BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR

There's a lot to like about this show through three weeks. A few things I'm not crazy about:

-Giving the contestants WWE belts at the start and taking them away as they lose. I know it's a great visual, and compromises have to be made for production reasons, but I could imagine that idea being shot down by people within WWE saying you should have to earn the right to carry a replica belt around that represents a WWE Championship. Even a leather belt missing the main silver front with the WWE logo could have worked, with the winner getting the final piece of the belt attached to the leather stating they were the Tough Enough winner.

-Showing men against women, and a veteran like Bill Demott beating up the contestants, in a series of body slam challenges and corner splashes exposed how things don't really hurt. Yes, people know pro wrestling match outcomes are a work, but pro wrestlers have worked so hard to communicate the truth to the masses - which is that what they do really does take a serious toll on their bodies. So having these contestants pop up from bodyslams and come out only slightly scathed from the corner splashes by Demott shows that maybe things don't really hurt. Having the contestants easily bodyslam each other and Demott also shows how much cooperation goes into moves, making the feats of strength during Raw seem less impressive.

Overall, I think they've done a nice job in their portrayal of the pro wrestling industry, and Steve Austin has been fantastic as the star of the show, but those are two areas that jumped out so far where some tweaking might have been good for the big picture.

Okay, on to tonight's episode four...

-I was worried about Bill Demott wearing out his welcome quickly with his resident bad cop trainer gimmick (not to mention the contradiction of lecturing contestants about getting in shape when you look like you'd have a heart attack running a 100 yard dash), but he's been a pleasant surprise. I loved his line when Rima Fakih showed up for a one-on-one session she requested: "I think Rima under the impression that asking for help was more important than getting help." He blew off her attempt to sweet-talk Demott by calling the late-night session their "date" and showing off her cleavage by pointing at her new Tough Enough t-shirt.

-I don't think Matt Cross was preordained to lose early in the competition. I think if he showed great personality and fire, he would have stayed longer. I do think he did himself in by his performance, but I do think he had to shine brighter than everyone else because WWE holds it against wrestlers who have a big rep on the indy scene. C.M. Punk battled that at first and won everyone over. I think Rima, thoug, was kept around after Cross because there was a more TV-friendly story still to tell for a pageant winner who is great on TV. Cross seemed gun-shy and lacking charisma and fortitude, although had he come in with confidence and bravado based on his years of in-ring experience, that would have been used against him, too. I think for Cross, he will end up better off by being cut early in a "shocker" rather than lasting near the end but coming up short. He looks like he was cheated out of being given a chance, and now he has a backstory to his character that he didn't have before, whether that's in WWE down the line or on the indy scene (or TNA).

-If Booker T's Smackdown commentary was going to get in the way of his coaching Tough Enough, and if he's really lousy at commentary on Smackdown, why did they pull him from Tough Enough to do color on Smackdown? He misses another episode this week due to Smackdown.

-It's getting to the point in the show with just six guys left that it's getting clearer what the strengths and weaknesses are of each beyond the first impression based on their looks. Luke and Jeremiah stood out for coming to Tough Enough in shape. It still blows my mind that anyone came to this show not in peak condition. I don't get it at all.

-Bill Demott: "I walk in to Frisco's and Trish has them on roller skates. Have you see these kids walk? Now have they have wheels under them!" His delivery there was great. Unlike NXT or Diva Search challenges, these "life lesson" segments on Tough Enough do reveal physical and personality traits regarding the contestants. Are they open to new challenges? Do they embarrass too easily? Do they submit to authority and make the best of a situation? Can they balance on wheels?

-No one who watches this show, even with what I said about bodyslams being "exposed" a bit earlier in this blog, will watch a chain of moves in the ring again the same way. Watching these contestants do basics so poorly shows that not just anyone can step into the ring and do this "fake pro rasslin' stuff."

-If Rima wins it will be the comeback of the century or start a lot of rumors!

-Andy Leavine is carrying himself in a way that, if he becomes a WWE star, he won't look back and be embarrassed. Now, you don't want a TV show full of mature, level-headed, straight-edge Andy types, but he's representing himself well.

-Austin's reaction to Martin Casaus taking his shirt off in the ring like a stripper would was great.

-Luke should have shaken Martin's hand. Doesn't he get that the coaches aren't into that kind of display? He should shake hands with him just for taking care of him in the ring, much less holding it against him that the judges didn't name him the winner. I get that he wants to win, but being a sore loser or acting like his worthy opponent was beneath him can work against him.

-Austin Quote: "I really thought (Martin) was a jerk-off when he first came in, but he's here to do business."

-You can just tell that Trish, Demott, and Austin are all taking this seriously - or are just great at looking like they are taking everything into account and really investing in making the right decision each week as they discuss the bottom three. You can also tell Austin cares about the contestants and has a tough time cutting them. I like that they didn't put up a facade of a "Bottom Three" when it was obvious Rima was a level below the others, at least based on the editing of the show. Austin is right - not winning Tough Enough doesn't mean you can't be a WWE wrestler some day; it just means you won't win Tough Enough.

-Rima's graceful exit did pave the way for her to be welcomed to WWE's developmental system.

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