Merry Christmas to all! Much like receiving gifts during the holidays, great moments in wrestling feel like gifts from WWE, TNA, ROH or any other wrestling organization. They are moments when we the fans think up in our heads, but quickly dismiss because we do not think said wrestling would put together something that their bookers could not think of, only to jump with joy and excitement when it actually happens in real life. These are the times when we start screaming at the top of our lungs in shear joy at our TV or computer even though we know only ourselves and perturbed family members or roommates can hear us. These joyous moments are why we are all wrestling fans. Why we painstakingly watch half-naked grown men and women beat each other within an inch of their lives. Why we care about every little thing that goes on in the insane World of Wrestling and finally why wrestling is our collective passion. So here is this writer’s personal list of the Top 10 Wrestling Moments of 2011.
10. Destination X
Yes, Destination X was an entire PPV, but it is still stands as one of the only good moments for TNA Wrestling this year. For the last few years, TNA has dragged their fans and former fans like yours truly through the mud with the complete and utter nonsense they call wrestling. So Destination X was refreshingly good taste of oh so fresh air. The X Division was in the spotlight, the iconic six-sided ring was back and even though there were a few iffy moments on the show, for one night wrestling mattered in TNA. Something many of us have waited a long time to see again.
9. The “Undashing One” Is Born
During one Smackdown leading up to the Royal Rumble, Rey Mysterio fought “Dashing” Cody Rhodes in a one-on-one match. Throughout said match, Rhodes targeted Mysterio’s knee thus exposing the knee brace he was wearing. Mysterio would turn things around when he smashed Rhodes’ face with a devastating knee brace-to-face 619. The move affected the “Dashing One” more than on a physical level, his psyche was shattered. This trauma caused Cody Rhodes to miss over a month of in-ring competition. He reemerged with a plastic mask and new creepy demeanor and with the help of his father Dusty Rhodes viciously assaulted Rey Mysterio. With that assault, Cody Rhodes started an arc for his character that now has launched the young star to the cusp of the main event. Just watching how Cody Rhodes’ character has evolved over the past 12 months has been an amazing moment in itself, but this assault stands out as the moment when everything changed for Cody Rhodes.
8. John Morrison AKA Spider-Man
Every wrestling fan knows deep down in their heart that John Morrison was one of WWE’s most underutilized superstars. So to the delight of many, the WWE shone a bright light on him earlier this year with a big WWE Championship match against the Miz and allowing him to steal the show with some of the best spots of the night. One spot that I vividly remember was from the Royal Rumble. A few minutes after entering the huge 40-Man Royal Rumble, it looked like Morrison was eliminated by William Regal. Instead John Morrison would grab onto the barricade thus keeping his feet from touching the arena floor and saving him from elimination. That was not all as Morrison would walk across the thin top of the barrier and made one big leap onto the steel steps and reenters the ring to continue the match. Describing it does not do the spot justice; you have to see it for yourself in order to fully understand why it is one of the best moments of 2011 and of the Royal Rumble itself.
7. Daniel Bryan Wins the World Heavyweight Championship… Not!
The weeks leading up to this moment, Mark Henry had been making an example of Daniel Bryan as to show the Big Show why he is the World Heavyweight Champion. After denying the Big Show a rematch for the World Title at TLC due to Henry getting disqualified at Survivor Series, Show would knock out the World’s Strongest Man with one impactful fist to the face. With all that Henry had done to him in the last month, Daniel Bryan saw it as the best time to exact some revenge on Henry and cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on the downed giant. The American Dragon would us all his strength to turn over Mark Henry for the pin and the World Heavyweight Championship. The crowd was going nuts; I was going nuts as Daniel Bryan actually was the World Heavyweight Champion. That was until Teddy Long came out and reversed the decision because Henry was not cleared to compete. Even if it was a fake-out, it was one amazing moment that did a lot to build towards an eventual match between Bryan and Henry in the near future.
6. Zack Ryder Wins the United States Championship
This moment should be fresh in our minds as it happened just a week ago. For the past year, we have all watched one young talented superstar from Long Island go from complete zero with zero to no TV time to one of the most popular superstars in the WWE and the new United States Champion. It is the culmination of the best wrestling success story this year and a moment that will define Zack Ryder’s career. Woo Woo Woo! You Know It, Bro!
5. CM Punks Drops a Bomb
The promo heard around the world. The one moment that jump started one of the best summers for pro wrestling in the last 10 years. The one moment that took CM Punk from great wrestler to wrestling god. The one moment that made us all giddy inside while also making our collective jaws drop in utter disbelief. The one moment this year when WWE did not feel scripted; it felt absolutely real and natural. Something that does not happen often in wrestling.
4. Christian Wins the World Heavyweight Championship
As a huge fan of Christian, it was just magical seeing Captain Charisma standing atop a ladder hoisting the World Heavyweight Title, something many of us never thought he would hold. Even with his extremely short reign as champion, that image of Christian hoisting the World Title atop a ladder will stick with me for the rest of my life. It was the feel good moment of 2011.
3. Edge Retries
Yes, Edge’s sudden retirement from wrestling was the saddest moment of 2011, but the way WWE handled it was nothing short of phenomenal. WWE gave Edge time on both Raw and Smackdown to say goodbye to the fans and the locker room. Personally, it was one touching moment see Christian embrace his best friend, Edge in the ring at the end of Smackdown. Thank you Edge for all the great memories you gave us fans. We will never forget you.
2. The Rock Returns
“FINALLY!! THE ROCK HAS COME BACK… home.” Those words sum up The Great One’s return to WWE back in February. The biggest return of the year and one of the best promos of the year, The Rock has been gone 7 years, but he has not missed a beat. It was a moment that completely electrified me to the point that I could not go to sleep until I wrote an entire blog post about The Rock’s return. This moment would have topped the list if it was not for number 1.
1. CM Punk Wins the WWE Championship in Chicago at Money in the Bank
What fans want and what actually happens are two different things. Going into Money in the Bank, most fans wanted to see CM Punk leave with the WWE Championship, but few actually thought the WWE would go through with it. After 30 exhausting minutes of sitting on the edge of our seats, biting our nails in nervous anticipation, CM Punk hit a glorious GTS for the 1,2,3. In that moment the rabid crowd in Chicago and fans around the world, including myself, all jumped for joy. The WWE finally gave us what we wanted and it made for the greatest moment of this year and one of the greatest in the company’s long illustrious history.
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