By Jon Cudo, PWTorch Specialist

TRUE - YOU SHOULD NOT WATCH SHOWS THAT INCLUDE CHAIRSHOTS TO THE HEAD

The recent Internet PPV from Ring of Honor included stiff chairshots to the head. These shots are indefensible and have no part of a wrestling product in the year 2011.

In light of all of the new information research has shown, all the untimely deaths of wrestlers, hockey players, and football players, and since these violent shots add nothing that can't be done in other ways they should be totally banned. Their use signals a promotion's disrespect to fans, who need to turn our back on promotions who allow and broadcast these acts.

FALSE - DANIEL BRYAN HAD NO BUILD UP

In Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter #1234, Torch Senior Columnist Bruce Mitchell made his case that "Daniel Bryan has had the least build-up of any world champion since the loveable loser Mickey Whipwreck scared himself near to death by backing into the ECW Championship." I believe this is false.

Daniel Bryan didn't have the perfect build-up, nor did he have a Goldberg-like run on his way to the title, but his push was steady, slow, fit his character, and included the holy grail of WWE elevation, Money in the Bank.

Daniel Bryan had a classic underdog progression. He was the unlikely winner of Money in the Bank in July and then he was in the title mix with title shots on television and number one contender matches in recent months. They mixed in his evolving position of whether or not to use the briefcase before WrestleMania. His push included consistent discussion by lead announcer Michael Cole. It can be argued this counterproductive or ineffective, but in current day WWE storytelling it is part of a main event storyline push.

By simply winning Money in the Bank, Bryan was elevated to the very top of the card, because the WWE has effectively and consistently built the concept that the grueling Money in the Bank is the best most effective way to get to the top. Winning Money in the Bank is part of a significant and prolonged push in WWE, that is incontrovertible. It is unusual for a babyface to win, but not unreasonable or counterproductive especially in the case of the scrappy underdog, which is Bryan's defined WWE character.

Bryan has been defined as an oddity by WWE - an independent wrestler, vegan, undersized scrappy underdog. Viewed in that lens, his rise to the top via the briefcase seems fitting. As champion, he will always seem vulnerable, which can make his run seem unlikely and perpetually at
risk (also known as "interesting"). Mitchell also points to losses prior to Bryan cashing in as a sign of disrespect. However, losing matches right before winning the title is one of the oldest patterns in wrestling booking...not some new slight to Daniel Bryan.

The push might not have been perfect, but it fit Bryan's character, was told in concert with the incredibly effective monster heel push of Mark Henry, and sets up several interesting twists and turns leading in to WrestleMania. Bryan may lose the belt before WM28, but it doesn't mean that he received no push leading up to his title win this month.

For that matter, Daniel Bryan didn't even have the least build up of any World champion in the last 90 days. That honor belongs to TNA's James Storm.

TBD - MASTER STORYTELLER VINCE McMAHON IS BACK

Right around this time each year, the creative juices start to flow for Vince McMahon and the four-month storyline arcs between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania are often the most interesting of the year. Rumblings that Vince has been losing his touch may be off-base in the 20/20 hindsight view of history if the John Cena storyline continues to flow together as it has in recent weeks.

As recently as eight weeks ago, the dynamic between The Rock and John Cena seemed lackluster and confused. Cena's character seemed directionless, thin, and tired.

Then, Roddy Piper stirred the pot with his Piper's Pit and introduced a new chapter in the John Cena story. He asked Cena if the boos were getting to him and told him he'd have to react to them or the boos would diminish him.

Now, Kane re-emerges with a fresh look and a new challenge for Cena in the ring and for his character. Should he rise above Hate? As Wade Keller accurately noted on the PWTorch Livecast this week, it seems unlikely that this natural evolution and questioning of Cena's own slogan points to a much longer, more thought-out story.

The timing of Kane's time off, his new character, Cena's new shirt and slogan, and even Cena missing a PPV and tweets of personal issues now all seem to tie together in a way that reflects either a long-term plan or a miracle confluence of storyline points.

I see the fingerprints of the Vince McMahon, who knows how to tell a long-term story over 6-8 months, which could point to a really interesting first four months of 2012. However, the oft-reported erratic Vince of recent months, along with disappearing stories like the Raw GM are too recent to dismiss. Whether the master storyteller is back with another WrestleMania gem remains to be determined.

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Jon Cudo is the newest PWTorch Specialist, presenting the "True-False-TBD" format. Jon has worked in the sports entertainment industry for over 20 years, including major league sports teams and Nike. He has been a life-long pro wrestling fan and has attended WWE, WCW, and ROH events in person, including backstage access at multiple events. He grew up in Minnesota and now lives in Cleveland. He runs his own business, www.GameOps.com, a web site designed to connect sports teams and event producers with ideas and tools that will enhance the entertainment value for fans attending their events.

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