Our IPW reporter, Luke Farmer, takes control of Gimme Five this week!

Luke wants to know what our favourite memories are of The Brothers of Destruction, which wrestlers we think will still be plying their trade in ten years time, and who from the New Zealand wrestling scene we think has what it takes to make it in WWE.

Luke’s own comments are denoted by italics, and he’s glad you could join us for this week’s special edition of Gimme Five!

1) With the return of Paul Bearer this week on SmackDown, I thought it would be a good chance to look back on the long, storied feud between The Undertaker and Kane. What is your favourite memory regarding the Brothers of Destruction (including Paul Bearer), whether it was against each other or teaming together?

Kirsty:
Good question. There are so many great moments, it's hard to pick just one. I'd have to go with the moment that started it all - the In Your House in 1997 that introduced Kane as 'Taker's half brother. It was the first time that someone showed up who was as scary as the Undertaker. And that show also featured one of the best Hell In A Cell matches of all time - Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels.

Fabulous to see Paul Bearer back. He looks the same!

David:
I was a total mark back in 2001, and I can remember just being in awe of Undertaker and Kane when they took on the Two Man Power Trip, and then again later in the year when they were both on Team WWF in the Winner-Take-All match at Survivor Series. Hell, I even liked their match against Kronik, so I'll watch pretty much anything with the Brothers of Destruction on the same page.

Matt:
Kane's debut at the In Your House: Bad Blood event in '97, when he ripped the door off the Hell In The Cell is my favourite. Up until that point (being the mark I was) I firmly believed there was no one capable of stopping Taker, not even The Kamala. That was one of the best "Roads to WrestleMania" ever, with the feud going back and forth all the way building to the big match.

My fav. BOD moment was a promo where Taker chatted to Angle (I think?) while Kane held Stephanie in a gorilla press on the balcony above. I was chanting for Kane to chuck her over (believing her pontoon-like boob job would make her bounce!)

Stevie:
I was always just a big fan of how they went back and forth between being friends and enemies so many times, regardless of who did what to who. The memory that always sticks out though is when they revealed that Undertaker did murder their parents. Yup. He's an arsonist, folks. But let's pretend he doesn't need to go to jail or anything... let's solve it in a wrestling match! Better yet; an Inferno match. Good times.

Dion:
First off, it's great to have Paul Bearer back! I remember the debut of Kane back in 1997 and the build up to his match with Undertaker at WrestleMania XIV. There was such a buzz amongst fans as to who Kane was - what he'd look like and what it would mean for 'taker. The build for his debut took quite some time, and we weren't disappointed when The Big Red Machine made his appearance at Bad Blood. Those first few months of interaction were definitely the best.

Scott:
To be brutally honest, I've never been a fan of the Brothers of Destruction nor of the underlying gimmicks of either Kane or The Undertaker. The whole zombie from death valley and his mutilated mask-wearing brother were characters it was very easy for wrestling critics to mock, and deservedly so. And this current feud is bringing back those feelings of "how gullible do you think we are?" Stuff like dark powers, mystical urns, devils and demons, it’s embarrassing. The only good that will come of this will be the end of either one or both of the protagonist's gimmicks.

That all said, they've put some great matches on. Almost makes it worth it.

Sure, the Deadman gimmick has its areas that you can poke fun at, but lets not forget that The Undertaker's character was conceived when there were Ultimate Warriors, Papa Shangos and Kamalas running around the federation. I think that in a wrestling world where it is saturated by realistic gimmicks, Kane and Undertaker's gimmicks still hold onto that old school character feeling. And for the gimmick to be rehashed again today and still be successful, it is proof that both gimmicks are very successful regardless of how silly they may seem.

Simon:
Paul Bearer comes from the Brother Love school of "I don't care what they're paying you to act like that if I could I'd double it to make you stop"-wrestling characters. He gives me the shits. And I have never cared that much for the ‘Taker/Kane feud. Sorry, I haven't. They've had about three good matches in over a decade of tagging or being at war… it's boring and they now look so old and slow. It's almost insulting. I'm glad my TV was still being plugged in so I missed Paul Bearer!

2) Over the past two years, WWE has seen many of its veteran stars retire. Stars from the 80s, 90s and even the 00s who have been in the limelight for many years have hung their boots up or have moved on to other things. It is only a matter of time before the stars like Triple H, Edge, Chris Jericho, The Undertaker and Kane hang their boots up, effectively “finishing" that generation of wrestling superstars. With the current state of talent in WWE, who do you see in the ring today that will be performing together in ten, twenty years time?

Kirsty:
There are a lot of guys who have the potential for longevity, but the ones I'd like to see still around and who I think could be of increasing value are John Cena, Randy Orton, the Miz, John Morrison, Jack Swagger, Daniel Bryan, Wade Barrett, Ted DiBiase, Drew McIntyre, CM Punk, Kaval, and Alberto Del Rio.

David:
Hopefully John Cena and Randy Orton will still be around then, but those two have had a fair few injuries in their careers thus far, so I don't know if they'll be able to keep going for another decade. I could see CM Punk sticking around many years from now though, probably slipping into a role not unlike Chris Jericho or Rey Mysterio recently, helping to get the newer members of the roster over but still being able to jump into the main event scene if needed.

Matt:
Unfortunately wrestlers don’t seem to have the same staying power as generations past. Gone are the days of your Bruno Sammartinos, Hulk Hogans, Ric Flairs or Fabulous Moolahs dominating a scene for longer than a few years. If I had a crystal ball, and could look into the future, with the fragility of today’s talent there wouldn't be too many left. There'd probably be a McMahon in the mist and that's about it?

Stevie:
I'll actually be surprised if anybody I like is still performing in ten years. Unless somebody starts dating HHH's kids. WWE usually spits out talent every three years or so. I don't believe anybody that is currently there will be present in ten years. Not even Cena.

Dion:
That's a tough one. I'd automatically think John Cena, but he would no doubt need to reinvent himself within the next decade. There's only so long his current "gimmick" would work - and doing so as a 40 year old just... wouldn't work... Guys like Cena, Orton and even Sheamus will no doubt enjoy a long career - just not Ric Flair long, hopefully - for their sake.

Scott:
Of course it's only a matter of time, everyone gets old and wears out. I don't think Rey Mysterio has much longer to go either.

CM Punk and The Miz will probably be around for quite some time, even if not in the ring; and Zack Ryder and Dolph Ziggler both could have legs as well. And John Cena will still be around; his style of wrestling probably won't wear him out too quickly.

Simon:
You'd hope that at least a couple from NXT/Nexus would have some staying power given the investment in the show and storyline/s. I think Cena will go for a while yet - because he's a trooper. Part of what makes people hate him I reckon.

3)  WWE has started to acquire many talents from Ring of Honor. Performers such as CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Matt Sydal and now Tyler Black who have been brought up in the "ECW" of today have all made their way to WWE. Would you say that talents like these guys are the Guerreros, Malenkos and Benoits of today's current era of professional wrestling? Who would you like to see from the indies or TNA make the move to WWE?

Kirsty:
I don't think it's helpful to compare new generations of talent to old. I think that the Guerreros, Malenkos and Benoits were unique, as are those who have come after them.

I've always wanted to see Samoa Joe in WWE, but I fear he would not be used properly. That said, if he were given the right sort of push, I think he could be really exciting in WWE. I'd also like to see Sting finally make the move, even if it's to have only one match with the Undertaker!

I have always thought that Samoa Joe would be a great fit in the WWE. He may not have the physique that the WWE sought for, but his charisma and in-ring skill would get him over if pushed correctly. Again, it comes down to marketing the character, but I would love to see Joe in the WWE one day.

David:
In terms of being guys with top notch work-rates who've paid their dues wrestling for the love of it instead of for the money, yes, but as Kirsty says, that's where the comparison stops.

I want Kurt Angle to come back to WWE, but that's not quit in keeping with the question asked, so I'm going to go with Christopher Daniels. He's quite a bit older than the other ROH guys that have been signed recently, but he's still one of the best workers not currently signed to WWE, and he's got charisma, unlike so many other indy stars, so he should have no trouble fitting in on Raw or SmackDown.

Matt:
To compare guys like Benoit/Guerrerro and Malenko to these new indy guys is like chalk and cheese. When I watch today’s indy organisations and compare them to "territories past", there is far more shit than shinola. It seems almost anyone with shiny pants and good leg slapping technique can get booked, and there are stocks of young Hardy Boy wannabes willing to jump off crap for a few months just to provide car accident entertainment on shows. Where are the workers?

Who could make the move? Abyss is prime WWE material, as are the tag specialist of TNA (Motor City Machine Guns/Beer Money). As for others there are few who have enough of the complete package required.

Stevie:
I wouldn't put them in the same league but there is a comparison to be made there, in that they're hard workers with a physical, realistic style that comes more from sports than entertainment. I'd want some Motor City Machine Guns and Sonjay Dutt action in WWE. They wouldn't use them overly well, I'd just like them to earn a bigger paycheque for a while.

Dion:
Yeah, that's a fair call, I think. Those guys are "wrestler's wrestlers", much like Guerrero and co. were seen. From the younger breed of TNA, it's hard to look past wanting AJ Styles to make the jump to the E. It'd be great to see him tying it up at WrestleMania against any number of opponents.

Scott:
No, it's not the same. The movement of Guerrero, Malenko and Benoit from ECW and WCW to WWF at the end of the 90s isn't the same as moving from ROH or TNA to WWE these days. It may be, in fact, the opposite - a move more akin going from WWF to WCW for the money and the bright lights.

I don't watch enough TNA or American indy wrestling to comment on other talent. But I will speak for the local scene. WWE - you need to sign Rueben de Jong. The guy will make you millions.

Simon:
It's not a bad comparison - but that's assuming the comparison needs to be made.

4) On NXT this past weekend, CM Punk joined the commentary desk which produced some very funny moments. If you could choose any wrestler, past or present, to take a shot at the commentary post, who would you like to hear?

Kirsty:
Brother Love. I've always thought he would have been great on the commentary table. Another heel from that era would be Rick Rude - up against McMahon, that would have made for some funny stuff.

David:
I was watching 100% Stratusfaction Guaranteed the other day, and while female commentators aren't all that common, I'd love to have Trish Stratus put on a headset and announce any one of WWE's shows. She's pretty good at improvising on-the-fly - as evidenced by one of the DVDs special features in which she and Chris Jericho go through the contents of their gift-bags for some Canadian awards ceremony. It mightn't sound like anything great, but if you've seen the DVD you'll know just how entertaining it is!

Matt:
The Rock! I'd love to hear his take on today’s talent, and mix it up with some of his classic banter. Jericho would be a close second.

I agree! I would love to hear The Rock on commentary. Back in the Attitude era when ever he was at the desk, he always provided entertaining comedy.

Stevie:
We already had Roddy Piper, who would have been my pick from the past. So I'd go with Chris Jericho, who is my answer to most questions. His knowledge along with his sense of timing would improve any product dramatically.

Dion:
Kurt Angle. When his career is done and dusted, I'd like to hear him on play-by-play - preferably in that semi-comical role he played in WWE around 2001.

Scott:
Was I then only person who cringed through most of Punk's commentary? Yes, there were some great one-liners - the "I'm not wearing pants" one will go down in history. But otherwise he was stilted and seemed a bit lost; perhaps struggling with the director's voice constantly in his ear. And he started out ragging on Cole, but then when Cole joined the commentary he was all but offering him sexual favours. It was weird.

Did "Ravishing" Rick Rude ever work commentary? I reckon he'd be great.

Simon:
I think Mick Foley a) should have stuck with it and b) will probably return to it. And I reckon that JBL could have nailed it well and truly given a year or two more in the booth.

5) The NZ Scene has a great talent pool, including three wrestlers who have ranked on the PWI500. Who out of the New Zealand pro wrestling scene do you think has what it takes to make it to WWE?

Kirsty:
I don't like these sorts of questions because I inevitably leave out someone who's deserving. I will just say though, that if Vince McMahon asked me to choose three guys to go into his company, I know exactly who they would be.

David:
Max Damage. There are other guys with potential too, but Max has already had two tryouts with WWE as well as appearing backstage on WWE Raw earlier this year. And, he's taken the first (and perhaps hardest) step in achieving his dream of becoming a WWE Superstar by leaving New Zealand and relocating to Brisbane, Australia, where he'll get even more experience under his belt before eventually moving to the US.

Matt:
As far as New Zealand wrestlers go, I always thought "The Measure" Dallas Mead ticked all the boxes for WWE material. He was huuuuuge, had a strong work ethic, and for a guy who used to be a prop for the Warriors, shooting star presses and hurricananas were no big thing.

From the current scene I think Vinny Dunn has come of age and could slot into the WWE scene quite nicely. But, given the last representatives of the Kiwi wrestling product in the ‘E were The Bushwhackers, I don't know if Vince could stray beyond wrestlers of the hardcore Butch and Luke crazy sheepherder mould? Does "The One" have a set of gumboots? What's "The New Zealand Dream" up to these days?

Stevie:
Reuben de Jong. What about him would Vince not like? There's also a small group of about six wrestlers who I think could easily fit in at FCW while trying to break into the next level. But naming them without using 500 words to qualify each one feels awkward. And I'd feel bad for the ones I didn't name or forgot. Although I do have a column coming up in a couple weeks...

Dion:
I plead the fifth. I'm often in the ear of those guys that I think could make a real go of this business with my "you're not getting any younger" speech. They know who they are.

Scott:
As I said above, Rueben de Jong. He's huge, he's ripped, he's violent, he's scary. This guy can and will be a huge star; it's surely just a matter of time.

Simon:
There's a NZ wrestling scene?!