Here it is, my pride and joy, my thoughts of WWE in 2011. WARNING, I didn't spell check this as I got this done at about 5 on New Year's Eve and I got some plans tonight so I don't really have time to spellcheck and grammar check so please forgive. What is there though, is pretty good.
Best things WWE did in 2011
5. Better PPVs - While WWE had some seriously bad PPVs this year, they had some really great ones too. Royal Rumble was FANTASTIC, Elimination Chamber, while predictable, very enjoyable, Extreme Rules was very surprising and even turned out to be better than Wrestlemania, and MITB and SummerSlam were two of the greatest PPVs in the PG era. WWE did it right with certain PPVs this year.
4. Annoucement of Rock/Cena - When The Rock returned in February, the dream match between these two mega stars slowly started to become reality. After the Raw before Mania, and Wrestlemania itself, Rock and Cena was all but confirmed. Then it was finally made official, but at NEXT year's Wrestlemania. The dream match that everyone wants to see will finally happen in a few short months. I still remember when the match was made and it's a moment I'll never forget. Thanks WWE for finally putting this dream match into motion.
3. Push of Mark Henry - Mark Henry's dominance in the 2nd half of 2011 was amazing to see. It came from out of nowhere, but it was much deserved. After taking out Big Show and Kane and having a surprisingly good match with Sheamus at SummerSlam, Henry won a battle royal to get a shot at the World Title. I'm not going to lie, I was one of the doubters because he was facing the almighty Randy Orton, but not only did he win, he dominated Orton at Night of Champions AND HIAC and kept his title for longer than 14 days. Henry is one of the true success stories of 2011.
2. Summer months - June 20th was the start of an amazing summer for WWE. On that day, Punk became #1 contender for the WWE Title and WWE was never the same. The next week, Punk did his amazing shoot promo that let everybody know that he should be a household name. Orton and Christian continued their amazing feud. Both MITB matches were great and the Punk/Cena match was the best match of the year. Then, SummerSlam rolled around, and WWE had a show that was great from top to bottom. During this summer, WWE proved 1 thing; they can have interesting feuds and amazing matches in this PG era of their company.
1. Push of the young talent continues - The Year of the Newcomer Part 2! The young talent continued to get opportunity to shine in the WWE. Ziggler and The Miz were apart of their brand's respective World Title matches at the Royal Rumble, Alberto Del Rio, who was in the WWE for only 5 months WON the biggest Rumble of all time, Cody Rhodes and Miz won their Wrestlemania matches, Del Rio and Daniel Bryan won MITB for their brands, Del Rio FINALLY won a World Title, Miz not only faced Cena at Mania, but faced Rock at Survivor Series, Barrett and Rhodes were the sole survivors on their team this year, Zack Ryder started getting the push of his lifetime and I know I already mentioned this, but MIZ BEAT CENA at Wrestlemania. No one else can say they beat the Superman John Cena in a one-on-one match at Mania except for Miz. The young talent continues to get opportunity to shine and they are shining bright. What does 2012 have in store for guys like Miz, Del Rio, Barrett, Rhodes, and Ziggler? I'll talk more about that later.
Best matches of 2011
5. Taker/HHH Wrestlemania - Undertaker's only match this year was a good one, not on par with his two classics with Shawn Michaels, but not horrible either. Both guys gave it their all and the No Holds Barred stipulation made the match that much better. The 3 pedigrees and Tombstone Piledriver was overkill and that kind of killed the match for me, but HHH pushed Taker to the limit and it lived up to the hype, which is everything we all wanted.
4. Barrett/Bryan SummerSlam - I knew when this match was first announced that it had potential to be a show stealer. The two still had left over beef from Nexus and they never had a BIG one-on-one match to settle it, until SummerSlam rolled around. The two put on one hell of a show. They really have some nice chemistry together. This match shows that if WWE just puts more faith in their young talent, they will be able to carry the company. Such a fantastic match between two of the top young talent in the WWE.
3. Ziggler/Edge Royal Rumble - It would be a crime if I didn't include the hardest working performer in the WWE today, Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler was thrown right into the main event scene in the start of 2011 and his first match there tore the roof off the place. This is the definition of a wrestling match. A lot of mat wrestling, good reversals, and in ring chemistry made this match special. The ending was genius for Edge's character but I would've preferred a clean finish. Regardless of the finish, this was still a fantastic match and it really set the pace for World Title matches to come in 2011. Ziggler's amazing year started with this match.
2. Orton/Christian feud in general - Orton and Christian had about 7 matches in 2011 from PPVs and Smackdowns. They didn't have ONE bad match. There were two matches that stood out from the rest though. The first one was their 2nd match from Over the Limit, which was the only saving grace from that PPV. The second was their epic 5th encounter from SummerSlam. The first match was more of a wrestling contest, but their SummerSlam encounter was a perfect feud ending match. Christian actually ended up making Orton a better wrestler and now he's one of the top performers in WWE. Thanks Christian. Anyway, it's hard for me to pick between the two because they're both great matches for different reasons, so I'm just going to say the whole feud for this one.
1. Punk VS Cena MITB - Was there ever any doubt? This match was the match of the PG Era. And it's also my match of the year. Why? Why not? The chemistry between Punk and Cena was UNCANNY. They knew each other so well, which made for many greats counters between the two, like when Punk hit Cena with a Cross Body, only to get into an AA, which Punk would reverse into the GTS, which Cena would THEN reverse into a STF. They had a match filled with so much drama, thanks to Punk's shoot promo and the crazy awesoem Chicago crowd. And most importantly, they brought out the best in each other. Punk forced Cena to step his game up and Cena used EVERY move in his arsenal. The Shoulder Blocks, the Side Slam, the Five Knuckle Shuffle, a Gutwrench, a Pump Handle Slam, a Cena Legdrop, the STF, AND The Attitude Adjustment. He made Super Cena look human. And Cena made Punk look like a worthy WWE Title challenger. It was a great match that started change in the WWE and it's easily my match of the year and is the match to beat this decade. Sorry HBK/Taker 2.
Biggest disappointments
5. Bouncing the WWE Title around - WWE started the year off right with the WWE Title. Miz and Cena were the only two to hold it for the first seven months. After Punk won it though, all hell broke loose. Punk won it, then it was vacated, then Mysterio won it, then Cena won it, then Punk returned and became sole champion, then Del Rio won it, then Cena won it AGAIN, then Del Rio AGAIN, and then finally Punk. Why did they need to bounce it around so much? What should of happened, was Miz/Mysterio should've still had an opportunity, but they should've made it a triple threat with Punk. Punk should've won then Cena should have gotten his rematch at SummerSlam, Del Rio cashes in, holds the title to Survivor Series then Punk wins it back. That way, there's only 4 title changes throughout all 2011. I don't like Mysterio one bit, but it is really messed up that he only had a 2 hour title reign. What the hell was the point you know? Hopefully, we'll get a long reign sometime in 2012, but with Cena, Punk, Miz, Ziggler, and Del Rio all gunning for the WWE Title, I don't see it.
4. Edge's Retirement - Edge is probably my favorite wrestler of all time. I loved him as a part of Edge and Christian and I loved watching his rise as a singles wrestler. I'll never forget when he won his 1st WWE Title and how HARD I marked out. It was a great moment to witness and even though it didn't last long, it was still amazing. Now, 6 years later, he's forced to retire. I can't believe it. One of my favortie wrestlers of all time, probably MY FAVORITE, had to retire. Edge was always one of the top performers in the WWE and he was just getting started pushing the young talent in WWE. I'm going to miss Edge because he was one of my favorite superstars, he always had good matches, and he always did something interesting. Most of Edge's World Title wins were surprising. His cash in on The Undertaker, his return at Survivor Series and winning the WWE Title, and of course, turning the WWE Title into the World Heavyweight Title at Elimination Chamber. It seems like every year we lose a big WWE superstar. And with 2012 looming, I wonder who's next.
3. Del Rio - Alberto Del Rio should easily be the Superstar of the Year. Look at his 2011 accomplishments. He won the BIGGEST Royal Rumble of all time, won Raw's Money in the Bank, and held the WWE Title on two seperate occasions. So why is he on this list? Because of how he was booked. Del Rio had SO MUCH momentum going into Wrestlemania but then he LOST in the first match of the night. I understand that it was probably because they knew it would be Edge's last WM match, but still, it killed his momentum. THEN, he lost at Extreme Rules, but again, it was due to Edge's retirement and to finally give Christian his moment. Del Rio was then shuffled to Raw where he didn't become important until he cashed in the MITB. What should have been a 3 month reign, turned into two short horrible reigns as champion. People just got tired of Del Rio in 2011 because WWE didn't capitalize on him when they had the chance. Or was it because they pushed him too hard? We've seen the same things happen to Sheamus and Swagger. Maybe 2012 will be a better year booking wise for Del Rio, as his 2011 accomplishment wise is pretty hard to beat.
2. Rock's return/Wrestlemania - Though seeing The Rock come back to Raw was amazing, his return was one of the most flawed returns of all time. When The Rock was announced as host, I knew they were going to immediately tease Cena/Rock, which meant the WWE Championship and said champion would be forgotten and that's exactly what happened. Everyone forgot about The Miz in the whole Rock/Cena feud and he ended up winning at the biggest stage of them all. That was the only good thing about it. He also ruined Wrestlemania for me as well. He COMPLETELY STOLE the first 15 minutes of Wrestlemania, which could've been given to Del Rio/Edge, Rhodes/Mysterio, or the main event. The fact that he also said he would never leave again also killed me. He only made ONE apperance for his huge ring return back in November. One apperance for his first match in 7 years was unacceptable. Don't buy into Dwayne Johnson. He's not coming back. After Cena makes him tap out in Miami, he'll go back to making crappy movies, watch.
1. Conspiracy storyline - How did WWE drop the ball with this one? They had SO MANY power players involved here from Punk, Cena, HHH, McMahon, Miz, Truth, and Nash that there is no possible way that this should have failed. I still think The Rock should've had something to do with this and the storyline should've ended at Survivor Series, but alas, neither happened. After the tag match at Vengeance, everything just collapsed. We never got an answer as to who lowered the cell for Miz and Truth at HIAC. We never found out who Ace keeps texting. We never found out WHO was behind all of the conspiracies. Maybe WWE still has plans for this storyline down the road, but for now, it's easily the worst thing WWE did this year.
Best Moments
10. Bryan wins MITB/Cashes in - I like Daniel Bryan. I've been a fan of his since he defeated Miz at NOC in 2010. I always heard about him, how Bryan Danielson was such a fantastic wrestler but I never saw any of his matches outside of WWE. So imagine my surprise when he climbed that ladder at MITB and won the match. I was shocked, but in a good way because that's what the MITB match is all about, an opportunity and here's a guy that probably wouldn't get a title match any other way. THEN, he finally cashes it in and finally makes SD's World Title picture interesting again. It was a fantastic moment to witness and I'm happy for Bryan. Smackdown's World Title scene in 2012 is going to be fantastic!
9. Ziggler wins World Title for 11 minutes - Ziggler was thrown right into the main event in the beginning of the year and had some fantastic matches with the Rated R Superstar Edge. After using the banned Spear in their match, Edge was stripped of the World Heavyweight Championship and it was awarded to Dolph Ziggler. When I read the results for this, I went NUTS! I've liked Ziggler since he started feuding with Mysterio back in 09, so I was all ready for a Ziggler main event push. Though his reign only lasted 11 minutes or so, this was a sign of things to come as Ziggler had an amazing 2011. Ziggler's 2012 looks to start just as well as his 2011 did, as he'll be facing Punk for the title on the 1st Raw of the year. Here's hoping they steal the show...
8. Turns of certain wrestlers - I couldn't pick just one, so I put them all together but MAN was this a good year for heel and face turns! Christian, Truth, Henry, and Sheamus all turned this year and benefited because of it. R-Truth was a generic horrible face with no direction at all. Then, he attacked John Morrison, beat Mysterio CLEAN at Over the Limit, and main evented Capitol Punishment. Sounds like a successful turn to me. Henry was the same as Truth, just stumbling around with no direction. He got drafted to Smackdown and the Hall of Pain begun. He took out Kane, Big Show, and destroyed Sheamus. Finally, he beat Orton CLEAN at Night of Champions and captured the World Title in the process. Another successful turn. Christian won his World Title as a face, thanks to Edge's retirement, After losing the title to Orton and the rematch at OTL, Christian finally snapped and turned heel, which lead to another World Title reign. Short, but longer than his first. Success. With Edge's retirement and Big Show and Kane both out, Smackdown needed a big face. Who would have thought that Sheamus fit that bill? I was a doubter at first, but the fans really seem to have warmed up to him. I don't see why they didn't do a Henry/Sheamus feud but alas, Sheamus had a successful face turn. Hopefully we'll see more great turns in the coming year. John Cena anybody?
7. Ryder Revolution - I remember watching the 2011 Royal Rumble and seeing Zack Ryder come out at #4. He was eliminated fairly fast. Then, in December of the same year, he won his first singles title in the company. What the hell happened? Ryder, tired of not being used, created his own show on Youtube, became a freaking hit and WWE had no choice but to push him. We Want Ryder chants would fill the arenas, but we would get no Ryder. Then, ever since they showed that video package of him on Raw back in September/October, things were never the same. That's when I first noticed him and decided to check out his show. I became a fan in an instant. His show didn't just help him, it also helped Ziggler, as he would appear once in a while and cut some amazing promos, which Ziggler had trouble on in the past. Ryder is one of the best stories in 2011 because he wasn't made by WWE technically. They were resistant to push him, so he got his name out there on his own and looked what has happened because of it. Woo Woo Woo, you know it!
6. Del Rio wins Rumble - What a shocker! I remember calling Del Rio my #2 guy to win the Rumble but it was still shocking to see him actually do it. Del Rio only started in the company in August of 2010 and I was a fan since Day 1. Anyone who can beat Mysterio in their first match on Smackdown in ok with me so I hopped on the Del Rio bandwagon. When he tossed Santino over the top rope, I knew the WWE were finally serious about pushing the youth. It was great WWE try something new by having this guy win easily one of the biggest matches of the year. Maybe WWE will continue this trend for years to come.
5. Rhodes' amazing year - Quick, how many wrestlers can you name that have done 3 different gimmicks in one year and have made them work? I don't know how many did it, but Rhodes certainly made it look easy. Though he never reached main event status, Rhodes was always featured this year. He didn't have a lot of down time like some wrestlers did this year. He started the year feuding with Mysterio and ended up winning their match at Wrestlemania, which is still Rhodes top victory to date in my opinion. After that, he started having weekly matches with Sin Cara and Daniel Bryan before finally winning the IC Title in August. After that, he feuded with DiBiase and FINALLY got into a big feud with Orton, Though he came up on the losing end of the feud, he changed his gimmick to what it is now and has started feuding with another great, Booker T. If Rhodes can keep this up, he's sure to be World Champion in 2012. I always thought DiBiase would be where Rhodes is but I guess Vince is right. We really DON'T know what we want.
4. Cena's AA to Rock on Raw before Mania - It was the Attitude Adjustment heard all around the world. It was the move that gave away the ending of Wrestlemania. It was John Cena's Attitude Adjustment to The Rock. Something I wanted to see for YEARS. When it happened, all I could do was stand up and CLAP. Clap for a couple of reasons. One, Rock wasn't going to let that fly, meaning Cena wasn't walking out of Mania as champion. Two, Rock and Cena are going to clash at some point, which is the dream match we ALL want to see. And three, it was awesome. Cena hit the first of many Attitude Adjustments that are sure to come. It was amazing.
3. Resurrection of Barrett - Last year, I thought Barrett would have already been to the top of the mountain and back. I thought he was going to have a good performance against The Undertaker at Mania and eventually become Smackdown's World Champion, but neither of those thing happened this year. After being in the Final Four of the Royal Rumble, Barrett's career just went downhill. He was featured in the filler match for Mania and didn't have any direction. He DID however, win his first singles title in the WWE, which was the IC Title, but he didn't hold it for long and his reign was boring to be honest. Finally, I guess someone on the writing team watched his SS match with Bryan and asked why the HELL aren't we pushing him and the Barrett Barrage started. He pinned Sheamus AND ORTON in back to back weeks and THEN led his team to victory at Survivor Series in Madison Square Garden. Are you kidding me? If Barrett is NOT World Champion in 2012, I'll quit watching WWE. Seriously, this guy has ALL the tools to be the next great heel on Smackdown and with Henry injured, Rhodes and Barrett need to step it up. Come on Barrett, I hope your victory over Orton on Smackdown makes you the #1 contender somehow.
2. Punk sets WWE on fire - First and foremost, I like to say that I've been a CM Punk fan since he joined ECW all those years ago. I loved when he cashed in MITB, I loved when he turned heel, and I LOVED when he erdicated that charmastic enabler Jeff Hardy from the WWE. I picked Punk to win the Rumble this year and even before his promo, I picked Punk to beat Cena at MITB. Then, Punk dropped the biggest pipebomb of the year amd everyone jumped on his bandwagon. The reason I put this on this particular list isn't to insult anybody who didn't notice CM Punk until now. I put it on this list because of how many people started to pay attention to WWE again BECAUSE of what Punk said. One of my best friends said to me the reason he started watching Raw again was because Punk made WWE interesting and cool again. That should tell you something. Punk main evented 4 PPVs in a freaking row, had the match of the year, and will enter 2012 as the WWE Champion. CM Punk single handedly started the change we currently see in WWE and it's a beautiful thing. Thanks CM Punk.
1. Miz beats Cena at Mania - Wrestlemania was a big disappointment this year. Thanks Rock, but for me, WWE made up for it when I proved EVERYBODY wrong and they had The Miz pin Super Cena at Wrestlemania. If you want to see how excited I was, go back to my Wrestlemania reaction post. I think I typed Miz Beats Cena like over 100 times. I was marking out hard and that's why it's my favorite moment of the year. Sure, I loved when Punk beat Cena or when Barrett started his rise back up the WWE food chain, but Miz's victory outshines them for one reason; no one thought he could do it. It's my favorite moment of the year and I still bring it up to rub in my friends faces to this day.
Breakout star of the year
3. Zack Ryder - The kid was a nobody in the beginning of the year but became a household name by the end of it. He worked hard, got a strong Internet following, and started to make his dreams come true. When he won the title at TLC, I teared up a little bit. To see the guy work so hard and to finally see a little result, it was fantastic. Let's see what WWE does with him in 2012.
2. Dolph Ziggler - Ziggler was easily the biggest workhorse in WWe in 2011. He worked amazing matches with top WWE superstars, including Edge, Orton, Cena (I think that was in 2010 though) and CM Punk. He held 3 different singles titles this year and helped Zack Ryder to household name status. As the hardest working person in WWE today, I'm sure an actual longer than 11 minute reign as World Champion will be coming in 2012.
1. Cody Rhodes - Rhodes worked hard and never became irrevleant in 2011. He fought midcarders all the way up to Super Orton and Booker T. He's going to enter 2012 as IC Champion and the future sure is bright for the son of the American Dream. If Rhodes is pushed right, he can become the top heel over on Smackdown.
PPV of the year
3. Extreme Rules - What a surprise this PPV turned out to be. There was only one bad match on the card and this featured a lot of great feud enders, like Punk/Orton, Rhodes/Mysterio, and Christian/Del Rio. It also marked the end of the longest WWE Title reign this year. Overall though, it was a fantastic event that ended up being better than the show of shows.
2. SummerSlam - Not one bad match on the card. The surprise 6 man tag was entertaining, Henry/Sheamus put on a good big man match, Kelly and Phoenix had an impressive women's match, Bryan and Barrett had a hard hitting back and forth that was probably Barrett's finest performance in his career, Orton and Christian WOW, just completely stole the show with their No Hold Barred match, and Punk and Cena had another fantastic one on one match. SummerSlam is a card you really can't beat and proves that WWE can have consistently good PPVs, if they try hard enough.
1. MITB - What else can be said that hasn't been said already? This PPV was amazing but it's #1 on this list for a certain reason. This PPV marked change in WWE. Daniel Bryan, one of the Internet's commuinty's heroes, won the MITB contract. As we all know, every time MITB has been cashed in, we have had a new World Champion, so imagine everyone's excitement over that. Christian, using dirty tactics, took the World Title from Orton. And we ALL know what happened at the end of the show. We saw a truly epic match that has defined this current era of wrestling we're in. Punk and Cena brought their A games at this PPV and I haven't been the same since. WWE's best PPV performance in 2011.
Worst PPV of the year
3. Hell in a Cell - I don't even remember the card for this PPV. The only match I remember was the exceptional main event. Wasn't this the PPV that had Sin Cara VS Sin Cara? Crap match. The HIAC between Henry and Orton? Forgettable. This PPV was horrible, it just didn't continue the string of great PPVs that started at MITB and that's why I put this on the list.
2. Capitol Punishment - Another PPV I had to go to Wikipedia for and check the card. I remember the Ziggler/Kingston and Punk/Mysterio matches being good but we've seen this matches like A THOUSAND TIMES already! The main event really killed this event for me. Truth dominated and what happened, Super Cena comes in and defeats Truth easily. It was amazing! Psych. This PPV is just forgettable for me and was one of the worst mistakes I made this year.
1. Over the Limit - This PPV has ONE and I mean JUST ONE redeeming quality and that was the fact we got a fantastic match between Orton and Christian. Everything else though, UGH. The Kiss My Foot match, STUPID, and went WAY TOO LONG. The throwaway tag match, pointless. The Sin Cara/Guerrero match, a tradegy. Seriously, what was WWE thinking? This event also didn't feature Rhodes or Del Rio, who were BOTH featured on the last two PPVs in high profile matches. Maybe that's why this event failed. It was just horrible to watch and I just put my hands in my face when I saw the main event. Miz kicked Cena's ASS FOR 20 MINUTES! Then, out of nowhere, Super Cena and Miz quits in 30 seconds. Stupid, pointless, a waste of a Sunday night. Over the Limit was THE WORST PPV of the year. Kill it with fire!
Next couple I didn't really go into due to timing and other stuff like that. I'll discuss it in the video though.
Underrated Wrestlers
5. Tyler Reks - The kid is big, has a nice finisher and has just a good look about him. I would get him away from Hawkins and see if he can make it on his own.
4. Tyson Kidd - Why isn't this kid getting pushed? He's the last survivor of the heart family dungeon, that's a gimmick in his own. Plus, he pushed current World Heavyweight Champion to his limit earlier this year. Kidd may be a little on the small size, but he's amazing in the ring. I hope WWE does something with him, Gabriel, Slater, DiBiase, and that IC Title whenever Rhodes drops it.
3. Michael McGillicutty - He's the son of the great Mr. Perfect. WHY isn't WWE letting him use that to his advantage? I'm sure he's picked up some moves from his daddy so why not give him Junior Perfect gimmick? Now that Ryder's the US Champion, it's a PERFECT time for a reboot!
2. Ted DiBiase - Be honest, when Legacy was first formed, you thought that DiBiase was going to be the breakout star of the two? Don't worry, I did too. DiBiase still has a chance, thanks to this DiBiase Posse thing now. He still has the fact that his father was the most hated heel in wrestling. I think the future's bright for him if WWE decides to use him right.
1. Drew McIntyre - The chosen one, Mr. McMahon's hand picked choice. What happened? He was on such a roll on Smackdown, becoming IC Champ and beating everyone in his path but then, out of nowhere, it just stopped. Thanks Tiffany! Anyway though, he just has the look to succeed in WWE. And he's the only guy on the list who's won a singles title, so of course he's #1! Drew was on the last Smackdown of the year, let's hope this means something.
Best Champion
5. Randy Orton - Orton carried Smackdown this year, becoming its top face. His 1st reign as World Champion was great, as he won the belt as SOON as he got to Smackdown and he held it for 3 months. During his 2nd reign, he pushed the monster Mark Henry and look what he did! Orton was a good champ this year.
4. John Cena - Cena won the WWE Title 3 TIMES this year. His first reign this year was the longest, 3 months and he lost in the match of the PG era. Cena also broke his OWN record for most WWE Championship won and stands alone with 10. That makes him a great champion ALONE.
3. Mark Henry - Henry's only reign is still enough to get him on this list because of how long it took for him to get it. AND he was pretty dominant during his reign. He beat Orton CLEAN at back-to-back PPVs. I mean, come on, what more do I have to say? A 3 month reign was much deserved for Henry.
2. Dolph Ziggler - Ziggler held the US Title for 6 months. 6 MONTHS! It's the 2nd time he's held a singles title for that length. That's amazing! He also became World Champion for 11 minutes, but 2012 is looking good for him. If he can hold the midcard belt for so long, I wonder how long he can keep the main title? 11 minutes apparently....
1. The Miz - Miz held the WWE Title the LONGEST this year AND he retained over John Cena at Wrestlemania, in the main event, and became only the 2nd heel to close the show doing so. ENOUGH SAID.
Best Heel
5. Cody Rhodes - I loved how he talked down to the crowd and tried to put paper bags on their heads. Priceless.
4. Christian - ONE MORE MATCH!
3. CM Punk - Punk just knows how to control a crowd when he picks up a mic and his first half of 2011 as a heel was great. He talked bad about Cena, WWE management, and the McMahons. How much more do you need?
2. The Miz - People just hate Miz. Why? Because he's COCKY and he's good and he knows it. So he throws it in your face and you boo him. Well, not me because I love the guy, but some of you do!
1. Mark Henry - The most dominant heel is the #1 heel. Come on, this isn't rocket science. He took out Big Show and Kane. He drove Sheamus through the barricade. He held the World Title on Smackdown for 3 months and destroyed everyone who came in his path. Henry had a fantastic year as a heel.
Best Face
5. Zack Ryder - The crowd is getting behind Ryder thanks to his Youtube show and his pops get bigger and bigger each week. Won't be long before he becomes the next Cena....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
4. CM Punk - Punk's one guy who I think the heel lifestyle was made for but that doesn't mean he's not an acceptable face. He's just better as a heel, but the people have jumped on the Punk bandwagon, and I was a witness to it myself. EVERYONE around me loves Punk now, but couldn't stand when he main evented SummerSlam in 09. Hmmmm. Whatever, Punk, once again, is a master on the mic, so when he talks, the crowd listens and he can control them. Just what you need to be a good face.
3. Sheamus - He's a big white unstoppable guy and people love him for some reason. I've liked him since Day 1 but since he stood up to Henry, people started to flock towards him. I hope he gets some direction because he could really be a top face in WWE.
2. John Cena - Either you hate Cena or you love Cena. He doesn't care either way. He's not going to give into the hate just because we adult male fanst don't like him and that's what a true face would do.
1. Randy Orton - Unlike Cena, everyone loves Orton. His pop in Philly was deafening. I don't know how, but he's taken Cena's place as #1 face in the company.
Best Feud
5. Rhodes VS Mysterio - Rhodes' first big chance to shine and boy did he. Mysterio, though I really don't like him, puts on good matches and he had some absolute great matches with Rhodes. The highlight of the feud was Rhodes pinning Mysterio at Mania. It was Rhodes career defining moment thus far and it why he's so high on my list for 2012.
4. Orton VS Punk - I love both of these guys and this was an awesome feud for me as a wrestling fan. Orton/Punk told a good story of revenge and they didn't have one bad match. Highlight of the feud was Orton sweeping Punk. Why? Because I don't think Punk would be getting swept NOW. Now that's he's the best in the world.
3. Rock VS Cena - A feud that finally came to fruition this year. Rock FINALLY came back and this match was finally set. The match we've all waited for is going to happen. The highlight of this feud will happen April 1st, 2012, I'm sure.
2. Christian VS Orton - What a long and glorious feud this two had. 7 matches I believe these two had in the course of their feud and not ONE BAD MATCH. How the hell do two guys do that? Even if it did get a little stale after a while, they still put on solid matches at each PPV they were apart of. Highlight of the feud; Christian winning the title at MITB. What an awesome way to win the title by spitting in someone's face!
1. Punk VS The WWE - Come on, it's was what kept WWE interesting in the summer. It led to the classinc at MITB, the fantastic rematch at SummerSlam, the failed but still interesting conspiracy storyline, Punk's rise to WWE, how can this NOT be feud of the year? Highlight was obviously MITB. The atmosphere, the match, and the ending made it fantastic. It won't be duplicated.
Worst Feud
5. Del Rio VS Big Show - WHY? Del Rio was on such a momentum roll and he feuded with Show? Pointless.
4. Cara VS Guerrero - I know they were trying to help Sin Cara get used to American wrestling, but they failed horribly.
3. Jackson VS Barrett - Had potential but I just wasn't feeling it. Barrett should been main eventing, not playing around with Jackson.
2. Miz VS Riley - This is on the list because THIS DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE! A-Ry isn't even feature regularly on TV. At least when he was Miz's lackey, he'd get a TV match once in a while. This feud didn't have the same push effect it did for Bryan, so that's why it's on the list.
1. Cole VS Lawler - No explanation needed!
Star to look out for in 2012
5. Daniel Bryan - Bryan is going to walk into 2012 as the World Heavyweight Champion. You gotta look what this kid does in 2012! As World Champion, we should start seeing some amazing feuds, like another Bryan/Barrett feud, a very interesting Christian/Bryan feud, and the feud that will be 2012's Christian/Orton, Orton/Bryan. Bryan as World Champion opens up a lot of doors for Smackdown's title picture. The future is bright on the blue brand.
4. Zack Ryder - Woo Woo Woo! He's entering 2012 as the US Champion. Wouldn't have thunk it, but it happened. After hearing he's being depushed due to the low ratings of the main event of Raw in Philly, I don't know what 2012 will hold for Ryder. If it's anything like his 2011 though, sky's the limit for this superstar. I don't know if he'll ever get a WWE Title push or anything like that but maybe some big time feuds in 2012. Maybe even against his broski John Cena? We'll see but Ryder could have a great 2012.
3. Dolph Ziggler - The ShowOff had an amazing 2011 and he's starting 2012 off right, jumping right into the WWE Title picture on the first Raw of 2012. That's where Ziggler belongs to be honest. His mic skills improved a lot in 2011, something he's had trouble with in the past and what has held him down. Now with that past him, it's time for a World Title reign longer than 11 minutes. If Ziggler does win the WWE Title on Raw, I can't wait to see his matches with Cena. Ziggler's going to become World Champion in 2012. It HAS to happen.
2. Wade Barrett - Barrett should have became World Champion in 2011. I don't know why WWE didn't put gold on Barrett. He has everything needed to succeed in WWE. In ring ablitiy, natural talking skills, and the look. WHY does he have to wait to become World Champion? Hopefully, we won't have to wait much longer as the Barrett Barrage just ran through Orton. Is a future World Title match in Barrett's future? Barrett is another one who will become World Champion in 2012, I just don't know when.
1. Cody Rhodes - 3 gimmicks, one year. Amazing. 2011 was just the start for Cody Rhodes. A win over Mysterio at Mania, finally winning a single titles, and feuding with the top face on Smackdown made Rhodes a household name in 2011. I'll never forget the reaction he got in Madison Square Garden. The people KNOW he's the future. He's got the business in his blood and has some great talent in the ring. It's just something about him that screams future World Champion. I don't know if a World Championship is in Rhodes' future for 2012, but I think he's going to keep rising through the ranks and actually work for his 1st World title reign, like Randy Orton did. I sure hope 2012 is that year though.
What to look forward to in 2012
10. A new faction? - Maybe I'm still trying to remember the glory days of Nexus, but I think WWE should try to do a new faction. This time though, use stars everyone already knows. They were on the right track earlier with Christian, Rhodes, Ziggler, and Swagger. That's a good heel stable that could really help the three younger guys. What I'm basically looking for is a new group to help push some of these young guys. And I mean a dominant group, not the crappy Corre. Maybe we'll see one, maybe we won't.
9. Tag division getting rebuilt? - WWE tried to do this in 2011 but it didn't go exactly as planned. With 2012 looming, I'm sure WWE can try again. They have The Usos, Reks and Hawkins, and Primo and Epico. Why aren't they focusing more on these tag teams? Air Boom works so well because you have two guys whose styles match each other. You telling me WWE can't do that again? Get guys who aren't doing anything like Tyson Kidd, McIntyre, William Regal. I know this is from WWE 12 but I really like the team of McIntyre and Regal. WWE has said they want to put more emphasis on the tag division and I think 2012 is the year we see them try their hardest.
8. Better PPVs? - 2011 proved to me that WWE can put on strong consistant great PPVs in this PG era. So, why not try to continue this trend? Have matches that actually matter. I don't need to see 3 unannounced matches added to the card, here's looking at you TLC. Especially if it's a match not for a title. Anyway, from MITB - NOC, WWE put on their best efforts, especially SummerSlam, which featured a solid card from top to bottom. WWE doesn't need to continue to put on crappy PPVs and they just need to work harder. I think 2012 will be a year when at least more than half of the PPVs will be good. Not decent, not acceptable, GOOD. All the Big 4 will come through this year, especially Mania, and we'll have a great Elimination Chamber and another fantastic MITB. The others, I'm not too sure, but I'm sure WWE can put on at least 6 exceptional PPVs in 2012.
7. The WWE Network? - Come on! A whole network for professional wrestling? I'm in! I'm interested in the line-up AND I'm WAY interested in saving money on PPVs. 13 PPVs I bought this year. 13! That's almost 800 smackers! Anyway, there's not much else I can say. If I can save money on PPVs, I'm all for it.
6. More pushing of the young talent? - 2010 and 2011 showed that WWE is willing to push the new young talent. People like Sheamus, Miz, Barrett, Rhodes, and Ziggler all got to shine in those years. Will it happen again in 2012? Will we see guys like Slater, Gabriel, and Kidd come into their own? Maybe Tyler Reks finally gets that push he deserves or Brodus Clay FINALLY debuts. Maybe McIntyre will come back and get himself into a World Title feud. Time will tell if another Year of the Newcomer is in the works.
5. Potential huge feuds? - 2012 is coming and that means the draft is soon upon which also means NEW FEUDS! Thank you God! There's so many possible great feuds to come in the year like Ziggler/Punk, Cena/Ziggler, Bryan and everyone on Smackdown just to name a few. Not to mention if Jericho comes back, we get Punk/Jericho. There's talk that Bryan will be facing Cena in the next year, which could be a really awesome and eventful feud. Ziggler facing anybody who can keep up with him if fine as well. My dream feud, besides Punk/Jericho, is a feud between the two current World Champions. I think WWE is holding off on this one and is going to see how Bryan hangs with Orton and Cena, but a match between CM Punk and Daniel Bryan for a World Title would show how much WWE has changed in the past couple of years. Anyway, 2012 is going to be a huge year for feuds.
4. Returns of WWE alumni? - January 2nd someone is returning. A possible WWE alumni even? With Wrestlemania season beginning, expect some huge returns in the coming months. It's always nice to see some of the bigger names in WWE comeback. Also, with Lesnar surprise retirement after his last UFC fight, is there a chance that the former 3 time WWE Champion is headed back to the WWE? Time will tell...
3. World Title matches for the young ones? - After the year Ziggler, Rhodes, and Barrett had, World Title matches have to be in their futures. Ziggler is getting his on the 2nd day of the year so he's starting off strong. Barrett just took out Orton so I'm sure WWE will push him straight into the title picture. Rhodes continues to impress and looks to compete in his first title match. These guys are the future of the company so it's only right that thest guys are put into the main event picture.
2. Last runs of former WWE stars? - Next year will probably be the last year you see some of the biggest names in wrestling hang up their boots. Guys like Kane, Henry, Big Show, and even Triple H might finally quit wrestling. While I'm talking about everybody, I'm really dedicating this one to The Deadman, The Undertaker. Taker only wrestled one match in 2011 and while it was good, it's a sign that he can't go like he used to. Wrestlemania XXVIII will probably be the last time you see Taker in the ring and it's a sad thing. Jericho may be looking for one last run as well. 2012 is a year where WWE fans are going to learn to finally move on.
1. Cena heel turn? - Cena will probably never turn heel but that doesn't stop me from thinking it. With Foley, Piper, and Kane all attacking Cena's current character, is a heel turn in the making for WWE's top draw? Cena has the biggest match in the last 10 years against The Rock in his hometown of Miami at Wrestlemania. There is no way that that crowd will be split down the middle for these two. They are going to cheer Rock and boo Cena and it's going to look really bad for him. I know he's gotta rise above hate, but come on! We all want to see a Cena heel turn, even if it's only for a little while. WWE has plans for this storyline, but I don't know if a heel Cena is the plan. I can dream...
Superstar of the year
10. Daniel Bryan - Bryan had a horrible losing streak this year BUT he did win the Money in the Bank match for Smackdown, which was easily the most surprising MITB win ever. THEN, he cashed in just two weeks ago. If he was featured weekly and involved in big storylines, Bryan could be Superstar of the Year in 2012, but for now, he's my #10. Still the best around wrestler they have in WWE.
9. Cody Rhodes - I think you are all tired of me singing the praises of Cody Rhodes but come on, the kid has had a fantastic 2011 as compared to some of the top superstars. He beat Mysterio at Mania, won his first singles title, got into his big feud with Orton, survived with Barrett at Survivor Series, and changed his gimmick TWICE. Rhodes' 2012 will be career defining, bank on it.
8. Dolph Ziggler - Perfection turned into a showoff by the end of 2011 and what a year he had. He held three different singles title, became one of the best performers in the WWE, pushed Zack Ryder to the upper level, and got right back to where he belongs, the title picture. The best thing that happened for him this year was Zack Ryder. Ziggler was given a chance on the Internet to improve his mic skills and get an actual character and look what that has done; he's facing Punk on the first Raw of 2012. The Showoff is getting him some World Title gold in 2012.
7. Christian - Christian won the big one in 2011. I'll never forget seeing him hold that World Title high while Edge was looking at him proud. Christian was also featured in one of the top feuds of the year AND had a solid heel turn as well. Christian will be champion again in 2012 but I think he'll be a face again as well, unless he gets drafted to Raw and becomes the show's top heel as WWE for whatever reason doesn't have faith in The Miz. Anyway, Christian's 2012 will be great.
6. Randy Orton - Orton took over the blue brand in 2011 and won the World Title twice. He also swept Punk in their feud, beat Christian in their's, emaculated Rhodes in their's, and got injured in Barrett's. Orton became the guy who pushed people this year. Rhodes, Henry, Barrett, and Christian all benefited from feuding with the Apex Predator and I see 2012 being more of the same. A feud with Bryan will do the same. Orton also became one of the top peformers in the company along with Ziggler, Punk, and Bryan and his matches with the first two prove that. Orton had a good 2011 due to his ability to push the young talent and his dominance over the blue brand.
5. The Miz - The Miz's 2011 was fantastic. He held the WWE Championship the longest this year, beat Morrison, Orton, and Lawler in the first two months of 2011, main evented his 1st Wrestlemania and beat a guy who never lost in a one-on-one match and had a successful reign as WWE Champion. Miz held the title before they switched it every week. He also formed a successful duo with Truth, was involved in the biggest match of his life at Survivor Series, and went right back to the main event afterwards. 2012 will see Miz winning his 2nd WWE Title, no question.
4. Mark Henry - 15 YEARS! Henry's Hall of Pain was AMAZING! After having a lackluster first half of 2011, Henry exploded onto Smackdown, took out Show and Kane, and won his first ever World Heavyweight Championship. Not only did he win, but he had TWO impressive performances against Randy Orton AKA the Cena of Smackdown. How did this happen? Henry lost the title 90 days after winning it, but that doesn't hold down his amazing year or 2nd half of it I guess.
3. John Cena - Cena did a lot in 2011. He won the WWE Championship THREE DIFFERENT TIMES. He broke his own record for most WWE Titles won, agreed to be apart of the dream match of a lifetime, put on show stealing matches with CM Punk, and finally began to tease a character change. I want Cena to turn heel SO badly and I'm glad WWE is at least teasing it. Cena main evented almost every PPV he was apart of and even though he didn't wrestle at TLC, he STILL gets credit for letting guys like Ryder, Bryan, and Punk shine. That shows class. 2012 probably sees Cena get close to 15 World Championships as I don't see them keeping him away from the World Title picture.
2. Alberto Del Rio - Del Rio had a crazy accomplishment year. He won the biggest Rumble ever, won the MITB match for Raw, and held the WWE Championship on two different occasions. That's Superstar of the Year quality right there. The only thing keeping Del Rio from the top slot is how they booked him. He should've won the title at Mania, should've stayed on Smackdown, should've kept his first WWE Title until Survivor Series, etc. Even though I complain, Del Rio still had a successful 2011. I hope he doesn't get the Sheamus/Swagger treatment as his push goes down and Ziggler's goes up. I hope he gets drafted back to Smackdown and maybe feuds with Bryan, but if he continues to impress, I'm sure Del Rio will stay in the spotlight.
1. CM Punk - Was there ever any doubt? I mean come on, the guy basically ushered in a new era of professional wrestling. He blurred the lines between reality and scripted television and we all LOVED IT! He held the WWE Title twice this year, had the best wrestling match of the PG era and envoked change in the WWE. Because of him, Ryder's the US Champion and Bryan's the World Champion. You think WWE would have taken a chance on them without Mr. Best in the World? You're crazy if you think that. Punk helped WWE become interesting again in the PG Era and that alone makes him Superstar of the Year.
Well that's it. 2012 will soon be here and I couldn't be happier. Expect more from me in 2012 but until then, thanks for reading and God Bless. Happy New Year everyone!
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