The Roderick Toombs Award - Best Performer on the Microphone in 2011

This award honours the performer who has consistently cut the best promos, made the best speeches, given the best interviews and generally used his microphone time in the best manner. Named after Roderick 'Rowdy Roddy Piper' Toombs, one of the most electric, explosive and outstanding verbal talents ever.

Last Year's Awards:

Winner - The Miz

1st Runner Up - CM Punk

2nd Runner Up - Wade Barrett

WINNER - CM PUNK

"Pipe Bomb!" CM Punk's catchphrase is supposed to indicate that a microphone in his hands becomes a dangerous entity, because he will say anything and everything that comes to his mind. And boy, did he ever in 2011. It is impossible to summarize the number of deliciously shocking things he said on the microphone in the year, from calling Triple H 'Paul Levesque' to telling Vince McMahon to his face that he had no idea what his audience wanted to using WWE-banned words like 'professional wrestler'. The one thing that was constant throughout was the command that CM Punk had over the microphone. He is one of the few performers who has mastered the art of controlling a crowd with his words. He was booed more than anyone else as a heel, and then cheered more than anyone else as a face. Most importantly, he spoke from his heart than from a script. To illustrate Punk's enthralling mastery of the mic, I could give you Youtube links to his now-legendary worked shoot from the 27 June Raw, his face-off with Triple H or his contract signing with John Cena and Vince McMahon before MITB. But I shall instead talk about an almost insignificant promo from Smackdown a couple of months ago. CM Punk was on the show as a special attraction, and Christian told him "Take your pipe bomb and leave. Nobody wants you here." Punk cartoonishly drooped his face, slumped his shoulders, said "Gee, nobody wants me? Guess I'll go back to Raw." and began trudging out of the ring. This was clearly a rare instance of Punk working with a script by the writers, the sort of corny rubbish that would have made you want to stone John Cena if he had said it. But guess what? Punk hit just the right tone, had just the right expressions and made that one line work like nobody else currently in WWE could have. The crowd ate it up. That is how great CM Punk has become.

1st RUNNER UP - THE MIZ

I would argue that The Miz was the best performer on the mic for the first quarter of the year, in the months leading up to Wrestlemania. The Rock and John Cena may have been trying to one-up each other throughout and made bigger splashes with some grand speeches and segments, but no one was more consistent with his promos than The Miz. He alternated between sarcasm, arrogance, intensity, aggression and crowd-bashing effortlessly. Since Wrestlemania, he lost momentum and was shunted out of the spotlight (for no fault of his own). As a result, he may not have been given much to say, but he still made every opportunity on the microphone count - which is more than can be said for most wrestlers. Whether it was his 'conspiracy' rants in his stint with R-Truth or simply in a ridiculous segment to promote a Subway sandwich, Mike Mizanin was always making the most of talk time.

2nd RUNNER UP - CODY RHODES

Cody Rhodes is one of the most interesting performers around. I often think he overacts, and is not very good with his facial expressions, but I still believe that he is one of the most promising talents when it comes to working a microphone. This is mainly because of one thing - substance. Almost every sentence that Cody Rhodes utters either develops his character or furthers a storyline. He is a remarkably economical speaker in this sense. Everything that he says is worth listening to in context of the show. There is no filler. His delivery is constantly improving as well. I recently discovered that his promos are a different experience if you listen to them with your eyes closed. The dark and foreboding tone he often takes gains much more credibility it is not seen in conjunction with an overblown villainous smile or a hammed look of rage. If he works on the acting aspect of his promos, he will be a much improved act on the microphone, which is an exciting prospect considering how good he already is. There were other performers in the year who were at times better than him on the mic, but only in flashes. All in all, I feel confident in naming Cody Rhodes one of the best talkers of 2011.

The Fred Ottman Award - Worst Gimmick of 2011

Professional wrestling always comes with a healthy dose of the ridiculous, and this award honours the most ridiculous gimmick or persona that a wrestler was unfortunate enough to be saddled with. Named after Fred Ottman, whose ill-fated debut as the strange glitttering space-creature 'The Shockmaster' is one of the most legendary blunders in wrestling history, apart from being a terrible gimmick.

Last Year's Awards:

Winner - Robbie E and Snooki (Jersey Shore Parody)

1st Runner Up - Abyss (Insecure Neurotic)

2nd Runner Up - Hornswoggle (Mischievous Leprechaun)

WINNER - DAVID OTUNGA (LEGAL EXPERT)

They just had to do it, didn't they. If you thought that WWE would be content to let 'Harvard Law Graduate' be just an interesting footnote to David Otunga's career, this is either the first time you are hearing about WWE or you are now safely locked away in Arkham Asylum after being apprehended by the Batman. Of course, we've heard Michael Cole telling us approximately 342 times that David Otunga was a Harvard graduate and actually worked at a legal firm before deciding to "pursue sports entertainment". But WWE took the horrifying decision of actually making this Otunga's central gimmick in 2011. So we had Otunga counselling Superstars to walk out on COO Triple H in protest of an 'unsafe working environment' and threatening lawsuits against everyone from John Cena to the cameraman. Mysteriously, for an international corporation that was listed on the Fortune 500 list of Small Companies and whose revenues amounted to $109 million in the last quarter, not a single other soul in WWE appeared to have the slightest semblance of legal knowledge, say for example what might constitute an unsafe working environment in a company whose latest public event was poignantly titled 'Hell in a Cell'. As a result, simple sentences from Otunga such as "I've been consulting state laws" were met with WIDE EYES, GREAT FEAR and DEEP SHOCK from authority figures such as Theodore Long. Of course,it's possible it might have all seemed less silly had he not the whole time been sipping coffee from a ridiculous thermos and wearing the most preposterous bow tie in the history of the clothing industry.

1st RUNNER UP - HEATH SLATER (ONE MAN ROCK BAND)

I suppose by itself, the phrase "One Man Rock Band" is not too bad. It might even have been a catchy and cool nickname for someone with phenomenal musical talent and an electric presence. Like Jimi Hendrix, for example. Unfortunately, I am quite confident that Heath Slater would be incapable of becoming a one-man rock band even if he were the last man on earth, had eight arms and was magically gifted with the sum total of musical knowledge accumulated throughout the history of mankind. For I have seen things that look less like a rock band than Heath Slater, but not since I got glasses. The man (and I use the term loosely, for his resemblance to the girl in the Wendy's logo is uncanny) can work in the ring, but he will have to ditch this atrocious gimmick and his current hairstyle if he's ever going to be taken seriously.

(Note: The image on the left is obviously photoshopped, but it was too hilarious not to include here)

2nd RUNNER UP - STING (THE JOKER)

Sting has been known as 'The Icon' for quite some time, and it is the rare wrestling nickname that is not an exaggeration. The man is one of the last remaining legends in the industry, a veteran with 26 years in the business, a no-nonsense professional who is hugely respected among his peers. You'd think that a newborn baby would be able to see that this is a performer who can be left to himself. But TNA Wrestling is no newborn baby. The company has a fascinating talent for trying to fix what isn't broken and then ruining it beyond all recognition, and they somehow managed to do this with Sting in 2011. After he lost the TNA World Heavyweight Championship to Mr. Anderson at Slammiversary, he was bizzarely repackaged as 'The Insane Icon', completely ripping off Heath Ledger's Joker from 'The Dark Knight'. Imagine if WWE had recast The Undertaker as the 'Pirate Phenom' with Jack Sparrow's character. I prayed desperately that someone - DC Comics, Warner Bros - anyone, would file an injunction for copyright infringement, but they were either too busy laughing hysterically or continuing to be unaware of TNA's existence. We were forced to watch in horror as this legend donned white facepaint, red lipstick, garish suits and laughed hysterically for no apparent reason whatsoever - approximately every 15 minutes during Impact. TNA, you wanna know how you got these scars?

The Brock Lesnar Award - Most Promising Wrestler for 2012

This award is given to the performer who, having performed exceedingly well or shown unusual promise this year, seems most likely to be elevated to the main event next year. Named after Brock Lesnar, who was famously touted as 'The Next Big Thing'.

Last Year's Awards:

Winner: Alberto Del Rio

1st Runner Up: Dolph Ziggler

2nd Runner Up: John Morrison

WINNER - DOLPH ZIGGLER

Technically, Dolph Ziggler became a World Champion in 2011, and that should make him ineligible for this award, but I have decided to overlook his championship reign since it essentially lasted only five minutes. Last year, I wrote that to make the leap to the main event, Dolph Ziggler needed to 1) Become more comfortable on the microphone and 2) Start developing his own heel persona instead of relying on Vickie Guerrero's heat. He has done both those things admirably. Through a combination of exaggerated cockiness, arrogant mannerisms and showing off his physical and athletic attributes, Dolph has evolved into a true, genuinely unlikable heel as opposed to a cool one whom you feel like cheering. He has also become remarkably at ease on the mic, and always comes across like a star in his promos. It is a great progression from the nervous, generic and stilted promos his was delivering a year or so ago. As for his in-ring work, he is arguably the best in-ring worker in WWE right now. He's got impeccable technique, great pacing and psychology and can sell like nobody else. He can also carry anyone to a good match (see Ryan, Mason) and is WWE's leading workhorse. This is evident from the fact that Dolph became the first man in more than fifteen years to wrestle two matches on the same night on consecutive pay-per-views. The last person to do it? Bret Hart.

1st RUNNER UP - WADE BARRETT

Wade Barrett should have become a World Champion in 2010 as part of the Nexus story arc. But much like WWE bungled that storyline, they also completely mismanaged Barrett as a character. Here is a performer with extraordinary presence and verbal skills, which make up for his somewhat limited wrestling style. Yet WWE never quite managed to find the right role for him apart from his spot-on casting as the leader of the rebel group. After the disintegration of the Nexus, Barrett was moved to Smackdown, where he floundered in the midcard. This included a disastrous stint in 'The Corre', one of the worst stables in memory. WWE seemed to realize the error of their ways towards the end of the year, and began positioning Barrett as a man with a higher agenda - a persona that perfectly suits him. As I write this Barrett is on his 'Barrett Barrage', an impressive winning streak, and being featured very strongly in a feud with Randy Orton. I suspect a Wrestlemania feud with The Undertaker and a World Championship could be in Wade Barrett's future in 2012.

2nd RUNNER UP - CODY RHODES

I oscillate in my views on Cody Rhodes. He is either hot or cold. Hit or miss. He is a very good wrestler, but tends to overact and go overboard with his facial expressions or promos. He also comes across as someone who is playing a character rather than extending his natural personality. However, there is no denying that he stands out, which is an achievement in WWE's current assembly-line environment of generic "WWE Superstars" who look and talk the same. At least Cody Rhodes is doing something different. He went from the "Dashing" narcissist persona to a tortued, masked "Phantom of the Opera" type character who believed himself to be disfigured, and did it quite convincingly. He brought back the classic WWE Intercontinental Championship, which was quite fitting in a way, because Cody Rhodes is somewhat of a throwback to the colourful wrestling personalities of the '80s and '90s. I was happy to see Cody shedding the mask and toning down the drama towards the end of the year. He is one of the best performers WWE has in the ring, and this combined with his unique persona makes him a prime candidate for a main event spot next year. I would hazard a guess that Cody wins a briefcase in July.

The Vince Russo Award - Worst Wrestling Show of 2011

This award is given to the worst wrestling television show of the year. Named after notorious ex-WWE, WCW and current TNA booker Vince Russo, famed for producing consistently nonsensical and terrible wrestling programmes.

Last Year's Awards:

Winner - WWE Superstars

1st Runner Up - WWE ECW

2nd Runner Up - WWE NXT

WINNER - WWE NXT REDEMPTION

Vince McMahon is either senile or a sadistic liar. There can be no other explanation as to why he described NXT as the "next evolution in television history". For NXT has been to the evolution of television history what the arrival of settlers on the island of Mauritius was to the evolution of the dodo. The concept had already begun to wear thin by the second season in 2010 and the "challenges" for the participants grew sillier, as did the participants themselves. Then there was the staggering joke that was Season 3, and many speculated that NXT would be cancelled after it was pulled from television. However, WWE continued to broadcast the show online as an "exclusive feature" on their website and even began a Season 4. However, this year they crossed all standards of decency. Instead of putting the show to sleep quietly and humanely, they began Season 5 and had the horrible gall to title it "NXT Redemption". The show would feature unsuccessful participants from previous seasons, and the ultimate prize would be ....a spot in Season 6. "No. No. No." was the collective moan heard around the world. Why a company would pay money to feature performers nobody is interested in on a show nobody watches to compete for a spot in a show that nobody will continue to watch is a problem that is sure to mystify business analysts for centuries. As if that wasn't enough, WWE seems to have forgotten that this show is still running, as we have had a mind-boggling 41 episodes of Season 5 at the time of writing. The last contestant was eliminated 24 episodes ago. Take into account that each of the previous 4 seasons had not more than 15 episodes. WWE NXT is purgatory. It is hell on earth. I am growing increasingly convinced that the only thing that can put an end to the misery of those who have to endure this show is the end of the world itself, and I really hope the Mayans were right.

1st RUNNER UP - TNA IMPACT / IMPACT WRESTLING

The tagline for TNA Impact read "Cross the Line". And that is exactly what the company has done - cross the line into full-fledged lunacy. They had astonishing angles such as the one in which Winter exercised mind control on Angelina Love. Fine. They pushed Eric Bischoff's son Garrett and a security guard named Gunner into main event positions. Okay. Soon after WWE dropped the "World Wrestling Entertainment" expansion since they didn't want to be associated with wrestling, TNA promptly changed the name of their show to 'Impact Wrestling', complete with the tagline 'Wrestling Matters'. They of course then went on to systematically reduce the amount of wrestling they featured on television. Aggravating, but let's say that's okay too. But when they choose to headline their biggest pay-per-view of the year with a match between the 58-year-old Hulk Hogan (who less than a year earlier had been on crutches after a back surgery) and the 52-year-old Sting (repackaged as The Joker, complete with clown makeup and maniacal laugh) and promote it as the greatest match of all time, I realized it was time to eliminate TNA from my life for the sake of my mental health. Total Nonsense Action.

2nd RUNNER UP - WWE SUPERSTARS

I wrote last year that WWE Superstars holds no interest for the average wrestling fan, since it only features matches between midcard talent with no storylines. I still stand by the assessment that WWE should spice up this show by changing it into a tournament or league format, where wrestlers compete to earn shots at the second-tier US and Intercontinental Championships. WWE could also try featuring exclusive interviews with main event wrestlers talking about their feuds. That being said, the Superstars of 2011 was an improvement over last year, with WWE using the show to test out some angles, such as a new character for Yoshi Tatsu and managers for Tyson Kidd. There were also some very good matches, particularly one between Daniel Bryan and Drew McIntyre. However, those who gave this show a miss didn't miss much.

The Paul Heyman Award - Best Wrestling Show of 2011

This award honours the best wrestling television programme of the year. It is named after Paul Heyman, whose intelligent and balanced booking produced some of the highest quality wrestling shows, such as ECW in the '90s and WWE Smackdown in the early '00s.

Last year's awards:

Winner - WWE Raw

1st Runner Up - WWE Smackdown

2nd Runner Up - TNA Impact

WINNER - WWE TOUGH ENOUGH

Even if this show had accomplished nothing else, wrestling fans all over the world would have welcomed it gratefully for another chance to stare at Trish Stratus, who along with Booker T and Bill DeMott, served as a trainer for this reality show hosted by a little-known former wrestler called Stone Cold Steve Austin. But as it turns out, the show did accomplish more. A lot more. It was a very well-crafted programme, putting aspiring wrestlers through diverse challenges that ranged from physically demanding (a rope course), teamwork-oriented (a game of basketball against a team of professional dwarf players) , creative (creating their own characters in the WWE AllStars game) and those that tested specific skills (chain wrestling and cutting promos). It was a highly engaging production on par with the best of reality shows, but what really made Tough Enough gripping was the fantastic decision to have Austin as host. This was not the cheerful, beer-guzzler that we have gotten in special appearances over the past decade, but the mean, tough-as-nails 'Stone Cold' persona that really propelled him to stardom in the '90s. It was a treat to watch Austin intimidate contestants and especially run down the bottom three in each episode. WWE Tough Enough may have just run for two months, but it was consistently enjoyable and exciting, and hence I give it my top spot.

1st RUNNER UP - WWE SMACKDOWN

Smackdown has always been the red-haired stepchild (blue-haired in this case) of WWE. It is often said that Vince McMahon's focus is concentrated on RAW, the flagship show. However, that often works to the advantage of Smackdown. Without the constant pressure and scrutiny of the boss, Smackdown's creative team often creates a more structured and balanced product. This was also the case in 2011. Although RAW got the high-profile angles and celebrities, Smackdown's contributions this year have overall been more meaningful and lasting. Think about it - the development of Dolph Ziggler before he was transferred to RAW, the evolution of Cody Rhodes as a performer, the blossoming of Randy Orton as a ring general and the fantastic Orton-Christian feud, the rise of Sheamus, the slow build of Daniel Bryan, the resurgence of Wade Barrett and the fantastic revitalization of Mark Henry - have all happened in the fertile environment of Smackdown. RAW cannot claim much apart from Punk-Mania, and even that was largely Punk's own doing.

2nd RUNNER UP - WWE RAW

RAW is a curious case. There is no doubt that we have seen some of the most exciting angles and storylines on the show. In 2011, the CM Punk contract saga was the most electrifying thing to happen in WWE in years. Yet WWE invariably manages to squander everything they start on the Red Brand. I read that a recent episode of RAW underwent five rewrites on the day of the show because Vince couldn't make up his mind. The result that the three things WWE had advertised in advance for the show: Special guest star Jonah Hill, the debut of Brodus Clay and a Nash-Triple H confrontation all ended up being scrapped. It is this hastiness, confusion and complete lack of planning that was RAW's undoing this year. The first half of the year was very good - with Miz's championship reign and the Punk-Cena-Triple H angles, but the second half was frequently boring and at times unwatchable. There is also no excuse for messing up what could have been the biggest angle since the Attitude Era with CM Punk, and there is also no excuse for devoting large chunks of TV time to trash like Michael Cole's feuds with Jerry Lawler and JR. The only reason RAW isn't making it to my worst shows list is because it wasn't as bad as NXT and TNA, and that's not saying much at all.

The Katie Vick Award - Worst Storyline of 2011

This award is for the worst angle in wrestling during the year - a storyline that was terrible, ridiculous, disgusting, stupid, in poor taste or outstandingly bad in any other way. The dishonour is named after the memorable 2002 storyline in which Triple H suggested that Kane, during his days as a taxi driver, had had sex with a woman named Katie Vick AFTER she had been killed in a car crash. Triple H then went on to simulate the act with a mannequin in a casket, just in case anyone was having trouble understanding what exactly he had meant by the term 'to have sex with a corpse'.

Last Year's Awards:

Winner - Edge kidnapping Paul Bearer, holding him hostage and Kane accidentally killing him

1st Runner Up - Abyss getting magic powers from Hulk Hogan's Hall of Fame Ring

2nd Runner Up - John Cena getting fired, but appearing on every show since

WINNER - THE ANONYMOUS RAW GENERAL MANAGER

Okay. When this started in June last year, it wasn't a bad storyline. Never mind that we had to put up with the ridiculous sight of wrestlers in the ring being interrupted by a chiming laptop. Never mind that we had to ignore the suspicious fact that the anonymous general manager could seemingly send two-paragraph mails in response to something that had happened ten seconds earlier in the ring. Never mind that we had to tolerate the brilliantly selected camera shots that clearly revealed a blank laptop screen and Michael Cole reading from a script lying on the keyboard. Despite all these things, the prospect of an unknown entity pulling the strings was intriguing. Who was it? Bret Hart? Stone Cold Steve Austin? Shawn Michaels? Not a heel Triple H! Summer turned to fall, then to winter, and as we entered spring and Wrestlemania season, WWE still had not revealed the identity of this mysterious ruler. Mick Foley joked that maybe WWE was waiting for his TNA contract to run out to reveal that he had been the GM all along. We laughed it off. Classic Foley! (Disturbingly, his contract did run out before this storyline ended.) And how did the storyline end? After one year and twenty-seven days of buildup, WWE brought this saga to a thrilling climax by...pretending it had never happened. Triple H became the COO and the Raw GM was never mentioned again, although inexplicably the bloody podium complete with laptop would continue to be set up for several months. Maybe Steve Jobs or Gaddafi had been the GM. WWE takes the top prize on this award for the staggering achievement of building up a vital storyline for a year without an end in mind and then blissfully writing it off.

1st RUNNER UP - WHATEVER THE HELL WAS GOING ON WITH THEODORE LONG AND AKSANA

For several years now, WWE has had an inexplicable urge to center storylines around Theodore Long, several of them romantic, all of them horrible. Students of marketing have been studying this phenomenon for years, and have pronounced themselves mystified. There just is no logical explanation for it. I can only assume that Long saved Vince McMahon from drowning as a child, or something to that effect. The latest entry in the terrifying Long saga came this year with his ambiguous relationship with mysterious new Diva Aksana. (Of legendary NXT Season 3 "Everyone wanna...be like Aksana" fame) WWE even used subtle cinematographic techniques to highlight the sensuous tension in Long's and Aksana's relationship - every time Aksana walked into Teddy's office, it would be flooded (automatically, of course) with purple light and romantic mood music. Theodore Long would also look scan 270 degrees of the office (mysteriously ignoring the gigantic camera) to make sure they weren't being watched. Top-notch stuff.

2nd RUNNER UP - JINDER MAHAL ENSLAVING THE GREAT KHALI BY THREATENING TO DIVORCE HIS SISTER IF HE DIDN'T DO HIS EVIL BIDDING

Before I add footnotes, I shall attempt to tell the story with a straight face. Once upon a time, Jinder Mahal was from a very, very rich Indian family. The Great Khali was from a very, very poor Indian family. Somehow, despite these vast socioeconomic differences, Jinder ended up marrying Khali's sister. One fine day, Jinder ends up in WWE and orders Khali to do evil deeds, such as winning matches and stuff. Khali is flabbergasted. Jinder says that if Khali doesn't do what he says, he will divorce his sister and send her back into poverty. Now the footnotes. I think Bollywood screenwriters of the '90s and the Indian Judiciary can rightfully take offence at this amazing storyline. The screenwriters because it clearly plagiarizes their material, and the judiciary because apparently WWE thinks they would allow a man to walk away with 100% of his assets in a divorce after the man in question has been cheerfully indulging in mental cruelty, threatening behaviour, extortion and slavery on an international television programme broadcast in - Michael Cole will tell you how many instead of calling the match -countries. (Not that they wouldn't) Also, WWE unintentionally implied that The Great Khali has not made enough money to support his sister in the five years that he has been working with the company. (Not that he should have)

Coming Soon - The 2011 Gorilla Awards

And the most prestigious wrestling awards in *name obscured by convenient cough* are back! Over the next few weeks I shall unveil The Gorilla Awards to honour wrestling's best in my own comically insignificant way. The awards shall be spread across 44 categories as usual. Too many, some (everyone but me) may say. But it must be done, because 44 is the age at which Shawn Michaels retired.

A disclaimer is in order: My wrestling viewing in 2011 has been dominated by WWE. I stopped watching TNA on the advice of my doctor, and I am ashamed to admit I have watched no ROH whatsoever. As for the other promotions, I have barely followed their progress online. So this is going to be a WWE-dominated list. Let's hope that changes next year.

So to those of you unfamiliar with the categories, I hereby present them to you in alphabetical order...

1. The Austin/McMahon Award – Best Feud

2. The Benoit/Guerrero Award – Most Memorable Moment

3. The Bret Hart Award – Best In-Ring Performer

4. The Brock Lesnar Award – Most Promising Wrestler

5. The Chris Benoit Award – Best Technical Wrestler

6. The Chris Irvine Award - Best Catchphrase

7. The Curt Hennig Award – Most Underrated

8. The Dalip Rana Award - Worst Wrestler

9. The Dwayne Johnson Award – Most Charismatic

10. The Eddie Guerrero Award – Retired/Injured/Late Wrestler who was Missed the Most

11. The Fliehr/Lunde/Rogowski/Blanchard Award - Best Stable

12. The Fred Ottman Award - Worst Gimmick

13. The Hart/Austin Award – Best Match

14. The Hector Guerrero Award - Biggest Letdown

15. The Henry/Young Award – Most Absurd/Unintentionally Funny Moment

16. The Howard Finkel Award - Best Major Show

17. The Jacobs/Levesque Award - Worst Feud

18. The Jim Ross Award – Best Announcer

19. The John Layfield Award – Best Gimmick Change

20. The Katie Vick Award – Storyline in Poorest Taste

21. The Keiichi Yamada Award - Best Wrestling Maneuver

22. The Kurt Angle Award – Best Debut Performer

23. The Mark Calaway Award - Best Gimmick

24. The Matt Cappotelli Award – Most Inspirational Wrestling Personality

25. The McMahon/Hart Award – Off-screen Story of the Year

26. The Michael Hickenbottom Award – Best All-Round Performer

27. The Mick Foley Award - Best Spot

28. The Mike Adamle Award – Worst Announcer

29. The Morasca/Sullivan Award - Worst Match

30. The Oscar Gutierrez Award – Best High-Flier

31. The Patricia Stratigias Award - Best Female Wrestler

32. The Paul Heyman Award - Best Wrestling Show

33. The Paul Wight Award- Most Improved Wrestler

34. The Phil Brooks Award – Best Face/Heel Turn

35. The Richard Blood Award - Best Babyface

36. The Richard Fliehr Award - Best Promo

37. The Roderick Toombs Award – Best Performer on the Microphone

38. The Scott Hall Award - Most Embarrassing Wrestling Personality

39. The Smith/Billington Award – Best Tag Team

40. The Steve Austin Award – Biggest Star

41. The Ted Dibiase Award - Best Heel

42. The Terry Bollea Award – Most Overrated

43. The Vince McMahon Award – Best Non-Wrestling Performer

44. The Vince Russo Award - Worst Wrestling Show

WWE Hell in A Cell 2011 - Review

My thoughts and ratings for each match and segment, followed by an overall assessment:

1. Sheamus vs. Christian : A decent enough match, with no standout moments. It's worth noting that Sheamus is really getting into the groove in terms of working as a babyface. Also, Christian's recent string of losses, coupled with his cowardly heel character, has really damaged his credibility. WWE needs to resurrect his persona quickly. Or else, this feud will produce serviceable to good matches, but will be completely lacking in spark. (6/10)
2. Mark Henry Interview: He fumbled with his words, but made up for it with his awesome presence. He can't go wrong these days. (7/10)
3. Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara: This was an awkwardly put together match, and even drew a 'Boring' chant from the New Orleans crowd. The Sin Cara experiment just doesn't seem to be clicking. (5/10)
4. David Otunga Tries to give CM Punk Legal Advice: This served the dual purpose of reinforcing Otunga's new lawyer character, while also reminding us that the anti-establishment Punk hates lawyers. (7/10)
5. Air Boom vs. Dolph Ziggler/Jack Swagger (WWE Tag Team Championship): This was four of the best in-ring workers of WWE putting on a good match, with an innovative finish. With more time, these four can produce something very special. The tag team titles are slowly beginning the long journey back to prominence. (7/10)
6. Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton (World Heavyweight Championship): This match was nowhere close to special in a technical sense, but was great in terms of the story that it told. Henry looked like a beast throughout, kicked out of the RKO at the count of one and pinned Orton cleanly for the second pay-per-view in a row. WWE is booking Mark Henry like a monster, and Orton sold the story perfectly in this match. Henry should have a very long title reign; the payoff will be huge when somebody finally beats him. (8/10)
7. Alberto Del Rio Interview: Del Rio seems ill at ease sometimes with his interviews, and you can tell he's simply memorized a script. (5/10)
8. Cody Rhodes Promo: This was great. I love that they brought back the classic Intercontinental Championship - it fits Rhodes' old-school gimmick very well. His promos can get annoying at times, but he was on a roll here. (8/10)
9. Cody Rhodes vs. John Morrison (Intercontinental Championship): Filler. Cody Rhodes said he would defend the title any time, any place, which of course meant that he was made to do so right there. He proceeded to retain his title, despite wrestling in trousers and, as Michael Cole helpfully informed us, Gucci shoes. (4/10)
10. The Miz & R-Truth break into the locker room and attack Air Boom, Laurinitis complains to Triple H, who has them ejected: As basic as it sounds. (6/10)
11. Beth Phoenix vs. Kelly Kelly (Divas Championship): Beth Phoenix finally won. It actually wasn't too bad a match. (5/10)
12. Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk vs. John Cena (WWE Championship): A pretty routine Triple Threat, with some clever moments, particularly the finish where Del Rio locked Cena outside, threw away the key and proceeded to pin CM Punk after diabolically using a weapon on him. (7/10)
13. Post-match chaos: This was phenomenal. Miz and R-Truth were outstanding here in making it look like they were actually invading the show, and Triple H was fantastic as usual with his highly realistic beatdown at the end. The entire locker room, security and police surrounding the Cell, in combination with the sound of Jim Ross' outraged voice created a classic moment. WWE did a brilliant job of coming up with a chaotic, dramatic and very real-looking climax to end the show. (10/10)

OVERALL RATING: 6.54/10

An average pay-per-view with an outstanding climax, which will endure far longer in my memory than any of the matches on the show.

Best Performers: (1) Randy Orton (2) Mark Henry (3) Alberto Del Rio

Best Match: Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton (World Heavyweight Championship)

Best Promo: Cody Rhodes -"I will defend this championship feverishly."