Queries on Ric Flair winning the TNA Title and a return of ECW, Questions on Chris Harris, debut matches, TNA's signings post Bischoff/Hogan, and McMahon as a genius, Cena and Rock exchange jabs on Twitter, WWE releases former Nexus member, an ex-NXT contestant, and other FCW talents, Piper weighs in on Hogan/Warrior, Ryder talks YouTube show and more, Kelly and the Bellas promote Raw, TNA to keep Hardcore Justice, Smackdown rating, and the Raw dark match,

Someone asks the blog if Ric Flair will win a World Championship in TNA. I really doubt it. I mean, it's possible they'll do that idea, but Flair hasn't generally been put in main event matches lately.

Someone (else?) wants to know if ECW will return this year. This is another one I really, really doubt. The most recent run wasn't really a ratings success by the time it ended, so I don't see a TV network wanting to put it back on the air. WWE doesn't care much about the shows that aren't Raw or Smackdown (or Tough Enough), so they'll likely keep NXT and Superstars as they are unless they get canceled internationally, too.

PWInsider.com has some new questions up. Here's my take on them:
1. It seems like it. He's been persona non grata since his tag match, and he isn't listed on the roster of TNA's website, so it doesn't look like we'll be seeing him anytime soon.

2. What they said. Not everyone can get the Del Rio push; it takes time for fans to accept that someone's a legitimate threat. The idea is that the heel can go over someone rather dominantly (and show what they can do in the ring), but it doesn't damage the person they're facing as much. Not to mention that they're still kind of "testing the waters" with them: if someone comes in and gets a huge win, then for whatever reason management isn't happy with them and they get sent back to FCW, that sucks for everyone involved. Generally, people who debut low on the card are still training, so as they improve (and adjust to the WWE style), they get better opponents (Del Rio's good enough to start near the top). Sin Cara's going through this as well, and AJ and Kaitlyn haven't started at the top of the division either, so it's not just a heel thing.

As far as it building the drama, perhaps the most famous example is Goldberg's push in WCW. First he beat people relatively low on the card, and fans basically said "wow, he's pretty good, but can he beat someone higher up the card?". So they kept tuning in as he faced tougher and tougher competition to see how he can hang with them. It was one of WCW's defining moments to be sure.

More answers and the rest of the day's news after the break, starting with a look at TNA's production values.
3. It's been worse. There were times years ago where they'd completely miss important spots and have to show them on replay. It became kind of a running gag to knock TNA for. The quick camera angles have also been a staple of the company. I guess I've gotten used to most of it. The added-in crowd noise is still pretty noticeable, though. About all I know about Bischoff's involvement is the HD cameras and "documentary" style interviews (and I'm thinking the ridiculous backstage zooming in-and-out camerawork). I'm not sure who to pin the complaints you have on, though.
4. I'm not sure if I'm just supposed to answer about those 4 or their signings in general. It's kind of a mixed bag. Flair seems to have been overexposed. Too many matches (and bladejobs) at this stage of his career. There's the old saying that you're only as good as your last run. He needs to be used more in a supporting role, except the occasional match like with Roode (and Lethal). RVD's been kind of hit-or-miss. I've liked some things he's been involved in, but other times I'd rather see someone else in his position. They really dropped the ball on him with his injury angle. His quest for the TNA Title really got pushed to the backburner, when it could have been a major deal. He's somewhat in purgatory on the card now. On-screen, Hardy hasn't been bad. Maybe not someone I'd push as high as they did, but definitely someone with a fanbase who can make money if booked right. Unfortunately, his off-screen activities have impeded what could have been a nice run. He doesn't have as much in the tank as he did in WWE, though. I personally don't care much for Anderson's shtick, but I think it's possible that they get more out of him than WWE did IF they book him well from this point forward.

5. When you put it as "scholar in a single subject", almost certainly. I don't know how much he's involved with the current company (as far as which decisions are his and which aren't), but he's definitely done some big things in the past for the business. He's had some blunders too, mostly outside of wrestling, but he generally knows what works business-wise. It's not perfect, but I'd say he's more hit than miss (again, excluding his ventures with boxing, bodybuilding, and football).

The Rock and John Cena have had some more words (and actions) for each other on Twitter. There have been others, but I don't really think it's necessary to link all of it. At some point, it kind of stops being news.

WWE released Michael Tarver over the weekend. That's not a huge surprise given how long it had been since they had done anything with him. I liked his look, and he wasn't a bad promo, but this doesn't seem to be a big loss on their end. I'd have liked to have seen him get another chance on the main roster before they decided to cut him, but then I suppose I'd be complaining that they brought him on TV, then stopped using him shortly thereafter. If they had to cut someone from the main roster, he was surely on the short list.

They also released Jacob Novak, the first elimination from both Season 4 and 5 of NXT. He seemed to be getting better as time went on, but still had a pretty good way to go before being someone I'd want to see much of. Just imagine how far he'd have to have gone to make us forget about his performances on 2 seasons of NXT.

The other three recent releases were all from FCW: Ethan Levin (who apparently was fairly new there), Buddy Stetcher (who, aside from his horribly hilarious name, I hadn't heard much about), and Buck Dixon (who was a big guy but didn't seem to be in good shape). I've never seen any of them compete, but none of them were talked up as anything special from people I know who've watched FCW. Levin was said to have an entertaining gimmick, however.

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper commented on the ongoing issues between Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior. That would definitely be an entertaining edition of Piper's Pit!

Zack Ryder was interviewed by Newsday about his YouTube show and his career. He's been very entertaining on that show. Hopefully they decide to keep using him and have him stick around based on the amount of exposure it's getting (even on their shows). I've been a fan of his pretty much since the transition to his current character, and while I don't see him as a main eventer, I do think he's earned some TV time. They are featuring him more and more, so maybe his grassroots following will continue to grow and over time his career evolves. He's definitely putting it all into his character and using what time he does get in WWE to the best of his ability.

Kelly Kelly and The Bella Twins were on the Boomer & Craig Morning Show to promote Raw. That's nice. Hopefully it sold some tickets.

In a correction from an earlier post, TNA will indeed keep the name "Hardcore Justice" for its August PPV, however there are no plans for doing an ECW reunion theme.

Smackdown did another 1.79 rating on Friday. Same old, same old. Considering there are a fair number of people featured on the show who either haven't been featured on Raw or Smackdown at all previously or weren't featured prominently before now, it shouldn't be a huge surprise that ratings aren't as high as they used to be. Considering the main event was a pretty big deal this week, it will be interesting to see where things go in future weeks.

Chris Masters beat Curt Hawkins in the dark match before Raw. Hey, not everyone can be featured on the show (or Superstars).

That's all for Monday's news. More will be up tomorrow. Thanks for reading!