In a shock announcement, WWE's Head of Global Marketing, son of Vince and all-round in-ring nutcase, Shane McMahon, resigned from WWE. The Gimme Five team discuss the announcement and its implications.

We also bring you our thoughts on yet another new ppv concept for WWE: Bragging Rights. Is this the poor man's Survivor Series?

Kirsty is back this week, while Dion takes his turn on vacation.

1) Shane McMahon announced his retirement from all things WWE effective, January 1, 2010. It appears to have come as a surprise to the company. Your thoughts?

Kirsty:
Like everyone else, this came as somewhat of a shock. Word around the campfire is that not even those who work closely with Shane-O had any idea. Still, his resignation only becomes effective in January, so one must assume that it wasn't a heated confrontation that caused him to walk out.

Resigning as Head of Global Marketing doesn't mean they can't/won't bring him back to our TV screens now and again. I don't think this is the last we've seen of Shane, but if he's planning to help his mother with her senate bid (which seems likely) then I doubt we'll be seeing him in a WWE capacity for some time.

Whatever his reasons are, he deserves to change direction if that's what he wants.

Simon:
Resigning from your job behind the scenes and never being seen again on WWE TV are surely two very different things. Good on Shane for making the break. I met him in 2005, chatted with him and he said that he went right through school and studied so that he'd have something to go on to or fall back on outside of the family business. He said that he would go on to move away from WWE and it sounds like he's going to. I guess I wish him all the best. But I think we'll see him on the TV screens again at some point.

David:
Very unexpected. Shane's a smart guy though, so I'm sure he knows what he's doing. I've heard rumours of him getting involved with TNA or maybe an MMA company, but even is he's just going to help his mum Linda in her run for the Connecticut Senate, I wish him the best of luck. You've got to feel a little sorry for Vince though, who's lost two of his family members in two of the biggest positions in WWE in the space of half a year.

Scott:
Time for Shane O'Mac to spread his wings outside the family business it seems, and all power to him. I'm sure he'll do well in most everything he puts his mind to, and if he is going to be joining his mother's Senatorial campaign then Linda McMahon is bringing on a very savvy and loyal operator to her team.

Dayna:
Awww, I love Shane O'Mac. It was beyond awesome when he came out at the most recent WWE show in Auckland, and I'm sure he'll be missed. I'd expect to see him back in the future at the helm one day, but it'll be interesting to see what he ends up doing.

Matt:
There goes the Vinnie Mac succession plan! I’m sure Vince will have a plan B… I just hope it doesn’t hinge solely on the McMahon/Helmsley partnership.

I am still not a fan of Steph's efforts as the head of the Creative team and I’m sure that (left to her own devices) things won’t take a turn for the better.

And who is going to jump off the Titantron now?

Troy:
McMahons don't quit the wrestling business! That's absurd! Complete codsw... ...wait, what? Two of them? In one year?

I enjoyed the TNA rumour - seems to have been started by someone wishing the Invasion had worked out differently. Rather, it seems more likely that Shane is joining mama McMahon on the campaign trail. I like that idea. Could the McMahons become a kind of Republican Kennedy dynasty? Fascinating thought.

2) Bragging Rights is a new ppv, airing for the first time next week. What do you think? Will you be tuning in? Your thoughts on the matches and structure of this ppv... is it a good addition?

Kirsty:
Seems to be an obvious way to plug the new SmackDown vs. RAW game. And there's nothing wrong with that. I'm looking forward to the ppv; I like the idea that the brands will battle it out.

I am not, however, looking forward to the 60-minute Iron Man. Are they f**king kidding?!?! I really don't think that either Cena or Orton has what it takes to carry a 60-minute story. The only 60-minute Iron Man match that didn't look like total shit was Bret vs. Shawn at WrestleMania XII and that's because neither guy had to carry the other. Kurt carried Brock, Chris Benoit and The Rock carried Triple H. Plus, from Orton and Cena's previous matches, they tell a better story when the matches are short and sharp. I'm not saying that neither of them can go 60 minutes, I just don't think they should do it with each other.

Simon:
Agree, it's obviously to pimp the game - I am not sure what I think of it really. I do not care for the hour long Iron Man match featuring Cena and Orton. I have not enjoyed their feud thus far so why I would enjoy 60 minutes of them I am not sure? I don't know that I'll want to watch this ppv in any great hurry. Sounds like a stop-gap that is not needed.

David:
I'm very excited for it! It helps that I'm on study break at uni (oh, and it's Labour Weekend) so I can watch live, but I'm really keen to see what John Cena and Randy Orton do with their Iron Man Match, even if Simon and Kirsty aren't. I'm not entirely sold on the seven-on-seven tag match though, just because it's sort of intruding on the Survivor Series format.

Scott:
I'm feeling a bit ppv'd out right now, with them coming along every three weeks. If it wasn't a public holiday in New Zealand at the time I wouldn't book it at all, but since I'm home I might as well.

Unlike others I am looking forward to the Cena vs. Orton Iron Man Match. This will be the match, I think, which'll show just what those two are capable of in the ring - one way or the other. It could, as the interweb critics are predicting, be an hour long bore-fest of choke holds leading to the inevitable Cena rally. Or it could be one of the most fascinating clashes of minds and styles we've seen for years. I'll be watching with interest.

Dayna:
I'm looking forward to the Iron Man match and in theory this ppv sounds good. Not sure what they'll do with Survivor Series though, mayhap return to the days of yore?

Matt:
I thought Survivor Series was the platform for the “Team RAW vs. Team Smackdown” tussle? Why do we need another team-based ppv? The bottom of the barrel has been scraped peoples!

Troy:
Escobar? Whatshisname-the-British-guy? On Team SmackDown? Not excited by that idea, but hey - points for trying. I'll try to watch it, but I'm more interested in Miz versus Morrison than anything else on the card.

3) What did you think of the debut of Eric Escobar? And the return of Vickie Guerrero as his valet?

Kirsty:
I like Vickie, as I said a couple of weeks ago, but I have to wonder what's changed in terms of her reasons for leaving in the first place. Still, it's her life and her decision and as a character on my TV screen I think she's one of the best heel managers in ages.

Haven't seen enough of Escobar yet to decide what I think of him, but he's got a great mouthpiece.

Simon:
Vickie was looking good in her new role and will be a good mouthpiece for Escobar. It's early days yet but I guess we'll see more of him at Bragging Rights.

David:
Pretty underwhelming stuff. I'm sure he's an all right wrestler, but his match with Matt Hardy didn't show me anything, and I don't know if he'll have a chance to show us anything more at Bragging Rights. Nice to have Vickie back though, if just to lend Escobar some credibility.

Scott:
Nothing to say as yet for Mr Escobar, I'll give him a bit more time before passing judgement. But I am very pleased to see Vickie back on my screen.

Dayna:
He seemed all right, and Vickie needs to do something fresh to stay interesting. I don't want her doing the same old stuff she did with Edge.

Matt:
Is he related to Pablo? Will American DEA amps and speakers laidened with AC/DC tunes on full bore 24/7 drive him from WWE? If Vickie's whining voice doesn’t do it first?

Troy:
Scott didn't man-up and say it, so I will: WWE's top MILF is always, always welcome on television as far as I'm concerned. She's a great character and not a bad looker, either. Escobar... time will tell.

4) Lou Albano passed away last week. Any thoughts/memories of the good captain?

Kirsty:
Like most people, I suspect, I'll always remember Capn' Lou chasing Cyndi Lauper around a table in the "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" video. He was a bit before my time when it came to wrestling. Undoubtedly, he played a key role in the Rock n' Wrestling connection in the 1980's, which of course helped push wrestling into the mainstream.

Simon:
Mr Albano (or Captain Albano) was in three Cyndi Lauper vids, the most famous being "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"; so I know him best from those. Definitely he had a huge hand in setting up and moving the Rock n' Wrestling connection along - so for that we have to thank him. Beyond that I did not know a lot about him. Sounds like he lived to a ripe enough age; especially for a man who pierced his face to wear rubber-bands. Clearly the lift wasn't going the whole way up... so he did well.

David:
Sadly not, he was well before my time as a wrestling fan.

Scott:
Captain Lou looms large as one of those characters who fascinated me when I first began to pay attention to this bizarre form of entertainment. And he certainly was bizarre. But also fun, larger than life and unforgettable, just like pro-wrestling itself.

Dayna:
I probably have seem him in things, but I couldn't place what. Always sad to see someone go though.

Matt:'
The only reason I watch Cyndi Lauper music videos is to catch a glimpse of Lou doing the do!

Any man who started his own fashion trend by wearing rubber bands in his face is good by me! Plus he gave instant cred to any tag team he managed (notable mentions The Moondogs, Wild Samoans and British Bulldogs!)

R.I.P Cap! She-bop-a-loo-bop my man!

Troy:
Many a Mario was done because of this phenomenally gifted performer. What a personality Captain Lou was for the entertainment business, not only WWE but beyond. Rest in peace, Captain.

5) You are charged with giving one current TNA star a new gimmick/look/character to send him or her to the next level. Who do you pick and what would you do and why?

Kirsty:
I have to say I'd move Scott Steiner out of in-ring action and into a more manager-type role. Mostly to cover up his grotesque physique, which I think is unhelpful in today's climate. I'm not sure about it sending him to "the next level" but I do believe it'd be a positive move for all concerned. I think that TNA in general should make an effort to stay away from the jacked-up roid-monkeys and focus more on the athleticism of their roster, a feature that brought them to prominence in the first place.

Simon:
I think it's about getting rid of the absurd Shark-Boy-type gimmicks; I'd also spruce up the commentary team, put a decent ex-wrestler in there - it's been said a bunch of times, but definitely Kevin Nash on the stick, in the booth, full time. As for re-working the look or character of someone active on the roster? How about giving Sting the rest he needs and letting AJ Styles step up to dominate. I don't think you need to do anything much with AJ - just put him down as a pure athlete; ditch any silly robes, let him just wear straight ring-attire and be straight with it.

David:
This is a tough one, 'cause I'd like to see Hernandez make it to the next level but I don't know that he needs a makeover or anything to get there. I also don't like what Samoa Joe's up to at the moment but he's already made it to the top. I might change Daniels' name back to Christopher Daniels, and make him dress like he did in 2005 in the hopes of recreating his awesomeness that helped get me into TNA back then. It'd also encourage him not to kill himself in Ultimate X matches.

Scott:
Can't answer this one, sorry. Don't watch enough TNA, especially current TNA, to have an opinion one way or the other.

Dayna:
I'd give Kurt Angle the gimmick of sanity and a good hair cut. Why? Because hairy mental Angle is so very unappealing.

Matt:
Aside from going “uber cliché” on Joe and dressing him in a lava-lava and making him speak in broken English and come out to log drums (wouldn't be any worse than his non-gimmick at the mo'!) I would provide Abyss with the necessary rub he needs to get into the title picture by aligning him with Foley (morphed into Cactus Jack), who could take the big fella under his wing, and turn him into the weapon of mass destruction I hope he will become.

Gimmick/look/character are fine... but it seems of late you have to be a member of the "I've main-evented in the big leagues" club before getting a TNA title shot? Let Abyss loose and watch him clean up the old fogies clinging to their spots!

Troy:
I agree with the call to reassign Kevin Nash to a putter-overer position at the announcers' table. I don't care what you say about his in-ring workrate, his passion and knowledge of the business is almost unparallelled and while his body may be dicky, his mouth and his mind are in top form. He knows what to say and when to say it, and he genuinely cares about the TNA product. He should be put in a position where he can use that passion to its fullest.