Set for next week's Impact, Chavo talks TNA exit, why Steamboat was released, Christmas hype, WWE goes bowling, JR-Mania update, WWE/troops photos, Impact audience, major WWE return and Questions on kayfabe, PPV buyrates, TNA and the troops, Cena turning heel for the 4,955th time and the Divas Title at Mania

Next week's Impact will feature a "special announcement" by Dixie Carter, ODB vs. Lei'D Tapa and a Monster's Ball match pitting Joseph Park against Bad Influence. ODB vs. Tapa could be "bowling shoe ugly", but I think the Monster's Ball match could be kind of fun. Do they finally pull the trigger on Joseph Park actually being Abyss?

TNA put out some press releases about Chavo Guerrero's exit, a Christmas party and some donations related to Hurricane Sandy. Did anyone ever notice Chavo's family has a legacy in the business? It's hardly ever mentioned. The situation has become almost a parody of itself.

In an update to a previous story, Richie Steamboat was released from NXT some time ago after being injured for quite a while. It wasn't a recent deal. Sometimes tough decisions have to be made and talents with a lot of potential don't make it to the main roster.

Everything else from Friday is after the break.
Mick Foley was part of a recent Christmas greeting from Ringside Collectibles. That was interesting. Cracking on Al Snow goes back for ages. It's still worth a chuckle every now and then.

Here's video of the bowling challenge between Nerdist and WWE. Has there ever been a wrestler with a bowling gimmick? There was Abe "Knuckleball" Schwartz and The Goon, and Jim Cornette had a tennis racket, but I can't think of a bowler.

Jim Ross has said he'll be happy to be a part of WrestleMania 30 if WWE asks. It feels like you can't have Mania without JR, but times change for the company.

Here are photos from WWE stars visiting the troops. That's great PR for WWE to get out there and do that.

The audience for the Final Resolution edition of Impact was 1.24 million, down more than 70,000 from the previous week. That's a real shame for a show featuring the finals of the TNA World Championship tournament and Kurt Angle in a two out of three falls match. I really enjoyed the show and hope we're in for more great things from TNA.

Batista (!) is being advertised for a WWE return, with some speculating he'll be part of the Royal Rumble. He's certainly set for WrestleMania season. This isn't expected to be a long-term return, but something of a final run. That's pretty big news. I hope he does good things in the company. I can see him squaring off with Orton at WM30 given their history.

For my take on Friday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Things used to be protected to the point where faces and heels had separate locker rooms and kayfabe was kept in public (such as George Steele denying his wrestling work when he was coaching back home). Faces and heels generally weren't seen together. Trainees weren't told the truth until they were properly "broken in" by the pros. It seems silly today, but wrestling used to be kept very close to the vest.

2. PROTIP: Those are the PRELIMINARY buyrates. The finals won't be out until the next conference call. One of the dirtsheets' favorite things to do to point to how business has fallen so drastically is to use those to "prove" their points instead of waiting until the real deal are out. I consider an outlet a dirtsheet when it does silly muckraking like that instead of putting things in the proper context. I could definitely see some fans being more excited for Orton vs. Bryan in HIAC with HBK as ref than Orton vs. Show with no gimmicks, but there are always a number of factors in play.

Fair points for 3. TNA just doesn't have the resources WWE does, which makes me shake my head when people wonder why people like Punk and Bryan don't jump ship there.

4. The easy answer is Cena would have to be knocked WAY down the totem pole as far as being a big moneymaker as a face for them to throw that away by turning him heel. I think it'd come about more because he had lost a lot of popularity and drawing potential than someone else passing him. Either way, Cena turning heel is really a long shot and not in the cards any time soon. I think they need a "one Cena turning heel question a month" policy because no new ground is really being covered here.

5. WWE's probably still putting together the top matches for Mania. Considering the show's more than three full months away, there's plenty of time to put together a Divas feud. A lot could change between now and Mania season as far as the Divas division goes.

More wrestling coming up.