411’s Wrestler of the Week 1.02.12: Year Seven, Week 40

Posted by Larry Csonka on 01.02.2012

Dolph Ziggler pinned CM Punk to earn a title shot, Gail Kim retained her Knockouts Title, Wade Barrett took out Randy Orton 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 40, 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…

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 around WrestleMania. This will be posted every Monday. Let's see who wins this week…

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Larry Csonka
1) Wade Barrett
A strong showing on Smackdown and made to look like a killer by taking out Randy Orton. Barrett needed rebuilding, and the unfortunate Orton injury could be the perfect point to make him legit again.

2) Dolph Ziggler: Another great performance on Raw, and earned himself a WWE Title shot. Ziggler is money, and we should get a great match.
3) Gail Kim and Mickie James: Got the main event slot on Impact and delivered a really good match.
4) Zema Ion
5) Booker T


TJ Hawke
1) Wade Barrett
In what ended up not being a great week for this column, Barrett seemed like the best choice for winning his FCA match with Orton by default. Barrett looks like he is getting a push at the right time, where he may be in line for a good spot at Wrestlemania.

2) Gail Kim: Not too many women's matches headline wrestling shows these days, but Kim successfully defended the Knockout's Title on this week's Impact Wrestling
3) Dolph Ziggler: Earned a WWE Title shot for tonight's Raw.
4) Booker T: Won a TV match for the first time (not by countout) since 2009.
5) Goldust/Zema Ion (tie): Made his return to TV, which will hopefully lead to an IC Title match with his half-brother on a PPV. Ion defeated Tony Nese to earn his was onto his first TNA PPV since being a part of the best TNA match of 2011 at Destination X.


Wes Kirk
1) Gail Kim and Mickie James
I'm going to break my usual protocol for this voting because I feel that it is vitally important to note just how different time in WWE was for these two compared to the TNA match both women had on the main event of Impact Wrestling. When Mickie was on her way out, she was called a pig and her weight was made fun of even though she wasn't overweight. When Gail was on her way out, she wasn't even noticed sliding out of the battle royal and eliminating herself. Both women found success in TNA and grew as wrestlers to the point both put on the MAIN EVENT MATCH of TNA Impact Wrestling and got good time to do it in. Both women worked their butts off and put on a great women's wrestling match, which is why I'd like to give them the honors as they deserve it for proving that wrestling matters.

2) Dolph Ziggler: A pinfall over the WWE Champion means he has a shot at the WWE title and possibly gaining a belt that he has never yet held, which would totally cement Ziggler as a main event #HEEL.
3) Zema Ion: Won the Best of Three Series against Tony Nese and gets as a reward the right to compete for the X-Division title in a fatal four way match at Genesis!
4) Wade Barrett
5) Robert Roode


Greg DeMarco
1) Brock Lesnar
Seriously, who is getting more play in the world of wrestling right now? (Crickets...) That's what I thought! Brock Lesnar made some comments late last week about considering a WWE run in the future… "wrestling will always be there." Days later he retired from MMA after getting his ass handed to him by Alistair Overeem. Now, no one is having his name mentioned more than Brock Lesnar.

2) Chris Jericho: Would have been #1 if that darn Brock guy didn't retire from MMA on Friday. Before that retirement, no one had more people taking about him than Ayatollah of Rock-N-Rolla.
3) Wade Barrett: Put Randy Orton on the (kayfabe) shelf for the time being. Hopefully gets inserted into the World Heavyweight Championship picture from here (after the Sheamus feud, of course!).
4) Dolph Ziggler
5) Gail Kim


Ryan Byers
1) Dolph Ziggler
Really slow week across the globe. However, Ziggler probably did more than anybody else by earning himself a WWE Title match, even if the win to get him there was tainted a bit by the fact that a) it only came after his opponent had already wrestled one match, b) his opponent had him pinned for a three count behind the referee's back, and c) interference from Johnny Ace was needed for the win. So, he doesn't really look like a legit contender, but at least he's got the shot, which is more than just about anybody else accomplished this week.

2) Wade Barrett: Barrett looked god on Smackdown and probably got a bit of a positive career bump by earning kayfabe responsibility for the injury that is going to put Randy Orton on the shelf for a bit.
3) Tsuyoshi Kikuchi: Former AJPW star Kikuchi beat Craig Classic this week to return the NWA World Jr. Heavyweight Title to Japan, where it has been for the bulk of its recent existence.
4) Booker T.
5) KUDO


Jeremy Thomas
1) Dolph Ziggler
The hashtag heel scored a pinfall over the WWE champion in a gauntlet match and earned the right to a title shot tonight on Raw. I certainly don't think he's gonna win tonight (though it's possible), but it's a sign that they're pushing the Dolphster closer and closer to that main event scene.

2) Wade Barrett: Normally if Randy Orton was announced as injured right after a match, it would be the OPPOSITE of Wrestler of the Week for Orton's opponent, as that person was headed straight for the doghouse. In this case though, it was an angle and Barrett was chosen as the guy to have put Orton on the shelf, at least for a couple weeks. That's great for him.
3) Gail Kim: I love it when the Knockouts get to main event, and this time around Gail got the win so great on her.
4) Zema Ion/Mickie James (tie)
5) Booker T


Chad Nevett
1) Wade Barrett
The Barrett Barrage rolled on through Randy Orton. Probably the biggest thing to happen to Barrett since his program with John Cena.

2) Dolph Ziggler: Got a pin on CM Punk and earned himself a WWE Title shot.
3) Booker T: Beat Cody Rhodes and earned an Intercontinental Championship match
4) Tsuyoshi Kikuchi
5) Zema Ion


Steve Cook
1) Wade Barrett
The Barrett Barrage claimed its most significant victim yet, as Wade knocked Randy Orton out of action by tossing him down the stairs on SmackDown. At least that's what the Internet told me. In all seriousness, Wade's going to get a hell of a rub from this, and it'll be interesting to see Randy come back and get his revenge. Or at least try.
2) Gail Kim: Defeated Mickie James in the main event of Impact this week in one of the better women's matches aired on TV in 2011. Possibly the best.
3) Jerome LeBanner: I'm sure 99% of you didn't see it, but LeBanner, a K-1 guy, faced MMA journeyman Tim Sylvia at DREAM's year-end show in what was supposed to be a pro wrestling match. I don't think anybody told LeBanner, or he flat out didn't care, because he left footprints in Sylvia's chest. Probably the most entertaining thing I saw this week.
4) Dolph Ziggler
5) Josh Barnett

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THE WINNERS~!

Special Mention…Tsuyoshi Kikuchi - 6 Votes

Fifth Place…Zema Ion and Booker T - 9 Votes

Fourth Place…Mickie James - 10 Votes

Third Place…Gail Kim - 20 Votes

Retained the Knockouts Title in the main event of IMPACT Wrestling.

Second Place…Dolph Ziggler - 29 Votes

Pinned CM Punk and earned a title shot.

Wrestler of the Week…Wade Barrett - 33 Votes

The Barrett Barrage took out Randy Orton on this week's Smackdown.


Year-End Standings~!
And here are the rankings after week FOURTY! Gail Kim's victory on Impact helped to propel her into the top 15, while Dolph Ziggler and Wade Barrett climb to just outside of the top 15! Here are the updated standings…

1. CM Punk (WWE) - 117

2. Mark Henry (WWE) - 89

3. Randy Orton (WWE) - 87

4. Daniel Bryan (WWE) - 81

5. Bobby Roode (TNA) - 80

6. Alberto Del Rio (WWE) – 74

7. Christian (WWE) – 69
7. R-Truth (WWE) – 69

9. John Cena (WWE) - 51

10. Austin Aries (TNA) - 47

11. Hiroshi Tanahashi (NJPW) - 43

12. Sheamus (WWE) - 42

13. Gail Kim (TNA) - 41
13. Kurt Angle (TNA) - 41

15. The Miz (WWE) - 40


Kevin Steen (US Independent) - 39

Cody Rhodes (WWE) - 36

Zack Ryder (WWE) - 33
El Generico (ROH) - 33

Davey Richards (ROH) - 32

Wade Barrett (WWE) - 31

Johnny Gargano (US Independent) - 30

Dolph Ziggler (WWE) - 29

Sara Del Rey (US Independent) - 28

Sin Cara (WWE) – 27 {INJURED}

Rey Mysterio (WWE) – 26 {INJURED}

Sting (TNA) - 25

Gunner (TNA) - 24
Giant Bernard (NJPW) - 24
Kota Ibushi (DDT) - 24

James Storm (TNA) - 21
MVP (NJPW) - 21

Takashi Sugiura (NOAH) - 19

Mickie James (TNA) - 18
Go Shiozaki (NOAH) - 18

HHH (WWE) – 16
Brian Kendrick (TNA) - 16

Jay Briscoe (ROH) - 15
Mark Briscoe (ROH) - 15
Eddie Kingston (US Independent) - 15
Super Dragon (US Independent) - 15
Tadasuke (OSAKA Pro) - 15
Mr. Anderson (TNA) - 15
Antonio Cesaro {Claudio Castignoli} (WWE) - 15
Yuji Nagata (NJPW) - 15
Edge (RETIRED) - 15
Kofi Kingston (WWE) - 15
The Rock (WWE) - 15

Prince Devitt (NJPW) - 12
Velvet Sky (TNA) - 12
Karl Anderson (NJPW) - 12
Winter (TNA) - 12
Cheerleader Melissa (US Independent) - 12
Nick Jackson (US Independent) - 12
Matt Jackson (US Independent) - 12
Undertaker (WWE) - 12
Kenny King (ROH) - 12
Rhett Titus (ROH) - 12

AJ Styles (TNA) – 10
Kharma (WWE) – 10 {PREGNANT}
The Big Show (WWE) – 10

Masato Tanaka (ZERO1) - 9
Minoru Suzuki (NJPW) - 9
Lance Archer (NJPW) - 9
Katsuhiko Nakajima (NOAH) - 9
Hunico (WWE) – 9
Alex Riley (WWE) - 9
Angel De Oro (CMLL) - 9
BxB Hulk (Dragon Gate) - 9
Abyss (TNA) - 9
Charlie Haas (ROH) - 9
Shelton Benjamin (ROH) - 9
Evan Bourne (WWE) - 9
Chuck Taylor (US Independent) - 9
Mike Quackenbush (US Independent) - 9

The Sheik (US Independent) - 7
Jeff Jarrett (TNA) - 7

Kane (WWE) - 6
Madison Rayne (TNA) - 6
Jun Akiyama (NOAH) - 6
PAC (Dragon Gate) - 6
Eric Young (TNA) - 6
Ezekiel Jackson (WWE) - 6
Escorpion (CMLL) - 6
Low Ki (US Independent) - 6

Beth Phoenix (WWE) - 4

Michael Elgin (ROH) - 3
Bully Ray (TNA) - 3
Zema Ion (TNA) - 3
Fire Ant (US Independent) - 3
Green Ant (US Independent) - 3
Soldier Ant (US Independent) - 3
Booker T (WWE) - 3
Tyson Kidd (WWE) - 3
Kelly Kelly (WWE) - 3
Hirooki Goto (NJPW) - 3
Rocky Romero (US Independent) - 3
Fit Finlay (Independent) - 3

Crimson (TNA) - 2

Eddie Edwards (ROH) - 1
David Otunga (WWE) - 1
Michael McGuillicutty (WWE) - 1
Kazarian (TNA) - 1
Christopher Daniels (TNA) - 1
Hernandez (TNA) - 1
Anarquia (TNA) - 1
Ultimo Guerrero (CMLL) - 1
Shinsuke Nakamura (NJPW) - 1
Mohammed Yone (NOAH) - 1
Dick Togo (RETIRED) - 1
Daisuke Sekimoto (All Japan) - 1
Volador (CMLL) - 1
Starbuck (International Talent) - 1
Tsuyoshi Kikuchi (Japan) – 1

Voting began 4.04.11

Year-End Rankings Key:

WWE, Raw, SmackDown and NXT-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.

Australian Contracted Wrestlers are represented in INDIGO.

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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


Year Five Winner: CM Punk


Year Six Winner: The Miz

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