411’s Wrestler of the Week 11.09.09: Week 32

Posted by Jeremy Thomas on 11.09.2009

MsChif pins a major challenge in SHIMMER, Shinsuke Nakamura defends the IWGP Heavyweight Title, Sheamus got off to a good start on Raw and more! Check out the latest edition of 411's Wrestler of the Week for all the details and for an updated look at the Year-End standings!



Welcome to Week 32, Year FIVE, of 411's Wrestler of the Week. A quick overview of the rules to kick things off for us as a reminder…

Each writer chooses FIVE wrestlers from any promotion and each wrestler gets a point total attached to that ranking. It looks a little like this…

1st - 5
2nd - 4
3rd - 3
4th - 2
5th - 1

If you are wondering how some of the writers decide who to vote for, please check out our Wrestler of the Week Supplemental Column!

Then we tally up the votes and the official 411 Wrestler of the Week is crowned. But wait, there's more! Each week the top SIX vote getters get a points value for their ranking which looks something like this…

1st - 15
2nd - 12
3rd - 9
4th - 6
5th - 3
6th - 1

...and they go towards the 411 Wrestler of the Year award to be announced each year at WrestleMania. This will be posted every Monday. Let's see who wins this week…

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The Voting~!
ARI
1) Shinsuke Nakamura
Retained the IWGP Heavyweight Title by defeating former champion and rival Hiroshi Tanahashi. Nakamura won the title in a tournament when Tanahashi was injured and forced to vacate the title. It could have easily been a short run just to transition back to Tanahashi when he returned, but now that looks not to be the case, and that Nakamura may be defining a title legacy on his own merits here at the end of the year.

2) Bobby Lashley & Sheamus (tie): Dominating performances by each men for their respective promotions vault these two into a tie for second place this week. Lashley bulldozed through Homicide and then definitely got the best of Scott Steiner in a backstage encounter on TNA iMPACT. Sheamus called his shot and fulfilled a promise to hurt Jamie Noble so bad his career would be in jeopardy. This past Raw was everything his debut the previous week should have been but wasn't.
3) Roderick Strong: Defeated Davey Richards at the ROH on HDNet tapings, thus not only gaining entrance into the new Pick 6 Contenders rankings for the ROH World Title, but also being placed in the number one slot and making him the most eligible for a title match. Strong also went over Delirious on an ROH house show in Edison this weekend.
4) Beer Money Inc.
5) Tiger Mask IV


Ryan Byers
1) MsChif
SHIMMER: Women Athletes taped Volumes 27 and 28 of its DVD series this past Sunday night, and the company was also celebrating its fourth anniversary. In the Volume 27 main event, SHIMMER Champion MsChif defended her title successfully against Nikki Roxx. That wasn't too horribly surprising, but then, in the main event of Volume 28, 'Chif was pitted against top contenders LuFisto and Amazing Kong in a three-way dance. It was reportedly a hell of a bout, and MsChif didn't just retain her title. She also became the first person to pin Kong in a SHIMMER ring, which is impressive when you consider the fact that the Amazing one has been with the promotion dating all the way back to Volume 5. This was a great weekend for the champ, especially given the fact that most people who follow the promotion closely didn't expect her to walk out of it with her title reign in tact.

2) Shinsuke Nakamura: This weekend, Nakamura showed us that he's not a paper champion. He successfully defended his IWGP Title over former champion Hiroshi Tanahashi. Tanahashi had to vacate the title when he was injured in a match against Nakamura, and this victory by Shinsuke did a lot to legitimize his title reign.
3) Sheamus: That was the best debut for a new character in quite some time on Monday Night Raw, and it got legitimate heat from a rather large live audience. Hopefully the company is consistent with how they push the big Irishman, because they've laid a good foundation for him.
4) Sara Del Rey
5) Tiger Mask IV


THE Larry Csonka
1) MsChif
SHIMMER taped volumes 27 and 28 of their DVD series this weekend, and the SHIMMER champion, MsCHif, once again dominated the tapings. A title defense in singles action against Nikki Roxx, followed by a defense in a three way over LuFisto and Awesome Kong are very impressive. But more impressive than that is the fact that MsChif became the first person in the history of SHIMMER to pin Awesome Kong. Rock on MsChif.

2) Shinsuke Nakamura: Shinsuke Nakamura has a huge title defense, retaining the IWGP Heavyweight Title by defeating former champion and rival Hiroshi Tanahashi. Many thought he would drop the title to him in this match, which is why he gets love for the defense.
3) Chris Jericho: Chris Jericho, as usual, is a highlight of the week with his appearances on various shows. Jericho, while not always doing huge things, is a quiet MVP for the company, as the shows would be much different without him.
4) Desmond Wolfe
5) Tiger Mask IV


Samuel Berman
1) Shinsuke Nakamura
Retained the IWGP Heavyweight Title over former champion and longtime rival Hiroshi Tanahashi.

2) MsChif: Two successful defenses of the SHIMMER Title.
3) Erick Stevens: Turned heel and joined Prince Nana's Embassy to potentially revitalize his ROH career.
4) Roderick Strong and Delirious (tie)
5) Tiger Mask IV


Michael Bauer
1) MsChif
I don't claim to know much about SHIMMER, but I do know this. Defeating three of the top contenders in one night, regardless of the promotion, is noteworthy. Especially when one of them is Awesome Kong, who has NEVER been pinned in SHIMMER until MsChif accomplished the feat.

2) Shinsuke Nakamura: Proved he was no fluke of a champion by retaining the IWGP Heavyweight Title.
3) Sheamus: I'm still not sold on him as a major factor on Raw, but he's doing pretty good.
4) Roderick Strong
5) Chris Masters (based on pure awesomeness)


Jasper Gerretsen
1) MsChif
MsChif managed to walk away from the last set of SHIMMER tapings still holding her belt, which is an amazing feat considering the fact that in the second title match, she was up against both LuFisto and Amazing Kong, who she actually managed to pin to retain her belt.

2) Shinsuke Nakamura: Nakamura put away his biggest challenger yet in former IWGP title Hiroshi Tanahashi.
3) Roderick Strong: Davey Richards has been on fire lately, going undefeated for almost four months. Strong managed to end that streak.
4) Tiger Mask IV
5) Sara Del Rey


Aaron Hubbard
1) MsChif
Yes, I'm voting for an independent female wrestler. An independent female wrestler representing the only all female promotion in North America as it's champion, and an independent female wrestler who made two successful title defenses in one weekend. Most importantly, I'm voting for an independent female wrestler who pinned Awesome Kong for the first time in SHIMMER history. Don't like? Tough luck.

2) Shinsuke Nakamura: Overall, this was a pretty slow week. Nakamura successfully defended his IWGP championship against top rival Hiroshi Tanahashi, which was probably the most important match of the week.
3) Roderick Strong: Defeated Davey Richards to become the unofficial #1 contender to the ROH World Title. I'm holding out hope that he finally accomplishes this goal this time; his in-ring work is stellar and he has a lot of history with the champion Austin Aries. I want Strong as champ!
4) Chris Jericho
5) Sheamus/Erick Stevens


Chad Nevett
1. MsChif: Two big defenses of the SHIMMER title this weekend, including one that ends with pinning Amazing Kong for the first time in the promotion's history? No one did anything nearly as impressive this week.

2. Shinsuke Nakamura: Retained the IWGP championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi.
3. Chris Jericho: Won a triple threat with John Cena and the Big Show by pinning the WWE champ, beat Finlay, and stood up to the Undertaker unafraid.
4. Roderick Strong
5. Sheamus / Desmond Wolfe (tie)


Jeremy Thomas
1) MsChif
Call me a SHIMMER mark all you want, 'cause it's true and I'm not afraid to say it. Even by non-mark standards, MsChif's weekend was an impressive one. First she defeats Nikki Roxx on the first night of tapings to retain her Shimmer Championship, and then the next night--the night everyone had her pegged to lose it--she retains again against LuFisto and Amazing Kong. She also pinned Kong in the middle of the ring, which is a first for the company and officially makes MsChif THE woman in the company...which I couldn't be happier about.

2) Kofi Kingston: Kofi's push continued this week, and while I half-expected him to get crushed by Orton, he ended up delivering a strong promo on his way to the ring, then going one-on-one with Orton for a few until it turned into a six-man tag and his team got the win against Orton's team. By anyone's definition, Kofi's luck in his feud against Legacy is impressive.
3) Shinsuke Nakamura: Nakamura defended his IWGP Heavyweight Title successfully against Tanahashi, showing that the company was using him as more than just a guy to store the belt on until the former champion returned.
4) Sheamus
5) AJ Styles/Desmond Wolfe

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THE WINNERS~!

Special Mention…Tiger Mask IV - 6 Votes

Fifth Place…Chris Jericho - 8 Votes

Fourth Place…Sheamus - 13 Votes

Third Place…Roderick Strong - 15 Votes

Strong makes a strong case for being the #1 Contender in Ring of Honor by beating Davey Richards and coming in at the top spot of the Pick 6 Rankings.

Second Place…Shinsuke Nakamura - 37 Votes

Nakamura's title reign gained a lot of credibility as he defeats the former champion Hiroshi Tanahashi and remains the IWGP Heavyweight Champion.

Wrestler of the Week…MsChif - 39 Votes

MsChif has another great weekend during the SHIMMER tapings. She defended her title twice, became the first person to pin Kong in SHIMMER, and has our Wrestler of the Week Award on top of it!

Year-End Standings~!

MsChif moves much closer to the top 15 this week and Nakamura, Sheamus, Strong and Tiger Mask all make their debut. Meanwhile, Chris Jericho moves ever closer toward the top spot as he's now in a tie with Rey Mysterio for fourth place. Can he catch Punk, who's been stagnant for several weeks now? Only time will tell!

Let's check out the Year-End Standings!

1. CM Punk – 107 (SmackDown)

2. Jeff Hardy – 85 (US Independent)

3. John Morrison – 70 (SmackDown)

4. Rey Mysterio – 55 (SmackDown)
4. Chris Jericho – 55 (SmackDown)

6. Randy Orton – 52 (RAW)

7. Edge – 49 (SmackDown) {INJURED}

8. AJ Styles – 45 (TNA)

9. The Undertaker – 36 (SmackDown)

10. Davey Richards – 33 (ROH)
10. Eddie Edwards – 33 (ROH)
10. John Cena – 33 (RAW)

13. Ted DiBiase – 32 (RAW)

14. Tyler Black – 31 (ROH)
14. Desomnd Wolfe – 31 (TNA)


Batista – 30 (SmackDown)

Christian – 29 (ECW)

Naruki Doi - 27 (Dragon Gate)
JTG – 27 (SmackDown)
Brian Danielson – 27 (WWE)

Jerry Lynn – 24 (ROH)

Kurt Angle – 22 (TNA)
Samoa Joe – 22 (TNA)

Mitsuharu Misawa - 21 (NOAH) {DECEASED}
Kofi Kingston – 21 (Raw)
MsChif - 21 (SHIMMER)

Sting – 18 (TNA)
Go Shiozaki - 18 (NOAH)

Cody Rhodes – 16 (RAW)
Mark Henry – 16 (RAW)
Shawn Michaels – 16 (RAW)
Austin Aries – 16 (ROH)
The Miz – 16 (Raw)

Mick Foley – 15 (TNA)
Montel Vontavious Porter – 15 (RAW)
Manabu Nakanishi - 15 (NOAH)
Togi Makabe - 15 (NOAH)
Hernandez – 15 (TNA)
Dolph Ziggler – 15 (SmackDown)
Mitsuharu Misawa - 15 (NJPW)

Carpenter Ant - 12 (CHIKARA)
Minoru Suzuki - 12 (All Japan)
Brother Devon – 12 (TNA)
Brother Ray – 12 (TNA)
The Amazing Red – 12 (TNA)
Bison Smith - 12 (NOAH)
Tommy Dreamer – 12 (ECW)
Hiroshi Tanahashi - 12 (New Japan)
Shad – 12 (SmackDown)
Zach Ryder – 12 (ECW)
Shingo Takagi - 12 (Dragon Gate)
YAMATO - 12 (Dragon's Gate)
Hulk Hogan – 12 (TNA)
Shinsuke Nakamura - 12 (NJPW)

Soldier Ant - 10 (CHIKARA)
Fire Ant - 10 (CHIKARA)

Delirious - 9 (ROH)
Jack Swagger – 9 (RAW)
Masato Tanaka - 9 (ZERO1)
Homcide – 9 (TNA)
Nick Jackson - 9 (US Independent)
Matt Jackson - 9 (US Independent)
Ryouji Sai - 9 (ZERO1)
Player Dos - 9 (CHIKARA)
Mistico - 9 (CMLL)
The Big Show – 9 (RAW)
Daniels – 9 (TNA)
Roderick Strong - 9 (ROH)

Matt Hardy – 6 (SmackDown)
Chris Hero - 6 (US Independent)
Satoshi Kojima - 6 (AJPW)
Yoshinobu Kanemura - 6 (NOAH)
Giant Bernard - 6 (NJPW)
Karl Anderson - 6 (NJPW)
Sheamus – 6 (Raw)

Dr. Wagner Jr. - 4 (AAA)

Evan Bourne – 3 (Raw)
Ken Anderson - 3 (US Independent)
Tara – 3 (TNA)
Booker T – 3 (TNA)
Alex Shelley – 3 (TNA)
Chris Sabin – 3 (TNA)
Scott Steiner – 3 (TNA)
Tajiri - 3 (HUSTLE)
Tyson Kidd – 3 (SmackDown)
Hamada – 3 (TNA)
Eric Young – 3 (TNA)
Eric Escobar – 3 (SmackDown)
Doug Williams – 3 (TNA)
Brutus Magnus – 3 (TNA)
Yujiro Takahashi - 3 (CMLL)

Ricky Steamboat– 2 (WWE)
Triple H – 2 (Raw)

Portia Perez - 1 (SHIMMER)
Nicole Mathews - 1 (SHIMMER)
Ryo Saito - 1 (Dragon Gate)
Genki Horiguchi - 1 (Dragon Gate)
Michelle McCool – 1 (SmackDown)
Atsushi Aoki - 1 (NOAH)
Kota Ibushi - 1 (NOAH)
Seth Green - 1 (US Independent)
Yoshinobu Kanemaru - 1 (NOAH)
Kotaro Suzuki - 1 (NOAH)
Vince McMahon – 1 (WWE)
Brian Kendrick - 1 (US Independent)
Tiger Mask IV- 1 (NJPW)

Voting began 4.06.09

Year-End Rankings Key:

WWE, Raw, ECW and SmackDown Contracted Wrestlers are represented in BLUE.

TNA Contracted Wrestlers are represented in GREEN.

ROH Contracted Wrestlers are represented in RED.

US Independent Wrestlers are represented in MAROON.

Japanese Contracted Wrestlers are represented in BLACK.

Mexican Contracted Wrestlers are represented in MAGENTA.

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**PREVIOUS WINNERS**

Year One Winner: Ric Flair


Year Two Winner: Samoa Joe


Year Three Winner: John Cena


Year Four Winner: Chris Jericho

If you are wondering how some of the writers decide who to vote for, please check out our Wrestler of the Week Supplemental Column!