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ASK PWTORCH ALL-STARS 10/13: Is Cena holding back rising stars? Will Rollins face same fate as past MITB winners? Why doesn’t WWE run credits at end of show? Did WWE already give up on Bo Dallas?

Oct 13, 2014 - 11:11:18 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 Aaron P. asks: Why did they seem to give up on Bo Dallas so quickly? I love the Honky Tonk Man/Kurt Angle type gimmick where the fans hate them, but he seems to think they love him.

PROFESSIONAL BROADCASTER Jim Valley (Long time wrestling fan, Torch subscriber, and currently PWTorch Livecast guest host. 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.) WWE management gives up on most everyone quickly: Big E., Cesaro, Miz, Damien Sandow, Bray Wyatt, Mark Henry, the list goes on for literally 15 years. I personally think it is WWE's no. 1 problem. Many fans say the WWE roster is lacking in talent depth. I disagree. WWE management is lacking in confidence to consistently push talent. Bruce Mitchell criticized me for voting for Edge in the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame. But metrics show Edge popped ratings the first time he won a World Title. His generation supported him and wanted to see him on top. Unfortunately, while he had a great career, Edge was held back despite the fans responding to him in all the right metrics. Edge was Daniel Bryan before Daniel Bryan.

REALITY TV STAR & EX-TNA MANAGER Jonny Fairplay (@jonnyfairplay was also former personal assistant to Roddy Piper and cohost with Sean Waltman of weekly podcast at www.ProWrestling.net) answers: He still has a job so maybe there's hope.

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: The WWE tends to give up quickly on people. If you do not get over the way they expect in the first month, they drop it. Or at least they make you a mid-card to lower-card guy.

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PWTorch reader Will S. asks: With John Cena the top dog in the WWE for the past ten years and for the near future, I can't help but think that his presence at the top is holding back the rest of the roster. Many wrestlers who had good prospects and came up against Cena seemed to take big step backwards. Examples include Dolph Ziggler, Wade Barrett, Mark Henry, Damien Sandow, The Miz, Bray Wyatt, Cesaro, Ryback, and even Zack Ryder - just to name a few. All of these guys mentioned were to some extent looked upon as being future top guys of the company, but their fall from grace has been pretty substantial since going against Cena. It's likely not his fault, and it's not a potshot at him, but what are your thoughts on this?

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 do not think that John is holding up the roster. I do not believe that there is anyone on the roster who could do what he does at this present time. There are many great young prospects and possibilities. They are just not ready at this time. John Cena, whether you like him or hate him, is a necessary evil at this point.

PROFESSIONAL BROADCASTER Jim Valley (Long time wrestling fan, Torch subscriber, and currently PWTorch Livecast guest host. 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.) John Cena doesn't book matches or push wrestlers. Blame Vince McMahon. If a wrestler can't overcome John Cena in the eyes of the fans, why is that John Cena's fault. In an upcoming episode of my old Total Chaos radio show, you will hear Roddy Piper say to wrestlers, "You take the main event." I agree.

REALITY TV STAR & EX-TNA MANAGER Jonny Fairplay (@jonnyfairplay was also former personal assistant to Roddy Piper and cohost with Sean Waltman of weekly podcast at www.ProWrestling.net) answers: None of the other guys you listed sell as many t-shirts nor are they the guys the big shots on Wall Street want to high five. Nor are they the guys the sick kids want to see, nor are they asked to be on the Today Show.

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PWTorch reader Hollie S. asks: I've read different articles regarding Seth Rollins’s future in WWE. While he is Mr. Money In The Bank, routinely wins on Raw and Smackdown, I've seen what happens to people like Damien Sandow, Dolph Ziggler, etc. - wrestlers who are talented in ring and on the mic, but are not considered main event material. Not even sure what happened to Damien Sandow as he was a previous MITB winner, lost to Cena, and then his career (in WWE) has been circling the drain. I think Seth Rollins is tremendously talented - he and Dean Ambrose are the best on the WWE main roster, but I am concerned his future booking will be weak. Will he have a successful cash-in? Is he a future WWE Heavyweight Champion? I think and hope so. Your thoughts?

REALITY TV STAR & EX-TNA MANAGER Jonny Fairplay (@jonnyfairplay was also former personal assistant to Roddy Piper and cohost with Sean Waltman of weekly podcast at www.ProWrestling.net) answers: Ziggler and Sandow were not promoted as Triple H guys on television, Rollins is. I think there is definitely a title run in his future.

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 think Seth Rollins is also very talented. I think his cashing in Money in the Bank briefcase will not be successful. I do not fear his booking going forward only because he is one of the few very talented guys who are ready to be headliners now.

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PWTorch reader Dan G. asks: Seeing as kayfabe is dead, and WWE want to be taken seriously as an entertainment and not just wrestling show, why do they still not put credits at the end of the TV shows?

PROFESSIONAL BROADCASTER Jim Valley (Long time wrestling fan, Torch subscriber, and currently PWTorch Livecast guest host. 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.) Because the WWE dealt with Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara becoming well known, negotiating a better deal with WCW, and leaving Vince with little notice. Granted, WWE numbers went up after they left, but I'm sure there was some scrambling and hours of extra work put in to put new people into place. WWE management doesn't want the trouble again. Besides, The McMahons are responsible for everything. Don't you know that?

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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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