On a weekly basis, PWTorch staffers James Caldwell and Greg Parks have a casual, yet insightful, Lounge-style chat reviewing the week in TV wrestling and looking ahead to what's next for key storylines, matches, and future events. An occasional "Seinfeld" or "The Office" reference is also mixed in for good measure.

James Caldwell: This is PWTorch assistant editor James Caldwell joined by PWTorch columnist Greg Parks for our weekly TV wrestling chat. Greg, let's start at the top - Survivor Series is in two days, Rock is wrestling for the first time in seven years, and Rock & Cena will share the same tag rope Sunday night. With all of that in-play, did WWE do enough on Monday's Raw to sell the audience on the potential historical event or did the final hype fall flat?

Greg Parks: I think, like most storylines and angles in WWE lately, it fell flat. I felt like WWE tried to serve two masters in hyping the match: teasing dissension between Rock and Cena, while also trying to make Miz and Truth somewhat credible. Because their attention was split, I don't think either tact they took was successful.

Caldwell: The problem is that trying to make Miz & Truth seem somewhat credible was a lost cause because of the way WWE booked them in the months leading up to Survivor Series. Sure, there were the arrest angles, the beat downs, the firings at the hands of Triple H to make them seem like they were big deals, but WWE never really translated that into making them truly credible threats to fit the role here. So, I think WWE should have just taken the loss there and focused on the first item you mentioned: dissension between Rock and Cena. But, trying to split their focus I felt like resulted in a "just okay, but not where it needed to be" level of confrontation between Rock and Cena. Perhaps also because the show was such a drag leading up to that moment, there didn't seem to be as much energy in that exchange typical for a Rock Moment. So, I think the final build was okay, leaning toward adequate, but missing some ingredients. Those ingredients being history - Rock's first match in seven years, Rock's history of big moments, big moments at MSG, etc. I was curious that on a three-hour show they didn't stress the historical nature of Rock's return. Did you find that odd or par for the course from WWE in this era?

Parks: I found it a little odd, sure, but like I said on the Livecast, I don't that that version of The Rock is something WWE wants to put a spotlight on with video packages. You're right though, they could've at least mentioned it, or had Miz and Truth (or even Cena) bring up the anniversary, and show the video of a young Rock as Rocky Maivia to sort-of make fun of him.

Caldwell: Ah, Cena could have done "This Was Your Life" toward Rock to continue the digs at Rock's perceived "absence from WWE." I'm not in favor of them continuing with that approach from Cena (or WWE, in general), but it would have been one way to incorporate the history. As for the match itself on Sunday, how do you envision it playing out? Will the final result even be the top story or will someone else take precedent?

Parks: I don't think the final result matters at all; nothing's at stake aside from Rock and/or Cena's pride and the opportunity to one-up the other heading into WM (though that hasn't even been emphasized by announcers or...well, anyone). I think we get some sort of physicality between Cena and Rock after the match. I'm just not sure who attacks who, and whether or not they're provoked. However, if WWE wants to use Rock again in, say, the Rumble match or Chamber match or something other than a one-on-one match that will be saved for 'Mania, they could hold off on Cena or Rock going after the other and do it in a later match.

Caldwell: I think WWE has to deliver some sort of physicality between Rock and Cena since the promotion for this PPV was built on tension and the possibility of them exploding on each other. I agree the match result probably won't matter, especially because WWE has barely promoted the match aspect of this main event! I think WWE has to be careful not to give away too much physicality, though, since the big money and big stage is at WM28. Interesting point on whether Rock appearing at another PPV before WM28 plays a factor into how they book this. In my mind, I see Rock and Cena selling tension early on, the tension builds throughout, and they finally explode on each other, Miz picks up the scraps with a quick pin, and Rock and Cena resume the fight after the inconsequential match result. Will that be worthwhile for viewers? I think so. It could also depend on the quality of the match prior to the finish. That remains to be seen. As far as Rock wrestling again, what are expectations for how he'll look in the ring and how much wrestling he does? I think WWE was smart to show that he can still kick ass on Raw, enticing viewers to order the PPV if they had questions about how he would look in the ring again.

Parks: I think Rock is athletic enough to wear he can slip back into his old role no problem. It's not like he was wrestling a high-impact or high-flying style back in his day that would cause age to catch up to him after inactivity. That said, I think I'd be most worried about his timing in the ring, but I think he's probably worked out in the ring to shake off the rust before the PPV - I think Rock is smart enough to know that he'd have to train in the ring for a while before stepping back into the ring, especially in front of the MSG crowd.

Caldwell: Speaking of the MSG crowd, we had an interesting question on the Livecast whether Miz & Truth will actually be cheered over Rock (most definitely Cena). Do you think there could be some backlash against Rock or perhaps that "we want to be rebellious and cheer Miz & Truth" type reaction? Or, will any notion of that go away when Rock's music hits and he comes out for his wrestling return?

Parks: I think when Rock's music hits is when he'll get the most cheers. As the match goes on, I think you could see more and more cheers for Miz and Truth, not only because they're heels and that's supposedly who "smart" fans cheer for, but because they're two of the few characters who have been truly entertaining over the last few months. People appreciate that. And of course, if Rock doesn't hold up his end of the bargain in the ring, it could get ugly quickly.

Caldwell: How much of the Cena Effect could influence Rock's reception? e.g. just the fact that Rock teaming with Cena - his stated enemy - could lead to boos for Rock just by association?

Parks: It could, but Rock has made it perfectly clear that he's not endorsing Cena by teaming with him, so I don't think there will be a ton of residual heat.

Caldwell: And that body positioning of Rock never looking toward Cena during their exchange and never really acknowledging his presence until the "Can You Top This? game was key to selling that exact point. Elsewhere at Survivor Series is C.M. Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio. My final, revised-for-the-fifth-time prediction is Punk wins via DQ to set up the blow-off match at TLC. Where do you fall on the prediction chart and what did you think of their final build-up on Raw with Del Rio having the last word?

Parks: I think the DQ finish makes sense, but if one of them is to get a pinfall (though not necessarily clean), I'd have to guess Del Rio,with Punk taking the second match at TLC. But how many people won't tune in to Raw on Monday if Del Rio wins, since Punk has talked about how boring Del Rio is as champ? No one wants to watch a boring show, especially when the characters on said show are calling it boring!

Caldwell: Isolating that item, yes, I think people won't take Punk or Del Rio seriously and will ignore Raw. I still think people would tune in just to see the result of Rock & Cena teaming together. But, you're right, that when you start evaluating your own product and calling stars - especially the top champion - boring, it opens up viewers to start questioning whether they should continue watching the show. If Del Rio does get a pinfall victory, I think the problem is Punk would "run out of chances" for another title shot, so I think there has to be some sort of shenanigans involved that would give him an argument for a re-match. All of this leads me to my third or fourth revised prediction that perhaps Punk wins the title in MSG, then they have the re-match at TLC. But, I think WWE wouldn't want Punk winning in front of a Punk crowd to overshadow Cena & Rock in the main event. Man, so much to sort out. And we'll be breaking it all down on the post-Survivor Series Livecast on Sunday night! Greg, elsewhere on Raw, there's the Ziggler-Morrison-Ryder triangle that has resulted in Ryder squeezed out of the U.S. Title match at MSG. What's your take on that mid-card feud?

Parks: It seems like Morrison, Ryder, and Mason Ryan have all been positioned as possible US Title contenders, and honestly, that's fine by me. Having too many contenders for a title is better than having too few, and it means WWE is doing what they can to build the mid-card back up. I think Ryder may sneak into the match at the PPV, but if not, WWE could do worse than a Morrison vs. Ziggler match. I only wish they gave Morrison more than one win heading into this match after jobbing him so extensively over the past few months.

Caldwell: It was hilarious how Morrison won his first match since August to end a double-digit losing streak, and all of a sudden WWE proclaimed he "got his mojo back." It would be like the Colts winning their first game of the season this week and declaring they were back in the Playoffs picture. So, one of those funny WWE moments. I agree that Ryder may sneak into the match. I still think Morrison takes the loss, even if Ryder were added, which could keep Ryder's U.S. Title push alive since he could claim he wasn't pinned. Meanwhile, Ziggler is pulling double duty again being part of Team Barrett. Do you think Ziggler has potential to have a break-out night with two opportunities or will he be a secondary story on a packed show?

Parks: I think the only way he could truly break out is if he were to retain the title and also be the sole survivor in his match. Unfortunately, with the way WWE books, it's very difficult for anyone to have a one-night breakout performance without being humbled soon after. I thought that maybe the previous PPV would be Ziggler's breakout, but they even-stevened him there. While they could end up overworking him, I think this gimmick of being in two matches on a PPV could lead to an interesting gimmick tweak for Ziggler if they're consistent with it.

Caldwell: Good points there. I see Ziggler perhaps being eliminated quickly by, say, Mason Ryan in the Survivor Series match to give him something else to complain about to fit his character before or after defending the U.S. Title. Ziggler has plenty of upside and I don't see WWE wasting an opportunity with Ziggler here. We'll see. About the Team Orton vs. Team Barrett match, what did you think of the final build-up on Raw with Team Orton easily standing tall after the DQ finish to Orton vs. Barrett and whether it created any interest in the actual match?

Parks: Predictable. Not bad, just predictable. WWE has certain crutches they rely on to build matches (like leading up to a MITB matches, just doing singles or tag matches instead of focusing on the stories of the guys in the match), and the schmoz ending on the go-home show is one of them.

Caldwell: And I think they really, really want to keep Orton strong, especially since he's not in the World Title picture right now on Smackdown, so it made sense from their perspective to have him look dominant in that setting. I assume the match will play out with Orton and Sheamus the Final Two for the faces and they'll face "enormous odds" from Barrett and perhaps Cody and one other heel. Then, Orton & Sheamus stand tall in victory. Predictable set-up, predictable finish (not bad) to keep Orton & Sheamus strong. Elsewhere on the card, there's the Divas Title match...now with lumberjills. Does Eve take the title or does Beth keep rolling as champ?

Parks: Beth keeps rolling. It would be too soon to change it (but then again, I feel a little silly for analyzing the length of time a Diva holds the title, as if it really makes a difference to WWE, or even a percentage of the fans). It seems Alicia Fox could be next on the pain train for the Divas of Destruction, since she's been shoe-horned into the picture with Kelly and Eve. I really wouldn't be surprised to see them go right back to Kelly again either. With Layla hopefully returning soon on the news that she's being advertised for FCW's next show, I'd like to see her get a shot when she comes back.

Caldwell: WWE certainly hasn't done much to build up Eve's title chase since she won the Halloween battle royal and Kelly was the one who was spotlighted through victory on Monday's Raw. So, I'm with you that the Pain Train keeps rolling and I could see WWE going either way with Kelly or A. Fox as the TLC opponent. Speaking of Layla, perhaps she makes her TV return as one of the lumberjills, but that would probably take away from the match. We'll see. Greg, let's keep the Survivor Series talk rolling into Smackdown. Henry vs. Show II is your main event on Sunday. Having not seen this week's Smackdown yet, what's your take on the build-up and do you agree Henry retains?

Parks: Yeah, Henry retains. Build-up has been solid, especially incorporating Daniel Bryan into the situation as a type of foreshadowing for Bryan's MITB cash-in at WrestleMania or before. Show doesn't need the title right now, and I don't think he's the right choice to end Henry's title reign. Having Henry take out Show again will give him even more credibility, and Show can move on to something else and not be hurt by losing in this title match. Perhaps they do a smoke and mirrors (not Cody Rhodes) and have Kane or someone attack Henry after the match, taking the sting out of Show's loss a bit.

Caldwell: Ah, the old distraction play. Yeah, I see WWE finding a way to protect Show in defeat and, as you suggested, incorporating a new opponent for Henry in the process. I still think hold off on Kane's return at the Rumble, but I think Kane returning at Survivor Series would get a big pop and set up a nice TLC PPV main event on the Smackdown side. Didn't Henry use a chair to bash Kane's leg for the injury angle? Perhaps a chair match would be appropriate. Another interesting topic on the Smackdown side is Cody Rhodes's re-birth sans mask. What do you make of that change in direction for his character?

Parks: I believe he did use the chair on Kane. I like it; I think the mask had run its course and WWE likely wants to make Rhodes more palatable in order to be a main-eventer, and any kind of extra gimmickry they frown upon when pushing a guy that high.

Caldwell: I think the mask helped Rhodes get to the next level, so now it will be interesting to see if he can maintain that without the easy heat magnet and grow now that he's taken the next step. I like his chances. Greg, what else jumped out at you from the Smackdown side either on last week's show or on Monday's Raw?

Parks: Sheamus beat Christian again; hopefully that feud is dead. Also, Wade Barrett beat Randy Orton in the main event so hopefully that means a bigger push is in order for him, and some are predicting he will survive the elimination match at the PPV. Do you think this Barrett push will last?

Caldwell: I think WWE is really behind Barrett right now, but, as we know, WWE is subject to change with how they view wrestlers below that top, top tier. I don't think Barrett is "safe" right now. But, I think he'll have a strong showing at Survivor Series - probably the last man standing for his heel team. It's difficult for him to move up, though, since a heel has the World Title and a heel has the IC Title on Smackdown. I think keeping him in the mix with established stars Orton and Sheamus is the best long-term option to make this push stick. Otherwise, if he starts dabbling with Sin Cara, it won't help. Speaking of Sin Cara, he seems to be...well...not making much of an impact as of late. What do you think of his place in WWE right now and how it compares to the recent mini-pushes of Hunico and Epico?

Parks: Speaking of pushes that get cut off...Hunico and Epico had a nice start, but they faced the Usos, who had their own mini-push over the summer for about three weeks before they fell by the wayside. Hunico and Epico don't seem like wrestlers WWE would get behind for an extended time - seems like a flavor-of-the-month push, but who knows, if they get a tag title shot out of it in the future, I'd call it a success.

Caldwell: Yeah, how about that tag division? Yikes. Bourne suspended, Kofi hasn't won a televised match in a month, and WWE isn't exactly lining up top contenders to face Bourne & Kofi when Bourne returns. Anything else WWE-related we should touch on before we tackle Impact?

Parks: Eh, let's go to Impact. James Storm fingered AJ Styles as the perp, but Kurt Angle came out of nowhere to all but reveal himself as the true attacker of Storm. I was happy it didn't turn out to be AJ, and Angle made sense. What did you think of the reveal of Angle and the storyline as a whole?

Caldwell: The wording of your opening line about Storm and A.J. was great. We'll call it Law & Order: Impact. Except, with inept authority figures. I didn't like the reveal at all, logically, but I was thankful they didn't try to turn heel yet another face, A.J. Styles. I didn't like the logic of the explanation because (a) Angle was "out of the universe TNA creates" a la Triple H being "out of action" due to Nash, so (b) someone would have seen Angle at said event knowing he wasn't supposed to be there, and (c) wouldn't Storm, even in an altered state, be able to recognize that Angle attacked him? It wasn't like Angle sent a cryptic message hidden in an ancient language and Storm wanted to know who sent the message; Angle physically put his hands on Storm, so some of his other senses should have kicked in to suspect it was Angle. I can take some stretches of logic, but I didn't buy this one at all. It required too much suspension of disbelief and seemed like a cop-out. All that said, I think Angle-Storm should be a good feud to complement Roode-Styles going forward.

Parks: Hey, Angle is on the roster, so if someone saw him backstage, he could say he was just visiting. And maybe he had an accomplice and it was an in-and-out job so few if any would've seen him. I don't think we really know how Storm was taken out - If Angle bopped him on the back of his head, knocking him out while his back was turned, then I think it's plausible that Storm truly didn't know anything about his attacker.

Caldwell: But, based on the velocity of the strike and the height from which the strike came, wouldn't Storm have been able to surmise that it could not have come from a tall person, but had enough velocity to know it wasn't from an X Divisioner, which would have narrowed down the suspect list? Okay, too much CSI: Miami for me. Yeah, I can see where all of my concerns could be explained, but I thought there was one too many holes. As for the continuation of Roode-Styles, what do you expect from this feud now that they have more than five seconds of build-up for a PPV main event and TNA can take four weeks to build to their next match?

Parks: I'll take holes that small from TNA; it's an improvement over the gaping logic gaps we're used to. I'm a little surprised they've moved on from Roode vs. Storm so quickly; then again, if they revisit it in the future, it'll have more juice because they didn't wear it out so soon. Roode vs. Styles had a rough start to the feud, with the match being made literally at the last second on TV, but it looks like they're sticking with it for the immediate future anyway. It'll produce some good matches and both men are cast in roles that work for them. I just feel like, with the way Roode won and how Storm got screwed by him; it's going to be weird to have them feuding so soon with other guys after that incident. It feels like it should be a blood feud between former best friends that lasts for months.

Caldwell: Right. Like, how do they even co-exist in the same space, on the same show without Storm trying to tear Roode apart the minute they're in same area as each other? As for Roode-Styles, I do anticipate a better match between the two once they actually have something to work with. Three-star match was fine at Turning Point, but the match didn't feel like a PPV main event, mainly due to the absence of build-up. Plus, Styles was on a tender ankle, so that was a factor. As for this week's Impact main event, Greg, it was a highly-anticipated re-match between Gunner and G. Bischoff. What do you make of the current situation with Garett vs. Immortal/Bischoff/Flair?

Parks: I have no clue. I'm just not invested in Immortal anymore now that they're not in charge and have no "stroke" in the company. I don't get the point in them being together now, but I fear I'll be repeating that every week for the next several weeks. If they treated this as a mid-card thing that's one thing, but to main event Impact (even though it wasn't in the main event segment) is a little insulting. Garett doesn't have the skills or the charisma right now to justify the spot he's getting.

Caldwell: I guess they figure the combined charisma of Ric Flair, Ric Flair, Ric Flair, and E. Bischoff will eventually rub off on Garett to where he'll be taken seriously in this role. But, as you said, it's insulting to the audience and to the rest of the roster when Garett is receiving this opportunity over more than capable wrestlers on the roster. One other item of interest: Dixie Carter getting back into the mix interacting with Roode early in the show. What do you make of it?

Parks: Yeah, and speaking of Flair, what a waste of his name value and talent right now. Dixie Carter's involvement was a major eye-rolling moment for me, and I immediately saw it as a way for Roode to get even more heel heat from the fans. I don't know that Dixie is that strong a babyface character though.

Caldwell: I think TNA would like to think her character is strong enough, but she really has not recovered from "signing away TNA" to Bischoff and Co. last year. We'll see where this is leading to. Greg, I figure it's worth discussing the Knockouts gauntlet segment since it popped a 1.41 rating, which was well above anything else on the show. What did you make of how they transitioned into Gail Kim's title reign and set up yet another match-up of former WWE stars between Gail and Mickie while bypassing Velvet?

Parks: I thought there were parts of the match that were solid, but other parts weren't so good. I mean, Velvet vs. Brooke? Was that someone's idea of a joke? I'm not going to knock TNA for going with Mickie - she's got charisma and is still good enough in the ring, though, her TNA run has been a disappointment so far in that aspect. I think Kim needs a strong face to work against, and that's certainly Mickie.

Caldwell: Especially to allow Gail's involvement upon returning to TNA to breathe and not be overshadowed by Karen Jarrett. Mickie definitely fits that bill as an opponent. As for the Jarretts, TNA resumed the Double J-Jeff Hardy feud after Hardy picked up three "wins" at the PPV. What do you make of them continuing the feud and heavily involving Karen in the proceedings?

Parks: I thought Karen did a nice job early in the promo, but kind of fell off as it continued and went long. She was very easy to hate last night. I don't think she's good enough to deserve double the TV time, since she's in charge of the Knockouts and now included in the Jarrett-Hardy storyline. I'm not a huge fan of the storyline, but it's still kinda early I would suppose, since most of Jarrett's feuds tend to run longer than usual.

Caldwell: Yes, like Jarrett-Angle that went on and on. It's one of those things where TNA comes across like a family-run company with a product aimed at family & friends of the core players. G. Bischoff heavily involved, Karen heavily involved in a company built to reinforce Double J as a national TV star, Dixie now involved again. If I'm not sitting at the Bischoff, Jarrett, or Carter Family table at Thanksgiving, I might not be interested in about one-fourth of the current product. Greg, anything else TNA-related worth breaking down?

Parks: New tag champs - Crimson and Matt Morgan. First they were enemies, now they're friends. I guess at least TNA is trying something to prop up their suddenly weak tag division...right?

Caldwell: And perhaps give them a three-to-six-month reign to be completely dominant to establish their dominance. I think that was an issue at Turning Point since TNA had not been consistent building them up as two established monsters where you couldn't wait to see them fight. It was too much, too soon, so I think this will allow TNA to take a step back to establish their dominance side-by-side, then re-visit a one-on-one match down the road. I don't see many other tag teams lined up to oppose the Twin Towers, though. I would not be in favor of a lengthy Morgan & Crimson vs. Mex. America feud since they just did Morgan vs. Hernandez, and Immortal doesn't exactly have credibility right now. Perhaps Steiner & Ray get a run at the tag champs? But, Ray needs to be as far away from a tag situation as possible so his individual personality can blossom.

Parks: You'd think so. That would leave...Steiner and Gunner? There's an odd-couple team!

Caldwell: That would cause an explosion. No doubt. Oh my. All right, Greg, let's go ahead and wrap it up here before you cover Smackdown tonight and we talk again on the post-Survivor Series Livecast on Sunday. First, we need a preview of Gonzo & The Greg this weekend!

Parks: This week, we'll take to task the top five worst finishers in wrestling history.

Caldwell: Excellent. I'm looking forward to it! As always, thanks for the Chat and I'll look forward to your Smackdown report.

Parks: Great! Thanks, James.

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