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 with the Smackdown show you just covered here on Friday night. What did you make of the overall show and WWE's second attempt at setting up a Sheamus vs. Del Rio PPV match for the World Title?

Greg Parks: I thought the show was okay, nothing special. Sheamus vs. Swagger was a nice match, and I thought for sure we'd get Orton vs. Sheamus at No Way Out, so it was a mild surprise to see Del Rio in that spot. Smackdown hasn't been very good as of late, as it's been in a state of transition with all the new debuts and the shuffling being done atop the card. This show didn't do anything to settle that by any means, but the return of Christian will help strengthen things.

Caldwell: Do you think WWE will stick with Sheamus vs. Del Rio or change it again, especially with Chris Jericho suspended for 30 days, so it looks like Orton doesn't have a program now?

Parks: I think they'll stick with Sheamus vs. Del Rio for this month. I'm thinking deciding on Del Rio, then making it a multi-man match again, will feel too much like a repeat of last month. Otherwise, it would seem to fit perfectly. If Orton doesn't make it into the match to turn it into a three-way, do you see him making it on the No Way Out card in some other way?

Caldwell: If he's not added to the World Title match, I think he's got to be on the card somehow since he seems to have a lot of momentum right now. Looking at the reactions he received on PPV, Raw, and Smackdown this week, it feels like he's back on track after floundering a bit outside of the World Title picture. I think what's interesting is WWE has released a PPV description that includes all of these gimmick matches, so I assume Orton will be included in one of those if he's not in the title match. Perhaps a multi-man match? But, it would seem a bit beneath him, I believe. I'll be interested to see how the PPV build plays out. About Sheamus, how do you feel about him as World champ? Is he the right guy to be on top or should it be Orton or someone else?

Parks: You could make an argument for Orton, and I wouldn't disagree, but Sheamus is a guy WWE is trying to get over to the Orton level, and making him the focus of Smackdown will help do that. I have no qualms with his push; I think he's won over a large number of fans who doubted him or who felt he was only getting a push because he was Triple H's running buddy at the start.

Caldwell: I'm with you. I could go with Sheamus or Orton at this point. But, I think it's best to keep Sheamus on top just because he's been champ for a few months now, has proven himself as a solid face, and could build a solid title reign leading into Summerslam for a potential singles match against Orton. Elsewhere, Greg, you mentioned Christian's Smackdown return tonight. What do you think of how they handled him returning as a face after his IC Title victory at the PPV?

Parks: I wrote it in my Smackdown report, but I think this pattern of guys just showing up as a heel or face without turning does damage to their character. How are fans supposed to be invested in a character when (a) we don't know their motives and (b) can't trust them to stay consistent on a week-to-week basis? I think Christian will help the face side on Smackdown, but it's just disconcerting the way it happened.

Caldwell: I agree. It's one of those things where WWE just makes arbitrary changes and expects the audience to just go along with it - it's pretty insulting. It also leads me into a discussion of what's going on with C.M. Punk, Kane, and Daniel Bryan, especially after events on Raw. Who are the heels and faces here?

Parks: I know that Kane and Bryan are heels and Punk is a face, but they sure have muddied the waters in the last week. I don't know if this is chapter one or two in a feud and the guys will get time to explain themselves like Big Show did or what. I don't know why it's necessary to involve Kane in this story; just give me Punk vs. Bryan! James, what do you think the point is of involving Kane in the Bryan vs. Punk feud?

Caldwell: It feels like they don't have anything for Kane right now, and they don't want to give away Bryan vs. Punk on TV, so they need a third person to kind of be involved in the proceedings. I mean, this started off a simple deal where Laurinaitis was trying to give Punk a pre-PPV obstacle having to face Kane, and now it's turned into Punk using a somewhat-sympathetic Kane to take out Bryan. All of this in the middle of Kane having another match with lovable babyface Zack Ryder, who Kane tried to destroy for weeks and weeks on Raw just a short time ago! I think "muddied" is a perfect word to describe this. And, to your question, I think WWE isn't confident in a straight-up Punk vs. Bryan feud to grab the mass audience's interest, so they decided to involve a third party. But, I think Punk-Bryan with some more elements mixed in could surprise WWE brass with appealing it could be. Bryan is so good as a heel right now and Punk respects Bryan enough not to do one of his "tear down the opponent" promos. Do you see the Bryan-Punk feud leading to a PPV re-match or will they go a different direction?

Parks: I hope WWE is smart enough to do a r-ematch, based on the quality of the match at the PPV as well as the crowd response. They just seem to feel as if they need to insert some "entertainment" into the feud, which is where Kane comes in. Anything else on Smackdown to hit on, James?

Caldwell: I think we can briefly touch on the Smackdown mid-card. Ryback had another squash, Damien Sandow squashed Yoshi, and well, Santino, wrestled Ricardo on television. Are they going anywhere with these items?

Parks: Ryback yes, Sandow yes, Santino and Rodriguez...eh. It's just a comedy TV feud that could stretch out a few more weeks. I thought for sure they'd have a Tuxedo match given Rodriguez's attire, but maybe they'll save that for the blow-off. I thought Sandow's first real match was fine, he didn't really do anything to sway me one way or the other on his in-ring abilities. But Ryback was impressive once again. James, when do you see WWE taking Ryback to the next level and putting him into a feud, and who do you think that'll be against?

Caldwell: I think if WWE actually took a break and looked at their entire roster to create new match-ups, they could come up with something compelling for Ryback, but I feel like any actual feud will lead to the same problem Brodus Clay is running into - the crowds aren't invested enough in the act beyond the quick beginning, middle, and end. In the case of Clay, it's the ring intro routine, quick match, and post-match dancing. I don't have favorable thoughts on Ryback matched up with another big man, as I feel like it wouldn't be pleasing to the eye and I don't think would benefit Ryback. So, perhaps someone like Tyson Kidd who could benefit from being on TV, and also sell like crazy to ease Ryback into a program with an actual roster member? That's what I could see working initially. Greg, we can get your thoughts on Ryback and also transition into a Raw discussion via Big Show. Show had another promo on Smackdown tonight to follow up on his explanation on Raw. What did you make of Show's character transition, and then we'll get into all of the mess created via the Cena vs. Laurinaitis PPV explanation?

Parks: I'm happy to watch Ryback squash poor schlubs for however long WWE wants. I think Big Show's explanation lends credence to why he wouldn't have been apt to just help Cena during the match and hope to get his job back with the new GM - Show didn't just turn heel because he helped Laurinaitis, he did it because he felt the fans were insensitive to his feelings. So, I think they covered that well enough. What did you think of Show's explanation, and did John Laurinaitis mistakenly say "Saturday" was when he rehired Show, or do you think that was in the script and somehow no one who saw that script bothered to think the obvious, that Show would've then been under contract when he interfered and would've been subject to firing by the Board?

Caldwell: I thought Show's explanation for turning heel worked out since he's trying to rationalize his actions by blaming others. I think that's solid storytelling, and if WWE would have focused the story on that instead of creating these giant threads that all had to tie together and then have Cena try to address for it all make sense, then they wouldn't have run into the problems with Laurinaitis's promo gaffe. My understanding is it was written into the script, so I think that one is on WWE, despite Laurinaitis having a history of blunders on the mic. I really, really did not like Cena's promo to begin Raw trying to explain why he didn't just pin/submit Laurinaitis and get it over with, especially when Big Show didn't get involved until 15 minutes into the match. What did you make of Cena's promo, him actually selling a loss...this one being to a joke of an executive, and the set up for a Cena-Show match at the PPV?

Parks: Cena has done the joking promo and sarcasm for so long, I really couldn't tell if that was true anger that he was trying to get across in the open or if it was more of the same. I guess it was supposed to be true rage, but it just didn't feel "real." It felt like a guy acting angry. So yeah, I'm with you, I wasn't thrilled about the promo. I gotta say, though, as much as no real good can come from Laurinaitis winning that match, it was pretty funny to see him selling the "injuries" he suffered.

Caldwell: That's a good point on it not being clear when/if Cena is trying to sell real emotion or just going by the book of what he's supposed to do while still trying to maintain the Super Cena persona. On Laurinaitis, how do you see this playing out with him firmly entrenched in control of Raw & SD? Will he just remain the heel authority figure with no end in sight, will there be a coup by Otunga & Eve, will Triple H get re-involved at some point with a new plot to overthrow Laurinaitis? How long does this go on, sir Greg?

Parks: Indefinitely. Triple H seems to be locking horns with Brock Lesnar in the future, which takes him out of the picture for regaining control. There's no one else really to wrest it away from Laurinaitis, unless they stick with Cena and his feud with Laurinaitis, where somehow Cena gets Laurinaitis ousted as GM. But, Cena should have something better to do than feud with the GM. They really need to scale back on the screen time Laurinaitis gets, and that's coming from someone who had warmed up to his character after a rocky start.

Caldwell: Agreed. It just screams off-season to me when Laurinaitis continues to be the centerpiece of the show. It looks like a month or maybe two of Cena-Big Show, and then perhaps a Brock re-match, but I could also see Brock's next match being against Triple H, as you mentioned. So, I sense a bit of a lull period for Cena having a few "comfortable feuds" until they come up with something else this fall. Regarding the Brock-Hunter-Heyman situation, do you see WWE continuing to make a mention here or there about "legal issues," like on this week's Raw, and then WWE brings everyone back in a few months around the 1,000th episode, or do you see them picking up the intensity of the feud sooner than that? I could see WWE getting desperate if the rating dips, but I just don't know if the slow trickle of a few appearances here and there is the way to go.

Parks: Ugh, I really can't believe they're going back to Cena vs. Show. That was SO dull a few years ago when they did it, it's going to take more than the involvement of Laurinaitis to spice it up. I just don't see Lesnar showing up for another few (several?) weeks, but when he does, I think that's when his feud with Hunter will heat up. Let's assume they do that match at Summerslam...maybe Lesnar shows up once in June, once in July, then a few times in August to really push the match hype into overdrive? Can they hold off that long or do they end up doing it at the July PPV?

Caldwell: I think WWE would like to hold off on Hunter-Lesnar to Summerslam, and begin the hard push on the first three-hour Raw recognizing 1,000 episodes. But, what if the ratings tank and No Way Out has no juice behind it? Do they go ahead and bring in Lesnar ahead of time, book Hunter-Lesnar at MITB, and then have Lesnar vs. Cena (or someone else) at Summerslam? I think these next few weeks of ratings and overall feel of Raw could determine their plans for their summer. Things certainly changed last year when C.M. Punk suddenly broke out. So, there could be a similar change. Throw in Jericho's suspension for 30 days, Greg, do you think it could lead to a shake-up or some of those non-regular stars returning to replace Jericho?

Parks: I don't think so; they'll just take guys from Smackdown to patch the holes on the Raw roster. That's the beauty of the Supershow concept, aka not adhering to the brand-split. Plus, maybe Jericho's absence will allow WWE to elevate a heel like Miz or Ziggler to take his place. Wishful thinking anyway. Any other tidbits from Raw to hit up?

Caldwell: Similar to the wishful thinking that three-hour Raws will lead to the rise of mid-carders. Perhaps it happens, but I think it would take a change in philosophy. Two other items from Raw come to mind. What did you make of the handicap lumberjack chaos main event, especially Tensai changing things up and the involvement of Swagger & Ziggler? Also, what do you make of the State of the Divas division with Layla and Beth appearing to continue their feud?

Parks: Yeah, that's what's going to put Tensai over the top and get him over with the fans: dropping "Lord" from his name. At least WWE is recognizing that what they were doing wasn't working. I don't know if there's a lot else to read into that beyond the usual lumberjack chaos. Layla and Beth gets a "meh" from me. I like both women, but really, they're just in a holding pattern 'til Kharma gets back. Unfortunately for the entirety of the division, it's been a LONG holding pattern.

Caldwell: Very, very long. Before we jump to TNA, Greg, any final thoughts on what to expect from next week's Raw with nothing advertised in-advance? Are there some items to look forward to seeing fleshed out after this week's PPV fall-out?

Parks: I would guess just natural storyline progression. Like you said, nothing specific has been announced, so nothing really to draw on in the way of predictions. Impact had its second Open Fight Night and Gut Check; compare this one to the first episode last month. Which show did you like better, the first Fight Night/Gut Check, or this one?

Caldwell: I liked this Gut Check better than last month's with Joey Ryan involved, as I've followed his career since mid-2000s PWG, so I was interested to see how he looked in the ring with Austin Aries. As for Fight Night, I mean, it ended up delivering a solid Roode-Styles match, but, man, that first segment killed the entire show for me. The talk of scripts and format sheets and Hogan saying what they're supposed to be doing in this 10-minute block of time sitting around the office - it was just too much for me and I don't think it's good for business. So, I think it's a wash compared to last month, and the common denominator is Hogan's insider-lingo-filled rambles hurting the show. What did you make of OFN and Gut Check this month?

Parks: Last month I noted that the Fight Night episode succeeded in feeling "different" from every other episode of Impact. It only took one show for that feeling to go away and get back to feeling like any other Impact episode. I was torn on the first segment: I agree that the talk of format sheets and scripts was ridiculous (especially for a show where the script should be one page - everyone is supposed to unexpectedly challenge everyone else after all!), but I thought the acting and conversation was on-point. I think the discussion of the merits of who should face Roode was well-done because it focused on who can best beat Roode, and wins and losses overall and to Roode. So for that point, I was a little more forgiving.

Caldwell: Yeah, I felt like if TNA (Hogan) simply removed that entire discussion of the script and just had Hogan sit down and set up a discussion of who should be next to challenge Roode for the title (and really establish the urgency of why they needed to make sure Roode did not become longest-reigning champ), then I thought everything would have been perfect. I liked the interplay between the four wrestlers, but it was presented like too much of a put-on based on Hogan's open. So, if they could remove the fluff, they really have some strong characters to build around. It's just one step forward and one or two steps backward for TNA. Of course, the other big aspect of Impact was Sting returning to set up Roode-Sting next week live one hour earlier. Was bringing Sting back the right move here, or should they have saved Sting for later and created a different hook for next week?

Parks: I think it was fine for them to bring him back this week. It tempered Roode's celebration for having the longest title reign, though it makes you wonder what role Hogan would've had Sting play if Styles had defeated Roode, since Sting's only role seemed to be as the cold water poured on Roode's triumph. You could make the argument that Sting could've been saved for the new timeslot/live show, but I also understand presenting Sting this week and creating that hook to see him again next week.

Caldwell: Do you think Sting takes the title next week or is this another opportunity for Roode to pick up a clean win following his RVD ladder match victory and victory over Styles this week?

Parks: How about neither? I think Roode wins, but not cleanly.

Caldwell: I immediately thought of that after I asked the question! Yeah, I don't think it's a clean win, either. Or, perhaps a DQ-type finish involving the lumberjacks setting up something for Slammiversary. Speaking of which, Greg, what's your prediction on the main event or just any matches on the card for TNA's 10-year anniversary show?

Parks: That's difficult since so many feuds seemed to end after Sacrifice. I would hope Storm would come back since this is one of TNA's big shows, and maybe he will since they're rushing into Roode and Sting so soon. But you've still got Angle who could take on Roode at the PPV. Beyond that, there's a lot that needs to be sorted out, and with only a few weeks out, it's a little concerning that there doesn't seem to be many obvious match-ups set yet.

Caldwell: I'm also sensing that whatever matches are put together for Slammiversary will feel rushed. Storm could certainly come back ahead of the PPV, which would seem like a short build to his return match. And, with next week's show being live, TNA will probably be focused on that aspect, so they may end up with one week to set up the card for their anniversary show. Or, just throw their top stars into a King of the Mountain match to stack the deck against Roode. On this week's Impact, Greg, what else jumped out at you?

Parks: They continued building a story about Madison Rayne having an eye on someone in the locker room, and Bully Ray's feud with Joseph Park continued. I'm strangely intrigued by both. Do you have any guesses as to who Rayne has a crush on, and what's next for Joseph Park?

Caldwell: Perhaps Brooke Hogan will draw the info out of Madison next week! I'm not sure who to venture a guess on - I assume it's a heel, but I think that's kind of an odd storyline for a heel. So, I haven't given it enough thought yet to venture a guess. As for Ray-Park, do you see this leading to a match between the two, perhaps at Slammiversary? Or, will they keep Abyss in his current incarnation as J. Park out of the ring until Abyss returns as Abyss?

Parks: My guess is Rayne has her eyes on, you guessed it, Garett Bischoff. I would personally keep Joseph out of the ring and simply let Abyss do his bidding. I think that's about it from Impact, so I'll go ahead and sneak my plug for Gonzo & The Greg in now: This weekend, we'll post our Top five personal mark-out moments as a fan. That'll appear in the Torch VIP section on Sunday afternoon.

Caldwell: Very good! We'll look forward to that this weekend. Greg, a bit of a down week for TV wrestling this week, but things should pick up next week following the live Impact and perhaps WWE having some time to re-evaluate things after Over the Limit. Until then, have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Parks: You too, James, as well as to the readers. Have a fun and safe holiday!

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