The 2011 Year in Review: Part 2 - Wrestling and Music

WRESTLING

Match of the Year

4. Eddie Edwards, El Generico, and Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team defeated Roderick Strong, Michael Elgin, and the Briscoe Brothers in an Elimination Eight-Man Tag Team Match - December 4th - I was lucky enough to be witness to one of the best matches of 2011 when I attended Ring of Honor Wrestling’s Northern Aggression at the historic Greensboro Coliseum. In the longest match in Greensboro Coliseum history, Eddie Edwards pinned Roderick Strong at the one hour, 20 minute, and 33 second mark to be the sole survivor of the match and walk away $10,000 richer. It was an outstanding match that went all over the arena floor of the Special Events Center. For Ring of Honor’s first trip to Greensboro, they gave fans an event that will not soon be forgotten and one of the best matches of 2011.

3. AJ Styles defeated Christopher Daniels - July 10th - At Destination X, two of the pioneers of the X-Division took center stage to prove which man was the greatest X-Division wrestler in TNA history. Best friends and Fortune members (at the time), Styles and Daniels went tooth and nail for over 28 minutes in a match that exemplified pure athleticism and professional wrestling at its finest. Styles picked up the victory on that night but neither made needed to hang his head based on their effort. Styles-Daniels was one of the most exciting matches of 2011.

2. Jeff Jarrett defeated Kurt Angle - February 13th - Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarrett have been involved in one of the longest running feuds in wrestling history over the last five years. The rivalry has spilled over into their real lives. Now at a place of personal respect, Angle and Jarrett were part of one of wrestling’s great rivalries in 2011. While they had a trilogy of amazing PPV bouts in 2011, their first battle at February’s Against All Odds was a thing of beauty. With the stipulation that Kurt would win sole custody of his children from ex-wife Karen weighing the storyline aspects down, Angle and Jarrett delivered inside the ring for over 15 minutes of intense action. These two beat the hell out of one another in an action-packed battle that ended when Jarrett countered Angle’s ankle lock counter of a blocked sunset flip into a pinning position. It was the kind of match that professional wrestling fans love: action packed, intense, and a pure joy to watch.

1. CM Punk defeated WWE Champion John Cena for the title - July 17th - The atmosphere was perfect. The storyline was perfect. The in-ring action was perfect. This match was as perfect as you will ever see inside a professional wrestling ring. In his hometown of Chicago, Illinois on the last night of his contract, CM Punk defeated John Cena in an epic 30+ minute battle to win the WWE Championship. While many, many things went terribly wrong in the aftermath of this event, nothing can take away the fact that Punk and Cena delivered one of the greatest matches of all-time at Money in the Bank. Two men went into the ring: one representing the held back underdogs, one representing the status quo and the constant champion. One man left with the biggest prize in the WWE. On that night, the underdogs reigned supreme. CM Punk defeated John Cena. All was right with the world.

Tag Team of the Year

4. All Night Express - Rhett Titus and Kenny King had an outstanding 2011. The future of tag team wrestling in Ring of Honor, Titus and King scored some major wins in 2011. Their rivalry with the Briscoe Brothers saw both teams battle all of Ring of Honor in highly competitive matches, bloody brawls, and a huge ladder match that saw ANX score the biggest victory of their careers. While the ROH World Tag Team Championships eluded Titus and King in 2011, the future is still bright for one of tag team wrestling’s brightest tandems who had an awesome 2011 nonetheless.

3. Beer Money - 2011 witnessed the end of Beer Money when Robert Roode turned on James Storm in pursuit of the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in November. Before that happened, Beer Money had a very successful 2011 as a team. In January, Beer Money defeated the Motor City Machine Guns for their fourth TNA World Tag Team Championship. The record setting reign ended in August when they lost the titles to Mexican America after 212 days. During that time, Beer Money defended the gold successfully against members of Immortal, the British Invasion, and Ink, Inc. While Beer Money ultimately dissolved as a team, Roode and Storm had a very successful year as a team.

2. The Briscoe Brothers - Jay and Mark Briscoe had a tremendously successful year in Ring of Honor Wrestling. Throughout most of 2011, the Briscoes were involved in brutal rivalries with the All Night Express and Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team. Despite losing the number one contendership for the ROH World Tag Team Championship to ANX, the Briscoe Brothers earned a title shot against Wrestling’s Great Tag Team at December’s Final Battle. In a brutal battle, the Briscoe Brothers earned their seventh ROH World Tag Team title with a win over Benjamin and Haas. As one of the greatest tag teams of the last decade, Jay and Mark Briscoe continue to show that tag team wrestling is not a lost art form. 2011 was a huge year for the Briscoes.

1. Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team - Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin had another spectacular year in 2011 as they dominated the tag team scene in Ring of Honor Wrestling. In April, they defeated the Kings of Wrestling to win their first ROH World Tag Team Championships. Successfully defending the gold all over the world against the Kings of Wrestling, All Night Express, Future Shock, and House of Truth, Haas and Benjamin were finally dethroned by their rivals Jay and Mark Briscoe at Final Battle in December. Throughout 2011, Haas and Benjamin showed once again that they are the gold standard of tag team wrestling today. A dominant title reign and time as the focal point of the entire company, Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin were not only the best tag team in Ring of Honor in 2011; they were also the best tag team in the world for 2011.

Diva / Knockout of the Year

4. Kelly Kelly - I could say that Kelly Kelly’s tremendous 2011 is a testament to how terrible the current WWE Divas division is but that would be mean. Truthful but mean. Kelly Kelly had her most successful year yet in World Wrestling Entertainment in 2011. Part of the main event angle in early 2011, Kelly was associated with Edge against Vickie Guerrero before WrestleMania. In June, she won her first Divas Championship over Brie Bella on RAW. Using the roll-up of doom, Kelly defeated all comers before losing the title of Beth Phoenix in October. Despite losing the title, she has remained dominant with her feared roll-up. Kelly Kelly had a career year in 2011.

3. Madison Rayne - Last year’s Diva/Knockout of the Year, Madison Rayne started 2011 dominant as ever with victories over Mickie James at Genesis and Against All Odds. Rayne lost the Knockouts Championship to James at Lockdown in April. Despite a quiet summer that saw her feud with former cohort Tara, the Queen Bee returned to the forefront of the Knockouts division in the fall as she associated herself with Knockouts VP Karen Jarrett. Rayne earned the Knockouts Tag Team Championship with Gail Kim in November. Ever improving in the ring and still as charismatic as ever, Madison Rayne’s successful 2011 proved that 2010 was no fluke. Madison is one of the bright spots in the future of women’s wrestling.

2. Beth Phoenix - The Glamazon had a great year in 2011. Well, she had a great six months in 2011. Beth Phoenix’s successful 2011 did not begin until she won a number one contender’s battle royal for the Divas Championship and turned heel in August. Phoenix ultimately won the Divas Championship from Kelly Kelly in October. Alongside Natalya, the Divas of Doom started a war against the bimbos of the WWE that have made the heel duo more popular than ever among traditional professional wrestling fans. If Beth can ever figure out how to avoid the roll-up, she may go undefeated in the future. 2011 was an outstanding year for the Glamazon.

1. Mickie James - Ms. Hardcore Country had a wonderful 2011. Starting the year with losses to Madison Rayne at Genesis and Against All Odds, Mickie James put her hair on the line to get a final shot at Rayne’s Knockouts Championship. Inside the steel cage at Lockdown, Mickie James won her first Knockouts title with a victory over Rayne in under a minute. She was competing with a separated shoulder. After retaining over Rayne in May, Mickie entered a feud with Winter and Angelina Love that would see Winter win the title in August before James regained the title on Impact in September. Mickie lost the title to Winter again at September’s No Surrender event. Mickie won a 10-Knockout gauntlet match on Impact in November to earn a shot against new Knockouts Champion Gail Kim and ended the final Impact of the year in the main event against Kim. Despite not ending 2011 with the Knockouts title, Mickie James was clearly the top Knockout and top female performer in all of professional wrestling for the year.

Wrestler of the Year

4. John Cena - In 2011, John Cena achieved another laundry list of accolades that can not be ignored. However, Cena did it while looking perpetually bored 90% of the time. Perhaps even Superman gets bored being Superman. Cena won the WWE Championship from The Miz in May, Rey Mysterio in July, and Alberto Del Rio in September. As the loathed face of the company, Cena was involved in a brief feud with CM Punk that delivered one of the greatest matches of all-time at July’s Money in the Bank. However, people will remember John Cena’s interactions with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson more than anything else Cena did in 2011. After a run-in at WrestleMania XXVII, Johnson and Cena agreed to meet at WrestleMania XXVIII in Miami. Since then, they have bickered through social media in one of the poorest booked main events in PPV history. Perhaps the fact that Cena has carried the load of this feud and won everything under the sun repeated has led to a bored John Cena. I don’t know. One thing is certain though; bored or not, Cena was successful in 2011.

3. Davey Richards / Robert Roode (TIE) - “The American Wolf” Davey Richards emerged as one of the premiere professional wrestlers in the world in 2011. After chasing the Ring of Honor World Championship for years, Richards pinned his American Wolves tag team partner Eddie Edwards for the title at June’s best in the World 2011 in New York. While involved in a competitive rivalry with Edwards over the title, Richards also found himself in a rivalry with former ROH Champion Roderick Strong that led to an outstanding match on ROH TV in October. Richards is heading into 2012 with the ROH title and a ton of momentum coming off the biggest year of his career. Another former tag team specialist turned single competitor is also heading into 2012 with a ton of momentum as Robert Roode is currently the TNA World Heavyweight Champion. Roode started 2011 with another TNA World Tag Team Championship alongside James Storm. Throughout the summer, Roode established himself as a single competitor by winning the 12-man Bound for Glory Series to earn a TNA World Championship match. Unsuccessful against Kurt Angle at Bound for Glory, Roode earned his first TNA World title when he defeated former partner James Storm for the title on Impact Wrestling in early November. Since winning the title, Roode has demonstrated a vicious, win at all costs style that cost him friends but earned victories over Storm, AJ Styles, and Jeff Hardy since becoming champion. 2011 saw Robert Roode break the glass ceiling and become a main event star in TNA Wrestling.

2. Alberto Del Rio - Alberto Del Rio started 2011 in pursuit of his destiny by winning the 40-man Royal Rumble match. Earning a spot in the main event of WrestleMania XXVII, destiny (because of bad booking) proved to be out of Del Rio’s reach as the main event turned into an opening match defeat at the hands of World Heavyweight Champion Edge. Despite the loss, Del Rio appeared primed to win the World Heavyweight Championship when Edge suddenly retired in April. Instead, Christian defeated Del Rio in an epic ladder match and Del Rio moved to RAW without achieving his destiny. Del Rio won the RAW Money in the Bank Ladder match at July’s Money in the Bank PPV and cashed in his title shot at SummerSlam on a prone CM Punk to win his first WWE Championship. Del Rio held the title for a month before losing to strap to John Cena. Del Rio regained the title two weeks later at Hell in a Cell and lost it back to CM Punk at the Survivor Series in November. In thinking at him now, Del Rio appears to be no better off than when 2011 began. However, two WWE Championship reigns, a Money in the Bank Ladder match victory, and a Royal Rumble victory are all accolades many would love to have for an entire career. Alberto Del Rio achieved these honors in one year. 2011 was a breakout year for the Mexican Aristocrat.

1. CM Punk - CM Punk was professional wrestling in 2011. Punk started the year saddled with the horrible New Nexus. Still, Punk turned this into an excellent feud with Randy Orton that, while one-sided in the favor of Orton, delivered some entertaining pay-per-view matches. After the New Nexus ended, Punk set his sights on the WWE Championship. On June 27th, Punk delivered a promo that set the wrestling world on fire when he criticized WWE CEO Vince McMahon, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon-Levesque, and the entire state of World Wrestling Entertainment. Punk went into the July Money in the Bank PPV with everyone wondering if he had resigned with WWE or if that night was the final night for the Straight Edge Superstar. Punk defeated John Cena on that night for the WWE title and professional wrestling was extremely popular again thanks to the rebellious Punk. He appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and was a topic of discussion on many pod casts including the Michelle Beadle Podcast and Bill Simmons Podcast from ESPN. Riding a wave of interest not seen since Austin 3:16, WWE ultimately squandered it all by having Punk return too soon and lose the title to Alberto del Rio at SummerSlam. Then, Punk found himself trapped in an angle with Triple H and Kevin Nash that did him no favors. Punk regained the WWE Championship at Survivor Series to top off an outstanding year. However, I can’t help but think what could have been if the Summer of Punk was not rushed to incorporate old timers starving for the spotlight. Even with all of the bad cards dealt to him, CM Punk still had the best year in professional wrestling. 2011 will go down as the Year of Punk.

MUSIC

Album of the Year

4. My Kinda Party - Jason Aldean - Four top-two singles and a career defining pair of singles, My Kinda Party helped Jason Aldean emerge from the pack as one of country music’s leading superstars in 2011. Aldean reached the top of the charts with the crossover hit “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Kelly Clarkson and the country/rap hybrid “Dirt Road Anthem.” The album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album while selling over two million copies in the US. My Kinda Party was a career peak, thus far, for one of country’s top young stars.

3. Four the Record - Miranda Lambert - The fourth release from Miranda Lambert is among her most creative, inspired, and downright awesome music yet. Released in November, Four the Record has reached Gold status already with her highest debut on the Billboard charts to date (#3). The first single, “Baggage Claim,” peaked at number three on the Billboard Country charts while receiving rave reviews. From top to bottom, the album is loaded with radio-friendly hits and should help Miranda Lambert’s star reach new heights in 2012. Four the Record was a terrific release from one of music’s hottest stars.

2. Own the Night - Lady Antebellum - Released in September, Lady Antebellum’s star achieved new heights as Own the Night was hugely successful in 2011. The album opened to career highs in first week sales and debuted at the top of both the Billboard Top 200 and Billboard Country charts. Their third studio release has reached platinum status already. The first two singles, “Just a Kiss” and “We Owned the Night,” reached the top of the country charts. In addition, the trio earned another Grammy nomination as Own the Night is up for Best Country Album in February. The album is stacked from top to bottom with fantastic songs and is another example of the greatness that is Lady A.

1. Speak Now - Taylor Swift - For the second consecutive year, Speak Now is my album of the year. Released in late 2010, Speak Now was one of the most successful albums of 2011. Taylor Swift crossed the boundaries of country and pop again while creating a song and style that is uniquely Taylor. Five singles from Speak Now hit airwaves in 2011. “Back to December,” “Mean,” and “Sparks Fly” were all top three singles with “Sparks Fly” reaching to top of the Billboard Country charts. “Back to December” also reached the top ten of the Billboard overall charts. The album currently has sold over six million copies while serving as the catalyst for one of the most successful tours of 2011. Plus, Speak Now received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album among many accolades earned in 2011. Speak Now is a perfect example of why Taylor Swift is the poet laureate of this generation. Love, heartache, inspiration, calling out negativity. Speak Now covers the bases with one of the best albums I’ve ever heard. Speak Now is an incredible album and the best album of the year for a second consecutive year.

Song of the Year - Top 40

4. “Stereo Hearts” - Gym Class Heroes (featuring Adam Levine) - Gym Class Heroes returned to the airwaves after a brief hiatus with the infectious “Stereo Hearts” in 2011. Thanks to the vocals of Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, I found this song to be one of the most entertaining entries to pop radio in 2011. The imagery created within the lyrics were as entertaining for the flashbacks to old musical mediums as they were for the interesting take of expressive one’s love.

3. “Mr. Know It All” - Kelly Clarkson / “Good Life” - OneRepublic (TIE) - Released in September, Kelly Clarkson returned to the top of the charts with the stripped, vocally raw performance. “Mr. Know It All” not only cut down every so-called know it all that is found in bad relationships, the song also ripped every critic who has attempted to destroy Kelly’s self-esteem and image over the past years. It is a fantastic song and one of the best yet to come from the Burleson, Texas songbird. Uplifting and inspiring, OneRepublic topped charts in 2011 with their hit, “Good Life.” Singing about the journeys in one’s life, “Good Life” is as much about traveling the various places and portions of life as it is about traveling the globe. It was everywhere in 2011 and for good reason too. “Good Life” was a great song for OneRepublic.

2. “Skyscraper” - Demi Lovato - I personally do not understand why this song was not played more in 2011 on mainstream radio. Demi Lovato’s voice and message in this song are things of absolute inspiration and beauty. Coming off a 2010 that saw Lovato in rehab for personal struggles, Lovato sang of redemption and resilience in the ballad. The symbolism is powerful. I think that Demi Lovato showed a ton of potential with the song. “Skyscraper” was one of the best in 2011 and a great way for her to return to the entertainment world.

1. “Grenade” - Bruno Mars - For the second consecutive year, Bruno Mars has the best Top 40 song of the year. A ballad about unmatched love, “Grenade” is one of the most powerful R&B tracks to come around in a long time. Bruno Mars’ voice blends perfectly with the music to create a song that is as infectious as it is powerful. “Grenade” earned a nomination for Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the upcoming Grammy Awards. In addition, the song earned many accolades throughout the year. Bruno Mars created a masterpiece about the other side of love with “Grenade;” the best Top 40 song of 2011.

Song of the Year - Country

4. “Remind Me” - Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood / “Just A Kiss” - Lady Antebellum (TIE) - Released in late May, “Remind Me” raced up the charts as two of country’s biggest stars finally recorded a duet fans dreamed up for years. A song about a couple in the dying days of a relationship, looking for a reason to stay together, Paisley and Underwood absolutely shined as their performances harkened back to an age in country music when Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn or Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton joined forces to create vocal events. “Remind Me” was indeed just that: a vocal event. Perfectly blending a male and female vocal is nothing new for Lady Antebellum. The lead single off their third album began rising up the charts in May and reached the top of the country charts and was a Top 10 on the Billboard Top 100. “Just a Kiss” was a beautiful song about taking love slow and cherishing the small moments without feeling the need to rush things. It is a great message found inside an amazing song.

3. “A Little Bit Stronger” - Sara Evans - Written by Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott, I would have sworn Sara Evans wrote this song herself because it fit her so perfectly. Returning to the charts after a long hiatus in which Sara was involved in a scandalous public divorce, Sara Evans never sounded better. “A Little Bit Stronger” was a song filled with empowerment and inspiration that anyone coming out of a terrible relationship can relate to needing. Her first number one on the country charts since 2005, Sara Evans returned to form as “A Little Bit Stronger” displayed Evans at her finest.

2. “Tomorrow” - Chris Young - Chris Young delivered one of the most traditional sounding records to hit country radio in a long time with his 2011 hit “Tomorrow.” A throwback to the days of Conway Twitty and George Jones, Chris Young’s vocals emitted nothing but raw power and emotion in this ballad about a man saying that a terrible relationship must end after one more night of passion. It is a song about the addiction to a bad relationship and the lie so many of us tell ourselves every time we return to the arms of those wrong for us. Terrific in capturing that vulnerable feeling, “Tomorrow” topped the Billboard charts in August and was one of the best country songs of 2011.

1. “Mean” / “Sparks Fly” - Taylor Swift (TIE) - Choosing one of these songs over the other would be equivalent to having to choose between my children (if I had children or claimed the ones I am constantly sent letters about). Taylor Swift had an incredible 2011 and both of these songs are testaments as to why she was so successful. A playful tongue-in-cheek ode to all of the haters of the world, Taylor struck back at her critics with “Mean.” The anthem for the underdog, “Mean” served as a musical response to bullies everywhere while offering self-empowerment to those in need of it. “Mean” calls the haters what they really are: mean. Peaking at #2 on the Billboard Country charts, the song received two Grammy nominations including one for Best Country Song. Meanwhile, “Sparks Fly” reached the top of the Billboard Country charts as Swift returned to form with an outstanding song about falling in love with someone who may not be the right choice for you. Written when she was 16 and still singing in bars, Swift’s “Sparks Fly” has the excitement of a teenager mixed with the wisdom of a more mature woman more combined lyrically to create an outstanding song that is unmistakably Taylor. “Sparks Fly” and “Mean” were the best country songs of 2011.

Artist of the Year

4. Katy Perry - 2011 ended with a divorce from her husband of 14-months, Russell Brand. Before that, Katy Perry had a 2011 memorable for all of the right reasons. Perry started the year with four Grammy nominations for her 2010 album, Teenage Dream, and a number one single in “Firework.” Perry scored another two more number one singles with “E.T.” and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” and a top-five with “The One That Got Away.” She went on a very successful world tour, branched out into movies with work in the summer hit The Smurfs, and earned MTV’s Artist of the Year honor. 2011 was a wildly successful year for Katy Perry.

3. Jason Aldean - Jason Aldean had a year many would be envious of in 2011 as the Georgia native broke the glass ceiling and became one of country music’s leading men. Aldean achieved crossover success in 2011 twice: first with the Kelly Clarkson duet “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” later with the country-rap hybrid “Dirt Road Anthem.” Aldean earned his first CMA Award in November and was named one of CMT’s Artists of the Year. If you turned on a radio in 2011, it was a safe bet you heard Jason Aldean. It was a huge year for one of country’s rising stars.

2. Lady Antebellum - 2011 was another huge year for the band everybody loves as Lady Antebellum was everywhere in 2011. Charles, Dave, and Hillary started 2011 with five victories at the Grammy Awards, including the highly coveted Song of the Year and Record of the Year for “Need You Now.” In September, Lady Antebellum released Own the Night to rave reviews and the highest sales of their career thus far. The first two singles off the new album, “Just a Kiss” and “We Owned the Night,” reached the top of the Billboard Country charts. Lady Antebellum performed at the NFL Kickoff Special, Saturday Night Live, and all over the US on the first leg of their Own the Night World tour. I loved their show in Roanoke, Virginia. Nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Album, the success of Own the Night continues as Lady Antebellum continues to do no wrong. 2011 was a tremendous year for Charles, Dave, and Hillary as Lady Antebellum owned the year.

1. Taylor Swift - In 2011, there was no musical act more on top of the world than Taylor Swift. Swift was all over the Billboard charts with “Back to December,” “Mean,” “The Story of Us,” “Sparks Fly,” and “Ours.” The Speak Now World Tour filled arenas around the world while the CD/DVD release of the tour, Speak Now World Tour: Live, topped charts in late November and brought the show to those unable to see it live. In mentioning the tour, Taylor turned a dress rehearsal for the tour into a fundraiser for those affected by the April and May tornadoes that impacted the Southeastern US and donated $250,000 personally to charities to help those left homeless in Alabama. Her philanthropy work was honored at the 2011 Do Something Awards. Swift received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album for Speak Now. Taylor Swift had an incredible year in 2011. Hit songs, a wildly successful tour, and recognition for her efforts on-stage and as a good person, Taylor Swift did no wrong in 2011. She was the Artist of the Year.

To be continued...