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-- If you haven't already checked out the May Month-End Awards Voting, be sure to cast your vote in the ten categories we run each month. I'm looking forward to seeing how Torch readers vote in the MVP category.

My guess is it will come down to Edge or Chris Jericho as WWE's most valuable performer during the month, but The Miz will certainly take some votes based on his strong performances on Raw during May.

Sure bets: I'm expecting Mr. Kennedy will take the "Crashing Star" award, but don't let me influence your vote. ... Beer Money will take the Best Tag Team after their strong May running through the Team 3D Giant Check Invitational, but the American Wolves put together a nice month on ROH TV, culminating with the airing of their tag title victory on the May 30 episode on HDNet.

Links: PART 1 - MVP, BEST WRESTLER and PART 2 - CRASHING/RISING STARS

-- WWE champion Randy Orton was the subject of today's hot story on the Internet after video surfaced of him snapping on a TV reporter in Mexico last week. According to a WWE spokesman who spoke to the U.K. Sun, Orton's "promo" was staged to enhance his character. It was quite obvious to the naked eye before the confirmation, but pretty funny nevertheless.

If you haven't seen the video of Orton snapping on the reporter for basically equating him to Mr. Kennedy as injury-prone and fragile, check out the VIDEO on the Torch main listing.

-- Yesterday, I wrote about a lack of "buzz" or "feeling of excitement" for the Extreme Rules PPV coming up on Sunday. Torch readers aren't too excited either. I checked the results of the latest poll asking Torch readers to rate WWE's effectiveness in building up the PPV, and Torch readers confirmed my pulse-reading that it's "just there."

We asked Torch readers to rate from 1-5 (with one being terrible and five being excellent) WWE's build-up. Casting aside Super-Excellent Five, which only received 7 percent of the vote, the overall voting was fairly even.

Effectiveness option #3 - "PPV is "just there" ... another day on the WWE schedule" - took the most votes, though, with 28 percent. Moving one spot to the left and right, options #2 and #4 were dead even with 20 percent.

Meanwhile, 24 percent of Torch readers who voted in the poll said the build-up has been terrible and there's no way they would consider ordering the PPV.

The middle ground was very balanced, indicating a "just there" feeling to the PPV. The concern for WWE is options #4 and #5. Only 27 percent of Torch readers who voted in the poll said they are considering (definitely or probably) ordering the PPV on Sunday. On the other hand, 44 percent basically said they have no plans to spend $40 on Sunday.

One of the problems is the match line-up. Absurdity Torch specialist Shane McKinley calls it "Judgment Day + Weapons." Nearly every match is a re-match from last month's "off-brand" PPV, including the Big Show vs. John Cena submissions match that folks aren't exactly lining up to watch.

Way back on May 18, we ran a poll asking Torch readers whether they would spend money to watch Cena vs. Show, Cena vs. The Miz, or Show & Miz vs. Cena & any ol' tag partner at the Extreme Rules PPV.

Torch readers were very clear in what they would hypothetically spend money to see: Cena vs. Miz. The voting went 71 percent in favor of the Cena-Miz match-up. That was followed by 20 percent of participating Torch readers saying they would even pay money to see a tag match. WWE turned around and gave that away on free TV this week with Chavo Guerrero in the "any ol' tag partner" role.

Lastly, only 9 percent of Torch readers who voted said they would pay money to see Cena vs. Show in the Submissions match on Sunday. Those 16 readers will get their wish on Sunday, but the other 91 percent of voters are not happy with the Cena-Show repeat on the PPV card.

Check out the poll result charts below for the lack of love for the Extreme Rules PPV and Show-Cena.







-- Hulk Hogan Marketing Day Four: Sometimes, the key to marketing is laying low and letting the information already out in the marketplace do its thing without further attention. Hulk and Brooke Hogan have taken a day off from drawing attention in the media today. (Of course, there's still seven hours left.) But, follow the Hogan Family marketing plan this week...

Monday (Day One): Press Release for Brooke's VH-1 reality show debuting this weekend. Focus on Brooke maturing, Hulk in the middle of her issues, and Linda continuing to ruin her daughter's life.

Tuesday (Day Two): Issue quotes to female-demo magazine presenting Brooke in a positive light. Make sure Hulk looks good defending her daughter and continuing to present that evil ex-wife, Linda, as a scorned mom trying to ruin her daughter's career. Tune into "Brooke Knows Best" and don't let Linda win!

Wednesday (Day Three): Book Brooke on Howard Stern. Entice male viewers to watch "Brooke Knows Best" after Brooke talks about deep, personal, private issues usually reserved for action on a PPV channel.

Thursday (Day Four): Rest. Let Linda Hogan get her name in the news demanding an apology from Hulk and Brooke for calling her a drug addict. Make sure Linda makes it clear Brooke never did drugs either. Linda quotes to US Weekly.

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.

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