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ASK PWTORCH ALL-STAR PANEL 07/05: Could WWE ever go back to old PPV pricing now that fans are used to $10 Network? What is the ultimate WrestleMania 31 main event? Do indy wrestlers have a say in their match finishes? “Kill Steen Bill”? The Thing?

Jul 5, 2014 - 3:34:53 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 & VIP MEMBER Rob Jones of Glasgow, Scotland, asks: Newish VIP member loving reading the old newsletters in conjunction with watching the WWE Network. Given the recent release of the numbers for Extreme Rules, is there any way that WWE could ever go back to the old PPV model. Surely the Network has now cannibalized and devalued the PPV model to the point where it is no longer viable to expect more than a minority to pay over $10 for an event?

MAINSTREAM WRESTLING MEDIA REPORTER Brian Fritz (host of Between the Ropes podcast, former AOL Fanhouse and Yahoo Sports reporter) answers: Rob, I wouldn't say that because if they weren't available anywhere except PPV for a higher cost, then people that wanted to watch them would have to pay. I think the trickiest thing would be getting back in the good graces of the PPV distributors who would have so much control that they could get better than a 50/50 revenue share.

INDY PROMOTER & ANNOUNCER Brad Stutts (Follow @cwfmidatlantic and @stuttsy and listen to his podcast at www.WrestlingWithOptimism) answers: I don't personally see it that way. I see it more like “buy one, get one free” Big Macs for a month is a great deal, but once that deal is off the table, it's not like people who want Big Macs are gonna be so outraged that they aren't “buy one, get one free” anymore that they won't order them again. Sure, if the Network were to go under or no longer offer PPVs, there are some people who will bitch that they used to get all the PPVs for 10 bucks, but I think the people who still want to see the shows would go back to the old model with a little disappointment and grumbling but not a full fledged rebellion.

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 out to Stamford to audition for WWE. He took second to Todd Grisham.) Once you set a lower price for something, it’s very hard to raise the value in a consumer’s mind, especially in a time when many people think content should be free. When Napster came to prominence 15-ish years ago, it made many people think that music should be free. Sure, Beyonce is a millionaire, but what about all the people in the music industry who have regular jobs? WWE has paved the Network road, I don’t think there is any going back.

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 would love it if WWE went to the big four PPVs a year ands have monthly specials as Network exclusives. In reality, WWE is already there. They just call them PPVs, but they are glorified Raws. Only SummerSlam, Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, and Mania really matter.

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PWTorch reader Jeff from Michigan asks: What is the best main event match up for WrestleMania 31? Is it Rock-Brock? Cesaro-Brock? Bray or Reigns vs. an established star? Or Triple H vs. the hottest act?

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: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns is where WWE seems to be headed. That should be his big moment.

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PWTorch reader Alexander of Pasadena, Calif.: Sorry if this is old news or if it was covered already. I remember after the Sandy Hook tragedy, Kevin Steen posted on his Facebook something along the lines that he did not want fans to chant "Kill Steen Kill" anymore and did not want to hear the word kill anymore. I haven't watched ROH in awhile, but at the War of Worlds PPV, Steen was wearing his "Kill Steen Kill" shirt. Does anybody know why Steen changed his mind?

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, but I assume it's what fans recognized and expected from him. Once you brand yourself with a slogan, a style, or a look that's what the fans will identify with. Hard part is when you want to change it, you don't always have the platform like national TV to get your idea over. Social media works well, but not every fan may read that particular post.

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PWTorch reader Mike G. asks: Do you know a wrestler from the ‘80s named The Thing (Brian Carriero)? I recently finished a book called “American Desperado” by Jon Roberts and Evan Wright. Roberts was a gangster (was in the cocaine cowboy documentary) who in the ’80s hired a body guard who was this wrestler. I assume he was in a local Florida promotion as I don't remember him from WWF or any other promotion at the time. And this part of the book is based in Florida. He is a scary psychopath from how the book portrays him. I am wondering what you guys have heard of him and a background on his wrestling career? In the book it said that Mark Walberg has signed on to do a movie based on this book. You guys know your stuff, so if anyone has heard of him or knows something, it is you.

INDY PROMOTER & ANNOUNCER Brad Stutts (Follow @cwfmidatlantic and @stuttsy and listen to his podcast at www.WrestlingWithOptimism) answers: I actually read about Cerriero a while back on the amazing World Class Memories site. Brian Carriero was "The Thing" in World Class in the fall of 1987 and won a series of squash matches, being groomed to be the new top heel in the organization until something happened and he suddenly left the territory after doing a quick job to Kerry Von Erich on Thanksgiving night. Later they brought in Rip Morgan claiming he was "The REAL Thing." Carriero died in March 2012.

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PWTorch reader Morgan asks: You guys do a wonderful job with the site. I'm a daily reader. I have a question about bookings on indy shows. When a big-name independent wrestler gets booked on an indy show, does he know whether or not he's going to do the job before he signs on? For example, if Justin Credible gets offered a one-off booking with promotion ABC, does he accept based on his price, and then find out if he's going to be jobbing when he gets to the event? Or does it not matter as much because wins and losses don't matter as much as the performance?

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 get offers from Indy promotions. Then they will ask me what is my fee. After we agree to compensation, expenses, etc., I will go to the show and basically do whatever is asked, within reason. I always try to do the best job I can because I want to come back and work for them again. If that means putting someone over, or winning their twirl for a bit. Either way, it's usually short term and you end up doing the job on your way out.

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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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