Best Of The Month: October 2012

Here are the highlights from October 2012:

Wrestler of the Month: Ryback

There are many WWE superstars who've had their fair shot at main event superstardom, but so few have climbed the ladder so quickly.  Ryback is a rare case of the fans organically hand-picking the next big thing.  It's something we have not really seen since the heyday of Lesnar.  Most of the top tier talent worked their asses off and earned their shot through determination after having earned the fans' respect.  Not to say that Ryback doesn't work hard, but the guy knows how to whip the crowd into a frenzy with just a twitch of his arm.  Love him or hate him, there was no other act in wrestling that had the buzz Ryback had this past month.

Match of the Month:: ROH Glory By Honor XI: Kevin Steen vs. Michael Elgin

These two hosses tore the house down at ROH's eleventh annual Glory By Honor event.  And it was another in a pair of fantastic performances for Elgin this year (the other vs Davey Richards in March), cementing his status as the wrestler to watch right now.  Had it not been for the incredible ascension of Ryback, Elgin would have taken the top spot this month due to his performance in this match alone.  It was that good.  Steen also continues to show just why he's the right person for the ROH title right now, taking Elgin to the limit, retaining his title and making the challenger an even bigger star in the process.  This is championship wrestling at it's finest.  Seek this match out if you haven't seen it already.  Just amazing.

 

Top Ten Wrestlers Pound for Pound

1. CM Punk WWE Champion: Punk's title reign has taken a life of it's own as of late and there's no denying that he's the gold standard for American professional wrestling right now.  No other performer even comes close.
2. Kevin Steen ROH World Champion: Steen silenced many of his critics who love to harp on his deathmatch style and call him a bad fit for the ROH world title with his brilliant match at GBH.  He's the ace of the indies right now and things look to only get better with the looming return of El Generico.
3. Jeff Hardy TNA World Champion: Hardy's redemption story reached it's epic climax at Bound For Glory when he defeated Austin Aries for the TNA world title.  The Charismatic Enigma is easily the most inspirational wrestler of the month.
4. Ryback: The WWE's fastest rising star had a hell of a performance (no pun intended) against the WWE Champion at Hell In A Cell.  He is a freak of nature with an unbelievable mean streak that places him amongst the most feared men in the WWE.
5. Michael Elgin: The indie equivalent of Ryback in terms of buzz and overall ring presence.  At just 24 years of age, Elgin is already one of the best wrestlers in the world today and he is the best and most valuable prospect on the indies right now.  The "big two" are sure to come calling.
6. Big Show WWE World Champion: The world's largest athlete has once again emerged refocused and appears to be more dangerous than ever.  His ironclad contract is still in effect and he remains the most unpredictable wrestler on the WWE roster.
7. James Storm: Storm finally managed to beat longtime rival Bobby Roode at Bound For Glory in what may be the most satisfying victory of his career thus far.  It was a brutal battle that deserves to be mentioned in the top five when on the topic of great TNA matches this year.
8. Kofi Kingston WWE Intercontinental Champion: Kofi defeated The Miz in two excellent matches and captured his fourth Intercontinental title in the process.  His new "wildcat" persona and high intensity have made him a formidable champion.
9. Bobby Roode: Though Roode came up on the losing end in his biggest (post TNA world title) match of the year, he is still the best performer in the company by far.  He is undoubtedly the company's MVP and should never be taken lightly.
10. Jay Lethal: Lethal's new "killer instinct" was on full display when he made Davey Richards pass out after a classic back and forth match at GBH.  He is one of the more intriguing personas in wrestling right now and it's this win over Richards that was his coming out party.