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 9, 2012

With the road to WrestleMania well under way, let's see how the WWE stars of Raw and Smackdown fare this week against their competition from TNA, NXT, Superstars and Ring Ka King. Also: Will Bully Ray make it on to the acclaimed Super 20 list for a 9th week in a row? Read on..

20 new		Michael McGillicutty A decent match from McGillicutty this week on Superstars. He is showing he is capable in the ring as of late and has a unique, slightly crazed look which makes him stand out amongst the other low-carders. His new finisher is cool too, I haven't seen as many neckbreakers so mean looking. The prospect of a match between him and Tyson Kidd on NXT next week has me excited. Is this the re-genesis of Mcgillicutty?
19 new		Johnny Curtis So.. Johnny's added a toothpick to his gimmick now.
18 new		Sheamus Two more clean wins for Sheamus on the Road to Mania this week, one of them a really good match with The Miz on Smackdown. Though his in-ring work is great, Sheamus really needs an issue going into the PPV with Bryan, or perhaps they are waiting to add Randy into the mix when he is back from his injury?
17 new		William Regal It's been coming for a while now - Regal earns his spot on the Super 20 for his hilarious commentary on NXT. Quote of the week, after Darren Young explains how he watches old tapes of Regal to learn about his craft: "When I was your age I was out spending my time with old scrubbers"
16 new		Zoravar Love this little guy in Ring Ka King and like Regal above, his spot on the Super 20 has been coming. He was comedy gold this week running in between all the legs of the wrestlers in the tag team match. Love the fact he is as toned as a wrestler too, despite his size. Great fun character.
15 new		Eve Torres Is it right that little Cena kid fans should be chanting "Hoeski!" at Eve? I would say so.
14 new		Teddy Long If they are building towards a Teddy Long vs. John Laurinaitis sometime down the line or even at WrestleMania I will be made up. Teddy and Big Johnny threatening fisticuffs on Smackdown was classic.
13 new		Tyler Reks Really enjoyed Tyler Reks this week, putting on the best match of the week with Tyson Kidd on NXT and having a pretty good outing on Superstars with Mason Ryan too. Reks has a unique look and style and could prosper on Raw or Smackdown if given the chance. The WWE needs bigger guys like him on their main rosters.
12 new		Sting Only one week off the Super 20 and Sting is back with a bang - the insanity is back! Can't wait for the Stinger's match with Roode at Victory Road, should be a great one.
11 new		Abyss "It" debuted on Ring Ka King this week and utilised every big bad monster cliche to get over, including pre-taped "aaahhhh" noises which were dubbed over the tapings... What was particularly great was Abyss scaring the gullible fans in the Ring Ka King Zone (that's just what I'm calling it), but even better was...
10 n/c 3w		Scott Steiner ...Big Poppa Pump, who borderline assaulted the fans, throwing the rails aside and chasing them around the arena like a crazed lunatic. It was one of the preview clips I saw before the Ring Ka King show debuted and seeing it in full swing was even better.
9 -6 9w		Bully Ray I usually hate celebrity guest spots in wrestling, but Bully Ray's mini-feud with Brandon Jacobs over the last two weeks was great. Like I've said before, Calfzilla is the ultimate heel in all of wrestling right now. I love the fact he adds something new to his repertoire almost every week too - taking the mic' off the ring announcer and announcing himself is yet another little bit that goes into making him the star he has become. Nine weeks in the top 20 and still going strong!
8 new		CM Punk Hooray - CM Punk finally makes his long-awaited debut in this celebrated list of excellence. Punk has been at one of the lowest points of his career the past four months or so, but this week we saw glimpses of the Punk we fell in love with in the breezy summer of yesteryear. Donning his old commentary jacket for the main event on Raw was vintage Punk and he had a pretty good match with Daniel Bryan on Smackdown (and also, shockingly cut a promo on him which wasn't too arrogant or annoying). One of the highlights of Punk's week though was calling out Chris Brown on Twitter and owning him in an ongoing war of words - going as far as to say he would choke him out in a fight. Here's hoping Punk gets a hot streak going into Mania - and his opponent Chris Jericho who has also cooled off as of late.
7 n/c 3w		David Otunga Otunga is one of the guys for me who can get in the S20 for the simplest reason - and this week it came in the form of his post-match pose. So arrogant, pompous and with a hint of irony like everything else he does, David Otunga can be a legitimate main eventer in the future.
6 new		Tyson Kidd Tyson Kidd keeps impressing me every week just for his in-ring work but this week he blew me away with a match on NXT with Tyler Reks. He could easily be pushed to a upper mid-card level on wrestling ability alone - but he also shown that he has a little bit of star power in backstage segments and on the mic too. Of course he isn't David Otunga when it comes to charisma, but he's not shockingly bad like Daniel Bryan used to be. I'd like to see him get a push after Mania season.
5 new		Magnus Sir Brutus Magnus just became the number one contender for the Ring Ka King Heavyweight Title this week and Magnus succesfully retained the TNA Tag Titles on Impact. The future of the business is looking stronger every time I see him.
4 +1 2w		John Laurinaitis Some vintage Big Johnny moments this week, but my favourite of all of them was him coming out and doing the Teddy Long dance on Smackdown. Like I mentioned above, I am dreaming of a Laurinaitis vs. Long match in the future. A fifth WrestleMania main event perhaps?
3 new		Undertaker Despite the pathetic "what" chants by the idiots in Minnesota this week, Undertaker had a magnificent 20 minute promo along with Triple H to finally seal the deal on a Taker-HHH match at WrestleMania. I love the new Metallica theme and the sleeveless hooded trenchcoat. It's going to be a big moment when the Deadman finally reveals he is bald. Epic line of the week, as Triple H was going to leave after declining the initial challenge: "Hey businessman.."
2 n/c 4w		Triple H Again I have Triple H edged slightly over Undertaker, just because he is bringing it a little bit more in their promo segments. I literally punched the air with excitement when The Game challenged Taker to a Hell in a Cell. The whole dichotomy between the two characters is so compelling, with Undertaker in his new outfit and Triple H in his suit and tie. With weeks left to go and Shawn Michaels scheduled to be at more Raws, I am intrigued as to where the story is going.
1 +3 2w		John Cena Cena cut the best shoot promo since Vince Russo called Hulk Hogan a "piece of shit" at Bash at the Beach, calling out The Rock for everything I and many others dislike about him. Make no mistake - I am on Team Cenation and always have been and I can't wait to watch tonight's Raw to see what Team Film It's response is.

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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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