PWTorch.com - ASK PWTORCH ALL-STARS 10/22: Does WWE touting RKO imitations contradict their Don't Try This At Home message? Who should be pushed better? Has Zeb always been such a good talker? Could MITB be cashed in mid-match?

Ask PWTorch
ASK PWTORCH ALL-STARS 10/22: Does WWE touting RKO imitations contradict their Don't Try This At Home message? Who should be pushed better? Has Zeb always been such a good talker? Could MITB be cashed in mid-match?

Oct 22, 2014 - 9:13:57 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 Chris from Leeds, U.K. asks: Hi guys, big fan of the site and the podcasts. My question is regarding the recent trend of RKO Vines. With thousands of people now attempting their own RKOs, are WWE and Orton been irresponsible in praising them on social media considering all the "Don't try this at home" work they do? I know it's fantastic for Orton to finally get over with the general public and they'd be foolish to not play off the hype, but what happens when someone breaks a neck from a botched attempt at the move?

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.) During the 1950s, kids would get hurt trying to fly off of roofs while mimicking what they saw actor George Reeves do on "The Adventures of Superman." This is nothing new. There have been a few "wrestling deaths" in recent years where a child is copying what was on WWE. Those didn't seem to hurt business. WWE has been running the DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME graphic for years. Randy Orton Vines are only going to be popular until the next Internet meme or cat video comes along.

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: We all need to stop taking stuff too serious. There is much worse going on than kids attempting an RKO. Why so serious?

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: I give my girlfriend an RKO daily and as long as we’re both naked, I’ve gotten no complaints!

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PWTorch reader Aaron P. asks: Was Zeb Colter always this good on promos? I barely even remember him talking when he was Dutch Mantell. Also, is there any point in them acknowledging that he was the same Zeb who was a manager in WWE in the mid 1990s?

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: I remember seeing him in NWA in Greensboro, N.C. back in the day and he lost the match and cut a promo saying he was going to call and come to the house of every person in attendance for booing him. It was amazing! No point in mentioning that he was there before; he’s playing a different character.

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PWTorch reader Felix from Ottawa, Ont. asks: Is it possible to cash in the Money in the Bank during a match? For example, if Dean Ambrose earns a championship match, and after like 15-20 minutes, both guys are exhausted, Seth Rollins could arrive with the briefcase, turn the match into a triple threat (always no DQ), and hit both guy with a sledgehammer and win the title.

INDY PROMOTER & ANNOUNCER Brad Stutts (Follow @cwfmidatlantic and @stuttsy and listen to his podcast at www.WrestlingWithOptimism) answers: Sure that seems feasible.

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.) As they say, "The WWE Network for only $9.99...", er...I mean, "Anything can happen in WWE!!"

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PWTorch reader Mark from Long Island, N.Y. asks: In your personal opinion, who do you want to see booked or pushed better? Not from a business point of view but as a fan. One male Superstar, one female and one tag team.

INDY PROMOTER & ANNOUNCER Brad Stutts (Follow @cwfmidatlantic and @stuttsy and listen to his podcast at www.WrestlingWithOptimism) answers: Dolph Ziggler is clearly THE guy who is just not being positioned correctly but I am also a big fan of Heath Slater. I thought there was something there with the Slater & Gabriel tag team that was never fully developed so I will go with them as the tag team. Paige is definitely the woman I want to see pushed better. I look forward to her eventually finding a niche as this bad ass little chick and not... whatever it is she's supposed to be now.

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.) I think they have something right now with Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter. Unfortunately Rusev was the priority in WWE management's eyes. I also would like to see Kalysto do well. WWE and WCW did not get enough out of Rey Mysterio. There is a lot of money to be made off of merchandising. Female, I was always a big fan of ODB. I thought she could have been a fun contrast to the other WWE Divas. Tag Team? I like what Harry Smith & Lance Hoyt did in New Japan. Harry showed he has charisma and personality when given a chance to showcase it. They could fit in WWE, but I doubt they will be given the chance. If they are, they will probably be handcuffed by management.

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: Dolph Ziggler. I don't get it. He has so much pure skill. Maybe the gimmick needs a change, but nobody has better matches.

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: I feel they missed a chance for one last good run with Alberto Del Rio, but it's too late now. As for a woman wrestler, Nattie has plenty to give to that division. Glad to see the Rhodes Brothers getting a heel run.

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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.