wrestling / Columns

411’s Wrestler of the Week 05.31.10: Week 9

May 31, 2010 | Posted by Daniel Bonnizzio

Welcome to Week NINE, Year SIX, 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…

The Voting~!

Jeremy Thomas
1) R-Truth
This is how slow of a week it is, that a US Title win gets you the top spot. Seriously though, this is Truth’s first title in the WWE (no, I don’t count the Hardcore Title reigns) and it’s been a long-time coming. The man is quite over and with any luck he’ll be able to do something with the belt instead of just wear it over his shoulder for seven months and occasionally beat MVP for it.

2) Bret Hart: Bret was supposed to be done with the ‘E by now, but all of a sudden he’s the new permanent Raw General Manager. Frankly, I’ll take that over Vickie. He’s now officially a fixture on Monday Night (at the very least for the next week or so; look how long the last GM lasted) and an authority figure to boot.
3) The Undertaker/Edge (tie): These old rivals separately qualified for Fatal Four-Way matches on their respective shows, with the best matches on their respective shows.
4) Desmond Wolfe
5) Uso Brothers

Michael Bauer
1) R-Truth
Winning the United States Championship was the biggest thing this week, so he is deserves this.

2) Bryan “Daniel Bryan” Danielson: I don’t give a shit, I am loving every moment of this now.
3) Edge: He looked the best in getting a World Title shot.
4) Desmond Wolfe
5) Bret Hart

Chad Nevett
1) R-Truth
Beat the Miz for the United States Championship in a pretty decent match. He’s over with the crowd and I’m interested to see what he does with the belt. Though, seriously, give him a finishing move that looks like it actually hurts his opponent.

2) Edge: Beat both Chris Jericho and WWE Champion John Cena to earn his spot at Fatal 4-Way.
3) Desmond Wolfe: Who knows how long the ranking system will be around in TNA or what impact it will have longterm, but the #7 guy beating the #3 is big in my books.
4) The Undertaker
5) CM Punk

LARRY CSONKA
1) R-Truth
R-Truth defeated the Miz on Raw to become the NEW US Champion. This is huge for Truth, as most felt that he would never, for any reason, win a title in WWE. He defeated the Miz and he defeated him without any bullshit. How long he holds onto the title is anyone’s guess, but Truth gets the love this week with the top spot.

2) Desmond Wolfe: Desmond Wolfe defeated Jeff hardy this week on Impact. Kayfabe wise it is great for him in the confines of the “SPECIAL RANKINGS,” but in reality, the win over Hardy (even if it was by nefarious means) was needed due to the fact that Desmond has been losing so much.
3) CM Punk: Defeated Kane to get into the Fatal Four Way World Title match. But not only that, but as a proper heel, he fucked the fans by wearing a mask so that we cannot see the shaved head. Good old school fun there kids.
4) The Undertaker
5) Edge

Ryan Byers
1) R-Truth
Generally I don’t give too much credence to secondary WWE titles in this voting because, by and large, they just trade hands for the sake of trading hands without actually elevating anybody. However, Truth’s win seemed big to me because it legitimately IS his first real title with the biggest wrestling company in the world and because I never would have expected him to wind up with the belt. Kudos, Mr. Killings, kudos.

2) Kaz Hayashi: After this past weekend’s All Japan shows, Hayashi has now successfully defended the AJW Junior Heavyweight Title twelve times in one reign, which puts him two wins shy of the fourteen defense record of Masanobu Fuchi.
3) Daniel Bryan, Michael Cole, & The Miz (tie): This was, bar none, the segment of the week . . . and I can’t give the credit for it to one of these three men more than any other. All three played their roles to perfection, and it is quickly becoming my favorite angle in wrestling today.
4) Jimmy & Jules Uso
5) Nobuo Yoshihashi

Daniel Bonnizzio
1) R-Truth
In a move as shocking as it gets today, R-Truth beat the ‘reigning’ (if the Bret anlge hadn’t played out) US Champion to win his first major title with the WWE. Hopefully he can actually hold the belt and defend it because he seems like the kind of guy who would hold onto it and fight for it instead of talking and talking and talking about it.
2) CM Punk: Sure he lost to Mysterio at Over the Limit; however, in a huge dick move he wore a luchador mask to the ring to hide his shaved head and then beat Kane to qualify for the World Title match at Fatal Four Way. For that, CM Punk, we salute you.
3) Edge: He beat the reigning WWE Champion and one of the biggest baddies in the business in Chris Jericho to qualify for a title shot at Fatal Four Way.
4) Desmond Wolfe
5) Daniel Bryan

Robert S. Leighty Jr
1. R-Truth
I will admit that I thought Truth would get lost in the shuffle when he left TNA for the WWE. Thankfully, the WWE has realized that he is quite over with the crowd and starting at the Rumble have gotten behind Truth. I was kind of stunned to see him go over Dibiase clean at the last PPV and then it made sense when they had him challenge for the US Title. While I love the Miz, putting the title on Truth was the right call I think.

2) Daniel Bryant/Michael Cole/Miz: The angle involving this three men on NXT had me marking out more than anything I’ve seen on TV in a while. Everything about this was perfect, and I can’t praise it enough. This one angle has made me make sure that I am watching NXT every week.
3) Desmond Wolfe: Got a solid win over Jeff Hardy who is higher up on TNA’s Top 10 list. Not sure what that means as TNA hasn’t really explained, but in the mind’s of the fans this is a big win for Wolfe.
4)CM Punk
5)Edge

THE WINNERS~!

Special Mention…The Undertaker – 8 Votes

Fifth Place…CM Punk – 9 Votes

Fourth Place…Daniel Bryan – 12 Votes

Third Place…Edge – 15 votes

Edge pinned the WWE Champion and defeated Chris Jericho on RAW to qualify for the WWE Championship Fatal Four Way match at the Fatal Four Way PPV.

Second Place…Desmond Wolfe – 16 Votes

Desmond Wolfe pinned Jeff Hardy on IMPACT to move up the Top Ten Rankings.

Wrestler of the Week…R-Truth – 35 votes

R-Truth managed to pin The Miz on RAW to win the vacant WWE United States Championship to earn his first major singles title in the WWE and to become your Wrestler of the Week!

Year-End Standings~!

Week nine is in the books as both Edge and R-Truth find themselves in 7th place. Desmond Wolfe makes his debut this week in the ever-crowded 10th place, while Daniel Bryan continues his creep up the list. However, despite having a ‘bad’ few weeks, Jack Swagger is still holding strong in first! Who can dethrone him?

Let’s check out the Year-End Standings!

1. Jack Swagger – 40 (SmackDown)

2. Rob Van Dam – 30 (TNA)

3. Kofi Kingston – 25 (Smackdown)

4. Claudio Castagnoli – 24 (ROH)
4. Tyson Kidd – 24 (Raw)
4. DH Smith – 24 (Raw)

7. Randy Orton – 16 (Raw)

8. Madison Eagles – 15 (SHIMMER)
8. Togi Makabe – 15 (IWGP)
8. Edge – 15 (Raw)
8. R-Truth – 15 (Raw)

12. Chris Hero – 12 (ROH)
12. Ares – 12 (US Independent)
12. Tursas – 12 (US Independent)
12. Kurt Angle – 12 (TNA)
12. Douglas Williams – 12 (TNA)
12. Minoru Suzuki – 12 (AJPW)
12. Paul London – 12 (US Independent)
12. El Generico – 12 (US Independent)
12. John Cena – 12 (Raw)
12. Desmond Wolfe – 12 (TNA)

Mr. Anderson – 10 (TNA)
Kazarian – 10 (TNA)
Daniel Bryan – 10 (NXT)

Wade Barrett – 9 (NXT)
YAMATO – 9 (Dragon Gate)

Tyler Black – 7 (ROH)

Heath Slater – 6 (NXT)
Nick Jackson – 6 (TNA)
Matt Jackson – 6 (TNA)
Bison Smith – 6 (NOAH)
Keith Walker – 6 (NOAH)
AJ Styles – 6 (TNA)
Rey Mysterio – 6 (Smackdown)
Bret Hart – 6 (Raw)

Christopher Daniels – 4 (ROH)

Sheamus – 3 (Raw)
Davey Richards – 3 (ROH)
Jon Moxley – 3 (US Independent)
Chris Jericho – 3 (Raw)
CM Punk – 3 (Smackdown)

John Morrison – 1 (SmackDown)
Beth Phoenix – 1 (SmackDown)
Ted DiBiase – 1 (Raw)
Christian – 1 (Smackdown)
Shingo Takagi – 1 (Dragon Gate)
Chuck Taylor – 1 (US Independent)
Masaaki Mochizuki – 1 (Dragon Gate)
Batista – 1 (Raw)
The Undertaker – 1 (Smackdown)