411’s Wrestler of the Week 03.14.11: Week 50

Welcome to Week 50, Year SIX, 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 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 around WrestleMania. This will be posted every Monday. Let’s see who wins this week…

Larry Csonka
1) Kazarian
Kazarian continues to be great for TNA, he is having good matches, cutting good promos and looking more like a star than ever. I hope that they continue with his latest push, because the guy is simply delivering week in and out.

2) Virus: He defeated Demus 3:16 in a hair vs. hair match, which allowed him to retain the leadership of Los Cancerberos and also demoted Demus 3:16 to the Minis division.
3) AJ Styles: Won the best match at Victory Road.
4) Undertaker and HHH
5) The Miz

Michael Ornelas
1) Dolph Ziggler
He’s not dead and buried, he’s alive and well and headed to the red brand! Love the roll Ziggler’s been on, and I hope he can stay afloat in a crowd sea of talent and stars on Monday Night Raw.

2) Daniel Bryan: Defeated a former world champion and got himself a WrestleMania angle.
3) Taiji Ishimori: I’ve always enjoyed watching the junior heavyweight from NOAH, and he’s now the number one contender to the GHC Jr. Heavyweight Championship
4) Stone Cold Steve Austin
5) The Miz

Chad Nevett
1) The Miz
Once again, he used the Cena/Rock story to his advantage, using everyone’s preoccupation with that little feud to get the drop on Cena and make himself look good. He’s basically getting himself over right now and doing a fantastic job at it.

2) Triple H: I can see why Byers would put both Triple H and the Undertaker at the same level, but, looking at their promos this week, the Undertaker’s seemed like a rehash of what he had said on Smackdown the previous week, while Triple H managed to deliver something new, building things up.
3) Alberto Del Rio: His team may have lost on Smackdown, but he’s looked more confident and determined, not all smiles and cockiness. He’s come across as mean and dangerous, which only adds to the build to his match at ‘Mania.
4) Steve Austin / JBL (tie)
5) AJ Styles

Ryan Byers
1) Triple H & The Undertaker (tie)
This time of year is all about Wrestlemania, and the main program on everybody’s minds headed into WM has been the Rock’s issue with John Cena. Unfortunately we watched Cena absolutely crash and burn this week on live television, cutting an embarrassingly bad promo. It didn’t ruin the build to Mania, though. Why? There are two reasons. The first is that the Rock is hot enough that he can probably save the angle on his own. The second is that HHH and the Undertaker both cut great, money drawing promos on one another in order to build up their match at Mania. They turned in the best performances of the week, on the mic or in the ring, and that’s why I’m putting them at top.

2) Rey Misterio, Jr.: Rey Rey was the winner of the best television match of the week. Normally that isn’t an accomplishment that warrants a mention on my WOTW ballot unless the match is exceedingly great, but this was a pretty slow week, all things considered.
3) Taiji Ishimori: Ishimori, the Dragon Gym product, is now next in line for a shot at NOAH’s GHC Jr. Heavyweight Title due to his win over Ricky Marvin on this past Sunday’s NOAH show.
4) Virus
5) Brian Breaker

Aaron Hubbard
1) The Miz
Once again, The Miz takes advantage of John Cena’s obsession with The Rock and sends a statement to both men with a Skull Crushing Finale and People’s Elbow to Cena. To me, Rock and Cena have been boring for two weeks straight and Miz is the only person making me interested in this title program.

2) Taiji Ishimori: The #1 Contender for NOAH’s GHC Jr. Heavyweight Championship. It’s been a really slow week.
3) AJ Styles: Defeated Matt Hardy in the only good match from TNA’s embarrassingly bad Victory Road show.
4) Stone Cold Steve Austin
5) Dolph Ziggler

Jeremy Thomas
1) The Miz
To put it very simply, it’s been a long time since someone owned Cena so easily as Miz did in the main event segment of Raw. He put the man down, then cut a full promo while Cena was unmoving and then added injury and more insult to said injury. Booker T didn’t lay there that long for Triple H at ‘Mania 19, for Christ’s sake. That’s a huge statement for the Miz.

2) Triple H and the Undertaker: Both men delivered Money Promos this week. They don’t need Career vs. Streak, their promos are selling this feud fantastically.
3) AJ Styles: Put in a good performance and looked strong in what was essentially a handicap match on Impact, then beat Matt Hardy in the best match at Victory Road.
4) Steve Austin
5) Alberto Del Rio

James Cooke
1) The Miz
As the Road to Wrestlemania winds on, The Miz continues to break out as the next big star. If you haven’t seen the closing segment to last week’s Raw yet in which The Miz cut a killer promo and hit his own version of The People’s Elbow, then Youtube it now!

2) Dolph Ziggler: Ziggler debuted on Raw this week and defeated one time rival John Morrison clean. Here’s to hoping that he can be wrestling ‘perfection’ on the flagship show.
3) Randy Orton: The Viper is red hot going into ‘Mania and put the boot (literally) to another member of Nexus.
4) Stone Cold/JBL
5) Kazarian

Michael Bauer
1) AJ Styles
The only good thing TNA did all week was his match against Matt Hardy. Seeing how TNA sank so low, for any bright spot to be seen at all is a freaking accomplishment.

2) The Miz: I hate to say it, but the guy is money right now.
3) Triple H: I agree with Chad, Trips had the better promo.
4) Taiji Ishimori
5) Dolph Ziggler

Andy Critchell
1) Jeff Hardy
Yeah, that’s right, Jeff Hardy. Why? Because he has been able to do what no one else, not Kevin Nash, not Booker T, not Scott Hall, not Ric Flair, & not even Hulk Hogan has been able to do and that is make TNA look like the dirt worst joke of a wrestling promotion that I have ever seen. At one point or another we all thought we had seen the worst of what TNA had to offer but last night’s “main event” sunk this company to a new low. But what’s really going to thrill and excite is when TNA doesn’t discipline Jeff Hardy at all. I mean, they didn’t do anything to him the last time he wasn’t capable of performing so why start now? It’s not like he’s been the face of your company and focus of your promotion for months…oh wait. At the end of the day, I can’t see a way that the most fervent TNA die-hard can defend this shit. Maybe that’s Jeff Hardy’s real accomplishment this week, being the one guy who finally turns off the sheep at the Impact Zone. Now that would be something.

2) The Miz: I can’t say much more than what my colleagues have already said. He deserves to be where he is and he’s showing it each and every week. The Miz is a perfect example of what hard work and a good attitude can bring you in this business. Miz has made the most of his opportunity in the spotlight and that has culminated into his impressive performance last Monday. He was intense and on point. He looked like a guy that can definitely beat Cena at Wrestlemania.
3) Stone Cold/JBL/Cole/Swagger: These four combined to make the best and most fun segment on wrestling TV last week. It was pitch perfect and all four guys delivered in the best way possible. It truly had a “Road to Wrestlemania” feel to it.
4) Matt Hardy
5) Rosita & Sarita

FRANCISCO RAMIREZ
1) The Miz
While everyone focuses on Rock and Cena, Miz works from the background like a chess master, plotting at every turn and continuing to make Cena his bitch.

2) La Mascara: Defended the CMLL National Lightheavyweight Title against Ultimo Guerrero, he defeated Guerrero with La Campana and went on to win a future shot at the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship.
3) AJ Styles: Continues to be one of the only good things TNA has to offer. Showing as much on the PPV.
4) Virus
5) Alberto del Rio

THE WINNERS~!

Year-End Rankings Key:

WWE, Raw, SmackDown and NXT-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.

Australian Contracted Wrestlers are represented in INDIGO.

---

**PREVIOUS WINNERS** Year One Winner: Ric Flair Year Two Winner: Samoa Joe Year Three Winner: John Cena Year Four Winner: Chris Jericho Year Five Winner: CM Punk

If you are wondering how some of the writers decide who to vote for, please check out our Wrestler of the Week Supplemental Column!