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TUESDAY’S ASK PWTORCH STAFF: If WWE honored Bret Hart’s 20 year contract, would Austin have been as big of a star? Is it getting too tough to get a heel over who fans really despise? Biggest shock ever? Chikara? Kendrick?

Apr 15, 2014 - 4:08:18 PM
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Pro Wrestling Torch was established in 1987 by Wade Keller. One of the primary traits PWTorch has been credited with over the years is assembling the best and most diverse staff of columnists with broad knowledge, but also areas of specialty where they have a particularly strong grasp of history. Every day PWTorch.com presents that team of writers answering your questions, some of which are fact-based and others of which are opinion-based. Either way, we've got you covered with Bruce Mitchell, Pat McNeill, Sean Radican, Greg Parks, James Caldwell, and Wade Keller. Collectively they have over 80 years working for the Torch, writing about wrestling and studying industry history and trends.

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 your questions in this feature and also the “Ask PWTorch: All-Star Panel” edition which is also published most days here at PWTorch.

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PWTorch reader & VIP MEMBER Chris D. from La Quinta, Calif. asks: A lot of wrestling's big moments of the past ten years have come not after a babyface vanquishes a hated heel, but after a backstage story about a wrestler not being favored to be a top guy by management becomes public, and the wrestler gets the top belt anyway. Daniel Bryan winning the title at WrestleMania, C.M. Punk defeating John Cena, RVD winning the World Title at One Night Stand, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero closing WrestleMania as World Champions, and Y2J winning the Undisputed Title. Is it getting too tough to create a heel anymore that people truly despise based on his actions in the ring, and not just that management prefers him to the babyface?

PWTorch senior columnist Bruce Mitchell answers: Bingo. We have a winner. Yes, absolutely. It's why getting homegrown Roman Reigns over with all aspects of the audience is a crucial test for the future.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: Big moments and big draws are two different things. I’m not sure how many things on your list resonated bigger than some of the more traditional, and perhaps more “forgettable” (for long-time adult male) feuds. Undertaker vs. heel Punk and heel Triple H resonated more with WrestleMania buys than, say, Y2J or RVD winning titles. Being memorable because it’s against the typical grain and is something you remember doesn’t mean WWE has only done good business with that formula in the real world where they’re going after the casual and mainstream fans, too. Also, forget the storyline about management being against the wrestler and just focus on the idea that Daniel Bryan and Punk and Benoit and Eddie all were matched against heels (except for the Punk-Cena situation, although to many Cena was the heel). The face-heel dynamic is what draws, even if there is an undercurrent of top management plugging their nose while pushing the so-called Internet darling. The fact is Bryan is over with everyone, not just “Internet fans.” If management would not plug their nose and not big-foot him by making his first title defense a mid-card PPV match against Kane, they’d do better business.

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PWTorch reader Aaron P. asks: What is the most shocking thing you've ever seen in the context of a pro wrestling show? The Undertaker's WrestleMania loss has to be near the top of the list. I read where the crowd reaction was comparable to Ivan Koloff beating Bruno Sammartino. I think Undertaker's loss was way more shocking than Mick Foley getting thrown off the cage. I guess none of them compare with Owen Hart's death, though.

PWTorch columnist Pat McNeill answers: Owen Hart's death was the most shocking event I ever experienced during a wrestling show, but those of us watching the pay-per-view never actually SAW it happen, if that makes sense. Finding out that Chris Benoit was a double murderer during WWE's Chris Benoit tribute show was certainly shocking. But there is no way that Undertaker's WrestleMania loss was as shocking as Undertaker throwing Mankind off the top of the cell at King of the Ring 1998, or the follow-up of Mankind climbing back up the cage, and then getting chokeslammed through the cell a second time.

(Other PWTorch staff answered this in a previous Ask PWTorch, so click on the Ask PWTorch link below to access it if you didn’t read it over the weekend.)

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PWTorch reader David R. asks: Thank you for taking the time to read my question & thank you for all your previous insights and answers. I understand it is hard to deal with “what-ifs.” However, I have a question relating to Bret “Hitman” Hart. How different would the wrestling world be today if Vince McMahon had not opted out of the 20 year contract with Bret? I could still see ‘“Stone Cold” becoming a solid main eventer; however, without the evil Mr McMahon would the WWE have ballooned to the popular heights that it did? Also, would you assume that Bret Hart would still be wrestling today/until recent times such as Shawn Michaels?

PWTorch columnist Pat McNeill answers: (1) Austin was on his way to becoming WWE's top star even if Bret Hart had stayed with the promotion, so I don't think that would have changed.

(2) WWE began its "Attitude Era" before Bret Hart left. While Bret's departure was the trigger for Vince McMahon's heel turn, a lot of the company's popularity was due to the rise of Austin, The Rock and Mick Foley. I suspect the company would have survived, at the very least.

(3) Even if Bret Hart didn't suffer a career-ending concussion in WCW in 1999, he certainly could have sustained some other injuries between then and now. So, no, I would not make any assumptions about Bret Hart's wrestling career. There are, as you pointed out, too many variables.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: Keep in mind, also, that Vince McMahon tested being a nasty heel promoter in a Memphis Wrestling TV angle a few years before the 1997 Montreal Screwjob, so he had that in mind as something fun to try. Not sure he would have pulled the trigger on it without the way the reaction to the Bret swerve played out, though.

Austin and McMahon was magic, and without McMahon, Austin would have likely risen to main events, but instead a different heel would have been his top rival. He could have continued to have a great feud with Bret, too, and had a series of classics with him before The Rock, Mankind, Triple H, Big Show, and others stepped up.

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PWTorch reader Ryan from Pittsburgh, Pa. asks: Long time reader who really enjoys the site. I have a few questions.

1. Will Brian Kendrick ever perform again in a WWE ring? I'm guessing no, but I was a huge fan of his in the WWE and pretty much quit watching WWE television when he was fired. Also, were there ever any plans to push The Brian Kendrick as a singles star before he was fired?

2. Since Triple H is really high on tag teams, is there any chance Chikara performers or a Chikara style tag team could make the WWE roster in the future? It would be really cool to see the Colony or the Spectral Envoy perform in the WWE or at least masked wrestlers that utilize comedy and a fast-pace wrestling style.

Thanks a lot guys and feel free to answer both or one of the questions. Keep up the good work.

PWTorch columnist Sean Radican answers: (1) I would be surprised to see Kendrick in the WWE again. I haven't seen him taking a lot of independent dates lately and he seemed happy running his wrestling school. As for his push as The Brian Kendrick, it had already fizzled out before he was released by WWE, although I did enjoy the gimmick.

(2) I doubt WWE would sign any Chikara tag teams. The ones you mentioned just wouldn't fit the WWE style and those guys would have to put in some serious work in the gym just to have a shot at making the roster. The Chikara style is great in the Chikara universe, but even the people in Chikara know that wouldn't translate well on a mainstream platform.

PWTorch columnist Greg Parks answers: 1. I was a big The Brian Kendrick fan, but I don't see him coming back to WWE unless the company invests in a cruiserweight-themed show for the Network. Kendrick was pushed before he was fired, as he was in the Championship Scramble Match on the 2008 Unforgiven PPV during his push.

2. Even though WWE likes their comedy, I don't know that they'd "get" CHIKARA enough to be interested in some of the wrestlers/teams in that company. I wouldn't rule it out, but it may be a long shot.

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