The Wednesday Wire: 12.28.11: Champions In Retrospect (Part One)

Posted by Nick Marsico on 12.28.2011

Join me as I take you on a journey through all of the WWE Championship matches of 2011.

Wow. I was not expecting this to be as work intensive as it was. Although taking three days off for Christmas vacation didn't aid me in finishing this in its entirety. Here's how this will go. Today I have Part One of "Champions In Retrospect". It will feature the WWE Championship and all of the televised matches in which the title was defended. On Friday I will, as promised, publish my list of superlatives featuring Wrestler of the Year, Show of the Year and so on and so forth.

Next Wednesday will feature Part Two of "Champions In Retrospect", featuring the World Heavyweight Championship. Next Friday will be a normal column, and depending on time constraints I will begin running down the secondary championship matches of 2011. That will be a less detailed endeavor, and week-by-week it will be featured along with normal editions of The Wednesday Wire and The Friday Supplement. I don't know how long it will take -- my paying job is demanding and my non-paying job (also known as my 5-year-old son) is even more demanding and school is gearing up to begin again. I will be done before too long and my hope is that I can provide all of the 411 readers with something worthwhile to delve into while enjoying whatever spare time you have.

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The end of the year
Gets all the critics writing.
I guess I should too.
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A bunch of stuff happened in 2011. It was actually a darn good year for professional wrestling across the board, but for the sake of not coming off like a complete tool I'm going to focus primarily on WWE's year. I've had extremely limited time and it's been tough to watch much of anything else, but I'm figuring it out. I'm looking forward to checking out a far greater amount of different wrestling promotions in 2012. That said, I have decided that I want to try something different and kind of interesting for my year-end retrospective. I think you'll like it.

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Twenty-eleven
Will be gone in a few days.
Check out all the champs.
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The Era of Awesomeness
The Miz Wins The WWE Championship

Miz won the Money in the Bank ladder match at the PPV of the same name in the summer of 2010, and after a good reign as United States Champion he lost that belt to Daniel Bryan and began to tease that he was set to cash in his briefcase. He did just that on November 22, 2010 on Monday Night RAW and defeated Randy Orton to win his first WWE Championship. He followed that up the following week defeating Jerry Lawler in a very good TLC match, successfully retaining his WWE Championship in his first defense. He followed that up by defeating Randy Orton in a Tables Match at the TLC 2010 pay-per-view (Part 1 || Part 2).

The first two are from 2010, not 2011, but it's the very end of the year and Miz' first two WWE Title defenses. Many IWC writers use a December thru November calendar for each year in order to not miss things that might happen 3 days after they post their lists and whatnot. That's not really the case with me, but it works here. Not a big deal, just felt like I should point it out.

v. Jerry Lawler (TLC match, RAW 11/29/2010)

The Miz was a thorn in everybody's side, and after cashing in his MITB contract after Orton had already competed, many people felt he needed a real challenge. He and Jerry Lawler already had some issues, so Miz made his first championship defense in a TLC match against "The King" in the main event of Monday Night RAW. This would be the return of King to the spotlight as being something of a legitimate wrestler and his performance sparked an outcry from the people to give him another chance at the title. He got that shot, which we will talk about later on. The Miz was impressive in his victory, showing that even though he would gladly use the assist by his lackey Alex Riley (which in then end secured his victory), Miz was a lot tougher than people thought.

v. Randy Orton (Tables match, TLC 12/19/2010)

Three weeks after being taken by surprise by the Miz and having his title taken away, Randy Orton got his rematch, this time on pay-per-view in a match in which all he needed to do was destroy a table using the body of The Miz to take back what was rightfully his. It turned out to not be as easy a feat as Orton may have anticipated, as Miz had developed heelish wiles that were not to be taken lightly. After he got a second chance when the ref reversed his decision (Orton put Riley through a table, Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale and puts Orton in Riley's place), Orton looked to regain his title, but more interference from Riley led to Orton's demise. Miz shoved A-Ry who bumped into Orton. Orton was on the apron with a table waiting below. That table was soon cracked in half by Orton's body and Miz walked away with the WWE Championship belt and his second successful defense.

v. John Morrison (Falls Count Anywhere, RAW 1/3/2011)

Once tag team partners, tag team champions, friends, social commentators and a pair of surprisingly strong chick magnets, 2010 saw The Miz and John Morrison split up in a bitter way after being drafted to separate brands. Everybody expected Morrison to be the Shawn Michaels to Miz' Marty Jannetty but here we were with JoMo challenging Miz for the latter's WWE Championship, the richest prize in the business. This was the first televised WWE match of 2011 as it kicked off the 1/3/2011 episode of Monday Night RAW and it looked like the new year was going to begin with a big title change. The Falls Count Anywhere environment clearly favored John Morrison and his parkour tendencies. Morrison displayed this by vaulting off the WWE Logo on the stage onto a prone WWE Champion in the very early moments of the match. Morrison was also the first challenger of The Miz who was able to disable his backup, taking out Alex Riley and sending him out of the building with the paramedics. In the end, however, Miz was triumphant after avoiding losing his belt in a very similar way to how he most recently defended it. Morrison went high risk with an attempt at the Starship Pain off the top rope through a table on the floor that was holding Miz, but a last-second reaction saved Miz and sent Morrison crashing through the slab of wood under his own power. One Skull Crushing Finale later and The Miz had made his third successful defense of the WWE Championship.

v. Randy Orton (Royal Rumble 1/30/2011)

Miz was able to go almost 4 full weeks without having to defend the title, but come time for the Rotal Rumble pay-per-view event, Randy Orton found himself with another opportunity to regain the title that he was screwed out of twice by The Miz. Alex Riley was again an early thorn in Orton's side but ended up playing almost no role at all in helping Miz keep the title. That help came in the form of CM Punk's New Nexus and Punk himself, the former distracting Orton and the referee and the latter sneaking into the ring and putting Orton to sleep with the GTS. This would turn out to be Orton's final shot at Miz and the WWE Title as he would move on to focus on CM Punk, whom had just cost him the belt. With Orton out of the way, The Miz was able to move on to a recent foe that would be getting only his second ever shot at the WWE Title.

v. Jerry Lawler (Elimination Chamber 2/20/2011)

After being unable to win his first WWE Championship in a TLC match in November, Jerry Lawler was back after being a multiple-time victim of The Miz in unprovoked attacks. This would turn out to be the third to last title defense for Miz, the second to last successful defense and the first defense in which he was able to secure a clean victory sans shennanigans. Alex Riley was thrown out very early on after being caught by the ref trying to interfere on Miz' behalf, but the young and determined WWE Champion was simply too much for the 60-something an-noun-cer, as Cody Rhodes might say. King was fighting for a chance to compete at WrestleMania for the first time (which he later was able to do, just in a less grandiose way) and Miz fought to retain his chance to defend the title at the biggest show of the year.

v. John Cena (WrestleMania XXVII 4/3/2011)

At the 27th annual superbown of professional wrestling, The Miz shocked the world and became only the second heel WWE Champion to ever retain his title in the last match at WrestleMania. Nobody thought he had a chance in hell, but thanks to The Rock, John Cena's focus was not fully on his championship foe. This allowed Miz to take advantage and keep his grasp on the WWE Title for just a little bit longer. Many people believed that, thanks to his victory along with the amazing video package that was aired directly before the match, The Miz was a bonified main event star.



v. John Cena & John Morrison (Triple Threat Cage match, Extreme Rules 5/1/2011)

The Miz was faced with two challengers for the first time in his reign as champion and it proved to finally be too much for him to overcome. Inside a steel cage, Miz was not competing within the most extreme situation of his time as champ, but a combination of outside interference by R-Truth and the unpredictability of a triple threat match lead to the end of his fairly satisfying title reign. It took an Attitude Adjustment from the top rope to finally pin The Miz' shoulders to the mat, which was a bit of a concession to many within the internet community, as at least it wasn't an easy victory for the new champion, John Cena.


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10 Times The Champ
John Cena Wins His 10th World Title

After spending 11 months unsuccessfully chasing the WWE Championship John Cena was finally able to regain and defend his diamond-studded gold belt again. Cena has primarily been a dominant champion, but this time around he would prove to be a transitional champion, but not without putting up a fight and putting on some very good matches in the process.

v. The Miz (I Quit match, Over The Limit 5/22/2011)

John Cena's first title defense in his 8th WWE Championship reign was technically a one-on-one match, but with the chaotic rule of an I Quit match, Michael Cole's favourite nephew was able to interfere as much as he liked. Alex Riley interjected so much that it became an unofficial 2-on-1 handicap match. Nonetheless Cena was able to stand up to their bullying and thanks to a classic case of heel miscommunication (and the referee's belt), Cena stood tall in his first defense of his newly won WWE Championship.

v. R-Truth (Capitol Punishment, 6/19/2011)

Little Jimmy got into R-Truth's head and that was enough to get R-Truth into a match with John Cena for the coveted WWE Championship. Truth's paranoia was somewhat confirmed when a fan at ringside threw a drink in his face which led directly to his defeat at the hands of John Cena's Attitude Adjustment. Truth and Miz would team up following their shunting from the WWE Title picture, which would lead to RAW's second most important development of the summer. John Cena would move on to the most important development of the summer...

v. CM Punk (Money in the Bank, 7/17/2011)

John Cena is the WWE Champion. For many, his return to the top signified a return to the status quo and a return to mediocrity. This was the case for one CM Punk. Punk spent his year languishing in undercard matches and trying (but failing) to bring the once powerful Nexus group back to prosperity. It seemed, however, that the Nexus experiment was better suited to aid Punk in getting as close to possible to the top. He did what he had to do to help himself, which is what many people thought was the case when he spoke out against the entire establishment on the 6/27/2011 edition of Monday Night RAW.



This led to Punk being suspended, but John Cena being the most upright citizen of the WWE brigade stood up for his soon-to-be challenger and got him quickly reinstated. He was reinstated, however, just in time to challenge for the WWE Championship in his home town of Chicago, IL. The already anti-Cena crowd was out in droves and uproarious in their disapproval for the purveyor of Hustle, Loyalty and Respect while showering their hometown boy with a hero's welcome of cheers and chants. They called his name for minutes and minutes on end... "C--M--Punk! C--M--Punk!" And after nearly 30 grueling minutes of competition, CM Punk was able to make the "dynasty" Go To Sleep and leave Chicago, and WWE, as the WWE Champion.


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The Summer of Punk, Part II
The Voice of the Voiceless Reigns Supreme (For A Moment)

CM Punk's contract was up and he didn't sign a new one. He took the WWE Championship, left the company and put the belt in his refridgerator.


This really happened.


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The Littlest Big Champ
Rey Mysterio Wins The Vacant Title

I don't think this one actually counted. It was the final match of a two week tournament featuring 8 of RAW's top superstars. The 7/25 edition of RAW kicked off with Rey Mysterio defeating The Miz to win the vacant WWE Title in a good match to claim posession of the belt. He would only make one defense...

v. John Cena (RAW 7/25/2011)

Triple H decided to randomly grant John Cena a WWE Title match even though Cena had done nothing to earn it. The best explanation would be the rematch clause, but one would think that would be null and void if the person who beat him was no longer employed. Either way, Mysterio, who already competed in a match earlier in the night and had a hurt knee coming into that first match, stupidly agreed to defend the title against the hardest person in the whole company to defeat. The outcome was fairly obvious, and it led to the 11th title reign of John Cena and his 9th time as WWE Champion.

So in the interest of making it as clear as possible, here's how it went down. CM Punk won the WWE Championship at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event on 7/17. The following night on the 7/18 edition of RAW, Triple H set out to crown a new champion, as Punk's leaving the company left the title vacant. The intention was a one-night tournament, but shenanigans stretched it out to the next week, RAW 7/25, where Rey Mysterio defeated The Miz to capture the vacant prize. That same night, John Cena was awarded a shot at the title and beat Mysterio to become the new WWE Champion. Moments after Cena began his celebration, a song familiar to many, but only significant within the context of professional wrestling to some, played over the PA system. Cena and the crowd stood in the arena waiting for somebody to arrive, and then... CM Punk Returns with the WWE Title belt. Who is the real WWE Champion?


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Up For Grabs
Cena v. Punk - A Rematch to Crown the True Champion

John Cena v. CM Punk (SummerSlam 8/14/2011)

It had to happen this way. Triple H revealed that he signed Punk to a lucrative contract because it was good for business. Punk got all of the perks he demanded (the ice cream bars continue to be pending almost half a year later) and came back to prove that, given just a slight shot, he is the Best in the World. Triple H was the guest referee which actually was the best way to keep order in the contest, however once CM Punk picked up the victory and became the undisputed WWE Champion, the here again-gone again Kevin Nash spiked him with the Jacknife powerbomb. This allowed one Alberto Del Rio to finally achieve his destiny.


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It Was His Destiny
Alberto Cashes in His Money in the Bank Contract

Del Rio couldn't defeat Edge at WrestleMania after winning the Royal Rumble in January, but after the smoke cleared and CM Punk lay prone in the ring, Alberto Del Rio was finally able to say that winning the WWE Title was, indeed, his destiny.

v. Rey Mysterio (RAW 8/15/2011)

ADR claimed that he would be an honorable WWE Champion, and his first title defense came less than 24 hours after he became champion. Rey Mysterio was the unfortunate first victim of Del Rio upon his debut in 2010 and the two men had a rivalry that spanned Del Rio's entire run with WWE. It was fitting that Mysterio would be the first man to attempt to spoil Del Rio's destiny. That would not occur, however, and ADR would begin his title reign successfully and looked to be poised to bring some stability back to the title.

v. John Cena (Night of Champions, 9/18/2011)

It was not the case, however, as John Cena quickly snapped up the WWE Title for the 10th time. Now a 12-time world champion, John Cena once again found himself in the driver's seat of the WWE Title picture... car. Whatever. Del Rio tapped out to Cena to end his first reign as the WWE Champion after only one month. Tides would turn very quickly when a harsher environment became the championship battleground.


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The 10-Time WWE Champion Is Here
Cena Captures His Bling-Bling Belt Again

2011 featured many back-and-forth title switches. Such was the case in the reign of John Cena, who held the belt from 9/18/2011 until 10/2/2011.

v. Alberto Del Rio & CM Punk (Hell in a Cell match, Hell in a Cell 10/2/2011)

CM Punk was the man with all the buzz surrounding him and he was the man to beat even though he was not the champion. John Cena was trapped in a tough spot and seemingly spent the entire match on defense. Alberto Del Rio shined. It was that simple. Put ADR in a violent situation and ADR becomes a violent man. The violent side does not negate his intelligent side, though, and he was able to trick John Cena into leaving the cell before locking him out and taking a pipe to the skull of a significantly weakened CM Punk. Just like that, the first Mexican-born WWE Champion was the first Mexican-born 2-time WWE Champion and the man who won the first ever triple threat Hell in a Cell match.


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Destiny Revisited
Alberto Del Rio Gets a Second Chance

Del Rio made the best of his rematch for the WWE Title even though he was unable to get that match in a one-on-one situation. Now he needed to prove that his status as champion was legitimate.

v. John Cena (Last Man Standing match, Vengeance 10/23/2011)

Alas this would be the only successful title defense of ADR's second championship run. Not surprisingly he was able to retain his title in the brutal and violent Last Man Standing match, even though he did receive some help from the hell-bent-on-destruction pairing of The Miz and R-Truth. They attacked Cena and almost won the match for Del Rio, but in the end ADR had to do the dirty work and drop Cena for the 10-count using his WWE Championship belt.

v. CM Punk (Survivor Series 11/20/2011)

CM Punk was finally poised to win back his WWE Title. He had been screwed around and kept away from the belt since he lost it to Del Rio at SummerSlam thanks to Kevin Nash, and outside of his shot inside Hell in a Cell Punk was busy fending off everybody else under the sun, most notably the new Interim General Manager of Monday Night RAW, Mister John Laurinitis. This was an evenly contested match with the outcome never obvious, but in the end CM Punk was able to use his Anaconda Vice submission maneuver to secure one more reign as the WWE Champion.


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A New Era in World Wrestling Entertainment
CM Punk Leads A New Revolution

At Survivor Series, CM Punk was able to capture the WWE Championship. He is the final champion of 2011 and will move into the new year ready to defend that title. He was alone in victory at the November classic, but Punk's unofficial band of misfits and indy stars would soon find themselves as the top stakeholders in all of professional wrestling.

v. Alberto Del Rio (RAW 11/28/2011)

Just 8 days after winning back the title at Survivor Series, CM Punk defended his title against former champion Alberto Del Rio, who challenged Punk via invoking his rematch clause. Interim GM John Laurinitis stipulated that if Punk won the match via intentional disqualification he would lose the belt to Del Rio. The match concluded with Punk using the exposed steel ring on one of the four top turnbuckles (exposed by Del Rio) to stun his challenger and pick up the victory. This would cause a slight amount of controversy, but not enough for Punk to lose his belt or for Del Rio to receive another one-on-one chance.

v. Alberto Del Rio & The Miz (Triple Threat TLC match, TLC 12/18/2011)

The final pay-per-view event of 2011 also featured the final defense of the WWE Championship for the year. It would be contested in the second triple threat title match that both Punk and Del Rio would be involved in, but this time the third man in was none other than the man who started 2011 as WWE Champion, The Miz. It would have been a fitting way to close 2011. The Miz made his first title defense in November 2010 in a TLC match and now he had the chance to become a two-time WWE Champion 13 months after his first title victory in the same type of match. It was not to be, though, and the last PPV match of 2011 ended with CM Punk putting his knee into Miz' face, climbing the ladder and retrieving his belt.


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After retaining his title in a grueling triple threat TLC match, CM Punk was weary. Obviously, then, there would be no rest for him. This past Monday night on RAW the WWE Champion was faced with a gauntlet match. If he lost against any of his upcoming opponents (which he did) he would have to face the man who beat him (which he will). The first WWE Championship match of 2012 will be Champion CM Punk defending against Challenger The Zig Zag Man. Will the ping-pong pinball syndrome of the WWE Championship continue into 2012 or will stability muscle its way through the chaos? Will 2012 be influenced by the Cult of Personality or will the Show Off be able to show everybody up?


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Lots of stuff up there. I hope you enjoyed it.

Next time: Superlatives!


- Nicholas A. Marsico