More from Joey Ryan, Questions on Knockouts, Petey Williams, Miz, and Bob Sapp, Interview with Punk, more on TNA-CHIKARA, Maxine update, and the rating for Impact

Here's another video from Joey Ryan. They've been pretty clever in making what he's doing look like a shoot.

For my take on today's PWInsider.com questions:
1. I wouldn't directly attribute the lack of Knockouts to lower ratings, but ratings have been higher when there were more Knockout segments.

2. I always found Williams really overrated. Yes, the Canadian Destroyer is a very impressive move. Other than that, I don't think he had very much to care about. I guess he could pop up this month for TNA, but I don't know that they'd bring him back full time. If WWE hasn't brought him in by now, I don't see them doing so.

3. Given how they went out of their way to bring Miz down, I don't know if he'll end up in the title picture when he comes back. And why blow MITB on a failed cash-in in a feud that's already happening? They can keep Punk/Bryan going and save MITB for another feud.

After the break, I go into everything else from today.

Smackdown Reax - 6/29/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the 6/29 Smackdown!

Query on the Hardys, Interviews with Bret Hart/Cody Rhodes, Questions on Steiner/TNA, Piper, Steiner/WWE, and Doink, new Destination X matches, Miz update, more from Morrison, Diva resigns, former WWE/WCW/ECW star at Impact, and the identity of X-Division superstars

First up, a query sent into the blog.
1. I get this one a lot. The answer's still the same. I don't see Matt Hardy going back on the road for WWE full-time, if he even wants to come back. I could maybe see Jeff returning to WWE down the line, but right now he's locked into TNA and I haven't heard anything to suggest that that will be changing soon. If there's any update on either of them as it relates to coming back to WWE, I'll be sure to post it.

Bret Hart talked at an autograph signing.

Cody Rhodes talked about his Dashing gimmick and more. I liked the paper bag gimmick, but see why they stopped it.

For my take on today's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Steiner's case had gotten a lot more publicity, and (according to the lawsuit), TNA feels that they have taken damages from his words. There was also apparently something in his TNA contract that they feel prohibits him from disparaging them.

Nothing to add to 2, so after the break I go into the rest of the day's news and notes.

Superstars and Impact Wrestling Reax - 6/28/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on Superstars and Impact Wrestling.

Next week's Raw/SD GM, Hernandez signs new deal, Questions on Eve, Tessmacher, Kane, conspiracy theories, and Raw 1000, and JoMo evaluates promos

Teddy Long will be the GM for next week's WWE TV. I'm expecting some tag team main events.

Hernandez has signed a new deal with TNA. I'm a little surprised given how little they used him until recently.

For my take on today's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Nothing to add here. It will be interesting to see where Eve fits in without Laurinaitis. I imagine when she comes back she'll just be a heel in the Divas' division.

2. You'll find that most people in mainstream wrestling don't get to use their own name or gimmick for copyright reasons.

Everything else from today is after the break.

Queries on Ryback, TNA, AJ, and Kazarian, Interviews with Saturn/King Mo, Cena wanted Orton fired?, Questions on beatdowns, Steiner, the next Rock, big buyrates, and Heyman, Raw rating, Smackdown dark match, and another Lesnar appearance

First up, some queries:
1. I don't know where this rumor started or what the basis of it is, but Ryback is allowed to work live events. He's on the Smackdown tour regularly.

2. I don't see TNA going bankrupt by the end of the year. They have a lot of TV deals in place. They're said to be tightening purse-strings, but I don't think it's bad enough to put them in jeopardy of going out of business.

3. I don't think AJ's a heel right now, just crazy. It looks like she might turn heel and align with Daniel Bryan, though (which could just be wishful thinking on my end), but I don't think her celebration on the 6/25 Raw made her a heel.

4. I haven't heard anything about Kazarian being injured lately.

Perry Saturn was interviewed. It shows why not to do drugs.

Everything else is after the break!

Queries on Glacier-TNA and WWE buying TNA, Questions on Lita, TNA buying WWE(!), rollups, Colon - NWA Champ, and a WWE TV title, Heyman update, Interviews with Hendrix/Kofi/Truth, new WWE show, former X-Division Champ gets WWE tryout, Alex Silva update, and the Smackdown rating

First up, some queries:
1. I don't see TNA hiring Glacier. At least not as a wrestler. At 48, he's not exactly a spring chicken and I don't know if there'd be a big enough nostalgia reaction to justify hiring him.

2. There continue to be no plans for WWE to buy TNA. There have been no serious indications that they will do so.

For my take on today's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Maybe for a cameo or something but I also don't think she'd return full time.

2. TNA? Buying WWE? That'd be like Burger King buying McDonalds. WWE's still a lot higher on the foodchain. I don't see TNA launching itself past WWE in the way WWF beat WCW any time soon, if they do at all.

I go into everything else from the day after the break.

Raw Reax - 6/25/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the 6/25 Raw!

Query on Ryback and Questions on Sting, tag teams, WWE's set, Santino, why Raw's growing, and Bret Hart

First, a query:
1. I'd continue to book Ryback against "enhancement talent" for the time being. He'd probably be up to 3 by now if I was booking. Then, a feud with Slater once Slater's done playing with legends. Slater gets beat week in and week out, but keeps insisting that he can get the win the next time with slightly different tactics (he wasn't ready or whatever the previous times). Where I'd go from there depends on how well that got over. Maybe JTG, Hawkins, or Reks. We've yet to see how long he can "go" and don't know how well fans will get behind him. Long-term booking can be hard, but if he keeps catching on he'd keep moving up the card.

For my take on the PWInsider.com questions:
1. Nope. In fact, they at least at one time were friends.

Everything else from today is after the break.

Queries on Jarrett and TNA, former Nexus member on live events, Questions on Cheerleader Melissa, Taylor Wilde, Layla, TNA's Hall, and Matt Hardy, X-Division Title update, and live event notes

A few recent queries sent in to the blog:
1. As far as I know, Jeff Jarrett is still a minority owner in TNA. I haven't heard anything to suggest that he had been bought out.

2. TNA/Impact is more apt to use older names because they already have name value and TNA is trying to make a name for themselves. The theory is that fans are more likely to tune in if guys like Hogan and Sting (who've drawn big buyrates in years gone by) are on the show. If ratings are where they are now with Hogan, Sting, Hardy, RVD, Angle, Team 3D, etc. I can only wonder where they'd be without them.

Bray Wyatt, formerly Husky Harris, is working Raw live events. He's on Season 6 of NXT. I'd like to see how far he's progressed, as I thought he had something when he was on Season 2.

For my take on today's PWInsider.com questions:
1. TNA might have wanted something to copyright, and she might not have wanted to let them have ownership of that character. If she signed it over and was released, she couldn't be Cheerleader Melissa on the indies anymore. TNA, however, would be able to market someone else as Cheerleader Melissa. So, she agreed to be one of their characters. Wrestlers are like actors in that sense. Anyway, I agree that she was talented.

 Everything else from today is after the break!

Big change to Smackdown live events, Questions on Punk as a sell-out, Rollins/Ambrose, TNA vs. WWE, TNA's DVDs, and Stephanie, identity of TNA extra, another Joey Ryan shoot, Z! TLIS # 72, and the Impact rating

On this weekend's live events, the WWE Championship match between C.M. Punk, Daniel Bryan, and Kane has been moved to the Smackdown shows (which were previously headlined by Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio for the World Championship). Raw's shows will be headlined by John Cena vs. Big Show and John Laurinaitis. What does that say about how they view the drawing power of Smackdown and the World Championship?

For my take on today's PWInsider.com questions:
1. How can Punk be the Yankees of the WWE if he's still playing second fiddle to Cena? I don't think he's sold out; he's just getting pushed by the company now and doesn't have as much of a reason to rip on them.

2. I've wondered where the rest of the new FCW call-ups are as well. Maybe WWE doesn't want them to overshadow the still-new Cesaro, Sandow, and Ryback. Just a thought. Either way, it's been reported that Ambrose is close to debuting. How close remains to be seen.

Everything else from today is after the break!

Smackdown Reax - 6/22/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the 6/22 Smackdown.

Bourne update, new FCW Diva, Questions on Taker, props, DVDs, and MITB, Interviews with Saturn/Roode/Christian, DiBiase at FCW, identity of Gut Check contestant, Former WWE star at TNA, and upcoming TNA main events.

Evan Bourne is scheduled for a signing at FCW on 7/25, so the company hasn't forgotten about him. It could still be a while before we see him back in the ring.

Buggy Nova, a wrestler from California, has signed a developmental deal with WWE and started with FCW.

For my take on the 6/21 PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's because it's 20-0. They did the same thing when he hit 15-0. I expect that he's got at least one more Mania in him.

2. As far as I know, it's always been real. I remember Lilian Garcia being allergic to it, but wanting to be a part of Austin's celebrations so she went along with it.

3. That's generally the plan with any DVD.

I hit everything else from 6/21 after the break!

Superstars and Impact Wrestling Reax - 6/21/12

Read on for my thoughts on the 6/21 Superstars and Impact Wrestling.

Questions on the WWE/TNA deal, Vince's legacy, Cena being fired, using Slater, and R-Truth in the TNA Hall, Punk talks main event, and AJ as Miss Elizabeth

For my take on the 6/20 PWInsider.com questions:
1. Yeah, I don't think WWE would have agreed to that. I think they got a pretty fair deal as it was.

2. I think they will. I think he should be remembered for the positives and the negatives, but probably mostly as a very important part of making wrestling what it is today.

3. I think some fans do still buy because of that stipulation, though you're correct in that they don't really stick to it. He was technically "fired" in the Nexus angle, but that didn't last long.

After the break, I go into everything else from 6/20.

Questions on WWE's use of Twitter, Hart staying with WWE, success outside of the business, Be A Star, and ECW, what happened after Raw, Lesnar update, Ryback's No Way Out opponents, Mystero update, more Laurinaitis, and the Raw rating

For my take on the 6/19 PWInsider.com questions:
1. There apparently is some sort of deal between WWE and Twitter. I see why they do it, but at times it takes away from the main product of wrestlers wrestling. Imagine an important part of CSI being over-run with "forensics is trending worldwide!".

2. As they said, I don't think it would be as big of a tide-turner as Vince vs. Stone Cold. Austin having allies would also go against his character of not trusting anyone.

3. I consider UFC another line of work, so add Lesnar to the list. I think Austin's doing well enough in movies, too.

4. Generally it's heels who do bullying things and the good guys stand up to them, so that's kind of the message of Be A Star. I also think having heels in Be A Star talking about how what they do is just a TV show is kind of lame.

Everything else from 6/19 is after the break!

No more NXT on WWE.com, Questions on Steiner's Twitter, JR, Masters, Sting, and Joseph Park, Flair officially gone from TNA, 6/15 Smackdown rating, and a rumor-killer

WWE.com will no longer be showing NXT as of this writing. No word on a new home for the show in the U.S., though it continues to air internationally. Since it's not shown in the U.S. and this is a U.S.-centric blog, I will no longer be covering the show unless there's a demand for it.

For my take on the 6/18 PWInsider.com questions:
1. THEY SAY ALL MAN ARE CREATED AY-QUAL. BUT YOU LOOK AT HULK HOGAN AND ERIC BICH-OFF, AND YOU LOOK AT SCOTT STEINER AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT AIN'T TRUE. YOU SEE, STEINER COMES FROM A HIGHLY EDUCATED UNIVERSITY SO HE HAS TO DUMB HIS TWEETS DOWN FOR ALL THE WHITE TRASH, REDNECKS, AND FFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATT ASSES. BICH-OFF'S JUST SCARED THAT STEINER'LL DO HIM AN EGG. But seriously, it's some pretty personal and dirty stuff. I personally like that he's speaking his mind in such a colorful way when so few will. Impact's still not doing very well in the ratings. It still features Hogans and occasionally Garett Bischoff. So, to me, a lot of what he's saying still holds water.

2. Vince is a very strange guy. Few people, if any, understand what's going on in his mind at any given moment. I don't see JR quitting in that matter. He's got a pretty thick skin.

Everything else from 6/18 is after the break.

Raw Reax - 6/18/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the 6/18 Raw.

More fun from Steiner, Questions on using time wisely, movies, Cena vs. Show, Bourne, and Lesnar, Interviews with Slater/Rhodes/DiBiase, and Morgan leaves TNA

Scott Steiner continued to lob non-PG grenades at Eric Bischoff on his Twitter account.

For my take on the 6/17 PWInsider.com questions:
1. I agree that WWE has a pretty good roster that they don't make the best use of. I honestly don't expect things to change much with the third hour.

2. I generally don't pay attention to/cover things like movies that don't directly relate to wrestling. This is a wrestling blog, not a "what wrestlers do other than wrestle" blog.

3. I do think they built Cena vs. Show well. Show as a heel fed up with being a smiling doofus makes it somewhat fresh (yes, I know they've feuded before). That and maybe we're finally done with John Laurinaitis (though I think he'll be back in a different role).

4. From what I understand, his injury is not easy to recover from. Add that to those two strikes and I don;t see WWE pushing him hard (if at all). What they do with Kofi from here depends on R-Truth's injury.

Everything else from 6/17 is after the break.

WWE No Way Out Reax

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on WWE No Way Out.

Interview with AJ, Ambrose works live events, Questions on the WWE/TNA lawsuit, TNA's biggest rating, FCW, Wellness, and the TNA Hall, and Ryback's 6/15 victims

AJ talked ahead of No Way Out. Touching story.

Dean Ambrose defeated Alex Riley on a 6/15 live event. What happened to his angle with Foley?

For my take on the 6/16 PWInsider.com questions:
1. I haven't seen anything to suggest that that's the case.

2. I think the highest rated segment on that show was the first appearance of Hulk Hogan at the top of the hour. Going against Raw, it was pretty impressive. They haven't come close since.

3. FCW's still around and operating something like they were beforehand. It's just that they're using some of the talent on the new NXT. NXT is basically the new FCW TV.

Everything else from 6/16 is after the break.

Joey Ryan vs. TNA again, Questions on keeping Impact live, Vader, finishers, and Del Rio's concussion, Interviews with Maven/Gowen, Z! TLIS #71, Sabin re-injured, another MMA star to WWE?, and the 6/14 Impact rating

Joey Ryan went after TNA again. If this is a work, it's a good one. If it's a shoot, it's either brilliant or destructive to his career.

For my take on the 6/15 PWInsider.com questions:
1. It's still too early to tell. If ratings go up and stay up, they're more likely to stick with it. If they don't, they might just keep it taped. I don't think it makes such a huge difference that they "have" to do it.

2. The plan is to use some nostalgic names going into the 1000th Raw. I'm expecting plenty of cameos, but don't think many (if any) will be around for longer than a cup of coffee.

3. He's 57. I don't think we'll see him working regularly unless they keep his matches brief.

Everything else from 6/15 is after the break!

Smackdown Reax - 6/15/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the 6/15 Smackdown.

Questions on Barrett, WWE's plague of injuries, and Christian, and interviews with Bret Hart/Mickie James

For my take on the 6/14 PWInsider.com questions:
1. The only thing I've really heard about Barrett is that there was a potential angle of him having a lawyer, since one "took over" his Twitter account.

Nothing to add to 2, so on to 3. That's one way to look at it, but I look at it as more troubling since WWE has been so reluctant to have new faces step up. Instead, they're working the top names harder. I think things might end up worse before they get better with the upcoming 3-hour Raws.

4. Not only was it a one-time thing, I don't think WWE and TNA are going to be collaborating again anytime soon due to the lawsuit. It was cool while it lasted, though.

Everything else from 6/14 is after the break!

Superstars and Impact Wrestling Reax - 6/14/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the 6/14 Superstars and Impact.

Four FCW releases, Questions on WWE doing seasons, TNA stars jumping ship, Lesnar, Orton, and Jericho, Interviews with Rhodes/Tessmacher/Henry/JBL,and NXT Season 6 made official

There were a number of releases from FCW on 6/13:
Eli Cottonwood, who requested his release to take a job outside of the business. I wasn't impressed with him on Season 2 of NXT, but he could have gotten better in the time between then and his release. I don't see TNA signing him. He had been in FCW since 2009.

 Jiro, who was Sakamoto's partner. He had only been in FCW around 7 months and was used at the big NXT tapings.

Benicio Salazar, who wrestled in Mexico as Hijo del Medico Asesino. He had been in FCW about 3 months.

Sonny Elliot, from Australia. He had only been in FCW about 3 months.

Everything else from 6/13 after the break!

NXT Reax - 6/13/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the 6/13 NXT.

Questions on pushing Ryback, booking Cena to lose, TNA > WWE?, WWF vs. WWE, and Joey Ryan, Ryback's victims ID'd, JBL update, WWE disses TNA, Interviews with JBL/Del Rio, 6/11 Raw rating, and an all-FCW dark match

For  my take on the 6/12 PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'd definitely keep building Ryback but I don't know if he's ready for that big of a push yet. If he does become a big deal fairly quick I'd be ok with him beating Big Show. I don't know about Lesnar yet. He'd have to be pretty impressive to beat such a mainstream star.

2. With the right story, it wouldn't matter if Cena lost. He should definitely be used to elevate other wrestlers. The catch is finding a way to do it that doesn't make the kiddies lose faith in him.

3. I don't see it. TNA has Garrett Bischoff, AJ Styles/Dixie Carter, Eric Young/ODB, and the Hogans. WWE has Punk, Bryan, Kane, Sheamus, and Del Rio with an undercard featuring Damien Sandow, Antonio Cesaro, the Prime Time Players, and Dolph Ziggler.

4. I don't see there being a big difference. They like the PG direction regardless of the company's initials.

Everything else from 6/12 is after the break!

Questions on Vince going bankrupt, lawsuits and Zeke, Interview with Gowen, new EVP of Talent Relations, JBL returning, Slammiversary notes, Steiner shoots on the Bischoffs, 6/8 Smackdown rating, and what happened after the 6/11 Raw

For my take on the 6/11 PWInsider.com questions:
1. I definitely think he would have continued promoting. There's no stopping Vince when he has his mind set on something.

2. Generally from what I've seen they do continue with lawsuit angles, with things ultimately settled in a match or something. Did I miss something?

3. Talk about a heavy question! There would definitely be a backlash from the media at the very least. I don't know enough about law to say whether WWE or TNA could be successfully sued, but it wouldn't surprise me if someone tried it.

4. WWE's like a kid with ADD. They liked Ezekiel for a while, but now they like Ryback. At some point it will probably be another muscular guy. Maybe Big E Langston gets the same treatment at some point?

Everything else from 6/11 is after the break!

Raw Reax - 6/11/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the 6/11 Raw.

Del Rio pulled from live events, Questions on Jeff Hardy-WWE, MITB, a new Streak, Ryback, and Mark Madden, R-Truth hurt, no Jarretts in TNA, FCW star on live events, and Steiner shoots

Alberto Del Rio has been pulled from live events following his concussion.

For my take on the 6/10 PWInsider.com questions:
1. It could always happen if he stays clean. He can always be relied on for a reaction.

2. Wow. That's something. Not all of that is WWE's fault, but it's an interesting statistic.

3. I can see it happening if all the stars align (every year they feel like that person should win). Whether they can keep it up for 20 WrestleManias is another matter altogether.

4. It's too soon to push Ryback like that, but I like the intense power he's shown so far. I'll wait to see how he progresses in the months to come before saying he's a future World Champion.

I go into everything else from 6/10 after the break.

TNA Slammiversary Reax

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on Slammiversary.

Interviews with Hogan/Kazarian, new Raw set?, Christian update, Questions on the Wellness Policy, home-grown TNA main eventers, using wrestlers' ideas, a female Gut Check, and the first person in the TNA HoF, Z! TLIS #70, Kelly/Del Rio updates,and burnout in WWE

Hulk Hogan says we've seen the last of him in the ring among other things. If there's a big enough payday involved, I think he'd change his mind.

Kazarian talked about TNA and his time in WWE.

There could be a new set design for Raw when it moves to 3 hours. That'd be cool by me.

I hit everything else from 6/9 after the break.

Curiously, Christian is not advertised for any WWE TV tapings until the 1000th episode of Raw. He is still advertised for Smackdown live events. No word on what if anything this has to do with him appearing at TNA Slammiversary.

Interviews with Sheamus/Devon/Daniels, Questions on Christian in TNA, Impact > Raw, Impact going on the road, FCW, and covering indies, TNA additions, big changes to the Smackdown brand, indie name at FCW, and the 6/7 Impact Wrestling

Sheamus talked ahead of a Smackdown live event.


Devon talked on a number of topics before Slammiversary.

So did Daniels.

For my take on the 6/8 PWInsider.com questions:
1. He was a 2-time NWA Champion and had some pretty solid matches there. I can see why they'd pick him.

2. If you like the Hogans, Roode being champion forever, the Dixie angle, and Garett Bischoff, I guess Impact's not that bad. There are a few too many veterans for my liking. Anyway, I do think that Impact should go on the road in the future. I think that would be more important than going live if I was in charge.

Everything else from 6/8 is after the break.

Smackdown Reax - 6/8/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the 6/8 Smackdown.

Brooke talks TNA, Questions on Vince, Ryback, TNA departures, what WWE owes TNA, and Sin Cara, Slammiversary hype and Interviews with Joey Ryan/Haku

Brooke Hogan discussed her foray into TNA.

For my take on the 6/7 PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't think he was fired, just removed from the position of COO. Maybe he's still Chairman of the Board? Either way, the Board would be crazy to completely cut ties with someone worth that much money. What if he started his own wrestling promotion?

2. It's an intriguing premise, but I think they'd have to be pretty confident in the new guy to upset someone as heavily pushed as Ryback right now. I wouldn't rule it out, though.

3. Flair. He's practically trying to get fired. Dinero's just not doing anything (or wasn't at the time this question is asked).

Everything else from 6/7 after the break.

Superstars and Impact Wrestling Reax - 6/7/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the 6/7 Superstars and Impact.

6/5 Smackdown taping dark match, TNA press, Questions on Ryder, Hogan, Questions, the net, and pushing someone undefeated, Interview with Bryan/King Mo/Joey Ryan, look at new WWE Title, and a Diva taking time off

The dark match for the 6/5 Smackdown taping saw Seth Rollins defeat Dean Ambrose. Both men have been highly lauded for their FCW work. Rollins will be on Season 6 of NXT.

Hulk Hogan was quoted in a piece about TNA going live. Tough Enough pulled back the curtain years back, so it's not like his idea is brand new.

For my take on the 6/6 PWInsider.com questions:
1. I think they'd treat him a lot worse if they hated him. See Miz for what they do to people they're mad at. I just think they're more focused on Big Show than him. They have botched the rise of a popular superstar at least.

2. Sounds about right.

3. Sometimes, yes. Like the phrase "don't you agree that... " and so on.

After the break, I hit everything else from 6/6.

NXT Reax - 6/6/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the 6/6 NXT.

Questions on Ezekiel Jackson, McIntyre, Ryback, Bennett, and Hogan vs. Austin, Interviews with Arn/Sheamus/HBK/King Mo, 6/4 Raw rating, 8/6 Raw theme, and FCW visitors

For my take on the 6/5 PWInsider.com questions:
1. They can only push so many people at a time. If they want someone new to get over, sometimes the new person has to beat someone already somewhat established. That being said, they are way too stop-start on pushes and it's made it difficult for anyone to break through into the top tier or sustainably stay over.

2. I also see a lot of potential in McIntyre and it's not too late to start rebuilding him.

3. His opponents always talk trash to the crowd, so I think it was just a continuation of that. I wouldn't read too much into it.

4. I haven't seen enough of him to say whether WWE would be interested in him.

After the break, I hit everything else from 6/5.

Raw 1000 update, Punk Q&A, Questions on Russo, TNA's Hall of Fame, Heyman, Jindrak and bashing TNA, Interviews with DiBiase and Snuka, and what happened before and after the 6/4 Raw

Expect a lot of cameos and nostalgia on the 1000th episode of Raw.

C.M. Punk was part of a massive Q&A session. Among the highlights: there will be a new WWE Championship belt soon. Glad to hear it.

For my take on the PWInsider.com questions for 6/4:
1. I might have if my computer was fixed then. I think it'd be interesting at least to hear what he thought on a lot of issues. If he dodged a lot of the questions, I might not waste my time.

2. I think they will try to induct some people that WWE won't if they've had any time in the company. The problem with the company being so relatively young is that most of the people from the early days of the company are still wrestling!

After the break, I hit everything else from 6/4.

Raw Reax - 6/4/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the show.

Questions on the WWE Cruiserweight show, two top titles, Hogan, the WWE Network, and Ring Ka King, Henry and Rock updates, and another FCW star on live events

For my take on the 6/3 PWInsider.com questions:
1. The show is still in the early stages, so they might not be at that point yet. If there are names from there that have caught their eyes, none have been signed exclusively for the project yet.

2. I think they should keep two titles as long as there are two loosely defined brands. As they alluded to, they still have two distinct live show tours.

3. I've seen some of his overseas matches and they surprise me because you don't expect to see that kind of thing from him. Hart and HBK were solid enough to have good matches with anyone.

Everything else from 6/3 is after the break!

FCW Champion on live events, MITB poster, Questions on Hogans vs. McMahons, TNA's Hall of Fame, Raw 1000, and Heyman, and big names set for Raw 1000

Seth Rollins defeated Michael McGillicutty on Raw live events the weekend of 6/1. He will be a part of Season 6 of NXT.

Here is the pretty awesome poster for Money In The Bank 2012.

For my take on the 6/2 PWInsider.com questions:
1. Scott Steiner claims that there were plans to use Nick Hogan at the same time Garett Bischoff was being groomed, but nothing came of it. I wouldn't rule it out for down the line. The Hogan family vs. the McMahon family would indeed have been interesting, especially if Linda Hogan was involved.

2. I think it's more to do with their tenth anniversary. Putting in R-Truth as Ron Killings would make sense if it had any chance of happening. I just wouldn't have thought of him as the first person to go in.

3. Their guess is better than mine. No clue.

After the break, I hit everything else from 6/2.

Questions on the TNA HoF, "Real American", Mania, and WWE shooting, segment cut from 5/31 Impact, Z! TLIS # 69, interview with Bobby Roode, and the 5/31 Impact rating

For my take on the 6/1 PWInsider.com questions:
1. I also think it's kind of early to do a TNA Hall of Fame, but lasting 10 years is a pretty big deal. They should have started with the founder of the company, though I think Sting deserves a spot, too. I guess now we'll get questions on who should be in their Hall.

2. And now you know why wrestling companies make their own music a lot of times.

3. Wow. An ALL-good Mania? There's always at least one segment I don't like. WM25 is close if you don;t mind the Divas battle royal.

4. That. Sometimes people of opposite alignment come together when things are really dire, if just for one segment.

Everything else from 6/1 after the break.

Smackdown Reax - 6/1/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the 6/1 Smackdown.

Angle talks retirement, Questions on Sheik/Virgil, NXT, and the ECW DVD, former WWE name backstage at TNA tapings, Heyman gives advice to young talents, Moore update, and backstage feelings in TNA

Kurt Angle has stated that he won't wrestle past 46-years old. That's probably wise given all of the pain his body has undergone over the years.

For my take on the 5/31 PWInsider.com questions:
Nothing to add to 1 or 2. For 3, it could be Virgil's reputation of trying to (allegedly) scheme people out of money.

4. All I've heard about a home for NXT is Hulu and YouTube. I don't know if there's enough demand to put it back on TV.

5. Hopefully that starts a trend where they're more loose about standards. Maybe they could sell censored and uncensored versions of DVDs?

After the break, I hit everything else from 5/31.

Superstars and Impact Wrestling Reax - 5/31/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the 5/31 Superstars and Impact Wrestling!

NXT Reax - 5/30/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the 5/30 NXT.

5/29 Smackdown dark match, Questions on positioning and announcing, interview with Austin, Dixie conference call, 5/28 Raw rating, Orton suspended, and a head trainer change at FCW

The dark match for the 5/29 Smackdown taping saw Dean Ambrose defeat Luke Hawx.

For my take on the 5/30 PWInsider.com questions:
1. Another thing to consider is that John Cena is their franchise guy, and they could have wanted to showcase him in the last segment. Maybe more Cena fans bought the show than Punk fans?

2. My answer was "yes" before I finished reading the first sentence. Color commentary on WWE's main shows is consistently bad. Even with declining ratings and buyrates, they stick with the bad commentary.

3. I agree with their take. Rock and Lesnar are bigger than the titles due to their mainstream exposure. Laurinaitis isn't.

I go into everything else from 5/30 after the break!

Questions on 3 hour Raws, kayfabe, Brazil, Scott Hall, and worker names, 5/24 Impact rating, 5/25 Smackdown rating, and an X-Division star leaves TNA

For my take on the 5/29 PWInsider.com questions:
1. They either need to pull some rabbits out of hats or flesh out the undercard. Hopefully we end up with more new faces and renewed focus on Divas and tag teams. We'll probably just get more fleshed-out matches and more of the same.

2. I'm personally a fan of keeping up kayfabe outside of TV where possible, to get into the character better if nothing else. Maybe they didn't want HHH wearing a cast at the appearance? To be fair, he wore one with his interview with Criss Angel after the Mayweather incident.

3. Jericho got the chance to apologize, which they might not have done if he wasn't an entertainer. It might seem like a silly law to us, but they could counter that they don't let people disrespect an important part of their country.

4. From what I understand, he had a lot of potential before his demons caught up with him, so he definitely could have been something bigger. It's a damn shame.

Everything else from 5/29 after the break!

Jericho update, Questions on Ciampa, the 18-second Mania match, Joseph Park, Shane McMahon, and Lesnar, West leaves TNA, original No Way Out plan, son of legend works live events, and what happened before/after the 5/28 Raw

Chris Jericho is teasing that he won't return to WWE following his suspension. This could just be him working fans.

For my take on the 5/28 PWInsider.com questions:
1. I've only seen him once, so I can't really say. He definitely has a good look.

2. I think I would have hated it, then, too. Just not as much. If they had to make a match short, maybe they should have done it with the Divas match given Maria's injury and lack of experience. Someone from outside the company was given bigger priority than the World Title? Something's wrong there, but I see why they wanted to play off of her celebrity.

3. I didn't see it as ripping off the Santino angle at all. That was portrayed as Santino posing as his own sister. So far, there's no indication that Abyss is just pretending to be his brother. I guess TNA needed someone who looked similar to Abyss and the roster's already crowded. But I definitely see the Penn Jillette comparisons. And don't all wrestlers play make believe on camera?

Everything else from 5/28 after the break!

Raw Reax - 5/28/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the 5/28 Raw.

Z! TLIS# 68, Questions on Laurinaitis main eventing, TNA suing WWE, Chyna, Knockouts Law, and Cena's opponent selection, Interview with Russo

Here's episode #68 of Z! True Long Island Story.

For my take on the 5/27 PWInsider.com questions:
1. Some in WWE with the power to make it happen do (or they're just amusing themselves). He gets reactions and they go off of that. But as was pointed out, there are some kinds of heat that don't draw money. And of course those in charge would blame someone else.

2. "lolTNA", because TNA always does goofy and/or masochistic things. WWE's lawyers don't play around.

3. Yes. She could have passed out four days in a row. But seriously, I'm concerned about her. Love her or hate her, that's some scary stuff. People use her to get publicity. Heck, Scott Hall still gets bookings so I don't see why it's a surprise that she does.

I hit everything else from 5/27 after the break.

Interview with The Kat, Miz steps in, Questions on Brock vs. Rock, Taker, lolWWE, TNA HQ, and Serena, possible new WWE signing, and a HHH appearance advertised

Stacy "The Kat" Carter was interviewed.

The Miz replaced Chris Jericho on the South American tour. Don't bury talents. Sometimes you need them to come through for you.

For my take on the 5/26 PWInsider.com questions:
1. I picture Lesnar going on a tear, beating Punk for the title (imagine Heyman/Punk promos!), then facing returning hero Rock at Mania. Rock wins and possibly forfeits.

2. One never knows with Undertaker. I haven't seen/heard anything other than he is expected to have another match next year.

3. They did at least stay consistent with that, with Eve wanting Sheamus to apologize. Wait for things to play out before assuming they goofed.

Everything else from 5/26 after the break.

Jericho suspended after committing felony, Questions on road DVDs, VOD, ice cream bars, lucha, and pimping a website, big change to Impact Wrestling, update on Gut Check, and when Rock will be back

Chris Jericho was suspended by WWE after kicking a Brazilian flag at a live event in Brazil. He was almost arrested for the act, which wasn't approved by WWE. He's accepting of the consequences. It's a shame that that situation ended up like that.

Update: Daniel Bryan replaced him on the tour of Spain.

For my take on the 5/25 PWInsider.com questions:
1. It'd be cool if they did. They'd have to think that there would be good money in it to do it.

2. WWE Classics is something of an albatross - they're only keeping it around because they're contractually obligated to. All eyes are on the WWE Network.

3. According to Punk in interviews, he's had meetings with "suits" in WWE about it. It's a slow process and they have to think that there's long-term demand for it.

After the break, I hit everything else from 5/25.

Smackdown Reax- 5/25/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the 5/25 Smackdown.

Questions on neutering DVDs, Sabu, Sapolsky/ROH, and Hardy/ECW, more MMA/WWE crossover?, new live Smackdown, and a note on FCW

For my take on the 5/24 PWInsider.com questions:
1. I'd guess that they'd blur out blood again. Some would call that sacrilegious. WWE sees it as a family-friendly business policy.

2. No word past what they said.

3. To clarify, what he signed forbade him from disparaging the company. It will be interesting to see if he does fight it and if he can get off with the reasoning that they're technically a different company now that they're owned by Sinclair.

Nothing to add to 4. For 5, he's technically a former ECW Champion! But seriously, going forward the plan is to use veterans from both inside and outside of the original ECW to build on the brand.

Everything else from 5/24 is after the break!

Superstars and Impact Wrestling Reax - 5/24/12

Read on for my segment-by-segment thoughts on the 5/24 Superstars and Impact Wrestling.

NXT update, Questions on Steiner/Hogan, Johnny Ace, footage and other journalists, signature move banned, live event problems, and Roode in Ireland

WWE plans on "closing out" NXT: Redemption before moving on to Season 6 from Full Sail. The show is really spinning tires at this point. I hope everything gets a fresh coat of paint (maybe a new home?) for the new tapings.

For my take on the 5/23 PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't see him as hypocritical either for the reasons stated.

2. I'd also pay to see that, especially if Steiner got a live mic beforehand. It'd be ugly, but it'd be something to see.

3. His in-ring heyday was before my time so I can't offer much insight here.

I hit everything else from 5/23 after the break.

NXT Reax - 5/23/12

Read on for my segment by segment thoughts on the 5/23 NXT!

Rhodes update, what happened after the 5/21 Raw, Interviews with Justin Roberts/Mae Young, Questions on Vince, why ROH is niche, what more Raw means, favorite match live and the PG Era, Jericho schedule update and the 5/21 Raw rating

Cody Rhodes is taking time off.

After Raw on 5/21, the live crowd got C.M. Punk vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship after Tensai took Punk out.

Justin Roberts was interviewed ahead of  Money In The Bank.

For my take on the 5/22 PWInsider.com questions:
1. I don't really "get" Vince's decisions a lot of times, which I'm not alone in. I don't know what he was going for with that idea, other than maybe some weird humor.

2. I consider them niche because they focus a lot more on high spots and the actual wrestling instead of what the mainstream fan usually wants to see. They appeal mainly to hardcore fans of the sport as opposed to the John Cena fan with all the colored T-shirts.

I hit everything else from 5/22 after the break!