5/9 Dot Net One Shots: The Dot Net staff give their quick thoughts from the previous week in WWE, TNA, MMA and indie wrestling

Welcome to the Dot Net One Shots. Each week, we will present a quick "one shot" thought from each staff member about the previous week in each of the following areas: WWE, TNA and Other (MMA, Indies, etc).

WWE

Will Pruett (Twitter - @itswilltime): Nothing in wrestling feels quite as stale as WWE's current product. More and more, I am fast-forwarding through almost 50% of WWE programming. It has to do with a number of factors, but the main one is the lack of exciting, compelling stories. Give me someone to believe in and something for them to overcome. It's so simple, it's actually difficult.

Jeff Lutz (Twitter - @JeffreyDLutz): Raw is facing more difficulty holding my attention on episodes that coincide with Cleveland Indians baseball games. I caught up with Raw on DVR and found out that I didn't miss much. There is plenty of talent on the roster and some of the storylines, leading to PPV matches, are holding my attention. But until something on WWE television becomes must-see, I won't invest much of my time.

Jake Barnett (Twitter - @barnettjake): Team Hell No and The Shield are not going to be the Main Event at Extreme Rules, but they will be my Main Event. I think they are having the best feud in WWE by far, and as long as creative doesn't pay too much attention to it they will be just fine.

Zack Zimmerman (Twitter - @InVasionZim): Three hours is a marathon that makes Raw more of a burden than enjoyable to follow most of the time. The only thing that stands out from Monday night was Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman. Regardless of how staged the "invasion" was, there is no denying the methodical destruction and dangerous charisma exuded by Brock Lesnar. Heyman vowing to unleash Brock only helps to build that image, I just wish Brock was facing someone more relevant and capable.

Ryan Kester (Twitter - @InnominatusTTV): Jack Swagger looked rather impressive on Raw. WWE has struggled a bit with Swagger since his return, but I feel like they found a good sweet spot with his and Colter's collective act on Monday. I still don't see him going over at Extreme Rules, but if they keep the intensity he showed on Raw consistent, he'll be in a good place regardless.

Darren Gutteridge (Twitter - @Dazatheg): I'm really struggling through a post-Mania hangover. I find myself doing other things while attempting to watch Raw, paying no attention whenever anything not involving The Shield, or someone I want to see succeed (Bryan, Cesaro, Ziggler etc) is on. A good match will always command attention, but right now a lot of staleness has set in storyline wise, and now would be a great time for some new faces.

Chris Shore (Twitter - @TheShoreSlant): The post-WrestleMania hangover has set in for WWE based on the recent shows and the ratings. John Cena is back to being silly. Daniel Bryan is still getting his ass handed to him. CM Punk is still missing. And absolutely nothing feels fresh or inspired about the shows. Dolph Ziggler's title run and the Shield are the best they have going right now, but those stories continue to have structural weaknesses that prevent them from carrying the rest of the card.

TNA

Will Pruett: Sting? This is a joke, right? Sting? I understand why TNA uses him. I understand that he is a legend. What I don't understand is how anyone can see him as a World Championship competitor in 2013. TNA created this situation themselves by downplaying the home-grown talent that was carrying the company last year. Hopefully, they realize the error of their ways soon.

Jeff Lutz: Without a PPV event to build toward for the rest of the year, TNA should spend this time establishing a star -- or stars. This wouldn't be an issue if the veterans were still viable or if TNA's younger performers weren't ready, but so many TNA originals have been on the verge of breaking out lately that it only makes sense to go with one or more of them and see what happens.

Jake Barnett: If TNA were self-aware, they would have Bully Ray at a retirement home on Impact this week verbally assaulting it's residents. They could introduce it as a training package.

Zack Zimmerman: Wrestling fans tend to wince at the word "fake," but if you watched Sting vs. Matt Morgan I would question if you have ever seen a match more fake looking. It's about believing in the story they're trying to tell and getting engaged in the action; Matt Morgan passing out to Stings barely-applied Deathlock is just absurd. I want to write a positive TNA One Shot soon, make it happen TNA!

Ryan Kester: A lot has been said about Sting becoming the number one contender for the TNA Title on last week's Impact. For me, the most egregious aspect of this decision was the manner in which Sting went over Morgan. He not only kicked out of a surprise Carbon Footprint, but he was able to knock Morgan out with little resistance with a sloppy Scorpion Deathlock. If TNA wants to push Sting as their main babyface, fine. I don't understand or agree with that decision, but there is no reason to have built up Morgan over these past few months only to feed him so readily to Sting.

Chris Shore: The return to the 8:00 p.m. CT start time should help some with the ratings slide for Impact, but it will not fix the problem. The problem is the continued use of senior citizens in the top spots, and the misuse of younger talent that should be filling those top spots. It doesn't matter what time slot you are in, that booking will not draw new fans to the product.

Other (MMA, Indies, Etc)

Will Pruett (ROH): How stupid is it for someone to say they will shoot anyone teaching their children about gay marriage? Jay Briscoe said something exceptionally dumb on Twitter yesterday. He should be punished by Ring of Honor. In 2013, there is no room for bigotry in wrestling.

Jeff Lutz (ROH): Champion or not, bright future or not, Jay Briscoe should be fired by Ring of Honor. Like, yesterday. It's his personal right to express even the most intolerant opinion, but when he does so as the face of a company, he should be met with similar intolerance. Nobody is too much of a star to still be employed after sending a message like that.

Jake Barnett (ROH): The company reaction to Jay Briscoe's controversial tweets will be interesting. I'm no stranger to living outside of mainstream opinion about certain political issues, but what Jay did was tactless. I hope he learns to censor himself a little better coming out of this.

Zack Zimmerman (ROH): Everyone is free to express their opinions and beliefs, as long as there are facts and logic to back them up. But when you're in a role as prominent as ROH Champion it's important to realize that you represent your company and should behave accordingly. I don't believe Jay's tweet was outright malicious, but it was unacceptably worded and a hindrance to the progression of our society in multiple ways. Not cool.

Ryan Kester (NXT): Having recently renewed my Hulu Plus subscription, I've been catching up on the happenings of the new NXT. I am thoroughly impressed. Between Paige, The Wyatt Family, and the frequent main roster wrestlers coming down to work with the younger talent, there is a lot to enjoy about the newer format. If you have the mean to check the show out, it's worth your time.

Darren Gutteridge (Soccer/Wrestling): It would be a mistake not to mention Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement as manager of Manchester United Football Club after 27 years. Wrestling companies should take a look at his policies of constantly pushing youth, only hiring people who will elevate the team, and most importantly, understanding no one man is bigger than the club. Sir Alex has never had a "John Cena problem" in over a quarter of a century.

Chris Shore (ROH): Whatever your opinion of Jay Briscoe's comments, and from reading Twitter and Facebook there are a ton of opinions out there, I do find it a little bit disheartening that there wasn't the same backlash for Paul London continuing his match in the way he did after getting knocked out. Briscoe's words, however stupid, are just words, whereas London's actions put his health and wellbeing at risk. That's much more worthy of scorn in my opinion.