wrestling / Columns
411’s Wrestler of the Week – New Day On Top?
Welcome to YEAR ELEVEN, WEEK 4 of 411’s Wrestler of the Week. A quick overview of the rules to kick things off for us as a reminder…
Each writer chooses FIVE wrestlers (although ties and tag teams are allowed) 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 around WrestleMania. This will be posted every Tuesday (the voting week runs Monday through Sunday). Let’s see who wins this week…
Larry Csonka
1) Ivelisse, Son of Havoc and Angelico:
Ivelisse, Son of Havoc and Angelico are the first ever Lucha Underground Trios Champions. First they defeated Cage, King Cuerno and Texano, and Big Ryck, The MACK and Killshot in an elimination match to seemingly win the inaugural Lucha Underground Trios Titles. Dario Cueto then revealed that there was one more team, the Crew. Ivelisse, Son of Havoc and Angelico defeated The Crew to officially win inaugural Lucha Underground Trios Titles in what ended up being a damn fine piece of writing.
2) New Day (Kofi & Big E): At the Extreme Rules PPV, New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston) defeated Champions Kidd & Cesaro to win the WWE Tag Team Titles. This was also one of the best matches of the evening.
3) Roman Reigns: At the Extreme Rules PPV, Roman Reigns defeated Big Show in a last man standing match. This was also one of the best matches of the evening.
4) Neville
5) Akebono
Eric Palmer
1) Roman Reigns:
Well, Reigns did something I didn’t think was possible and had a really entertaining match with Big Show at WWE Extreme Rules. The two actually worked together perfectly with this match and had a few good spots with an awesome chokeslam in there as well. April continues to be a slow month for professional wrestling news, so Roman’s performance at Extreme Rules is enough to give him my top spot this week..
2) Seth Rollins: Seth Rollins retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Randy Orton at Extreme Rules. The match itself was pretty solid and had a great ending that, in kayfabe, will be controversial by using Orton’s RKO against him, despite the move being banned. If he had gotten a clean win he would’ve taken my top spot, but the reigning WWE Champion is still an easy number two this week.
3) Dean Ambrose: Ambrose finally got a damn Pay Per View win. It may have taken over an hour to get it, but at least he’s finally got one in the win column. I enjoyed his match with Luke Harper a lot, but breaking it up to two segments was really unnecessary. I was personally hoping for some shots of the two fighting in the streets of Chicago similar to Booker T and Steve Austin over a decade ago. Still, Ambrose winning his first PPV match will get him my number three slot.
4) The New Day (Kofi & Big E)
5) Ivelisse, Son of Havoc and Angelico
Mike Hammerlock
1) Ivelisse, Son of Havoc and Angelico:
The WWE had itself a perfectly fine PPV with Extreme Rules, but no one had a better week than Lucha Underground’s new trios champions, winning three matches in one hour to gain the belts. If you like professional wrestling, check it out via the LU Facebook page or website. It was a fabulous hour of television with compelling storytelling and a tremendous payoff.
2) Roman Reigns: Damned if he and Big Show didn’t steal the show at Extreme Rules. It was a high risk match in that a dud in front of a Chicago crowd could have left Reigns good and buried. Instead he shined. Nice for him to gain some momentum. I’d recommend taking it slow with that. In fact, if the Intercontinental title is getting freed up, he’d make a solid candidate for it.
3) New Day (Kofi & Big E): Best thing about Daniel Bryan’s injury was that the WWE Tag Title match got moved to the main card, and it totally delivered. The problem with New Day never has been the talent of its members. It’s been the preposterous stereotype they were forced to play and their afterthought booking. Also, kudos to Cesaro and Tyson Kidd, who are always quality in the ring.
4) Taryn Terrell
5) Seth Rollins
Kevin Pantoja
1) Ivelisse, Angelico and Son of Havoc:
Even with the WWE presenting a Pay-Per-View this week, I couldn’t go against this choice. Early on in Lucha Underground’s run, I enjoyed Ivelisse and Son of Havoc but found them to be fairly underutilized. The, Angelico joined the mix and added something to their run. Lucha Underground brought in the Trios Titles and this week we saw the first champions crowned. Not only did these three beat Cage, King Cuerno and Texano, as well as Big Ryck, the MACK and Killshot, but they were then thrown a swerve and forced to face the Crew. What followed was great storytelling and a ridiculous spot from Angelico before they captured the titles. Excellent work from all three performers.
2) Becky Lynch: Again, despite there being some good matches at Extreme Rules, one of my favorite matches all week was the Triple Threat Number One Contender’s match between Becky Lynch, Bayley and Charlotte. The women of NXT never fail to deliver and that was the case again here. All three girls did great work with Charlotte as the dominant Diva, Bayley as the sympathetic babyface and Becky as the ultimate opportunist. After nearly ten minutes of great work, Becky stole the win. She now earns her first solo crack at the title and gives us a fresh matchup between her and Sasha Banks.
3) The New Day (Big E & Kofi): As a big fan of Tyson Kidd and Cesaro, it certainly pains me to put these guys in the third spot but they deserve it. The Tag Team Title match got moved to the main card of Extreme Rules and absolutely delivered. Not only was it my favorite match of the night, but all three members did their part. Big E and Kofi Kingston actually won the Tag Team Titles, but we can’t forget Xavier Woods, who was on point outside. He was in perfect form with his character and gets extra points for selling Natalya’s slap even when they were backstage. I don’t think Kidd and Cesaro should have dropped the titles, but I have to give credit where it is due.
4) Taryn Terrell
5) Roman Reigns
Mike Chin
1) Roman Reigns:
Against all reasonable expectation, there’s a very real argument to be made that Roman Reigns and Big Show assembled the best match of Extreme Rules, and unlike just about anyone else on the roster, Reigns came out of this show looking like a fixture above the mid-card.
2) New Day (Kofi & Big E): Presto-chango, a heel turn has transformed the New Day trio from the most forgettable of faces an ironic, smart, and talented team that’s now carrying the tag team gold.
3) Neville: While Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler may be the more obvious guys to benefit from another Daniel Bryan injury spell, in getting the nod to defeat Bad News Barrett at Extreme Rules, Neville may have just discovered his ticket out of the mid-card masses to a more notable spot on the card.
4) Seth Rollins
5) Akebono
Wyatt Beougher
1) Ivelisse/Son of Havoc/Angelico:
On the surface, you’ve got a young woman who was bounced out of both WWE and TNA (allegedly because of attitude issues), a Sons of Anarchy-ripoff masked jobber, and Justin Gabriel’s Hot Topic- and Fox Racing-obsessed little brother, and they’ve spent the better part of the last two months working an at-times uncomfortably misogynistic angle where Ivelisse was treated as more of an object than a person. But they’re also the perfect example of just how good Lucha Underground is – they pulled back from the more offensive aspects of that angle, stuck them in the stereotypical “partners who can’t get along” tag team, and cut them loose. As a result, they’ve looked fantastic throughout the Trios tournament and definitely bring instant prestige to the trios titles.
2) New Day (Kofi & Big E): As bad as the New Day have been since their debut, the past few weeks of character development have actually made it worthwhile. I personally would’ve held off on giving them the titles for another month to allow them to turn full-fledged heel, but I honestly think they’re working well enough now as conflicted faces who want to be inspirational but are realizing that cheating actually works that I can’t argue with the decision to put the belts on them. Add in the fact that the tag team championship match actually made the main card of Extreme Rules as a result of Daniel Bryan’s injury and that it was arguably the best match on the card, and that’s good enough for second in my book.
3) Becky Lynch: Anyone who’d seen Becky Lynch in her prior persona before her injury knew that she was a capable performer and deserved better than the stereotypical “dancing Irish girl” and “rocker chick” personas she was given in NXT, and she’s finally been able to prove that since Takeover: Rivals, which was basically the start of her coming out party. At Rivals, she proved that she could hang with NXT’s best in the ring, and while she’s still not as fully developed a character as Bayley, her underhanded opportunist gimmick is actually allowing her to show more of her personality, instead of being either a bland face or Sasha Banks’ sidekick.
4) Seth Rollins
5) Neville
Greg Demarco
1) Seth Rollins:
The Authority’s chosen one was victorious in his first PPV title defense of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a victory over Randy Orton at Extreme Rules. Yes, there was overbooking and shenanigans, but Rollins is a heel in the mold of Edge, so it makes perfect sense. Add in the fact that it was his call to ban the RKO, and it turned out to be the very move he won with, and this is a “Seth Rollins Slam Dunk.”
2) The New Day (Kofi & Big E): Despite the naysayers, this trio “overcame the odds” to become WWE Tag Team Champions with a victory over Tyson Kidd & Cesaro at Extreme Rules. Obviously they’re not “good guys in jest,” but a gimmick that appeared doomed from the start is now on the right track. A New Day indeed…
3) Dolph Ziggler & Sheamus: – This duo teamed up to provide an very entertaining match at WWE Extreme Rules that accomplished the rare “dual elevation.” Ziggler came out looking strong thanks to getting the win, and Sheamus came out looking strong for his post-match attach.
4) Taryn Terrell
5) Dean Ambrose/Luke Harper
Derrick Cannon
1) Kane
Kane’s best years might be behind him, but still he was an endearing facet and core part of the WWE this week. Kane is more relevant than he has been since Team Hell No. It is probable that he will continue his feud with Seth Rollins and will continue to prove that he can still be an incredibly valuable player even if his career is winding down.
2) Taryn Terrell: The Dollhouse debuted in a big way, with their leader emerging victorious over the dominating Awesome Kong. Taryn’s expression changes throughout the match, showed new characteristics that Taryn had not displayed in her wrestling character. Taryn going from a token bubblegum pop wrestler, to a crazed cult leader is promising and compelling. Taryn’s heel turn is one of the better executed turns in TNA for quite some time. It will be interesting to see how her rivalry with Brooke develops.
3) The New Day (Kofi & Big E): The New Day sucks chant could become a thing of the past, or a fun chant to go with their improved character, similar to the you suck chants that was once a vital part to the Kurt Angle character. Their antics since the heel turn have been humorous and have made a once stale tag division fun to watch. It would benefit WWE to switch Cesaro and Kidd to the face side, and let their rivalry develop, albeit with longer matches to highlight the skills and personalities of both teams. The title victory for The New Day could spark a new rivalry with another tag team such as the Lucha Dragons, yet there is more mileage for Cesaro and Kid and the New Day to go off of.
4) Neville
5) Ethan Carter III
Daniel Wilcox
1) Roman Reigns:
Don’t look now, but Roman Reigns has had the best match on the card for the last three-straight WWE pay-per-views. Big Show played a big part in the Last Man Standing match, but Reigns’ performance was not only the most noteworthy of the night, but he also won over the Chicago crowd. And it wasn’t even close. Just this weekend I spent hours waxing-lyrical about how WWE creative was walking a tightrope as far as Reigns was concerned, but the producers who put together that match, and of course Reigns himself, absolutely knocked it out of the park on Sunday night.
2) New Day: These guys have a ton of talent, we know that, but after a shaky start, New Day are not only the WWE Tag Team Champions, but also the most interesting team on the WWE roster. The match with Kidd and Cesaro at Extreme Rules was a ton of fun as well.
3) Kane: I understand the criticism, and I must admit I don’t know what the end-plan is here, but Kane was one of the most over guys in Chicago on Sunday, and it’s a testament to his ability that a number of people are interested to see what happens next, even if that doesn’t include you and I.
4) Becky Lynch
5) Dolph Ziggler
Jack McGee
1) Ivelisse, Son of Havoc and Angelico:
Had to run through three different teams and the evil Dario Cueto all in the same night to overcome the odds and win the inaugural Lucha Underground Trios Titles!
2) New Day (Kofi Kingston and Big E): Defeated Tyson Kidd and Cesaro to become the new WWE Tag Team Champions.
3) Taryn Terrell: Retained the TNA Knockouts Title and tuned heel on Friday’s Impact.
4) Roman Reigns
5) Neville
THE WINNERS~!
* Special Mention…Neville & Becky Lynch – 9 Votes
* Fifth Place…Taryn Terrell – 13 Votes
* Fourth Place…Seth Rollins – 14 Votes
* Third Place…Roman Reigns – 25 Votes
Defeated the Big Show at the Extreme Rules PPV in a last man standing match.
* Second Place…Ivelisse, Son of Havoc and Angelico – 26 Votes
The first ever Lucha Underground Trios Champions!
* And 411’s Wrestler of the Week is…
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Kofi Kingston and Big E – 34 Votes
Your NEW WWE Tag Team Champions!
The Standings
Here are the standings after week FOUR…
AJ Styles – 15 pts.
Hideo Itami – 15 pts.
Randy Orton – 15 pts.
Kofi Kingston – 15 pts.
Big E – 15 pts.
Matt Hardy – 15 pts.
Jeff Hardy – 15 pts.
Mike Bennett – 12 pts.
Matt Taven – 12 pts.
“Speedball” Mike Bailey – 12 pts.
Rich Swann – 12 pts.
Ivelisse – 12 pts.
Angelico – 12 pts.
Son of Havoc – 12 pts.
Roman Reigns – 9 pts.
Rocky Romero – 9 pts.
Trent Baretta – 9 pts.
Kimber Lee – 9 pts.
Cherry Bomb – 9 pts.
Drago – 9 pts.
Seth Rollins – 6 pts.
Brock Lesnar – 6 pts.
Kurt Angle – 6 pts.
Nicole Matthews – 6 pts.
Neville – 4 pts.
Taryn Terrell – 3 pts.
Becky Lynch – 1 pt.
Kalisto – 1 pt.
Prince Puma – 1pt.
John Cena – 1 pt.
* Voting began 4.06.15
* Year-End Rankings Key:
WWE 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/Lucha Underground Contracted Wrestlers are represented in MAGENTA.
Other International Wrestlers are represented in INDIGO.
Year One Winner: Ric Flair (2005-2006) (Shortened year, starting September 2005)
Year Two Winner: Samoa Joe (2006-2007)
Year Three Winner: John Cena (2007-2008)
Year Four Winner: Chris Jericho (2008-2009)
Year Five Winner: CM Punk (2009-2010)
Year Six Winner: The Miz (2010-2011)
Year Seven Winner: CM Punk (2011-2012)
Year Eight Winner: CM Punk (2012-2013)
Year Nine Winner: Daniel Bryan (2013-2014)
Year Ten Winner: Seth Rollins (2014-2015)
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