Top 10 Wrestling Moments of 2011

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.

Tables, Ladders and Chairs… Oh My: Quick Preview of WWE TLC 2011

After all the ups and downs, the good and the bad, we have finally come to the end of the year.  This writer hoped for a dawn of a new age in wrestling this year, but the transition is happening a little slower than expected.  At the end of the day, a lot of strides have been taken to improve WWE’s product especially the pushing of young talent such as Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, Zack Ryder and Dolph Ziggler to name a few.  With the strides forward, WWE has taken some steps back with certain storylines and decisions that have come about in the last few months of the year.  It is time to put that all aside as we enjoy one last PPV from the WWE before we head into the New Year.

After what was said to be a fun Survivor Series event, this writer is looking forward to TLC.  Not for the fact that WWE has done little to hype this PPV, but the fact a few superstars like Wade Barrett, Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes have used their TV time to put together some interesting feuds.  The fact that Dolph Ziggler and Zack Ryder have used Ryder’s Youtube show, Z! True Long Island Story to build their feud over the last three months is just genius.  Personally I just want to watch this PPV to see Ryder finally claim the U.S. Championship and see everyone in Baltimore and on Twitter explode with joy.  On paper, TLC looks very good considering that WWE gives a lot of time to the matches tonight rather than on pointless promos and last minute additions.

Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett in a Tables Match

Prediction:  Wade Barrett wins

Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Zack Ryder for the U.S. Championship

Prediction:  Zack Ryder wins the U.S. Championship

Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Booker T for the Intercontinental Championship

Prediction:  Cody Rhodes retains

Triple H vs. Kevin Nash in a Sledgehammer Ladder Match

Prediction:  Triple H wins

Mark Henry (c) vs. Big Show in a Chairs Match for the World Heavyweight Championship

Prediction:  Mark Henry retains

CM Punk (c) vs. The Miz vs. Alberto Del Rio in a Triple Threat TLC Match for the WWE Championship

Prediction:  CM Punk retains

As the last PPV of the year, there is a lot riding on TLC.  Now matter if it is good or bad, TLC will definitely set the tone for the WWE as it heads into 2012.  For WWE, it would be good for them to end 2011 on a high note rather than a whimper.

The Silverdome Match of the Week: Woo Woo Woo My Time Is Now

After the okay week the WWE had last week, they bounced back with two solid shows in Raw and Smackdown.  They advanced many of the big storylines leading into next Sunday’s TLC PPV, which I am personally looking forward to coming what was said to be a very good Survivor Series.  Six matches have been set for TLC with one or two that could be possibly added next week.  These six matches announced are Cody Rhodes vs. Booker T for the IC Title, Dolph Ziggler vs. Zack Ryder for the U.S. Title, Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton in a Tables Match, Triple H vs. Kevin Nash in a Sledgehammer Ladder Match, Mark Henry vs. the Big Show in a Chairs Match for the World Title and CM Punk vs. the Miz vs. Alberto Del Rio in a Triple Threat TLC Match for the WWE Title.  Also this week saw the return of Lillian Garcia.  She has taken over as the ring announcer for Smackdown from Tony Chimel and it has been nice to hear her announce each match again.  While Raw and Smackdown were solid shows, there were not a lot of outstanding matches, but there were quite a good number of fun enjoyable matches this week.  In the end, John Cena vs. Zack Ryder from Raw just beat out Randy Orton vs. Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan vs. Cody Rhodes both from Smackdown to win the Silverdome Match of the Week.

Last week on Raw, Executive VP of Talent Relations and Interim General Manager John Laurinaitus put together four qualifying matches for the WWE Championship Match at TLC.  One of those qualifying matches, he touted as a social experiment as he had John Cena face-off against Zack Ryder, but there was one twist.  If Cena won, he would qualify for the WWE Title Match at TLC, but if Ryder won, he would get a U.S. Title Match at TLC.  So the stakes were high going into this one as two friends were fighting for a title match at TLC.  Out of the gate, Zack Ryder took control of the Leader of the Cenation with a headlock and an armdrag.  Cena did not give up that easy though as he then took control of the Woo Woo Woo Kid with a headlock, shoulder tackle and a hip toss.  The action was relentless as Cena and Ryder go hold-for-hold.  Zack would later take the advantage and get a 2 count on Cena followed by a headlock.  Cena would fight out of Ryder’s headlock, only for Long Island Iced Z to hit a swinging neckbreaker for another 2 count.  Cena continued to fight back Ryder, but the young superstar was relentless.  Zack caught Cena with knees in the corner followed by a missile dropkick from the top rope, which led to yet another 2 count for Ryder.  With all the momentum in his corner, Ryder went to the top rope again.  This time he was not as fortunate as Cena caught Ryder and attempted to hit the Attitude Adjustment only for Zack to reverse it into a Tornado DDT for another 2 count.  Immediately after Cena kicked out, Zack went for his Rough Ryder finisher only for Cena to dodge it and hit his signature set of moves leading to the Five Knuckle Snuffle and Attitude Adjustment.  Ryder would again fight out of the AA and then send Cena into the ropes.  Ryder would then take some time to fist pump before booting Cena in the face with his signature Broski Boot.  With everything seemingly going right for him, Zack Ryder would try to end the match with the Rough Ryder, but Cena ultimately reversed the move into the AA for the 1, 2, 3.  It was sad to see Zack lose the match, but even with a loss he looked amazing up against the biggest superstar in the WWE and that has to say something.  By the end of night, Zack Ryder would get his U.S. Title shot as John Cena would give up his place in the WWE Title Match at TLC to give Zack another chance.  With a little help from Cena himself, Zack would beat Mark Henry to become the No. 1 Contender for Dolph Ziggler’s United States Championship.  It was a great way to end one fun segment of Raw.

This coming Monday Night Raw will be the sight of the 2011 Slammy Awards.  Only one match has been announced for Monday night that match being John Cena vs. Mark Henry.  Tune into 2011 Slammy Awards starting at 8 Monday evening on the Score here in Canada or the USA Network in the US.  So until next weekend have a wonderful week.  Cheers.

The Silverdome Match of the Week: David vs. Goliath

First off, I have to say sorry for not posting this yesterday.  When I got home from work at 11 pm last night, I was not feeling up to writing.  So it was an okay week for the WWE.  Raw was really enjoyable while Smackdown was total piece of crap.  Most weeks it will be the other way around, but guess we were in Bizarro Land this week.  This week’s Raw did a great job of building storylines for TLC and the end of the year.  What had me intrigued was the Piper’s Pit with John Cena.  Whenever you place a microphone in front of Rowdy Roddy Piper, he hits it out of the park.  It did a whole lot in furthering the build for WrestleMania as Piper pointed out that The Rock and the Cena haters are getting into John Cena’s head and it could be detrimental for the Face of the WWE.  Could this Piper’s Pit have planted the seeds for a heel turn for Cena?  Maybe, maybe not, but personally I am excited to see where this storyline goes this week on Raw.  As it was an okay week for the WWE, there some good matches, mostly on Raw, but only a couple of noteworthy matches.  Out of those noteworthy matches, Daniel Bryan vs. Mark Henry in a Steel Cage Match from Smackdown just beats out CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio from Raw for the Silverdome Match of the Week.

Last week on Smackdown, Daniel Bryan cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on a downed Mark Henry and supposedly won the World Heavyweight Championship.  But things were not what they seemed as Teddy Long made his way out to the ring and reversed the decision because Henry was not cleared to compete due to his broken leg.  Bryan got his Money in the Bank briefcase back, but also got a chance to face Mark Henry for the World Title the following week if he won a Fatal 4 Way Match later in the night.  Daniel Bryan did just that and set the stage to face Mark Henry in a Steel Cage Match for the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of the special Holiday Edition of Smackdown.  Determined and unafraid, Bryan entered the steel structure ready to do anything and everything to secure the World Title around his waist, but the only man in his way was the Goliath known as Mark Henry.  Right when the bell rang to start the match, Bryan immediately tried to escape the steel cage, but Mark Henry would stop the determined superstar.  Bryan would fight off Henry and try to scale the cage again.  This time Henry would grab Bryan’s leg and yank him down between the ropes and the ring.  That would set up Henry to crush Bryan against the steel cage with a splash thus taking control of the match in the early moments.  Henry would continue his dominance over the American Dragon by flinging Bryan into the mesh of the steel cage with the help of the ropes.  Bryan tried to fight off the gargantuan Henry, but the World’s Strongest Man used his size to keep Bryan grounded.  With Bryan down for the moment, Mark Henry tried to escape the cage by exiting through the cage door.  Bryan would stop the World Heavyweight Champion from leaving the cage.  Henry pushed Bryan off of him then turned the American Dragon inside out with a devastating clothesline.  Henry went for the pin right after the clothesline, only for Bryan to kick out at the count of 2.  Henry tried to exit through the door yet again.  This time Bryan would stop the giant by going for Henry’s injured ankle.  With Henry down, Bryan started stomping on the injured ankle.  Bryan then went to climb the cage, but Henry still had some fight left in him as the World’s Strongest Man would pull down Bryan and hit another big clothesline on the challenger.  Henry would take control only for a little while as Bryan would slide out of slam attempt by Henry and target his injured ankle yet again.  With an almost crippled Henry flat on his belly, Bryan would lock in the LaBell Lock on the injured champion.  Henry would eventually fight out and try for a powerbomb, but Bryan reversed the move into a ferocious ankle lock on Henry’s injured ankle.  Henry rolled through the ankle lock and sent Bryan flying across the length of the ring.  Using his momentum, Bryan would try to climb the steel cage yet another time, but again to no avail as Henry would stop him yet again.  Henry started climbing the cage, only to be cut off on the top turnbuckle by Daniel Bryan.  Bryan and Henry start fighting on the top turnbuckle trading headbutts and punches in order to get an advantage.  Henry would eventually gain control on the top turnbuckle and hit an amazing World’s Strongest Slam from the top rope thus signaling the end of the match and another successful title defense for Mark Henry.  In the end, Henry and Bryan put on the best match on that crappy edition of Smackdown and of the week.  Also they gave us a taste of what we should expect if they face off for World Title at WrestleMania.  Personally I cannot wait to see more action between Mark Henry and Daniel Bryan in the near future.

Nothing has been announced for Raw or Smackdown this week, but it should be some more build for TLC.  We are two weeks away from TLC and one week away from Final Resolution.  So hopefully it should be an exciting week in the World of Wrestling.  Until next weekend, have a wonderful wrestling-filled week.  Cheers.

The Silverdome Match of the Week: Here to Show the World

At least you did not have to wait too long for another Silverdome Match of the Week.  It was a pretty good week for the WWE.  Survivor Series was much better than a lot of people expected.  Now I have to get it on DVD once it is released.  The big news coming out of New York City was not the anti-climactic ending to the show involving The Rock and Cena.  It was CM Punk winning the WWE Championship in what was said to be an amazing match.  It is sad to see Alberto Del Rio lose the title yet again, but hopefully this title change will end the hot potato that the WWE has been playing with the WWE Title.  This week also saw some excellent wrestling on Raw, Smackdown and ROH.  Davey Richards vs. Kyle O’Reilly from ROH and both Sheamus & Zack Ryder vs. Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger and Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes from Smackdown were all matches you should go out and watch from this past week.  In the end, Dolph Ziggler vs. CM Punk from this past Monday Night Raw takes home the Silverdome Match of the Week.

CM Punk was looking to face-off against Alberto Del Rio this past Monday, but John Laurinaitus had other plans for the Voice of the Voiceless.  The Interim General Manager of Raw and VP of Talent Relations put Punk in a Champion vs. Champion match against U.S. Champion Dolph Ziggler.  The match started with a lock-up between the two superstars.  Not long after that lock-up, Punk and Ziggler start trading a flurry on holds trying to get the advantage on one another.  Punk got the early advantage after Ziggler tried to catch a breather outside the ring.  That advantage did not last long as Dolph hit a neckbreaker followed by a pin attempt, which Punk kicked out of immediately.  Ziggler started working Punk over with some impactful stomps to the midsection.  Punk tried to regain the advantage, but Ziggler dropped the Straight-Edge Champion with a knee straight to the gut for a 2 count.  Punk tried to mount another comeback, but the Zig Zag Man thwarted Punk yet again allowing him to lock in a crossface on Punk.  CM Punk eventually would fight out of the crossface and send Ziggler into the turnbuckle.  Before going for his signature knee and bulldog combo in the corner, Vickie tried to distract Punk.  Ziggler would try to take the advantage, but Punk would just whip him into the other turnbuckle.  Punk would try to go for his high knee in the corner, but Ziggler would move out of the way sending the Voice of the Voiceless crashing to the floor outside of the ring.  Before taking the advantage over his downed opponent, Dolph would go onto do a handstand in the middle of the ring.  After being worn down with a headlock, CM Punk would finally make his comeback with a few right hands to Ziggler.  Then the two superstars started trading fists in the middle of the ring.  Punk would get the better of that exchange with a series of kicks, a leg lariat and a neckbreaker, which gave only the Chicago Made Punk a two count.  Thinking he could end it, Punk would go for the GTS, but Ziggler reversed it into a Sleeper Hold.  Punk would fight out of the Sleeper Hold.  Dolph then tried to roll-up Punk with his feet on the ropes, but the ref caught him.  As Ziggler argued with the ref, Punk tried to do the same thing to Ziggler, but he was caught as well.  Ziggler would go for the Sleeper Hold yet again, but Punk would shake off the agile Ziggler, sending him into the corner.  Punk would then hit his signature high knee and bulldog combo for another 2 count.  With Dolph down, Punk would go to the top rope for a big elbow drop, but Ziggler would roll out of the way.  Punk chased after United States Champion, allowing Dolph to strike with a thunderous dropkick straight to Punk’s face for a 2 count of his own.  Punk would take down Ziggler yet again allowing him to hit his elbow drop from the top rope this time.  Signaling for the time to put Ziggler to sleep, Punk tried for the GTS again, but Ziggler would reverse it into another close 2 count.  With Punk dazed, Ziggler tried for the Famouser, but the Straight-Edge Champion would reverse it into a devastating powerbomb, which set up Punk to finally hit the GTS for the win.  For the first time these two faced off one-on-one, this match was everything us wrestling fans hoped for and more.  It really felt like a match worthy of being on PPV and was the highlight on an okay Raw.

This past week might have had some great matches, but this coming week might have even more.  This week on Raw, we will see CM Punk face-off with Alberto Del Rio for the WWE Championship and on a special edition of Smackdown airing next Tuesday, Daniel Bryan challenging Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Steel Cage Match.  It should be one exciting week for the World of Wrestling as we get ready for the final PPVs of 2011.

Never Before, Never Again: Preview of WWE Survivor Series 2011

The tagline, “Never Before, Never Again” cannot be truer.  This Sunday at the 25^th annual Survivor Series PPV event in Madison Square Garden, the biggest star of the Attitude Era will join forces with the biggest star of the Modern Era for the first and last time.  John Cena and the Rock will put their differences aside (or maybe not) for one night to compete in what could be described as the most anticipated tag team match of the year.  As we are only five months away from the biggest dream match since the Rock and Hogan blew the dome off of the Skydome back at WrestleMania X8, the WWE is ramping up the build for the main event of WrestleMania 28.  So expect to see more of the Rock and Cena in the coming months.  And it will all start this Sunday, November 20^th.

It seems to be common lately for the WWE to poorly hype up their PPVs and that bad track record does not end here.  All the hype went to John Cena and the Rock teaming up that the rest of the card sadly did not get the same love.  Even with the little hype, I personally am still looking forward to Survivor Series.  Considering there are only six matches on the card, hopefully WWE gives each match enough time to put on a great show for the rabid MSG crowd and thousands watching at home.

Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. John Morrison for the U.S. Championship

I do not understand why John Morrison is even getting a U.S. title shot before Zack Ryder.  Personally I love Morrison just as much as Zack Ryder, but Morrison beat Ziggler in a non-title match once while Ryder has been doing that for a little over a month.  Ziggler and Morrison will definitely put on one great athletic bout, but this writer does not see the U.S. Champ dropping the title to Morrison this Sunday night at MSG.

Prediction:  Dolph Ziggler retains

Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Eve in a Lumberjill Match for the Diva’s Championship

The Divas of Doom seems to be growing stale fast.  Beth and Natalya need to be pushed like no one in the Diva’s division can compete with them yet they continually are undermined by the likes of Eve, Kelly Kelly and now Alicia Fox.  Hopefully at Survivor Series, the WWE can make Beth Phoenix and Natalya look like the dominant monster women that they should be and reignite the spark of this once great storyline.

Prediction:  Beth Phoenix retains

Team Barrett (Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger & Hunico) vs. Team Orton (Randy Orton, Sheamus, Kofi Kingston, Mason Ryan & Sin Cara) in a Traditional Survivor Series Match

These Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team matches are the reason this writer loves watching this PPV each and every year.  They are usually fast-paced, exciting and highly entertaining bouts that seem to be the highlight of each Survivor Series PPV.  This year we see Team Orton and Team Barrett continue the tradition.  Even with the lack of hype and considering all the great talent jammed pack into this match, it should be one of the best matches on this card bar none. 

Prediction:  Team Barrett wins

Mark Henry (c) vs. Big Show for the World Heavyweight Championship

Last month at Vengeance, the titanic battle between Mark Henry and the Big Show ended in no contest when the ring to collapsed.  Hopefully on Sunday, WWE will reinforce the ring because these two giants are going to battle again.  Considering the way their match at Vengeance ended, I would have liked to see Mark Henry and the Big Show battle in a Falls Count Anywhere Match as it would have been amazing to see the carnage these behemoths would cause outside the confines of the squared circle.  Guess it is just another missed opportunity by the WWE, but we should not get hung up on what should have happened.  WWE needs to give Henry the clean win over Big Show in order to solidify the World’s Strongest Man’s position as the most dominant superstar and champion on the WWE roster.

Prediction:  Mark Henry retains

John Cena & The Rock vs. Awesome Truth

Here it is.  The tag team match that everybody is talking about.  The Rock and Cena team up for the first and last time to fight the team of the Miz and R-Truth, Awesome Truth.  This match could go one of two ways.  The first being that Cena and the Rock completely squash Awesome Truth like a pimple on prom night.  The second possibility being that either the Rock or Cena turns on one another causing Awesome Truth to get the victory.  Personally, I think the latter will happen considering how big the egos of the Rock and John Cena are and that it will provide better build for their match at WrestleMania than if they just squashed Awesome Truth.

Prediction:  Awesome Truth wins

Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. CM Punk for the WWE Championship

The WWE has given Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk little to no time to build this feud, but these two excellent wrestlers have made the best of what they got.  After three long months, CM Punk finally gets his one-on-one match for the WWE Championship after Del Rio used the Money in the Bank briefcase to take it away from him.  This Sunday at Survivor Series, I honestly believe that Punk and Del Rio will blow the roof off of Madison Square Garden if they are given a good 20-30 minutes.  It would be nice to see Punk hoist the WWE Title yet again, but Del Rio needs rack up a few more title defenses before WWE decides to give the title to somebody else.

Prediction:  Alberto Del Rio retains

It has been a nice change of pace to actually have four weeks between WWE PPVs and it has certainly help Survivor Series just a little bit.  Other than the John Cena & the Rock vs. Awesome Truth match, the rest of the card has gotten little to no hype.  With only six matches on the card, it might not have hurt the PPV that much, but that is only if the WWE can take advantage and give each match the time they certainly need.

Nothing Has Changed: Quick Preview of TNA Turning Point 2011

Back in late 2005, I discovered an alternative to WWE.  It was distinctly different as it used a six-sided ring and it had a much faster, fresh style.  One of the first PPVs I got on DVD from this wrestling company was Turning Point 2004.  The main event was America’s Most Wanted vs. Triple X in Six Sides of Steel Match.  Still to this day, I consider that match one of the all-time greatest Steel Cage Matches in professional wrestling.  Fast forward seven years later and this alternative has become a shell of its former self in its relentless pursuit to be the WWE instead of just being itself.  If you have not come to this conclusion yet, this alternative was and is Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.

After Bound for Glory, it was suppose to be a clean slate.  All the horrendously convoluted storylines were suppose to be wrapped up and personally I thought TNA would start improving their product.  The first Impact after Bound for Glory had only seven minutes of actual wrestling on two hour show and my hopes for change much like back in the summer were crushed.  What we left were with are storylines that get almost zero attention, another Jersey Shore star wasting our time, a feud between a referee and a former authority figure and the potential feud between Roode and Storm, which could have been their saving grace, getting completely screwed up.  I came back to TNA for this blog back in February, so I will give it the full year it deserves and will reevaluate if I should continue covering.  Right now things look bleak and I honestly do not know if they will get any better.  If you are a TNA fan, this card will look great to you.  If you are not the X Division & World Championship matches along with Daniels vs. RVD should be great unless TNA finds a way to screw them up.  Do not put it past TNA, it is always a possibility.

Mexican America (c) & Sarita vs. Ink Inc. & Toxin in a 6-Person Tag Team Match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship

Prediction:  Ink Inc. & Toxin win the TNA Tag Team Championship

Eric Young (c) vs. Robbie E for the TNA Television Championship

Prediction:  Eric Young retains

Crimson vs. Matt Morgan

Prediction:  Crimson wins

Bully Ray & Scott Steiner vs. Abyss & Mr. Anderson

Prediction:  Abyss & Mr. Anderson win

Austin Aries (c) vs. Kid Kash vs. Jesse Sorensen in a 3 Way Match for the X Division Championship

Prediction:  Austin Aries retains

Christopher Daniels vs. Rob Van Dam in a No DQ Match

Prediction:  Christopher Daniels wins

Velvet Sky (c) vs. Gail Kim for the TNA Knockout’s Championship

Prediction:  Velvet Sky retains

Jeff Jarrett vs. Jeff Hardy

Prediction:  Jeff Hardy wins

Bobby Roode (c) vs. AJ Styles for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship

Prediction:  Bobby Roode retains

Turning Point 2011 is like every other TNA PPV that you have watched this year.  There will be some good hidden under all the insultingly dumb finishes and horrible booking, but it will not be worth the time you invest in watching.  From 2005 to 2008, TNA had something great going for it, but now that magic seems lost.  If you can, I highly recommend going back and watch past Turning Point events such as Turning Point 2004, 2005 and/or 2009 than watch Turning Point 2011 this Sunday.