By Bruce Mitchell, PWTorch senior columnist

Week after week, month after month, one thing in this business has been clear. Whatever you call them (Creative, producers, bookers, writers), whoever they are (the most experienced powerful man in the business, some filthy rich guy's daughter, a long-time yes man, mid-level television executives, some filthy rich guy's son, an illiterate on permanent wrestling welfare, some half-talented if-they-were-any good-they-wouldn't-be-here writers, Hulk Hogan), the people deciding what the wrestlers do don't know that they're doing.

And it's not even close.

A company goes to the hottest market they've ever been in and tapes TV in front of the best crowd they've ever had. The first thing they do is make sure that everyone in attendance knows their most popular star isn't there. Then their new big star is forced to wrestle not once but twice in his quest for their coveted world title, even though the place is run by a babyface General Manager. Who does he have to wrestle?

Why, their new hero has to wrestle the world champion who betrayed him and his bodyguard. That makes sense, sort of. He has to go through the bodyguard, who is the champion's policeman, first to get his hands on the champion, right?

Wrong.

He has to go through the world champion to get to the bodyguard, except he doesn't even get through the world champion. The champ beats him, right there in front of that hot crowd. What does their new hero get for losing to the world champ, beside the afore-mentioned match with bodyguard?

Why, he gets a title shot with the world champion.

For losing.

Although, to be fair, the Movie Star seemed to like it. We'll get to him in a minute.

And if you think the other guys were any better, well, I refer you to the Losers piece I wrote a couple of weeks ago in this very space.

But then a week ago something happened, something that helped me regain a measure of hope that this sport could still build dramatic, emotional matches of import between real stars who acted as if nothing was more important than the fight they just had and the even bigger fight to come.

A gong sounded.

And Triple H, who had previously been going through the motions of his tired half-assed bully comedy act, returned to stardom. He let you know, without saying a word, that was about to happen was the most important thing he's ever been a part of.

What happened?

The Undertaker walked down to the ring.

The Undertaker, who channels more of his icon Clint Eastwood with every appearance in his patience and economy of motion, looked at The Game. The Game looked at him.

The Undertaker ran his thumb slowly across his throat. The Game glared.

They both looked at a banner hanging in the rafters. The Game put his hand on the Undertaker's shoulder. The Game left.

And with that, simply and directly two real stars had laid the foundation for a true main event on their biggest show of the year, a foundation that Triple H stood on Monday night to clearly tell the compelling reason why he would not wrestle The Undertaker – this time the stakes were too high.

The Undertaker, on video (and hell, it's TV, it's all video), told why he can't let it go, pulling off the neat trick of making last year's winner the loser in a way that simply made sense. Undertaker, for all his ring presence and accomplishment and legend, for his one true pro wrestling record, can't let the last image everyone sees of him be that of him being carted feet first off The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Two wrestlers, two veterans, two students of the game, using the incoherent crap around them to make themselves look that much better by contrast. Two wrestlers building up their own not-insubstantial stardom to make a main event.

Sure they have, however they've done it, taken the political clout to get things done their way without interference from, well, see the first couple of paragraphs. It's not like Daniel Bryan would be booking himself like he's booked, either.

That's not all of it, though. The Rock and John Cena have that same pull, that same freedom, and all they've come up with is........

===

That concludes the free preview of this VIP-exclusive article, which is part of this week's PWTorch Newsletter #1240. To read the rest of this article and all of Bruce Mitchell's VIP content, become a PWTorch VIP member. For full details on our current special offer to become a member for just 10 cents for a full month, click here: http://www.pwtorch.com/2012special

We suggest these recent related articles...

25 YEARS OF BRUCE MITCHELL - DAY 10 (2000): Titled “Death of Hardcore” as Bruce discusses the apparent end of the Hardcore Wrestling era and also suggests what ECW must do to regain relevance

25 YEARS OF BRUCE MITCHELL - DAY 9 (1999): Titled “Children” as Bruce discusses Vince McMahon's marketing approach toward children and how he deals with controversy like a child would (with a great opening line)

25 YEARS OF BRUCE MITCHELL - DAY 8 (1998): “Stolen Moments” - Bruce lays out case for Flair as Greatest of All-Time as he dealt with locker room politics in WCW Nitro era