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THURSDAY’S ASK PWTORCH ALL-STAR PANEL: How will WWE address the potential end of Undertaker’s career? Was there a way to avoid Taker’s loss taking wind out of WM30 crowd? Cole unfairly maligned? Chyna in HOF?

Apr 24, 2014 - 11:45:07 PM
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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 Mark from Toronto asks: Crazy long-time follower here, all way since the Monday Night Wars calling in for PWTorch updates via talking yellow pages. My question is regarding WWE's probable, creative sendoff for The Undertaker's active career. While I was stunned at his WM30 loss, I wasn't emotionally devastated. I am however rather curious as to how (and when) WWE will treat that match above and beyond the mere outcome.
While online chatter has been abuzz of Mark's concussion and health, not to mention that loss pretty much signaling his final match... when should we expect WWE themselves to address it both creatively for Undertaker and literally as it concerns Mark? Ric Flair's Raw sendoff was probably the template, but are we to wait a calendar year until next spring's WM/HOF season?

EX-WWE CREATIVE TEAM MEMBER John Piermarini (ex-WWE Creative Team member 2009-2010, frequent PWTorch Livecast guest) answers: I don't do anything and then next year’s Hall of Fame there is a sole entrant and it's Undertaker. Dedicate an entire show to his induction.

REALITY TV STAR & EX-TNA MANAGER Jonny Fairplay (@jonnyfairplay was also former personal assistant to Roddy Piper and a frequent PWTorch Livecast guest) answers: I think they will do an incredible job with Taker’s retirement/Hall of Fame. I don’t think it needs to be rushed as it should take place at WM32 in Texas.

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: If Taker is retiring, I can see him just never coming back, but I don't see Vince letting it happen. I heard nobody in the office was happy with the way it went down. I can't see Vince McMahon letting that go like that. I don't think we will have to wait till next year. Something pointing one way or another will happen sometime this year.

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PWTorch reader Aaron P. asks: I just watched WrestleMania 30 for the second time. When I first watched it I thought it was one of the worst WrestleManias ever. Even though there were no real MOTY candidates like in recent WrestleManias, watching it again I can see that there were star-making moments with Daniel Bryan and Cesaro and even with Bray Wyatt in losing. However, the first time watching it the main thing I took away from it was the Undertaker loss. At this point I can understand their doing it and don't necessarily even fault them doing it, but do you think they could have done it differently in some way? It just seemed like it cast a dark cloud over the show and it was hard to get into anything that came after the Undertaker loss. Do you think it could have been any better if they had made it more clear the Undertaker was losing or that this was probably his last match ever? To me it just seemed that that much of a surprise element took a lot away from how good the rest of the show actually was.

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.) I agree that the in-ring product during WrestleMania 30 was not at the level of many past events. It was all about WrestleMania moments. It had more moments than any in years. From what we know, The Undertaker decision was made based on Vince's assessment of Taker's health. Based on that, WWE made the best of a difficult situation.

REALITY TV STAR & EX-TNA MANAGER Jonny Fairplay (@jonnyfairplay was also former personal assistant to Roddy Piper and a frequent PWTorch Livecast guest) answers: If they had known earlier how bad of shape Taker was in, I think they would have built the match up better. Without the build, there was no way to undo the damage of the surprise win.

INDY PROMOTER & ANNOUNCER Brad Stutts (Follow @cwfmidatlantic and @stuttsy and listen to his podcast at www.WrestlingWithOptimism) answers: If you think that was one of the worst WrestleManias ever, you should probably never watch another Mania again. Between the meeting of the three icons, the crowning of a new champ that the fans picked, the ascension of Cesaro, and everything else they did perfectly on that show, that was about as good a Mania as you are ever gonna see in the modern era.

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PWTorch reader Jay N. asks: I need to ask this, as many wrestling sites do get on the back of Michael Cole. What is the problem? I think he does a great job. Okay, he’s not J.R., but he’s better than Jerry Lawler any day he’s not heeling it. I watched him on the Shawn Michaels “My Journey” DVD and he was fantastic. So what’s the problem with Cole? Is it just because he’s not J.R.?

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 like Cole a lot. I think he does a tremendous job. I think the problem is that smart fans resent him, because of J.R. When you replace a legend like Ross, fans are going to speak out. I'm not sure why Vince McMahon and Kevin Dunn don't appreciate what Ross brings, but Cole seems to take the heat for it. Cole is good, but Ross is the best ever.

PWTorch reader Jeff G. of Providence, R.I. asks: Been a reader for years. I love the site and this is one of my favorite features. I know a lot of people give Triple H a bad time (don't like the way he got to the top, thought he was average in the ring), but personal opinions aside, I give him a lot of credit for reaching out to some of the folks Vince may have had have bad relationships with, such as Ultimate Warrior and Bruno Sammartino, and found a way to mend fences and get them back in the fold and in the HOF. I wondered if there were any performers, though, who Hunter had personal heat with who would keep them out of the HOF (aside from the obvious answer, Chyna)?

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.) Had Chyna not done porn, had public instances with substances, and been an overall train wreck, I think she had a shot. If it were to happen, it is MANY years away.

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 know. Remember Vince is still the boss. If Vince wants someone in, they are in. Plus Triple H is about business. Sometimes it's about doing what's right for the WWE as a whole.

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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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Catch up on past Ask PWTorch articles...

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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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