411’s Wrestler of the Week 3.12.07: Week 49
Posted by Larry Csonka on 03.12.2007
We get a debut on the list and someone makes a big leap in the year-end standings!
411's Wrestler of the Week 3.12.07: Week 49
We get a debut on the list and someone makes a big leap in the year-end standings!
Welcome to Week 49, Year-Two, of 411's Wrestler of the Week. A quick overview for those who don't know the deal…
Each writer chooses three wrestlers from any promotion and each wrestler gets a vote attached to that ranking. It looks a little like this…
1st – 5
2nd – 3
3rd – 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 five vote getters get a points value for their ranking which looks something like this…
1st – 15
2nd – 10
3rd – 5
4th – 3
5th – 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!
Mike Bauer
1) Christian Cage
by hook or by crook, the man walked out of Destination X as the "1st" TNA World Heavyweight Champion. And he beat Samoa Joe to do so. Simply put, he deserves this top spot for doing this, hands down. I'll give Erick Stevens some respect for his title win in FIP, but #2 goes Rhino for finally getting that clean win against AJ that he deserved.
2) Rhino
3) Erick Stevens
Stuart Carapola
1) Christian Cage
Let me make this clear: THE WRONG MAN WON AT DESTINATION X. However, right or wrong, clean or no, Christian Cage did win and he gets my pick for #1. Kurt Angle also gets a big win over Scott Steiner and Shawn Michaels defeats Randy Orton on Raw.
2) Kurt Angle
3) Shawn Michaels
SAT
1) Christian Cage
Christian Cage gets the top slot for retaining the title against Samoa Joe at Destination X. The second slot goes to Rhino for his win against AJ Styles in Elevation X. The third slot goes to Erick Stevens for winning the FIP Florida Heritage Title over Roderick Strong
2) Rhino
3) Erick Stevens
Vinzenz Rothenburg
1) Christian Cage
I got just 4 words for you: Destination X. Main Event. This was a clear-cut MOTYC, and it did wonders for Cage's credibility. I mean, he kicked out of the Muscle Buster. DAMN! Elsewhere, AJ earns some points for actually making a scaffold match (that he admitted he was scared to do) exciting; and Lashley gets some love for handling himself rather smoothly in his skit with Vince McMahon.
2) AJ Styles
3) Lashley
Andy Clark
1) Christian Cage
He defeated Joe with no backup and is heading into TNA's third biggest show of the year as the champion. From all reports the match was kickass too, and TNA can use more of those, so props to that.
2) AJ Styles
3) Steve Austin
ARI
1) Christian Cage
Cage ruled in all the backstage promos and pre-tapes and then survived a shit kicking and retained the NWA title. I disagree with the finish (and a lot of other stuff on that PPV) but it was a hell of a match. Styles and Rhino have more guts than I do and went out there and risked their life to fight on a narrow and shaky piece of metal. Now please don't ever do that again. Erick Stevens went through three men in FIP in order to win the Florida Heritage Title, including what was referred to as a match of the year candidate in the finals against Roderick Strong. That deserves kudos, as Stevens is developing well in Florida.
2) AJ Styles / Rhino
3) Erick Stevens
Mathew Sforcina
1) Christian Cage
My boy! Sure, from a long-term standpoint this was really stupid, given that TNA needs to stop repeating matches on PPV, but that said, great match, and Christian beat Joe. If that's not enough to get the top spot, what is?
2) Samoa Joe
3) AJ Styles/Rhino
B-Rad
1) Christian Cage
I don't think there is any doubt who is going to be wrestler of the week this week. Cage defeated Samoa Joe to retain the TNA Championship in a Match of the Year Candidate and looked DAMN good at doing so. Shawn Michaels gets my #2 vote for this week after a good win against Randy Orton and it was hard for me to pick #3 but I got to go with the WWE Tag Team Champions Brian Kendrick and Paul London. Yes, they were not on TV this week but they became the 4th longest reigning WWE Tag Team Champions in history.
2) Shawn Michaels
3) Brian Kendrick and Paul London
MEEHAN
1) Christian Cage
Let the IWC cry foul if they must, the RIGHT man went over in the RIGHT match and left fans with the RIGHT impression leaving the Destination X pay-per-view. Whereas Jeff Jarrett's heel-on-top reign was powered by the "no seriously, we hate that shitbag's guts" kind of heat, Christian continues to dominate TNA's title picture with some good old fashioned, honest-to-goodness "classic heel 101" heat. Cheap wins, a stable's worth of thugs (though his win without them, for a change, was a refreshing change!), killer chicken shit promos (offering up Borash to Abyss was AWESOME), AND now the beginnings of some solid matches to boot? Bravo, Christian -- at LAST you've arrived in main event credibility.
2) Erick Stevens
3) AJ Styles/Rhyno
Scott Slimmer
1) Christian Cage
Just managing to successfully defending your title is sometimes enough to earn you the title WOTW. Stealing the show in the main event of a pay-per-view is almost always enough to earn you the title WOTW. And defeating Samoa Freaking Joe is damn near a guarantee that you've earned the title WOTW. But if you do all three at the same time? I dunno, but I'm guessing there should be bonus points involved or something.
2) Erick Stevens
3) SCS Austin
Samuel Berman
1) Erick Stevens
Stevens bested FIP Heavyweight Champion Roderick Strong in a reportedly classic match to win a one-night-only tournament. Cage retained his title (or is it won a new title... this is all so confusing...) at Destination X, by beating Samoa Joe (a feat in itself). Lastly, Rhino finally got his clean win over AJ, so I'll give him some love here.
2) Christian Cage
3) Rhino
Larry Csonka
1) Christian Cage/Samoa Joe
A really tough week for voting again in my opinion. Tomko and Bernard won the IWGP tag titles, but I just didn't think I could add then to the list. Shawn Michaels was awesome again, but I couldn't add him either. But that is the things we have to consider when we vote for WOTW. I will give Cage and Joe a tie for first place as they had a damn fine match, Christian's best in TNA thus far. Erick Stevens snags second place for his big FIP weekend and AJ and Rhino get some love for almost dying in Elevation X.
2) Erick Stevens
3) AJ Styles and Rhino
THE WINNERS!
Special Mention…AJ Styles - 12 Votes
AJ Styles gets some love this week for almost dying. That sounds sad, but really, he took the big bump and got the respect of the panel.
Third Place…Rhino - 13 Votes
Rhino gets the monkey off his back and now gets the big win after MONTHS of losing. Where he goes from here is anyone's guess, but he got the big win and that is hat matters.
Second Place…Erick Stevens - 17 Votes
Erick Stevens had a huge weekend and got rewarded with second place. Stevens won the Eddie Graham Memorial Battle of the Belts Tournament, and by winning that he also becomes the FIP Florida Heritage Champion in the process. He defeated Roderick Strong in the finals, who has been running wild as FIP Champion. A good week for Mr. Stevens.
Wrestler of the Week…Christian Cage - 58 Votes
Christian Cage retains his NWA Title in a great battle with Samoa Joe this week. He is on a roll as the heel champion, got the win on his own and that was easily enough to get him first place for the week.
Year-End Standings!
This week saw Christian Cage take first place and jumped into 3rd place over all for the year. AJ Styles separated himself from the 15th place tie he was in to take it all himself, Erick Stevens debuts and Rhino makes a move, but it is way too little and too late. There are THREE weeks, ONE PPV, NUMEROUS LIVE and TV shows all to go! Will Joe hold on for the win? Will someone else make a charge? Stay tuned!
