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. 
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