PWTorch.com - MONDAY’S ASK PWTORCH ALL-STARS 3/16: Should Brock have faced a wider range of opponents? Did Nitro replays affect ratings battle? Will New Japan events have English commentary? Should Arn or Regal or Piper have been World Champ?

Ask PWTorch
MONDAY’S ASK PWTORCH ALL-STARS 3/16: Should Brock have faced a wider range of opponents? Did Nitro replays affect ratings battle? Will New Japan events have English commentary? Should Arn or Regal or Piper have been World Champ?

Mar 16, 2015 - 9:36:05 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 Charlie M. asks: Hey guys. What are the chances that other major New Japan PPVs will be broadcast in English? I loved watching Wrestle Kingdom 9 with English commentary, and would love to see the G1 Climax tourney, or at least the finals, broadcast in English as well. Thanks guys.

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 see two scenarios: (1) The WrestleKingdom 9 buyrate does well enough to warrant another show. (2) New Japan hires its own English-speaking announce team to call the shows on the New Japan World streaming service.

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 it depends on the numbers. American fans are looking for a real alternative to WWE.

MAINSTREAM WRESTLING MEDIA REPORTER Brian Fritz (host of Between the Ropes podcast and reporter for Sporting News, former AOL Fanhouse and Yahoo Sports reporter) answers: I think there is a chance if they can work out the logistics and make a deal with an announcing team. If they did that, I think it would be a case where the announcers were not at ringside for every show and broadcasted the show from the U.S.

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PWTorch reader R. Jack asks: Has WWE hurt Brock Lesnar's reign of dominance (two convincing wins and a visible loss) by putting him in second match against John Cena instead of having him destroy someone else. I feel they're more focused on making money in the short term with Lesnar instead of Lesnar building up other stars such as Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton, Sheamus, etc. Note the lack of depth on the face side.

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.) It's not the victory, it's the follow up. Remember when Fandango beat Chris Jericho? How did that work out? WrestleMania is about big stars. The title holder needs to be established. If Lesnar is leaving for UFC, John Cena would be the best choice to be WWE Champion if management decides to take the title off of Brock.

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's title reign has been terrible. It's like he took the title and left the company. I forget he's even there. If he can't be there live, they could pre-tape stuff at TV that can run all month long. WWE obviously does not plan that far ahead.

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PWTorch reader Forrest M. asks: I realize that there are several wrestlers who should have been World Champions who never made it such as William Regal, Roddy Piper, etc. However I used to really enjoy Arn Anderson. Heel or face, he was a guy I always enjoyed. I know he would have never been a World Champion in WWE, but I think he could have carried the strap in WCW before he got hurt. Do you think he would have eventually become the WCW World Champion?

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.) William Regal should not have been world champion. Great wrestler and talker, but how many tickets or PPVs did he sell? Piper maybe. Hogan was the guy during Piper's big runs. But Piper is a lone wolf. I think there were also trust issues in putting a world championship on Roddy Piper. Arn Anderson was a great talker and could tell a story in the ring. He was always Robin to Ric Flair's Batman. A great secondary title holder who could deliver great matches. Not a world champion.

INDY PROMOTER & ANNOUNCER Brad Stutts (Follow @cwfmidatlantic and @stuttsy and listen to his podcast at www.WrestlingWithOptimism) answers: Had Hogan/Bischoff never taken over WCW, absolutely. Post-Hogan era it sure seemed like the criteria for champs changed.

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PWTorch reader David H. of Kansas City, Mo. asks: Been a VIP subscriber for over a year an appreciate the value you pack into my membership for just $10 a month. So much has been done to analyze the Monday Night Wars, but no one seems to address what I remember to be a significant factor. I would have friends over every Monday to drink and watch. We would channel surf between the two, but were primarily WCW guys until Mick Foley won the belt. When both shows were hot at the same time, we would watch Raw because we could catch what we missed on Nitro during the replay right after. How big of an impact do you think this had on overall ratings and viewing habits? Also, as a K.C. resident who grew up thinking Bob Giegel was the most important man in wrestling, do you think the WWE gave him enough recognition with his recent passing.

INDY PROMOTER & ANNOUNCER Brad Stutts (Follow @cwfmidatlantic and @stuttsy and listen to his podcast at www.WrestlingWithOptimism) answers: No, not really, but it's a tough situation for WWE to be in. If they acknowledged every wrestling death, there would be one practically every week. From what I recall, the Nitro replay never did enormous numbers so only a fraction of the sometimes as many as 10 million people watching wrestling on that night stuck around for it.

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 think you're right. I know I primarily watched Raw then watched the Nitro replay. That HAD to affect Nitro's numbers.

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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

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.

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.