'd in particular like to direct your question to, include that in the subject line, but multiple panelists may also answer.)

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In case you are new to this feature, let me introduce you to our All-Star Panel…

EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION: By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

Thanks to Pat McNeill and Anthony Jeselnik for the name of this feature. Just as "CSI" spawned "CSI: Miami," "Ask PWTorch" spawned "Ask PWTorch: All-Star Panel." Only without David Caruso. In any case, we are excited to present to you a new cast for the Ask PWTorch spinoff, which is available exclusively on the PWTorch App (or, for VIP members, on the VIP website too). You are reading this, so you are either a VIP member or have already downloaded the free PWTorch App on your phone or tablet. If you aren't a VIP member, why not? With VIP membership, you gain full access to both Ask PWTorch features on all devices you use to visit PWTorch - our App and our Website.

The "Ask PWTorch All-Star Panel" edition is scheduled to be published first thing in the morning (although not necessarily every single day, like the afternoon website-based Ask PWTorch is; we'll see about that as we move forward). It will feature an entirely different panel of experts and analysts than the afternoon Ask PWTorch does. We have assembled a wide range of contributors, which may expand or change over time, with the goal being to give PWTorch readers new perspectives from people who have particular areas of expertise. Along with our All-Stars from outside of PWTorch, several of our PWTorch contributors (but not the main staff who contribute to the website-based original Ask PWTorch!… you will be quizzed on all of this, so take notes) will also be regularly contributing, especially to current-events-related questions.

Let me introduce you to our panel…

Justin Credible: Current pro wrestler and former ECW Champion and longtime WWE wrestler in the 1990s and 2000s, Justin Credible (P.J. Polaco) currently is the IWE Champion. He travels as indy champion from Maine to Mexico with the title. He posts new Wrestling 101 YouTube videos at www.TheJustinCredible.com or on YouTube at his YouTube Channel.

John Piermarini: Ex-WWE Creative Team member who will provide a behind-the-scenes perspective from his years working for WWE including alongside Vince McMahon, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and John Cena. He has been a frequent PWTorch Livecast guest and was the subject of a comprehensive five-hour Torch Talk interview several years ago about his experience with WWE for most of 2009-2010.

Greg Oliver: SLAM! Wrestling reporter and wrestling book author (and hockey book author), Greg will provide a Canadian perspective on many wrestling topics. If you are a fan from Canada or have Canadian-related wrestling questions, Greg can help you. He is a wrestling historian who published a wrestling newsletter during the boom period of insider wrestling newsletters starting in the late 1980s. We were pen pals in the early 1990s and first met at a 1989 wrestling convention in Chicago run by Jon Gallagher of the Wrestling Forum (the first insider wrestling newsletter I ever received in the mail in early 1987).

George Schire: Author of "Minnesota's Golden Age of Wrestling," former Pro Wrestling Focus radio cohost with me in the early 1990s on KFAN, former contributor of history pieces to the PWTorch Newsletter, and multi-time guest on PWTorch Livecast "Interview Friday," he will be providing a historical perspective to Ask PWTorch.

Johnny Fairplay: Reality Star and Wrestling Manager, perhaps best known as Pat McNeill's Regis Philbin. He was an old neighbor of PWTorch senior columnist Bruce Mitchell who watched PPVs at his house long before he became a contestant on Survivor twice. He has been on many reality TV shows, the PWTorch Livecast numerous times, and follows wrestling very closely. You can read more about him on Wikipedia.

Brian Fritz: Host of the long-running "Between the Ropes" podcast, and now working for Yahoo! Sports radio, he also has been a guest on the PWTorch Livecast (and I've been a guest on his podcast), he brings years of reporting on wrestling including on-site interviews with wrestlers at major press events over the years. He follows today's wrestling and will provide his perspective and take on your questions.

Mick Karch: An early PWTorch Newsletter columnist over 20 years ago, Mick has been an announcer for virtually every national wrestling promotion other than the WWF, WCW, and TNA in the last 25 years. He currently works as an announcer on Minnesota indy wrestling shows. He got his start in wrestling running the Nick Bockwinkel Fan Club in the 1970s and is known for his sense of humor, strong opinions, and tremendous insight into wrestling's past dating back many decades, but he also watches today's wrestling regularly and can provide valuable perspective as a result of that span of time following and participating in the industry.

Brad Stutts: He has worked behind the scenes in wrestling in many roles, including taking jackets to the back, setting up and tearing down rings, running websites for indy promoters, running lights and music at live events, and performing as a manager, announcer, wrestler, and promoter. He currently is the lead announcer for CWF Mid-Atlantic Wrestling in North Carolina.

Jim Valley: Long time wrestling fan and Torch subscriber. 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 our to Stamford to audition for WWE. He took second to Todd Grisham.

Current PWTorch Contributors: A mix of current PWTorch contributors will provide their opinion on today's wrestling scene and modern wrestling history questions, including Shawn Valentino, Michael Moore, Ben Tucker, Jon Mezzera, Brian Leahy, Jimmy Eaton, and Mike Roe.

You can send your questions for the All-Star Panel to the same address as always: askpwtorch@gmail.com. We will make sure they are directed to the appropriate panelist for potential inclusion in a published Ask PWTorch feature here on the PWTorch App or VIP Website. You may see your question asked in both versions of Ask PWTorch (the Afternoon original website-exclusive version and app-exclusive All-Stars version) so check both versions. Different groups of panelists may tackle your question on different days, so keep checking back. Because they all come from different backgrounds and have different experiences as both fans and working in some capacity in the business or covering it for the Torch, you're going to get some strong specific points of view from them.

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