One Count Kickout – Wrestling in 2011

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A new year is upon us.  I hope that all of you had a great 2010 and are looking forward to an even better 2011.  Wrestling had its ups and downs this past year, for as many high points as we experienced there were just as many pitfalls which we stumbled into.  It was a transitional year for both WWE and TNA which saw new stars, new angles and took new directions.  One can never know where we will be going in the future, but there are many hopes for what we will see in the coming year.  I wanted to take this opportunity to look into the future and examine a few things I am hopeful we will see in 2011.

So where do we go in 2011?  There are a lot of different directions things could go in, though I am sure any wrestling fan out there is hoping to see both TNA and WWE raise the stakes, push the envelope and bring wrestling back into the spotlight.  Unfortunately, over the past few years, we’ve seen a slow decline in ratings and a dropoff in interest.  What with the rise of MMA drawing more fans away every year, the wrestling industry must do more in 2011 to captivate their audiences.  WWE remains locked in a PG state of mind which is arguably one of the factors adding to their stagnant creativity.  TNA saw a lot of personnel change in 2010 and many different creative directions all seeming to erupt at once, though the end of the year saw them get things back together and begin to harness the potential they have before them.  So what do I want to see?

In TNA there are several things I’d love to see come to fruition.  The Knockouts Division needs to be reinvigorated.  A lot of talent left during 2010, and the knockouts were one of my favorite parts of TNA.  Hopefully in 2011 we’ll see a resurgence in this department and get back to having totally kickass matches.  Lets face it, WWE doesn’t have a lot going for it when it comes to the divas, so TNA truly is the major source for excellent female wrestling.  People like Angelina Love, Mickie James and Tara can certainly carry the load but you need the influx of new talent to keep things fresh.  I’d love to see the return of Alissa Flash and Gail Kim, although the latter is a lot less likely.  As for the WWE divas, the return of Beth Phoenix, the title being on Natalya, the apparent signing of Awesome Kong and the heel turn of Melina can all add to the drawing power of this division, however if their matches continue to be two minute filler it is highly unlikely they’ll be able to build momentum.  So in 2011 lets hope for a better representation of the female wrestler.

WWE flipped the script when they put the title on the Miz.  Now we’re insede the first quarter cycle of WWE, the road to Wrestlemania, and this is always a great time to be a fan of WWE.  We’re almost bound to see some excellent matches and angles happening here, but the question is whether or not they can stick with the momentum.  We definitely saw a dropoff toward the end of 2010.  New stars are a smart way to go and with people like Miz, Morrison and Sheamus running around, plus the Nexus, WWE has a full hand of performers they can build on.  Then there is the rumored return of Triple H which, in the case of Sheamus, could put him back into the spotlight and build toward a major Wrestlemania matchup.  I can’t speak for you, but in my case, I’d love to see a Miz title defense at Wrestlemania and what many old fans are hoping for, Christian vs Edge for the title.

2011 offers many opportunities.  TNA and WWE are both afforded a great opportunity to turn their companies around and head toward better days than we witnessed last year.  I am personally hopeful that TNA will raise its game and compete on a higher level, which in turn could deliver a swift kick to the ass of WWE and make them try a lot harder than they have been.  As a wrestling fan 2010 had moments where it was difficult to justify what I was watching and to fight that urge to change the channel.  Also, I didn’t find myself offering a whole lot of PPVs last year.  It remains to be seen what changes are made in the coming year.  What changes would you like to see, what scenarios are you hoping to see played out?  Tell me your wrestling hopes for 2011 and lets see what actually happens!

Happy New Wrestling Year, folks.