Photo Credit: WWE.com

The dog days of summer were anything but for wrestling. PWG helped light the world on fire with help from some fierce women in Cleveland, some key matches from the South, and a crowd favorite trio taking home the biggest prize in their company.

William Regal vs. Dean Ambrose, FCW TV, 7/15 (airdate)
Watch it here!

I can understand watching this match in the moment and getting pissed off at the finish. It had one of the most intolerable things to the WWE fan who remembered what it was like in the days of blade jobs and no-fucks-given, a match stoppage due to blood. However, watching it with the benefit of hindsight, it was clear that the blood that came from Regal’s ear and the trainers coming to the ring were part of the story. Ambrose removed that bottom turnbuckle padding and gnashed any hard part of his body to grind Regal’s head into the exposed steel. And he kept doing it and doing it, presumably as payback for the ruthlessness Regal showed to his chronically injured left shoulder during the first portion of the match. It didn’t have the catharsis or even the definitive finality of their previous encounter. But it was so devious, almost like Regal and Ambrose conspired to be as evil to the fans in attendance as their characters historically and notably have been.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

CM Punk vs. The Big Show, RAW, 7/16
There are two kinds of wrestlers in the world – those who adapt and those who wrestle the same match against everyone and anyone. Fortunately for us, Punk and Show are both the former. It might be strange to imagine, but Big Show is one of the most versatile wrestlers on the roster, a guy who can have great matches against all styles. Punk meets him in flexibility, which is why this match worked. Show worked over Punk like a giant, and he sold when Punk went on the offensive like a champ. Punk, for his part, did his part to sell his ribs and that flash kick and those knees? Holy shit, awesome. Yeah, the match had a DQ finish, but again, I don't hate those at all.

Davey Richards vs. Fred Yehi, PCW Show, 7/20
Watch it here!

I had fears about this match, mainly because Yehi’s so new to the game, and if Richards is leading you by the nose, you can fall dangerously into his bad habits of move trading with no selling, strike trading ad nauseam, and throwing psychology out the window. I’ll say up front that I HATED the rolling German suplex trading at the end of the match. I blame Kurt Angle and He Who Shall Not Be Named for that nonsense, but you gotta have the good reason not to be trading double Germans like they were wristlocks. However, it wasn’t so offensive that it overwhelmed the rest of what the match was all about. They went into the affair seemingly intending to put on a display of counterwrestling, and I think they succeeded. They slipped out of each other's holds into holds of their own with great aplomb, and their strike and move counters were really effective and well-done also. I was surprised that Yehi didn’t fall into Richards’ game, or that Richards himself held back on his bad, main event habits, but this was a taut, exciting match.

Danny Daniels vs. MsChif, Chicago Street Fight, AAW Scars ‘n Stripes, 7/21
Flat out from jump, this match was one of the finest brawls of the year. The story was built around Daniels, Truth Martini, and Jesse Emerson wanting to put that damn woman in her place, but watching the match didn't make it feel like gender was even an issue. Of course, that's what happens when you have two wrestlers doing a wrestling match using the same kinds of devices to garner crowd reactions that they'd use if both of them had a phallus and two testicles. Another Chicago-based promotion would probably do well to adopt that mindset, but I digress.

Anyway, this was a well-built, nicely-paced brouhaha that was littered with the kinds of things that elevate the no-DQ match to higher levels. They fought on the outside of the ring. The bad guys used a numbers game to their advantage, either 2-on-1 on MsChif or 3-on-2 when Krotch came out to even the odds. My only real complaint was that the biggest spot in the match, Emerson piledriving Krotch on the concrete, was done by two non-participants in the match.

However, they did build up to the use of the Freddy Krueger claw brilliantly. Daniels and Martini wanting no part of it early made it feel important, and when Chif finally busted it out in the cranial claw towards the end, it felt like a moment of catharsis, one that we would need in a contest where she'd end up losing. But if the main story was that Chif was to claim respect through violence and bloodshed, it didn't matter that Daniels pinned her with a Rubik's Cube. She ended up taking more than a pound of flesh from him and his manager.

Player Uno and Stupefied (c) vs. Matt and Nick Jackson vs. Adam Cole and Kyle O’Reilly, PWG World Tag Team Championship Ladder Match, PWG Threemendous III, 7/21
Originally published in my review for Threemendous III

This nominally wasn't a TLC match, but yeah, it was a TLC match. It may have been the best spectacle of a TLC match since the Dudleys, Hardys, and Canadian Blondes were given bountiful resources to create detritus around the ringside area at the turn of the most recent century. That's part of what made this match so great. It was TLC on a budget. Moneyball TLC. They forced fans out of their chairs so they could use them. They destroyed one ladder, trapped Adam Cole in another, and had to pull out the GIANT SIZED painters' ladder for the decision.

Yeah, let's ruminate on that for a second. Adam Cole spent the last five minutes or so of this match trapped between the jaws of a ladder stood up in the corner like it was an iron maiden (the torture device, not the British metal band). Uno continued his tradition of rocketing chairs right at the skulls of either Young Buck. There were apron spots, lord were there apron spots too. I'm not sure it would be a high-profile PWG match if guys weren't going hard into the hardest part of the ring.

And yes, the elephant in the room is that the referee was active in the decision, tipping over the ladder with the Young Bucks on it. If you look at it as simulation of an athletic contest, then what the fuck are you doing watching wrestling? For a company that doesn't build longterm stories, when they do, they're pretty darn good. It was only a subplot in a match where six guys simulated a car wreck in human flesh. But then again, mangled body parts are the new market inefficiency.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus, Street Fight, RAW, 7/30
A great match doesn't have to have a lot of big bumps to be great. However, it surely helps. When one guy is bumping his ass off, it's okay, but then you have the tendency of it looking like a glorified squash, like some of the Randy Orton/Christian matches from last year after Christian turned. We know Bryan will bump big. That's part of his charm, almost as big as the submission game and the kicks. He certainly brought it, going into guardrails and getting suplexed over them as well.

But Sheamus? The big guy doesn't have to bump to be awesome, but when he does, especially for Bryan, it turns brawls into wars and really accentuates his hooligan spirit. See, soccer hooligans are as famous for how many times they get punched as they do their punches. Sheamus getting kicked off the stage? It dropped my jaw. The best part of the match was towards the end when they played tug of war with the kendo stick. This was a brawl in elemental form.

Sara del Rey vs. Hailey Hatred, AIW Girls’ Night Out 7, 8/4
This was del Rey’s second to last match before leaving for WWE, and the last one that’s probably readily available on tape. It was a hell of a way to go out against an opponent in Hatred who was on her level. They threw everything at each other – stiff strikes, hard throws, big throws into inanimate structures. They both worked with urgency and panache even. I definitely caught Hatred slyly smiling to the camera as she was mockingly clapping before landing a boot right to del Rey’s dome. This was the perfect distillation of the joshi/puroresu oeuvre mixed with American sensibilities. On nearly any other card, this would have been a fine main event.

Allysin Kay (c) vs. Mia Yim, AIW Women’s Championship Steel Cage Match, AIW Girls’ Night Out 7, 8/4
Originally published in my review for Girls' Night Out 7

This match felt like a title match, a feud blowoff, and a steel cage grudge all in the same fell swoop. For an issue that started over a no-show and an accidental kick to the face, both Yim and Kay turned it into one of the best parts of 2012 in any promotion, in large part to the three crazy matches they put on. This one was literally the crowning achievement, mainly because it ended on the crown of said cage.

But before we get to what might be my favorite finish of the year (or maybe even the last two or even three years), the meat of this match provided everything I could have wanted out of two wrestlers who ostensibly loathed each other in the main event of what was the biggest show for the Girls' Night Out brand to date. They scrapped and scraped. Yim had a thirst to close the door on Kay as Champion and rival by punishing her in spots where she refused to escape when she could and where she hung Kay upside down from the top of the case. That interplayed well with Kay's rough exterior flaking off when she figured that not only her title was in jeopardy, but her health as well. I didn't expect to see her try to escape through the door, but when she tried, it worked.

That all led to the finish. There weren't a whole lot of escape attempts from the top, so it made Kay's application of the triangle choke not only cool-looking, but incredibly smart. Why spend another 20 minutes jousting with Yim atop the pink fence structure when she could just grab her by surprise and tap her out in the most precarious spot possible. It was sublime in its brilliance.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan, RAW, 8/6
Before the match, I wondered aloud whether we'd get the John Cena who treats mid-to-low carders like common garbage or the Cena who treated guys like CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler like equals even if everyone knew he was winning going away. We got the latter one, and the results were awesome. Bryan got to unload EVERYTHING he had on Cena and had him on the ropes at several points. The best sequences were when Bryan was able to counter out of Cena's signatures and lock in submission holds. I don't know what I liked better – the turning of the AA into the guillotine choke or the STF into the NO! Lock. Cena countering from the NO! Lock into the AA was a nice touch too himself. Yeah, Cena won, but we knew that. The match itself was phenomenal, and that's all I ask.

Vordell Walker (c) vs. Jon Davis, Pro Wrestling Rage Championship Match, PWR Show, 8/11
Watch it here!

HOSS FIGHT ALERT. This Florida promotion pitted two of the best clubberin' big guys on the indies today in a hard-hitting title match that featured two ref bumps and several attempts at using a title belt as a weapon without feeling overbooked. It was funny for me to see Davis exposed to an extended heat segment because I'm used to seeing him in DGUSA as the resident rampaging bully, but Walker has the size to pull that off. This wasn't all just big strikes and big bombs either. There was some crisp, cagey wrestling. At one point, Walker dropped the leg across Davis out of the wishbone, and Davis segued from that into a sharpshooter. Davis won the title with DAT LARIAT, but the real winners were the fans in attendance. Yes, I just made a cliché reference. Shoot me now.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

ACH vs. Mark Angelosetti, Young Lions Cup Tournament Final, Chikara Ring of Wax, 8/18
The Young Lions Cup is the quintessential Chikara Championship, it could be argued. So, to celebrate its grand return to America after a year’s sojourn in Japan in the clutches of Tadasuke, it was appropriate that the final was the quintessential Chikara match. Strangely enough, the finalists were a guy who was pretty much still in his infancy as a Chikara roster member in Mr. Touchdown and a wrestler who was in only his third ever match for the company, ACH.

The first act of the match was purely stylized comedy centered around ACH wanting to get a handshake from Angelosetti so bad that he tricked him into the sportsmanship (which raises the question, is it really sportsmanship if it’s done under duress?). Then, they moved onto some football antics, which hearkened back to the early days of Chikara. It felt like I was watching an old Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short, with ACH as the devious Bugs Bunny-like character and Angelosetti as Yosemite Sam. In short, it was for the kids, but not in a way that Wu-Tang was for the kids. I remember you, Ol’ Dirty Bastard.

But once the match hit into overdrive, it really hit warp speed. Angelosetti got his bully on, and ACH not only absorbed the punishment, but he converted it into sheer kinetic energy in the form of acrobatics and athletics. Maybe the match in a microcosm was when they were brawling on the outside. Angelosetti went to throw ACH into the wall, but ACH wall-walked his way out of it. Of course, when he went to run into Angelosetti, Touchdown tossed ACH into the wall for his troubles, causing a 19-count where ACH needed to be helped back into the ring by fans. The ending came as a slight surprise given that Touchdown was the one who kicked out of two finishers and reversed a top rope move into a super variant of his own, but in a way, it worked. The final subversion was a satisfying end to a fantastic match, even if the good guy didn’t win.

Fred Yehi vs. Jimmy Rave, PCW Show, 8/24
Watch it here!

When you go to the mat a lot, you get points from me. When you go to the mat and it looks stiff and hard, well, you pretty much have won my heart. Yehi has an amateur background who uses it liberally in his matches. Rave raised his game... well maybe that's not the right term. He adapted to Yehi's strong-style amateur style, which actually made his liberal stalling that he's known for make too much sense. They moved into the actual "let's hit moves" portion of the match, and it got even better. My favorite spot in the whole match was probably Yehi hitting a stall-clutch deadlift belly to belly suplex. Yehi is just a freak of nature, I don't know why more people don't know about him.

Kyle Matthews (c) vs. Big LG (Luke Gallows), Rampage Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Championship, RPW Sizzlin' Summer Bash, 8/26
Watch it here!

Dylan Hales told me that the reason why he loved Luke Gallows as a wrestler was because he was good at working "big." I never got a sense of that in his time in WWE, but in this match, I saw it. Obviously, he had a great dance partner here, as Kyle Matthews is one of the best bump machines going. Gallows, working under a hood with a mystery man gimmick, was huge all match, punctuated early on by him clotheslining Matthews WITH AUTHORITAH from his knees. Matthews, in addition to his selling and bumping, worked the scrappy underdog offense really well here too.

Sami Callihan vs. Willie Mack, Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match, PWG Battle of Los Angeles Night 1, 9/1
This was a match I was particularly looking forward to, a HOSS FIGHT in a scene that didn’t have a whole lot of hoss fights to offer. It did not disappoint, outside a particularly egregious offense of the “You hit me, I hit you” thing that happens in seemingly every match nowadays. However, the rest of this match was just sublime. Mack got it started right away, putting Callihan on his ass with a pounce that knocked him out of the ring and following it up with a big tope con hilo to the outside. Callihan answered back shortly with a floor exploder and stompin’ a mudhole and walkin’ it dry, and this was all within the first couple of minutes. They went at a breakneck pace which included super exploders and DDTs and thigh superkicks on the top rope and kip up moonsaults. Whereas I thought Michael Elgin suffered a bit during the weekend ALWAYS finishing his matches with a set sequence, Callihan’s unpredictability was his best asset. It showed in this match when he hit Mack with an Everest Saito suplex before bashing him into submission with lariats.

Adam Cole vs. El Generico, Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match, PWG Battle of Los Angeles Night 1, 9/1
You wanna get people to hate you in Reseda? Well, anywhere, but especially in Reseda? Pearl Harbor El Generico and then tell him to suck your dick. Adam Cole, after spending most of his non-CZW life as a wrestler as a clean-cut good guy, came out of the gates with his dick in his hand right from jump, and it set such a great tone not just for this match, but his entire weekend. Again, it didn’t hurt that he was in there against GOAT and best babyface ever Generico, but man, this was a really fun match where both guys were dropping bombs on each other. It was appropriate that the bombastic Cole escaped not with his own big head drops but by absorbing a half-’n-half suplex and countering a brainbuster into an inside cradle.

TJ Perkins vs. Sami Callihan, Battle of Los Angeles Quarterfinal, PWG Battle of Los Angeles Night 2, 9/2
In retrospect, I should’ve expected this match to be awesome. Really, Callihan was the weekend’s MVP to me, and Perkins is a guy who should be bigger than he is, even if most of the reason why he isn’t is due to his own undoing. Callihan started the match by planting a smooch right on Perkins’ kisser (which Kevin Steen noted was one of his moves from commentary), and the tone was set. It was a matchup between two frenetically-paced masters in different areas. Callihan had fists flailing, while Perkins went in and out of technical counters and exchanges like he was born with encyclopedic knowledge of every hold imbued in his brain (and with the age he started wrestling, that might be the case). Although he’s more known for his Tasmanian Devil-style of throwing fists and boots at you, Callihan showed off some technical chops of his own, countering Perkins’ modified Go 2 Sleep into the Stretch Muffler. It was probably my favorite finish in a weekend of slick match endings.

Adam Cole vs. Sami Callihan, Battle of Los Angeles Semifinal, PWG Battle of Los Angeles Night 2, 9/2
Callihan and Cole renewed their pleasantries from CZW, and of course, it played just as well on the left coast as it did on the right. For those who didn’t know, Callihan let everyone know by mauling Cole right from the bell, and whenever he could, he tried to bash Cole’s head in good, he did. Of course, Cole did nothing to help his cause because he verbally goaded Callihan into rage by calling him a piece of shit at every turn as well. They scrapped and jawed and jacked all around the ring, but at the end, it was Cole taking a page out of Callihan’s playbook, blasting his quad with a superkick while he was on the top rope as a set up for the Figure 4. Ric Flair would’ve been proud.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

Meiko Satomura, Dash Chisako, and Sendai Sachiko vs. Mike Bennett and Matt and Nick Jackson, King of Trios '12 Semifinal, King of Trios Night 3, 9/16
Satomura came to America with the reputation of being one of the best in the world. Though she didn't have the name cache of Manami Toyota or the previous visits to America like Aja Kong to back her up, the people who were in the know vouched for her credentials. Five matches in Chikara proved this rep and then some, as she may have been the best guest star from Japan to visit America all year. This match was basically the cult of personality of the ROH team against Satomura leading her plucky twin sister tag partners into an unlikely run to the final day of tournament action.

I'm not downplaying Chisako or Sachiko here. They played their roles well, and they were necessary, especially to set up the final frame. But I'd be kidding you if the match didn't absolutely need to come down to the younger wrestlers broken and battered on the outside of the ring with Satomura doing her best to shorthandedly fend off the rising tide of cocky, brash, possibly misogynistic assailants, only to be consumed in the most honorable of deaths. IF this were a real field of battle, Satomura would have certainly punched her ticket to Valhalla. However, since it's wrestling, she rose to her feet after taking the fall to the well-deserved adulation and glowing love from an Easton crowd that had grown attached to her for an entire weekend.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

UltraMantis Black, Hallowicked and Frightmare vs. Mike Bennett and Matt and Nick Jackson, King of Trios '12 Final, Chikara King of Trios '12 Night 3, 9/16
Originally published in my review for King of Trios Night 3

The 2012 final was the best of the three King of Trios finals I had seen by far. BY FAR. Maybe it was that I was the most emotionally invested in the team I was rooting for. Maybe it was that, more than the BDK in '10 and even more than FIST last year, Team ROH were effective as heel foils. Either way, from the point when the Spectral Envoy made their entrance to the moment Bennett's hand slapped the mat to submit, I was made to feel like I was a kid again.

Unlike in other years, I almost felt like this match could have gone either way. Obviously, the match wasn't going to be won in the beginning of it, but Frightmare did the face in peril thing so well. It was awesome when he finally got to his corner to make the hot tag to both 'Wicked and Mantis. There were some really big spots doled out by both sides too, really giving the match a bigtime feel. Again, I gotta give Mantis MAJOR props for taking that spike tombstone on the ramp. That was, ouch, just ouch.

The final act of the match was just there for us to lose our voices. Crossbones coming out to shoo the Batiri/Ophidian/Delirious bloc caused me to lose my poop personally. I wasn't paying too much attention to those around me, a testament to the moment. When he threw Delirious into the pole, I just lost it. When Bennett finally tapped to the Chikara Special, I jumped up and down like a little kid. Any good match can have the nuts and bolts and the big moves. Chikara goes above and beyond because they and their performers know how to present them with the pitch-perfect emotion.

Drake Younger vs. Mustafa Saed, SPW Show, 9/16
Watch it here!

Man, did you know Mustafa of the Gangstas is still active? Did you know he was actually still somewhat decent? Compared to New Jack, he’s in pristine condition, but yeah, that’s not saying a whole lot given New Jack’s current state. Still, getting aside the overall shock of him being alive let alone cromulent, he went against one of the neophytes of the hardcore scene, Younger, who was making his promotional debut. He didn’t waste much time either, blading within three minutes. It was a bit jarring to see Younger with a crimson mask for three-eighths of a match, but once I got past that, I got a romping, rollicking brawl that went all over the gym it was held at. Younger actually threw Saed, who is surprisingly hulking, into the gym wall, which is what more people should do if they can actually get to the wall.

It also featured gratuitous chair use, a suplex onto a rickety ramp, and Younger doing a half-gainer from the top into a chair that Saed had gotten up from moments earlier. This match doesn’t have a finish as much as it devolved into both guys beating the crap out of referees, security, and other wrestlers finding their way to the ring to help ease the chaos. It wasn’t coherent, and I probably would’ve lambasted Saed for not selling enough in another setting, but in this case, I’ll give it a pass because I had so much fun watching two sociopaths not give anything resembling a fuck about their own bodies or each other’s.

Honorable Mentions:

• Shane Hollister vs. Louis Lyndon, AAW Scars 'n Stripes, 7/21
• Kevin Steen (c) vs. Willie Mack, PWG World Championship Match, PWG Threemendous III, 7/21
• AJ Styles vs. James Storm, Impact, 7/26
• Jivin' Jimmy vs. Cameron Matthews vs. Kobold vs. Anthony Stone, Young Lions Cup Qualifying Eliminator, Chikara The Great Escape, 7/28
• Tim Donst and Jakob Hammermeier vs. Obariyon and Kodama, Chikara The Great Escape, 7/28
• Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Sara del Rey, Chikara Grand Championship Match, Chikara The Great Escape, 7/28
• Crazy Mary Dobson vs. Lil' Naughty, Pondo Rules Match, AIW Girls' Night Out 7, 8/4
• The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Chris Jericho, RAW, 8/13
• Lancelot Bravado vs. The Mysterious and Handsome Stranger, Chikara Ring of Wax, 8/18
• Eddie Kingston vs. Harlem Bravado, Chikara Ring of Wax, 8/18
• CM Punk vs. Jerry Lawler, Steel Cage Match, RAW, 8/27
• Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles, Impact, 8/30
• Damien Sandow vs. Sheamus, Smackdown, 8/31 (airdate)
• Tsubasa Kurigaki and Commando Bolshoi vs. Manami Toyota and Kaori Yoneyama, Chikara King of Trios Night 3, 9/16

Ken Anderson led off the show riffing on how Jeff Hardy was given another shot that he didn't deserve. He dredged up Hardy's seedy past and how TNA bent over backwards to not only nurse him back to health, but to give him things like title shots that he didn't deserve. Obviously, this is a false narrative. Hardy won the Bound for Glory Series to get the title, and he had to earn his rightful rematch (I guess his contract doesn't have a rematch clause?) wrestling three other dudes, two of which were also former World Champions. If the point was to want to throw things at Anderson, well, I was with you a long time ago. But if it was to hate Aces and Eights as slimy, villainous liars, then yeah, it got the point across.

The problem is that the principals on the opposition side of the coin are kinda jerky too. First, there's Hulk Hogan giving Hardy a pep talk, saying how he's proud of Hardy and thinks he'll win so he could clean up Hogan's mistakes. It was passive-aggressive pressure at its finest. Hogan was basically giving Hardy praise as a way of telling him "If you fuck up, I'll be angry at you." His asininity was paid back in kind when Sting came out right after and basically told him that he gave Hogan bad advice, but it's Hogan's fault for listening to him and that he should take responsibility.

Hogan, above anything else, has at least put his belly to the bar and took heat for going against his gut and trusting Bully Ray. In fact, for how adamant Sting was to trust Bully, don't you think that it would take more than begging and pleading to get forgiveness? Sting really came off as an awful person, and I'm supposed to root for him?

Maybe AJ Styles has it right. Don't associate with anyone. Because if given the choice between the bikers who just wanna beat people with hammers, but who STILL scatter with a two-to-one advantage or the loud jerkoffs who don't have any sense of their own bloat or delusion, I'd sit on the sidelines, especially since James Storm is playing his loud, askew moral conscience. I mean, sure, it's all well and good that you took your ball and went home, Mr. JOHNNNY CAAAAAASSSSH LIST'NINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN guy, but you didn't just have your mortal enemy and former friend do everything in their power over the last year to dick you over, and you also weren't restricted from the World Championship.

AJ Styles shouldn't be 1997 Sting in this scenario. He should be elseworlds Dr. Manhattan who has replaced his apathy for humanity for vengeful-godlike rage, raining blows on anyone who comes within punching range. And of course, if he needs backup, there's always the guy sitting on the sidelines who pulled a goddamn tree up from its roots and bashed his mother's door in just to save her from a burning house.

If Styles is the least jerky guy in TNA right now to you, then I don't know what that says about their landscape, or at least your and my perspective of it. I know noir storytelling can be done well, and hey, that scenario I laid out for Styles above is just one of many different ways that angle can go to make it a tentpole story for both him and the company. I'm willing to put up with the current landscape if it means we'll get some kind of character growth from parties who need to grow. I don't need a happy ending; I just need someone to learn a lesson before the next hero withers and becomes the big bad for the next major arc of the company.

There's nothing more grating than being around jerks all the time, but there's also nothing more cathartic than when an utter chode makes a transformation and becomes someone worth rooting for. I'm waiting to see which one of TNA's butthead crew is going to step up and show me positive character development. It doesn't even have to be the guys I think are likely to or should grow.

Just as long as it's not Ken Anderson, because that guy suuuuuuuuuuuuuucks.

Alright, let's finish up the regional semifinals, but first, we'll look at the action from the first slate of those matches yesterday:

Berwyn Eagles Club
#1 CM Punk d. #4 Robert Roode, 69-8
#3 Alberto del Rio d. #7 Athena, 47-25
Turners Hall
#9 Tim Donst d. #4 Jessicka Havok, 42-29
#2 Daniel Bryan d. #3 ACH, 59-14

And now, the rest of the Sweet Sixteen. First up, we have the American Legion region, where #1 Kevin Steen takes on #12 Mark Henry. Steen defeated Courtney Rush and AR Fox, while Henry dispatched Tucor, Jeff Hardy, and Kane. This is a hoss fight if I ever saw one. Who will win, the Hoss King of the Indies, or the man SO hossy that he created the Hall of Pain and gained a legion of people who wanted to be inducted voluntarily? In the other match, #2 Austin Aries will take on #3 El Generico. Aries took out Jaykus Plisken and Cheerleader Melissa, while Generico did away with Kyle Matthews and Wade Barrett. This is match that happened most recently in 2008 in PWG. Generico won that match, but Aries has not only conquered ROH but TNA since then. Will Generico have an answer for him?

Getting to the Easton Funplex region, our first match will pit #1 Eddie Kingston against #4 Antonio Cesaro. Kingston defeated Arik Royal and LuFisto, while Cesaro beat Silas Young and Amazing Kong. This dormant feud which never got a resolution in Chikara will come to a head here. Will Kingston get his ultimate delayed revenge, or will the Swiss Stalwart take the upset and the next step towards world wrestling domination? Finally, #2 Johnny Gargano will take on #3 Rachel Summerlyn. Gargano took out Big E. Langston and Michael Elgin, while Summerlyn whooped both Steve Corino's and Mark Angelosetti's rear ends. Gargano recently passed 500 days as Open the Freedom Gate Champion, but can he withstand the fierceness and force of Summerlyn?

VOOOOOOOTE~!

Questions I've asked before, resurrected in honor of Zombie Jesus Day Easter!

1. Who is your favorite member of this year's WWE Hall of Fame class?

2. Buy or sell: The fact that of the guys involved in the top three Mania matches (WWE Championship, Trips/Lesnar, Taker/Punk), only John Cena and CM Punk are full-timers, is more troubling than seeing Rocky, Chris Jericho, and Lesnar back is exciting.

3. What was your favorite Brock Lesnar match?

4. If you were to have any wrestling personality in your bridal party, which one would it be and why?

5. Who should defeat Eddie Kingston for the Grand Championship? Who WILL defeat Eddie Kingston for the Grand Championship?

Millions of dollars, but not millions of ballots Photo Credit: WWE.com

Hello everyone, and welcome to the 2012 TWB 100, a fan-sourced and voted list of the best in-ring competitors of the last full calendar year. We are going to kick things off by introducing to you the voters for this year's list and the wrestlers who did not make the final cut. There were 56 ballots cast and a whopping 483 wrestlers with votes cast for them this year. First thing's first, let's give you the names of everyone who cast a vote for this year's list:

TH - Veteran of two cruise ship vacations

Jesse Powell - TWB reader, commenter, and man of 1,004 haircuts

Cewsh - Writer and curator of Cewsh Reviews, husband of Hello Kitty

Collin Borrell - TWB reader and double L enthusiast

Philip Rosenbaum - TWB reader, Wrestling Bro, and Delirious stand-in/stunt double

Drew Smith - TWB reader and celery farmer

Robot Hammer - TWB reader and intern at Dr. Cube's laboratory

Ryan Kilma - TWB reader whose spirit animal is a cheese grater

Okori Wadsworth - TWB reader who once placed 2nd in a Fabio lookalike contest (the real Fabio placed 4th)

Brett Clendaniel, Jr. - Proprietor of WrestleChat and president of the Spencer Hawes Fan Club

Justin Daley - TWB reader, has not been disproven as a time-traveler just yet

De O'Brien - Drop Toehold contributor, Wrestling Bro, future inventor of unsticky sticky rice

George Murphy - TWB reader and the leading distributor of GFYs on the web today

Josh Ray - Real Men, Real Dads webmaster and man most likely to eat kim chee with his St. Louis spareribs

Alex Torres - Contributor at Free Pro Wrestling, voted most likely to use a Melt grilled cheese sandwich as her contribution to a "Fans bring the weapons" match

Jay Sanudo - TWB reader and world-class breeder of echidnas

Frank McCormick - TWB reader, obsessive Chikara fan, and dragger of wrestling kicking and screaming into the 21st century

Jamie Girouard - TWB reader, boy from Jersey, diagnosed with terminal Jets fandom at a young age (please give him charity)

Devon Hales - TWB reader, Southern wrestling enthusiast, researcher of ways to weaponize sweet tea

Cameron Riley - TWB reader, token Aussie, once survived a 12-hour battle with a dung beetle (which are deadly in Australia)

Martin Bentley - Dirty Dirty Sheets contributor, on lifelong flight from Saraya Knight and her murderous rage

Eamon Paton - Curator and writer of The WrestleFan Writes, hypnotized Jojo Bravo into thinking he was the heaviest sumo in the land

Gregory Davis - Dirty Dirty Sheets site photographer, once tried to convince a hotel clerk he was the real Scottie Pippen and succeeded

Jennifer Logsdon - Pro Wrestling Ponderings contributor, curator and writer of Wrestling Reflections, Twitter's most famous dropper of unintentional sexual innuendo

Samantha Allen - TWB reader and most likely to shout "SPARTY, NO!" on Saturdays in autumn

Pablo Alva - TWB reader, once ate a live mine from WWII on a bet

Mike Pankowski - TWB reader, once bested a Sicilian when death was on the line

Dave Maes - TWB reader and the bitterest reader of the blog ever, narrowly edging out the anthropomorphic grapefruit who famously read last year's match countdown out loud

Jesse Dlugosz - TWB reader who once palmed a bowling ball on a dare

John Rosenberger - TWB reader, Wrestling Bro, world's least self-loathing New York Rangers fan

Victor Rodgers - TWB reader, inventor of the discount double check (bitter at distant relative Aaron stealing it for his State Farm spots)

Paolo Chikiamco - TWB reader, possibly Brazilian, which is cool enough for me not to make anything up about him

Shawn Duckett - TWB reader and possible touchdown vulture

Scott Holland - Co-writer of Irresistible Force vs. Immovable Object, cursed with living until the Cubs win another World Series, which is gonna take awhile

Mike Germano - TWB reader, Nikki and Paolo's time-travel constant

Luke Starr - Drop Toehold contributor, writer and curator of Over As Hell, was once given a choice between a fresh piece of string cheese and a Green Lantern ring (he chose the cheese)

Jamie Dobson - Indie wrestling interviewer, expert hatchet tosser

Lee Spriggs - Writer and curator of Wrestling Is Teleology, only person in world currently with special permissions to wear a fedora legally

Robert Dorman - Writer and curator of Hitting the Mark, was once offered a minor league buzkashi contract

Erin Pronovost - TWB reader, film buff, once had a dream where Ayako Hamada battled Mothra to a time limit draw

Joe Drilling - Co-host of the What a Maneuver podcast, the only known straight edge guy in the state of Wisconsin

Vince Morales - Writer and curator of ¡Olé! Wrestling and Miller Park Drunk, possibly drinking at this very moment

Barry Savant - Ring announcer for several Texas independent promotions including Anarchy Championship Wrestling, the only man in the world who makes a straw hat and suspenders look good

David Shoemaker - The Masked Man, former wrestling necrologist for Deadspin, current wrestling pontiff for Grantland, could very well be El Santo

Jon Parsons - TWB reader, only known resident of the Northwest Territories and thus can only be assumed he's wrestled a polar bear

Jae Renfrow - Voter recommended by the Brothers Hales, scent rated favorably by the Official Hounds of TWB (three corgis and an English bulldog)

Joey Odorisio - TWB reader, Wrestling Bro, certified semiconductor

Sean McLaughlin - TWB reader, Wrestling Bro, first non-Conehead to narfle the gartok

Jerome Cusson - Editor and contributor for Pro Wrestling Ponderings, voice, liver, and possibly the adrenal gland for Pro Wrestling Collision

Dave Musgrave - Co-host of the Wrestling Culture podcast, Canadian bylaws state that I must refer to him as "Grand General of Politeness"

Chris McDonald - TWB reader, may or may not have a farm, eieio

Tim Bridges - TWB reader, is his own three man band

Dylan Hales - Co-host of the Wrestling Culture podcast, reformed liar/fraud, world's second biggest hater of Triple H, after yours truly

Kevin Newburn - TWB reader, alchemist

@typicalROHfan - Man behind foremost Twitter parody account that isn't shitty and awful, New York deli enthusiast

Brandon Infinger - TWB reader, sentenced to life as a fan of Clemson despite the ACLU's protestations that it's cruel and unusual punishment

And now that the voters have been introduced, here are the 383 wrestlers who didn't make the cut. They will be listed in order from highest point total to lowest, so the first name is nominally wrestler #101:

Titus O'Neil
Mercedes Martinez
Ayako Hamada
Zack Ryder
PAC/Adrian Neville
Jey Uso
Arik Cannon
Darren Young
Fire Ant
Jimmy Uso
MsChif
Rey Mysterio
Jack Swagger
Hailey Hatred
Allysin Kay
Kaitlyn
William Regal
Matthew Palmer
Paige
assailANT
Meiko Satomura
Nicole Matthews
Zema Ion
Tara
BJ Whitmer
Brian Cage
Gary Jay
Gail Kim
Stevie Richards
Epico
Frightmare
Silas Young
Jerry Lynn (1 first place vote, Barry Savant)
AJ Lee
Charlie Haas
Kellie Skater
CIMA
Husky Harris/Bray Wyatt
Veda Scott
Magnus
Kobold
R-Truth
Primo
Kyle Matthews
Harry Smith
Obariyon
Vordell Walker
Gran Akuma
Sin Cara
Hunico
Richie Steamboat
Kodama
Bobby Fish
Finlay
Darin Corbin
Shane Hollister
Jake Crist
Estonian Thunder Frog
Shelton Benjamin
Steve Corino
Jeremy Wyatt
Dave Crist
Saturyne
Sonjay Dutt
Ayumi Kurihara
YAMATO
The Rock
Chavo Guerrero
Layla El
Drew McIntyre
Tensai
Big E. Langston
Shaun Tempers
Undertaker
Jakob Hammermeier
TJ Perkins
Uhaa Nation
Addy Starr
Pierre Abernathy
Masato Yoshino
2 Cold Scorpio
Chris Masters
Santino Marella
Tomasso Ciampa
Hiroyo Matsumoto
Scot Summers
Derrick King
Aaron Epic
Jojo Bravo
Michael McGillicutty
Manami Toyota
Louis Lyndon
Brodie Lee/Luke Harper
Luke Hawx
Josh Alexander
Damien Wayne
Natalya Neidhart
Matt Cross
Joey Ryan
David Otunga
Evan Gelistico
Andrew Alexander
Shane Williams
Jazz
Beth Phoenix
Bolt Brady
Triple H
Caprice Coleman
Luke Gallows/Big LG/DOC
Goldust
Mike Mondo
Eric Ryan
Jerry Lawler
Eric Young
Tank
Josh Prohibition
Tadarius Thomas
Jay Bradley
Cedric Alexander
Barbi Hayden
Brother Devon
Biff Busick
1-2-3 Kid
Jessica James/Lady Poison
Christina von Eerie
Rickey Shane Page
Ethan Page
Frankie Tucker
Pinkie Sanchez
Leva Bates
Tony Nese
Robbie E
Robert Anthony
Rhino
Scorpio Sky
Corey Hollis
Leo Kruger
Yoshi Tatsu
Dash Chisako
Tomoka Nakagawa
Mat Fitchett
Sendai Sachiko
Alex Castle
Matt Cage
Kimber Lee
Jon Davis
Courtney Rush
Jaka/Johnny Mangue
Mike Posey
Kalamity
Ken Anderson
Jervis Cottonbelly
Johnny Viper
Naruki Doi (1 first place vote, Jamie Dobson)
Matt Taven
Sting
BxB Hulk
Angel Blue
JD Amazing
Marion Fontaine
Vader
Johnny Knockout
Lancelot Bravado
J./Juntai Miller
Byron Wilcott
Mark Sterling
Carson
Harlem Bravado
Justin Mane
James Claxton
Brodus Clay
Sassy Stephie
GQ Gallo
Tsubasa Kuragaki
Corey Graves
Fred Yehi
Rhett Titus
Allison Danger
Jax Dane
Chris Dickinson
Chip Day
Dan Barry
Ryan Genesis
Glaad Badd
Su Yung
Commando Bolshoi
Johnny Cockstrong
Ice Cream, Jr.
Darius Carter
Jessie McKay
Ryo Saito
El Hijo del Ice Cream
Xavier Woods
Ray Rowe
Chris Marval
Jock Samson
Yumi Ohka
Gregory Iron
Brian Breaker
Shazza McKenzie
Diamond Dallas Page
Colin Delaney
Jinder Mahal
Ricardo Rodriguez/El Local
Sam Shields
Darin Childs
Eric Corvis
Hernandez
Ryo Mizunami
Ray
Rob van Dam
Rob Conway
Michael Tarver
Cyrus
Larry Gligorovic
Tim Storm
Chris Hamrick
Jaykus Plisken
Low Ki
Jimmy Rave
Shaun Ricker
Amazing Kong
Chris Silvio
Precious
Sapphire the Pigeon
Angelus Layne
Leon
Mike Dell
Vince McMahon
Kevin Matthews
Max Smashmaster
Lance Hoyt
Willie Richardson
Timothty Thatcher
Xandra Bale
Caleb Konley
Blaster McMassive
Scott Reed
Adam Page
Rodney Mack
Alex Reigns
QT Marshall
Matt Morgan
Tamina Snuka
Leon Scott
Cherry Bomb
Dom Vitalli
JT LaMotta
Hornswoggle
Thomas Shire
Brian Kendrick
Rufus Black
Bo Rotundo/Dallas
Irish Jack
Ricky Starks
Brian Christopher
JTG
Brett McKenzie
Ashton Vuitton
Mickie James
Shawn Streets
Black Baron
Andy Dalton
Brad Maddox
Wagner Brown
Jack Jameson
Luscious Latasha
Ann Dromeda/Don Juan
Grizzly Redwood
Danny Havoc
Jeremy Barnoff
Kekoa
John Skylar
Taka Suzuki
Mr. 450
Nick Bella
Acid Jaz
Kid Kash
Bobby Beverly
Keith Hamill
KT Hamill
Evan Bourne
combatANT
Danny DeManto
Brad Sherer
Jay Cade
Marshe Rockett
Johnny Vandal
Thunderkitty
Drew Haskins
Chris Hall
Julian Starr
Heidi Lovelace
Teigan James
Teddy Stigma
Ben Thrasher
Tadasuke
Jesse Neal
Stephen Walters
Scott Steiner
Juan Francisco de Coronado
Frankie Villa
Paul London
Petey Williams
Christian Rose
London Vice
CJ Esparza
Devin Cutter
Benz
Brent Gakiya
Drew Delight
Mason Cutter
Erik Watts
EITA
TJ Marconi
Papadon
Ray Gonzalez
Super Dragon
Hy-Zaya
Reed Bentley
Johnny Armani
Oleg the Usurper
Apollyon
Miss Natural
Christian York
Duke Schork
KC Spinelli
Jason Hexx
Latvian Proud Oak
Victor Creed
Necro Butcher
Ted DiBiase, JR.
Gus Money
Façade
Rhia O'Reilly
Mike Cruz
Kory Chavis
Charade
Johnny Yuma/Lars Only
Swamp Monster
B-Boy
Karl Anderson
Delirious
Nikki Roxx
dany only
Mike Sydal
Rush
Tommy Taylor
Ray Rosas
SBC
John Thorne
Flip Kendrick
Eric Cooper
Chiva Kid
Lince Dorado
Bandido, Jr.
Bill Carr
Jake Davis
Kahagas
Wildcat
Bruce Santee
Scott Keys
Perry Winkle
Curt Hawkins
Harker Dirge
Johnny Goodtime
Ace Rockwell
Tommy Rich
Cliff Compton
Orange Cassidy
Kamala, Jr.
D'Angelo Dinero
Alex Colon
Jason Hampton
Derek Hannon
Mascarita Dorada
Dustin Rayz
Gunner
Pretty Peter Avalon
Tucor
Azrieal
Danny Marlow
Homicide

Starting on Monday will be the official countdown in slow release, starting with #100 through #81.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

I was already behind on this, and WWE went and loaded the cot-dam card up on me. And that's before them adding the Kaitlyn/AJ Lee match I suspect they're adding too.

Special Attraction Match
Chris Jericho vs. Fandango

How: After trading beatdowns with each other, Jericho challenged Fandango to a match at Mania on this past week of RAW, which was accepted.

The Story: Fandango, the repurposed Johnny Curtis, debuted after months of vignettes preceding his arrival, but he refused to take the ring because no one could pronounce his name correctly. He was interrupted backstage in a segment by Chris Jericho, who went on to make really dumb jokes at the expense of his name before closing with a barb at his name being the same as the movie ticket service. Fandango answered that the same week on Smackdown by distracting Jericho during and attacking him after his match with Jack Swagger. Jericho returned the favor the next week on RAW by attacking Fandango before his opponent could come out for a match.

Analysis: In my bluntly honest opinion, this match could steal the show, even if it's only given five minutes. Say what you want about Chris Jericho as he is right now, and Brandon Stroud has been right about his nickname being "Cool Dad," but I think in the settings of a match, he'll be able to play a canvas, or more appropriately, a dance floor for Fandango to play off of. Regardless of what you think about him though, TAFKA Johnny Curtis is going to be the star of this match and the X-factor. He's really getting into the character, which is a MUST for something as silly and niche-bound as a ballroom dancer, so I'm very interested to see how the whole package plays out in a full match setting.

Who Should Win: Chris Jericho should win via disqualification or forfeit or countout or whatever. I like the idea of Fandango not wrestling and getting insane heat on himself until he's literally forced to wrestle or else lose his contract. There's still mileage in that story, and Jericho is probably the best canvas for it (provided he sticks around after Mania).

Who Will Win: Fandango will win, because new guys always win their debut matches, especially against wily old veterans who don't have a whole lot more to gain by winning matches.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Eight Person Intergender Tag Match
Damien Sandow, Cody Rhodes, and the Bella Twins vs. Brodus Clay, Tensai, Naomi, and Cameron

How: It was casually announced over the website this week

The Story: Cody Rhodes over the last few weeks had taken a shine to Kaitlyn, the Divas Champion and moustache enthusiast. Either oblivious to that fact or in a calculated attempt to stop him from chasing such frivolous endeavors, Damien Sandow set up a double date with them and the Bella Twins, which started slowly to become more of a regular pairing, much to Kaitlyn's chagrin (and right now, that Rhodes/Kaitlyn dynamic is very much a dangling storyline). The Bellas would get right back into the swing of things by slurring the Funkadactyls backstage, causing a brawl that would have made Joey Styles scream "CATFIGHT." Note, I'm glad Styles wasn't there to scream "CATFIGHT." This led to a series of matches between their male companions, which led to this eight-person tag at Mania.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Analysis: Ah, yes, your standard multi-person tag match to get people Mania paychecks, only this time, it's got both men and women. I expect this to contain a lot of comedy, interspersed within vicious-looking heat segments. The cynic might say not to expect much from this match, but hey, you never know. Five of the eight competitors are actually not bad, and who knows what tricks the Bellas or Cameron might have up their sleeves (or in Cameron's case, in her thigh-high athletic socks).

Who Should Win: This is the one match where I'm not sure I care who the winner or loser is, but just to keep my Internet cred high, Rhodes Scholars and the Bella Twins should win this match.

Who Will Win: I think this is your standard, "heels get the win in the undercard, faces get their heat back and then do a post-match dance celebration" thing that tends to happen on the low card. So yeah, Rhodes Scholars for the win, Tensai, Brodus and the Funcadactyls for the dance.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Intercontinental Championship Match
Wade Barrett (c) vs. The Miz

How: Another match that was made on the .com this week

The Story: The Miz and Chris Jericho made fun of Wade Barrett's role in Dead Man Down on an episode of Miz TV, and despite the fact that Miz's role in the Marine 3 made Barrett's movie look like the fucking Godfather, Barrett let it get under his skin, causing Brad Maddox to make a three-way match the next week on RAW. Barrett retained his title, but then he dropped a non-title match to Miz the next week on RAW. Not a whole lot there.

Analysis: I guess I'm glad that they're at least putting an Intercontinental Championship match on the card, but it feels so last minute and thrown together. I know that they're not The Rock or even Alberto del Rio, but for fuck's sake, Miz was a Mania headliner two years ago. It makes me wonder whether they've given up on him, but then again, there are a ton of mouths to feed in WWE right now. Maybe he's better off chasing midcard titles like they were women and he was a pathetic drunk dude at the bar. The match itself could be boring at least and a decent, shortish undercard match at the most. Miz has gotten better, and Barrett is a guy who can give good performances here and there.

Who Should Win: Miz, just to get the Intercontinental Albatross off Barrett and let him have a chance to beat Randy Orton instead of getting sentenced to perennially losing.

Who Will Win: Barrett, just because he's destined to lose the title on a random Main Event to Kofi Kingston.

Would he be more memorable if he were named Knuckles Barrett? Photo Credit: WWE.com

Camel Clutch Blog: What's In a Pro Wrestling Name

This week for the Camel Clutch Blog, I tackle the issue of names in wrestling, specifically WWE. While the idea of the first name/surname combination hasn't changed over the years, the use of nicknames and replacement first names has dropped. I advocate WWE use more of them in the future to give wrestlers a leg up to stand out.

A report from The Site That Shall Not Be Linked has passed along news that Reid Flair, Ric Flair's youngest son, has passed away at the age of 24. There are no other details at this time. Obviously, this is a shock. I will have a follow up as soon as I can get any details, but Christ, no one should ever have to die that young. RIP Reid Flair, and my deepest condolences and sympathies to all of his family and friends.

It's Friday, so in addition to needing to get down, it means the weekend is here with all the wrestling shows you can handle. There are plenty of shows this weekend, and whether I write about them here or not, it's more than likely you'll have a shitload of fun if you go. Check at Pro Wrestling Events for your hookup to see if there are any shows near you.

The biggest event on the calendar happens tonight at Turners Hall in Cleveland, OH. Absolute Intense Wrestling will present their annual Gauntlet for the Gold, which is headlined by a 30-person over the top battle royale to determine #1 contendership to the Absolute Championship, held currently by Eric Ryan. Ryan will also be in action defending his title against the winner of a six-man scramble match to happen earlier in the show featuring ACH, Davey Vega, Louis Lyndon, Marion Fontaine, Matt Cross, and Colin Delaney. The loser of the match, which is one fall to a finish? Well he gets to enter first in the Gauntlet for the Gold match. Also on the show, Tim Donst discusses his AIW future, Matt Tremont debuts against Chris Dickinson, and Johnny Gargano and Josh Alexander team up to take on Nixon's Rickey Shane Page and Bobby Beverly. Bell time is 7:30 PM local time.

Also happening Friday are two events down South that might catch your fancy. First, at the DSCW Arena in Blue Ridge, GA, Deep Southern Championship Wrestling will present a show with tickets ONLY costing $4. That's insane. It's like they saw what Empire was charging and was like "forget that, we can charge even less!" The show they're presenting has some nice matches too, including Shaun Tempers vs. Kyle Matthews in a rematch as well as Cyrus the Destroyer taking on Gunner. Also, I believe one of the Hales brothers will be there. Doors open for that event at 7 PM local. Clear across the state of Georgia into Alabama, Pro South Wrestling runs at the Pro South Arena in Piedmont, AL, with an assumed bell time of 6:30 PM local (they're really bad at posting their times, but get there early anyway). Tonight's event will be a one-night tournament called March Madness. I guess it's not publicized for copyright reasons? I dunno. Either way, it should also be fun as they'll be having Ace Haven, the Dakota Outlaws, and Pro South Champion Stupid (hell of a name there) appearing.

Tomorrow night's big event will the Ring of Honor show down in Asheville, NC, well, more like Fletcher, NC to be specific. The show takes place at the WNC Ag Center, bell time of 7:30 PM local. The main event features Kevin Steen defending the World Championship against Mark Briscoe, which is a precursor to his big brother's title shot at Supercard of Honor WrestleMania weekend. Jay Briscoe is still hurt, but he's advertised to be in attendance. Also on the show, there will be a four-way proving ground match for a future Television Championship shot with Champion Matt Taven against Roderick Strong, Jay Lethal, and ACH. Southern talent will also get a huge look at this show, as Corey Hollis and Mike Posey will get a Tag Title shot against Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly. Also, Caprice Coleman and Cedric Alexander get the American Wolves, and Adam Page will test his mettle against Michael Elgin.

That's not the only big event happening in the state of North Carolina. CWF Mid-Atlantic also runs Saturday, and they'll be on iPPV. If you're in the area and want to go though, their Madness in Any Direction event takes place at the Mid-Atlantic Sportatorium at 7:30 PM EDT. The show is headlined by a huge Mid-Atlantic Championship match pitting friends and tag partners against each other. Arik Royal defends his title against the red hot Chiva Kid in a match that both competitors wanted for a long time now. Also on the show, Trevor Lee defends his Television Championship against Caleb Konley, and Santana Garrett will team up with Amber O'Neal to go against Su Yung and Amanda Rodriguez.

Staying down south, Anarchy Wrestling in Cornelia, GA will be running Hardcore Hell at 8 PM local time at the Anarchy Arena. It features their yearly War Games match which will be for control of the company. Team Anarchy, featuring Iceberg, Slim J, "Stray Cat" Brodie Chase, Azrael, and a mystery partner, goes up against Team Elite, comprised of Shaun Tempers, Jagged Edge, The Big Hurt, and the Urban Assault Squad. Also of note, the Tag Titles are on the line as the Movement of Najasism and Vandal will defend against the Washington Bullets.

Moving up from one Empire state to another, the New York Wrestling Connection will present Aftermath Saturday at the NYWC Sportatorium. Again, they haven't posted a time anywhere, why do companies make it difficult to find out when stuff is happening? Yuck. Still, the proceeds are going to help autism research, so yeah, I can forgive the lack of scheduling. I'd assume it'll be happening in the evening. Anyway, Tony Nese will be appearing at this show, and The Big O will be defending his title against Apollyon, so you have HOSS POTENTIAL there. Also, if the last show is any indication, Stone Cold ET might show up too.

Last but certainly not least, Clash Wrestling will present Clash to the Future V at the Taylortown Trade Center in Taylor, MI, bell time 8 PM local. The show is headlined by a huge, 30 minute Iron Man match for the Clash Championship, J. (Juntai) Miller defending against Petey Williams. Also on the show, Tommy Treznik battles Cameron Skyy, and the "Caveman" Tyler Elkins will welcome a challenge from the Honky Tonk Man.

Here it is, the grand finale. I hope you enjoyed the list and found some new matches to check out in addition to the stuff you already watched!

Tim Donst (c) vs. ACH, AIW Absolute Championship, AIW Point Break, 9/23
What can I write about ACH that I haven’t written before? Well, I guess I’m going to have to attempt to do more here, because he and Donst helped salvage a show that was mired in the depths of a shakily done invasion/uprising angle. These two had rushed to the ring to help chase off Nixon, and as apparent allies, you’d think they would have done a straight clean, technical match. Both are capable of it, but man, they got downright chippy at some points of the match. Then again, it’s for the title. Donst didn’t wanna lose it on his first defense. ACH almost had his one-on-one opportunity stolen from him.

I had one slight problem with the match though. ACH at one point told the ref to start counting when Donst was on the outside. Titles don’t change hands on countouts, which is a mistake ACH rectified within the 4 count. But the rest of the match was good enough to make up for that mental mistake. Donst broke out his vast array of submissions, and ACH countered with his charismatic athleticism, at one point bursting from his back right into a counter rana. I mean, you can’t teach that kind of hops, or even more importantly, the kind of timing needed to make it look like a counter and not something Shelton Benjamin does to make people go “OOH! AAH!” Donst got the tap out victory with From Dusk til’ Donst, but both guys came out looking like winner here.

Sheamus vs. CM Punk, Main Event, 10/3 (airdate)
The first match in the new WWE show's history was a fine one. Punk and Sheamus put on a PPV-caliber match that went back and forth and had several big-time moves and counters. For example, Punk slipping out of the chest clubs and then booting Sheamus in the head was slickly done. The finish was great too, with Punk using tried and true heel tactics of the exposed turnbuckle and pulling the tights.

Mark Angelosetti (c) vs. Green Ant, Young Lions Cup Match, Chikara Deep Freeze, 10/6
For as much as this was Angelosetti’s first defense of his Cup, it was also his first real test in a main event scenario as well. I doubt that it’ll be his last, and he got a good dance partner, even if Green Ant’s main event chops had been limited to tags at that point. A lot of this match was carried by Touchdown’s underhanded tactics, thanks to his cheerleader-manager Veronica Ticklefeather, but there was a lot of good lucha libre action going on between the cheating as well, including Angelosetti countering a triangle armbar with the Backlund short arm scissors in a near deadlift. He packs a lot of strength in that short frame, he does. Of course, Green Ant came at him with everything in his tank. The strong submission game was a given, and in addition to the triangle, he busted out his patented cloverleaf as well. The finish of the match was seamless, wrestling theater, well done on all four parts, Angelosetti, Greenie, Veronica, and Bryce Remsburg. Angelosetti didn’t keep his first title defense clean, but passing the baton off on Greenie and his form on his helmet shot made it feel so smooth.

Mark Angel vs. Jessicka Havok, Beyond Wrestling/WSU Secret Card, 10/13
Watch it here!

Shhhh, this is a secret card and a secret match. Angel and Havok at the time were the nominal heads of their companies, so of course any interpromotional card would have to have them facing off. Angel kicked off the match by farting in Havok’s gas mask, which made me laugh a lot harder than it should have. Of course, he who dealt it had to smelt it in this case. You know Havok wasn’t going to let that go, right? The match settled into a hard-hitting groove, as one might expect. The levity wasn’t finished with the beginning of the affair though. As Angel had Havok in the corner chopping her, he moved down towards her chest, pulling away in pain when he did. Havok revealed she was wearing a spiked bra. Classic. Havok put Angel away with the Air Raid Crash to cap a fine contest.

Leva Bates vs. Kalamity, WSU Full Steam Ahead, 10/13
Originally published in my review for Full Steam Ahead

I have grown to appreciate the art of the opening match kick over the last year. I dunno, it used to be that the opener was for the schlubs who couldn't do anything, but rosters are getting to the point where there's talent everywhere. So, when Leva Bates and Kalamity is opening the show for good reason, then it's more of a statement of how good wrestling has gotten rather than an issue of card layout.

Why did this match work as well as it did? Bates came off here as one of the most expressive wrestlers on the planet. Her facial expressions were top notch, telling a story about how the match was going for her without saying too much. Sure, she talked shit during the match too in her own way. My favorite instance of that was when Kalamity was tapping the canvas in an attempt to alleviate the pressure, and Bates yelled "SHE'S TAPPING! SHE'S TAPPING!" Conversely, Kalamity let her angry feet tell her side of the story. Any chance she got, she was kicking the living daylights out of Bates, going forward like destroying those in her path was the thankless job told in the absolute dourness of her face.

It was an interesting contrast in styles with great pacing, a lot of cool moves (Kalamity broke out the Goku-Raku Gatame!), and more than enough theatrical atmosphere to go around. It was also concise, which for an opener has to be the case. LuFisto/Martinez would be the match that got the lion's share of the time. There's something to be said for economy of time, but when you approach a match the way these two did, then anything's possible.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Antonio Cesaro vs. Justin Gabriel, RAW, 10/15
Excepting the fact that the dumbshit crowd chanted USA in this match, it was maybe the perfect reason why the move to three hours is wholly justified. It started out as a display for Cesaro to hoss it up, which he's quite good at if you haven't figured out yet. I was a huge fan of Claudio Castagnoli in the indies, but as good as he was there, he was MADE to be in a WWE ring. Gabriel was the perfect canvas for him to do things like big lariats and Goomba stomps. Seriously, the sell on the lariat was perfect. The 450 to end the match almost felt like a slip-up, but both wrestlers and Jim Ross covered for it well. Then, that European uppercut. Lord, so good.

Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler, RAW, 10/22
Oh my God. Was the best part of this match Daniel Bryan getting a chance to show his submission prowess? Was it him taking that bump on the suplex to the outside from Dolph Ziggler? Was it Ziggler going jaw first into the top of the ring post on the flip over the turnbuckle? How about Bryan going into Ziggler with a plancha? The top rope X-Factor? Bryan being distracted by Kane into a Zig Zag for the finish? The answer is obviously YES! YES! YES!

Sami Callihan vs. Davey Richards, PWG Failure to Communicate, 10/27
When a guy has a reputation, it can skew the analysis and enjoyment of his matches. Maybe it’s a matter of overrating it when he doesn’t pull out the bad tropes. Maybe it’s a matter of groaning when they do make an appearance in a match when they actually work. I’m not sure if this is going to be a “correct” rating, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Davey Richards had a really good, even great, singles match, and it was against Sami Callihan. So maybe it wasn’t so much of a skewed reaction? I don’t know.

What I do know was that this was a tense, stiff thriller that included a lot of neat submissions and submission counters. Richards took a couple of really huge bumps, especially taking a scoop sweep while on the apron, and he dished a couple out himself, most notably him dropping a kick on a seated Callihan. The submission work was really excellent though. That’s what made the match for me, the guys going from hold to hold, or even Richards trying like hell to go from different holds to put Callihan out. There was a sequence where Callihan had Richards in the Trailer Hitch, but Richards grabbed onto his free ankle and went into the ankle lock. Callihan wiggled out of it, put Richards in the beginning of the Hitch again before just slamming his knee to the canvas. It was a beautiful exchange that was actually foreshadowing to the finish of the match, where Richards was in the Stretch Muffler and reaching for the ankle again before tapping out.

The thing about this match is that Richards started settling into some of his bad habits at the end, but he limited to the end. When Richards kicked out of the lariat at one and popped up to deliver a flurry, it was a moment of sheer adrenaline. It punctuated how silly his past habits and the habits he’s influenced on guys even on that card (watch Michael Elgin vs. Eddie Edwards if you wanna get pissed off at excessive no-selling and finisher-type spam). But ignoring the context and trying to watch Richards like you were doing it for the first time, and in this match, it worked. Of course, it helped that Callihan is just amazing, but that’s besides the point. Or is it?

Kenny Omega and El Generico vs. Matt and Nick Jackson, PWG Failure to Communicate, 10/27
The Young Bucks are so good at being asshole pricks that it’s hard not to like them in spite of their intentions in a given match. They played guitar with Omega’s arm, stole his hat, brutalized Generico when he tried for a tag, blatantly going for low blows. My favorite piece of evidence towards their dickish likability happened when Matt Jackson and Omega were on the mat reenacting Over the Top. Omega appeared to have the upper hand, but then Nick Jackson came flying from the top to break up the match. Utter ruthless assholery, and I loved it. Of course, the Bucks got what was coming to them in the end, which involved taking a BRAINBUSTAAAAHHHH! and an Avalanche Croyt’s Wrath, the latter a move I’m still trying to process. All in all, it was a fantastic display of everything Omega, Generico, and especially The Young Bucks can do in a wrestling ring.

Mike Posey (c) vs. Kyle Matthews, RPW Television Championship Match, RPW Doctoberfest, 10/28
Watch it here!

Man, did Posey shit in Matthews’ coffee or something, because this is at least the second time Matthews beat him for one of his titles. As with the first match, it was a well-contested thriller, but unlike that poorly-shot fan-cam from the Pro South Arena, this had the benefit of real TV cameras catching the action at Johnny G’s Fun Zone. Under the bright lights, the two were able to put in work visible to everyone. Matthews toyed with him with his submissions, but Posey had answers for a lot of his high-flying moves. I especially dug the exchange at the end, where Matthews had Posey up for a superplex, but Posey slipped out and tripped Matthews into the Tree of Woe. He went for a big dropkick, but Matthews pulled himself up and made Posey eat the ring post. The finish was very well-done and well-sold by the announcers. Posey went to the top to try and cheap his way to a win by delivering a guillotine leg drop with the TV Title belt draped across his butt. He missed, and Matthews capitalized. It was a great finish to an outstanding match.

Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara vs. Alberto del Rio, Darren Young and Titus O'Neil, Main Event, 10/31 (airdate)
WWE indulging in some hot trios action is always a good thing. If tag team matches can hide weaknesses, then trios matches further dilute weaknesses and mix the strengths of six wrestlers into something potentially special. The guy on display in this match was Young, who did all the little things that turned a formula WWE match into something that felt fresh. Stuff like slapping Mysterio's head derisively or knocking him off the apron in hurried, frantic fashion did not go unnoticed. Everyone got their shots in, and the result was a fine six-man tag on what is becoming WWE's best show.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

Kahagas (c) vs. Damien Wayne, NWA World Championship Match, NWA Houston Show, 11/9
Watch it here!

Hey, do you like batshit insane brawls? Do you like grizzled dudes beating the shit out of each other? Do you like apron spots and guys getting slammed into walls? Do you like pie? Well, if you like the first three things I mentioned, this match will be right up your alley. Not one week with the NWA World Championship, and Kahagas was already embroiled in a blood feud with Wayne, who felt wronged by the decision. So they brawled in the ring and out of it. They slammed each other into tables. Well, that was the tamest thing they did. Kahagas at one point threw a garbage can at Wayne, who answered by slamming the Champ into a cinder block wall. Later on, Kahagas planted Wayne headfirst onto a table with a DDT, which Wayne eventually followed up by draping the Champ hanging off the apron and then hitting him with a leg drop from the top rope. Eventually, they made it to the outside AGAIN, and Wayne smashed Kahagas’ head with a beer bottle after the Champ spat a drink in his face. Unable to keep up with the antics on the outside, the ref DQed them both, which was kind of a dick move, but then again, with insane fisticuffs like that, does there need to be a finish? Okay, maybe there does, but the body of this match was so good that I could overlook it.

Jaka vs. Gran Akuma, Wrestling Is Fun! Bananaversary, 11/17
Originally published in my review for Bananaversary

Going into the event, I thought that Jaka/Akuma might be the best match, and it turns out my feeling was validated. It's a good feeling to have when a match lives up to expectation. Then again, when two opponents match up as well as the former Johnny Mangue and the current ronin of the Chikara roster (I refuse to acknowledge Wink's bull-doodie Chikarametrics), it's not hard to see why this match would be so good.

So, why was it destined to be a great match? It was a case where two guys with similar styles got together and meshed well to create an ideal atmosphere. Both are among the hardest hitters on the circuit, they aren't afraid to take the big hit, and they both love submission wrestling. They provided all of that and then some. My personal favorite part of the match was the reeducation on old-timey wrestling tropes, especially the "guys from the jungle have hard heads" one. That might be a bit racist, but at the same time, it's in a Chikara-style promotion, not WWE. Jaka wasn't cast as a dumbass. There was style in his game.

I'd also say that between this and the excellent main event, that WIF! has found a way to provide a gateway for young kids into appreciating what we consider as good wrestling. For that reason alone, this match is not only must-see, it's must-watch with your kids as well. Trust me. I'm a father.

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Randy Orton, The Miz, Daniel Bryan, Kane, and Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler, Alberto del Rio, Wade Barrett, Damien Sandow, and David Otunga, Survivor Series, 11/18
Originally published in my review for Survivor Series

The formula for a good Survivor Series elimination match is simple. Stock each team with at least four good wrestlers, let each guy cycle through spots, put in something cool for the occasion and then try to tell some kind of story. It's pretty nice if someone who doesn't win all the time gets to win, but that's gravy. Plus, wrestling isn't about wins and losses, remember? I thought they did a tremendous job of setting the stage here and giving everyone a chance to shine.

Obviously, the loss of Cody Rhodes from the match hurt, because he and Damien Sandow had a story going with the Tag Team Champions. Still, at least Sandow got a heavy dosage of attention in this match, as well he should. He's part of the future of the company. The real standouts in the match for me were Orton, Bryan, and Ziggler though, which is unsurprising, at least for the last two. Orton runs hot and cold for me, but when he's on, he's really on. I really dug his borderline psychosis. Maybe it was his admission of hate to Mick Foley before the match that he hated him that set the mood, but regardless, he really worked for me here, especially at the end, when he allowed vengeance to claim his heart. His face, blood dripping down his lower lip, as he pondered kicking Ziggler in the head, was just priceless.

Ziggler was a spotlight guy for his own reasons, both comical and emotional. There's no reason for him to bump the way he did for Kingston's monkey flip, but it worked. Why? Why does anything in wrestling work? It's a spectacle. Bryan also knew this, and of course he hammed it up, both in the ring as a competitor and in the face of his tag partner and virtual husband, Kane. That wasn't to say everyone else didn't shine. They all had their roles too. Otunga flex-pinning on Bryan so nonchalantly that the ref had to admonish him for not having the shoulders down was just awesome as a visual, even if it wasn't on purpose. It's the little things like that that coalesce and make a match that could be as disparate and ego-driven as possible into one, complete tale with several stories entwined into one strong thread.

Dolph Ziggler vs. John Cena, RAW, 11/26
This match encapsulated the dichotomy between wrestler and producer in WWE like none other. The meat of this match was outstanding, like what we've all come to expect from both men with one twist. It wasn't Ziggler who took the big bump here, but it was Cena, going HARD into the ring steps. In fact, Ziggler was allowed to look like an offensive juggernaut most of the match, breaking out moves that have been rarely or never seen from him in his WWE career so far, like that sidewinder jawbreaker and the leaping sitout DDT. Where the match almost lost me though was at the end, where they made it a point to bring out EVERY SINGLE ONE of WWE's tried and true angle-lengthening tropes. Ziggler tried to take the turnbuckle pad off. Cena "aggravated" his knee "injury." AJ Lee and Vickie Guerrero came out to distract the ref enough for Ziggler to get in a potential briefcase shot. All of that, and John Cena still went all Superman all over everyone's asses (and I say everyone because the fans got got as much as Ziggler did there). Be that as it may, I couldn't hate on this match. I enjoyed it way too much before the shit at the end went down.

John Cena vs. Damien Sandow, Main Event, 11/28 (airdate)
I think the best way you can tell WWE likes a guy, they put him in there "before he's ready" against John Cena. I remember in the last few years that Jack Swagger, CM Punk, and Dolph Ziggler all getting very competitive matches against Cena before they were given the ball. So from this tilt on Main Event, it should be taken as a sign of faith in our intellectual savior. That faith should have been academic, given how great of a year in the ring Sandow had had to this point. Sandow's strengths are his plodding, methodical offense interspersed with taunting. He broke out four cartwheels – FOUR – before Cena finally took advantage of one. Cena treated this match like it was a PPV main event against a post-ascension Punk, which made Sandow look all the more impressive. The finish was really slick with Cena struggling out of the Terminus and segueing into the STF. All in all, another fine centerpiece match for Main Event.

Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

Jigsaw, deviANT, Soldier Ant, and The Shard vs. Mike Quackenbush, Fire Ant, Green Ant and assailANT, Chikara Under the Hood, 12/2
Originally published in my Under the Hood review

If you wanted to give someone a textbook example of storytelling in a professional wrestling match, you should show them this atomico. The Gekido storyline didn't seem to have the kind of juice that people thought it should have early in the season, but here, we saw what it was all about. It was about Jigsaw showing his true colors, not as an uncaring butthole, but as a guy obsessed with winning. He was ruthless, cold... a killer. He was even trolling towards Quack, teasing going for castigo de excesivo with brainbusters on Fire Ant, a callback to Indianapolis when Quack's rage made him do all four Quackendrivers on 17.

It was about Soldier Ant playing the good soldier, pun intended. It was about him standing with his former stablemates for the first time since they were involuntarily split by Wink Vavasseur, actively sabotaging his own team, getting thrown around by Jigsaw when they got too obvious. It was about assailANT playing the polar opposite, accepting his new role, whether through genuine feeling or Stockholm Syndrome, cheering his teammates on from the apron and taking a superkick for Quack. It was about dragging humanity out of Quack himself, holding up from delivering a shotei to Jigsaw at first, thinking there was some good still left in him.

But most of all, it was about everything coming together, all eight men weaving their reeds to create one piece of violent art. This match, like many atomicos that came before it, was the epitome of Chikara's mastery at storytelling.

Antonio Cesaro (c) vs. R-Truth vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Wade Barrett, United States Championship Fatal Four Way Match, RAW, 12/3
Junk food wrestling isn't bad inasmuch as junk food isn't bad in small doses. Seeing a match with frenzied flying, finishers galore, and guys just busting out spot after spot isn't something I want to see all the time, but when it's at the tail end of a sleepy RAW, it's a welcome change of pace. Everyone was on point, but you'd be fooling yourself if this wasn't a display to make Cesaro look like a goddamn beast. Uppercuts to R-Truth while jumping off the apron and Kingston after he sprinted around the ringside area and springboarded off the ring steps were both amazing. Seriously, his Swiss Death counters are getting more and more epic by the week. Plus, he broke out the Big Swing! And segued it into a single crab! And he did the Waterslide again! AND HE PICKED KINGSTON UP OUT OF A PIN INTO THE NEUTRALIZER! Just give Cesaro all the belts, please.

Daniel Bryan, Kane, and Ryback vs. Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins, TLC Match, WWE TLC, 12/16
Originally published in my review for TLC

It's funny, the meme when Seth Rollins was still Tyler Black was that he didn't have good matches unless it was against Bryan Danielson or Nigel McGuinness. His first match in WWE was partially against the rechristened Danielson, and it was not only the best match on TLC, but maybe one of the best matches of the entire year. Of course, there were four other men in the tilt that helped make it such.

At its heart, the match was a huge brawl. Right from jump, as The Shield emerged from the crowd and were pounced upon by the Tag Champs and Ryback, the mood was set. There wouldn't be any order at all. No one was concerned about keeping things neat or organized. Tables and chairs and barricades were all broken. I'm sure body parts might have been too. Everyone ate their fair share of punishment, which was par for the course. Some took it a bit harder than others obviously. The question wasn't whether Ryback would get up from the triple power bomb through the Spanish announce table as to when he'd do it. Kane being put out by the Reigns spear through the barricade was a bit more surprising, but at least they made a debris-strewn prison for him to be encased in.

Then there was the sacrifice at the end. Rollins climbed the ladder on the stage ostensibly to splash Ryback, who was laying on the table. Then again, maybe the story was he knew Ryback was going to rise up like he did from the triple bomb on the table. Maybe he knew he had to sacrifice himself so Ambrose and Reigns could finish off Bryan in the ring. When looking at it through that lens, it was a brilliant masterstroke for a match that stole the show and perhaps stole the year. And to think, Rollins didn't even need to play off Bryan directly to do it.

John Cena vs. Dolph Ziggler, TLC Match for Ziggler’s Money in the Bank Briefcase, WWE TLC, 12/16
Let’s forget that John Cena tried to do a hurricanrana during this match. Block it out of your mind. Forget that Dolph Ziggler bumped as only he could have for that absurd execution of what has become a long-standard wrestling hold. Everything else in this match was golden though. I know that highlighting “high spots” isn’t really chic when it comes to analyzing a match, but in this case, it was the massive feats of strength and insane pratfalls taken by both men that punctuated its memorability. Whether it was Ziggler and Cena falling to the outside of the ring from a ladder after the latter climbed it while the former had a sleeper hold applied or Cena shutting a ladder with Ziggler still on it and trying to toss him out of the ring, these moments made this a proper main event. Of course, Ziggler winning didn’t hurt either, but that’s just my inner bitchy, petulant nerd-fan coming out.

Honorable Mentions:

• Allysin Kay (c) vs. Crazy Mary Dobson, AIW Women's Championship Match, AIW Point Break, 9/23
• Dave and Jake Crist vs. Kyle O'Reilly and Adam Cole, AIW Point Break, 9/23
• Natalya Neidhart vs. Beth Phoenix, Smackdown, 9/28 (airdate)
• Sheamus vs. Damien Sandow, RAW, 10/1
• Tim Donst and Jakob Hammermeier vs. Fire Ant and assailANT, Chikara Deep Freeze, 10/6
• LuFisto vs. Mercedes Martinez, WSU Full Steam Ahead, 10/13
• Daniel Bryan and Kane vs. Dolph Ziggler and The Big Show, Smackdown, 10/19 (airdate)
• Adam Cole vs. Bandido, Jr., CTWE Born to Battle 3, 10/20
• Ryback vs. Dolph Ziggler, RAW, 10/22
• Alberto del Rio vs. Randy Orton, Hell in a Cell, 10/28
• Daniel Bryan and Kane (c) vs. Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow, WWE Tag Team Championship Match, Hell in a Cell, 10/28
• CM Punk (c) vs. Ryback, WWE Championship Hell in a Cell Match, Hell in a Cell, 10/28
• Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow, RAW, 10/29
• Dolph Ziggler and CM Punk vs. John Cena and Ryback, RAW, 11/5
• Wade Barrett vs. Sheamus, Main Event, 11/7 (airdate)
• Daniel Bryan and Kane (c) vs. Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow, WWE Tag Team Championship Match, Main Event, 11/14 (airdate)
• Mark Angelosetti (c) vs. Mike Quackenbush, WiF! Banana Championship Match, WiF! Bananaversary, 11/17
• The Big Show (c) vs. Sheamus, World Heavyweight Championship Match, Survivor Series, 11/18
• CM Punk (c) vs. John Cena vs. Ryback, WWE Championship Match, Survivor Series, 11/18
• The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler, Main Event, 11/21 (airdate)
• Jeff Hardy vs. Christian York, Impact, 11/22 (airdate)
• AJ Styles vs. Kazarian, Impact, 11/22 (airdate)
• The Big Show vs. Daniel Bryan and Kane, Smackdown, 11/23 (airdate)
• Daniel Bryan vs. Rey Mysterio, RAW, 11/26
• Sheamus vs. Antonio Cesaro, RAW, 11/26
• Icarus vs. Dasher Hatfield, Chikara Under the Hood, 12/2
• Mark Angelosetti (c) vs. ACH, Chikara Young Lions Cup Championship Match, Chikara Under the Hood, 12/2
• Sin Cara vs. Alberto del Rio, RAW, 12/3
• Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus, RAW, 12/10
• Alberto del Rio vs. Zack Ryder, RAW, 12/10
• Alberto del Rio vs. Ryback, Main Event, 12/12 (airdate)
• Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal, and Drew McIntyre vs. Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel, Main Event, 12/12 (airdate)
• Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow vs. Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio, Tables Match, TLC, 12/16

If just for one night, People Power returned. It was glorious, I admit. Sure, it got squashed out by The Rock, but it was great to see John Laurinaitis come out and actually bring up the past. He has beef with John Cena, just the same as Rock does. Hell, his beef is greater. Cena cost him his job. All Cena did to Rock was call him some names and win a chance at his title.

But in refusing Laurinaitis' advances, did Rock seal his own fate? It's obvious that Laurinaitis wants an in on this match. He wants an in back into WWE. Why else would he come back, or better yet, why else would he interject himself so closely to Mania? I mean, this isn't Piper's Pit happening a month out from Mania. It almost feels like that this isn't the end of the Rock/Cena saga. Instead, it feels like it's the beginning of something else.

Many people have pointed out Cena's tone, cadence, and material Monday pointing towards him going bad. He was compared to Steve Austin, but what higher power would Cena sell out to if this story was the analogue? Well, bam, John Laurinaitis has a lot of sway. If he could get the support of the WWE Champion, well, he could get a lot of his former standing back. So, Rocky, by refusing Laurinaitis' advances and dropping the elbow, may have sealed his fate.

Sure, this could all just be one, bony, greasy red herring. WWE feels like they're a company that leads one way just to go with something different. In this case, the heel tease and Laurinaitis might just be a smokescreen for Cena to win at Mania in the way he always seems to do. But if this foreshadowing is correct, then the traps are being set and the plot is thickened.

Now, the rest of the show was kinda dull. Good wrestling in spots, but dull. However, just as he did before, John Laurinaitis, in the most unassuming manner ever, made sense of everything. Slowly, but surely, WrestleMania might seem worth getting excited for.

Why won't they let her fight?

Fallon Fox is a mixed martial arts fighter. She also used to be a man. In a perfect world, those two things shouldn't really have anything to do with each other. However, Fox is being stonewalled by MMA promotions, governing bodies, and athletic commissions on the sheer fact that she used to be a man.

Transgender Americans are just starting to gain a foothold to get the rights that are afforded to them similar to the ones people who have remained the same gender their entire lives, but with that foothold, there's a lot of resistance. It's not surprising that sports, the last bastion of the macho-as-a-rule, are the most resistant to change. Homosexuals have made better strides towards getting full protection under law that "normal" people have (normal in quotes because really, what the fuck is normal anyway? It's not straight/cis/white/male, that's for damn sure), but the same number of active athletes in the four major sports leagues in America who are out of the closet is the same number of women who have been President and people who have walked on Mars.

So, if homosexuals can't even get a foothold in sports without staying closeted, what hope do the transgendered have? I mean, we live in a country where a state, Arizona, is trying to pass legislation that would bar transgender human beings from using public bathrooms, posting guard at doors to check ID for gender authentication. I mean, how are we going to expect the talking heads in MMA to accept Fox in their ranks when we've still got legislators who think it's a good idea to check driver's licenses at the door as a condition of going to the bathroom?

Of course, those in favor of keeping Fox from fighting in women's MMA are arguing out of concern of the other fighters, or so they say. The most visible and vocal opponent of this is comedian, UFC color commentator, and noted misogynist with a podcast Joe Rogan. In this clip, he argues against Fox's inclusion in women's MMA using some pretty awful language, but also using some seemingly salient logic.

Now, it's true. Fox has male bone structure. She's nominally bigger than most women even in her weight class. However, does anatomical advantage automatically translate to dominance in the sport? No matter how many examples of dudes in other sports with size advantages who failed miserably as a counterweight that anatomy doesn't mean everything, people are going to continue to hide behind the concern for women fighters who were always women. Nevermind the fact that Cyborg Santos is two inches taller and the same weight. She's allowed to show her dominance in the Octagon because she was born a woman.

That's the thing that gets me. It's the concern trolling. I don't know if everyone who makes the argument is sincere about the condition of Fox's future opponents, but I do know there's enough evidence that the guy leading the charge might not be as genuine in his concern for fighters like Santos, Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, or anyone else and is just looking for justification for his own bigotry. I could be wrong, but Rogan has shown me nothing that he's anything more than a meathead who would rather keep his boys club without any icky girls.

Oh, and the first person that tells me "Listen to his podcast, dude" can shove it up their own rear ends. Don't defend this guy. Instead, maybe Rogan should probably say something that would make me want to hear more of what he has to say rather than calling women cunts for not wanting to be sexually assaulted by Rampage Jackson, making funny faces when his boss announces that the next season of their reality show will be coached by girls (watch the fucking video, he starts making incredulous faces far before Dana White says anything about men and women living together in the same house, and even after the fact, oh no, men and women be fuckin'! WHO GIVES A SHIT?), or showing his own transphobia by throwing slurs at Fox before showing "genuine concern" for other fighters.

I'm not saying everyone is Joe Rogan. I know people who have the same arguments as he does without being total pieces of slimy human garbage like he is. But what I'm saying is that the concern for other women fighters is misplaced. Bone structure doesn't win fights. Fighters win fights. We don't know if Fallon Fox is even a good fighter because she's not being given the chance. And hell, what does that say about the caliber of fighter that Santos, Rousey, and the rest of the active corps of women's MMA that they are being given no shot to beat Fox because her body type is different? It reeks of preconceived biases, misapplication of science, and this insidious notion that the purity of a sport that will die out long before humanity does (and that's true of every sport, more than likely) matters more than the condition of the people playing it.

Fallon Fox is a woman. She should be allowed to fight other women. That's the last word that should be spoken about this subject, but it won't because society at large hasn't even welcomed the transsexual community with open arms yet. Why should we expect the world of sport, which has always lagged behind on issues such as these with the possible exception of Branch Rickey making the bold move of signing Jackie Robinson at least a whole decade before the Civil Rights movement really kicked into high gear? Maybe MMA needs a Branch Rickey to give someone like Fallon Fox a shot, because lord knows if it were up to Joe Rogan, Fallon Fox would be dead in the ground before anyone ever thought of letting trans fighters in MMA.

Yesterday was Easter Sunday, which depending on where on the meter between "culturally snarky" and "super pious" you are could have meant an abundance of things. For most of us though, it's a holiday associated with candy, especially marshmallow Peeps like the one John Laurinaitis is modeling above. I'm personally more of a peanut butter egg kinda guy, but there's no way I'm passing up an opportunity to post a picture of Big Johnny holding a piece of candy and smiling like he just got his job back.

A rematch! Photo Credit: WWE.com

Alright, it's time to settle the Elite 8 of this year's tournament, but first, here are the results from the other two regions and their semifinals:

American Legion Region
#12 Mark Henry d. #1 Kevin Steen, 36-31
#3 El Generico d. #2 Austin Aries, 43-23
Easton Funplex Region
#4 Antonio Cesaro d. #1 Eddie Kingston, 54-13
#3 Rachel Summerlyn d. #2 Johnny Gargano, 41-25

And now, the regional finals. First up, it's the Berwyn Eagles Club region, pitting #1 CM Punk against #3 Alberto del Rio in a rematch from Survivor Series 2011. Punk defeated Chiva Kid, Dolph Ziggler, and Robert Roode, while del Rio knocked off Shane Hollister, Sami Callihan, and Athena. This feud raged on from the tail end of the Summer of Punk 2 and into the end of 2011. del Rio never got his win back. Can he get it here, or is the power of two-time finalst CM Punk too much for him to handle?

In the Turners Hall region, #9 Tim Donst takes on defending Champion and #2 Daniel Bryan in a rematch from the summer of 2010. Donst took out Ryback, John Cena, and Jessicka Havok to get here, while Bryan dispatched Darin Corbin, Christopher Daniels, and ACH. Donst has played the role of giant-killer to get here, but Bryan is still the best in the world. Can Donst pull off yet another improbable upset en route to the Final Four?

In the American Legion region, #12 Mark Henry battles #3 El Generico. Henry defeated Tucor, Jeff Hardy, Kane, and Kevin Steen, while Generico took down Kyle Matthews, Wade Barrett, and Austin Aries. Henry has gone from the play-in round to the doorstep of the Final Four, but standing in his way is one of the most beloved and dynamic indie wrestlers of the last decade. Henry is the immovable object. Generico the irresistible force. Something's gotta give.

Finally, in the Easton Funplex, #4 Antonio Cesaro will go to war against #3 Rachel Summerlyn. Cesaro left Silas Young, Amazing Kong, and Eddie Kingston laying, while Summerlyn went HAM on Steve Corino, Mark Angelosetti, and Johnny Gargano. In another life, Cesaro had no problem wrestling women, even if his encounter with Sara del Rey left him laying. Will that leave him wide open for Summerlyn to take advantage, or will she fall victim to a Very European uppercut?

VOTE

Photo Credit: WWE.com

Six-Man Tag
Randy Orton, The Big Show, and Sheamus vs. Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns (The Shield)

How: The match was made in between shows after the Shield attacked Orton and Sheamus for the umpteenth time.

The Story: The Shield, a group of three wrestlers from NXT, began attacking random wrestlers, starting with Ryback at Survivor Series. The method to their madness was revealed over time in that they were in WWE to right injustices by force against those perpetrating them. Even though they were bought and sold by Paul Heyman, their mission was never deterred. They went from assaulting Ryback in the interest of protecting CM Punk's title reign to attacking other popular babyface-types like John Cena, Randy Orton, and Sheamus. Cena, Sheamus, and Ryback teamed up at Elimination Chamber to try and defeat them, but it was for naught.

Orton and Sheamus had emerged from their Chamber dalliances (Orton was in the actual Chamber match itself) wanting to end Undertaker's Streak. They and Big Show staked claims against the Dead Man along with CM Punk, which led to a four-way match that Punk won. Hostilities among the three losers of the match emerged, and they were soon embroiled in a series of matches that were all interrupted by The Shield. At first, the rogue group didn't target Show, but he interjected his fist across their various faces for the interference before doing the same to Sheamus and Orton because of longstanding animosity.

Something had to be done about this group, so Sheamus and Orton banded together out of necessity. A challenge was laid down for Mania, and the two accepted, with a third wrestler needed to fill the ranks. While Show offered his services, the Celtic Vipers had other thoughts in mind, reaching out to Ryback. However, plans changed when Ryback's tensions with Mark Henry necessitated them having a HOSS FIGHT to end all HOSS FIGHTS at Mania. Reluctantly, they turned to Show. The group has since had an uneasy truce, although Show's presence has cast doubts over whether Orton and Sheamus can trust them. Orton has been the voice of reason, while it's Sheamus' hangups that keep Show aloof. Still, the group has rallied to be a force that has kept the cohesive Shield at bay for the last couple of weeks.

Analysis: Someone's turning here. Let's get that out of the way now. There's no way that this makeshift group of wrestlers is going to survive Mania intact, especially since resolved internal strife weeks before a big event is the biggest tell that there's going to be some kind of discord on the way down (whereas if they resolve their strife AT a big event, that team is build to last, at least for the next month). Sheamus seems to be too obvious, because he's the guy causing all the strife with his insecurities. Big Show also seems too obvious because he was recently the best bad guy WWE has had. Obviously, in any other entertainment medium, the most obvious guy would turn, but it's pro wrestling, so SWERVE. Even though it might not make the most sense due to how it's being built, Orton seems to be the candidate that's going to go heel. However, there's a chance none of them will until the next night on RAW, or even at all. Who knows. (Read: there's no chance, I'm just hedging, PK style)

Also interesting here is that the narrative is completely and totally concerned with the faces rather than The Shield here. I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing either. The Shield has a lot of shelf-life, and if they can spend a few more months as the catalysts for stories to start that don't involve them without delving into their motives and their endgame, then they can stay fresher for a lot longer. Besides, it's been awhile since Orton has been this interesting. That's a minor miracle in and of itself.

As for the match itself, I'm expecting it to be good with a chance to be the best on the card. The Shield is such a unique entity in how they work, and they can drag good matches out of seemingly any random teaming of three guys at a time. Sheamus and Show are great wrestlers, and Orton can be good in the right circumstances. This is a match I'm actually looking forward to with great zeal.

Who Should Win: If someone is going to take down The Shield, it shouldn't be a band of egos who've only come together out of necessity. I see no scenario where Reigns, Ambrose, and Rollins should lose here.

Who Will Win: My pick is The Shield, because there's no way the opposition team is leaving this match intact or as comrades, as I pointed out above. While it's almost certain to either be Sheamus or Orton, I'd probably have Big Show revert to his World's Largest Rebellious Teenager character. There's still a ton of mileage there. But what do I know?

Live, tomorrow! Photo Credit: WWE.com

Via WrestleChat

Hey, you got a free hour tomorrow night? Sure you do. DVR The New Girl or whatever show you watch on Tuesdays and check out WrestleChat radio tomorrow at 9 PM EDT. They're going to have on WWE Hall of Famer and veritable legend George "The Animal" Steele. That's a pretty neat catch there. They're friends of the blog, so please give them a listen.

Welcome to the actual unveiling of the 2012 TWB 100. We've already gone over the rules, the procedures, the voting process, the unveiling of the voters, and the listing of the honorable mentions. Enough introduction, let's get into this thing, aight?

Did Pearce just go low on Adam Cole? Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

100. Adam Pearce
Points: 498
Ballots: 7
Highest Vote: 9th Place (Jamie Dobson)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Gulak has no patience for Greg Excellent Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

99. Drew Gulak
Points:506
Ballots: 8
Highest Vote: 25th Place (Collin Borrell, John Rosenberger)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: I didn't catch a lot of Gulak inside of his main run in CZW. However, I've seen enough of him in Beyond Wrestling and in the Wrestling Is… promotions to know what I get from him. He's got a solid technical base who's not afraid to get stiff whose second gear is based in raw emotion and passion rather than the normal "Hey, we're losing the crowd, LET'S HIT ALL THE HIGH SPOTS." I can't wait to see more of him in 2013.

Alex Torres: Perhaps one of the best technical wrestlers on the independent scene, a man who's versatility has made him indispensable- he'd also had one of the best matches of the year, a death match at that. Drew Gulak could put on many faces and excel in all of them, as shown by the strength of his work in both CZW and Beyond Wrestling. I've seen him tear it up with guys like Mark Angel and Biff Busick, and then turn around and go through wars with Danny Havoc… and then show off a more comedic side with the Gentleman's club. There's little he can't do.

John Rosenberger: I talk a lot of shit about how little I care about CZW. Mostly that comes from being told over and over about how awesome CZW is and not really being that impressed by it. That being said, I really appreciate a wrestler like Drew Gulak who can work with such a style that he can fit in to the ultra-violent world of CZW and then turn right back around and work in the extremely family friendly and magical world of the Wrestling Is…. Universe. A strong, athletic wrestler who isn’t afraid to be on the receiving end of a big spot and sometimes puts himself out there a little more than he should. All that and being able to work some aerial stuff in to his matches without making it look like he’s trying really hard to do so.

Player Uno shows off his top wristlock on Rich Swann Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

98. Player Uno
Points: 532
Ballots: 8
Highest Vote: 29th Place (Dave Musgrave)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: Uno, along with his partner Player Dos/Stupefied, broke out huge in 2012, especially in DGUSA and PWG. Their performances in PWG were the stuff of legends. Uno was more of the grounded one, the one who threw his fists and dropped the big bombs. He also had a dark side, one that only broke out when the Young Bucks would really tick him off in PWG, to which the crowd would chant "EVIL UNO! EVIL UNO!" His reactions to those chants made all the difference between good wrestling and masterful storytelling.

Miz sizing up David Otunga for the Skull Crushing Finale Photo Credit: WWE.com

97. The Miz
Points: 544
Ballots: 9
Highest Vote: 14th Place (George Murphy)
Last Year's Placement: 12th Place

Scott Holland: I'll admit to being a biased Miz fan as I do go way back to his days of trying to get on the Real World season 10, and especially so during his dominant run on the "Real World/Road Rules Challenge" seasons. He's earned a lot of his criticism, but he's also a kid like me who grew up in the Midwest and loved pro wrestling and dreamed of one day becoming the champ — except he actually made it happen. That said, 2013 was not his best year in the ring, but he lasted 45-plus minutes in the Royal Rumble and had a handful of good but not great matches. I guess I placed him where I did because he's not the worst in-ring talent on the roster. Damning with faint praise, sure, but I watch what I watch and I like what I like. Art is subjective.

Younger gives no fucks what happens to Masada here Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

96. Drake Younger
Points: 546
Ballots: 9
Highest Vote: 8th Place (Alex Torres)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Alex Torres: Drake Younger's 2012 has been a powerful journey to be able to watch, one that made him one of the best wrestlers of the year. A resolution to clean up his life led to him getting in the best shape of his life, and it has led to a renaissance for Younger, delivering some of his strongest matches, including wars with Sami Callihan, B-Boy, Rickey Shane Page, Roderick Strong, and MASADA, peaking with an awe inspiring Iron Man with Sami Callihan.

Moving out to Los Angeles and finding another home with PWG turned out to be a great move for him, allowing him to show audiences what the Combat Zone faithful already knew: that Younger is one of the most well rounded wrestlers in the world, able to deliver with a wide variety of opponents. An inspiration, in ring and out.

Park oughtta watch where he's swinging that thing Photo Credit: ImpactWrestling.com

95. Joseph Park/Abyss
Points: 556
Ballots: 8
Highest Vote: 9th Place (Cewsh)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Cewsh: What makes someone a great wrestler? Is it moves or technical ability or whatever people general think of it as? Or can someone be a great wrestler by being bad in the ring on purpose? As far as I’m concerned, Joseph Park is proof that true brilliance in a wrestling ring doesn't have to involve any moves whatsoever. The man is a walking performance art piece, and he stole virtually every show he appeared on in 2012. Sounds like greatness to me.

Ryan Kilma: Joseph Park has been the MVP of TNA this year. Hell, he’s probably the MVP of Spike TV (sorry, Mr. Schmo).

Masada locking Younger in a crossface Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

94. Masada
Points: 557
Ballots: 8
Highest Vote: 7th Place (Jerome Cusson)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Alex Torres: In a time when invasion angles were rampant, people thought CZW would run one too… and it looked that way, until the show ended with their champion, Masada, squashing the invasion. Because this story is about the sheriff, a man who has been undefeated in the Combat Zone, rather than about the invaders. Masada is the best booked of any champion in 2012, a man who conquered CZW, beating the likes of Drake Younger, El Generico, Necro Butcher, Michael Elgin, and Davey Richards. Masada was put in a role to shine, and shine he did.

Tozawa taking Samuray del Sol to Everest (German) Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

93.Akira Tozawa
Points: 557 (ranked ahead of Masada because of better high vote)
Ballots: 7
Highest Vote: 3rd Place (Jamie Dobson)
Last Year's Placement: 33rd Place

Jacobs dragging Kevin Steen through the crowd whether he likes it or not Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

92. Jimmy Jacobs
Points: 561
Ballots: 13
Highest Vote: 24th Place (Jay Sanudo)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH:Jacobs burst into the year wearing his old Age of the Fall jacket and going full sadist against Kevin Steen at the ROH Anniversary show and didn't really look back. He was one of the better parts of ROH as part of a really fun SCUM team, and he had a nice run in Midwest indies, especially AAW, where he had a fun but intense brawl with Arik Cannon and Silas Young for their title.

Double Peles from Stupefied Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

91. Stupefied/Player Dos/"The Emperor" Stu Grayson
Points: 562
Ballots: 9
Highest Vote: 16th Place (Tim Bridges)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: Stupefied has a terrible name, but damn, he's a fine wrestler. He's one of the best high flyers on the scene right now, a guy who has a nifty handle on when to hit the opportune dive or to put a climax on a big match. He put the coup de grace on both major three-way tag matches from PWG's early summer shows, Death to All but Metal and Threemendous III. Plus, the dude takes bumps, man. Bumps.

Knight not even letting Hiroyo Matsumoto get up for air Photo Credit: Gregory Davis/DDS

90. Saraya Knight
Points: 563
Ballots: 8
Highest Vote: 4th Place (Martin Bentley)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: I placed Knight near the bottom of my ballot, because she showed flashes of being good in the matches I saw of hers last year. It didn't help that the first set of SHIMMER tapings were set up just to have her squash hapless opponents, but she did so with vigor and intensity, which is all you can ask for in a tyrannical heel. However, she made the list for the Cheerleader Melissa match at Vol. 48. It was one of the best brawls of the year, and Knight worked it perfectly for the sadist that she was.

Eamon Paton: Anytime the Shimmer champion Saraya Knight is speaking to the masses on the microphone or beating the hell out of someone in the ring, I get one thing from it all and that is sincerity. Her anger and intensity comes off as so real and so true, that you get lost in it all and at times fear for your own life. Not many wrestlers now a days hold that kind of power. Sweet Saraya knows how to wield it and that is the main reason that 2012 has been her year.

Jennifer Logsdon: The shock of the year was when she made Cheerleader Melissa tap out and became the 5th SHIMMER Champion. By hook and by crook she kept hold of the belt the rest of the year. Proving age is nothing but a number. I initially called her a force of nature in 2011 - now she's the demon of SHIMMER.

Christian crashing into Alberto del Rio with a flying body press Photo Credit: WWE.com

89. Christian
Points: 564
Ballots: 11
Highest Vote: 10th Place (Mike Germano)
Last Year's Placement: 8th Place

Yim about to give Darin Childs a severe case of sock-jaw Photo Credit: Texas Anarchy

88. Mia Yim
Points: 568
Ballots: 10
Highest Vote: 8th Place (Jennifer Logsdon)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: She'll be known in 2012 for busting up Allysin Kay's nose, but she had fine matches all around the Northeast and Midwest indies for various companies, including JAPW, AIW, ROH, and SHIMMER. Her tilt against Kay in the cage at Girls Night Out 7 was one of the finest matches of that type all year. Plus, she should be commended in that match for getting herself locked in the triangle choke on the side of the cage.

Ryan Kilma: Made Greg Excellent, for one night of his life, look excellent.

Shawn Duckett: Mia Yim has come a long way from being Prince Nana’s arm candy in ROH. She has made quite a name for herself on the Independent circuit in 2012. Her series of matches against Allysin Kay in AIW were awesome. Mia can do it all. Whether she is exchanging holds with Sara Del Rey, brawling with Allysin Kay, or power bombing Greg Excellent off a ladder and though a table, Mia is always is a joy to watch. There big things in store in this young lady’s wrestling career.

Melissa ready to put Portia Perez away with the Air Raid Crash Photo Credit: Gregory Davis/DDS

87. Cheerleader Melissa
Points: 571
Ballots: 8
Highest Vote: 14th Place (Ryan Kilma)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: I didn't catch a lot of Melissa on tape this year, but what I did catch was good enough to get her on the ballot, even if at the tail end. The first three matches of the spring SHIMMER tapings had heavy angling on them, but the action was still good, especially on the Nicole Matthews defense. Her best performance was by far as a wounded warrior against Saraya Knight.

Lethal giving Davey Richards a backbreaker Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

86. Jay Lethal
Points: 576
Ballots: 11
Highest Vote: 12th Place (Jerome Cusson)
Last Year's Placement: 64th Place

Shard wrenching on FIre Ant's ankle Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

85. The Shard
Points: 585
Ballots: 10
Highest Vote: 10th Place (De O'Brien)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Philip Rosenbaum: There's a reason that this compact powerhouse, originally arriving as the opposite number of Jigsaw, is the only remaining rudo from Gekido at the beginning of 2013 and is now teaming with the wrestling enigma. Taken at a glance, The Shard would appear to be a muscle-toned version of Frightmare, if you are strictly comparing builds. However, he really proved himself inside the ring in 2012, showcasing a style that was decidedly more power-based than the typical lucha offense. This set him apart, and led him to a deceptively strong 2012.

Swann setting up Jigsaw on the outside Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

84. Rich Swann
Points: 598
Ballots: 12
Highest Vote: 7th Place (Jamie Dobson)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

TH: Swann is part of a new breed of smart high flyers who can do mindbending things in the ring but never seem to lose grasp of the psychology of a match. He's a guy who works well in tags with various partners, gets the hang of multi-man matches, and knows how to make the other guy in singles matches look good before he busts out his jaw-dropping moves that make him look like the baddest motherfucker on the planet. His standing 450 splash needs to be seen by everyone.

Typical ROH Fan: The same can be said for Swann that was said for AR Fox. Rich Swann impresses me more and I think he's one of the most entertaining wrestlers around. His PWG debut also provided some great matches. Keep in mind he is only 22 years old! (Favorite 2012 match: vs. El Generico at PWG Mystery Vortex)

Bennett, along with the Young Bucks, giving Meiko Satomura a triple shot of sole Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

83. Mike Bennett
Points: 605
Ballots: 12
Highest Vote: 22nd Place (Drew Smith)
Last Year's Placement: Not ranked

Dylan Hales: I hate ROH. I mean I really hate it. I want to like it, but there just isn't anyone there I find interesting. I hate Chikara. I mean I really hate it. I want to like it because Tom Holzerman and Dave Musgrave like it and those are two of my best wrestling buds, but I just don't like the "hipster comedy jam" stuff. So while Mike Bennett did not finish SUPER high on my list, he did pretty well for a guy that really didn't have a single match I thought was great. Because you see Mike Bennett had me enjoying myself while watching ROH and Chikara. He was the star of ROH TV every time I saw him and along with the Young Bucks was easily the best thing about King of Trios. I like Mike Bennett. I mean I really like Mike Bennett. I don't want to like him, because he's got a kind of bland look and seems generic on paper. But the guy can play the cocky asshole heel better than damn near anyone on the modern indie scene and that goes a long way with me.

Perez wrenching the neck of Robert Evans Photo Credit: Texas Anarchy

82. Portia Perez
Points: 629
Ballots: 8
Highest Vote: 4th Place (Lee Spriggs)
Last Year's Placement: 72nd Place

TH: Portia Perez was one of the hardest working wrestlers on the planet last year, working promotions across the entire continent, and usually leaving as one of the most memorable performers of the evening. She began her year with an epic encounter against Robert Evans, in the wake of which set her on a path that at least I had never seen her blaze before, a good guy. She proved that alignment wasn't as big a stumbling block for her in the ring, as she was able to trade in chokeholds and cheap shots for playing face in peril and bringing fire in her comebacks just as well as anyone. Of course, those who wanted their fill of Evil Portia got it elsewhere, but that's only a testament of how good Perez is.

Eamon Paton: I look at Portia Perez and while she at times is involved in nefarious antics and takes her liberties with the pro wrestling rulebook, I see an amazing role model, especially for young females. She exudes dedication and hard work, and is one of the many females on the independents who try to break away from what a traditional female performer is expected to do. She’s traveled the globe and put on some amazing pro wrestling matches that can be held up against any male counterpart, and is an asset for any company that wants to put on serious pro wrestling without gender restrictions.

Jennifer Logsdon: The ultimate heel. Devious. Arrogant. Clever. Athletic. The ultimate heel and the ultimate performer.

Lee Spriggs: I'm not sure there's any wrestler who's more adept at being a heel. She's a real craftsman in that sense, and she would be on my list because of those skills. But what brings her so high up on my list is, like Robert Evans, her work in ACW. The difference between her and Evans, to my mind, is that she hasn't really blossomed as fully as a character in other promotions. It's only in ACW (and Shimmer, to be fair) where it feels like she hasn't had to tone down her style and skills to the caliber of woman's wrestler that some other places offer her. But it's really only in ACW where she's been able to show the other side of her personality, a character who has suffered damage in the past, but who has been given a chance to try and atone. Much of that story has been outside of the ring, but the character beats inside of the ring (in particular at GBA 6 and Nothing is as Real as a Dream) speak volumes.

Also, her superkick is one of my favorites in all of wrestling, so she's got that going for her as well.

Gabriel tossing R-Truth over the top rope Photo Credit: WWE.com

81. Justin Gabriel
Points: 630
Ballots: 13
Highest Vote: 21st Place (Mike Germano, Chris McDonald)
Last Year's Placement: 79th Place

TH: Gabriel may not be the poster child for WWE's lack of institutional depth, but he's at least in the background, ready to bash down the doors. Back when Superstars was readily available on the website, Gabriel was putting on entertaining sprints, most notably with his eventual tag partner Tyson Kidd. When he got the chance to show what he had in his satchel with a highly entertaining series of matches with Antonio Cesaro in the fall, he showed he's ready for prime time too. I'm not sure what WWE's MO with this guy is, but whenever he turns up on camera, he at least provides something watchable and enjoyable.

YES! YES! YES! Photo Credit: WWE.com

Welcome to a feature I like to call "Best in the World" rankings. They're not traditional power rankings per se, but they're rankings to see who is really the best in the world, a term bandied about like it's bottled water or something else really common. They're rankings decided by me, and don't you dare call them arbitrary lest I smack the taste out of your mouth. Without further ado, here's this week's list:

1. Daniel Bryan (Last Week: 2) - Apparently, he's including bear propaganda in Saturday Morning Slam. If he actually wrestles a bear on SMS, I'll have to tune in.

2. Mark Henry (Last Week: 3) - He singlehandedly took out the Usos on RAW, but afterwards, he took them out for Chipotle. The World's Strongest Man is not without compassion.

3. Rachel Summerlyn (Last Week: 1) - I don't know which side of the Twix she likes, but my guess is she's keeping it secret so as not to sway public support.

4. John Laurinaitis (Last Week: Not Ranked) - This sounds wack, but goddammit, I missed Big Johnny.

5. Easter Ham (Last Week: Not Ranked)OFFICIAL HOLZERMAN HUNGERS SPONSORED ENTRY - I used to be on Hashtag Team Turkey, but man, ham has gone HAM on me lately. So good.

6. Cheerleader Melissa (Last Week: Not Ranked) - Not only is she a world-class wrestler, she knows first aid!

7. Colin Delaney (Last Week: Not Ranked) - Despite entering at #1 in the Gauntlet for the Gold, he won the whole thing. He's more extreme than Ric Flair, Rey Mysterio, and Shawn Michaels!

8. The Big Show (Last Week: Not Ranked) - This isn't so much for him, but he's an alumnus of Wichita State, and hey, Final Four!

9. Florida Gulf Coast University Men's Basketball Team (Last Week: 4) - Yeah, they lost in the Sweet 16, but man, they deserve one last go around on here because they're so goddamn fun.

10. Sara del Rey (Last Week: 10) - SARA DEL REY FACT: del Rey is not only the Queen of Wrestling, but she's also been named the ceremonial Queen of the Island of Ni'ihau.

A man had his business manager dress up like the dead friend of his opponent at a wrestling event, then poured the ashes from an urn on top of him. At least half the arena still cheered the mastermind of the attack. There's a commentary to be made about wrestling fans there. I'm not sure what it is. Everyone has a different line. Mine must not exist, because I watched it unfazed from wondering about its taste. Instead, I wondered whether it actually tread new ground or whether it was as effective as CM Punk playing hackey-sack with the urn or his first interruption of the Paul Bearer memorial service the week after he had passed. I bet you didn't expect that.

The closing segment of RAW was very much a testament to the power of shock value in professional wrestling. More than any other medium, pushing the envelope gets more of a rise out of more fans, which is why I think the immediate reaction on Twitter was the way it was. The fact that it was completely visual helped the whole process along. Show, don't tell (or at the very least show before you tell). But at least to me, it felt like a remix on the original song with the bass turned up so it compelled you to dance a little freakier, or with a few flourishes on the synthesizer thrown in. Just because the conveyance was a bit different doesn't mean the actual message had changed.

Then again, when does a major swerve or story-development happen a week before WrestleMania? Hell, if John Laurinaitis is the big play for Rock vs. John Cena, then that might be the closest we've ever gotten to a real, tangible story development blatantly shown to us right beforehand (No, Shawn Michaels being in Triple H's corner doesn't count unless you really think he's wrestling again). The final major show before Mania isn't for breaking new ground. All the framework has been set. They're only decorating now, putting on the the finishing touches if it were.

If anything, the tell from this show might have been on match order. Cena and Rock gave their closing arguments at the top of the 8 and 10 o'clock hours respectively. Punk and Undertaker got the overrun. If you believe that WWE foreshadows things through RAW, then yeah, Punk and Taker are going on last. I may not wholly believe that, but man, that theory isn't looking so implausible right now, or at least not as implausible as it was even a month ago.

Regardless, this show did what it set out to do. It whet people's appetites for the main course on Sunday. It also showed that no matter what he does, what he says, whose memory he disrespects, or what foreign object he pours all over the goddamn Undertaker, CM Punk isn't just a legit claimant to the title Best in the World, he's also got Teflon in his DNA.