Thoughts From The Top Rope 12.24.08: Top 20 Entertainers of ’08

Welcome to the Christmas Eve edition of Thoughts From The Top Rope! Last week we counted down the Top 10 WWE Matches of the Year, and this week we look back and appreciate the Top 20 Entertainers of the past year.

This does need clarification, because when I presented a not too dissimilar list under the guise “Top 10 Wrestlers”, people threw a hissy-fit because they thought I was only taking into consideration in-ring ability. This list isn’t based purely on any once aspect, instead a collection of attributes needed to be a successful character in professional wrestling. Hopefully this settles all arguments on that front. Now then, onto the list!

20. The Big Show (Raw/SmackDown)

Big Show returned in February of this year and on his first night back made a huge impact, a precursor to the year ahead of him. Launched into one of the most high-profile feuds of the year with boxer Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Show was left with the responsibility of essentially carrying a massive feud and did a great job of keeping it interesting, and in the process showing us that he’d gotten back into great shape and was now much more agile and capable inside the ring. Following the loss to Mayweather at WrestleMania, Show had something of a quiet summer, feuding with The Great Khali and almost feuding with a couple of other big men in Umaga and Vladimir Kozlov. Those feuds never materialized for various reasons, which left Show with little to do for a while. At the end of the summer, however, Show turned heel and began a program with Undertaker. While this isn’t something entirely new to wrestling fans, this incarnation of their feud was far and away their most entertaining as they produced a couple of surprisingly good matches including a great Last Man Standing Match and a kickass Cage Match on free TV. It’s been a great comeback for Show, both in the ring and out of it, as he’s proven that he’s now pretty handy on the mic and a good hand in the ring. Don’t be surprised if he has an even bigger 2009 and possibly even a title run.

19. Christian Cage (TNA)

On the service, Christian has actually had a pretty quiet 2008, particularly in comparison to his first two years in TNA; he hasn’t had a run with the World Championship this year, nor was he involved in TNA’s biggest angle of the year, the ongoing Frontline/Main Event Mafia war. That said, Cage has remained one of the company’s top stars and, especially in the first half of the year, has been one of their better in-ring performers. Cage has been involved in some of TNA’s best matches this year including two World Championship matches against Kurt Angle at the beginning of the year and an awesome Lethal Lockdown match at Lockdown back in April. Unfortunately after getting predictably turned on by all his friends Cage was shuffled down the card and ended up in a tag team with Rhino, who ironically is now getting World Championship matches. That said, Cage has been entertaining all year and when TNA’s booking is boggling the mind, Cage could always be relied upon to produce something of quality in the ring and on the stick. However, perhaps the best thing Cage has done this year is make the decision to leave TNA and try his luck back in the WWE. Here’s to the right push for Christian Cage in 2009!

18. Triple H (Raw/SmackDown)

Triple H has actually had a pretty damn good year, both in terms of his kayfabe accomplishments and in-ring work. It was The Game who ended “The Age of Orton” at Backlash and became the 12-time WWE Champion (bet your ass he’s breaking Ric’s record). Soon after, in one of the most surprising moments of the year, Triple H was drafted to SmackDown and actually stayed there. Regardless of what HHHaters say, he has taken a backseat this year and let others share the spotlight, despite the fact that he’s been champion for much of the year. And people will likely disagree but I think he’s done a great job of building Jeff Hardy up to the point where Hardy is ready to be WWE Champion and people are willing to accept him as champion. That said, I’ve no doubt that Trips will have been pleased to get his win back on John Cena earlier this year. That match in particular was extremely good, but The Game has been involved in numerous top notch matches this year against the likes of Hardy, Orton, Cena, and more.

17. John Cena (Raw)

After a great 2006 and a ridiculously good 2007, John Cena kind of took a backseat this year. Fair enough, his shocking and triumphant return at Royal Rumble launched him right back into the WWE Championship picture, but post-Mania, Cena wasn’t involved in too many high profile matches and indeed spent a long time, too long, feuding with JBL. Cena looked to be getting back to his old self after a tremendous match with Batista at Summerslam but then went down with a severe neck injury. Thankfully it wasn’t so severe that he couldn’t come back at Survivor Series and win the World Championship. Following two great matches with Jericho and some pretty good promo work, Cena seems to be back to his best, if not he’s at least getting there. But Cena’s has quietly had another great year and produced some damn good matches with a variety of opponents; the problem is we just know he can do better, and look for him to do just that in 2009.

16. Beer Money (TNA)

I wasn’t too keen on the formation of this team; it seemed like two homegrown guys, poised for the main event no less, being thrown into a tag team because “creative” had nothing for either man to do. And while that may have been the case, Roode and Storm have given this gimmick there all and as a result have become one of the most entertaining tag teams in the business right now, combining old school heel tactics and comedy perfectly to create a fine tag team. It was an inevitability that these guys would soon become TNA World Tag Team Champions, and they did just that by besting LAX back in September. While I don’t think these two have yet to hit their full potential as a tag team in terms of their in-ring work, their comedic antics have produced some of the finest moments on Impact this year and are always worth checking out. This is a team that really has the potential to overtake James Storm’s old team America’s Most Wanted as the greatest tag team in TNA history, but on the other hand, TNA could really be missing the boat on two potentially big stars in Roode and particularly Storm. That said, let’s enjoy this tag team while it lasts. Beer! Money!

15. Vickie Guerrero (SmackDown)

If you’d have told me a year ago that Vickie Guerrero would make my Year-End list for Top Entertainers then I’d have thought you crazy. A year ago we were all saying how horrible an idea this Edge/Vickie partnership was, but as it turns out, Guerrero has become one of, if not the most over heels in the business. And while Vickie may not have quite managed to work out how to cut a truly great promo or indeed anything close to one, it’s obvious that she knows how to get a negative response from a crowd; roll out on a wheel chair. Perhaps I’m giving her too much credit here, because let’s face it, she’s not good on the mic nor is she anywhere near as hot as Edge’s ex Lita, but she’s a throwback, in that she makes sure those associated with her are getting a reaction too. She’s a catalyst, if you will, for others heat. So kudos to Vickie for finding some success in pro wrestling.

14. Glamarella (Raw)

Here’s another duo that I wasn’t too sure about when they first got together. But as it turns out, whoever came up with this idea is a damn genius, because this pair has consistently been one of the highlights of Raw since shared that first kiss back in July. Santino’s quest to become “the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all the times” provided some tremendous comedy in its own right, but combining the comedy of Santino with the powerful force that is The Glamazon has resulted in some great television. As a duo, their greatest achievement came at Summerslam when they bested Mickie James and Kofi Kingston to become Women’s and Intercontinental Champions, but I think it’s fair to say that these two are popular more because of the humour they provide than what they do in the ring. Every good wrestling show has quality comic relief, and Glamarella are the perfect comic relief for Monday night Raw.

13. The Motor City Machineguns (TNA)

There isn’t that much to be said about these two guys that we don’t all already know. There is perhaps no better tag team inside the hexagonal or otherwise circle than the Motor City Machineguns, comprised of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin. Indeed if they were ever given the opportunity, they would prove just how good they are. They stood out in the World X Cup and had a few great matches, they were tremendous in their feud with Team 3D at the start of the year, and they remain the highlight of every episode of Impact still. There’ve been suggestions that these guys have been punished but I for one have not heard a reason that justifies wasting the obvious talent that this team has; in the ring, there is no better tag team in the world. Recent weeks and the feud with Mick Foley suggest that one or both of these guys is in for a really strong push in 2009, and let’s just hope that’s true because the Guns have the potential to be the greatest things in wrestling.

12. The Brian Kendrick and Ezekiel Jackson (SmackDown)

Who would have thought that Brian Kendrick, the 180lbs kid who couldn’t get on TV as part of the quality team of London and Kendrick, would be challenging for the WWE Championship on pay-per-view any time in 2008. Hell, there were even those predicting a shock upset and for Kendrick to leave the Scramble match as WWE Champion. Kendrick being drafted away from the unpopular Paul London may be the best thing that’s ever happened to him. His new look and new gimmick have proved tremendously successful, as he’s one of the best heels on SmackDown these days. Ezekiel Jackson is a nice addition to the gimmick and the duo has strongly reminded me of the Michaels-Diesel team from the 90s. There’s surely gold in their future and one can only hope that Kendrick sorts his priorities so that this gimmick can live up to its full and tremendous potential.

11. AJ Styles (TNA)

I don’t think you’d be able to find too many people that would disagree with the fact that AJ Styles is the best wrestler in TNA and has been for quite some time. His year did start pretty poorly however, as he almost became a victim of TNA’s worst booking (remember those AJ at Granny’s skits?). Thankfully, the fact that he’s so “phenomenal” in the ring allowed him to stay relevant; he stepped out of the shadow of both Christian Cage and Kurt Angle and eventually the Angle/Styles feud became one of the best of the year, boasting two very strong pay-per-view matches. Since then AJ has become the second biggest face in TNA and is now at the head of the Frontline. It could even be argued that AJ is ahead of Joe both in terms of popularity with the fans and in the eyes of management. It’s been an awfully long time since AJ has had world gold, but look for him to capture some in 2009.

10. The Undertaker (SmackDown)

I think that the work this man does so often goes unnoticed, maybe because he’s been around so long. In the last couple of years The Undertaker has actually produced some of his best ever in-ring work and 2008 was an amazing year for Taker. Coming off the awesome feud with Batista in 07, Taker only got better and better and had five fantastic matches with Edge, stretching from WrestleMania to Summerslam, and picked up another World Heavyweight Championship along the way. I gained a hell of a lot of respect for Taker following some of the ridiculous bumps he took in that Tables, Ladders and Chairs match back at One Night Stand, and considering how much I respected him before, that’s saying a lot. Furthermore, Taker would go on to have a great feud with The Big Show, as well as some tremendous matches lately with Triple H, Jeff Hardy and the like. He may be outshined by some of the younger talents on the roster, but Taker is one of the businesses’ most reliable workers and it’s truly amazing to see how good this guy is considering his age. Taker just keeps proving that he has many more years left in him, and that’s a good thing.

9. Evan Bourne (ECW)

Evan Bourne is another who falls into the “who would have thought it” category. I was one of many who, before 2008, had never had the pleasure of seeing Matt Sydal work, but since debuting on ECW as Evan Bourne, he has shown that he has all the talent in the world and as is evident by their use of him on Raw, creative seems to have taken notice of the guy, which is an accomplishment in its own right for someone of his size. Not too many indy workers make it this far in WWE, let alone get such approval from the higher ups and fans. Bourne has managed to get himself over based on his impressive in-ring arsenal alone and in the process has helped to make ECW the most consistent wrestling show on TV in terms of quality wrestling. With him branching out to the Raw, you have to think that once he overcomes his injury problems, Evan Bourne has an incredible future ahead of him in WWE.

8. CM Punk (ECW/Raw)

People were predicting that 2008 would be a big year for CM Punk, but I don’t think anyone truly expected to have the success he’s had in the last 12 months. It did, however, all start quite inauspiciously for Punk, dropping the ECW Championship to Chavo Guerrero back in January and then failing to get it back numerous times. Furthermore, Punk was never the one lined up to win Money in the Bank at WrestleMania 24; he was just the next-best option after Jeff Hardy got himself suspended in March. Even then, people were predicting Punk would be the first MITB holder to cash-in and lose. But in one of the most shocking moments of the year, Punk cashed in on Raw in June, beat Edge and became World Heavyweight Champion, causing the entire IWC to simultaneously ejaculate, quite the accomplishment in its own right. While Punk’s reign was mostly forgettable, he has remained a prominent member of the Raw roster and indeed one of the most popular too. As a bonus, WWE has shown they have some degree of faith in him, which should lead to a big 2009 for Punk.

7. Randy Orton (Raw)

The fact that Randy Orton is one of the best heels in the business is more of an accomplishment than it really seems, considering he is one of those guys that is just way to cool to boo. Seriously, who the fuck wouldn’t want to be Randy Orton? While his WWE Championship reign may have come to an abrupt end at the hands of, surprise, surprise, Triple H, I truly believe the Age of Orton is still upon us. Orton’s mere presence makes whatever’s going on Raw seem that much more important. If it weren’t for his injuries, I think Orton would be significantly higher on this countdown. That said, he’s still had a very impressive year, halting Jeff Hardy’s quest for the WWE Champion, stopped Cena’s dream comeback by bitch-slapping a referee, and even beating John Cena and Triple H in a Triple Threat match at WrestleMania. Since his comeback, Orton has proved just what a bad ass he is, punting anyone who gets in his way. Now he’s at the head of a stable with potential to rule over Raw and is surely poised to regain the WWE Championship at any time. It is vital that Orton avoids any serious injury this next year, because Orton should be at the top of the mountain once again some time soon.

6. Kurt Angle (TNA)

Just missing out on the top five is TNA’s highest ranked wrestler, Kurt Angle. Larry Csonka’s been saying it a lot lately, and that’s that Kurt Angle has had a fantastic year. While I’m far from a fan of Kurt’s “I’m gonna rape your wife and steal your kids” side, there’s no denying that in the ring, this guy is still one of the very best performers the business has to offer. I think his injury problems have been overblown, because there’s no way an injured man can do the things he’s been doing all year. Angle’s had countless top quality matches in 2008, and if you haven’t seen them I strongly recommend you check out his pay-per-view encounters with Christian Cage, AJ Styles, Jeff Jarrett, Abyss and Samoa Joe, because they’ve all been nothing short of spectacular. Angle delivers on such a consistent basis that, like Larry has said, his greatness often gets overlooked. Perhaps if he’d been involved in some better wrestling-based storylines and instead of soap opera-esque plots, he’d be better appreciated. Though to reiterate, he hasn’t let such bad booking hold him back in the ring as his numerous excellent matches would suggest. He may not be as good as he once was, but he’s certainly still one of the best.

5. The Miz and John Morrison (ECW)

There are those that think the Miz and Morrison love around is over the top and goes too far, but to be honest, I can’t get enough of these guys – by far the greatest tag team to emerge in WWE since the days of the Hardys and Edge and Christian. Everything these guys do is a joy to watch, from their comedic antics (the bell-ringing thing with Festus was awesome, admit it), to the genius that is the Dirt Sheet, to their in-ring performances. There’s a reason that WWE has been putting Miz and Morrison on all three of their shows and that’s because they’re the definition of awesome. The Miz has come a long way in the ring and has perfected his “annoying little dick” gimmick, while Morrison continues to be the obvious breakout star of the group with his top notch in-ring performances and undeniable charisma. The irony is, for the most part, fans do deny their charisma, which just baffles me. But this is a list of those in the wrestling business that have best kept the fans entertained this year, and there are very few people ahead of these guys in that department.

4. Shawn Michaels (Raw)

Shawn’s had a hell of a lot of nicknames over the years, but I think we can now officially call him Mr. Dependable, seeing as he’s been near the top of everybody’s Year-End lists every year for a long time now. Michaels is pretty much always going to deliver and this year has been no different. In the ring, Michaels has, along side Chris Jericho, produced some fantastic matches, as we’ve come to expect. But I think where Shawn has really shined this year is on the microphone. He’s probably had more great promos this year than great matches, which, considering how good he is in the ring, is no easy task. Some of the promo work with Ric Flair was incredible, thinking back to the “Old Yeller” stuff. Then he managed to carry Big Dave Batista through a feud largely via mic work; I recall one particular “there blood on my hands” promo that is probably worth a look if you can find it on the net. And then of course there’s the Jericho feud, as good on the mic as it was in the ring. That entire feud can be summarized by Shawn’s memorable line at Summerslam; “go home and tell your wife and your kids that you will never be Shawn Michaels.” Indeed, as good a year as he’s had, this is just business as usual for the Heartbreak Kid.

3. Edge (SmackDown)

Yesterday saw the release of Edge’s first retrospective DVD, and indeed it’s one I cannot wait to get my hands, and Edge’s work this year is a good testament as to why. He’s risen through the ranks to become one of the best heels in the business alongside Orton and Jericho, but Edge has managed to make himself stand out this year. His in-ring work with Undertaker in particular was phenomenal and evidence to suggest that this guy is one of the best in the ring the business has to offer. The fact that Edge has had three separate world title reigns alone this year should be sufficient to put him high on this list, but he’s so high because he puts everything he has into his character, in particular thinking back to the weeks leading up to the Hell in a Cell match where Edge was just torturing Vickie. I think those promos really highlighted the depth of Edge’s character and it’s that sort of thing that sets him apart from the rest. All that said, had it not been for a somewhat slow start and lengthy absence following the Cell match, Edge could quite easily have forced his way into the top two positions on this list, as he’s that good right now.

2. Jeff Hardy (Raw/SmackDown)

Any other year, Jeff Hardy would be number one; he’s the guy everybody’s been talking about all year, good or bad. Riding off the momentum gathered at the end of last year, Hardy was ready to cement himself as a true main event player as he came close to winning the WWE Championship against Randy Orton. Despite that loss, he was a cert to win Money in the Bank this year, practically guaranteeing him a title run in the future. But then he threw it all away and got himself a second suspension due to violating the Wellness policy. Obviously that’s not a good thing, but it’s all part of the rollercoaster ride that has been Jeff Hardy’s year. Then of course there were Jeff’s personal problems, namely losing his house and beloved dog as a result of a fire.

But as always, Jeff would bounce back and slowly but surely he worked his way back into the main event scene. Unfortunately, it seemed as though this just wouldn’t be his year as he came out on the losing end of numerous title matches against Triple H. Many believed that Hardy had blown his chance as a result of that Wellness violation. And then of course, Armageddon happened, and Jeff Hardy is now the WWE Champion. It shocked the wrestling world, and at the same time made for one of the greatest moments of the year. This has been a year that has seen Ric Flair retire, CM Punk win World Heavyweight gold and John Cena make one of the most shocking returns at the Rumble, and yet Jeff still manages to steal the spot light.

Whether it’s been leaping off the stage, hitting Swanton Bombs from semi-trucks in the parking lot, or winning the WWE Championship, whether it’s been because his house got burned down or because he fell victim to his addiction, whether it’s Shawn Michaels, Triple H or Undertaker he’s beaten, everybody’s been talking about Jeff Hardy this year.

And the Entertainer of the Year is…

1. Chris Jericho (Raw)

Deep down, I think we all knew that Jericho’s much-anticipated return would end up the same way all of Jericho’s pushes seem to end up – with him right back in the mid-card, fighting over the Intercontinental Championship and being the jobber to Triple H’s star. How wrong we were. indeed, Jericho did pick up a record-breaking eight Intercontinental Championship reign, but that’s a mere drop in the ocean in terms of what Jericho has accomplished in 2008.

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that the Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho feud was one of the greatest feuds of all time. It began as a friendly rivalry with jealous undertones with a great match at Judgment Day. Then came the official heel turn, that memorable segment where Jericho drove Shawn’s head through the obscenely expensive JeriTron 6000 in HD, which led to a bloody bout at Great American Bash, another phenomenal match. From here, some awesome promo work, in particular at Summerslam, would lead them to an Unsanctioned match that stole the show at Unforgiven. And just when you though things couldn’t get any better, Jericho becomes World Champion, resulting in one of the greatest Ladder matches of all time at No Mercy. It’s a near faultless rivalry with more memorable moments than I care to mention, but if WWE were ever to begin releasing DVDs chronicling memorable feuds, this has to be one of the first on their list.

Dropping the entertainer that was Y2J was a great move for Jericho, as he works much better as a heel. His new smarmy, self-righteous attitude is wonderful and he plays his role to perfection. He is untouchable on the stick and one of the best in the ring. Two world title reigns, a record-breaking IC title reign and a Slammy Award for Superstar of the Year barely begin to explain just how entertaining Chris Jericho has been this year. Thank God he came back, because he truly has saved us in 2008.

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Ah, Christmas Eve. I do love this time of the year, perhaps more than anything because it’s a break from the bullshit and monotony that is the rest of the year. That said, I hope everyone has a great Christmas, gets what they’re hoping for, and doesn’t do anything (or anyone) they regret at the work Christmas party. Next year’s New Year’s Eve edition looks forward to the Top 10 Matches of 2009, so make sure you’re here for that, but until then, have a good one and stay safe.