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 Jeff from Michigan asks: With the emergence of Daniel Bryan, C.M. Punk, Seth Rollins, etc., and the success of NXT, should WWE have hired more independent wrestlers earlier (3-4 years ago)? Would WWE be in better shape today?

EX-WWE CREATIVE TEAM MEMBER Matt McCarthy (ex-WWE Creative Team member 2011-2012, frequent PWTorch Livecast guest, host of the We Watch Wrestling Podcast, professional stand-up comedian) answers: YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! WWE might even have more than 2 tops guys right now! I mean, look at it, aside from John Cena and Tyson Kidd, ALL of WWE's current champions are ROH guys. Might explain why maybe John Laurinaitis isn't running Talent Relations anymore.

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PWTorch VIP member Cody B. asks: After a bigger show like WrestleMania Play Button (a/k/a 31), do you re-watch the show? If so do any of your match ratings change after the second view?

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 watch again, I don't do ratings, that's for the squares (does anyone check my answers?) [Editor’s Note: Yes. And that’ll be two demerits for you, Fairplay.]

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.) Sometimes I do watch a PPV again, but only for major shows, matches, or a historically significant event. WM31 reminded me a little of Survivor Series '98: a lot of the entertainment depended on the booking and the unfolding of the story. The matches were all solid, but no classic matches you're going to remember forever.

EX-WWE CREATIVE TEAM MEMBER Matt McCarthy (ex-WWE Creative Team member 2011-2012, frequent PWTorch Livecast guest, host of the We Watch Wrestling Podcast, professional stand-up comedian) answers: Definitely yes, to both questions. Although watching WWE on MUTE helps me enjoy it more sometimes.

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PWTorch reader Rachel Miller asks: In a follow-up question that I asked earlier on WWE PPVs being held in the same cities, it was announced that the Scottrade Center in St. Louis will be hosting another WWE PPV (WWE Battleground), just nine months after hosting last year's Survivor Series. I know that it averages about 18,000 fans, but why not have WWE Battleground either Detroit, Milwaukee, or Kansas City instead of St. Louis for a change?

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 could be any number of reasons: Rental price of the facility, availability, airport accessibility, ease of location, popularity in the market, and the undeniable fact that WWE hates you and wants to screw with you.

AUTHOR & REPORTER & HISTORIAN Greg Oliver (co-author of "The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame," reporter for SLAM! Wrestling in Canada, editor of Canadian Wrestling Report Newsletter in late-'80s) answers: We may never know what contracts may have been signed by the arenas themselves with WWE. I suspect that comes into play as much as the tour schedule does.

EX-WWE CREATIVE TEAM MEMBER Matt McCarthy (ex-WWE Creative Team member 2011-2012, frequent PWTorch Livecast guest, host of the We Watch Wrestling Podcast, professional stand-up comedian) answers: The answer is almost always money, but who knows in this instance.

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: Because _______ has the best fans in the entire WWE Universe and you deserve it! (Said in my best Mick Foley voice.)

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PWTorch reader R. Jack asks: Regarding Daniel Bryan, are the rumors true that the reason WWE is not pushing him is because they are still very concerned about health? Consequently, is the rumor true that Bryan would be in a higher position on the card if not for the serious injury he just came back from? If so, do you see him being moved up the card once (if) he regains their trust, or do you for see a Kurt Angle type situation?

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 love Daniel Bryan. Who doesn't? Vince McMahon. I'm sure the injuries are a management concern. I think it's telling the media interviews Daniel Bryan did during WrestleMania Week and the media John Cena and Roman Reigns did. Cena was on Jimmy Kimmel. Reigns was on Conan. Daniel Bryan was on Talk Soup on E!, a show The Bella Twins were too busy to appear on even though they are the stars of “Total Divas” on E! Daniel Bryan will have a solid career. He'll be protected to a degree. He'll have great matches. He'll main event "B" live events and PPVs. He'll probably lose to Seth Rollins before WrestleMania 32. In short, he'll be in a spot just high enough to keep fans from complaining too much.

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 am sure it is a little bit of that. He will always have a spot as popular as he is. He may not be the top top guy, but he will always have a presence. I think he should be The Guy.

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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.

Matt McCarthy: Ex-WWE Creative Team member 2011-2012, frequent PWTorch Livecast guest, host of the We Watch Wrestling Podcast, and a professional stand-up comedian). He remains a big fan of pro wrestling, attending live events such as WrestleMania 31 and many indy shows in the Los Angeles area.

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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