The PWTorch All-Star Panel features an array of contributors answering your questions who have worked in various facets of the pro wrestling industry, plus PWTorch contributors join in. You get an unmatched mix of perspectives including first-hand insights from people who have worked in the ring and behind the curtain.

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PWTorch reader Blaine S. asks: If ECW didn't exist, would the Monday Night War have ended the same way it did?

EX-ECW CHAMPION AND LONGTIME WWE WRESTLER Justin Credible (also current IWE Champion, visit www.TheJustinCredible.com and on YouTube here including his ongoing Wrestling 101 Series) answers: No it wouldn't. The winner may have been the same, but the state of the industry would have been way different. The biz would be better.

PWTorch reader Will S. asks: With how brilliant NXT is and how dreadful WWE Raw and Smackdown are, besides finances, is it still every NXT wrestler's ambition to be on the main roster or is being top of NXT as much of a success or target for these up and coming wrestlers?

REALITY TV STAR & EX-TNA MANAGER Jonny Fairplay (@jonnyfairplay was also former personal assistant to Roddy Piper and cohost with Sean Waltman of weekly podcast at www.ProWrestling.net) answers: I love the NXT product, but the end goal is the money that comes with the main event on the WWE roster.

EX-ECW CHAMPION AND LONGTIME WWE WRESTLER Justin Credible (also current IWE Champion, visit www.TheJustinCredible.com and on YouTube here including his ongoing Wrestling 101 Series) answers: I think it's a little bit of both. NXT is a great platform to create the stars of tomorrow. I believe there is too much TV within the week. If Raw just went back to two hours on Monday and possibly eliminate Smackdown altogether, the WWE would be back to where they were in the past. They are stretching the exposure of their wrestlers with this much television. I understand they need content and the money they get from Smackdown in the extra hour of Raw is huge. All of that said, they are sacrificing their product which is why NXT is so much better.

PROFESSIONAL BROADCASTER Jim Valley (Long time wrestling fan, Torch subscriber, and currently PWTorch Livecast guest host. He won a National Edward R. Murrow Award and several regional awards during his 20 year broadcast career. He has done TV announcing for several independent wrestling promotions, hosted his own wrestling radio show, interviewed many top stars, and was flown out to Stamford to audition for WWE. He took second to Todd Grisham.) There was a recent story that said the average pay for an NXT wrestler is $25,000 a year. If that is true, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that, yes, every NXT wrestler wants to go to the main roster so they can make a living, buy a house, buy a car, provide for a family, and save up for the impending medical bills that will inevitably pile up as their career advances.

MAINSTREAM WRESTLING MEDIA REPORTER Brian Fritz (host of Between the Ropes podcast, former AOL Fanhouse and Yahoo Sports reporter) answers: Everyone wants to be on WWE. NXT is still a limited audience that doesn't pay anywhere near as much as when you are on the WWE roster. I don't think anyone grows up aspiring to be the NXT champion. They want to be the WWE champ.

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PWTorch reader Robbin N. asks: My question is about the WWE Network. I signed up for it a few days ago when it became available here in Sweden and I love it, but why do they put commercial breaks (promoting the upcoming PPV or Total Divas) during matches on Main Event and NXT? It's not like I'm going to change the channel if they put the commercial before/after the match. Shouldn't we get every second of every match when we paid the $9.99 for it?

MAINSTREAM WRESTLING MEDIA REPORTER Brian Fritz (host of Between the Ropes podcast, former AOL Fanhouse and Yahoo Sports reporter) answers: Robbin, I think they want to keep the mentality of having the wrestling work for TV like hitting their time cues and such. They tape the shows not to fill an hour but to fill about 44 minutes and have to fill the rest with commercials. Plus, they want to make sure people know what's coming up on the Network and you tune in to watch. But I do get where you're coming from. WWE just has a different mentality and I don't think by having commercials it's going to stop anyone from buying the network.

EX-ECW CHAMPION AND LONGTIME WWE WRESTLER Justin Credible (also current IWE Champion, visit www.TheJustinCredible.com and on YouTube here including his ongoing Wrestling 101 Series) answers: I guess it's just to remind that it's going to be on. WWE wants to make sure people are watch those big events.

REALITY TV STAR & EX-TNA MANAGER Jonny Fairplay (@jonnyfairplay was also former personal assistant to Roddy Piper and cohost with Sean Waltman of weekly podcast at www.ProWrestling.net) answers: I have enough in the world to worry about than commercials on Main Event.

PROFESSIONAL BROADCASTER Jim Valley (Long time wrestling fan, Torch subscriber, and currently PWTorch Livecast guest host. He won a National Edward R. Murrow Award and several regional awards during his 20 year broadcast career. He has done TV announcing for several independent wrestling promotions, hosted his own wrestling radio show, interviewed many top stars, and was flown out to Stamford to audition for WWE. He took second to Todd Grisham.) Technically, they are promos. Commercials would be an advertisement for which WWE received money. The promos are there to let you know what else is on the Network so you won't change the channel. Actually, I think there need to be more promos on The WWE Network. They should have a promo to compel you to watch every PPV. I certainly can't remember all of the highlights from every show. I think promos are a good way to jog your memory and entice you to watch more.

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PWTorch reader Tommy C. of Warren, Mich. asks: This is my 2nd favorite feature after Interview Friday. When HBK talked to Jim Ross on his podcast about Undertaker's loss, he mentioned that the decision was made four hours before the show. Then he said "Well, only one man makes that decision." I saw a bunch of reports saying "Vince flip-flopped four hours before the match." When I heard that, I got the impression he was referring to the Undertaker, not Vince. So is that possible or have I missed a piece of news that clarifies this. If that is true, does that change your opinion on the finish if Taker made the call?

REALITY TV STAR & EX-TNA MANAGER Jonny Fairplay (@jonnyfairplay was also former personal assistant to Roddy Piper and cohost with Sean Waltman of weekly podcast at www.ProWrestling.net) answers: I’m guessing he was talking about Vince.

MAINSTREAM WRESTLING MEDIA REPORTER Brian Fritz (host of Between the Ropes podcast, former AOL Fanhouse and Yahoo Sports reporter) answers: Vince McMahon made the call and he has the final decision on everything, especially something as big as this. And it is believed that while McMahon and The Undertaker spoke about it briefly, Taker had no issues with that decision.

EX-ECW CHAMPION AND LONGTIME WWE WRESTLER Justin Credible (also current IWE Champion, visit www.TheJustinCredible.com and on YouTube here including his ongoing Wrestling 101 Series) answers: I'm sure it was Vince. Now I think Mark Caloway certainly had his input, but Shawn knows the deal. He's there talking with the guys, and also Triple H.

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PWTorch reader Forrest M. asks: I'm a lifelong fan of pro wrestling. I miss the days of shows where a wrestler used the TV time to squash their opponents. It made the big events so much more exciting and must see, like the PPVs, Saturday Night's Main Events, Clash of the Champions, etc. I know that after the Monday Night Wars it seems like the fans will only accept big matches all the time. However, their business is declining. Would the old format of showing shorter shows with the main roster showing off their character and moves work today? I think it would make fans beg to see live events and big PPV offerings. I would definitely pay for that. However, I might be in the minority. Your thoughts?

REALITY TV STAR & EX-TNA MANAGER Jonny Fairplay (@jonnyfairplay was also former personal assistant to Roddy Piper and cohost with Sean Waltman of weekly podcast at www.ProWrestling.net) answers: If you're a fan of that kind of wrestling, watch NXT! The reasons you listed is why I watch and enjoy their product!

EX-WWE CREATIVE TEAM MEMBER John Piermarini (ex-WWE Creative Team member 2009-2010, frequent PWTorch Livecast guest) answers: Here's the thing, I'm a fan of squash matches and grew up on them. They work, but the thought that WWE just doesn't think about doing it is absurd. We pitched it for the rebrand of Superstars. The networks these shows appear on do not want squash matches. It's that simple. That should end the argument right there. Now, is there a way to do it without the network realizing this is what you're doing? Absolutely. Wrestling companies just don't put the effort into doing it.

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(Send questions for a future Ask PWTorch to: askpwtorch@gmail.com. If you have a particular person on the All-Star Panel you'd in particular like to direct your question to, include that in the subject line, but multiple panelists may also answer.)

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Catch up on past Ask PWTorch articles...

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In case you are new to this feature, let me introduce you to our All-Star Panel…

EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION: By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

Thanks to Pat McNeill and Anthony Jeselnik for the name of this feature. Just as "CSI" spawned "CSI: Miami," "Ask PWTorch" spawned "Ask PWTorch: All-Star Panel." Only without David Caruso. In any case, we are excited to present to you a new cast for the Ask PWTorch spinoff, which is available exclusively on the PWTorch App (or, for VIP members, on the VIP website too). You are reading this, so you are either a VIP member or have already downloaded the free PWTorch App on your phone or tablet. If you aren't a VIP member, why not? With VIP membership, you gain full access to both Ask PWTorch features on all devices you use to visit PWTorch - our App and our Website.

The "Ask PWTorch All-Star Panel" edition is scheduled to be published first thing in the morning (although not necessarily every single day, like the afternoon website-based Ask PWTorch is; we'll see about that as we move forward). It will feature an entirely different panel of experts and analysts than the afternoon Ask PWTorch does. We have assembled a wide range of contributors, which may expand or change over time, with the goal being to give PWTorch readers new perspectives from people who have particular areas of expertise. Along with our All-Stars from outside of PWTorch, several of our PWTorch contributors (but not the main staff who contribute to the website-based original Ask PWTorch!… you will be quizzed on all of this, so take notes) will also be regularly contributing, especially to current-events-related questions.

Let me introduce you to our panel…

Justin Credible: Current pro wrestler and former ECW Champion and longtime WWE wrestler in the 1990s and 2000s, Justin Credible (P.J. Polaco) currently is the IWE Champion. He travels as indy champion from Maine to Mexico with the title. He posts new Wrestling 101 YouTube videos at www.TheJustinCredible.com or on YouTube at his YouTube Channel.

John Piermarini: Ex-WWE Creative Team member who will provide a behind-the-scenes perspective from his years working for WWE including alongside Vince McMahon, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and John Cena. He has been a frequent PWTorch Livecast guest and was the subject of a comprehensive five-hour Torch Talk interview several years ago about his experience with WWE for most of 2009-2010.

Greg Oliver: SLAM! Wrestling reporter and wrestling book author (and hockey book author), Greg will provide a Canadian perspective on many wrestling topics. If you are a fan from Canada or have Canadian-related wrestling questions, Greg can help you. He is a wrestling historian who published a wrestling newsletter during the boom period of insider wrestling newsletters starting in the late 1980s. We were pen pals in the early 1990s and first met at a 1989 wrestling convention in Chicago run by Jon Gallagher of the Wrestling Forum (the first insider wrestling newsletter I ever received in the mail in early 1987).

George Schire: Author of "Minnesota's Golden Age of Wrestling," former Pro Wrestling Focus radio cohost with me in the early 1990s on KFAN, former contributor of history pieces to the PWTorch Newsletter, and multi-time guest on PWTorch Livecast "Interview Friday," he will be providing a historical perspective to Ask PWTorch.

Johnny Fairplay: Reality Star and Wrestling Manager, perhaps best known as Pat McNeill's Regis Philbin. He was an old neighbor of PWTorch senior columnist Bruce Mitchell who watched PPVs at his house long before he became a contestant on Survivor twice. He has been on many reality TV shows, the PWTorch Livecast numerous times, and follows wrestling very closely. You can read more about him on Wikipedia.

Brian Fritz: Host of the long-running "Between the Ropes" podcast, and now working for Yahoo! Sports radio, he also has been a guest on the PWTorch Livecast (and I've been a guest on his podcast), he brings years of reporting on wrestling including on-site interviews with wrestlers at major press events over the years. He follows today's wrestling and will provide his perspective and take on your questions.

Mick Karch: An early PWTorch Newsletter columnist over 20 years ago, Mick has been an announcer for virtually every national wrestling promotion other than the WWF, WCW, and TNA in the last 25 years. He currently works as an announcer on Minnesota indy wrestling shows. He got his start in wrestling running the Nick Bockwinkel Fan Club in the 1970s and is known for his sense of humor, strong opinions, and tremendous insight into wrestling's past dating back many decades, but he also watches today's wrestling regularly and can provide valuable perspective as a result of that span of time following and participating in the industry.

Brad Stutts: He has worked behind the scenes in wrestling in many roles, including taking jackets to the back, setting up and tearing down rings, running websites for indy promoters, running lights and music at live events, and performing as a manager, announcer, wrestler, and promoter. He currently is the lead announcer for CWF Mid-Atlantic Wrestling in North Carolina.

Jim Valley: Long time wrestling fan and Torch subscriber. He won a National Edward R. Murrow Award and several regional awards during his 20 year broadcast career. He has done TV announcing for several independent wrestling promotions, hosted his own wrestling radio show, interviewed many top stars and was flown our to Stamford to audition for WWE. He took second to Todd Grisham.

Current PWTorch Contributors: A mix of current PWTorch contributors will provide their opinion on today's wrestling scene and modern wrestling history questions, including Shawn Valentino, Michael Moore, Ben Tucker, Jon Mezzera, Brian Leahy, Jimmy Eaton, and Mike Roe.

You can send your questions for the All-Star Panel to the same address as always: askpwtorch@gmail.com. We will make sure they are directed to the appropriate panelist for potential inclusion in a published Ask PWTorch feature here on the PWTorch App or VIP Website. You may see your question asked in both versions of Ask PWTorch (the Afternoon original website-exclusive version and app-exclusive All-Stars version) so check both versions. Different groups of panelists may tackle your question on different days, so keep checking back. Because they all come from different backgrounds and have different experiences as both fans and working in some capacity in the business or covering it for the Torch, you're going to get some strong specific points of view from them.

We suggest these recent related articles...

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THURSDAY’S ASK PWTORCH ALL-STARS 4/9: Are El Generico & Sami Zayn the same person? Next MITB cash-in for IC or U.S. belt? What match do you show non-fans so they get it? Why don’t heel teams cheat?

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