Pro Wrestling Torch was established in 1987 by Wade Keller. One of the primary traits PWTorch has been credited with over the years is assembling the best and most diverse staff of columnists with broad knowledge, but also areas of specialty where they have a particularly strong grasp of history. Every day PWTorch.com presents that team of writers answering your questions, some of which are fact-based and others of which are opinion-based. Either way, we've got you covered with Bruce Mitchell, Pat McNeill, Sean Radican, Greg Parks, James Caldwell, and Wade Keller. Collectively they have over 80 years working for the Torch, writing about wrestling and studying industry history and trends.

If you have a question you'd like us to respond to, send your question to askpwtorch@gmail.com. I, along with the Torch staff, will address you questions in this feature and also the “Ask PWTorch: All-Star Panel” edition which is also published most days here at PWTorch.

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PWTorch reader & VIP MEMBER Cody B. asks: Let's say, no matter what, (and the idea that three hours is far too long for a wrestling product, this idea is throw OUT....) Raw will continue to and always be a three hour show. What concepts, ideas, angles, video packages, fan interactions, etc. anything in wrestling history or an innovation do you think will capture casual and hardcore fans alike.

PWTorch columnist Sean Radican answers: There's all sorts of things they could do to make things interesting such as strongly pushing angles in the IC/U.S. Title picture and give stronger emphasis to the tag division, but they won't do it. If they pushed the various wrestlers in those divisions in compelling storylines, it would make the three hours much more compelling, but creative is simply too overworked and likely unwilling to take the time to give those areas the attention they would need to produce compelling television.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: Make the matches between upper card wrestlers matter more by doing more pre-match hype, having the announcers give more attention to what’s at stake, and make sure the outcomes seem to matter. Three hours breezes by in many NFL games because fans are given a product where they believe every down, every play, every timeout, and even every replay is part of something important that matters - i.e. making the playoffs and growing as a team. Then to mix in more wrestlers, have squashes matches sprinkled throughout the show (3-5 per three hours) where a pushed wrestler gets a chance to show off his dynamic moves and personality in a straight forward dominating performance where the spotlight is on him, but viewers know the match will be over in just 1-4 minutes. That can change up the pace of the show between the showcase matches. NXT does a version of the above, but within one hour. But watch three hours of NXT and you get a similar vibe of what I think would work with a three hour Raw.

Give fans a sense of upward mobility if wrestlers win and downward career spirals if they lose. Raw feels so long in part because so much of it seems not to matter because wins and losses so often mean nothing and are forgotten right afterward. Miz losing quickly to Ryback wasn’t played up as a downturn in his career as a competing pro wrestler trying to win titles, It was just a backdrop for his latest spat with Mizdow. Ryback didn’t gain anything, and there was nothing about Miz losing that seemed to matter.

Also, they’d benefit from more wrestlers who felt “real” - see the difference between Tyson Kidd and the Usos before “Total Divas” and then on “Total Divas.” When people are allowed to be more multi-dimensional people and not cardboard two dimension characters summed up with a two or three word nickname (“Lunatic Fringe,” for instance), fans will be more invested in their journey. One of the things that a certain part of the wrestling fanbase likes about indy wrestling isn’t just the smaller guys doing crazy highspots or the accessibility of wrestlers on a smaller scale at smaller shows, but also the fact that they relate more to indy wrestlers because they are presented more as young athletes striving to succeed in their area of talent - pro wrestling - rather than Fandango and “Bad News” Barrett cartoonish characters.

There’s a middle ground that WWE could land on that would make what happens on Raw seem more relevant and more relatable. Too much of Raw feels like it evaporated from history as soon as it happens and maybe never even happened in the first place - like a cheese puff melting in your mouth with no nutritional value and a sick feeling afterward that makes you regret the ingestion of the product in the first place.

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PWTorch reader Rachel M. asks: Why does the WWE hold pay-per-views in the same five cities (Chicago, St. Louis, Los Angeles, New York City Area, and Boston) every year while cities such as Seattle, Portland, Denver, and Kansas City almost never get one? Is it because some markets draw more than others and that the WWE wants sellouts? Thanks!

PWTorch columnist Sean Radican answers: You answered your question correctly. It also doesn't hurt that crowds are usually hot in those main markets and provide a good atmosphere for PPVs in addition to moving ticket sales.

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PWTorch reader Bartender P. asks: What can be done to save WWE, a company resembling the very embarrassment that Nitro was in its dying days? Their Monday Night Wars documentaries love to talk about how Nitro failed. It's funny, because WWE is making the same mistakes that they love pointing out. What can be done? A massive "renovation." The removal of the stretched out CEO/chairman/writer leading the company into a pit that has angered many? What would you do?

PWTorch columnist Sean Radican answers: I think you should go back and watch that final year of WCW if you think WWE is as bad as that period now. WWE needs to get Vince McMahon off creative and stop burying wrestlers in the mid-card cycle of death if the product is going to get better. The way things are now, they're likely to hit some good runs of programming here and there during the year, but their inability to make their mid-card talent matter is really hurting them, as is Vince McMahon having final say on creative and promos.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: The Raw ratings this week were a danger sign. I’ve always said that ratings for Raw dipping below 2.50 several weeks in a row would be the wake-up call needed for change. Otherwise, they can still brag about being the top rated show on cable, rationalize that DVR viewership and YouTube and WWE.com highlights are siphoning off viewers from the live Monday telecast, and keep doing what they’re doing. The wrestlers are paying the biggest price because WWE can pretty much pay them what they want and lower their pay as needed to keep Wall Street happy with profits. But eventually Vince McMahon - or people around him - need to realize there is definitely room for improvement. It’s just a matter of reaching a point where the risk of inaction is greater than the risk of taking action and making changes. I’m not sure they’re very open to change because they have a very set formula and set of beliefs of what “sports entertainment” in 2015 entails, and there’s a dangerous level of certitude that their way is the right way, with a great talent for making excuses when things don’t thrive. If their Network sub numbers climb comfortable above 1 million by April 1 so they can brag about it in their next quarterly conference call, they won’t budge from their current approach.

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PWTorch reader Chad G. asks: Has there ever been a black creative team member? I was wondering because if there hasn't been, then that might be part of the reason WWE resorts to stereotypes as gimmicks for their Black wrestlers as they just simply don't understand black people and how all of them aren't just stereotypes, so they then just resort to broad generalizations.

PWTorch columnist Greg Parks answers: The late comedian Patrice O'Neal was on the WWE creative team, though I don't know how big of a role he played. I'm guessing there have been others, but the turnover rate on the creative staff is high, so not all members are necessarily made public.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller answers: If there is currently, I doubt he's having anything to do with the R-Truth skits lately. Aspect of how he's been presented in recent weeks is as racist and tasteless as anything I've seen in a long time in pro wrestling. Someone needs to tell Vince McMahon how offensive his funny bone is when it comes black people "sports entertaining" him.

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