Every Thursday or Friday, PWTorch staffers James Caldwell and Greg Parks have a Lounge-style chat reviewing the week in TV wrestling and looking ahead to what's next for key storylines, matches, and future events. Sometimes, there's an occasional "Seinfeld" or "The Office" reference related to pro wrestling mixed in for good measure.

James Caldwell: This is PWTorch assistant editor James Caldwell joined by PWTorch columnist Greg Parks with our weekly chat on TV wrestling. Greg, did you miss Tough Enough this week or did an extra hour of Raw fill your plate enough?

Greg Parks: I missed having that extra hour to myself to do whatever I wanted, to be honest, and not be tied down to watching a third hour of sports entertainment on Monday nights. That said, it was much easier to sit through Tough Enough the past few weeks than a third hour of Raw.

Caldwell: You would think a third hour of TV would help out WWE - deliver longer matches, allow more time for things to breathe, and give Smackdown wrestlers beyond Orton & Christian a chance to really show off and make Smackdown seem like a must-watch program on Friday nights. In actuality, I thought the show was too crammed, too much was happening, there were too many unimportant, short matches, and I thought the promo segments were off. Austin was just great, but Austin's not going to be around 52 weeks out of the year. Do you think Austin did enough to tell infrequent/casual viewers that, 'Hey, these guys are worth watching on a regular basis?' or do you think he overshadowed the current product?

Parks: Neither; it doesn't seem like he popped a rating, so I don't know how many "casual viewers" were just checking out the show to see him. That said, if they were, I don't know that anything would've hooked them (except maybe R-Truth, and that might not be enough to keep them coming back every week). I don't think he really overshadowed anyone either...he really wasn't put in a position to do so, as most of his stuff was kept relatively short, or he was allowed to interact with the "stars of tomorrow" like Miz and Del Rio, for some rub.

Caldwell: It sounds like you think there was some audience indifference to Austin's appearance. It's almost like it was just another Raw on the schedule and WWE just happened to have Austin and a three-hour show on the docket. I feel like after Austin was on TV for ten straight weeks hosting Tough Enough - even if it wasn't in the standard WWE TV format - there wasn't a sense of it being a big deal to see Austin live on Raw guest-hosting, even as good as he is. There's also the big-picture issue of nothing seeming as important as what will happen next year when WWE begins the hard build to Cena vs. Rock. How much of a factor do you think is right now?

Parks: I think you're right that Austin being on the show wasn't a big deal, especially in the lame-duck GM role where he was foisted into the role in a way that made no sense. That made it hard to get behind. I don't get the sense that "nothing is important because of Cena vs. Rock next year"- if they feel that way, it's because of the fans, not WWE. WWE isn't constantly harping on Cena vs. Rock, and shoving it down our throats. I think WWE's played it right by having that match in the background, in an effort to NOT make it so it feels like nothing matters 'til that match. Inherently though, some fans will still get that feeling. I say, "enjoy the ride."

Caldwell: We talked last week that WWE needed to provide an explanation for why the GM would "over-rule" Austin's refereeing on Raw before turning around and booking him as GM for this week. The GM was then supposed to "take the week off" with Austin as host, but the GM not only appeared, but "ruled" in Smackdown matters. It's clearly time to end this thing, but what was your take on GM matters this week?

Parks: It sucked. Worse than usual. Yeah, he said he was taking the week off, then appeared as much as usual. And how can he rule on a Smackdown title match? I didn't get that at all. It would've made more sense to have Teddy Long come out and do it.

Caldwell: It makes WWE look so lazy with their storytelling. It's like the X Division in TNA - handle it with care or get rid of it. Greg, there was a three-hour show, but I felt like a lot of Raw just blended together into a mish-mash of segments. Some things stood out more than others and there were some newsworthy items, but I feel like WWE is treading water right now stuck in a post-Mania slump. What individual items stood out to you from the show?

Parks: I barely even remember what happened. CM Punk's pinfall win over John Cena? That was pretty surprising, even for the momentum that Punk has had the past few weeks.

Caldwell: Yeah, to me, that seemed like an indication of Cena and Punk feuding after Capitol Punishment. WWE visually separating Punk from New Nexus - even if it was for one night - was one of the few good booking decisions on Raw so that Punk wasn't dragged down by his irrelevant faction. I'll be surprised if Cena vs. Punk doesn't happen after the PPV. There was also Piper's Pit, which I was a bit disappointed with. Piper had that great, great, great appearance on Old-School Raw last year, but I thought he wasn't all the way engaged this time around and he was booked awkwardly. What was your take on Piper's involvement and segment(s) with Miz and Riley?

Parks: Do you think Del Rio vs. Cena gets put off 'til after Summerslam then if they go Cena vs. Punk? Or does Cena just spend the next year fighting off new heels every year 'til he has gone through them all, with only Rock left waiting for him at 'Mania? As for Piper's Pit...it was okay. Wasn't Piper's best, but certainly wasn't his worst. And they tried to get some face rub for Riley by putting him with Piper, which I understand. I didn't think the match was necessary.

Caldwell: When Del Rio was drafted to Raw, I would have put Del Rio at the top of the list for challengers to Cena at Summerslam. But, right now, Del Rio isn't being presented as a main event heel. I feel like he loses momentum each week. It's not the "cowardly heel" bit running away from Big Show, but his promos and the overall act seem so forced and repetitive now. Punk was below Del Rio for several weeks on the depth chart, but now I feel Punk has passed Del Rio. I could see WWE stretching out Cena vs. Punk for two months to Summerslam, try to re-build Del Rio, and do Cena-Del Rio after Summerslam. I just don't see anyone getting excited about Cena-Del Rio right now... I totally agree on Miz-Piper being unnecessary. I think WWE sees Miz as a Teflon heel right now, but I just don't think any of the wrestling portion was necessary. What did you think of the huge endorsement for Riley from both Austin and Piper on the show?

Parks: Hey, it's WWE's way of trying to get a big, new babyface over. At some point, it's going to feel a little like pandering (if it hasn't already), because he was doing fine on his own. But I don't think it hurts to have someone like Austin say, "kid, I don't like ya, but you stood up for yourself, so good on you."

Caldwell: I thought they stopped just short of pandering, but I could see WWE losing viewers especially when Riley hasn't exactly proven himself in the ring yet. Not that it counts in WWE's universe, but he hasn't won a match on TV this year. It felt organic when he first turned on Miz and the crowd popped big and it seems to have become less organic since then. It reminds me of what they're doing with Christian. It felt really organic that he turned heel because he was so frustrated with losing the World Title that he just had enough. I don't think they ruined that original, organic feel on Raw, but I felt they undermined Christian's argument when he was booked to be "associated" with Nexus and then delivered a post-match attack on Rey. I thought that was really dumbed-down in order to "reinforce" Christian as a heel. What was your take on Christian on Raw?

Parks: Wade will be proud with the number of times you said "organic" in that last resonse. I thought the finish of his match with Rey was off at first - when was the last time you saw two DQs for not breaking a hold on the same show? Plus, they did it so soon after coming back from break. I just don't think Christian gained anything as far as his heel persona goes after Raw.

Caldwell: I agree, especially when Rey was able to fight off like a 15-on1 attack before the numbers game finally caught up to him. I know WWE likes their babyfaces to seem like superheroes, but they need some halfway-credible opponents to overcome. The heel roster is just so weak right now and WWE continues to shoot themselves in the foot in that area... Like you said, the multiple DQ rope-break finishes were odd, especially when the Christian-Rey finish came right after the mid-match commercial break of a five-minute match. Greg, anything else from Raw worth breaking down?

Parks: Probably not. Let's move on to NXT. Lucky Cannon was the unlucky one to get eliminated this week? Surprised at all, given his improvements this time around?

Caldwell: Well, at 9:59 p.m. EST, I would have been surprised if you told me Lucky was cut this week. But, when the show started with a comprehensive video package on the Lucky-Maryse issues, that was some heavy foreshadowing of how the show would end. I just don't know how Conor continues to hold on. I definitely think Lucky showed improvements character-wise, but he needs tons of work in the ring. I think he deserves a roster spot ahead of last season's winner, Johnny Curtis, though. Were you surprised, too, with Lucky being cut?

Parks: Yeah, like you said, especially with O'Brian (and Darren Young) being there. Speaking of Young...what happened after the promos as far as crowd reaction? Did WWE rig it for O'Neil to win?

Caldwell: I think what happened is the crowd was confused on Young and O'Neil. O'Neil was clearly supposed to win, but I think Maryse screwed up the initial poll since she was standing right next to O'Neil while asking the crowd for their reaction to Young, who was on the floor. So, the crowd thought they were cheering for O'Neil, then became confused when Maryse asked for them to react to O'Neil since they already thought they reacted to O'Neil. Striker then seemed to swoop in and reset the poll to indicate who the fans were supposed to cheer for. The "castmembers" in the crowd simply didn't follow WWE's mindless script. That was my overly-analytical interpretation of a show that doesn't mean anything! Who do you think gets cut next, or is that a crap shoot at this point?

Parks: With Cannon gone, I'd say it's a crapshoot. I don't know what's keeping O'Brian around, so he's still my pick. I wouldn't be surprised if it were Young, though. Clearly, O'Neil is the man to beat.

Caldwell: In actuality, as bad this season has been through 15 weeks, the thought of a Titus vs. Conor finale would actually be appropriate to sum up a waste of time. I agree with you I don't know what's keeping Conor around. Any thoughts on the end of Lucky-Maryse and who Maryse's next lucky man might be?

Parks: It'll be Titus - she wants to align herself with a winner. After all, that's why she wouldn't give Miz the time of day all those years ago.

Caldwell: Good point. Titus, Hornswoggle, and Maryse out on the town - they should film that. It can't be worse than what they're doing on a weekly basis. Greg, let's move on Smackdown. Raw viewers got a little taste of Smackdown events Monday night. What's your take on the rest of the show beyond Christian-Orton?

Parks: I'm intrigued by Cody/Ted - Cara/Bryan. That could make for some fun matches, but there has to be a story there relating to why DiBiase is with Rhodes. I like AJ and Kaitlyn; they're breathing some fresh life into a Divas division on Smackdown that needs it, especially with the losses of McCool and Layla recently (not to mention Kharma not being around and Beth moving to Raw). Wade Barrett's stuff against Zeke Jackson is hopefully coming to an end so he can move onto better things and leave Corre behind. What a bad idea that turned out to be.

Caldwell: Six theme musics couldn't cover for Corre simply being the left-over scraps from Nexus. I agree it's time for Barrett to find something else to do, but I don't know if pairing him up with DiBiase & Rhodes is the way to go. Hopefully that's just a one-week deal. I think Orton-Christian has some more life in it after the PPV, but I'd like to see an Orton-Barrett program sometime this year. I think WWE is gun-shy about investing in DiBiase at this point, especially when they still haven't figured out who he is as a character. That's probably what's holding him back right now. Where do you think Sheamus fits in on Smackdown right now? He's in the title picture, but not really, similar to ol' Henry.

Parks: Yeah, and hopefully unlike ol' Henry, he stays in the title picture. He had a heck of a match against Orton on Smackdown and I think were he's involved in the title picture will shake out a little better after the PPV this Sunday. I wouldn't be surprised to see him (or, unfortunately, Henry) get involved in teh finish of the title match as well.

Caldwell: How would you book Orton-Christian at the PPV? Do you have a run-in from Sheamus or Henry? If a run-in, do you have Christian capture the title or Orton retain?

Parks: I guess it depends on where they want to go after the PPV. If they're keeping Christian in the main events, I don't think you have interference. If you want to move him to Sheamus or Henry, then you could have some kind of interference to segue into that feud. Of course, Sheamus and Henry are heels and so is Christian, so you've got that issue with three heels and only one face in the main events lately on Smackdown.

Caldwell: And no real depth beyond Orton is an issue. Hypothetically, if Orton were removed, who goes in the #1 babyface slot? Is it Sin Cara?

Parks: I can't imagine WWE is ready to push him to the main events. You could always move someone from Raw, but I don't know who that'd be. And with Orton's latest concussion, WWE has to be thinking about what happens if they'd lose him to a more serious injury for any kind of extended time.

Caldwell: Exactly. I don't sense WWE has a contingency plan right now. I think they would be forced to bring over someone from Raw, if only to headline house shows. Greg, any final thoughts on Smackdown or WWE before we wrap up? We'll tackle TNA next week after we get a look at the post-Slammiversary show tonight.

Parks: I think we're all set. Speaking of TNA, the "Gonzo & The Greg" gang will be heading to TNA BaseBrawl on Saturday in Buffalo, and we'll be recording a special audio of "Gonzo and The Greg" Saturday night where we discuss our experience, so make sure to check that out on the VIP page!

Caldwell: Excellent! I'm certainly looking forward to your coverage this weekend. And we'll be talking very soon on the Livecast coming up this afternoon. Thanks as always for the chat, Greg!

Parks: Thanks, James!

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