wrestling / Columns

411’s Wrestler of the Week 5.14.13: Year Nine, Week 5

May 14, 2013 | Posted by Larry Csonka

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Welcome to YEAR NINE, WEEK 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

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 Tuesday (the voting week runs Monday through Sunday). Let’s see who wins this week…


Larry Csonka
1) Kenta Kobashi
In his final match, in front of 17,000 and the PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN, Kobashi pinned Yoshinobu Kanemaru with one last moonsault in an eight man tag with Keiji Muto, Jun Akiyama, & Kensuke Sasaki on Kobashi’s side and Go Shioziaki, KENTA, & Maybach Taniguchi on Kanemaru’s. One of the greatest of all time is now officially done.

2) Athena & AR Fox: Defeated Ezavel Suena & Latin Dragon, Addy Starr & Matt Tremont and Kimber Lee & Drew Gulak to win the WSU/CZW Queen and King of the Ring Tournament.
3) The Shield: The best thing about WWE programming each week.
4) Abyss
5) Mark Henry

Michael Benjamin
1) Kenta Kobashi
Kenta Kobashi wrestled his last match this weekend and many are considering it the end of an era. I haven’t seen the match yet, but he deserves the nod without question. It’s simple as that, folks.

2) Dean Ambrose: I’ve been trying to avoid separating The Shield during the voting process but Ambrose is standing out amongst his teammates now. This week he had another singles match, as he battled Daniel Bryan in a very competitive bout on Smackdown. Ambrose is going to be a big deal sooner rather than later if they continue to book him this strong.
3) Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns: Not far behind Ambrose, these guys are being booked better than almost anybody on the active roster. At this point, I can’t imagine what trio could possibly beat them. I have to imagine that Creative doesn’t know yet either.
4) Mark Henry
5) Kofi Kingston

Greg DeMarco
1) The Shield
These guys continue to kill it, as a trio on Raw and as Dean Ambrose makes Smackdown his personal elevation show. They are an amazing group, getting face reactions while still having a heel impact on the product. The Shield is the best thing going in wrestling for this week–and this year.

2) Mark Henry: Because dats what he do.
3) Kenta Kobashi: I’m not going to sit here and pretend to know the ins & outs of Kenta Kobashi’s career. I know the major highlights, and of course his ROH work. I don’t know much, but I know how important he is. I also know that those I trust are all reacting to his retirement and his place in wrestling history. Congrats on a great career, I look forward to reading Ryan Byers’ synopsis of it!
4) reDRagon (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish)
5) Abyss (begrudgingly)

Jack McGee
1) Abyss
Abyss finally made his return to TNA last week on Impact, running through the Aces and 8s backstage and then returning to the ring to lay out Anderson and pin TV Champion Devon in the TV main event.

2) Ryback: Defeated Kane on Raw and had a good outing with Chris Jericho on Smackdown.
3) Kenta Kobashi: Thanks for everything.
4) Mark Henry
5) The Shield

James Wright
1) Abyss
From out of nowhere Abyss has returned and completely destroyed the Aces & 8s, why now and not a week ago before Sting was given his shot at the TNA title? Who knows, but if Bully Ray can get past the Icon their is a good chance that his next challenger could be the Monster.

2) Mark Henry: Absolutely wore out Sheamus on Raw and continues to be booked as if he truly is the ‘World’s Strongest Man’, why wasn’t he booked to challenge Cena for the title at Extreme Rules? Maybe the WWE are trying to build him up to be a serious challenge to Cena for the summer?
3) The Ryback: Cena’s actual challenger looked pretty good this week, Shellshocking and defeating Kane on Raw and then going at it with Chris Jericho on Smackdown. What’s more we got to hear him speak without any ridiculous breathing, which is a step in the right direction.
4) Kenta Kobashi
5) Luke Harper & Erick Rowan

Ryan Byers
1) Kenta Kobashi
Slightly over twenty-five years after his in-ring debut, one of the all-time great in-ring performers and stars in the history of the sport hung up his boots. Kobashi’s retirement show was perhaps the most-watched live professional wrestling cards in years, and it was as emotional and as important as any retirement since perhaps Ric Flair’s. I’ll have more on this elsewhere on the site later in the week, but, for the time being, let’s just say that when the former PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN participates in your retirement ceremony, you’ve done something right.

2) The Ryback: After some really stupidly booked losses over the course of the past six months, the Ryback started to get back on track and look like a legitimate title contender by pinning Kane clean and then murdalizing Chris Jericho.
3) Mark Henry: Finally managed to get some revenge on Sheamus after weeks of being bullied by the Celtic warrior. Plus, he dragged a bus around.
4) KENTA
5) Dean Ambrose

TJ Hawke
1) Kenta Kobashi
The most emotional retirement match since Ric Flair. One of the best of all time hung it up in a great match. Enjoy your retirement good sir.

2) KENTA: Successfully defended the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Takashi Sugiura.
3) Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste: The Aussie independent wrestlers officially became members of the NOAH roster.
4) Abyss
5) The Hipsters (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby the Fish)


THE WINNERS~!

  • Special Mention…Ryback – 11 Votes
  • Fifth Place…Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns – 12 Votes
  • Fourth Place…Dean Ambrose – 14 Votes
  • Third Place…Abyss – 15 Votes

    The monster returned to TNA last week to send a message to the Aces and 8s…

  • Second Place…Mark Henry – 16 Votes

    Because, “that’s what he do.”

  • And 411’s Wrestler of the Week is…

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    Kenta Kobashi – 27 Votes

    One more time, Kenta Kobashi…

    Year-End Standings~!
    And here are the standings after week FIVE

    Dean Ambrose – 36pts.

    Seth Rollins – 27pts
    Roman Reigns – 27pts

    Dolph Ziggler – 15pts.
    Kofi Kingston – 15pts.
    Kenta Kobashi – 15pts.

    Ryback – 14pts

    Mark Henry – 12pts.
    Bully Ray – 12pts.

    Abyss – 9pts.
    Brock Lesnar – 9pts
    Wade Barrett – 9pts.
    The Undertaker – 9pts
    Jun Akiyama – 9pts.

    AJ Styles – 6pts.
    Fandango – 6pts.
    KENTA – 6pts.
    Yoshihiro Takayama – 6pts.
    Kazuchika Okada – 6pts.

    John Morrison – 3pts.
    Jack Swagger – 3pts.
    Sting – 3pts.
    Hernandez – 3pts.
    Chavo Guerrero – 3pts.
    Seita Sanada – 3pts.

    CIMA – 1pt
    Mickie James – 1pt
    Alberto Del Rio – 1pt
    Mikey Nicholls- 1pt
    Shane Haste – 1pt

  • Voting began 4.16.13
  • 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.

    Other International Wrestlers are represented in INDIGO.



    **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


    Year Seven Winner: CM Punk


    Year Eight Winner: CM Punk

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    Larry Csonka