411’s Wrestler of the Week 10.29.07: Week 30
Posted by Larry Csonka on 10.29.2007
Kurt Angle wins the TNA World Title, Batista finally defeats the Undertaker, Samoa Joe defeats Misawa and that’s only the tip of the iceberg of what happened this week in wrestling! But who had the goods to take 411’s WOTW title? Come on in for punch and pie and while you’re here, read the column!
Welcome to Week 30 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!
Scott Slimmer
1) Batista
Batista gets my first place vote for defeating The Undertaker to retain the World Heavyweight Championship at Cyber Sunday. It's been a long time since a World Heavyweight Championship match headlined a WWE pay-per-view, but it was absolutely the right call in this case. Batista stood in the ring with two of the biggest names in the history of the industry and looked like a star because of it. This match not only helped elevate the stature of the World Heavyweight Championship, but it once again made Batista into a legitimate champion. After this match, and with John Cena on the shelf, in my book Batista is now the biggest star in WWE.
2) The Miz: Oh, I'm gonna catch shit for this one, but fuck that. The Miz gets my second place vote for surprising the hell out of everyone and winning the fan vote to challenge CM Punk for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship at Cyber Sunday. Some will say that this means Miz is more over than we may have known, some will say that this means the fans were just trying to protect Punk, and some will say that this again proves that Cyber Sunday is a fundamentally flawed concept. But all that matters to me is that Miz gave us what could be his breakthrough performance on a night when he probably never expected to even step in the ring.
3) Kurt Angle: Kurt Angle gets my third place vote for defeating Sting to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship on Impact. Was the booking questionable? Sure. Is the TNA title picture now twelve different kinds of wrong? Um, yeah. But is Kurt Angle once again the face of TNA? Damn straight.
4) Super Dragon & Davey Richards
5) Mitsuharu Misawa / Samoa Joe
ARI
1)Batista
Defended the belt in a very very good title match against The Undertaker. It was his first win against the Undertaker and it was a very important moment not only because of that but because it helped cement the turn around in quality on the Cyber Sunday PPV.
2) Samoa Joe: After nearly a year of build up, Samoa Joe went into NOAH territory to face bossman Misawa. Amazingly Joe defeated Misawa and actually pinned him in a tag team match with Misawa's own big move! Then it was the big one on one singles match for the GHC title between the two and while Joe did not pick up the win in that one (nor was the match a five star barn burner by any stretch) he did leave the weekend etching his own place in NOAH history.
3) Incoherence (Delirious & Hallowicked): The CHIKARA campeones de parejas went from plastic belts to plastic belts with a bit of meaning thanks to a very long and extended run by former champions Team F.I.S.T. Many a team has challenged for those belts and not walked away with them, but the crazysexycool and insane duo of Delirious and Hallowicked wrapped up the victory and the titles this weekend.
4) Super Dragon & Davey Richards
5) Naomichi Marufuji & Takashi Sugiura
Christi Csonka
1) LuFisto
She won the Queen of the Death Match Tournament. That's one hardcore bitch!
2) Kurt Angle: I didn't like the usual TNA finish, but the man is the world champion once again and you have to respect that.
3) Batista: While I am not the biggest Batista fan on earth, he got the big win and it was a good match.
4) Masato Tanaka
5) Awesome Kong
Mike Bauer
1) Batista
This is a hard, hard week people. There was so much going on in Japan and the US and Europe where everyone will have a different answer. In the end, I have to choose Batista for getting a clean win on The Undertaker after losing time and time again to the dead man. Not only that, but he did in the match of the night at a very rare solid WWE Pay Per View. And he did without any DQ and/or Russo booking bullshit.
2) Samoa Joe: Forget TNA, the guy went to Japan and pinned Misawa clean. He is the first man to do it in nearly two years and deserves major recognition.
3) Bryan Danielson: 3 for 3 in the PWG European Vacation, including successful title defenses over Austin Aries and El Generico.
4) Super Dragon/Davey Richards
5) Triple H
Matt Short
1) Batista
Not only did he not have a great match with the Undertaker, but he finally beat him. After losing the title to him at Wrestlemania, Batista just had no luck against the Deadman. He finally gets over that hump with a huge pinfall win to retain the title.
2) Samoa Joe/Mitsuharu Misawa: It was a big weekend for Pro Wrestling NOAH. Joe did the unthinkable and pinned the GHC Heavyweight champion Old Man Misawa in his first match in Yokohama. This is significant since Misawa hasn't been pinned in two years in Japan. At Saturday's Budokan show Misawa got the win back in a very enjoyable tag match (it's on YouTube). These guys put each other over huge: Joe looking like a huge threat in Japan and Misawa looking fairly good in the title match.
3) Incoherence (Hallowicked & Delirious): CHIKARA's first ever pair of technicos win the Campeones de Parajas.
4) Super Dragon & Davey Richards
5) Takashi Sugiura & Naomichi Marufuji
Ryan Byers
1) Big Dave Batista
I never thought I'd see the day that WWE was putting on a lackluster PPV with a Shawn Michaels match failing to save the show . . . only for a DAVE BATISTA match to get the job done. On top of that, I think that his career really would have lost some momentum if he dropped the belt to Taker after his prior losing streak against UT. Plus these two are proven to have great chemistry in the ring, and Dave's victory no doubt means that there will be at least one rematch, if not several. The one thing Batista really needs to solidify his place in history is a string of great matches, and being married to Taker for the next few months guarantees him that. Things are looking up on all fronts for the Animal.
2) Delirious & Hallowicked - Some may look at this vote and poo-poo it because "all they did was win an Indy tag title," but I think putting them at number two is perfectly valid when you look at how the win was built up. The reigning champs, Team FIST, were almost the heel versions of John Cena in that, despite the fact that they were paired up against top CHIKARA teams and despite the fact that they were in the process of breaking up, they would always defy the odds and come out on top. Most CHIKARA fans were fooled in to thinking that Cheech & Cloudy would beat the bickering champs. They didn't. Most CHIKARA fans were fooled in to thinking that Los Ice Creams would beat the bickering champs. They didn't. Then, at the height of the anticipation for a big title change, Incoherence swoops in and takes the belts. THAT'S how you book pro wrestling, and it makes this championship win a particularly big deal.
3) Samoa Joe - Yeah, Joe pinned Misawa, but I have a hard time putting him higher than three because at this point we don't know what Joe pinning Misawa means. It could be used to make him in to a star in NOAH, or it could have been a one-time fluke to add more drama to the title match in which Joe did the job. If it's the latter, he may as well have pinned Sho' Funaki for all the impact it will have on his career.
4) Super Dragon & Davey Richards
5) LuFisto
SAT
1) Batista
Batista gets the top slot for retaining the World Heavyweight Title and finally defeating the Undertaker.
2) Kurt Angle - Kurt Angle gets the second slot for regaining the TNA title from Sting
3) Super Dragon & Davey Richards - Super Dragon & Davey Richards get the third slot for winning the PWG World Tag Team Titles
4) Mitsuharu Misawa
5) Delirious & Hallowicked
Andy Clark
1) Kurt Angle
I want to vote for Batista here, I really, really do. Unfortunately I must remain a man of my word and vote the new World Champ number one.
2) Batista- My colleagues have summed it up nicely. Great match at Cyber Sunday and a big win for the World Champ.
3) The Miz- Shocked the world by winning the ECW Title Match vote and had a damn good little match with CM Punk, even winning over the hostile Washington crowd.
4) Samoa Joe
5) Takashi Sugiura & Naomichi Marufuji
Randy Harrison
1) Kurt Angle
Schmozzerrific ending aside, it's a match where a new champion of a promotion was crowned and Kurt was the winner so he gets top spot from me. It looks like they might be trying to go with him vs. Nash or something and all I have to say to that is "Sweet Merciful Fucking Jeebus NO!!", but Kurt had a great match against Sting and struck gold this week and that's what counts.
2) Batista - Finally getting the duke over the Undertaker, having a great match (finally) and retaining the Big Gold Belt in his hometown. All in all, not too bad for Big Dave and if it hadn't been for Angle regaining the title he'd have easily had number one in my books. Let's hope he's turned the corner and will be back to some quality matches on a regular basis.
3) The Miz - Forgive me Jeebus for what I just typed, I know not what I do....~GULP~ The Miz won the vote for the ECW title shot when everyone thought he was an add-on meant to lose (Jeff Hardy, I'm looking in your direction) and not only did he surprise in winning the vote, he surprised in putting on one of the better matches of CM Punk's title reign so far. I can't believe he made a Top 5 anything for me other than wrestlers I'd like to hunt with a spear gun but he did it so congrats to him on a top-notch effort.
4)Super Dragon and Davey Richards
5)Samoa Joe
Samuel Berman
1) Incoherence (Delirious & Hallowicked)
Though I'm tempted to put the new PWG World Tag Team Champions in the top spot, Delirious & Hallowicked ended a MUCH longer reign, and furthermore became the first pair of technicos to be the CHIKARA Campeones de Parejas. In a company where tag wrestling rules all, Incoherence becomes the standard-bearer, with the only asterisk being Gran Akuma's inability to participate in the defense due to injury. That said, Chuck Taylor is more than a suitable replacement and the match was reportedly outstanding. The best part about the match is that the loss will probably kick off the highly anticipated F.I.S.T. breakup angle. By the way, in addition to being a huge weekend for Independents around the world, this week was one of the most noteworthy for tag team wrestling as well. As a quick aside, normally I would have loved to vote for Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Helios, Claudio Castagnoli and Human Tornado, but this week was just jam packed with title changes and major happenings, and there are only so many people who can be reasonably stuffed onto a five slot ballot.
2) Super Dragon & Davey Richards: Though it took them two tries, we still have new PWG World Tag Team Champions, and they already have a successful defense under their belts.
3) "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson: Had a trio of successful PWG World Title defenses, including a reportedly excellent bout with former champion El Generico.
4) Samoa Joe and Mitsuharu Misawa (tie)
5) Naomichi Marufuji & Takeshi Sugiura
JT~!
1) Big Dave
I want to start by saying that I am well aware that this has been one of the – if not the – biggest weekends for the Indies in a long, long time. That being said, I do feel that there is something about being the biggest and most recognizable fed on the planet that gives you an extra edge. People aren't paying $40 dollars and spending their Sunday evenings devoted to an Indy show. That isn't a knock on them, because they are equally important to those that follow them close; it just creates a different measuring stick in my mind. Therefore, Batista gets the nod from me this week. He main-evented a Pay-Per-View, and in doing so got to execute NUMEROUS big time moves and more importantly get a totally CLEAN win over the Undertaker (yes, the UNDERTAKER) to retain his World Heavyweight Championship in a pretty good match – a match which did not surprise me because I've always said the two have chemistry together.
2) Bryan Danielson: Took PWG on the road ocean tour and delivered. There is something to be said for winning three straight title defenses over three days (especially considering the opponents), there is another thing to be said for doing it while helping build an audience by going overseas and producing on an international level.
3) Incoherence: For those wondering how long is long by reading everyone else, F.I.S.T was on the 343rd day of their Campeonatos de Parejas reign, just 22 days shy of the one year anniversary. Granted, the belts have been around less than two years, but the fact is that F.I.S.T owned them for 70% of that time, won time and time again, and Delirious and Hallowicked ended that domination.
4) Kurt Angle
5) Samoa Joe/Super Dragon & Davey Richards
Theo Fraiser
1) Super Dragon & Davey Richards
These two defeated Kevin Steen and El Generico at the England leg of the European Vacation II tour, winning the PWG World Tag Team Titles for a second time in an insane match that is not only a PWG MOTYC but a legitimate MOTYC in pro wrestling period, at least in regards to tag team matches.
2) Kevin Steen & El Generico. The former champions deserve their props for contributing to the MOTYC.
3) Samoa Joe. Gaining a rare pinfall victory over Misawa is something that deserves recognition.
4) Bryan Danielson
5) Batista
T. G. Corke
1) Mike Mizanin
They say anything can happen in the WWE, and Mike 'The Miz' Mizanin proved that. I want to go on record and say that, in last week's roundtable, I said I'd be very surprised if he didn't get a massive amount of the vote, and COULD cause an upset potentially. However, I didn't actually expect him to win the damn poll! I'm sure a lot of the votes were for a laugh, but still - to be named the most popular heel up against a man being pushed to the moon (well, up the highest ladder ECW are allowed to afford), and a former ECW champion. That's a big "FU" to the many who can't stand the man and say he sucks on a regular basis. It does make sense, though, because I feel he has the best character of the three and isn't overweight/an HGH junkie like the other two. Good for him on this night, though thankfully, he didn't actually win the match and Punk retained comfortably. Still, a major (and surprising) stepping-stone for young Michael Mizanin - the People's Choice. Hoo-ha!
2) Kurt Angle: Usually a recognized (PWI) World Heavyweight Championship win would get an easy first place, but unfortunately they added loads of crap about the result somehow being questionable and a rubbish-sounding tag match that makes no sense. Plus, I really wanted to vote for The Miz.
3) Batista: His overdue victory against The Undertaker was actually a lot better than Angle's win over Sting, and actually took place this week instead of at a taping. But I'll usually vote a title win over a title retention, because historically it's usually more significant.
4) Samoa Joe
5) Ken Kennedy
Andy Critchell
1) Batista
In what I was sure was going to be the ultimate job due to politics, Big Dave was able to prevail and look great doing it. Screw the haters, Batista is the man!
2 The Miz – I don't understand how he was chosen over the Shaman of Sexy but the Miz made the most of his shot and had a really fun match with Punk. Those that were chanting "you can't wrestle" must have taken the short bus from the Special Olympics or something.
3) Samoa Joe – I don't follow Japan too close but his win over Misawa in Japan is like Ron Burgundy…Kind of a big deal.
4) Bryan Danielson
5) Kennedy….Kennedy!!
Larry Csonka
1) Kurt Angle
While there was shitty overbooking, the man won the world title, again and I can't ignore that.
2) Masato Tanaka: Masato Tanaka continues a very good year as he defeats Takao Omori for the AWA title. While it doesn't hold the prestige that it once did, Tanaka is having a great year, unfortunately not that many people in North America know this.
3) Delirious & Hallowicked: These guys are just awesome, and now they have gold to back that up!
4) Batista/Samoa Joe
5) LuFisto
Kurt Angle recaptures the TNA World Title this week in controversial fashion.
Second Place…Samoa Joe - 33 Votes
Samoa Joe may have lost the big title match, but he becomes the first man to pin Misawa in a year, and that is crazy important.
Wrestler of the Week…Batista - 57 Votes
Big Dave Batista finally slays the beast that is the Undertaker. He gets the monkey off of his back and keeps the world title in a great match.
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. This week was one of the BIGGEST weeks as far as voting goes due to an abundance of Independent and Japanese shows. Ass into that the regular TV schedule and the Cyber Sunday PPV and the staff had a lot to wade through. Batista charges into the top 15 with his victory this week, and is now in a position to strike. Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle storm into the top four and with Cena out, it is only a matter of time until Angle or someone else takes that top spot. We still have a lot of time left in the year and as we all know anything can happen!
-The top 15 spots are marked
1. John Cena – 78 (Raw) {INJURED}
2. Kurt Angle – 72 (TNA)
3. Matt Hardy – 66 (Smackdown)
4. Samoa Joe – 64 (TNA)
5. CM Punk – 61 (ECW)
6. Mark Briscoe – 46 (ROH)
6. Jay Briscoe – 46 (ROH)
