Who will be crowned WWE's Superstar of the Year for 2011? Make sure you vote for your favourite...
Vote for your favourite among the final six
The 2011 Slammy Awards take place this Monday on Raw, with the 'Superstar of the Year' gong the most prestigious one up for grabs.
Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk, John Cena, Mark Henry, The Miz and Randy Orton are the six men in contention to win the much-coveted golden statue.
You can submit your vote at this
link but if you need a little reminder of each candidate's accolades, read their biographies below...
Alberto Del Rio
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 239 lbs.
From: San Luis Potosi, Mexico
Signature Move: Cross armbreaker
Career Highlights: Royal Rumble winner (2011); Raw Money in the Bank winner (2011); WWE Champion
Alberto Del Rio came to WWE from the Mexican elite. A Superstar of tremendous society stature and culture, he has been linked to the bloodline of Spanish royalty Ferdinand and Isabella. Everything about him, from his education to his sense of honour and his very appearance exudes an image of carefully-calculated majesty. He is, in every sense of the word, a Superstar of boundless means.
With pure aristocratic arrogance, Del Rio chose to make his WWE debut in the summer of 2010 by interrupting and insulting Rey Mysterio on SmackDown. Later that night, Del Rio stunned the WWE Universe by making the two-time World Champion tap out in his first WWE match! Alberto Del Rio clearly prides himself on excellence. Armed with talent that appears to match his superior attitude, his zest for the finer things in life makes him destined for in-ring glory
CM Punk
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 218 lbs.
From: Chicago, Illinois
Signature Move: G.T.S. (Go to Sleep); Koji Clutch; Anaconda Vise
Career Highlights: WWE Champion; World Heavyweight Champion; ECW Champion; World Tag Team Champion; Intercontinental Champion; Raw commentator
Luck is for losers, at least according to CM Punk. Even though his arm is tattooed with good-luck charms, Punk believes you make your own good fortune through hard work and preparation. Growing up in Chicago, the Superstar's childhood consisted of watching the likes of "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka exchange words, then blows. Such heated rivalries helped Punk realise WWE was where he belonged.
Adopting the "Straight Edge" movement - in which one bases their life around personal development, and avoids drugs, alcohol and a dependency lifestyle - Punk has brought his own style to WWE. Punk's in-ring repertoire is an assimilation of fighting styles he has learned from his travels around the world.
In his WWE pay-per-view debut as a part of Team DX at Survivor Series 2006, Punk brought down the house in Philadelphia where fans showed their respect for his talents. After becoming the only multiple-time Straight Edge World Champion in WWE history, Punk set out to convert his fellow Superstars as well as members of the WWE Universe to his way of thinking. Through his use of persuasive arguments and keen intellect, "The Second City Savior" has acquired a devout following.
Punk would later use his silver tongue to target his superiors in the hope of inspiring change in WWE as the self-appointed "Voice of the Voiceless" shortly before his monumental first WWE Championship victory over John Cena on July 17, 2011 - the final night of his contract. After the bell, Mr. McMahon watched helplessly as The Straight Edge Superstar vanished through the Chicago crowd with the coveted title as Punk's hometown fans passionately chanted his name.
When a re-signed Punk returned on Raw with his title to confront the newly crowned WWE Champion, Cena, it would mark the first time in the championship's rich history that two Superstars held claim to the WWE Title simultaneously. Punk's re-emergence as WWE Champion was controversial but, then again, Punk has always thrived on controversy. Whether a sole champion of his cause or flanked by supporters, verbally - from the commentary booth - or by force in the ring, CM Punk continues to preach from his self-appointed pulpit at the epicentre of the WWE Universe.
John Cena
From: West Newbury, Massachusets
Signature Move: Attitude Adjustment; STF
Career Highlights: World Heavyweight Champion; WWE Champion; U.S. Champion; World Tag Team Champion; WWE Tag Team Champion; 2008 Royal Rumble Winner; 2010 Superstar of the Year Slammy Award winner
Let's be honest: hailing from the rolling hills and broad valleys that constitute West Newbury, Mass., will likely never earn you "street cred" - unless, of course, you're John Cena. Then again, it didn't happen overnight for him, either. Long before he became the Dr. of Thuganomics, young Cena had to endure the neighborhood rocker kids' taunts about his baggy pants and rayon Kwamé shirts. His love for freestyling lyrics about rebellion and individualism just didn't fit within the small rural community.
By the time he turned 15, however, those same kids would stop teasing him, for it became apparent that Cena had been developing another passion: hitting the gym. After applying to more than 60 colleges (and being accepted by 58), Cena attended Massachusetts' Springfield College, where he excelled as a Division III All-American offensive lineman and team captain for the Pride. But as much as he fondly remembers his college football accomplishments, he's equally as proud of earning his degree in Exercise Physiology, which he attributes to making him a smarter, more durable performer in the ring today.
Though a huge WWE fan since childhood, rooting for heroes like Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, and Shawn Michaels, Cena had honestly never even considered a career in WWE. Instead, he flew out to California in 2000, to pursue a profession in bodybuilding (a move he now admits to making simply because his father had told him he wouldn't make it out there). But while working behind the counter of Gold's Gym in Venice, a discussion with a wrestler-in-training encouraged Cena to enroll in classes at Ultimate Pro Wrestling.
He was instantly hooked, and became motivated to learn everything he could about his newfound craft. He proved a quick study; within a year, World Wrestling Entertainment signed Cena to a developmental contract to train at Ohio Valley Wrestling. By June 2002, he had joined the SmackDown roster, and less than a year later headlined the first of what has become countless main-event matches.
That said, Cena has never forgotten his roots. In fact, remembering where he came from has helped him evolve into the man he is today: A well-versed hip-hop artist, a successful movie star and a blue-collared Superstar who's always ready to fight. He leads his WWE fan-based army into battle with the mission statement he's been down with since Day One: Hustle, loyalty and respect.
Mark Henry
Height: 6' 4"
Weight: 412 lbs.
From: Silsbee, Texas
Signature Move: World's Strongest Slam
Career Highlights: ECW Champion; European Champion; World Heavyweight Champion
Breaking records, pumping iron and devastating opponents with his unmatched strength, it's no wonder they call Mark Henry "The World's Strongest Man." Henry's rise to fame began in 1992 at the Olympics in Barcelona, where he competed in weightlifting in the super-heavyweight division.
Three years later at the Pan American Games, Henry captured a gold, silver and bronze medal, solidifying his place as one of the strongest men ever to walk the planet. He has also engaged in Strongman competitions, including the 2002 "World's Strongest Man" competition at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic, where Henry earned first prize.
The intimidating powerhouse began his WWE career in 1996, instantly igniting a nightmarish squared circle onslaught in which he laid waste to one adversary after another, both in tag team and singles competition. This included the immense Superstar's membership in the infamous faction known as The Nation of Domination, which also featured The Rock.
Over the years, Henry has gone toe-to-toe with top stars such as Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Kane and Big Show. In every instance, his commanding presence has demanded the fear and respect of any Superstar he steps into the ring with. "The Second Strongest Man That Ever Lived" - according to Flex Magazine - continues to use his strength to destroy any Superstar in his path.
And the future looks frightening for anybody that gets in Henry's way. After battling back from many obstacles including periods of down time and uncertainty due to injuries suffered through the years of his career, he stands tall at the top of his game, more ferocious than ever and ready to take on all comers.
