Super 20 - Week 11, 2012

Guess who is #1? Is there even a need to guess? Read on, nontheless..

20 -7 2w		The Rock He choked on the microphone and got owned by Cena for a second straight week, but again Rock's sheer presence gets him into the Super 20 for another week.. just about.
19 new		Randy Orton Even though Randy Orton has been given a mid-card feud with Kane for WrestleMania, his presence back on TV gives a main event feel that is missing when he is out injure.
18 new		Justin Gabriel Justin Gabriel put on yet another fantastic match Heath Slater this week, this time on Superstars. The two former tag team partners have a great chemistry together in the ring..
17 new		Heath Slater ..but I just give the edge to Heath Slater, despite being the loser in the match. I've stated it before, but I think Heath Slater has a unique presence that could be utilised in the mid-card on Raw or Smackdown.
16 new		Teddy Long While the past couple of WrestleMania's could be criticised for having a poor build-up in the mid-card, this years is different as Teddy Long and John Laurinaitis continue to provide one of the most entertaining feuds in the wrestling world right now. Of course I am on Team Laurinaitis, but Teddy Long always provides a laugh as well.
15 new		Jack Swagger Taking two losses from Santino Marella this week, but putting on a great cage rematch on Smackdown after dropping the US title sees Swagger re-enter the Super 20. That, and his new hair.. more subtle hilarity from Swagger.
14 new		Daniel Bryan "...and my undeniable sex appeal"
13 new		Mark Henry Ok, so all he did was destroy Ezekiel Jackson in a squash match, but that's all we need from Henry to rebuild him as the monster he was in 2011.
12 -5 11w		Bully Ray Calfzilla just being Calfzilla.
11 new		Drew Mcintyre Simply here for beating the shit out of Hornswoggle on Smackdown. If I had not already written my Top 5 Hornswoggle moments article, I'm sure that would have made the cut.
10 new		Sonjay Dutt I keep thinking Sonjay Dutt doesn't have much more to offer after his first couple of weeks in Ring Ka King, but still he continues to surprise me. Running around with his new golden wings was hilarious. I've said it before, but TNA needs to bring this guy to their main roster.
9 new		Santino Marella Santino gets his Cobra-covered palm on the US buckle after getting massively over with the live crowds in the past couple of months, and a great match on Smackdown with Jack Swagger sees him rocket back into the prestigious S20 in ninth.
8 -6 2w		Jeff Jarrett Double J debuted the RDX stable with a killer in-ring promo reminiscent of the good old days of Immortal or nWo, burning minutes of valuable TV time with self-indulgent, over the top antics.
7 +12 3w		Sting The Insane Icon is back in full swing, talking to himself in the mirror and smearing paint all over his face, the classic Sting of yesteryear has returned.
6 new		Joseph Parks / Abyss Abyss picks up points this week for taking the tag straps in Ring Ka King with Scott Steiner, but he propels in at number 6 due to the debut of his mysterious Joseph Parks character. Seemingly the antithesis of what Abyss was, the Joseph Parks character should be an intriguing storyline in the weeks to come.
5 +3 5w		David Otunga Otunga and...
4 -1 4w		John Laurinaitis ..Mr. Excitement can seemingly do no wrong, as both continue to burn hot streaks in the Super 20, finding themselves amongst the upper echelon of talent every week. Their dynamic has grown to the point they both compliment each other in their backstage segments and you can safely bet everytime they appear you're going to get a laugh. This is what mid-card wrasslin' should be about. John Laurinaitis especially killed it this week in his spandex gear and oversized trainers for his match with T-Lo.
3 +17 6w		Triple H Still cutting some of the best promos every week right now, Triple H is making this match with Undertaker feel like the match for the real wrestling fans watching. The Metallica theme for the match is a sharp contrast to the other pop bullshit music used to promote WrestleMania.
2 new		Shawn Michaels Though Triple H was great on the mic again, it was Shawn Michaels that really brought it this week, announcing himself as the special guest referee of the Triple H-Taker match. He has the ability, like Hunter and Taker, to really draw you in to a storyline.
1 n/c 4w		John Cena Who else would be number 1 this week? Nobody else is coming close to what Cena is doing right now, even the aforementioned Shawn Michaels and Triple H. To get a crowd chanting "Tooth fairy" to one of the biggest wrestlers of all time set to appear in his first singles match for 8 years shows just how good Cena is on the microphone. Every week he is proving his naysayers wrong and showing he is even better on the mic than The Rock, when most expected him to fail. A significant milestone in the proud history of the Super 20, as Cena picks up his third #1 spot in a row!

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Super 20 - Week 8, 2012

And so Sting exits the Super 20 for the first time, just about, leaving only one man who has been featured every week since the inception of the list. Read on to find out who... (Obvious if you read every week - which you should!)

20 new		Mark Henry Henry barely has to do anything for me to put him in the Super 20. A good backstage segment on Smackdown with a promo at Elimination Chamber and here he is in the countdown again, without even wrestling a match.
19 new		The Miz I sat cheering for The Miz when it came down to him and CM Punk at the PPV, and for the first time in a while The Miz felt like a legit main eventer again. He really needs to be pushed back up the card. I really wanted a feud between him and Punk going in to WrestleMania, but it seems like it will be Punk-Jericho.
18 new		Wade Barrett Barrett was the workhorse in the Smackdown elimination chamber match and put on a good show. I like his knees to the face move while his opponents are caught in the ropes - it's like the heel version of Sheamus' 'Irish Hand Grenade' (as Booker T called it)
17 new		R-Truth Truth is here simply for his part in the "debate" on Raw. "When I get elected, I will draft Hornswoggle and a box of spiders.."
16 new		Christian It was awesome to see Christian back and in one of the best comedy promos in a long time, along with Mr. Excitement and..
15 new		Alberto Del Rio Berto! I knew Christian was due to be at the PPV, but Del Rio was a legit surprise. It was great to see him and Christian back. I am hoping there is going to be a 4 vs 4 match at WrestleMania, representing Team Laurinaitis and Team Teddy.
14 +3 7w		James Storm Storm is right on you know who's (no spoilers!) tail, with 7 weeks on the Super 20 now. His match with you know who (oops, I spoiled it..) this week was stellar, and you don't get many better matches on free TV. It is awesome for him to finally get a one on one shot with Roode for the title, and the angle building up to Lockdown should be great.
13 -9 3w		Daniel Bryan I really hated Daniel Bryan after he made Santino Marella tap at Elimination Chamber, and for that he deserves praise for how good he is as a heel. A decent promo on Smackdown and a good match with Sheamus also helps him stay on the Super 20 this week. His facial expressions are getting better every week.
12 new		Big Show I'm not sure why, but Big Show is just entertaining to me these days. Tearing up Teddy Long's office on Smackdown was hilarious and his spot breaking in to Daniel Bryan's pod in the Elimination Chamber match was great too - I really wanted to see him beat the shit out of him.
11 n/c 2w		Sonjay Dutt I can't believe how good this Sonjay Dutt guy is. TNA really need to sign him up to their roster as part of the X Division or something, he has bucketloads of personality and he can go in the ring.
10 -9 2w		Scott Steiner He falls down from the #1 spot last week, but Steiner was still hilarious this week - and even a little more surreal than usual. Trying to bribe Isaiah Cash to join his faction by putting a bowl of fruit in his lap? So funny.
9 new		Shawn Michaels HBK is awesome and I hope one day he comes back as a full time on-screen personality, perhaps reviving his commissioner role from the late-nineties. His promo with Triple H was one of the best I've seen in a while. Those two bring the best out of each other.
8 +2 3w		Robert Roode Roode is getting into full swing as a heel now and starting to get really big heat. His match with Jeff Hardy for the title on Impact was great, as was his opening promo in which he insisted the crowds boos were chants of "Roooode" - hilarious
7 +5 2w		David Otunga
6 +3 2w		Jwala So I asked someone to translate what Jwala's beef is with Jazzy Lahoria, and it appears as though he's pissed that he wasn't in the World Title tournament. I have to say I agree with him. Loved him beating the crap out of that pot-bellied little fat guy on Saturday's episode and a budding  feud with Deadly Danda is an awesome prospect.
5 new		John Laurinaitis Big Johnny is back and he's back with a bang as he lands straight into the Fave Five. He is the funniest guy in wrestling right now and every word out of his mouth makes me laugh. Him and David Otunga make a brilliant duo and here's hoping his expert legal counsel gets him the job taking over Smackdown.
4 new		John Cena A big week for Cena. He "embraced the hate" by sharing a kiss with Eve, then rose above it by beating Kane in a pretty good match at Elimination Chamber and still got the time to show some FCW rookies how to lift weights in his private gym. What a great guy.
3 -1 8w		Bully Ray Calveszilla, the only remaining star in the Super 20 who has been featured every single weeks since its inception - an incredible 8 weeks. And here he is, in the Fave Five yet again, moving down only 1 spot (and still TNA's undisputed #1). I  rarely get excited for the prospect of a wrestler vs. celebrity feud, especially when it's a celebrity I don't know - but I can't wait to see the follow up to Bully Ray and American Footballer Brandon Jacobs. A great match with James Storm and The Bully keeps evolving in his matches, this week ripping Storms boot off. The best heel in the business right now.
2 +3 3w		Triple H Triple H cut one of the best promos I've seen in a very long time on Raw. Calling The Undertaker a "brand" and refusing to take up his rematch offer was great writing and with awesome delivery from Triple H.  His feud with Undertaker is shaping up to be an epic for the ages.
1 new		Santino Marella Who would ever think Santino Marella would get the #1 spot in his current stage of his career? But this was a special week for Santino Marella and probably the highlight of his career so far. After winning a battle royale to enter the Elimination Chamber, he was the man of the night at the PPV and earnt every penny of his main event paycheque, keeping the fans (and me) on the edge of their seat to the very end. When he hit the cobra on Daniel Bryan, we were all sure he had won the big one and how we all cried when Bryan made him tap, after fighting so hard. He took us on an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. Everyone was unconvined with Santino being Orton's replacement when Orton suffered a concussion this week, but I would argue the match was even better than it would have been as a result.

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Super 20 - Week 6, 2012

A strong week for wrestling matches on TV, with Raw, Smackdown and Impact all putting on good shows. Will Titus O'Neil break the Super 20 for the third week in a row? And yeah, Jericho has dropped off it for now.. what a failure of a return that has been so far.

20 new		Hulk Hogan Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!
19 -5 2w		Aksana An early nominee for best entrance of the year and her sexual innuendo jokes with Teddy Long keep getting funnier.
18 -6 2w		Santino Marella The former master of the Honk-O-Meter is on form as of late and finds himself in the Super 20 for a second week running. If he keeps walking into Natalya's farts he will surely have a regular place here.
17 -11 6w		John Cena I can't tell if Cena had "embraced the hate" or not this week, as he was his usual playful self even when beating Kane up around the ring. Still intrigued as to where this is going though, and the new hype videos for Cena and Rock have me excited for WrestleMania.
16 new		Austin Aries A Double carries himself better than anyone else in the X Division and it's hard not to cheer for him when he keeps beating all the vanilla midgets cleanly. A man amongst boys. When CM Punk calls himself the "best in the world" it's a bit of a stretch, but Aries calling himself "the greatest man that ever lived" .. I can enjoy that.
15 -12 6w		Cody Rhodes A good short match with Sheamus on Smackdown this week, preceded by a decent promo promising to win the World Heavyweight Title at Elimination Chamber. I would love that to be the case, but I doubt it's going to happen. Still, Cody should be line for a singles match at WrestleMania. One of the few left remaining who has been on the Super 20 chart every week since its inception.
14 -3 3w		Titus O'Neil Make it a win! Heel Titus breaks the Super 20 for a 3rd week in a row. This is vintage heel stuff, the new suit, calling the fans idiots for no reason, fluffing promos. If the internet got Zack Ryder on TV we should be able to get Titus on too. #TITUS4RAW Owh owh owh! (Titus's bark/seal noise)
13 -4 6w		Sting The Stinger keeps up with the likes of Cena and Cody Rhodes by staying on the Super 20 for a 6th consecutive week. He just stands out as a total star compared to everyone on Impact at the moment. The black cricket back was a funny touch. Can't wait to see him in action next week.
12 new		Robert Roode I'm slowly starting to turn around on Robert Roode, who's heel turn I hated at first. Of course, Bully Ray is playing a big part in getting him over, but to Roode's credit he had a great match with ex-tag partner James Storm this week. I still don't know what his finisher is though, which is a problem.
11 -10 3w		Sheamus I guess Sheamus will just be biding his time until after Elimination Chamber now by picknig up wins on every show until he announces who he will be facing. I'm hoping he goes after the WWE title just for the swerve.
10 +8 6w		Mark Henry One of the few wrestlers who is tied for 6 weeks on the Super 20 chart, Mark Henry will unfortunately not be with us next week after his kayfabe suspension. His exiting promo was typical Henry though. He is one of the best in the business on the microphone right now. Hopefully he is back in time for WrestleMania for a big main event match.
9 new		Heath Slater Slater cut the promo of the week this week on NXT (2 NXT entrants in one week!), in where he replayed a clip of him finally winning a match over and over again til it reached Family Guy levels of surrealism. It was downright hilarious. His promo work is just great too, he has a cocky, self-assured confidence that doesn't overstep the mark. I'd love to see Slater called up full time to Smackdown if he keeps cutting promos like this.
8 new		Undertaker When you see Undertaker's entrance week after week it becomes unbearable, but coming back for one match a year at WrestleMania makes it cool when it happens. Shame he was wearing a stupid wig.
7 new		Triple H The staredown with Triple H and Undertaker was epic, a level of stardom that can only be achieved after two decades or so in the business. Two old-timers squaring off for perhaps the last time in their careers. Shades of Metal Gear Solid 4, westerns and everything else cool as fuck. I didn't like their match last year, but I'm still excited to see what happens with this angle.
6 new		Daniel Bryan Whoever thought we would see the day that Daniel Bryan debuted in the Super 20? Not I, that's for sure, but Bryan has proven his doubted wrong in recent weeks - upping his promo game, acting skills and showing a new star power that was lacking in the past. His heel turn has done wonders for him, much like Christian's did last year. The subtle face he pulled at Big Show when he was holding AJ was almost an Orton-level of great facial acting. All that said, his match with CM Punk was also brilliant and perhaps my favourite Bryan match since he faced Dolph Ziggler at Bragging Rights 2010.
5 +3 6w		John Laurinaitis Like Michael Cole this time last year, John Laurinaitis is pure comedy gold at the moment. Putting chap-stick on and puckering up his lips to join the "kiss my ass club" was hysterical, laugh out loud funny. He is the star of Raw.
4 new		Wade Barrett Despite debuting one of the worst wrestling themes I've ever heard which sounds like it was tailored more for Trent Baretta or someone, Wade Barrett put on a good, long main event match with Randy Orton on Smackdown. He looked like a star on Raw when he was being interviewed in the VIP suited by Josh Matthews and could well go on to win the title at Elimination Chamber.
3 new		Randy Orton Like weeks past, Barrett and Orton have helped each other rise to the top of this prestigious ranking system by putting on another great match in their series. Seemingly the finale to the feud, Orton and Barrett will be top contenders to take the belt away from Daniel Bryan at Elimination Chamber in a couple of weeks. A decent match with Dolph Ziggler on Raw also sees Randy Orton re-enter the Super 20 after injury.
2 +2 6w		Bully Ray The Bully is becoming a constant fixture at the top of the Super 20 and while I often praise his promo work here, I have to give credit for his work in the ring this week. His match with James Storm was fantastic and Bully plays the role of the heel better than anyone in the ring. The spot where he spits in the air and catches it in his mouth is hilarious and it's unique little things like that which have made him one of the most valuable assets in wrestling today - who would have thought that ten years ago when he was Bubba Ray with the stutter and the glasses?
1 +19 5w		James Storm The Cowboy picks up his first #1 spot in the Super 20 this week after two fantastic matches on the London Impact. Storm is simply the best babyface in wrestling right now and is universally loved by all different types of fans - a rare feat in today's wrestling world. His match with Robert Roode was great and promises for a great feud down the line, but his match with Bully Ray was one of the best matches of the year so far. The London crowd loved the Cowboy and hopefully his popularity will see him raise to the top of Impact Wrestling and capture a second World Heavyweight Title.

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