411’s Wrestler of the Week 07.18.11: Year Seven, Week 16
Posted by Larry Csonka on 07.18.2011
CM Punk won the WWE Title and kissed WWE goodbye, Sting won the TNA World Title, Christian won the World Heavyweight Title and more! Check out 411's Wrestler of the Week for all the details and for an updated look at the Year-End standings!
Welcome to Week 16, Year SEVEN, 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…
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 around WrestleMania. This will be posted every Monday. Let's see who wins this week…
Larry Csonka
1) CM Punk
Dirty Hippy Jesus did it. A fantastic match, a fantastic moment, and one people will remember for some time.
2) Daniel Bryan: Daniel Bryan has been on TV and having great matches, and that is fine, but he hasn't had the greatest direction as of late. Sunday night that changed, as he won the SD MITB match. It was a great match, with everyone working hard, and I for one am very happy that Daniel Bryan won the match.
3) Sting and Christian: Both won world titles this week, unfortunately for them, CM Punk will overshadow that.
4) Alberto Del Rio
5) Polvora
Francisco Ramirez
1) CM Punk
Really, can it be more obvious? CM Punk not only had a hell of a night on Monday, but in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois he walked in to a huge ovation, and walked out with an even bigger one. He was treated like a god in Chicago by the fans, and the icing on the proverbial cake was the presence and support of former stablemates Colt Cabana and Ace Steele, a nice little Second City Saints reunion. CM Punk is your new WWE Champion and has the wrestling world talking, questions are being asked, Is he signed or not, what happens now with the title, where will CM Punk show up next? How's that for edge of your seat drama?
2) Daniel Bryan/Alberto Del Rio: Unless one of these two pull a Mr. Kennedy, a run for each with the WWE and World title is pretty much guaranteed. Alberto Del Rio was pretty much expected to win this, by me at least. Daniel Bryan pulled out a surprise victory on the Smackdown Money in the Bank match. These two just took a giant step forward, how's that for career advancement?
3) Christian: If the ECW Championship doesn't count then Christian just attained his second WWE World Championship victory. He accomplished this by being the first guy to win the said title by getting kicked in the balls, how's that for a first?
4) Sting
5) Polvora
Chad Nevett
1) CM Punk
And he is outta here!
2) Daniel Bryan/Alberto Del Rio: Both won Money in the Bank, which pretty much means both are guaranteed world champs.
3) Christian: If only for introducing the newest finisher to the world of wrestling: the Spitwad.
4) John Cena
5) Sting
Michael Bauer
1) CM Punk
What hasn't Punk done this week? He still had the fans hanging on every word he said. He went into Chicago and got a louder ovation than Hogan, Austin, and the Rock could have dreamed of. He then beat Cena for the title in an epic 35-minute match (probably WWE's match of the year) and walked out of Chicago the champ. Simply unreal.
2) Daniel Bryan: First off, I would like to point out that I actually had the balls to pick Bryan to win Smackdown's MITB... and he actually did. Huge win for Bryan.
3) Alberto Del Rio: His actions on Monday made for a fun start to Raw's MITB and he has to be in line to be the next WWE Champ.
4) Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson
5) Mark Henry
Michael Ornelas
1) CM Punk
No question about this as we have a "free agent" with the WWE Championship. I cannot wait to watch Raw.
2) Daniel Bryan: Holy shit I have never been happier to predict a match incorrectly. This is huge and I haven't marked out like this in a long time...but I'd mark even harder at the end of the show.
3) Christian: First man to win a championship in a match with this sort of stipulation due to the stipulation. Great booking and an excellent match.
4) Alberto Del Rio
5) Colt Cabana
Wes Kirk
1) CM Punk
WWE finally had the guts to pull the trigger and allow CM Punk to take the WWE title CLEANLY from John Cena in a half-hour match that saw Punk walk out of Chicago with the WWE title and Vince McMahon look like he was about to faint. Everybody talked about this match and the angle with Punk, and Punk delivered big time. There's no other choice this week, but the real question is what will happen now with the belt?
2) Daniel Bryan: After mostly mid-carding on SmackDown and putting on some great matches, Bryan was given his chance to shine by being given a guaranteed shot at the World Championship anytime he wants, no matter the condition of the champion, which has in the past been guaranteed to crown a new champion. A good reward for a deserving wrestler.
3) Alberto Del Rio: ADR already had a title shot previously after winning the Royal Rumble but now he's also a MITB winner which is pretty much code for "new WWE champion" once he cashes in. Alberto is looking great as apparently the next top heel for Cena to conquer, although one wonders how they are going to handle Cena's "firing" as well.
4) Sting
5) Polvora
Robert S. Leighty Jr.
1) CM Punk
Really could there be anyone else? I figured Punk was beating Cena, but never thought he was making it out of the PPV as WWE Champion. Punk's week started by causing an ice cream revolution and getting Vince McMahon to apologize to cleanly defeating John Cena in Chicago for the WWE Title. Truly one hell of a week!
2) Christian: I will give him the nod over Sting since Christian/Orton was a better match than Anderson/Sting. The booking was fantastic and one of the few cases where a DQ ending was brilliant.
3) Sting: The Dark Knight "Joker" gimmick is starting to wear on me as Sting is acting more like Jim Carrey as the Riddler playing the Joker, but the man still regained the TNA World Title. Anderson is now 0-2 in title defenses, and looks like a joke, but props to Sting.
4) Daniel Bryan
5) Alberto Del Rio
Jeremy Thomas
1) CM Punk
No explanation needed. Period.
2) Christian: Christian won the World Heavyweight Title in a match that will be overshadowed by Punk and Cena but was still a fantastic piece of work. Hopefully this reign lasts longer than five days.
3) Daniel Bryan: Between the two Money in the Bank winners, it was bigger for Bryan's career than for Del Rio's. ADR already had his WrestleMania moment and his rumble win, so this slot goes to the guy who got the bigger boost by it.
4) Alberto Del Rio/Sting (tie)
5) John Cena
Andy Critchell
1) CM Punk
I said everything I needed to say about this guy on the 411mania podcast last night. You should check it out!
2) Daniel Bryan: Daniel Bryan's path in WWE has been very meandering and a little odd but I don't think that anyone could have predicted he would win MITB at this stage of his career. Needless to say, Bryan winning was a shock but a welcome one and we're seeing something unique and interesting happening on Smackdown. I sure hope that they keep it up.
3) Mark Henry/Christian: Mark Henry has been booked so strongly in recent weeks that seeing him DOMINATE might be old hat to some people but I still relish it and continue to enjoy his progression to the top of the card. As for Christian, he won the belt in a very good match that had a lot of psychology. It is funny how both guys are long time vets who have been reinvented as top heels and they are both enjoying the highest success they have had to date. Good stuff all around.
4) Alberto Del Rio
5) Cody Rhodes
Steve Cook
1) CM Punk
Hey, did you hear about that Money in the Bank show? Had a pretty interesting ending, this Punk dude ended up beating John Cena, kicking Alberto Del Rio in the head & blowing a kiss to Vince McMahon before disappearing into the night & officially being off the team. Pretty good stuff, you should check it out if you missed it.
2) Daniel Bryan: Daniel's had all sorts of great matches and has won titles all across the world, but the SmackDown MITB match has to go down as his biggest victory ever. Now he's one step away from something we never thought he'd achieve, winning a World Championship in WWE.
3) Christian: His method to achieving victory wasn't pretty, but it got the job done. Christian may be a very sore man right now, but he's a very sore champion.
4) Alberto Del Rio
5) Mark Henry
THE WINNERS~!
Special Mention…Mark Henry - 5 Votes
Fifth Place…Sting - 13 Votes
Fourth Place…Alberto Del Rio - 21 Votes
Third Place…Christian - 26 Votes
One again, your NEW World Heavyweight Champion!
Second Place…Daniel Bryan - 37 Votes
Won the Smackdown Money in the Bank match!
Wrestler of the Week…CM Punk - 50 Votes
Kissed Vince McMahon good-bye as he won the WWE Title!
Year-End Standings~!
And here are the rankings after week SIXTEEN…
1. Christian (WWE) – 66
2. Randy Orton (WWE) - 46
3. CM Punk (WWE) - 45
4. R-Truth (WWE) – 42
5. Sin Cara (WWE) - 27
6. Sting (TNA) - 24
6. Giant Bernard (NJPW) - 24
6. Kota Ibushi (DDT) - 24
9. Daniel Bryan (WWE) - 21
9. Alberto Del Rio (WWE) – 21
9. Hiroshi Tanahashi (NJPW) - 21
9. Sheamus (WWE) - 21
Posted By: The Fuj (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 02:28 PM
"Everybody talked about this match and the angle with Punk, and Punk delivered big time."
Wes Kirk there, once again refusing to leave his 2005 mentality and give Cena any credit for what was clearly a two-man job.
"There's no other choice this week, but the real question is what will happen now with the belt?"
The real question is, why do you care? You claim to be a TNA fan, yet you never discuss TNA in any of your columns. Try actually telling us something about TNA instead of wasting your time, and ours, spouting the same tired hypocritical rubbish in your long-winded, poorly-researched diatribes. Oh wait, that's right - you don't like TNA either. You just use them as a vehicle for your agenda.
I've been regularly reading and contributing to this site for a decade now, and never have I been as close to jacking this place in as I have been since you arrived. That you can last as long as you have done while saying and doing absolutely nothing to earn placing your opinion on a pedestal - and, in fact, routinely exhibiting why your childish mindset needs to be buried as deep as possible to allow actual discussion to take place on this site - is an indictment on what this site has come to represent.
Posted By: Frie (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 02:35 PM
Hahaha, TNA proves why they cant get back into the first place of this list. Like they did in Year Two with Samoa Joe. You know why?
Hint: Think about where Samoa Joe is right now in Impact and what he does nowadays.
Posted By: Guest#4059 (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 02:36 PM
I'm just kidding, but really, this entire column should've just read
"CM PUNK" with nothing else.
Would've been perfectly acceptable.
Posted By: Guest#3360 (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 02:37 PM
1. CM Punk (sfobv)
2. Cena - it takes two to tango, and it takes two to make a match seem that important, that exciting and that memorable.
3. Christian/Sting - World Championships are World Championships. But neither man did enough to warrant being above the other.
4. ADR/Bryan - People might be more happy with Bryan winning, but holding the RAW MITB is more important than holding the Smackdown MITB. It's another wash.
5. Mark Henry - you don't squash the Big Show and not make the Top 5. I don't make the rules...well actually I do, and I added that rule today.
Posted By: SpankyHamm (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 02:48 PM
I can't argue but I was waiting for this column to see Sting win. Damn that Punk!
Posted By: Burnout (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 02:49 PM
there is a part of me that wishes christian were number 1 but after watching the match he really looked like shit. Putting the title ona guy you made look weak for 3 months doesn't make him look any better. It just means you have a weak world champ. Still proud to be a one of the peeps!
Posted By: SolidCPlus (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 02:51 PM
Not enough votes for Cena and Sting. Too me this week's top five is Punk, Christian, Sting, Daniel Bryan, and Cena. My justification for leaving ADR off is that he was already a future champion so the briecase doesn't mean much to him and Cena just performed too well this week to be left off.
Posted By: gpjunk (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 02:51 PM
Sting got 5th? Someone was going to win those MITB matches regardless. How can they rank above a new world champion? If Bourne would have won he'd be over Sting too. It's hard being a TNA fan. The whole world is against you.
Posted By: What? (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 02:54 PM
Sting got 5th? Someone was going to win those MITB matches regardless. How can they rank above a new world champion? If Bourne would have won he'd be over Sting too. It's hard being a TNA fan. The whole world is against you.
Posted By: What? (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 02:54 PM
Because the TNA World Championship means jack shit. Even the ROH belt means more than that garbage.
Posted By: Guest#8930 (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 03:00 PM
Sting got 5th? Someone was going to win those MITB matches regardless. How can they rank above a new world champion? If Bourne would have won he'd be over Sting too. It's hard being a TNA fan. The whole world is against you.
Posted By: What? (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 02:54 PM
They threw a championship change away on free TV. To a guy in his 50's who is not over with the majority of current wrestling fans. Because the match wasn't that great. Because Anderson is 0 fer 2 in defending the belt. And because the TNA championship hasn't been important since RVD won it in April 2010.
RVD, Hardy, Anderson, Hardy, Sting, Anderson, Sting. Look at that list of TNA World Champions since April 2010 and tell me who in that list makes you excited to be "your" champion.
The correct answer is "None of the Above".
Posted By: SpankyHamm (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 03:11 PM
Who is this Sting they speak of? That dude from The Police?
Posted By: Guest#7586 (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 03:18 PM
Jericho when he arrived in 99 and CMPunk last night are a toss up for the loudest I've ever heard Chicago.
Posted By: Curtis (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 03:21 PM
I'm glad Byers didn't make a list - Punk probably wouldn't have been #1
Posted By: Dr. Doctor (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 03:33 PM
Dig it, dawg. In any other week, Christian, DeeBryan, Alberto Del Rio, and the Stinger all had weeks worthy of Wrestler of the Week. But man, ain't nobody stoppin' the Punker!
If it's any consolation, those other guys are still in my Fav Five.
Posted By: Booker T (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 03:40 PM
Putting in my vote for the "Previous Winners: Year Seven" pic now - http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqKko7vjjsLUlv0YqhuwiQVFmvmDb 71KCBCSf04GtrXbFssI1OCw
Posted By: s1rude (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 03:40 PM
i am shocked that anyone would leave Sting off of their list.....
this website is so anti-TNA it's not even funny.....there are times when their booking is atrocious, but when a new champ is crowned, it needs to be recognized.
this is ridiculous.
Posted By: OFWGKTA (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 03:41 PM
If John Cena had won last night, he would almost have to be ranked. But even if Cena won, CM Punk would have been ranked for his "efforts" in the match.
Why is it that when Punk wins hardly anybody gives Cena credit? Maybe because you IWC douchebags are so short sighted you can't give the guy credit for helping deliver a MOTY candidate??? In order for it to be MOTY both wrestlers have to perform excellent...and both did. Yet the majority of you completely disregard him. Unbelievable.
Posted By: CeeeeeeeNaaa (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 03:47 PM
how hasn't the internet exploded yet? punk and christian win titles and dbd wins a title shot
Posted By: Guest#7692 (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 03:54 PM
@ Frie
Calm down, M'man. Breathe...
Posted By: HolyCow (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 03:55 PM
So when Eddie Edwards loses in a "five star match" he gets top three votes from everyone for putting on a great match. Cena does the same and gets nothing.
Get over it, IWC. Cena can go in the ring.
Posted By: Guest#7735 (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 04:00 PM
"Sting got 5th? Someone was going to win those MITB matches regardless. How can they rank above a new world champion?"
Because it's TNA, and putting the title on Sting is stupid.
Posted By: Guest#0386 (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 04:11 PM
"Because the TNA World Championship means jack shit. Even the ROH belt means more than that garbage."
What's ROH?
Posted By: Paul (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 04:13 PM
byers voted for another tna guy. he must have been replaced by a pod person
Posted By: James (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 04:21 PM
"He went into Chicago and got a louder ovation than Hogan, Austin, and the Rock could have dreamed of."
Whoa now there, the pop was off the charts but those 3 guys have gotten pops just as loud or louder on a consistent basis. There are tons and 3 come to mind instantly, the Hogan ovation in Toronto, the Austin run-in on the Foley/Rock match, and let's not forget that the pop of the year came when The Rock returned on Raw in Anaheim. Now if he starts getting those ovations outside of his hometown(hopefully that does happen)then we can start putting it into perspective.
Posted By: wcwfan (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 04:39 PM
So when Eddie Edwards loses in a "five star match" he gets top three votes from everyone for putting on a great match. Cena does the same and gets nothing.
Get over it, IWC. Cena can go in the ring.
Posted By: Guest#7735 (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 04:00 PM
...that's why Eddie Edwards has one point in the year end standings? He was a special mention, dude...calm the fuck down.
Posted By: Guest#4771 (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 04:46 PM
Here comes the time when the marks are gonna do anything for their indy darling to win this.
Posted By: Guest#3171 (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 05:16 PM
I gotta repeat something that others have already said, as well as Jericho himself:
"Cena is a GREAT worker".
Yes, as mush as everybody else, I'm tired of Cena, and Punk is my new god, but this god needed a foil to be one in the first place, Cena was that, and yesterday he played too damn well his role.
Both Cena and Punk were on fire, specially Cena, delivering a match that nowadays it's so goddamn hard to see from him, yet none of you gave him some credit for it.
Posted By: Kefko (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 05:46 PM
Fire Ant....ah forget it!!
Posted By: Paul Roma's 80's mullet (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 06:15 PM
While it's just a list and you guys shouldn't take it so seriously, I agree with those givng props to Cena. He played his role perfectly last night, as always. I thought the ending was really well done, as it wasn't too overbooked and fitted Cena's character - he will always do the honourable thing, even if it means sacrificing himself (like when he counted the pin on Wade Barrett last year and got "fired"). That's what an uber-face should do.
Posted By: Guest#6992 (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 06:48 PM
Maybe you TNA fans should just stop bitching and acknowledge the fact TNA puts out an absolute shit product that people only very rarely care about.
Seriously you fucking marks, you are reacting to 411 the same way conservative scum reacts to "liberal media." Maybe you should stop blaming the media for being "skewed" one way (which is completely in your head) and start blaming the product you defend for being garbage.
Fucking wieners. Oh, and the Sting Joker thing gives me raging douchechills, if you like that I fear for your taste.
Posted By: Guest#5302 (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 06:52 PM
If John Cena had won last night, he would almost have to be ranked. But even if Cena won, CM Punk would have been ranked for his "efforts" in the match.
Why is it that when Punk wins hardly anybody gives Cena credit? Maybe because you IWC douchebags are so short sighted you can't give the guy credit for helping deliver a MOTY candidate??? In order for it to be MOTY both wrestlers have to perform excellent...and both did. Yet the majority of you completely disregard him. Unbelievable.
Posted By: CeeeeeeeNaaa (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 03:47 PM
A lot of the writers vote based on placement on the card and rising above it. Daniel Bryan has been little else but a midcarder up to this point, so his MITB win is thought of as better than Alberto Del Rio, who has been near the top of the card for awhile now. This has a negative effect with John Cena, since he cannot go any higher on the card -- he is the top #1 guy -- so he has to do way more to get votes than a guy like Bryan or CM Punk.
Posted By: Guest#0468 (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 08:01 PM
Funniest thing I've seen in 10 years was Cena fucking up an abdominal stretch. What a fucking moron.
Posted By: Duder (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 08:10 PM
And Christian is the leader right now, well if he wins a few more times he might just have enough to take a good lead.
Posted By: Guest#3060 (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 08:14 PM
To everybody bitching about why WWE gets more votes than TNA... Well it's simple really. WWE is a bigger organization. Therefore, they're more important. End of story. Get over it.
Posted By: Gozzo (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 09:37 PM
Who the hell is Polvora?
Posted By: The TradeMark Experience (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 10:42 PM
What exactly did Colt Cabana do besides get comped a ticket to MITB from CM Punk?
Seriously, this is the ONE exception to this list that I take.
Posted By: Guest#7265 (Guest) on July 19, 2011 at 12:26 AM
"Because the TNA World Championship means jack shit. Even the ROH belt means more than that garbage."
What's ROH?
Posted By: Paul (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 04:13 PM
Exactly.
Posted By: Guest#8221 (Guest) on July 19, 2011 at 01:09 AM
The reason why Sting was left off many lists is because first of all it is his fourteenth world championship so it is not that big of a career advancement. Secondly, it was a poorly booked, poorly promoted match between a guy past his prime and champion with no credibility. And finally, Money in the Bank was such a great show that it rose all the moments and wrestlers within that show. It also made the wrestling world forget that Sting won a world title.
Posted By: Jay (Guest) on July 19, 2011 at 03:49 AM
Who the hell is Polvora?
Posted By: The TradeMark Experience (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 10:42 PM
------------------------------
For what it's worth...
On July 15, 2011, Pólvora defeated Valiente to win the Mexican National Welterweight Championship
Posted By: Rye Bread (Guest) on July 19, 2011 at 09:46 AM
I have betted on Bryan
I always believed that he was going to win
I think i've never yelled so loud on a MITB match than when I saw bryan putting his hands on the briefcase
Posted By: Rony (Guest) on July 19, 2011 at 11:05 AM
Mark it down right now:
Daniel Bryan will officially be the first MiTB winner to cash in his guaranteed title shot and not win a world championship.
Other than that, I still don't get why folks aren't enjoying, what looks to be, Sting's final run. For all the folks who continue to get hung up on the "Heath Ledger's Joker" look, people are completely missing the fact that the character is a lot closer to "Jim Carey's Riddler" than anything.
Sting is, before the audiences eyes, going completely nuts but there is a deep and simple method to his madness that I'm loving!
If TNA doesn't go with Sting(c) vs. AJ Styles[BFG Series winner] at Bound For Glory, I'd be really stunned. And, as icing on the cake, cap Sting's career with a clean victory over Hulk Hogan, the closure that legions of WCW fans still feel they need, around Christmas time, in Atlanta, and I'd be ecstatic.
If folks were being legit about this, Sting would already be approaching 40 Points, but this is 411mania that I'm looking at.
Posted By: scipio2009 (Guest) on July 19, 2011 at 05:16 PM
lol @ "Dirty Hippy Jesus"
Posted By: Karatgold24 (Guest) on July 19, 2011 at 06:19 PM
"They threw a championship change away on free TV.
Posted By: SpankyHamm (Guest) on July 18, 2011 at 03:11 PM"
It kills me when people use this excuse because to be honest you weren't going to buy the PPV to begin with.
Posted By: Guest#5224 (Guest) on July 19, 2011 at 06:23 PM
Hilarious everyone says CM Punk had a great match and it was a great moment so he is #1 on the list, yet most didn't have Cena on the list? The Cena bias is hilarious. So CM Punk must have wrestled himself, Cena/Punk should have been tied for 1st on every list as they BOTH put on a great match. If the match sucked, would the moment have been so good? Of course not.
Posted By: Darren (Guest) on July 20, 2011 at 02:40 PM
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