DIGITAL DABBLINGS #17 – Women’s Division Brings the Heat
First up, I’d like to say a few things about the passing of Bobby “The Brain” Heenan. Many younger viewers of WWE might not truly understand the legend that was the Weasel, but for those […]
Opinion & Analysis
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers share Bobby Heenan memories including chemistry with Monsoon and memorable one-liners
If you have fond memories of Bobby “The Brain” Heenan you’d like to share, send them to kellerwade@pwtorch.com for possible publication this week. I got into wrestling in the late-’80s and my parents were kind enough […]
MONDAY NIGHT REIGNS-O-METER #36: Tracking Roman Raeigns’s ability to beat the odds and come out on top
Roman Reigns is one of the most divisive and talked about WWE performers in history. The company makes desperate play after desperate play to make him their number one star – thus far to no […]
ROH HITS & MISSES 9/16: Cody’s Ring of Honor, Whitmer & Riccaboni on commentary, Briscoes vs. Kingdom, more
HITS Ian Riccaboni and BJ Whitmer on Commentary: I say it every week and I will say it again this week. I think the versatility of Ian Riccaboni on commentary has become a big asset […]
WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER 9/19: Shane seeks retribution as Styles and Corbin clash for the U.S., Natalya’s “Celebration of Women”
WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 OAKLAND, CALIF. AT THE ORACLE By Joey Galizia (@RamJam89), PWTORCH SPECIALIST ANNOUNCED BY WWE… A.J. Styles defends the U.S. Championship against Baron Corbin Natalya holds a ceremonious “Celebration of […]
RADICAN UNBOXES – August 2017 Wrestle Crate – Headlocked Mini Comic, Roddy Piper, Matt Riddle, Seth Rolins (w/video & coupon code)
The latest unboxing video for features an unboxing of the August 2017 Wrestle Crate. Wrestle Crate is under new ownership, so things have changed since the last time I unboxed a Wrestle Crate. There are […]
PARKS’S TAKE: With WWE finally utilizing Starrcade name, what other WCW PPV monikers could be next?
After much speculation and prodding from fans over the years, WWE has finally decided to use the “Starrcade” name, one of the trademarks WWE acquired in the purchase of WCW in 2001. It was announced […]
RAW PRIMER 9/18: Braun looks to send The Beast a final message before their showdown at No Mercy
RAW PREVIEW SEPTEMBER 18, 2017 SAN JOSE, CALIF. By Joey Galizia (@RamJam89), PWTorch contributor ANNOUNCED BY WWE… Nia Jax vs. Alexa Bliss (Non-title match) Not confirmed, but according to WWE.COM , another Reigns/Cena promo session. […]
20 YRS AGO: Bruce Mitchell’s feature column on the life of Fritz Von Erich, a lesson paid for in ruined lives and needless deaths
The following is Bruce Mitchell’s feature column published 20 years ago this month in PWTorch Newsletter #459 (cover dated Sept. 27, 1997), a look at the life and impact on pro wrestling of Fritz Von […]
COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: Designer Brian Ubben Talks About 2017 PWG BOLA Trading Cards
In much the same way that Pro Wrestling Guerrilla’s Battle of Los Angeles is one of the biggest wrestling events of the summer, Brian Ubben’s unofficial BOLA trading cards have become some of the most […]
FIVE COUNT: Five lessons to be learned from WWE’s Mae Young Classic including binge watch format, backstories lacking, early match formats flawed
I was kind of disappointed with the Mae Young Classic after all was said and done. If you go into with low expectations then you might have enjoyed it more. The quality of the wrestling, […]
GFW IMPACT HITS & MISSES 9/14: Trevor Lee’s title win, Taya, Low Ki vs. Impact, OVW vs. LAX, Karen Jarrett, Borash, Pagano
HITS Trevor Lee Wins Gold: The most underutilized GFW wrestler of 2017 has won gold once again. It was the right call. Sonjay Dutt is a fine mid-card wrestler but he shouldn’t have been cast […]
WWE ALL-STARS & UNDERPERFORMERS: The Miz, Vince McMahon, Bray Wyatt, Jinder Mahal top week of strong performances
This week in WWE programming saw a loaded Monday Night Raw along with three title matches and Vince McMahon being featured on Smackdown. Both shows were fantastic for the most part so this week will […]
WWE SMACKDOWN HITS & MISSES 9/12: The Headbutt, The Kevin Owens Show, Styles vs. Tye, Ziggler, Usos lose belts, Jinder and Singhs
SMACKDOWN HITS The Kevin Owens Show: Starting with the opening and throughout, I enjoyed Kevin Owens’ appearances, and got a kick out of how he conducted himself around the other superstars. They did a good […]
WWE RAW HITS & MISSES 9/11: Reigns vs. Jordan, Lesnar-Strowman brawl, Cena vs. Strowman, Cena-Reigns III, Miz TV
RAW HITS Reigns vs. Jordan: This was a good follow up to last week’s match between John Cena and Jason Jordan. This week, it was Roman Reigns who went up against Jordan after giving Cena […]
9/13 NXT PRIMER: Spoiler-free preview of tonight’s episode including what’s next from Cole & O’Reilly & Fish, Riot & partner vs. Royce & Kaye, Gargano vs. Sabatelli or Moss
NXT PRIMER SEPTEMBER 13, 2017 TAPED 8/24 IN WINTER PARK, FLA. AT FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY AIRING ON WWE NETWORK By Joey Galizia (@RamJam89), PWTorch contributor “PLAYGROUND OF A CHAMPION” NXT has had its fair share […]
CRAIG’S MUSINGS: Mae Young Classic and Vince McMahon-Kevin Owens angles – what worked and what didn’t
Mae Young Classic Finals Neither Shayna Baszler or Kairi Sane got anything resembling a decent reaction until Lilian Garcia guilted the sparse audience into it. Smackdown had louder pops from the same audience for more […]
ROH HITS & MISSES 9/9: Bully Ray speaks, Coleman’s Pulpit channels Brother Love, Cody, Young-Lethal feud escalates
HITS Consistency of Past Show Recaps: When you’ve only got one hour of TV weekly, that develops some challenges even though I think a one-hour wrestling show is the sweet spot as far as time […]
POLL: Who has come out ahead in the Cena-Reigns war of words the last three weeks?
Who has come out ahead in the Cena-Reigns war of words the last three weeks? Cena all the way Cena at first, Reigns has closed gap Cena at first, Reigns has pulled ahead Reigns at […]
NXT TRACKER – ALEISTER BLACK: Assessing and predicting the prospects of an NXT wrestler’s main roster future
Welcome once again to the NXT TRACKER, where I pick an NXT talent, assess their progression to this point and make bold, sure-to-look-hilarious-in-retrospect predictions about their future prospects. Today I’ll cover the silent killer Aleister […]
MONDAY NIGHT REIGNS-O-METER #35: Tracking Roman Reigns’s ability to beat the odds and come out on top
Roman Reigns is one of the most divisive and talked about WWE performers in history. The company makes desperate play after desperate play to make him their number one star – thus far to no […]
WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER 9/12: The man with the biggest strut in the universe makes his return to WWE TV tonight
WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER SEPTEMBER 12, 2017 LAS VEGAS, NEV. AT THOMAS AND MACK CENTER By Joey Galizia (@RamJam89), PWTORCH SPECIALIST “RETURN OF THE MAC” Prepare your little hearts. Tonight, the man with the biggest strut […]
CRAIG’S MUSING: Reigns still coming up short despite attempts last two weeks to give him more of a realistic edge against Cena
On the Aug. 28 Raw, John Cena was tasked with speaking for himself, Vince McMahon, and anti-Reigns WWE fans. All perspectives carried an intended and improvised tough love message. Perhaps the reset button was pressed […]
EUROPEAN SCENE (new feature!): An overview of the history of British wrestling scene, IWC, Drew McIntyre, and return of World of Sport
Well, hello there readers! To borrow a phrase from a fellow Scot and one of the best wee podgy wrestlers out there, “It’s yersel’ PW Torch fans!” When I think of British wrestling, I think […]