Top 10 WWE Wrestlers Of The Year

10. MVP/CM Punk
In his first full year as a WWE performer, MVP really has come into his own. There's no doubt that his feud with Chris Benoit (Gasp! I said his name) elevated him to a new level, while his feud with Matt Hardy was one of the top storylines of the year.

I couldn't leave CM Punk off of the list. He is the ECW champion and the face of the brand. Even though he is booked weakly, he has been a solid competitor throughout the year.

9. Umaga
Here's a guy who about a year and a half ago debuted and nobody cared. In 2007, he found himself main eventing (and stealing the show at both) New Year's Revolution and Royal Rumble. Even though WWE booking hasn't been all too kind to him, Umaga has had a fantastic year.

8. Batista
Most people who know me, know that I am not a big fan of Batista. But boy did his matches with Undertaker rock the house this year. It also was a blessing for him that he was able to stay healthy all year, unlike Edge and Undertaker. But any way you look at it, Batista really turned it up a notch in 2007.

7. Undertaker
His matches with Batista were classic and it still amazes me how good he really is. Just imagine how different his career would have been had he always faced more talented opponents.

6. Matt Hardy
Now is the time to push Matt Hardy. Even though he finished the year with an injury, he will most likely lose any momentum when he comes back in 2008. He is always popular with the fans and has really become a great all around wrestler.

5. Edge
Had he not gotten injured, he most likely would have been champion for the remainder of the year. This guy is that good. Moving to Smackdown was a good thing for him and should be the star of that show for years to come.

4. Jeff Hardy
Now is the time to push Jeff Hardy. And they actually are! Jeff gets to headline his first pay-per-view at Royal Rumble in 2008. His victory over Triple H was perhaps the biggest of his career and it seems that the Intercontinental Champion will have an even bigger 2008.

3. Randy Orton
Here's another guy that benefitted due to injuries. Since John Cena's injury, he has had great matches with Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and Chris Jericho at the last four pay-per-views. That's not even mentioning the fact that his feud with John Cena was one of the better ones of the year.

2. Shawn Michaels
How does he do it? Just when you think he's going to be slowed down by an injury, he comes back and has some great matches with Randy Orton. Oh and he also had a near hour long match with John Cena just a couple weeks after their epic WrestleMania main event.

1. John Cena
The guy gets no respect. Just because he isn't as talented as a guy like Shawn Michaels doesn't mean he doesn't have "it". He knows how to tell a story in the ring and brings out the best in his opponents. It's time to start giving more credit to this man and hope he has a speedy recovery.

Top 10 WWE Pay-Per-Views Of The Year

My first of a few year-end lists for the year 2007:

10. SummerSlam
A definite disappointment overall, this was pretty much a one match show. A lot of the matches got shorted on time due to the returns of Triple H and Rey Mysterio, but the Cena/Orton bout was one of the best main events in SummerSlam history.

9. Great American Bash
This was a pretty solid card that featured the only MVP/Matt Hardy bout of the year (crazy how that worked out, huh?). Jeff Hardy had a solid match with Umaga and Cena was able to carry Lashley to an exciting main event match.

8. No Mercy
This was the first non-John Cena pay-per-view in a long time and it was a solid one. The WWE Championship was defended three times throughout the night, giving this show a different feel. Kudos to Triple H, who pulled off two solid matches and one terrific main event.

7. New Year's Revolution
I seem to be one of the few who really enjoyed this show. The cage match between Johnny Nitro and Jeff Hardy was a nice surprise. The DX/Rated RKO match was fun until the injury to Triple H. The Cena/Umaga match was another great main event from Cena. The rest was pretty forgettable, but those three matches made this a good show.

6. Armageddon
I really felt that this could land up in the top 3 for the year. While it didn't quite live up to that, it still was a good show. I know most people hated the Jericho/Orton ending, but at the same time, they couldn't really afford to have either job. Yes, they could have just had JBL cause Y2J the match by pinfall, but hey, that's just the way it goes. All in all, a good show.

5. Cyber Sunday
This was by far the best show in it's short history. Almost every match delivered and it was nice to see Batista/Undertaker headline the show, as they once again put on another fantastic match, this time with Batista getting a clean pinfall.

4. Royal Rumble
A lot of people complained about the undercard, but I thought 2 of the 4 maches were good and 1 of the 4 was great. The great match being Cena/Umaga, which will unquestionably make my top 10 matches of the year. The rumble itself was one of the better ones and it was a nice touch to have the Undertaker win his first Rumble and be the first to win the Rumble as entry number 30.

3. Survivor Series
This show featured one of the best wrestling matches of the year (HBK/Orton), one of the best brawls of the year (Undertaker/Batista), and one of the most underrated matches of the year (Miz/CM Punk/Johnny Nitro). All of that plus a pretty good Survivor Series match adds up to a good, solid show.

2. WrestleMania 23
Some would argue this is a little too high, but it was my first WrestleMania that I've ever attended, so I'm a little bias. The show featured two great title matches along with a Money In The Bank Match that was phenomenal. You can argue that this should have been a 3 hour show, and you could be right, but what was here, was pretty awesome.

1. Backlash
I think most people would agree that this was the best wrestling show of the year. Each match was given a good amount of time to develop and all were exciting in their own right. Once again another good Batista/Undertaker match left a lot of people talking, but the four way match (Cena/HBK/Orton/Edge) stole the show. Awesome, awesome event.

Rearranging The WWE - ECW

ECW

The Main Eventers

1. Kane - He already spends a lot of time on the show and he helps bring credibility to the brand.

2. Umaga - He would obviously be used a lot on Smackdown too, but it just gives him some fresh opponents to face so he doesn't keep jobbing.

3. Shelton Benjamin - The future of ECW. This could save his career.

4. The Miz - He has a long way to go, but he's made a lot of progress over the past year.

5. Chavo Guerrero - Even before he showed up on ECW, I thought this was a good idea.

The Mid-Card/The Future

1. Kenny Dykstra - He has a lot of upside, he just needs to start winning more often. No better place to do that than ECW.

2. Val Venis - I think this could help resurrect his career a little. He still is a good, solid performer who should be used more wisely.

3. Jamie Noble - Another veteran that they could possibly get more out of.

4. Drew McIntyre - The jury is still out on this young man, but this is where the youngsters need to start.

5. Super Crazy - WWE really missed the boat on this guy. He was getting a good reaction from the fans and putting on fun matches. ECW could help him out.

6. Tommy Dreamer - I'm not sure how much longer he'll stick around, but I'd hate to see him leave ECW.

The Tag Teams

1. Jimmy Wang Yang + Shannon Moore - I love this team, but they could also go solo and be successful.

2. Paul London + Brian Kendrick - Another great team that could go solo. Their chances of solo success are greater than the previous team.

The Jobbers

1. Stevie Richards - A great veteran that does great ring work is always welcome on a brand with a lot of young guys.

2. Nunzio - Another hard worker despite not winning in forever.

3. Funaki - He and Super Crazy could probably have some great matches.

The Divas

1. Kelly Kelly - She will most likely get moved up to Raw at one point, but she is not ready yet.

2. Layla - She is nowhere near ready for the big leagues.

Rearranging The WWE - Smackdown

Smackdown

The Main Eventers

1. Undertaker - He has become the face of this brand, so why change it?

2. Jeff Hardy - I feel that by moving him here, he won't get stuck behind guys like Cena, Triple H, and others.

3. Mr. Kennedy - Even though he seemed like a good fit for Raw, I think he was fitting in just fine on Smackdown.

4. Lashley - Another guy who fits the Smackdown style of booking better. He could take over Batista's role.

5. Shawn Michaels - Yes, I know this would never happen, but I think it would be refreshing to see him away from Triple H.

6. Edge - He is slowly taking the Undertaker's role as the face of Smackdown.

7. Rey Mysterio - He is one that I would like to see on Raw, but at the same time, think he does a fine job here.

The Mid-Card/The Future

1. Carlito - This is where he had a nice run and it gives him some fresh opponents to help him redefine himself.

2. Big Daddy V - He fits the role of Smackdown's big man.

3. Elijah Burke - I think it's only a matter of time before this guy is a star.

4. Snitsky - Well, he has to go somewhere. I just wish he was in the jobber category.

5. Great Khali - Yes, they are getting lots of big men, but Smackdown seems to use them best.

6. Gregory Helms - Hopefully his recovery is successful because the guy does have talent.

7. DH Smith - Off to a bad start, but could be a future star. Time will tell.

Tag Teams

1. Highlanders - Their goofy gimmick just fits Smackdown a little better.

2. Cade + Murdoch - With the talent exchange with ECW, tag teams seem to get more air time on the Smackdown brand. This tag team deserves it.

3. Jesse + Festus - They seem to be getting a good crowd response, so why move them?

4. Major Brothers - Their alliance with Edge should help them tremendously.

Jobbers

1. Charlie Haas - Even though he is very talented, he never seems to get over. Might as well use him to put others over.

2. Dave Taylor - A good veteran who can bring out the best in young opponents.

3. Boogeyman - He usually brings out the worst in opponents, but he gets a pop.

Divas

1. Maria - If she wants to wrestle, she's got a long way to go. Smackdown fits her better.

2. Maryse - Another lady who can't wrestle. Picking up on the trend?

3. Torrie Wilson - Probably the best manager out of the less talented divas.

Rearranging The WWE - Raw

There is talk that the WWE may have a post-WrestleMania draft. I figured I'd take a shot at rearranging the brands.

Raw

The Main Eventers

1. Randy Orton - He has really come into his own as of late and is a big part of the future of this company. He should stay right where he is.

2. Chris Jericho - He has been on both shows, but I think he fits the live format best.

3. Batista - He's had a great year on Smackdown, but I think it's time to give him some fresh matchups. A switch to Raw would do so.

4. John Cena - He is their #1 guy and he should be on the #1 show.

5. Triple H - Another wrestler who benefits from the live atmosphere.

The Mid-Card/The Future

1. Matt Hardy - I think he's been on Smackdown long enough. Time for a change of scenery.

2. MVP - I think he has a Raw-like character and this would help push him to main event status.

3. Ric Flair - He won't be around long, but he'll finish here.

4. CM Punk - Time for the WWE to capitalize on Punk's popularity. Raw is the place to be.

5. Finlay - This would help elevate some of the younger stars and make them look good.

6. John Morrison - I think he's ready to move on to bigger things.

7. JBL - His return may not be as big as Jericho's, but it will benefit a lot of wrestlers.

8. Mark Henry - You always need a big guy on your roster.

Tag Teams

1. Hardcore Holly + Cody Rhodes - I don't know how long they'll last, but for now they're staying here.

2. Deuce + Domino - This could help them out, but probably not.

Jobbers

1. Kevin Thorn - I don't see him doing much, but at least he is intimidating.

2. Mike Knox - Just another big body.

3. Chuck Palumbo - Wouldn't be a jobber like the previous two, but probably wouldn't get much air time.

4. Balls Mahoney - Could have a Sandman-type role if used correctly.

5. Jim Duggan - He seems to be the most popular guy on Heat. Let's keep it that way.

Divas

1. Beth Phoenix - You've got to keep the best wrestling females on this show.

2. Victoria - She should have never left Raw. She is always a credible opponent.

3. Mickie James - Perhaps the only female over for her wrestling ability.

4. Jillian - She is waiting for her shot at the title.

5. Michelle McCool - She seems to be improving her in ring skills.

6. Candice Michelle - She's worked hard to get where she is, so on Raw she stays.

7. Melina - She plays a good heel.

Armageddon Recap

For the first time since WrestleMania XX, I actually ordered a WWE pay-per-view from my own home. The weather was just too bad to justify driving 40 miles roundtrip to B-Dubs.

1. MVP vs. Rey Mysterio
I seem to be one of the few that thought this match was really good. Yes, the ending was bad, but who actually thought there would be a clean finish? MVP continues to impress, despite losing by countout.

Rating: 3.5 (out of 5)

2. Kane + CM Punk vs. Big Daddy V + Mark Henry
This was slightly better than expected and I really thought the execution in the ending was really well done. Still not sure why Punk took the pin (especially knowing that Big Daddy V doesn't seem to be pushing for the ECW title).

Rating: 1.5 (out of 5)

3. Shawn Michaels vs. Mr. Kennedy
If this was how they planned on using Mr. Kennedy, I'm not quite sure why they bothered moving him from Smackdown to Raw. He is probably still getting punished for lying about his steroid use, but still. Although, it is nice to see the show stopper get a win every now and then. Started off slow but had a hot ending.

Rating: 3.25 (out of 5)

4. Great Khali vs. Finlay
Finlay tried his best to make this entertaining, but when half of the match is a nerve hold, it can only be so good. Still, I'm just glad Khali's push is over.

Rating: .5 (out of 5)

5. Jeff Hardy vs. Triple H
This was a solid match, but I expected better from these two. I was surprised that Hardy's pop wasn't bigger (like it was on Raw the following night). I think that took away from the victory a little.

Rating: 3 (out of 5)

6. Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton
Jericho is back and seems to be showing no signs of ring rust. This was another solid Randy Orton title match. Yes, the ending is very unsatisfying, but the rest of the match was not. They made the best of this match despite the ending, so I refuse to dock it too much for the DQ ending. JBL/Jericho could be interesting.

Rating: 3.75 (out of 5)

7. Mickie James vs. Beth Phoenix
I was really getting into this match and then it just ended. Then the announcers were left to make it seem like this epic fight, when it was really just about 5 minutes long. I would have liked to have seen at least another 5 minutes. Beth Phoenix retains.

Rating: 1.25 (out of 5)

8. Edge vs. Batista vs. Undertaker
Another solid Smackdown main event. It looks as if Edge will be champion heading into WrestleMania, potentially against the undefeated Undertaker. Although I'm surprised they'd have Undertaker win the title two years in a row. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Rating: 3.5 (out of 5)

Overall, I thought this was a great way to end the year. Yes, two of the ending sucked, but the action leading up to the endings were fantastic. That's 3 real solid shows in a row for WWE.

Overall Rating: 3.75 (out of 5)