By James Caldwell, PWTorch assistant editor

Haven't written a Torch Today in several weeks. Been more sitting back, watching, evaluating the shifting landscape of pro wrestling. Let's dive in...

- A new con is upon WWE's audience. Heels tell the truth and WWE is now using "hi-jacking" for their gain. Paul Heyman - the biggest lying TV heel character in WWE in years - told the truth that C.M. Punk would not appear on Raw in Chicago. But, because he's Paul Heyman, the audience did not believe him and continued to chant for Punk. Match after match. And, because WWE "owned the Punk story" in Segment 1 by setting up a story where Punk would return to stick it to heel Heyman, it looked like the audience was playing along with WWE for three hours.

So, WWE took advantage of a rabid, hot, ready-to-explode Chicago crowd and breathed life into a stale, ill-timed WrestleMania 30 line-up. Removing all of the verbiage and drawn-out promos last night, if you just listened to the crowd, you would think WWE is red-hot right now. Nevermind Batista bombed as new #1 babyface. Nevermind that Taker vs. Lesnar is 2-4 years too late. Nevermind that fans would rather see Daniel Bryan in the WWE Title match (or, now, Bryan vs. Stephanie McMahon) over Bryan vs. Hunter. Nevermind that the Batista vs. Randy Orton title feud is zero right now.

Before Raw, former announcer Jim Ross wrote that WWE should "embrace the crowd," rather than bury their heads in the sand and pretend like Chicago was not chanting for Punk. So, WWE did. The Usos won the Tag Titles. Ziggler won a match. Bryan stuck it to The Authority, then kicked Batista over and over. And now WrestleMania has momentum. Thanks to an audience wanting to be part of the show.

The Washington Post curiously covered Raw, taking the bait on the con. The audience has surely made their voices known and the McMahons have surely heard their voices. But, in McMahon business fashion, WWE has used it to their advantage, not "relented" and suddenly decided to put Daniel Bryan in the WrestleMania WWE Title match.

- How will WWE PPVs now available for $9.99/month on the Network affect TNA PPVs? PWTorch reader Keith Sterling took the view that perhaps it helps TNA because wrestling fans will have more disposable income to spend on TNA.

I'm of the opposite view that WWE is pricing down the value of PPVs to where a wrestling fan won't be willing to spend $35 on a TNA PPV. "Hey, wait, I'm only spending $9.99 to watch WrestleMania; why would I spend $25 more on the #2 promotion?" I believe wrestling fans will use the money they're not spending on the $55-60 WWE PPVs somewhere else, rather than earmarking it for TNA.

- How will WWE making "top-flight independent wrestling," NXT, accessible on a weekly basis affect independent promotions? Last Thursday's "NXT Arrival" show was essentially WWE showing that they believe they can do independent wrestling better than any independent promotion.

Similar to directly or indirectly pricing TNA out of the PPV market, WWE is trying to create the ultimate independent promotion by bringing a shrinking pool of top independent stars down to the Performance Center to go along with the more ideal future wrestlers WWE is recruiting from the sports world.

Bruce Mitchell writes in-depth about this in this week's Torch Newsletter, asking the question for independent wrestlers: "Where would you rather ply your trade, the armory or Full Sail University?"

So, how do actual independent promotions remain relevant and reach an audience? First, promotions needs to find, develop, and feature stars. Stars. Stars. Stars. Not styles. Not gimmick matches. Stars. Find them. Make them. Build around them. I also back PWTorch columnist Sean Radican's recent Newsletter column that promoters must - must - get their product side-by-side with the Network via an App, on Roku channels, on Apple TV, etc. If promotions offer iPPVs, an App needs to be be side-by-side with the Network to present easy access to an alternative product.

With the Network, WWE is attempting to shift consumers's expectations for (a) pricing, (b) accessibility, and (c) method of delivery. TNA is being priced out of the PPV market, independent promotions only offering DVDs are being squeezed out unless they've built a cult following like PWG, and the lack of an App/Channel means the inability to reach paying customers.

- The landscape of pro wrestling is shifting. WWE wants all of the marketplace from top to bottom. That means fewer choices for wrestling fans. It also means WWE will find more ways to use the vocal, hi-jacking fans who want change to their advantage. The big test comes WrestleMania 30 when Batista and Randy Orton stare opposite each other in the WWE Title match. What happens then?

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