A Ruff Look at the Worst in Wrestling 2011

The following may contain objectionable language. It is not my attention to offend anybody. It is simply used in context.

Since I already waxed poetic of my favorite things in wrestling over the past year, here is my look at the worst.

10. Sin Cara-I can’t name the last time I was so excited to see a wrestler debut. I am a total lucha mark and loved Místico. And the thought of him coming to the WWE made me ecstatic. And then he debuted. He got an attitude. He was too big for his britches. He failed a wellness test. And his in-ring style wasn’t fit for somebody’s backyard, much less the WWE. He was dangerous in the ring, both to himself and others. At the Survivor series he suffered a ruptured patella. Not since WCW’s Glacier had there been a more disappointing debut.

9. Keith Stone on a PPV-I believe that if I’m paying $44.95 for a PPV, I should not have to be subjected to commercials. And while I understood Keith Stone appearing on Monday Night Raw with the Bella Twins, there was no reason for him to walk to the ring before a crowd who couldn’t have cared less about him. It did nothing for the PPV or any of the current wrestlers. Also, what is WWE doing plugging beer on a TVPG show?

8. Christian’s 2-day title reign-Extreme Rules was a big moment. There are a lot of Christian fans from his many years of good will. And then he walked away with the belt at Extreme Rules. We were all excited. Our own Christian was champion. And then, as if WWE took out their proverbial member and pissed on our collective faces, Christian lost the belt two days later to Randy Orton. Then they pushed an unbearable heel Christian down our throats with “One More Match!” Not that Christian would have set the world on fire, but Randy Orton certainly didn’t.

7. Tribute to the Troops to pimp their PPV-I have a theory that the Tribute to the Troops should be the one night that should stand out. They should do this for the troops and only for the troops. Instead they used it as 2 hours to plug their PPV. I couldn’t watch it because I felt so dirty watching the WWE use their good will to try to push themselves. It wasn’t for the troops. It was so they could look good doing it for the troops. And not to mention, we were subjected to Nickelback.

6. Future F****-I will be honest that I love Absolute Intense Wrestling and their crowd. However, at The Road to Absolution, it took place in a bar and I gotta admit. I popped for the Green Man in the crowd. However, a wrestler debuted that afternoon named Corey Futuristic. And I also gotta admit. His gimmick was quite “indy craptacular.” And the crowd had some fun at his expense, which I’m totally ok with. But then started chanting “Future Faggot.” I don’t like that word and it has no place in anywhere. I was pretty disgusted.

5. Cena’s homophobic comments-I am a little more forgiving over a crowd being homophobic than I am the talent. Especially when the WWE runs a TVPG product and John Cena is the top hero. I know that John Cena is just reciting lines, but the WWE Creative Team should know better. In a time where homosexual teens were experiencing a suicide epidemic, Cena was mocking Miz & Riley for being “too close.” I am glad that WWE took responsibility and joined with GLAAD. They also did a nice anti-bullying campaign and became advocates for anti-bullying (even though the Bellas were still bullies and Lawler still called Vickie fat even after she dropped her weight). And don’t think I’m playing favorites here. CM Punk also did it too. But he manned up and admitted to it, and I respect him more for doing so.

4. Johnny Ace-I can’t think of a worse person to be the Raw GM. I’m not sure what makes him worse. Is it his gravelly voice that makes him sound like Super Dave Osborne? Is it his total lack of presence or inability to cut a promo? Is it the fact that every time he appears on camera, he’s texting? Is it the fact somebody on WWE.com referred to him as a stooge and had to apologize publicly? Is it him being accompanied always by David Otunga and his ever-present traveling coffee mug? However, the man is extremely powerful. So powerful I have boycotted the WWE that they will not get a dime from me until he’s off their tv.

3. Michael Cole-It’s hard to pick out the worst thing Michael Cole did this last year. Maybe it was calling Josh Matthews a “faggot” on Twitter as WWE was going through sensitivity training. Maybe it was the fact he had a Wrestlemania match against Jerry Lawler and several other PPV matches during the year while wrestlers who abused their body all year didn’t. Maybe it was his horrific commentary, mocking Jim Ross, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk. Maybe it was the Michael Cole challenge. In a year with Johnny Ace, David Otunga and Kevin Nash, it is amazing that I can call Michael Cole the worst think on WWE television.

2. 88 second main event-Yes, you read that right. At TNA/Impact’s Victory Road, Jeff Hardy showed up in no condition to perform. They had to cut short the main event because Sting was not going to wrestle in the main event against anybody in that condition. Jeff Hardy was promptly sent home and written out of Impact’s storylines. TNA/Impact had to apologize publicly for what they gave. I was on Twitter that night and that was the talk of the night.

1. Matt Hardy-This one was personal, even though it may not have been intended that way. Matt Hardy is by no means one of my favorites, but he is still somebody whom I remember fondly. And then he put a Youtube video where he announced the end of Matt Hardy. He meant for it to refer to the end of a new phase in his life, but some took it as a suicide note. I couldn’t go to sleep that night until I knew he was alive or not. His good friend Hurricane Helms and Jeff’s girlfriend both told Matt he was sick and needed to stop working the fans. It was sick, pathetic and downright manipulative. And I won’t even mention going in and out of rehab and having to go to prison. So Congratulations, Matt. You won the worst thing in wrestling this past year.