It is no question that the PPV industry is in decline in the wrestling industry, with increasingly negative numbers for both WWE and TNA being revealed every so often. Though streaming is a big part of the problem, it also comes down weakly promoted PPVs, something that can be easily changed.
WWE have tried to spice things up by introducing several "gimmick" PPVs, in where the main events are based around popular gimmick matches. Hell in a Cell, Elimination Chamber and TLC are a few examples of this. TNA have stayed true to their typical 12 PPVs a year, most of them inseperable from the others and all with a late 90's Attitude Era-style tacky name. Sacrifice, Hardcore Justice and others that I can't even remember.
Neither of these approaches to PPV's is the right idea and what both WWE and TNA need to look to is how UFC promote their PPV names. UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem, for example. I'm not suggesting they start with event names such as "TNA 132" or "WWE 1049 (did you know: the longest running PPV series in history!)". Instead, start booking PPV's around the main event of each show, and come up with a new PPV title each time.
For example, can you remember the main event of WWE No Mercy 2008? I'd hazard a guess that you don't (congratulations if you do, you win this prize), but the main event of that PPV was a brilliant ladder match for the World Heavyweight Title between Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels, as part of their epic 2008 feud. But if WWE had gone with a PPV name like this:
No Mercy: Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels
It is much more likely you would remember that PPV in the long run and it would give PPV's a much bigger feel to them than they already have. To make it even better, each PPV should have an individual name, rather than re-using names such as No Mercy, Unforgiven, Backlash etc. over and over again, to the point they become forgettable.
Look at the WWE PPV Badd Blood. The name, until 2003, was only used once in 1997 and everybody who has been watching wrestling since that era will be able to tell you that was the PPV of the Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker Hell in a Cell match, because it stands out in the memory.
Of course, both TNA and WWE should keep their big annual PPV's - for WWE, they have to keep Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, Summerslam and Survivor Series, the traditional big 4. Make the other 8 as part of this system. TNA should keep Lockdown, Slammiversary and Bound For Glory, but for sure they should start a new system of PPV naming. Why do they think fans want to see PPV's like "victory road" or "turning point" every year - names that just scream "this PPV is worthless"
Another thing that would benefit PPV's by simply changing the format of the name to something like UFC does, is that it would promote an ultimate main event on each show. Of course in wrestling, every match is - or at least supposed to be - booked to be exciting and part of the overall show which you watch from start to finish. In UFC or boxing, viewers often tune in just to see the main event fights. Wrestling shows have got to a point where they often have 2, 3, sometimes even 4 big main events on one show. The problem is, this doesn't make the whole show seem bigger - it just waters down all the main events and suddenly the PPV is smaller, not bigger than it should be. If each PPV had the ultimate main event promoted in its title, this would make each card feel unique and seem like a big deal.
This is obviously not the only thing that could help PPV business, as online illegal streaming is the biggest problem that wrestling promotions face, but I think it is a small step that could benefit either TNA or WWE.
Though many older fans can't stand the sight of John Cena, it is undeniable that there is no other guy on the WWE roster that is suitable to be the face of the company. He has it all - the workrate, the promos, the looks, and yes, despite what the haters on Youtube comments feel, the wrestling ability (but that's another article all together).
What TNA is lacking right now is a strong lead babyface to take the company to the next level. It is something that has been done dating back decades in wrestling and TNA have had their guys in the past - AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Kurt Angle and even Hulk Hogan was the face of the company.
Right now they are building the World title scene around Bobby Roode, who is decent but not great in his heel role. His promos are lacking and though his storytelling in the ring is good, his moveset isn't dynamic enough to stand out from the rest of the crowd. A credible main eventer perhaps, but Roode certainly isn't face of the company material. But his ex-tag team partner James Storm could just be that very man.
If TNA are seperating themselves from WWE by being the "adult" company against WWE's PG output, James Storm is the perfect lead guy to take them to the next level. Sure, he hasn't got the name recognition as of yet, but in time he could be built up if given the chances the likes of AJ Styles and now Roode are having.
He has a natural swagger and charisma, a much greater confidence on the microphone than his former tag team partner and even one of the best catchphrases in wrestling right now - "Sorry about your damn luck!" Another great thing about Storm as well, is that he has the bad-ass edge of a heel that top faces need to have these days, if they want to be cheered by all sections of the crowd. The TNA fans are often split and undecided in their chants during matches, but at Genesis there were only "Lets go cowboy" chants for James Storm and "You suck" chants to Kurt Angle. Kurt Angle, one of the most respected wrestlers in the business. A credit to Angle as a heel, or perhaps more to how strong of a babyface Storm is?
Storm may not have the abs or the body that Robert Roode has, but this is a new era of wrestling and Storm stands out from the crowd with his look. His southern American charm is a contrast to all the other top stars in the industry right now, but his appeal goes beyond the South because of his uniqueness. Put the belt on Storm and you have a guy who is a beer drinkin' sports fan who beats people up for a living - a sharp contrast to the straight edge, comic book reading CM Punk of WWE.
His move-set in the ring is also dynamic and stands out with fan friendly moves - the Last Call Superkick as well as his backstabber and codebreaker, all much more dynamic than the likes of Roode's spinebuster or fisherman's suplex.
Can he be the company guy who goes and does all the media work? Absolutely. I recently listened to an interview with him on the PWTorch Livecast where he sounded absolutely credible as a top star, with no sign of nervousness whatsoever in an hour long interview. He can also shift merchandise, and even stated on the PWTorch interview that he came up with all his own T-shirt slogans so far, including all of Beer Money's. The "Beer Hunter" pun on "Deer Hunter" was particularly memorable, during the end of Beer Money's run.
Overall, James Storm is retro but new. His beer drinking is reminscent of another strong lead face in Stone Cold Steve Austin, but his style goes back to the likes of Michael Hayes and other classic wrestlers. It would be a dare for TNA, but I think one that would bare fruit in the long run. Jeff Hardy can't be that guy, Kurt Angle is too old to be that guy, AJ Styles doesn't have the right personality to be the ultimate guy. Bringing in a WWE guy to be the face of the company just makes TNA seem small-fry. They need a home-grown talent for this role and James Storm just needs a title run, prolonged exposure in the main event scene and a couple of catchy slogan t-shirts to be that man. He had a lot of momentum when he won the World Title, but the rug was quickly pulled out from under him when they decided to put the belt on Roode. If Storm goes over Angle in the final match of their feud however, he could well be on his way to being this guy, if he beats Roode for the title somewhere down the line.
This Washington David Awards For Excellence In Sports Entertainment award, Angle Of The Year, goes to the best angle or feud within the last year.
5. Cody Rhodes' Broken Nose
Who would have thought a legitimate injury suffered by Cody Rhodes would have propelled him to the unforeseen heights he finds himself in today. As the year of 2010 came to a close, Cody was one of the bright sparks on Smackdown, with his funny "Dashing" gimmick - but it wasn't until he came back with a protective mask that we saw the best of what he had to offer. A long feud with Rey Mysterio also helped, with Cody beating Rey at WrestleMania in one of the best matches of the night, followed by a brilliant falls count anywhere match at Extreme Rules. But it was Cody's promos that had us all enthralled, and his way with words payed off for him as he has become a regular in the opening promo slot on Smackdown. His transformation and evolution over the year added much depth to his character, that when the mask finally came off, he didn't have Kane syndrome and suddenly become stale, or bald - but infact he became even better. Little mannerisms like his face twitching and his nasal, "Whaaat"-repellent promo style remained and surely enough his character transformation will continue in to 2012 and result in a main event run sometime after WrestleMania.
4. Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett/Karen JarrettOne thing many wrestling fans complain about is short-sighted, hot shot angles that run their course in a matter of 1 or 2 months, but the Angle-Jarrett feud of 2011 was one that dated back to 2010 when Jarrett began his Double J, Double M-A gimmick, mocking Angle before his comeback by utilising his ankle lock submission. In fact, it went even futher back than that, with Karen Jarrett (nee Angle) being one of the cental plot devices in this grudge feud, and we all know the story there. Aside from the introduction of Chyna at one point, this angle was perfect throughout and we were spoiled with great match after great match between the two veterans. When you put together two guys who are unarguably two of the best wrestlers of all time, along with the fact that they are both fantastic on the mic (including Karen Jarrett, who was probably even better than both) - magic happens, and so it did. The Lockdown cage match was the highlight of the feud, in one of the matches of the year, but it continued on long after that right into the Summer in their final payoff fight on Impact in the parking lot brawl, which Angle as the face rightfully won. People can criticise Russo and Bischoff all they like, but both guys know how to write a long, drawn out feud.
3. Michael Cole vs. Jerry LawlerAt the start of 2011, the must-see star of Raw was not infact the self-proclaimed "must-see" WWE champion, The Miz. It was the "voice of the WWE", Michael Cole. With seemingly a new crowd-riling catchphrase born every week, Cole was one of the stars of Raw - talking over every boring mid-card and divas match, keeping the viewers engaged throughout the show with his heel antics. But when he started cutting promos in the ring on Jerry Lawler, after costing him the WWE title, Cole propelled himself into the main event of the WWE - a place nobody a year ago would have expected him to be. For he was just the lowly, goodie two shoes commentator who had no personality of his own, except to schill the next PPV with a soulless, drab voice. Cole had become the best heel in wrestling since JBL, universally hated by marks and smarks alike, a fear rarely achieved. With only 0.5-1% of viewers enjoying the new "vintage" Cole, we became known as the "Cole Miners". He stood for everything we believed in wrestling and everything on our minds, he dared to say it, every week. Daniel Bryan - boring midget with no charisma.. Jim Ross - fat, arrogant buffoon who can't put two words together anymore.. Jerry Lawler - 10 years past his sell by date. And nobody could touch him, because he was in the sacred space known as the Cole Mine. He won at WrestleMania after getting a beat down and even when Cole naturally lost his feud, it was fun to watch him get his just deserts and see JR spray BBQ sauce all over him - because he sold it better than anyone. Quite simply, Cole was, for half of 2011, the best heel in wrestling for the last 5 years.
2. John Cena vs. CM Punk
Another boring, stale Raw was coming to a close in the breezy Summer of 2011, in a main event match I can barely remember - just that John Cena was in it - and then out came CM Punk, donned in a Stone Cold t-shirt of all things, and proceeded to cut one of the best promos of the year, one that set the internet ablaze... Punk had, in his own words, "broken the 4th wall". Still a heel at the time, Punk became the anti-establishment "voice of the people" and dared to rail against the WWE, Vince Mcmahon, The Rock and of course John Cena. The year could have easily been a boring one, with the main event of WrestleMania 28 already set as Cena vs. The Rock, but WWE dared to do something out of the ordinary for two months or so it paid off. We got two of the matches of the year in Cena-Punk I and Cena-Punk II and the chemistry between both men was what made the feud. But Punk wasn't the only piece - John Cena played his part just as well. Make no mistake about it, Cena helped elevate Punk to the level he is at today by being the "New York Yankees" guy. And even though the current CM Punk on Raw is a shadow of his former self, for those 2 months with Cena, he was the most exciting thing in wrestling for a long time. The world was tuning in just to see what CM Punk had to say each week. Though we all knew he wasn't truly "shooting" to a full extent, our disbelief was suspended just for a short time and we were able to watch as we did as children, believing there was some legitimacy in everything that was happening - and that is when wrestling is at its best...
1. John Cena vs. The Rock (Winner)
...which is why John Cena vs. The Rock is the best angle of the year. Is there a legitimate beef between Cena and Rock? Maybe, maybe not - but making the comeback of the year, Rock's admittedly brilliant comeback promo quickly made a target of John Cena set the tone for the rest of the year. For an angle that is barely in its infancy stages, it shows just how grand a feud it is for it to be the winner of this prestigious award. Even CM Punk vs. John Cena itself was in part inspired by this feud, as Rock's (real) name (Dwayne) was all over their semi-shoot promos every week. Cena, Punk, Orton and others have all come out saying that Rock is nothing more than a glorified celebrity guest host, which may be true - but it doesn't stop the fact that Cena and Rock is the feud of 2011, going into 2012. Every angle involving Cena on Raw throughout the year has been touched in some way by this feud - including his current "Rise Above Hate" angle ongoing with Kane. As much as the main event (and whole show) of WrestleMania 27 sucked, it was made up for the fact that we were promised the dream match of Cena-Rock the year after, in The Rock's hometown of Miami. A match nobody can truly predict in any way. Who will win? Will Cena be heel going into the match, and if not will he turn heel? Will Cena get booed out of the building? As disappointing as Survivor Series main event of Cena/Rock vs. The Awesome Truth was, WrestleMania should be different - perhaps, in the immortal words of Tony Schiavone, the greatest match in the history of our sport.
Honorable mentions: Orton-Christian, Mark Henry's Hall of Pain, Hogan-Sting, Bound For Glory Series, R-Truth goes insane
This Washington David Awards For Excellence In Sports Entertainment award, the Most Improved Star Of The Year, goes to the most improved wrestler or wrestling personality in the last year.
6. Bully Ray
Bully mother f'n Ray. The best promo guy in the wrestling business, officially. Brother/Bubba/Bully Ray was always a great trash talker as part of The Dudleyz/Team 3D, but he has really come into his own as a singles wrestler this year since turning heel on D-Von.
And while you could say Bully Ray is one of the best on the mic, it would be foolish to say he is a bad in-ring worker. Having gotten into shape and dropped a lot of fat this year, The Bully - as Mike Tenay affectionately refers to him as - has had quite a few top matches including a match of the year candidate with AJ Styles in their last man standing bout.
After a great career as a tag team wrestler, Bully Ray has found his niche as a singles star and elevated himself to a position where fans are craving to see him win a world title. As The Bully said in a backstage promo during his initial push earlier this year, in other words: "I would love to win the World Title.. can you imagine how pissed the wrestling world would be if Bully Ray was World Champ?"
While many smarks would have been pissed off at the time if that had come true, even smarks have some sense and they too have come around to Bully Ray being one of the best wrestlers in the business today. Who says only push youth?
5. James Storm While Beer Money were the best tag team of 2010, the former TNA tag team champions got over on their superb wrestling abilities in their long series of matches with the Motor City Machine Guns. Everyone knew James Storm and Bobby Roode could go in the ring - but what everyone did not know was just how good James Storm was on the mic.
Clearly the Shawn Michaels to Bobby Roode's Marty Jannetty, James Storm was the breakout star of Beer Money during the Bound For Glory series finale - in which Bobby Roode undeservedly won. Just like Bully Ray is currently doing, James Storm carried Bobby Roode as a singles wrestler via his microphone skills, putting over his tag team partner in the build for his TNA World Title match at Bound For Glory with Kurt Angle. It became obvious who the real talent of the group had been all that time.
Though Storm is not as ripped as his former tag team partner, part of his appeal is his everyman look. A little on the fat side he may be, but it doesn't stop him from looking twice as tough and a more legitimate threat in the ring than Roode does since his cliched and uninspired heel turn.
Winning the world title, albeit for a brief amount of time, was clearly the highlight of Storm's year and his whole career. Roode may have stole his thunder for now, but when the TNA bookers realise Storm has more potential to be a main event player, he will be right back up there with the best of them. A win over Kurt Angle at the latest PPV shows he isn't done on top just yet.
4. Cody Rhodes When Cody Rhodes first appeared on Raw all those years ago, getting slapped by Orton before being schooled by Hardcore Holly - it seemed that the current Intercontinental Champ was just another undeserving and pathetic-looking 2nd generation star who had got a WWE contract through family links alone.
How wrong was I, as Cody Rhodes has since elevated himself to become an almost permanent fixture in my fave five. While he was decent in Legacy, Rhodes really took off in 2010 when drafted to Smackdown - debuting his "Dashing" gimmick. After cutting a hilarious semi-shoot promo on the fat, wasting Matt Hardy, people began to take notice of Dusty's son.
But he'll never be as good as Goldust, they cried. How wrong they were. While the "Dashing" gimmick was fun, the best was yet to come - as at the beginning of 2011 the new Cody Rhodes was born. "Hideous" and "Grotesque" were the words standing out from his titantron video. After legitimately breaking his nose, Rhodes was forced to wear a protective mask which he worked into his character and so began a 4-month feud with Rey Mysterio in where Cody showed his real signs of being a future world champion.
Since his "Undashing" gimmick, a series of excellent matches and brilliant promos, Rhodes has emerged as one of the brightest talents in the WWE and for sure a world champion sometime in 2012. He has elevated the status of the IC title, just as he said he would do and brought more credibility to that belt than Daniel Bryan has reduced credibility from the world title.
Now unmasked and with plenty of character depth, Rhodes has all the freedom and potential to move up to the next level. A long feud with a legitimate main eventer such as Randy Orton or John Cena in 2012 will take him there.
3. Mark Henry When I try to think of the worst aspects of WWE in the past few years, the tag team of MVP and Mark Henry often come to mind. While MVP was brilliant as the heel U.S. champion on Smackdown, tagging with Mark Henry in matching red outfits after a big losing streak was the sign of his demise, which would eventually see him leave for a new challenge in NJPW.
But Mark Henry didn't even have that period in his career he could look back on that MVP had. A feud or two with Undertaker and a run as ECW champion was okay, but nothing people would remember in 10 years time. No, Mark Henry would undoubtedly be remembered as the guy who got Mae Young pregnant and subsequently became the proud father of.. a plastic hand.
Then, the 2011 draft came and Mark Henry was moved to Smackdown as one of the "big moves" shown on the draft edition of Raw. A collective groan was emitted within the wrestling world, as a draft pick was seemingly wasted on the happy-go-lucky guy in the big red Kool-Aid outfit. But their groans were about to be proven erroneous and short-sighed, as Mark Henry turned heel that very same night, clotheslining John Cena.
Big deal, we cried - Mark Henry sucks heel or face. But how wrong we all were. The world's strongest man went on to become one of the biggest draws of the year in WWE and the Smackdown ratings went in the opposite direction to Raw's - they rised. Of course, there was more to that than just Mark Henry, but he was a vital ingredient in the success of Smackdown this year. His feuds with Sheamus, Randy Orton and Big Show were all incredible and featured surprisingly good matches - a rare feat for such a big guy (especially 2 big guys, when it came to his matches with Big Show). It was the first time in a long time the fans got to enjoy a dominant heel destroy everything in his path, and suddenly with his tough bastard ad-libbing and slapping up WWE production staff, Mark Henry felt fresh. Then he became the World Champion and you know the rest.
2. Gunner If you told me this time last year than Gunner would become one of my favourite wrestlers in TNA, I would have said: who's Gunner? Oh, that guy who acts as security for Jeff Jarrett and Immortal? He's a wrestler?
Fast forward to twelve months later, and Mr. Intensity is piledriving Garrett Bischoff onto the exposed concrete. Concrete exposed by his new manager Ric Flair, no less.
He held the TV title for a while, but Gunner really had his breakout moment after pinning Mr. Anderson and Sting 2 weeks in a row, both of whom were the world champion at the time of defeat. It seemed like he was about to break out as the next big thing in TNA and perhaps even wrestling as a whole. His backstage promos were cold, calculating and believable. His in-ring work was hard-hitting and exciting.
But his push was put on hold and not even featured in the BFG series, a (fake) undefeated streak (17 wins and 3 losses) that Gunner deserved was given to the drab, boring Crimson. When a wrestler is named after the colour of his hair, you know he has no distinguishable charisma.
Still, Gunner has re-emerged towards the end of the year and now being managed by Ric Flair after Immortal has crumbled into ashes, a big feud with Garrett Bischoff going into 2012 is just the ticket to get him back on the map. Do I smell a World title next year?
1. R-Truth (Winner)
If a heel turn ever saved someone's WWE career, it was R-Truth in 2011. The phony "What's Up" rapping entrance, which was boring from the moment it was conceived, gave way to one of the funniest and most charismatic superstars in wrestling today.
John Morrison was hit with the Jannetty curse for a 2nd time, as after Miz had gone on to greatness after Miz 'n' Morrison, R-Truth went on to main event another 2 PPV's this year after turning heel and blowing smoke in his former tag team partner's face. Having already been in 2 main events (if you count the Royal Rumble) - R-Truth took his tally to an impressive 4 PPV main events after turning heel - a WWE title match with John Cena at Capitol Punishment, the PPV which was built around Truth himself. And then being involved in the Survivor Series main event against the returning Rock as part of The Awesome Truth with The Miz. A dream year for a guy who this time last year was rapping to fat kids in the audience "What's up?" to which they would reply in their high-pitched voices, and off-time with the music "...What's up?"
But it isn't just Truth's stellar mic work and gimmick that needs to be recognised - his in-ring work has for a long time been great. He just needed this gimmick and the feuds he has had this year to compliment his wrestling abilities. Now that he has been suspended (for smoking weed presumably), he could come back as heel or face and his gimmick would work either way and suit his in-ring style, such is the genius of his new creation.
And so I could go on about how funny Truth's promos were and how he was the greatest thing in wrestling for a number of months - the reason to tune in to Raw every week - but the best thing I could do is post up a video. So here it is:
One last thing that really shows how high Truth set the bar this year - he actually made the "WHAAAAAT?" chants become something funny to appreciate and laugh along with, instead of being tired and old. Dont what me!
