411’s Wrestler of the Week 09.29.08: Week 26

Posted by Larry Csonka on 09.29.2008

The Great Muta becomes the most powerful man in Japan, Lance Cade pins HBK, Drake Younger wins the 2008 TPI, Speed Muscle wins the Dragon Gate's Open the Twin Gate titles, the Colon’s become WWE Tag Team Champions and more! But who had the goods to take home the WOTW award? Check out the latest edition of 411's Wrestler of the Week for all the details!



Welcome to Week 26, Year-FOUR, of 411's Wrestler of the Week. A quick overview to kick things off as we have some new rules for year four…

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

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The Voting~!
Michael Bauer
1) The Great Muta
What Muta accomplished in Japan this week is the equivalent of when Chris Jericho became the first Undisputed Champion, holding both the World and WWE Heavyweight Titles. Winning the Triple Crown AND being the IWPG Heavyweight Champion, Muta is now the most dominant and decorated champion in Japan today, with two of top three titles in Japanese wrestling. One can only wonder if he will get a chance to hold all three.

2) Speed Muscle (Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino): Speed Muscle do it again, winning the Open the Twin Gate Titles in Dragon Gate.
3) Drake Younger: He won the Ted Petty Invitational, which is bigger than Stevens winning the Peterson Cup.
4) Erick Stevens
5) Carlito and Primo Colon


Christi Csonka
1) Jeff Jarrett and Kurt Angle
These two guys are keeping me interested and making me care for a second week in a row. It is also because of these two, along with Sting and Joe that I am looking forward to Bound for Glory.

2) Speed Muscle (Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino): I fell in love with these guys in their stint in TNA, and winning the Open the Twin Gate Titles is good enough for second place with me!
3) The Great Muta: I guess I need to call him "Keiji Muto" to be cool, but to me he is still the Great Muta. He is now the most decorated major champion in Japan, and he deserves the credit.
4) Lance Cade
5) Naomichi Marufuji


Andy Clark
1) The Great Muta
Defeated Suwama to win the Triple Crown title and now holds two of the biggest titles in Japan as he is also the IWGP Champion.

2) Lance Cade: Got a big win as he scored the pin on Shawn Michaels in the main event of the 800th episode of Raw.
3) Drake Younger: Won the Ted Petty Invitational, the one this IWA-MS does that is even remotely relevant.
4) Erick Stevens
5) Carlito & Primo Colon


Ryan Byers
1) Keiji Mutoh - Though All Japan Pro Wrestling has sadly fallen to third in the "big three" of Japanese promotions, their Triple Crown championship has more history and great matches associated with it than almost any other title in professional wrestling, regardless of the country. Thus, almost any time that the strap changes hands, it's a major deal. However, it's an even bigger deal this week because of who took home the gold. The new titleholder is Keiji "The Great Muta" Mutoh, who defeated young up and comer Suwama over the weekend. The victory is doubly impressive because Mutoh is now a three-time Triple Crown holder and because he is only the second man in history to simultaneously hold two major Japanese crowns, as he is also the reigning IWGP Champion. I don't know if NOAH will come on board on not, but I'm begging for somebody to book Muta versus Kensuke Sasaki for the GHC Title backed with a storyline of whether Keiji can take home all three big belts.

2) Lance Cade - Pinning Shawn Michaels in the main event of the most watched wrestling show of the week means either one of two things: a) WWE has big plans for the guy or b) WWE wants to put a little bit of heat on him so that Shawn can beat him this coming Monday in what would otherwise have been a heatless match. I'll give him second place because we can't know which is actually the case, but, as I'm fond of pointing out with these "upset" wins, it could either mean everything or nothing to the guy's career depending on how the promotion decides to follow up.
3) Drake Younger - IWA Mid-South is a tiny promotion, and I'd rather run a hot poker through my eye than give them money after some of the B.S. Ian Rotten has pulled, but the fact of the matter is that they do help to launch the careers of some independent talent, and Drake Younger may be the next person to fall in to that category. His IWA matches already convinced CHIKARA to book him on a semi-regular basis, and, now that he's won the Ted Petty Invitational tournament and had well-received series of bouts in the process, his stock will no doubt rise even further.
4) Speed Muscle
5) The Colons


Matt Short
1) Keiji "The Great Muta" Muto
Unseated Suwama this weekend to claim the All Japan Triple Crown title under his Great Muta character. Muto already holds the IWGP Heavyweight Title in New Japan and with the addition of the three belts that make up the Triple Crown, he's carrying some serious hardware. Add onto this the fact that he's champion of two out of Japan's Big Three and Muto is pretty much the god of Japanese wrestling right now. This also adds extra interest on Muto's coming IWGP Title defense against Shinsuke Nakamura.

2) Lance Cade: He surprised many people when he first aligned with Chris Jericho against Shawn Michaels. It's been awhile since then and a lot of the initial surprise has worn off, but this week the WWE looked like it's finally decided to pull the trigger on a Lance Cade push by having him pin Michaels in the main event of Raw this week. If something more comes out of this remains to be seen, but for this week Cade rules in the Raw main event.
3) Drake Younger: The 2008 Ted Petty Invitational winner. Probably one of the few things IWA-MS does that still has any meaning, the TPI has launched the careers of many past winners including AJ Styles and Evan Bourne. Younger got famous for his death matches, but his wrestling talent is wasted in them. Hopefully with this he can leave those behind and continue to develop as a wrestler.
4) Naomichi Marufuji
5) Speed Muscle


Aaron Hubbard
1) Speed Muscle
I wonder if people remember these guys from TNA? Anyway, their win was one of the few things I cared about in a rather quiet week for American Mainstream Wrestling. Hopefully things pick up next week.

2) Bryan Danielson: Had a fantastic match with Tyler Black at New Horizons. Tyler deserves credit for this as well, but American Dragon won. He gets my vote out of the two.
3) Muta: First off, let it be known that I hate Muta. Personal bias aside, he got a huge win this week and he deserves credit for that. I'm sure enough people will put him first to make up for me refusing to put him in the #1 spot.
4) Lance Cade
5) Carlito & Primo Colon


Jarrod Westerfeld
1) Keiji Mutoh
So the myth and the legend, Keiji Mutoh has once again laid claim to the Triple Crown Championship over the young star Suwama. This is the third time Mutoh has been the holder of this most prestigious title out of Japan. Considering the feud that has been running between NJPW and AJPW, one can only speculate if perhaps this will lead to the one dream match that has been thought about for almost 20 years, but has never happened: Keiji Mutoh versus The Great Muta. Gee, I wonder who would win that bout, and just how that could be booked? Clearly both men are awesome, and two completely different people. Clearly.

2) Naomichi Marufuji: While it's not the biggest title victory one can claim considering the fall of the Super Juniors division, Marufuji beating out Hijikata for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight title only reinforces how big a star Marufuji is. This title win brings him back into the limelight and reminds us of the value of Marufuji in the singles world.
3) The Colons (Primo and Carlito): Winning the tag titles in the WWE may not mean as much as they used to, but Primo and Carlito have gained some notoriety from this title victory and it might just be the right move in the rebuilding of this division.
4) Lance Cade
5) Drake Younger


Robert S. Leighty Jr
1) Keiji Mutoh
It was a quiet week here with the Big 2, and that opens up the door for Mutoh. Winning Gold is always a plus, and while I don't follow too much wrestling from Japan, I do know The Triple Crown is a huge deal.

2) Carlito and Primo Colon: We actually got decent Tag Wrestling from the WWE this week (on RAW and SD), and the big story were that new WWE Tag Champions were crowned. We will just have to see how long this attention to the Tag Titles last, but for 1 week it was good times.
3) Lance Cade: He pinned Shawn Michaels. That is enough to get him a nod in my voting for the week.
4) Drake Younger
5) Beer Money Inc


ARI
1) Keiji Mutoh
Let's hear it for the old timers! First Sasaki unseats Morishima in NOAH and now Mutoh picks up the Triple Crown over Suwama. Maybe Ric Flair should come out of retirement and go on a tour of Japan!

2) Lance Cade: Who knows if he has to return the job this week upcoming, but for now, a win against Shawn Michaels is a win against Shawn Michaels, meaning a damned good accomplishment.
3) Jeff Jarrett: A heartfelt promo against Kurt Angle actually gives me hope that TNA can sell a pay per view just by concentration on a simple but effective storyline. Jarrett's real life pain translates into incredible wrestling art for the second week in a row.
4) Naomichi Marufuji
5) Drake Younger


Michael O
1) Lance Cade
Lance Cade wasn't the best wrestler of the week, really only putting in about a minute or two at the end of RAW's 6-Man tag. But after several months spent as nothing more than scenery for the best feud of the year, he did achieve the holy-shit-I-thought-he-was-just-going-to-get-superkicked-and-jobbed-but-he-didn't moment of the week by pinning Shawn Michaels. And since this is 411's North American Wrestler of the week, that's enough to get the top spot from me.

2) The Great Muta: Wait a sec...this column isn't called 411's North American Wrestler of the week? Then why in the world do people always give Berman and the Berenstein bear so much shit?
3) Charlie Haas: Sorry other wrestlers who actually wrestled and/or accomplished things, but Charlie's skit on RAW was "perfect" and was also the best wrestling related thing I saw all week.
4) Naomichi Marufuji
5) Speed Muscle


Jeremy Thomas
1) Keiji Mutoh
The Great Muta won the Triple Crown Title for a third time, and is now a double (quadruple?) current champion. It's just another feather in the cap of a legendary career, and it definitely makes Muta the guy with the best week this time around.

2) Lance Cade: Holy shit, they remembered that they were once trying to push Cade a little. He may not have been incredibly involved, but it's not just anyone who gets a pin on Michaels. Considering that Michaels & Jericho have been largely writing their own feud and they both like Cade, this could mean very good things for him. Or he could get squashed this week...we'll see.
3) The Colon Brothers: Well, I'll be damned, Carlito and Primo got a title win. Good for them. Maybe Carlito will stop griping, and Primo has a chance in the 'E.
4) Erick Stevens
5) Jeff Jarrett


Samuel Berman
1) Drake Younger
While I freely admit that Keiji Mutoh's Triple Crown victory is technically a bigger deal than Drake's Ted Petty Invitational win, my standard has always been to showcase up-and-coming talent over established stars. Drake is one of the many potentially great performers working their way up the American Independent circuit, having transcended the Death Match division to become a legitimately talented technical wrestler. While this year's TPI field was decimated by injuries and last-minute changes, Drake still went through a number of other key IWA Mid-South performers to follow in the footsteps of men like AJ Styles, Matt Sydal and Low Ki.

2) Keiji Mutoh: Regained All Japan's Triple Crown championship by defeating Suwama.
3) Erick Stevens: Won the Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup, cementing his spot as the top man in Florida's Independent scene.
4) Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino
5) Naomichi Marufuji


Bayani Domingo
1) Drake Younger
TPI winner and a surprise at that. Younger has been a regular in the Mid-West for the past few years and his win in the TPI could be the start of a turning point in his career. Younger's win at this point in his career means more to him now than even Mutoh's big win.

2) Keiji Mutoh - Mutoh/Muta won the Triple Crown from Suwama and continues to rule at the top of the Puro hierarchy even into his senior years.
3) Primo and Carlito Colon - Title win means...nothing really, but at least Carlito has some more gold and maybe the Tag Division will perk up a bit now.
4) Erick Stevens
5) Naomichi Marufuji


JT
1) Keiji Mutoh
Won the Triple Crown Championship by beating Suwama.

2) Lance Cade: Holy Shit.
3) The Colons: I swear to you I had honestly forgotten that the Edge guys were tag champs. That is another sad reminder of exactly how much merit the tag team division in WWE merits. That being said, Primo has gotten off to a good start with WWE and his presence has seemed to spark some sort of life into Carlito. We'll see how long that lasts.
4) Jeff Jarrett
5) Speed Muscle


Larry Csonka
1) Keiji Mutoh
Keiji Muto def. Suwama to win the Triple Crown. He now becomes a three-time Triple Crown holder, AND, as he is also the IWPG Heavyweight Champion. Muto simultaneously holds two of Japan's three major championships and right now is dominating the Japanese scene. ROCK ON~!

2) Jeff Jarrett and Kurt Angle: Another outstanding night of work on the mic for these two, they are doing a lot to build for Bound for Glory and need to be commended for that.
3) Speed Muscle (Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino): They defeated Ryo Saito & Susumu Yokosuka to win Dragon Gate's Open the Twin Gate titles on 9/26.
4) Naomichi Marufuji
5) Drake Younger

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THE WINNERS~!

Special Mention… Naomichi Marufuji and Jeff Jarrett - 15 Votes

Fifth Place…Carlito and Primo Colon - 20 Votes

Fourth Place…Speed Muscle (Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino) - 23 Votes

Third Place…Drake Younger - 30 Votes

Drake Younger did battle for two nights and came out victorious in the 2008 Ted Petty Invitational

Second Place…Lance Cade - 38 Votes

Lance Cade shocks the wrestling world by stepping out of the shadows of Chris Jericho and scoring a HUGE pin over Shawn Michaels!

Wrestler of the Week…Keiji "The Great Muta" Mutoh - 68 Votes

The Great Muta shows that he still has something left to offer and he now holds both the Triple Crown and IWGP Heavyweight titles. Muta better get someone to help him out, those four belts will weigh him down.!


Yearend Standings~!
Some big changes this week as Mutoh takes an important first place victory to climb the ranks. But the big news is that Lance Cade, Masato Yoshino and Naruki Doi have cracked the top part of the list.

Let's check out the Yearend Standings!

1. Chris Jericho – 83 (RAW)

2. Edge – 64 (Smackdown) {Sent to Hell}

3. Batista – 57 (Raw)

4. Matt Hardy – 55 (ECW)

5. AJ Styles – 42 (TNA)
5. Samoa Joe – 42 (TNA)

7. Shawn Michaels – 39 (RAW)

8. HHH – 33 (Smackdown)

9. Masato Yoshino – 30 (Dragon Gate)
9. Naruki Doi – 30 (Dragon Gate)

11. The Undertaker – 27 (Smackdown)
11. Lance Cade – 27(RAW)


William Regal – 25 (RAW)

CM Punk – 24 (Raw)
Suwama – 24 (All Japan)
Jimmy Jacobs – 24 (ROH)

Alex Shelley – 21 (TNA)
Keiji Mutoh – 21 (All Japan)

Nigel McGuinness – 20 (ROH)

Bryan Danielson – 19 (ROH)
John Cena – 19 (RAW)

Kaz – 18 (TNA) {"Retired"}
Chris Sabin – 18 (TNA)

Sting – 15 (TNA)
Taylor Wilde – 15 (TNA)
Homicide – 15 (TNA)
Hernandez – 15 (TNA)
Petey Williams – 15 (TNA)
Ric Flair – 15 (US Independent)
Shelton Benjamin – 15 (Smackdown)
Kofi Kingston – 15 (RAW)
Mickie James – 15 (RAW)
John Morrison – 15 (ECW)
The Miz – 15 (ECW)
Bison Smith – 15 (NOAH)
Akitoshi Saito – 15 (NOAH)
Kevin Steen – 15 (ROH)
El Generico – 15 (ROH)

Tyler Black – 13 (ROH)
Brent Albright – 13 (ROH)
Kurt Angle – 13 (TNA)
THE Brian Kendrick – 13 (Smackdown)

Sheik Abdul Bashir – 12 (TNA)
James Storm – 12 (TNA)
Robert Roode – 12 (TNA)
The Great Khali – 12 (Smackdown)
Jay Briscoe – 12 (ROH)
Mark Briscoe – 12 (ROH)
Roderick Strong – 12 (ROH)
MsChif – 12 (US Independent)
Low Ki – 12 (US Independent)
Jack Evans – 12 (US Independent)
Mick Foley – 12 (US Independent)
Taiji Ishimori – 12 (NOAH)
KENTA – 12 (NOAH)

Evan Bourne – 11 (ECW)

Randy Orton – 10 (RAW) {INJURED}
Mark Henry – 10 (ECW)
Chris Hero – 10 (US Independent)
Jeff Jarrett – 10 (TNA)

Chuck Taylor – 9 (US Independent)
Volador Jr. – 9 (Mexico)
Mistico – 9 (Mexico)
Hector Garza – 9 (Mexico)
Go Shiozaki – 9 (NOAH)
Kensuke Sasaki – 9 (NOAH)
Shingo Takagi – 9 (Dragon Gate)
Michelle McCool – 9 (Smackdown)
Drake Younger – 9 (US Independent)

Masato Tanaka – 6 (Zero One Max)
Tiger Mask IV - 6 (NOAH)
Wataru Inoue – 6 (New Japan)
Mr. Kennedy – 6 (Smackdown) {Injured}
The Big Show – 6 (Smackdown)
Incognito – 6 (Mexico)
Erick Stevens – 6 (ROH)

Villano V – 3 (Mexico)
Claudio Castagnoli – 3 (ROH)
Hiroshi Tenzan –3 (New Japan)
Hirooki Goto –3 (New Japan)
Ryuji Hijikata –3 (All Japan)
Fire Ant – 3 (US Independent)
Player Uno – 3 (US Independent)
Player Dos – 3 (US Independent)
Jeff Hardy – 3 (Smackdown)
Beth Phoenix – 3 (RAW)
JBL – 3 (RAW)
Rey Mysterio – 3 (RAW)
Carlito Colon – 3 (Smackdown)
Primo Colon – 3 (Smackdown)

Ted DiBiase – 1 (RAW)
Cody Rhodes – 1 (RAW)
Awesome Kong – 1 (TNA)
Sonjay Dutt – 1 (TNA)
Mike Quackenbush – 1 (US Independent)
Nick Jackson – 1 (US Independent)
Matt Jackson – 1 (US Independent)
Scotty II Hotty – 1 (US Independent)
Joe Doering – 1 (All Japan)
Anthony W. Mori - 1 (Dragon Gate)
GAMMA - 1 (Dragon Gate)
Taiyo Kea - 1 (All Japan)
Minoru Suzuki - 1 (All Japan)
Yoshinobu Kanemaru - 1 (NOAH)
Naomichi Marufuji - 1 (NOAH)
Kotaro Suzuki - 1 (NOAH)
Zack Ryder – 1 (Smackdown)
Curt Hawkins – 1 (Smackdown)

Voting began 4.07.08

Year-End Rankings Key:

WWE, Raw, ECW and Smackdown 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.

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**PREVIOUS WINNERS**

Year One Winner: Ric Flair


Year Two Winner: Samoa Joe


Year Three Winner: John Cena