PWTORCH.COM
VIP SIGN-UP JUMP TO VIP
CONTACT US VISIT MMA TORCH




Select Next Article by Category





TAKE PWTORCH
WITH YOU!

PWTORCH IPHONE APP
Get our iPhone App (FREE!): Click Here
Or enter "PWTorch.com" on your Blackberry or other Smart Phone browser for mobile-version of PWTorch.


CALDWELL'S TAKE
CORNER CUBE FRIDAY 4/4: TNA Impact - Matt Morgan Show ... Why?
Apr 4, 2008 - 2:18:27 PM


By James Caldwell, Torch columnist

Updated daily from the corner cubicle, Torch columnist James Caldwell's weekday blog focuses on hot topic current events and other items of interest from around wrestling.

Updated Friday, April 4, 2008

TNA Impact. A few observations.

- What was with the Team Cage t-shirts? Seriously, now. Was the t-shirt store down the street offering a discount on Print Pressing in bulk? The intent was to show unity between this eclectic mix, but these shirts sent a far worse message than any WWE wrestler sporting the official PPV t-shirt to convey "I'm a jobber". Christian Cage's shirt was far too large for his frame, making him look like a small child. It also appears that TNA bypassed the Photoshop route and settled for the comes-with-Windows-and-you'll-like-it Microsoft Paint.

- Hurry, call your cable operator and order... Sacrifice? Mike Roe and I discussed this one last night in the Gmail chat. (Yes, we do talk out the show prior to recording C&R audio for those of you wondering.) We suddenly would rather see Kurt Angle vs. Scott Steiner in May, and we currently do not care for Angle vs. Joe in nine days. "Take a pay-per-view you're excited for, and make you not want to buy it anymore," Roe said.

Yes, TNA has successfully created excitement for Backlash and not WrestleMania. And what's with Joe training in the loose-fitting t-shirt? What's with all of these men in t-shirts? I guess they must have all other men look fat and out-of-shape so that Matt Morgan can look like a stud via juxtaposition. Yes, buy Lockdown for Morgan in Cut-off Shirt!

- Matt Morgan Show... Why? Matt Morgan is apparently the future of TNA one week after he was in approximately five seconds worth of content on the live show. Things started off rough for the former stutterer, as I have no idea what he said in the opening promo. TNA even tried to doctor the footage with some crafty editing, but that only made it worse. Poor Christian tried his best to save the segment, but there was no saving that mess.

- TNA: Cross the Line. Apparently this means cross the line in good taste. Kurt Angle made a racist joke about Samoa Joe, which generated zero heat because everyone knew it was just a dumbly-written heel line. If you're going to be racist, at least draw heat with it. Otherwise, it's tasteless and bad for business.

And then there's Kip James being scripted to call Bob Armstrong a victim of a "drive-by" at the wrong place, wrong time. I could pull up about ten news stories right now on innocent children who are victims of drive-bys at school or near their homes. That's not the type of analogy you want the TV program to be associated with.

- Knockouts C-level brawl. Kong, ODB, and Gail Kim could not be bothered to participate in the women's brawl because TNA apparently has so many women on their roster that a C-level division has been created. It seems like only yesterday that NWO C-team members Scott Norton and Virgil were taking their lumps in the ring on Monday and Thursday nights. Now, TNA has Crossed The Line with the women's version of faction warfare.

- Val. Hot tub. Ringside. I have come to a conclusion that in an effort for TNA to copy everything from the WCW era, they must now include a pool or inflatable hot tub ringside for So Cal Val to entertain the fans and cheer on the good guys. (Well the wrestlers who seem to be good guys unless they cross that line into kinda-sorta-good guys...until we decide next week whether they have crossed the line.) Back to the hot tub idea. You will of course remember the Spring Break Nitros from Florida where the ring was next to a pool. I am shocked - shocked! - that TNA has not found a way to copy this yet.

- Who's the mystery final Ultimate Xscape participant? Not that it matters who the final participant in the Ultimate Xscape match is, but I have not read spoilers to find out who this final person is. So, I have narrowed down the list of potential candidates. Amazing Red returns from obscurity, D-Ray 3000 returns from deep obscurity, Sonny Siaki returns from relative obscurity, Jerry Lynn returns from wherever he's been, Eric Young finds a way to be in two places at once, or Low-Ki returns and just kicks ass on everyone. I'll take Low-Ki to save us from this mess.

***

Updated Thursday, April 3, 2008

Q: What does The Rock owe to the wrestling business?

A: Absolutely nothing.

One of the hot topic controversies coming out of the Hall of Fame ceremony surrounds Dwayne Johnson and his behavior at the ceremony. He went too long. He talked about himself too much. He roasted too many people. He brushed off some people. He didn't stick around afterward. He didn't talk to people before.

To me, this sounds like the usual case of insecurity and jealousy that permeates the wrestling business when guys are always competing for spots and opportunities. The insecurity is pretty easy to explain.

I'll relate a story my dentist told me about the wedding he recently hosted for one of his daughters. There were about 200 people there, and it was impossible to engage in a full conversation with every person, as there's much more to hosting a wedding than just the first dance. So, he spent the next two weeks trying to be gracious by making calls to apologize because many guests felt slighted by their own perceived lack of attention.

Simply put, there was selfishness at the wedding from guests who felt slighted. By the same token, it's unfair to believe Johnson could meet and greet and listen to me-me-me stories from hundreds of former colleagues when his time was limited. The me-mentality is: "He didn't say hi to me, so he must be too good for us." I wasn't there, but I'll take Jim Ross's word from his blog today that Johnson was not aloof, as some wrestlers and personnel made it out to seem.

The jealousy part plays into why he doesn't owe the wrestling business anything. Johnson has a successful career doing movies, but some folks would apparently rather him suffer in the wrestling business rather than be successful outside of the business.

Every time Johnson is successful, it's a positive for the wrestling business. It shows that the people who are a product of the wrestling business aren't a bunch of smelly, dumb jocks who can barely lace their own boots. Every time Johnson is successful, it enhances the perception of the wrestling business because his name (real and wrestling) will always be linked to the business.

He doesn't owe the wrestling business anything not only because he promote the business every time he has a successful movie, but he also gave his blood, sweat, and entertainment when he was part of the business. Every time fans paid money to see him in the ring or on the mic, he gave them a show.

Johnson provided the entertainment that ultimately propelled his career at the same time. It's called capitalism. He input much and he received much in return. Fans asked for much and Johnson gave them much. Why should he be asked to give in abundance of what he already provided? Fans should appreciate what he already provided when he was an integral part of one of the most successful periods in wrestling history.

The wrestling business has taken so much from many wrestlers. Many of those wrestlers are the ones who are insecure and jealous of Johnson's success. Meanwhile, Johnson figured out how to use the wrestling business to produce a second career where he didn't have to give into the demands of wrestling, but he could save his body and work on his terms. That should be celebrated.

But, instead, those who are consumed by the business would rather build themselves up and hide their insecurities by knocking Johnson, who found a way out and isn't begging on a street corner or doing another reunion show to earn a living post-wrestling.

Johnson doesn't owe the wrestling business anything. The wrestlers inside the business owe him a "thank you" for paving a path of more opportunities. John Cena wouldn't be doing movies if not for Johnson. Cena owes Johnson, not the other way around.

***

Updated Wednesday, April 2, 2008

How do you put into words the television show known as ECW on Sci-Fi? It's just this show that happens for 65 minutes every Tuesday night and then disappears into a tape library immediately upon the conclusion of the show, never to be heard from again.

It exists, and then it ceases to exist. Raw is obviously the flagship show, while Smackdown has a place on the weekend calendar even though nothing ever happens on the show. But, ECW, on the other hand occurs in a vacuum.

ECW is simply a show that gives WWE an extra hour of television each week to mix and match wrestlers in hopes of finding some useful combinations to lead into one match per PPV and one match coming out of each PPV.

Kane is your new ECW champion, but as Mike Roe and I were talking about on the Gmail chat last night, what is Kane? Why does this character exist on the television? We can't figure out his motivations or why fans are supposed to cheer for him.

It's as if Kane has achieved a certain level of veteran status after being part of the Attitude era. He's like a non-jobber version of Val Venis. You just cheer the guy because he's been doing the same gimmick on your TV for ten years and you're familiar with it.

I almost long for the days of Kane's voice being audible to himself and to the millions watching at home. (May 19!) At least then, when Kane and WWE were promoting "See No Evil", we could figure out the character. (May 19!) He was a nutcase. And he was evil. And he did evil stuff. Now, he just does stuff. (May 19!) And the character exists in a vacuum just like this show.

On the other hand, there's the greatest 15-second match of all time between Colin Delaney and Big Show. Colin was ridiculed for buying into Armando's April Fools joke, which made for great TV. All we needed was Tommy Dreamer turning heel by presenting the contract to Colin before ripping it up in Colin's face simultaneous to Armando announcing Colin was the butt of a joke.

Alas, we got Big Show apologetically beating Colin senselessly. No one sells fear and trepidation better than Colin, who tried to sneak around the giant. Show was great playing a sympathetic figure who was simply asked to complete a task, with the shoulder shrug representing his apology for the following beating. It was like Show was teaching his son a lesson, but only after the wife told him to Man Up and inflict punishment.

As for the rest of the show, Shelton Benjamin apparently forgot his lines, but who can blame him? I would try to forget my lines if handed half of the stuff they write for this show. Then, there's Stevie Richards. I don't get it, nor do I worry about it anymore. And last but not least, everyone don't do The Knox. Heaven forbid that twirl Mike Knox does when he comes out on stage catches on. The last thing we need is The Knox to be the next hit dance craze. Next thing you know, Rock 'n Rave will be doing it on Impact to keep TNA relevant.

***

Updated Tuesday, April 1, 2008

The following news item was intercepted by Corner Cube intelligence prior to being published by the AP. Remember, today is April Fool's Day.

Former WrestleMania headliner and current producer of a reality show on a country music channel, Hulk Hogan, was charged with three counts of attempting to steal the show at WrestleMania on Sunday night. Corner Cube news services have confirmed through multiple sources in the Orlando police department that Hogan was released on $100 bail after it was determined Hogan acted alone and was unsuccessful in his plot.

TMZ was on the scene and captured a disgruntled Hogan leaving the police station while covering his face with a copy of the National Enquirer.

"I missed that phone call about the grill! George Foreman should be begging on a street corner not grilling burgers on holidays!" Hogan reportedly shouted at onlookers. "I wasn't about to let Vince get away with running WrestleMania in my backyard and having that no-talent son induct Eddie Graham into the Hall."

Hogan calmed down and told a reporter that he outdrew The Rock, Steve Austin, and Ric Flair combined during his career and couldn't stand to see them at his Hall of Fame.

"How could WWE have a WrestleMania without a marquee match like Hogan versus anything - like a waffle iron?" Hogan asked anyone who was listening. "You got all these guys talking about stealing the show. Flair said he wrestled twice on Sunday. Try babysitting that nut case, Mr. T, at the first WrestleMania and see how you like that. So I took it upon myself to steal the show for all the Hulkamaniacs."

TMZ footage shows Hogan then slipping by reporters and escaping into his awaiting limo where Brooke Hogan's ten closest friends awaited to offer their support.

Orlando police successfully recovered the show after Hogan's attempted theft. Hogan has a history of suspicious activity at WrestleMania. Police records in California indicate Hogan was charged with excessive milking of an audience in a crowded theater at the WrestleMania 21 Hall of Fame in Los Angeles. Hogan denies the accusations.

Calls placed to WWE's public relations department on Monday night to comment on the situation in Orlando were unsuccessful.

The voice mail greeting stated: "We are currently away from the phone watching Ric Flair's farewell ceremony. If you request immediate assistance, please dial the operator or contact Brian Gewirtz, who is pouting in a corner."

***

About half-a-day removed from Raw, the ending of this show still feels surreal. There he was - Ric Flair having a transcendent moment on WWE Television with WWE paying the ultimate respect to the best performer in wrestling history. No run-ins. No heel interruptions. Nothing but class, respect, and honor shown to Ric Flair. You couldn't have written a better ending this chapter in Ric Flair's career.

The end of Raw represented the official end of an era. The last two or three weeks, I've seen it written in several different places that this is the end of an era in the wrestling business. I didn't really buy into it, as it just seemed to make for a good headline or topic. Monday night, though, it struck me like Maria's slap upside Santino's head that we were witnessing the official close of The Era in pro wrestling.

It's funny that Randy Orton referenced the Hulkamania and Attitude eras in the opening segment to proclaim the beginning of his own era. Well, we can know summarize this story about eras by saying the end of the territory era, Hulkamania, and the Attitude/Monday Night Wars were simply part of the timeline that is The Era of Ric Flair.

Where does the wrestling business go from here? Sure, in two weeks, we'll be talking about storylines, Backlash, and good, bad, and ugly TV. But, what can surpass the final 20 minutes of television that concluded this episode of Raw? It was simply an amazing scene that cannot be topped.

If George Clooney is the last movie star, then Ric Flair is the last great pro wrestler. WWE has Cena, Hunter, Michaels, Undertaker, Edge, Big Show, and Orton. But, put all of them together and they still don't match up to what Ric Flair meant to the pro wrestling business over his career and during The Era.

As for the rest of the show, this was easily one of the best post-Mania editions of Raw in some time. Everyone was assuredly sore, tired, and ready to kick their feet up on the sofa after a very long and rewarding weekend in Orlando. But, I haven't seen more energy in the building and effort in the ring on Raw in several months. Everyone wanted to steal the show on Flair's Farewell Night, which made for great TV leading to Flair's final moment.

There's a time and a place to discuss the matches and storylines that came out of this show to keep WWE chugging along into the next era. WWE effectively made that transition without pushing post-Mania developments too hard, while keeping an eye on giving Flair a proper send-off.

At the end of the day, this night belonged to Ric Flair. WWE handled the moment with class, and everyone involved should be proud to be part of one of the most special nights in wrestling history.

Updated Monday, March 31, 2008

Raw is Flair. There was a time when the Raw after WrestleMania was one of the most important shows of the year. It was a chance to re-set everything and introduce new characters to the mix, with WrestleMania serving as the end of one mini-era and the beginning of a new mini-era.

After WrestleMania 14, the Steve Austin era was ushered in, and DX was also reborn with the surprise return of Sean Waltman. After WrestleMania 19, Goldberg debuted in WWE to begin a program against The Rock.

In recent years, the Raw after WrestleMania has been a pretty bad show. Wrestlers, announcers, writers, and management have been hung over - figuratively, and in some cases, literally - from the WrestleMania festivities that everyone goes through the motions trying to get through Monday. Imagine playing the Super Bowl and then starting training camp the very next day.

With Ric Flair losing last night's retirement match against Shawn Michaels, tonight's Raw is the perfect opportunity to have a follow-up show all about Ric Flair. There's no need to immediately start pushing for Backlash, as that can wait until next week when everyone has a week to recover and put quality thought into the next PPV.

WWE can make things simple by making it the Ric Flair show tonight for one final farewell. It certainly appears to be the case for tonight's show, as Jim Ross said in his blog this afternoon that you might want to record this show for a memory that will last a lifetime.

Fireball at the Citrus Bowl. Have you seen the home video of the fireworks explosion in the Citrus Bowl at the end of WrestleMania? It's amazing more people weren't hurt or seriously injured when the pyro took on a life of its own.

WWE's quick apology earlier today was a good call, but there will assuredly be claims filed against the company and other involved parties, especially based on what the injured people were saying about poor response time and lackluster help from stadium and fire personnel.


Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.

For more BREAKING NEWS on WWE, TNA!
VISIT OUR AFFILIATE - PROWRESTLING.NET


For UFC & MMA NEWS & BLOGS:
VISIT OUR SISTER SITE - MMATORCH.COM

Upgrade to PWTORCH VIP: DETAILS & SIGN-UP INFO


MORE "CALDWELL'S TAKE" ARTICLES
CALDWELL'S PPV/DVD REVIEW: Dragon Gate USA's "Open the Historic Gate" debut event - Review of whether following DGUSA is worth your time and money
CALDWELL'S TUESDAY CHAT w/GREG PARKS: Raw, Smackdown, TNA PPV discussion - MSG crowd, Survivor Series hype, Kofi breaks out, CSI:Miami vs. 30 Rock
CALDWELL'S BLOG: Hitting the hot topics - Raw tonight, Turning Point vs. Survivor Series, Jesse Ventura, Brock Lesnar, Shane McMahon
CALDWELL'S BLOG: Sobering fact on WWE's list of Best/Worst Survivor Series teams - nearly every team with a deceased wrestler
CALDWELL'S TUESDAY CHAT w/GREG PARKS: Raw & Smackdown discussion - WWE Title match build-up, Batista-Hardy slugfest, Taker-Jericho on free TV?
CALDWELL'S BLOG: Vince McMahon is officially delusional, plus Vince's hidden message to Stephanie McMahon
CALDWELL'S TUESDAY CHAT w/GREG PARKS: Raw & Smackdown discussion - Orton-Kofi build-up compared to Rey-Batista, DX dissension, Sheamus stands out
CALDWELL FLASHBACK: TNA Year-End Review 2005 - Must-read flashback to when TNA became a choice for wrestlers in an era very, very similar to 2009
CALDWELL'S BLOG: Warning sign? Hulk Hogan talks everything but TNA on Larry King tonight
CALDWELL: Is Hulk Hogan the piece of the puzzle TNA needs to improve the company's visibility?
CALDWELL'S BLOG: Analyzing Jim Ross's review of the Bragging Rights PPV - younger stars that benefited, Seven-on-Seven analysis
CALDWELL: What a fine mess we have here - it's time to bring back Jeff Jarrett to TNA management
CALDWELL'S TUESDAY CHAT w/GREG PARKS: Analysis of last night's Raw, Team Smackdown break down, Marine II helping Marine I, Nigel signing with TNA, One Bold Prediction
CALDWELL'S BLOG: Day-after Bound for Glory review - Torch readers pick best match, Foley-Abyss clustermess, Where does Matt Morgan stand?
CALDWELL'S BLOG: A.J. Styles vs. Sting captured TNA's growing pains in one match
CALDWELL'S BLOG: Texas vs. Oklahoma turns into Batista vs. Big Show; Content coming up tonight
CALDWELL: Why would Shane McMahon leave WWE?
NEWS BITS BLOG: Jim Ross reviews Raw, Book a match for the Hulkamania Tour, Sting talks BFG PPV and TNA = WCW
CALDWELL'S TUESDAY CHAT w/GREG PARKS: Discussion of Raw's illogical offering last night, Smackdown's top storylines
CALDWELL'S BLOG: If you believe TNA is heading in the right direction creatively, then don't read this blog

(c) 1999-2009 TDH Communications Inc. - All rights reserved.

Current Top Ten Staff Picks
Staff Picks
TORCH TALK DAILY with Eric Bischoff: In-depth look at why Vince McMahon is marketing the WWE product as PG family-friendly
WWE News: TOP STORY - "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson working with WWE on a TV project beyond guest-hosting Raw
WWE News: Linda McMahon reveals the McMahon Family's vast wealth in Senate campaign filing
WWE News: Raw TV ratings are in - Did Raw rebound from the 2009 year-low?
WWE News: WWE announces guest hosts for the next four weeks of Raw, including two new names
Hogan News: Watch VIDEO of the Hulkamania Press Conference breaking down into a staged fight (w/VIDEO)
TNA News: SPOILERS - first two matches announced for TNA's December PPV
MOJO MITCHELL'S WWE RAW 11/16: Stream of Piper In The Back, Hornswoggle Stabbed in the Back, An MSG Look Back, Mr. McMahon Backs Out, Kofi Kingston Backs Randy Orton Up
CALDWELL'S WWE RAW REPORT 11/16: Complete coverage of Roddy Piper hosting, DX vs. Cena & Taker vs. Jericho & Show
TNA News: Kurt Angle suffers back injury at Sunday's Turning Point PPV


TORCH QUICK-CLICK REFERENCE LIST
-CLICK TO FOLLOW PWTORCH ON TWITTER!
-CLICK FOR OUR FREE PWTORCH IPHONE APP

-CLICK FOR OUR FREE PODCAST (#1 in iTunes!)
-CLICK TO GET INFO ON BECOMING A VIP MEMBER
-CLICK TO VISIT MMATORCH.COM
-CLICK TO VISIT PROWRESTLING.NET

-CLICK TO EMAIL PWTORCH EDITORS




PWTORCH READER POLL

SMACKDOWN POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/20 Smackdown if you saw the show?
The Undertaker
Kane
Chris Jericho
Big Show
Batista
Rey Mysterio
Matt Hardy
Tyson Kidd
John Morrison
Dolph Ziggler
C.M. Punk
R-Truth
Drew McIntyre
Finlay
Mickie James
Layla
Eric Escobar
Vince McMahon
Teddy Long
Vickie Guerrero
  

VOTE IN OR SEE RESULTS OF PREVIOUS POLLS

ARE YOU VIP? SIGN UP NOW FOR $7.50 A MONTH FOR INSTANT ACCESS TO AD-FREE, BENEFIT-PACKED VIP VERSION OF PWTORCH.COM (see screen capture)
PWTORCH VIP HOME PAGE

INFO ON SUBSCRIPTION TO AD-FREE VIP SITE

INCREDIBLE BENEFITS!
Over 50 full-length audio updates per month (iPod compatible)... New weekly award-winning Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter (text and printable pdf versions) with latest exclusive insider news, new Torch Talks, great columns, Keller's cover story, much more... Hundreds of full-length back issues of PWTorch Newsletter from late-'80s to today... Ad-free access to PWTorch.com's Main Listing... VIP Forum with interaction with other subscribers and Torch staff... Torch Talk Library with text and audio of hundreds of interview installments from last 20 years... Great layout... Deepest archives on pro wrestling history anywhere... Keller's PWTorch Today PDF Bulletins with email alerts... VIP Email reports on major PPVs and TV shows... Staff Roundtable Reviews (text and audio) followiing major events... The best staff of writers and world class reporting since 1987... We'd love for you to join us and experience the most entertaining, authoritative, experienced staff of professional reporters and commentators in the business...

SIGN ME UP NOW!

Compare the value of four or five months of PWTorch VIP content to the price of just one PPV. Can you cut 25 cents a day from your budget to make room for PWTorch VIP?

AND NEW FOR 2009!
Monthly "Vintage Audio Torch Talks." We are releasing for the first time ever audio versions of our text Torch Talk updates, the historical first series of insider interviews ever. Wade Keller's newsmaking in-depth interviews with wrestling's biggest names are now being made available exclusively to VIP members. But you must be a member each month, as these are not archived, so they are replaced with a new one each month! This debuted in January 2009 with a 68 minute interview with the late "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. Who's next? Hulk Hogan? Eric Bischoff? The Rock? Goldberg? Jeff Hardy?

SIGN ME UP NOW!


UPCOMING EVENTS LISTING

Articles Grouped by Category
Torch Today
WWE RAW 11/16: Place Your Bets on tonight's Raw - Week 12 featuring Roddy Piper
WWE RAW 11/2: "Place your Bets" Scoreboard after Week 11 - Review the previous scores before tonight's Raw PYB contest
TORCH MONTHLY AWARDS: List of the 2009 Torch Monthly Award winners through October
WWE News
WWE News: What's on Smackdown tonight - Taker & Kane vs. Big Show & Jericho
WWE News: Jim Ross comments on possible WrestleMania 26 return, current WWE contract status
TORCH TALK DAILY with Eric Bischoff: In-depth look at why Vince McMahon is marketing the WWE product as PG family-friendly
TNA News
TNA News: TNA Impact ratings break down - Inside the numbers on TNA's recent ratings trends
TNA News: Impact rating is in - how did post Turning Point episode fare?
TNA News: Details on Chris Sabin re-injuring his neck at this week's Impact tapings
ROH News
ROH News: ROH Title match signed for Final Battle; Air dates for McGuinness and Danielson's Farewell speeches
ROH News: Ring of Honor announces details on Austin Aries's next ROH Title defense
ROH News: Tonight is Bryan Danielson's final ROH match - details on tonight's special ROH TV episode (w/VIDEO)
Other News
PWG News: First round matches for tonight's Battle of Los Angeles tournament - Aries vs. Kendrick; Cabana, Shelley, Strong in action
Hogan News: Hulkamania Tour secures TV deal in Australia, Notes on Hogan & Flair arriving at the airport to begin the tour
Austin News: Steve Austin to appear in new season of NBC's "Chuck" show
PPV Reports
CALDWELL'S TNA TURNING POINT PPV REPORT 11/15: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Daniels
RADICAN'S DGUSA "Untouchable" PPV review - Doi vs. Danielson, Shingo vs. Richards
10/25 WWE Bragging Rights Results: KELLER'S detailed match-by-match PPV report - Cena vs. Orton Iron Man match
TV Reports
PARKS' WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 11/20: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the show, including Jericho & Show vs. Undertaker & Kane
CALDWELL'S WWE SUPERSTARS TV REPORT 11/19: Complete coverage of Henry vs. Rhodes on WGN
PARKS' TNA IMPACT REPORT 11/19: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the post-Turning Point show
Arena Reports
11/14 TNA in Scranton, Pa.: Second Report - Styles vs. Joe vs. Daniels, Chris Sabin vs. Suicide, Amazing Red vs. Homicide
11/14 WWE in Dublin: The Undertaker very limited in the ring vs. C.M. Punk, Rey vs. Dolph, Very interesting John Morrison vs. Matt Hardy match, No Jericho
11/14 TNA in Scranton, Pa.: Home of "The Office" delivers Styles vs. Joe vs. Daniels and Amazing Red vs. Homicide PPV warm-up matches
MMA / UFC Coverage
MMA News: Update on Brock Lesnar's health - how long Lesnar had been dealing with health problems, expected return to UFC
MMA News: Brock Lesnar health update - UFC president much more optimistic than this weekend
MMA News: Brock Lesnar released from the hospital tonight; Lesnar's UFC future in doubt
KELLER'S TAKE
KELLER BLOG: WrestleMania goes up to $55, all other PPVs $45 - let the pirate feed frenzy begin
KELLER BLOG: Dixie Carter asks wrestlers to step it up, but what does that mean? Shouldn't their goal to be winning matches and nothing else?
KELLER FLASHBACK: Review of Hulk Hogan's first autobiography - Hogan's political maneuvers evident in who he protects and buries
MITCHELL'S TAKE
MITCHELL FLASHBACK (Dec. 1994): C.M. Punk's character is the latest Vince McMahon creation responding to criticism of his WWE product
MOJO MITCHELL'S WWE RAW 11/16: Stream of Piper In The Back, Hornswoggle Stabbed in the Back, An MSG Look Back, Mr. McMahon Backs Out, Kofi Kingston Backs Randy Orton Up
MOJO MITCHELL'S RAW 11/2: Stream of My Fourth Grade Hero and The Mid-Card Kicks Main Event Ass
MCNEILL'S TAKE
The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down: McNEILL previews TNA Turning Point 2009!
McNEILL BLOG: The Big Questions About Hulk Hogan in TNA
Fight For Your Right to Bragging: McNEILL Previews WWE Bragging Rights!
CALDWELL'S TAKE
CALDWELL'S PPV/DVD REVIEW: Dragon Gate USA's "Open the Historic Gate" debut event - Review of whether following DGUSA is worth your time and money
CALDWELL'S TUESDAY CHAT w/GREG PARKS: Raw, Smackdown, TNA PPV discussion - MSG crowd, Survivor Series hype, Kofi breaks out, CSI:Miami vs. 30 Rock
CALDWELL'S BLOG: Hitting the hot topics - Raw tonight, Turning Point vs. Survivor Series, Jesse Ventura, Brock Lesnar, Shane McMahon
RADICAN'S TAKE
RADICAN: A list of things wresters and TNA fans can support for Dixie Carter
RADICAN'S SHIMMER Vol. 23 Review - Busic-Melissa, Kong-Martinez, MsChif-Deeb
RADICAN: Daddy's little girl V 2.0 debuts on Impact
The Specialists
11/19 WWE Superstars Hits & Misses: Rosa Mendes, Eric Escobar, Lackluster Show
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - TNA Impact 11/19: Forgotten history between A.J. and Angle, TNA's new cameras, Pope gets referee assist, Numbers - The Rock a horrible tag champ
HITS & MISSES - TNA IMPACT 11/12: Review of last week's show before tonight's Impact - Wolfe-Angle build-up, Lethal loses to Niedhart
Guest Editorials
GUEST EDITORIAL: Disgruntled TNA fan says he's done with the promotion after today's Impact taping (Contains SPOILERS)
GUEST EDITORIAL: The ultimate irony - Hulk Hogan appears on TNA Impact and pre-taped TV sitcom promoting WWE on the same night
GUEST BOOK REVIEW: Hulk Hogan provides strong defense of his public image in new autobiography
Torch Feedback
ECW TV Reax #1: "C.M. Punk scoring the pin in the main event made Smackdown seem more important than ECW"
WWE Raw Reax #3: "While WWE delivered an above-quality show, they still haven't given viewers a reason to order Survivor Series"
WWE Raw Reax #2: "This was NOT one of the best Raws of 2009, but one of the worst..."
Ask the Editor
Ask the Editor: Wouldn't incorporating MMA-style holds into pro wrestling matches just be trying to be something it's not?
ASK THE EDITOR: Have the Michaels-Batista promos crossed a line with use of insider terms, references to "jobs"?
ASK THE EDITOR: Why do wrestlers in WWE refer to wrestling as "the business" and not "the sport"?
DVDs - VGames - Books
CALDWELL'S PPV/DVD REVIEW: Dragon Gate USA's "Open the Historic Gate" debut event - Review of whether following DGUSA is worth your time and money
RADICAN'S ROH DVD REVIEW SERIES: Death Before Dishonor VII: N2 - Storm-Hero, Ryan-Cabana
RADICAN'S SHIMMER Vol. 23 Review - Busic-Melissa, Kong-Martinez, MsChif-Deeb
Torch Flashbacks
PARKS'S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 1 YR. AGO (11-21-08): Final Survivor Series build-up to Undertaker vs. Big Show casket match, Jeff Hardy vs. Triple H, Morrison & Miz
KELLER'S WWE SURVIVOR SERIES PPV REPORT 10 YRS. AGO (11-14-99): Big Show vs. Triple H vs. The Rock, Edge & Christian & Hardys team, Chris Jericho vs. Chyna
KELLER'S WWF SURVIVOR SERIES PPV REPORT 15 YRS. AGO (11-23-94): Bret Hart vs. Bob Backlund, Undertaker vs. Yokozuna, Team Hall & Waltman vs. Team Michaels & Nash
VIP Exclusive Features
11/20 Wade Keller Hotline - Guest Bruce Mitchell: Survivor Series Match by Match Preview & Predictions (20 min.)
11/20 Bruce Mitchell Audio Show: Listener Questions - How Vince McMahon was perceived before he took over, Outlaw Promotions stories, Sting Flips off Bruce, Albano Craziness (45 min.)
PWTorch Newsletter #1117/1118 (31 pages!): Raw at MSG, TNA Victory Road PPV Roundtable, Mitchell on Russo-Hogan, Keller on Dixie Speech, more
Torch Trivia
TORCH TRIVIA 2/28: Which wrestler backed out of a WWA PPV in February 2002?
TORCH TRIVIA 2/27: Who said this quote about Hulk Hogan's athleticism 11 years ago?
TORCH TRIVIA 2/25: What said this quote about WWE's mid-1990s drug testing policy?
Torch Instant Polls
SMACKDOWN POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/20 Smackdown if you saw the show?
TNA IMPACT POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/19 Impact if you saw the show?
ECW MVP POLL: Who was the MVP of the 11/17 ECW TV if you saw the show?
PWTorch Free Podcast
11/4 Nostalgia Audio with Brian Hoops: Format change to the show, new guest host, upcoming shows
FREE FOR ALL: 10/27 Bruce Mitchell Audio Special: Hogan-Bischoff-TNA story from all angles including Monday Night War II possibilities (32 min.)
6/23 Nostalgia Audio with Brian Hoops: Former WCW rapmaster PN News joins Brian Hoops to preview upcoming Midwest shows (10 min.)
Annual Obituaries
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 1999 - Muchnick, Rick Rude, Owen Hart, Renegade...
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2000 - Solie, Albright, Duncum, Tsuruta, Blue Demon, Al Costello
SPECIALIST: List of Deceased Wrestlers for 2001: Johnny Valentine, Terry Gordy, Chris Adams, Bertha Faye, Helen Hart