411s Wrestler of the Week 10.15.07: Week 28
Posted by Larry Csonka on 10.15.2007
Gail Kim wins the first ever TNA Womens Championship, Hiroshi Tanahashi wins back his IWGP Title while Sting wins the TNA World Title to close out Bound for Glory! But who was able to impress the staff enough to take this weeks victory? Come on into find out!
Welcome to Week 28 Year-Three, of 411's Wrestler of the Week. A quick overview to kick things off as we have some new rules for year three
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 at WrestleMania. This will be posted every Monday. Let's see who wins this week
The Voting!
ARI
1) Sting: Main evented Bound for Glory for the second year in a row and for the second year in a row actually won TNA's top title. Sting had to go through the usual overbooked runs ins, ref bumps and interference swerves to do it, but the match was still very good and you still have to give props to a man reaching his fifties who can still go at the main event level. So props to Kevin Nash on an outstanding performance. Just kidding.
2) Hiroshi Tanahashi: Regained the IWGP title from Yuji Nagata earlier in the week. Tanahashi has shown he is the real deal next generation superstar and multiple runs with the top title show NJPW's faith in him to be just that.
3) Samoa Joe / Christian Cage: There hasn't been a ton to celebrate about Joe lately as he has been jobbed out left and right, but tonight he and Cage were right on and had a heck of a match. Note to TNA fans, I am actually complimenting their product for the first time in a long time, and they deserve it. Maybe it's that I just watched the documentary part of the Christian Cage DVD, but he's worked his way back into my favorites. Joe and Cage always mesh well together and finally a clean loss from Cage eradicates any question marks over how a two-time champion could be undefeated.
4) Gail Kim
5) Sara Del Rey/Amazing Kong
SAT
1) Sting
Sting gets the top slot for winning the TNA title in what seems to be an amazing match. I thought that Sting had no chance of walking out with the title and he proved me wrong.
2) Hiroshi Tanahashi - Hiroshi Tanahashi gets the second slot for defeating Yuji Nagata to become the IWGP Heavyweight Champion.
3) AJ Styles/Tomko - AJ Styles and Tomko get the third slot for getting the tag team titles off of Team Pacman
4) Samoa Joe
5) Sara Del Ray
Ryan Byers
1) Hiroshi Tanahashi
We had two World Titles changing hands this week, one in New Japan Pro Wrestling with Hiroshi Tanahashi defeating Yuji Nagata and one in TNA with Sting defeating Kurt Angle. In determining which of these two men to give the number one spot, I decided to look at what the championship victory means for each of their careers. In the end, I had to give the nod to Tanahashi. Though the TNA Title certainly means more to fans in the United States, the win means nothing to Sting's career. He's already a legend in the business, and he was going to be a legend in the business regardless of the outcome of the Bound for Glory main event. Tanahashi, meanwhile, is a star on the rise when compared to a guy like the Stinger, and a major championship victory goes a long way towards establishing him as a major force in NJPW for the long haul.
2) Sting - See above, for the most part. Though Sting winning came as a surprise to many, it's not like it's going to actually do anything for him. He's worked hard since he came to TNA, though, and I'm glad to see that hard work rewarded.
3) Amazing Kong - As noted in the Tanahashi entry, actual advancement of careers is a big factor for me in this voting. This week, Kong made her national television debut and absolutely squashed the most established woman in TNA, instantly making her a star in the company. On top of that, she wrestled two AWESOME matches on the SHIMMER tapings this weekend, defeating Cheerleader Melissa in a wild brawl and narrowly losing a SHIMMER Title match to Sara Del Rey.
4) Sara Del Rey
5) Sarah Stock
Michael Bauer
1) Sting
I hate to do this, because I hated the angle with the families and I hated the ref bump and the Kevin Nash crap, but Sting did win the TNA World Title at their version of Wrestlemania for the 2nd straight year.
2) Shawn Michaels - Now that my friends is how you make a return. I haven't marked that bad in years.
3) Samoa Joe - I need my tie for the women of TNA, otherwise Christian would get a piece of this. Beat PPV match in some time.
4) Gail Kim/Amazing Kong
5) AJ Styles/Tomko (THANK YOU!!!!!)
Mathew Sforcina
1) Hirosi Tanahashi
Let the snarkiness and the hate mail about how we are in Japan's back pocket commence. But really, out of the two, this is a slightly bigger deal, even if I doubt Nagata busted out a bad, incredibly stupid 450 splash in his match.
2) Sting: Slightly less important, but important never the less. So does this mean Eric Young wins the belt by DQ next month?
3) AJ Styles/Tomko- Tag Champs by beating Ron Killings and Pacman Jones. Sigh.
4) Gail Kim
5) Samoa Joe
Scott Slimmer
1) Sting
Sting gets my first place vote for defeating Kurt Angle to win the TNA Heavyweight Championship at Bound for Glory. I'll admit that I was critical of TNA's decision to bring Sting into the company in January 2006, but since that time Sting has proven to be the best acquisition in TNA history. Christian Cage and Kurt Angle were certainly big name additions to the roster, but both of them made their names in WWE before coming to TNA. Sting has been the alternative to WWE throughout his entire career, and now he is once again the face of the company that continually markets itself as being the alternative to WWE. Sting has now won TNA's top singles title at TNA's biggest show of the year in two consecutive years, and that's a feat that no Superstar in WWE history has ever accomplished at WrestleMania. Oh, and let's not forget that Sting is damn near fifty years old. His continued success at this age is beginning to put him in the same caliber as Ric Flair and Terry Funk in terms of all time career longevity. All of that put together is more than enough for him to be my WOTW.
2) Shawn Michaels: Shawn Michaels gets my second place vote for returning to WWE, attacking WWE Champion Randy Orton, and virtually assuring himself of a WWE Title Match at Cyber Sunday. One week ago it looked like HBK might never again step foot in a WWE ring, but now he's poised to possibly recapture a title he hasn't held in almost ten years. And let's not forget that if Michaels were to win the WWE Championship at Cyber Sunday, then his first scheduled title defense would be at Survivor Series on the tenth anniversary of the Montreal Screw Job. There's about a million different ways for that to be awesome
3) Samoa Joe: Samoa Joe gets my third place vote for defeating Christian Cage in a great match at Bound for Glory. We can only hope that this is Joe's first step towards rebuilding a career that has been somewhat tarnished during the course of the past year.
4) Hiroshi Tanahashi
5) Gail Kim
Matt Short
1) Sting
Damn. I did not in any way see that one coming. I don't think many people did. Sting gets the most shocking win of the week. It does reek of Russo's philosophy of title changes create interest, but depending on how they go with this it might actually work this time.
2) Hiroshi Tanahashi: If not for Sting coming out of the side-hatch with his title win, the new IWPG Heavyweight champion would have gotten my number one. In a time where you just don't see that many newer guys breaking through in Japan to capture major titles here's an example of it getting done right.
3) AJ Style & Tomko - Tomko has been just great during his TNA run and Styles has done some amusing things as Christian's lacky. Both of these guys were due for some recognition and they get by capturing the TNA Tag Team titles from Team Pacman. Thank God.
4) Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino
5) Gail Kim
Bayani Domingo
1) Sting
Won the belt despite being a big underdog as well as taking out Kevin Nash. From what I can tell this seemed to be a very good match despite the over booking and it looks like Sting could have a good little run with the title barring him leaving at the end of the year when his contract is up.
2) Hiroshi Tanahashi: Regained the title from Nagata and is making himself somewhat of a dynasty in the IWGP title scene. Maybe this young lion will finally be able to stay healthy enough to dominate.
3) Bryan Danielson/Roderick Strong: A great match live and easily a MotYC for PWG. Danielson and Strong brutalized each other for a good 20 minutes before Danielson stomped the holy crap out of Strong's head before submitting him with the triangle choke. Yes, I am a PWG "homer".
4) Team Hoss/Styles (AJ/Tomko)
5) Gail Kim
Christi Csonka
1) Gail Kim
I loved the women's gauntlet and Gail gets to be the first champion. There can only be one first and she's just awesome. I hope they take the division seriously, because I am sick of WWE "Diva" crap.
2) Sting/Sara Del Ray: Sting won the TNA title, which is cool especially at his age. Sara was awesome at the SHIMMER tapings and is quickly becoming a favorite of mine.
3) Awesome/Amazing KONG: She's Kong.
4) Samoa Joe
5) Hiroshi Tanahashi
JT~!
1) Sting
Beat the guy being pushed as the most important guy in the country; happened to do it at their biggest show of the year.
2) HBK: Nobody saw it coming, that is what seals it for me. Out of nowhere was OMG TED NUGENT HBK! Instantly solidified himself in the title hunt.
3) Hiroshi Tanahashi: because everyone else did.
4) Gail Kim
5) Danielson/Strong
Andy Clark
1) Sting
Won his company's World Title in the main event of their biggest show of the year, and didn't blow up too badly while doing it.
2) Hiroshi Tanahashi: Continues to be a big star in Japan by winning the REAL IWGP Title.
3) Shawn Michaels: Shocked and surprised everyone by showing up and superkicking Randy Orton on Monday.
4) Samoa Joe
5) Masato Yoshino & Naruki Doi
Samuel Berman
1) Hiroshi Tanahashi
Won the IWGP Title in a decision over Nagata. I'm not sure that I have an appropriate appreciation for the scope of this title victory, but I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt over Sting here, if only to show my displeasure for the current direction of Total Nonstop Action.
2) "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson: Retained his PWG World Title against longtime cross-promotional nemesis Roderick Strong.
3) Sting: I guess he should probably show up somewhere in my rankings.
4) Masato Yoshino & Naruki Doi
5) Samoa Joe
Andy Critchell
1) Sting Despite the fact that the title match was an overbooked mess with shenanigans that you could see coming a mile away, it was still a World Title win and it deserves my top spot. Sting is a true legend in this business and he adds prestige to a relatively new title.
2) Hiroshi Tanahashi I am not as well versed in Japanese wrestling as some of my colleagues here but I do know what kind of weight the IWGP title carries and anyone who wins it deserves recognition. This guy is an up and comer and hopefully we'll hear about him in the States one day.
3) Shawn Michaels HBK surprised everyone last Monday by making his return and made an impact right on Orton's chin. Raw has been in dire need of another main event face and HBK brings that in spades.
4) John Morrison
5) Undertaker
T.G. Corke
1) Sting: For the second straight year, Sting wins in the main event of TNA's marquis show. Say what you want about how it went down, but it's testament to how good the match was that I still regard it one of TNA's best this year in spite of the booking. Besides, the result is what matters for the voting, and winning one of the three major (i.e. PWI-recognized) World Heavyweight Championships will almost always get the nod from me. Well done, that Sting.
2) Hiroshi Tanahashi: Similar to Critchell, I'm not particularly educated in Japanese wrestling, but even I recognize how important the IWGP Title (i.e. the one NOT held by Angle) is to whoever is the champion.
3) Johnny Morrison: Returned to ECW and got a victory over the champ. Plus, he's great.
4) Shawn Michaels
5) Tony F'N Atlas
Larry Csonka
1) Sting
Bound for Glory is Sting's event, much like Flair ruled the first two Cyber Sunday events. He brought his working boots and for his age put on one hell of a performance. As mentioned, Sting has sunk into the Terry Funk role in TNA, and that is a good thing.
2) Hiroshi Tanahashi: Tanahashi regains the IWGP gold and any other week probably would have gotten the top spot from me, but Sting's performance is what got my decision.
3) Samoa Joe/Gail Kim: Joe's win over Christian was huge as he has not lost in two years, and Gail becoming the first women's champion was two-years in the making so they share the third spot.
4) Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino
5) AJ Styles and Tomko
THE WINNERS!
Special Mention AJ Styles and Tomko - 13 Votes
Fifth Place Shawn Michaels - 17 Votes
Fourth Place Gail Kim - 19 Votes
Third Place Samoa Joe - 20 Votes
Samoa Joe had a fantastic match with Christian Cage at Bound for Glory and ended the "Instant Classic's" streak of not being pinned or submitted..
Second Place Hiroshi Tanahashi - 49 Votes
Hiroshi Tanahashi is once again the IWGP champion, the real version not the one Angle has, and helps cement his legacy in Japan.
Wrestler of the Week Sting - 65 Votes
The ICON known as Sting does it again at Bound for Glory, making it 2 for 2 in title matches. Last year it was the NWA Title and now this year he wins the TNA Title. The man is firing on all cylinders and is once again on top of the mountain.
Year-End Standings~!
With John Cena out for the rest of the voting year (they don't expect him back before WrestleMania) the voting will continue to get very interesting. Sting and Hiroshi Tanahashi make big jumps this week and are just on the outside of the top 15, along with HHH and others. Samoa Joe locks himself into the 5th place spot, while Gail Kim debuts with her title win. HBK, AJ and Tomko all had small changes and moved up, but nothing that important.
-The top 15 spots are marked
1. John Cena 78 (Raw) {INJURED}
2. Matt Hardy 63 (Smackdown)
2. Kurt Angle 63 (TNA)
