WWE Ciao Ciao 2011: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Happy New Year, everyone!

I hope you all had an exciting night of drinks, laughs and celebration. May you have success, happiness and above all else, health in 2012.

Now that 2011 is over, it is time to take a minute and look back at some notable moments of the first year of the new decade.

It wasn't always pretty. There were tears shed, ankles broken and careers ended. Some stars rose up high in the sky and legends made their return to the company.

Let's take a look at what shaped the landscape of the WWE from January to December of 2011.

The Year Begins with a WWE Championship Match

Part two here.

Falls count anywhere.

The master of parkour, John Morrison, challenges his former friend and tag team partner, the WWE Champion, The Miz.

This was one of the best matches of the year and it featured two of the company's most promising talents. 

Despite the bad booking of Miz's title reign, he did very well in this encounter and while many felt he would be a transitional champion, the man went on to main-event WrestleMania XXVII and defeat John Cena.

John Morrison, unfortunately, had a not-so great year. He did participate in WrestleMania but some alleged locker room friction and a neck injury prevented him from reaching the top, and it ultimately led him to depart from the company.

This, however, was a great match. 

Dolph Ziggler Becomes World Champion...

...for about 10 minutes.

The controversial finish against Edge led for the Show-Off to pinch his very first World title. There are many who jumped for joy at the sight of this, but the party didn't last long. 

A few minutes later, Smackdown General Manager Teddy Long announced that the Rated-R Superstar invoked his rematch clause and the battle resumed immediately.

One spear later and Edge became an 11-time World Champion, Dolph Ziggler's world spun out of control and Vickie Guerrero got fired.

Pretty cool, huh?

Feb. 21, 2011

The Undertaker and Triple H are two of the most respected and decorated Superstars in the entire pro-wrestling industry.

Without them, the world would be changed forever and the business would never be the same again.

Both appeared to have been sidelined for months and no one was sure when or if they would ever return. Then, the mysterious promos started to play, announcing a date: 02/21/11.

Who could it have been? 

Some claimed Sting was the one to enter WWE with one purpose only: destroy The Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania.

Personally, Sting does nothing for me and for him to re-sign with TNA was just perfect. I didn't want him soiling the most awesome feat in wrestling, a.k.a. The Streak.

Great mystery leading to a great face-off leading to an extraordinary match weeks later on the grandest stage of them all.

Undertaker in 2011 = 19-0.

Who Is Behind That Maniacal Laugh?

Kia Stevens signing with WWE is one of the best things to happen in 2011.

Kharma was about to shift in the right direction for the long-suffering Divas division. The former Awesome Kong is an incredible talent and one could only dream of such matches against the likes of Michelle McCool and Beth Phoenix.

Though the promos did not last long or say very much, Kharma's message was loud and clear: she is coming, she is coming for you!

The Return of The Rock

The BIGGEST news of 2011.

It was announced that WrestleMania XXVII would have a host and who to do the job better than the most electrifying man in all of sports-entertainment?

The Rock had departed from WWE many years prior after accomplishing everything he wanted to do in the business and became a big-time Hollywood movie star, making millions....and millions of dollars.

This was the best move the company could do and it led to this year's Show of Shows to be the most successful ever at over one million buys.

Nicely done, Vince.

The Miz Introduces Himself to The Rock

The Miz has always been known best for his communication skills, right?

Back in March, he made his presence known to his upcoming opponent and to the entire world by taking him out and delivering a very special message to the host of WrestleMania.

He got up close and personal, trash-talked about The Rock's famiglia and mocked him by using the patented "People's Elbow" on a freshly Skull-Crushing-Finale-ed John Cena.

To make sure everyone understood he was the man around here, The Miz spared no expense. 

He meant business, delivered the goods and it was downright awesome!

Do You Smell What the Awesome One Is Cooking?

For a second there, I really believed The Rock was gonna come out and instead, out came The Miz disguised as the Great One.

It was all that was needed to further the storyline between them and it was nice to see WWE putting some faith in a fast-rising star like the WWE Champion. It wasn't every day we got to see John Cena manhandled like that.

We need to have strong heels in this business. Having your top superhero dismantle them at every turn is not a solution, so let's hope the new year opens the eyes of the powers that be.

John Cena and The Miz have been feuding since 2009. If done right, the Awesome One could be built up to become the Kryptonite to the WWE's resident Superman.

Delightfully destructive.

The Rated-R Departure

Adam Copeland a.k.a Edge a.k.a. The Rated-R Superstar.

It would take more than one slide to clearly describe all the valuable contributions this legend has brought to the WWE.

After his great match vs. Alberto Del Rio at WrestleMania XXVII, Edge's body had been pushed to its limits and unfortunately for the Rated-R veteran, his doctors advised him that his in-ring career was over.

He clearly mentions he was working on borrowed time and the time had come to call it quits unless he wished to finish his days in the confines of a wheelchair. At the young age of 38, a legend made the right call.

It is a sad but true fact that all performers, great and small, put their bodies on the line every week in order to provide the best show in the world for us.

He is still alive and doing well. One guess would be for him to enter the WWE Hall of Fame as soon as possible, and I wouldn't count out a non-wrestling role for him once the time would feel right.

All that can be said is this: Thank you for everything, Edge.

Christian Finally Wins His First World Championship

Since Edge had to vacate the World Heavyweight championship due to injury, all eyes were now fixed on his longtime best friend and tag team partner, Christian to achieve what he had never done before.

His victory at Extreme Rules earned him his very first World title, perhaps the greatest moment of his career. He was absolutely delighted and his fans were ecstatic. What went wrong for Edge was made right again by Christian that night.

Unfortunately, he would only hold on to the title a few days as Randy Orton would relieve him of it later on on Smackdown.

It was not for nothing, however, as Christian spiraled down a path of frustration and delivered perhaps the best matches of his career during the summer of 2011.

What will happen next for Captain Charisma? Will he exceed his own accomplishments in 2012?

Kharma Makes an Example out of Michelle McCool

Michelle McCool had just lost a Loser Leaves WWE match against longtime B.F.F Layla and was on her way out of the company.

All those years of bullying and making fun of every Diva finally came back to haunt her as she literally met her Kharma.

Long have the fans demanded for a strong Divas division and the signing of Kia Stevens (formerly known as Awesome Kong) was a definite step in the right direction. She is big, tall and powerful. Just what we need to get our attention.

This was perhaps one of my favorite moments of the year as I watched one lady go out and one finally come in to save the day. Too bad she had to get pregnant at the worst possible time.

Good for her, though.

Kharma...I cannot wait for the day you finally return and show the world why the Divas division is worth supporting.

The Age of Awesomeness Ended by John Cena

Say what you will about him, but The Miz made a fine WWE Champion and no one really expected him to lose his title that night at Extreme Rules.

On paper, a triple threat match in a cage was the perfect way to make sure his title remained safe without anyone taking the fall. It was not to be, and John Cena would reclaim once again a championship he didn't need.

The worst part is, he only held it for two months. Such wonderful booking is what some despise out of the WWE product.

I had great plans for The Miz and his championship reign. I had imagined him losing out to Triple H at SummerSlam and then have Hunter drop it to CM Punk at Night of Champions.

Funny how the last two had a small feud over the summer as I predicted. It would have worked and would have been so good to finally have a long-term WWE Champion.

Oh well. Here's hoping CM Punk gets that honor now. Last thing I want to see right now is ANOTHER John Cena transitional reign.

Thank you.

CM Punk Drops an Unexpected Pipe Bomb on WWE

Did you ever expect CM Punk sitting down and saying something like that?

There is so much truth to what he says it's unbelievable. How many Real Talk columns would I have to write in order to get some valuable points across?

While most people loved to boo CM Punk at the time, no one can deny his words struck a chord somewhere and things seem to have been changing ever since. There is still a lot of work to be done in order to have quality programming every week, but there is much belief he was to man to have started the change.

I may not have been his greatest fan in the beginning but I am totally devoted now. He is a great Superstar and a great WWE Champion. His matches are always of top quality, so having him re-sign with the company over the summer was the best move Vince McMahon could make in 2011.

It was just the beginning.

CM Punk Leaves WWE with the Championship

After the pipe bomb ,came the hostage situation.

CM Punk defeats John Cena in the main event of Money In The Bank despite Vince McMahon's attempt at screwing him and leaves the company with the title firmly in hand, much to the chagrin of the C.E.O.

That allowed for him to instantly gain millions of fans and supporters worldwide and forced the hand of WWE in changing the course of history.

Things needed a slap in the face, a wake-up call so to speak, and CM Punk was glad to provide it.

It must have been the best Pay Per View event of the year. Everything was good about it, and the ending was the cherry on top.

WWE Fails to Capitalize on Buffalo Crowd During Divas Match

Beth Phoenix looks like a Valkyrie. It is amazing.

There are some unfortunate moments in life and stupid ones too. Everybody was cheering Beth Phoenix at Night of Champions and it was the perfect time to get behind the Divas division. They just can't see an opportunity if it slapped them in the face.

Not only did Kelly Kelly retain that night, she did it via a roll up. A ROLL UP!!! Come one people!

The Buffalo crowd and I were just appalled by this move. We all booed K2 out of the arena. I personally stopped watching the entire event in disappointment.

It must be really difficult to book a successful Divas match right. How many times can you get such a great crowd behind the women for free? EPIC FAIL!

K2 did and will do nothing for the Divas championship. In French, we say: "Sois belle et tais toi!" which translates to be pretty and shut up. To add insult to injury, everyone had to listen to Michael Cole dis Beth Phoenix after her loss.

I hope he gets a Glam Slam soon enough, and if that isn't enough to take him out, then I'd feed him to a hungry Kharma.

Mark Henry Pins Randy Orton Clean and Wins the Gold

In the words of that weasel Michael Cole: The 15-year odyssey is over. 

Mark Henry has been with the WWE since the late '90s and was never truly allowed to blossom into the force he could be so earlier this year, he took matters into his own hands and started sending people into the hall of pain.

It finally came down to World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton's turn and he was no exception. That was a total classy move by the Viper to allow for Henry to pin him clean. It apparently was a trend the Legend Killer would follow over the next few months.

The World's Strongest Man makes an absolute great heel. It is sad he got injured recently which forced the WWE into putting the title on Daniel Bryan (not a bad thing), I could swear the big man was going all the way to WrestleMania XXVIII with gold in hand.

No matter what, it was his best year ever, and I congratulate Mark Henry on his success and hope he recovers soon.

The Upper Mid-Card Vies for Attention

Cody Rhodes, Zack Ryder, Dolph Ziggler and The Miz = the future of the company.

It is great to watch these young performers take it up a notch and show the world why they are some of the best talent in WWE.

The matches they are in may not be for the top championships, but with them putting so much heart into it, there is no mistake about it stealing the show sometimes. If they are to be trusted at being main-eventers, then it is in their interest to charm the pants off everyone.

Good to see the youth movement resuming its course after a short recess. 2012 looks to be a bright and refreshing year at WWE.

Cody Rhodes Restores the Intercontinental Championship to Its Former Glory

The time for ugly belts is over.

Cody Rhodes felt the need to bring an old and revamped favorite of the WWE Universe: the classic Intercontinental championship belt.

It is by far the wisest and most successful decision the company has taken in 2011. How long have I waited for such a moment to happen. It makes me think the next in line for a makeover is the WWE championship itself. Bye Bye "spinner: belt and please bring back the classic "winged-eagle" strap.

Why is there need to change title belts in the first place? The other sports don't. A championship's legacy should be protected and valued. No more hot-potato reigns and no more gaudy-looking belts.

On the plus side, Cody Rhodes also remodeled his image and went from dark and twisted to all white and twisted. He added knee pads and took off his mask. It was a very good year for this future World Champion.

The Rock Teams with John Cena. Never Before, Never Again.

This was a great money-generating plan. Putting the two big stars together for one night worked like a charm.

The Rock returned to a WWE ring after seven long years and planted some boots to John Cena, R-Truth and The Miz. No one looked better than he did that night and it's like he never left.

We ate it all up and trust me when I say this: no one in their right mind will ever...and the Phoenix means eeever...cheer for John Cena come April 1. The Froot Loop Troop will get whats coming to it and Miami will explode!

No one holds a candle to The Rock nowadays. It may have been one night only, but the moment will live on forever in history.

2011: An Injury-Prone Year

What do Edge, Sin Cara, Michelle McCool, Layla, Christian, Randy Orton, Kevin Nash, Alberto Del Rio, Big Show, Kane, John Morrison and Rey Mysterio have in common?

Did I leave anyone out?

All figure at one point or the other on the WWE's injured performers list. Not a good place to be if you want to keep making money and advancing in life. It is so unfortunate and sometimes cannot be helped.

Being a WWE performer makes you put your body at risk and though some feats make you an instant star, some leave you lying in pain and scraps months out of your career. Not for nothing, some of us treat them like our favorite superheroes.

Perhaps it would be time for the company head honchos to reconsiders the awful 300+ days of on-the-road scheduling and give these people a break. For Heaven' sake, even God takes a day off!

I'd like this opportunity to wish all of the talent a very successful and healthy 2012. May you recover in time to take control of destiny and keep on bringing to us some of the best moments of our lives.

Kane Returns with the Mask On!

I think this is spectacular.

Kane is a legend in WWE and the fact he return with his mask on seems to restore some lost awe in his character. No longer will we see him dance and play the trumpet. This man is a beast and should be treated like a total threat.

All champions be warned: Kane takes no prisoners.

What's even better is the how he appears to play the Dark Jedi Master and attempt to lure John Cena to the dark side. It will be very interesting to see in the coming weeks what will come out of all this.

Will the leader of Cena fall to the power of Kane? Or will the Big Red Monster become just another victim of WWE's poor booking of heels?

I cannot wait to watch Monday Night Raw on Jan. 2.

What Lies Ahead in 2012?

2012 has begun.

Who will lead the WWE throughout the new year? What will be the outcome of the mysterious promos that have been playing for weeks now?

There are so many questions yet all will be revealed in time. The year is just beginning, as is the road to WrestleMania.

The most interesting moments of the year usually happen between January and April to prepare us for the biggest show of the year, but never forget that anything can happen in the WWE.