Jump to content

Is 2010-11 WWE's greatest work period?


PowerButchi

Recommended Posts

  • Moderators

Rhetorical. Yes it is. Lawler pulling up trees, Henry's Hall of Pain. SOmewhere to dump great matches from that 18 months.

 

This is easily in WWE's top 5 for me. CM Punk doing a cracking job on colour.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members

That Lawler match alongside Cena-Punk and the streak ending is one of the last things that really got me completely in wrestling. Lawler really got Miz over as a heel in that kini fued. Ladder match was a masterclass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members

Although I think there were better periods, this two-year spell certainly drew me back into WWE. I stopped watching WWE after Mania 20 in 2004, and a number of things happening in 2010 caught my eye and by the end of 2010, I was back in. I like to think the Nexus invasion on RAW was the big turning point, but I knew who they all were and remember watching a few episodes of NXT prior to this, so it must've been during the summer I got back into it.

2011 was a blast. Royal Rumble was the first PPV I stayed up for in 7 years and I thought it was excellent. The two world title matches were ace and the 40-man Rumble match was bloody good- one of the very best in my view.

Cena VS Punk is still one of the best matches I’ve ever seen with one of the best build-ups too. I’ve soured on Punk over the years but my god he was on it here, and Big Match John was at the top of his game.

Much more I enjoyed too. I liked Alberto del Rio at this point as well, his act hadn't become stale and samey at this point. Daniel Bryan received a decent push and won the world heavyweight title. The Rock returned and had a series of brilliant promos with Cena (who owned him), and looked sharp during his in-ring return at Survivor Series. From his US title run through to Alex Riley's face turn, The Miz was a bit of a revelation. Plus as already mentioned, Menry stepped up to another level in 2011.

2011 was littered with loads of decent big man/little man matches, mostly consisting of Big Show, Menry, Daniel Bryan, Cody & possibly Punk.

The women's division was fucking dirt, though and WrestleMania was wank save for HHH/Taker. One of the worst main events I've ever seen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members

It's not a time period I'd ever think of as a highlight, but looking back, it does feel like a bit of a last hurrah.

It was around the time by then-girlfriend got into watching wrestling with me, and the last time we were really making a point of watching RAW every week and being invested in what was going on. Cena and Punk really felt like they had potential to grow into their generation's Rock and Austin or Hogan and Piper (there was a long time during which Cena had never beaten Punk, and I thought they were consciously trying to mimic that dynamic, but of course not), and crucially you had the rise of Punk and Bryan to the main event scene, and reconfiguring what was expected of a WWE wrestler into a much more "indie", hard-hitting, fast-paced style, but before it went full Ziggler vs. Rollins.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members

Punks run from the "pipe bomb" to Survivors was superb. For me, not for the content, but for the passion and delivery. You hear all the time (Jericho has a few of these stories) about Vince rounding on someone and going "THAT'S what I've been waiting for" - that period was Punk sticking his head out and going "See me? I'm fucking special and it's time you all realized." Except it's more like HE finally realized.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members

The build-up to Wrestlemania 26 was the last time I was properly into the weekly product and never missed an episode of Raw. At the same time you had TNA's brilliant January 4 show, which was probably the only time this decade or last when I was really 'into' weekly televised wrestling.

Although panned by most people back then and to this day, I was a sucker for the Bret v Vince angle due to the nostalgia and novelty of having Bret back in the WWF (despite the jean shorts).

At the same time you had that awesome run up to HBK v Undertaker 2.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members

I always thought the angle they shot at Hell In A Cell 2011 with The Miz and R-Truth was massively underrated.

No-one ever talks about it, and people often look back and snigger at the fact that The Rock returned at Survivor Series for a tag match against a couple of jobbers, but on that one night? The Miz and R-Truth looked the business out there. Check it out.

Everything about it clicks perfectly. Miz and Truth rocking up in hoodies, violently smashing shit out of everyone, camera men hitting the deck, the entire roster trying to break into the Cell, Triple H going ballistic, even The Miz's smug face as he's marched out in handcuffs. They look like absolute renegades. Complete pieces of shit. Proper top heels. Even Jim Ross puts a shift in. By 2011, I thought Ross was completely past it, but evidently not. If all you watched was that one angle, then fast-forwarded straight to Survivor Series, you'd completely buy that those two lads were on a level ready for The Rock's first match back. Boss.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I dunno, the idea's decent but the execution is a bit naff until Triple H throws some fire in to it. When you have all the wrestlers lamely tugging at the cell it doesn't seem very convincing. The commentary sounds scripted too. I definitely wouldn't say it would convince me they're worthy of Rock's first match back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members

The start of 2010 was nuts. Bret returning was such as massive thing and especially on the back of Hogan properly signing with TNA. In a way it kind of kicked WWE up the arse a bit and ended up having a couple of great years. In retrospect due you think Hogan going to TNA put the shits up Vince a little bit... just in case?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Paid Members

2011 was nuts. I'm not sure if it was truly the best for work because 2000 had consistently good PPVs throughout the year with some absolute classics. But The Rock's return effectively drove me to the point where I spent my last student loan on a last minute trip to America to physically go to Wrestlemania. It was a shit Wrestlemania from a work perspective, but the whole trip was an incredible experience and a shitload of fun. 2011 will always have a special place in my heart for that reason. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...