SHOW SUMMARY: In this week’s The Fix Mailbag with PWTorch VIP analyst Todd Martin and host PWTorch editor Wade Keller, they answer emails from VIP members on the following topics:

• Is it worrisome that business analysis of WWE has become nearly impossible given the streaming deals, overseas deals, and fewer direct connections to measurements that include actual fan satisfaction with the product.
• Does it seem pro wrestling fundamentally doesn’t work with fixed rosters over time? Aren’t boom periods usually a result of an influx of new wrestlers, including at the top of cards?
• Is there a market for a major UK promotion? Did the hosts on Dragons Den miss out on an investment opportunity?
• Wasn’t there a stretch a few years ago when Sami Zayn seemed washed up in the ring or at least dialing it down? Now he seems back at a top level, right?
• Choose sides in these rivals’ spats with each other:
  • Vince Russo – Eric Bischoff
  • Bret Hart – Bill Goldberg
  • Ric Flair – Mick Foley
  • Vince McMahon – Nailz
  • Tito Ortiz – Dana White
• Should the Paul Heyman group add a third wrestler now that Seth Rollins is out?
• Thoughts on the next wave of “freak show” boxing matches: Tank Davis vs. Jake Paul and Mike Tyson vs. Floyd Mayweather? Also is Clarissa Shields vs Laila Ali a fight that can come to fruition?
• Thoughts on UFC champions leaving their weight division behind.

SHOW SUMMARY: In part one of this week’s episode of The Fix with PWTorch VIP analyst Todd Martin and host PWTorch editor Wade Keller, the following topics are covered:

• Review of “Smashing Machine”
• New Japan’s King of Pro Wrestling review including IWGP Title change from Zack Sabre Jr. to Konosuke Takeshita
• A review of TNA Bound for Glory, what it delivered on and what it didn’t
• A review of NXT including some follow-up on BFG plus an unlikely new Women’s Title challenger established
• Reaction to the Kota Ibushi injury against Josh Alexander and the move a minute earlier that might’ve set in motion the botched spot and bad fall
• A review of AEW Collision from Saturday and AEW Dynamite (+Collision) with a final push to WrestleDream
• A preview of the full AEW WrestleDream line-up
• A review of WWE Smackdown
• Thoughts on the breaking news of the Jacob Fatu injury
• A review of WWE Raw including the big Seth Rollins-Bron Breakker angle
• A review of UFC Fight Night and a preview of the next UFC event
• Looking back at the Wanderlei Silva vs. Vitor Belfort event with a substitution and the hyjinx that followed
• Reaction to the Andrade situation as WWE delays his continued participation with AEW

SHOW SUMMARY: This installment of the PWTorch VIP Vault jumps back to the Sept. 11, 2007 podcast with PWTorch contributors Jamie Penick and Justin Parker discuss the “A Fight at the Roxbury” ROH DVD. This includes Kevin Steen (now Kevin Owens) vs. Mark Briscoe, Takeshi Morishima vs. Jay Briscoe for the ROH Title, plus Bryan Danielson, Nigel McGuinness, Roderick Strong, El Generico (Sami Zayn), Delirious, Claudio Castagnoli, and more.

This is another episode in our VIP Podcast Vault series going back to our earliest podcasts. We will continue to present VIP Podcasts from 18 years ago exclusively for PWTorch VIP members on our VIP Podcast Feed.

SHOW SUMMARY: In this edition of the Wade Keller Hotline, PWTorch editor Wade Keller continues the Hulk Hogan-themed episodes with a three-part, nearly three hour series on Hulk Hogan’s WCW Nitro era from start to finish.

Wade discusses those years with the author of the definitive book on the WCW Nitro years, aptly called “Nitro.” (Order a copy HERE.)

The series begins with a look at Hogan’s arrival in WCW and how he was received and the difference he made. Then topics include his importance to the launch of Nitro and the early success of Nitro, the build-up to the heel turn that almost wasn’t with behind the scenes insights on how it almost didn’t happen, his relationship with Scott Hall & Kevin Nash, his relationship with Eric Bischoff, the seeming sabotage of Bret Hart once he arrived, dealing with the arrival of Vince Russo, and much more throughout.

Find information on all of the books authored by Guy Evans on pro wrestling HERE.

You can send a question about Hulk Hogan to [email protected].

SHOW SUMMARY: In this edition of the Wade Keller Hotline, PWTorch editor Wade Keller continues his series on Hulk Hogan with various topics and cohosts. This is the first of a two-part conversation with pro wrestling historian George Schire, a former cohost of the “Pro Wrestling Focus” radio show from KFAN in the early 1990s.

This theme focuses on Hulk Hogan’s breakout years from 1981 to 1983 in the AWA when he was brought in as a heel, but was turned babyface by the fans who cheered him and ushered in a new era of what defined a modern babyface main event act. This includes insights from that era, including George’s many conversations with many wrestlers from that time period who worked with Hogan. They chronicle Hogan’s rise in the AWA, disputes with promoter Verne Gagne, Japan commitments complicating things, who helped hone Hogan’s overall promo skills and babyface act, theories on what would have happened had Hogan stayed in the AWA and not signed with the WWF in 1983, and much more.

This is part one and part two will be published tomorrow.

SHOW SUMMARY: This installment of the PWTorch VIP Vault jumps back 18 years to the daily Wade Keller Hotlines for the June 1-6, 2007 period, all combined into one file lasting nearly two hours. The following are the updates and the theme of each:

WEDNESDAY – JUNE 6 (News)
TUESDAY – JUNE 5 (News)
MONDAY – JUNE 4 (Raw Analysis)
SUNDAY – JUNE 3 (One Night Stand Analysis w/Caldwell)
SATURDAY – JUNE 2 (Lesnar’s MMA debut, Goldberg on color)
FRIDAY – JUNE 1 (Random News Items)

This is another episode in our VIP Podcast Vault series going back to our earliest podcasts. We will continue to present VIP Podcasts from 18 years ago exclusively for PWTorch VIP members on our VIP Podcast Feed.

SHOW SUMMARY: This installment of the PWTorch VIP Vault jumps back to the Apr. 20, 2007 episode of the Bruce Mitchell Audio Show with host Wade Keller. This was part one of a four part series discussing the “Ric Flair & the Four Horsemen” DVD released by WWE that month, covering it chapter by chapter with the inside story that the WWE didn’t tell, analysis of their perspective, and first-hand accounts from Bruce who was front row and center for that era of WCW.

SHOW SUMMARY: In this installment of the PWTorch VIP Vault, PWTorch editor Wade Keller and PWTorch columnists Pat McNeill and Bruce Mitchell discuss the TNA Lockdown pay-per-view event. This was loaded with big names including a Team Angle (Kurt Angle & Samoa Joe & Jeff Jarrett & Rhino & Sting) vs. Team Cage (Christian Cager & Scott Steiner & Tomko& Abyss & A.J. Styles) main event, plus Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Jerry Lynn, Team 3D, Gail Kim, Jay Lethal, and more.

This is another episode in our VIP Podcast Vault series going back to our earliest podcasts. We will continue to present VIP Podcasts from 18 years ago exclusively for PWTorch VIP members on our VIP Podcast Feed.

SHOW SUMMARY: In this episode of “Everything with Rich Fann hosted by Wade Keller,” Wade and Rich discuss these topics:

• Jimmy Uso bloodbath angle with Gunther
• AEW Collision’s possible move to Thursdays
• Parsing Cody Rhodes and John Cena exchanges from Raw
• AEW Dynasty preview
• Athena arriving in AEW, but on Collision instead of Dynamite
• Saraya’s interview in The Guardian
• Furor of Mickie James’s comments about women’s attire on LFG
• Tetsuya Naito’s New Japan status and future
• Rey Fenix’s imminent arrival and how WWE should feature him
• The “That’s not the favor?” moment with C.M. Punk and is this WM main event really what Punk and his fans dreamed of
• Rich reflecting on his interview with Kate Kroll, the director of the Luna Vachon documentary, “Lunatic: The Luna Vachon Story.”

SHOW SUMMARY: This installment of the PWTorch VIP Vault jumps back 18 years to the daily Wade Keller Hotlines for the Feb. 1-7, 2007 period, all combined into one file lasting nearly two-and-a-half hours. The following are the updates and the theme of each:

WEDNESDAY – FEBRUARY 7 (News Items on Hogan, WM, Ratings, TNA)

TUESDAY – FEBRUARY 6 (Insider news on WM & Raw, Raw analysis)

MONDAY – FEBRUARY 5 (WSX episode 2, WSX/TNA/SD ratings, more)

SUNDAY – FEBRUARY 4 (Jericho interview analysis, Smackdown thoughts)

SATURDAY – FEBRUARY 3 (Impact Analysis and Ratings)

FRIDAY – FEBRUARY 2 (Guest: Sean Radican on Joe leaving ROH)

THURSDAY – FEBRUARY 1 (Audio Ask the Torch)

This is another episode in our VIP Podcast Vault series going back to our earliest podcasts. We will continue to present VIP Podcasts from 18 years ago exclusively for PWTorch VIP members on our VIP Podcast Feed.