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. We're recording this Friday night/Saturday morning to establish the Timeline of Chat. And, Greg, the week is finally here. We've been discussing and analyzing and talking about WM28 for a year, and now Rock-Cena is finally here. I re-watched their final Raw promo from Monday night during tonight's Smackdown, and I found it quite interesting on the second viewing. First, your overall thoughts on where Rock-Cena stands after a one-year build-up and, second, your thoughts on their final exchange on Raw?

Greg Parks: I know there are some people disappointed with the build-up, probably a good number of people, with a smaller number happy with how the set-up to this match has transpired. I'm not thrilled with the way it went down, but I still feel like it's a big match, so WWE, to me anyway, hasn't damaged the match THAT much in my eyes. The final hype on Monday was good in that both men made it a point to stress how important it is for each of them to win, and what's at stake for them, more internally than externally. I wish it had happened sooner, but I guess we have to take what we're given.

Caldwell: It felt like classic WWE where they goof around and lose track of where they are and veer off the road a few times when there isn't a sense of urgency, but they can flip the switch when it's time to flip the switch. Re-watching the promo on Raw, there were still the elements of some lame material, but I thought the individual statements in the back and forth was really strong and I thought Cena's delivery was especially strong. I think he just let it all out after waiting one year since the match was made official and seven years since he wanted the match, and it came across really well. I'm with you that I would have liked to have seen them visit the need to win the match much earlier. Right now, Greg, everything points to Cena winning on Sunday. Do you think Cena wins, or is there some psychological gamesmanship in-play where Rock will actually win to surprise most people? And, if Cena wins, how does Rock "save face" in Miami after the match?

Parks: I think Cena does win; as far as what they set out in their promos, it sure seems like Cena will win. I agree with you about his promo, too, it was one of the best I've heard from him in a long time, not just the best during this Rock feud. Rock had some of his better retorts as well, but to me, Cena showed what he can do on the mic, and makes fans wish he was that focused and intense all the time. Maybe most of the crowd wouldn't be turning on him if they could see that Cena more often.

Caldwell: I don't know if he'll be able to carry this over beyond the Rock feud for the reasons you mentioned of him often-times just being happy-go-lucky and running through his latest heel foe like a knife through butter. But, this was the Cena that can be marketable to adults - he didn't have to resort to the cheap Thuganomics flashback, and allowed his passion and energy to come across like a normal person; something the audience could get behind, rather than laugh at or boo at. As for the Cena-Rock match on Sunday, Greg, I'll give you two potential match scenarios and tell me which you think it will be closest to. (1) Rock-Hogan at WM19 where the crowd dominates, everyone remembers Hogan's pop but not Rock's win, and it's not exactly a five-star match. (2) Punk-Cena in Chicago at MITB where the crowd is a huge factor, and helps create this amazing, epic match that reaches five-star level that everyone remembers?

Parks: Honestly, I think it will be in-between both of those, maybe even closer to the first. I think many people who will be watching will be just as interested in the crowd reaction as the actual body of the match and maybe even who wins. There's certainly intrigue in that, but the effect is lessened if people believe there's bound to be a rematch between these two, which I see at some point down the line.

Caldwell: As we talked about in the Livecast yesterday, it seems like WWE is using the "Once In A Lifetime" label to try to get that thought out of people's minds, even though I believe there will be a re-match at some point. As you terrifically noted yesterday, they can get away with that label because it's only Once In a Lifetime they have the first match! So, that should be interesting. As for Raw, were you surprised there wasn't something more formal like a Piper's Pit or Contract Signing or debate or something that would involve a third person or that WWE could put in a graphic - "Rock-Cena Final Debate!" - to keep people tuned in for the end of the show? Or, was this the way to go just having that one final verbal exchange in the ring?

Parks: I figured a contract signing or something of that sort would happen, instead of just another confrontation - of which they've had many leading up to the match. In viewers minds, this confrontation didn't stand out because they had so many that were similar to this. Had they done something different, I think it would've resonated more with viewers. But really, after watching the end product, I don't know if it would've been "better" had they done something different, either.

Caldwell: Right. It could have been too gimmicky or too much like they were trying to sell an off-brand PPV with a bunch of guys standing around at podiums in a somewhat cheesy setting. And, perhaps they felt involving Piper or say, Jerry Lawler as debate moderator, would have taken away from just focusing on Rock and Cena. So, I understand why they went the route they went; I just think more could have been done with this final week of hype. Any other overall thoughts on Rock-Cena before we see how it unfolds on Sunday?

Parks: Nope, it's been analyzed to death, so I'm interested to see how it plays out...so we can analyze the final product on the post-Mania Livecast after the show!

Caldwell: I'm definitely looking forward to talking about what actually happens after talking about what might happen for a year...right here on the PWTorch Livecast at 11:30 p.m. EST Sunday. With the Mick Foley plug out of the way, Greg, Undertaker-Triple H was shifted to the Video Package role on the final Raw before Mania. I thought it was a good video, but, at the same time, I feel the same way I did last week that something about the build-up has been slightly off. Perhaps it's what we talked about above with Rock-Cena that if you involve a third person, the story can become "too much." Like, there are so many threads that connect HBK, Taker, Hunter, and a Hell in a Cell match that it's almost impossible to connect them all together to form that perfect picture for the audience. What did you think of the final build-up, with no Raw TV appearances by any of the three?

Parks: I thought it was the right move. I don't know what more they could've done on Monday, and I think hitting the crescendo the week before, with all three men in the ring at the same time, was a good note to end it on. Hunter and Taker are big enough stars to have gotten on the show Monday night if they really wanted to, so they showed good restraint by just letting the feud breathe and let the video package speak for them this week.

Caldwell: That's very true. Rock-Cena was already at the re-hash stage, so it didn't make sense to do the same for Taker-Hunter. When you look at Taker-Hunter on Sunday with HBK involved, how do you see the match playing out and will it match or surpass last year's one-on-one classic?

Parks: It will be tough to surpass last year's, but they can tweak the drama by using the Cell and HBK as the ref. I don't think HBK will be involved too heavily and I do expect Taker to win.

Caldwell: That's exactly how I see it playing out. Now, there are rumors this weekend of Brock Lesnar and/or Batista returning at WrestleMania. Do you see either or both getting involved during/after the Taker-Hunter match, or what hypothetical scenario could you see unfolding for those two former stars at Mania?

Parks: Imagine my surprise when I came home tonight to see THAT news! It certainly makes for interesting discussion and I haven't really processed it enough to think about where either man fits in. I think, if it's true, only one of them gets physically involved, and I would think it would be in either Taker vs. Hunter or Cena vs. Rock. If something happens during Taker vs. Hunter, though, especially a Lesnar interference or something, that to me would be tough to pull of mid-show and just go on with the rest of the show. I mean, that's a really big deal, which makes me think they might save it for the main event.

Caldwell: Hmm...so perhaps setting up Rock vs. Brock at WM29 next year. Or, heck, even the sleeper dream match of Cena vs. Brock. You are right, though, that if Brock interferes or takes out Taker post-HIAC match, it would be a show-stopping event. And, if they want Brock vs. ??? to headline next year's Mania, they would need to treat it as such. That's a great point. If it is Taker, I envision a situation similar to Kevin Nash's return last year taking out C.M. Punk, where Nash "gets the text" to "stick the winner," leading to the post-match attack. Something like Taker is on bended knee, the arena is dark, the pyro flames are shooting, and suddenly Lesnar sneak-attacks Taker in the Cell for a shocking moment. I don't know where Batista fits in any of this, though, so I'm leaning more toward Brock making a return, if the rumor holds true. Greg, let's break down the final build-up for Punk-Jericho on Raw. Again, Jericho appears on the Titantron to taunt Punk, then Punk showed fire by destroying Christian. What did you think of their final week of build-up?

Parks: It certainly heated up with Punk showing a lot of fire. This is a grudge match that I don't think is going to start with a collar-and-elbow tie-up. Punk has shown good intensity and as I've stated before, I don't mind the addition of Jericho needling Punk over family issues into this feud, somewhat distracting it from the fight over who is the best in the world. No matter what happens, I think the feud will extend past WM and into the next PPV.

Caldwell: You mentioned this not starting with a collar-and-elbow, which reminded me of something that I wanted to bring up for Rock-Cena - do you think a mid-PPV stipulation will be added to Rock-Cena and/or Punk-Jericho making it No DQ or No Holds Barred or something that will give them leeway to avoid either match ending via DQ? Or, do you think both will be straight-up, one-fall, singles matches?

Parks: I think it should be straight-up singles matches. If you do a rematch, especially for Punk vs. Jericho, that's where you can insert the stip. I don't really see a need for either match, despite the grudge match-like feeling each carries with it, to handicap itself by making it a spectacle rather than an actual match.

Caldwell: I definitely agree on Punk-Jericho being straight-up at Mania, then adding the "Extreme Rules" stipulation at the next PPV in the re-match. I think because Rock-Cena is supposed to be a one-off, they could add a stipulation mid-PPV, but, if they have a re-match at Summerslam or next year's Mania or sometime in the future, they should save the stipulation for the re-match based on whatever happens on Sunday. WWE, Rock, and Cena obviously have control of how the match plays out and what the finish is, so they can avoid needing a stipulation. As for Punk-Jericho, Greg, what is your final pick - Jericho captures the WWE Title or Punk retains the WWE Title?

Parks: I'm going to say Punk retains. As I've said before, Jericho has come at Punk hard on the mic and if it was just over the Best in the World moniker, I'd be more apt to pick Jericho. But for Jericho to insult Punk and his family and then have Punk lose? Even if it's only for a one-month Jericho reign, as some have predicted, I think Punk could lose some of his luster. It could depend on how cute WWE gets with the finish though if Jericho wins.

Caldwell: I've gone back and forth on this, but I've concluded that I don't think Jericho needs to win here to set up the re-match at Extreme Rules, thus giving Punk the final word at Mania at this stage of the feud. So, I could see something where Jericho gets on the mic after the match, while Punk is celebrating, and teases another "pipe bomb" secret. On Raw, Jericho "blackmails" Punk into giving him the re-match in exchange for his silence. I think that would get Jericho his heat back, keep Punk the champ without having to break up his title reign, and set up the re-match. It feels Eddie Guerrero-Rey Mysterio-esque in a certain way. As for the quality of Punk-Jericho, do you think it has a chance to "steal the show," as Jericho suggested in an interview Friday? Or, will it simply be another really good match involving these two, but not something we'll remember for years and years?

Parks: It could steal the show, absolutely. Is it a guarantee? Not necessarily. But I think Jericho and Punk are two guys who would work really hard to have as good a match as they possibly can at Mania (not that others don't). It really depends on placement on the card, how much time it gets, that sort of thing as well.

Caldwell: Indeed. The "x" factors usually make the difference when it comes to that sort of thing. It seems like there's that one match every year that people say, "Oh, this will definitely steal the show," then there's the sleeper match that actually does steal the show. The one I'm thinking about is Bryan-Sheamus, especially with the added motivation of being bumped from Mania last year. Those hidden variables certainly play a factor, like you said. What kind of a match do you see them having, does Sheamus win, and what do you think of the totality of the build-up?

Parks: They have a good match, and Sheamus wins. Build-up has been more focused about Bryan's character than the match, but that's fine because Sheamus can just say "I want to win the title," and that'll fly for me. Not every feud has to get personal like what ended up happening between Jericho and Punk. That said, if there's one match I see of the big four that gets some of its time cut, it's this one. So yeah, it could be really good, but it could be disappointing if it only gets, say, 8-10 minutes.

Caldwell: That seemed to happen with I believe Punk-Rey two years ago, where people saw it as the show-stealer, then it was cut down to seven minutes, and it never really got started. I think what's interesting about Bryan is that it seems like WWE has been setting up Bryan to be able to come out of Mania without the title, but with a fall-back plan - that being the A.J. story you mentioned - so he doesn't completely fall off the map if he's not champ. Even though I see Bryan losing on Sunday, I still feel good about his chances to remain a top-line heel, as opposed to recent one-hit-wonder champs like Jack Swagger. As for the other two singles matches from Smackdown, Randy Orton-Kane has star power and lots of years to draw from, and Rhodes-Big Show has a really good story thanks to Rhodes's mic work. What do you think of those two matches?

Parks: I'm glad you grouped them together, because I see them as being on the same level. Orton vs. Kane has been given the minimum amount of hype and build-up given the star power of the two men, and I can't see any result other than an RKO from Orton ending it. Big Show vs. Cody Rhodes is a little more complicated. With Big Show's promo tonight on Smackdown saying he's never had that WrestleMania moment, it certainly sets him up to win and get his Mania moment. If not, and Rhodes wins or Show wins by DQ, he could get that moment after the match. That wouldn't surprise me, either.

Caldwell: I don't think winning the IC Title is what Show has in mind for his Mania moment, as I laugh to myself about picturing Show with the IC Title belt, so I definitely see a post-match WMD or chokeslam or something along those lines to fulfill what he said in the promo, after Rhodes retains via DQ/count-out. I don't want to look too far ahead past Mania since it's worth sitting back and seeing how Mania unfolds with so much time invested in the build-up, but you have Orton likely winning, Bryan likely dropping the title, Sheamus likely the top champion for a few months, and Kane, Show, Mark Henry, and others hovering near the World Title picture. Without getting into specific post-Mania feuds or match-ups, do you think the Smackdown brand is positioned well right now or do they need something along the lines of Batista coming back, or a hot, new feud?

Parks: You can always use someone of the name-value and stature of a Batista, not only to freshen things up, but to increase the star power, especially as ratings are not doing so well for both shows before Mania this year. A return by Batista would clearly situate him atop the card. I just can't believe, as consistently anti-WWE as he's been lately, that he'd be willing to come back at this juncture. Therefore, I wonder if he'd come back for one night only or even for a one-month run where he'd headline the next PPV or something like that.

Caldwell: That's an interesting point because Batista doesn't feel like a Rock or Brock coming in for a mega-match. He doesn't have that level of history, so if he returns, I think it's as you said, a one-off at an upcoming PPV or a mini-feud a la Chris Jericho returning to face Punk. Greg, the Big One we've managed to avoid thus far is...of course...Team Johnny vs. Team Teddy with about 20 people involved from wrestlers to GMs to announcers to managers to valets to flag-bearers to mascots. With all of the shenanigans expected to play out here, once the dust settles, who wins and who are the Sole Survivors?

Parks: Did they make it an elimination match, or is it just a tag match? Oh well, that's hardly an important point! I think Team Johnny's team wins, Johnny wreaks havoc on Smackdown and Raw for a few weeks/months, then he gets overturned. After all, if they do a Draft show, what fun is that when we already have the Supershow concept and now one GM will be running both shows? I just don't get how they can do a draft at this point, but back to the match: Yeah, Johnny's team wins.

Caldwell: I think the assumption has been an elimination match, but I'm not 100 percent sure that proclamation has been made! Perhaps they need an independent, unbiased, third party authority figure to establish & enforce the rules. That would have to be NXT head booker Matt Striker or NXT matchmaker William Regal, right?! As I said on the Livecast yesterday, I have changed my prediction to Team Johnny as this build-up has unfolded, then they re-arrange the deck after Mania in time for the Draft. It certainly wouldn't make any sense for Laurinaitis to Draft/Trade with himself. And, finally, Greg, the Divas tag match. Plus, the newly-added pre-show three-way Tag Title match with E&C vs. the Usos and KiddGabriel. I think it's a disappointing use of the Divas this year, but the division lost momentum one year ago when Kharma left TV. But, your thoughts on the tag matches rounding out Mania?

Parks: I really have no thoughts on the Divas match; it'll likely be "blink and you'll miss it" even though they have some strong characters with Beth and Eve involved. I'm glad the tag titles are finding some place on the show, even if it is just the pre-show; but hey, at least we can watch it on WWE.com or YouTube and don't have to wait for the DVD release to see it. Kidd and Gabriel is an odd team. I'd prefer to see Primo and Epico win. I actually would've preferred to see Carlito and Carlos Colon challenge their family members in a tag match, but I guess this is acceptable.

Caldwell: Family Feud Tag Title match would have been great, agreed there. I actually see Kidd & Gabriel taking the titles on Sunday. WWE went to the trouble of filming a backstage interview with them earlier this week - granted, it was just to have some back-story to why they're teaming to challenge for the Tag Titles - but I have a feeling they could "warm up the crowd" with a title victory. We'll see. Greg, final thoughts on the WM28 PPV - overall build-up, expectations, #1 item you want to see answered/addressed, what do you think we'll be talking about the most on the Livecast post-game, anything else along those lines?

Parks: I think, no matter what else happens on the show, the most calls we'll get will be talking about Cena vs. Rock. Even if it turns out to be a normal match in every way, the finish is going to create a lot of conversation and speculation no matter who wins or how it turns out.

Caldwell: The only thing I could see rivaling that is if Hunter breaks The Streak or if there's a major surprise return. But, I think Rock-Cena will be the dominant talking point, as it should be after the yearlong hype. Greg, we kind of covered all of the big points from Raw and Smackdown looking at the PPV line-up, but anything else stand out to you from Raw or the last two Smackdown episodes?

Parks: Nope. I'm about ready for WrestleMania, James.

Caldwell: Excellent. We will save the TNA Impact discussion for next week's Chat once the dust settles from Mania. Greg, give us a plug for what's on the Gonzo & The Greg menu this weekend before Mania.

Parks: We've got our top five list of best WrestleMania matches. Look for our show late Sunday morning/early Sunday afternoon, to whet your appetite even further before Mania!

Caldwell: Excellent! The perfect pre-game show before Mania. Then, of course, everyone should join us after Mania for the post-game Livecast on BlogTalkRadio.com. Greg, the table is set. Time to eat! Thanks for the Chat...and we'll talk again Sunday night!

Parks: Great! Thanks, James!

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