GUEST COLUMN: “Chair Shots: The Obligatory End of Year Column” by TripleR

Best “Got Me Off My Sofa” Moment of the Year – The Rhodes Boys win their jobs back
You guys know me by now; I’m an old school mark. So when Dusty Rhodes showed back up on my TV screen I was in total bliss. I grew up watching the son of a plumber shuck and jive the NWA for years and years. The angle worked beautifully and nothing excited me more than the match that followed with Cody and Goldust fighting for their respective careers, and ultimately futures in professional wrestling against The Shield. Had the match not delivered, everything that had been previously been built up could have fallen by the wayside, but for me it was high on my list of MOTY candidates. Seeing Dusty throw the bionic elbow; seeing the joy in the faces of Cody and Goldust teaming together – it was all too much. It got me off of my sofa cheering at the TV screen. I’ve been watching wrestling for over 35 years. It takes a hell of a lot to do that. This was that moment.

Best Tag Team That Deserved a Title Run and Didn’t Get It in 2013 – The Usos
The increased emphasis on the WWE’s tag team division has given some much needed air time to a lot of wrestlers on the roster as of late. Just a few short years ago, the WWE Tag Title scene was dominated by thrown together teams that tossed around the title with little significance. But with The Shield, The Rhodes’, Team Hell No, The Real Americans, etc., the Tag Titles are as strong as ever. One team though really took advantage of the increased time they were given, and that was Jimmy and Jey Uso. I can’t think of one match on any PPV, or even on weekly TV where they didn’t give it everything they had. Their chemistry with The Shield was similar to that of The Midnight Express and The Rock and Roll Express, and it didn’t hurt that Roman Reigns is part of the Usos family. So why didn’t they get a title run in 2013? That’s a very good question, as I thought it was going to happen on a couple of occasions. I’m hoping their great run of matches continues into 2014, and that the WWE gives them a shot at the gold. They earned it this past year.

Worst Title Reign of 2013 – Chris Sabin as TNA Heavyweight Champion
Did anybody buy into this? When Sabin decided he was going to cash in “Option C” and challenge Bully Ray for the title, I laughed. I legitimately sat at home and chuckled at my TV. Then HE WON! This was another one of TNA’s decisions that I just didn’t understand. Week after week, he was trotted out by the Main Event Mafia, who continually saved his skin like he was their little mascot. The focus was not on the belt for even one minute, except for when Bully Ray whooped his ass to take it back. Quite honestly, I don’t even really have anything against Chris Sabin, but I feel like this was Dixie Carter’s way of rewarding Chris Sabin for coming back from back to back awful injuries. It was a mistake, and one of many that would continue through the year for TNA.

TNA Wrestler That Needs to be in the WWE in 2014 – Bully Ray
If there was anyone that reinvented themselves in 2013 to be better than ever before it was Bully Ray. Ray got himself into the best shape of his life, took the bull by the horns and become THE GUY in TNA for the better part of the year. He managed to keep a dying angle relevant with his great mic work and his solid in -ring performances. He went toe to toe with Hulk Hogan and even made me not hate seeing Brooke Hogan on the screen all that much. But he’s done there. There’s nothing left for Bully Ray to do in TNA, and I’d love to see him have one more run in the WWE before he calls it a day. Will he be a Main Event guy in the WWE? Probably not, but he’ll most certainly get some considerable ring time, and probably some fairly high profile feuds. Imagine Bully Ray going toe to toe with Punk, or even Cena for that matter. Bully Ray, the ultimate Thug vs. John Cena, the man that used to preach Thug Life. It’s like Heaven vs. Hell all over again. Make it happen WWE!

Person I Couldn’t Be Happier For in 2013 – Goldust
How can you not be? If you’ve followed Dustin Runnels career you know he’s been as high as you can get in the business, and at the same time been as high as you can get in the business. This is a man that practically lost everything – his career, his family, his money. But to his credit he turned his life around and is in the best shape I’ve ever seen him. He’s somehow managed to turn back the clock and look as sharp, if not sharper than he did 15 years ago. At 44 years of age, Goldy has seen his share of bumps and bruises in not only a WWE ring, but an NWA/WCW one, and even a TNA one. But what continues to impress me is that he’s not just coming out here and doing the same old stuff he did years ago. Goldust continues to bring out new maneuvers almost weekly that we haven’t seen before. He’s truly a poster boy for second, third and fourth chances.