411’s Wrestler of the Week 11.16.06: Week 33

Posted by Jeremy Thomas on 11.16.2009

AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels turn in a match of the year candidate at Turning Point, Kurt Angle beats Desmond Wolfe, Austin Aries defends the ROH World Title twice, and the Undertaker beats Chris Jericho! 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 33, 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~!
Shawn S. Lealos
1) A.J. Styles
I don't know what Hulk Hogan has in store when he "takes over TNA" but this main event is what the last year has been building to. Last year the Main Event Mafia took over and by the end of the year A.J. Styles stood tall as the TNA Champion. In his first title defense he beat Sting. Now is the time for the true homegrown stars of TNA to show what they can do and they proved their worth in the best match of 2009. A.J. won and retained his title so he gets the top spot.

2) Kurt Angle and Desmonde Wolfe: This is how you make a star. Wolfe lost but it doesn't matter because he took the best wrestler in the world to the limit. The sky is the limit for the artist formerly known as Nigel McGuinness.
3) Samoa Joe: He lost in the best match of 2009, but beat the World Champion in a single's match on Impact.
4) Undertaker
5) Austin Aries


ARI
1) AJ Styles, Samoa Joe & Christopher Daniels (tie)
I don't know if I can separate these three this week, so I won't; they all earned the number one spot with one of the best matches of the year at TNA Turning Point. This is the match that TNA needed, but more than that, it was a match that all three of these men HAD to put on in order to demonstrate that they were all worthy of the the top positions in this company all this time (a point which for years now I have argued to my friends who follow wrestling). At differing times, each of these men have been neglected or mishandled or relegated to a comedy mid-carder spot or pushed as good but not truly "the best" when put head-to-head against the old guard. Last night all three men demanded attention, respect and praise due to their work in the ring, and they should damn well receive it. They just possibly stole match of the year for 2009 and even more interestingly, they may have stolen the luster and glory of Hulk Hogan's impending arrival to TNA.

2) Kurt Angle: He can still flat-out wrestle, bringing the technical ability, skill and several unique sequences to the match he had against Desmond Wolfe (Nigel McGuiness). Angle won this first-ever dream match, so that boosts him to second this week and Desmond only gets fourth place.
3) Austin Aries: Two major title retentions in Ring of Honor this weekend for A-Double in two well-reviewed matches. First Aries went 45 minutes against Davey Richards in Novi, Michigan, both men giving their all until Aries won due to ref stoppage from his brainbuster-knees-last chancery combination. The same combination was used to also defend the title successfully the next night in Ontario against Kenny Omega, where Aries won by ref stoppage again (Omega had a great showing plus he defeated Katsuhiko Nakajima in a minor upset on Friday, which is why he ranks in my list above Richards). Aries showed dominance but also has demonstrated the ability to have an awesome wrestling match did not go away just because he is playing a more outrageous characterization of his persona in 2009.
4) Desmond Wolfe
5) Kenny Omega


Samuel Berman
1) AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Samoa Joe (tie)
Three of the best put on a true classic.

2) Austin Aries: Two ROH World Title retentions.
3) Desmond Wolfe: Looks like a real star, even in defeat.
4) Kenny Omega
5) The Undertaker


THE Larry Csonka
1) AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Daniels
AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Daniels managed to capture lighting in a bottle once again as they delivered an insanely awesome three way bout at Turning Point. TNA needed to deliver and they did, and this main event was the crown jewel. We all know that these guys are awesome, and they once again proved that here. Simply awesome.

2) Kurt Angle: Kurt Angle once again turned into a great performance at the Turning Point PPV against Desmond Wolfe. Much like last year, Angle is underrated as far as his worth to the company. The man simply delivers.
3) Austin Aries: Austin Aries had two successful title defenses over the weekend as he continues his dominant run as ROH Champion.
4) Desmond Wolfe
5) The Undertaker


Michael Bauer
1) AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels (tie)
DAMN! You see TNA, this is why you push the future of wrestling, not the present, and certainly not the past. DAMN!

2) Kurt Angle: I didn't think he could still go like that, but he made Wolfe a star.
3) Austin Aries: Two huge defenses of the RoH Title this weekend.
4) Desmond Wolfe
5) Christian


Aaron Hubbard
1) AJ Styles
The only real problem I have with the three-way tie, specially allowed for this week, is that it means we can't have a clear cut winner. I have not seen the match, but by all reports it was an absolute classic. AJ Styles WON the match and retained his TNA World Championship, so he gets my top voting.

2) Kurt Angle: Wins the dream match with Desmond Wolfe with a new submission hold and seems to elevate himself back to the #1 Contender's Spot in my opinion. Undertaker gets a mention here for similar reasons, as he won the first ever one-on-one with Chris Jericho
3) Samoa Joe/Christopher Daniels: Participated in a match that has made all of the crap TNA has put us through seem worth it and proved they are STILL two of the best in the business.
4) Austin Aries
5) Undertaker



Chad Nevett
1) AJ Styles / Daniels / Samoa Joe (tie)
This match had a lot of high expectations and these three guys managed to not only meet those expectations but exceeded them in a MOTY candidate.

2) Kurt Angle: Proved that he can still go like no other, beat Desmond Wolfe while making him look fantastic, and looks like the guy next in line for the TNA world belt.
3) Undertaker: Beat Chris Jericho clean in a very good match that showed the Dead Man can still put on a good show.
4) Austin Aries
5) Christian


Jasper Gerretsen
1) AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe (tie)
It's very rare to see the magic recaptured in the wrestling business, but these three pulled it off. Let's hope that TNA catches on and continues to put on main events of this calibre.

2) Austin Aries: Made two big ROH world championship defenses this weekend.
3) Kurt Angle: Successfully beat young upstart Desmond Wolfe in a great match.
4) Kevin Steen
5) Desmond Wolfe


Jeremy Thomas
1) AJ Styles, Samoa Joe & Daniels
For those wondering, there's been special consideration made to allow a three-way tie this week. And these three certainly deserve it. I know there was some concern over whether they would be able to top their first (or even second) meeting, and that may still be debated, but they unleashed an insane match and showed the old TNA motto...this IS wrestling. Much respect to all three, and to AJ in particular for walking out still the TNA World Champion.

2) Kurt Angle: Speaking of matches some people were expressing concern over...a lot of people wondered whether Angle and Desmond Wolfe could put on a classic considering both men's history of injuries and never having stood toe-to-toe in a big-time match. Those people can rest easy now because Angle and Wolfe put on a truly fantastic match.
3) Desmond Wolfe: See what I said above. Angle may have won (and gets the edge), but Wolfe looked damn strong in defeat and didn't lose any credibility in my mind at least. You gotta respect that.
4) The British Invasion
5) Amazing Red

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THE WINNERS~!

Special Mention…Desmond Wolfe - 17 Votes

Fifth Place…Austin Aries - 22 Votes

Fourth Place…Kurt Angle - 31 Votes

Third Place…Christopher Daniels - 38 Votes

Daniels was part of what was easily one of the best matches of the year and looked stronger than he has in a long time during it.

Second Place…Samoa Joe - 41 Votes

Joe gets the edge over Daniels by virtue of his iMpact win.

Wrestler of the Week…AJ Styles - 45 Votes

A match of the year candiddate and walking out of Turning Point still the TNA World Champion catapults the Phenomenal One to the top of the charts this week as he becomes our Wrestler of the Week!


Year-End Standings~!

TNA hops way up the list, as AJ Styles finally breaks the SmackDown Six's stranglehold on the top! Samoa Joe also enters the top 15 and Kurt Angle inches ever closer, while Desmond Wolfe is in a tie with Ted DiBiase for 14th place. Can the company capitalize on this momentum and get their champion further up the list? Only one way to find out...

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. AJ Styles – 60 (TNA)

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

7. Randy Orton – 52 (RAW)

8. Edge – 49 (SmackDown) {INJURED}

9. The Undertaker – 36 (SmackDown)

10. Samoa Joe – 34 (TNA)

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

14. Ted DiBiase – 32 (RAW)
14. Desmond Wolfe – 32 (TNA)


Tyler Black – 31 (ROH)

Batista – 30 (SmackDown)

Christian – 29 (ECW)

Kurt Angle – 28 (TNA)

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

Jerry Lynn – 24 (ROH)

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

Austin Aries – 19 (ROH)

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

Cody Rhodes – 16 (RAW)
Mark Henry – 16 (RAW)
Shawn Michaels – 16 (RAW)

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)

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!