WON Awards (First Third of the Year or so thoughts)

[Dylan Waco]

Match of the Year

 

At this point my pick is The Wyatt's v. The Shield at EC, but I don't see a great deal of consensus on this looking around places. I get the sense this is a wide open thing in the eyes of many, and there may not even be an early favorite. I think I'd lean toward Cesaro v. Cena at two. Not sure what would be three, but to the shock of many I'd at least consider Nakamura v. Tanahashi from Invasion Attack for that spot.

 

Wrestler of the Year:

 

This is another year like 2012 where I don't think there is a strong candidate.

 

Probably the strongest candidate by default is Daniel Bryan, who is still the most over guy in wrestling, and has at least shown some positive signs as a drawing card via ratings and merch sales. Having said that I don't feel strongly about him as a figure, the current direction/angle he is working out is not doing him any favors, and I think he has lost some steam. Bray is getting a push and has gotten over, but he's stuck in a weird feud with Cena, who also doesn't seem like a terribly strong candidate. The Shield as a unit gets strong reactions, but individually none is a viable pick. Orton and Batista are not serious options. Again Bryan is an uninspiring, weak, "one" at this point, with no obvious two on the scene in the WWE.

 

In Japan I really can't see a terribly compelling argument for anyone. Last year I thought Okada was a solid contender for top spot, this year it feels like they wasted the back end of the title reign, didn't show faith in him in the Naito feud, and while the Dome show was up I don't think you can point to him as the guy driving that. This might lead one to conclude that Nakamura or Tanahashi are solid candidates, but that Sumo attendance figure rubs me wrong, and I don't think there is anything else those guys have done to enhance their case. Ishii is the best worker in the promotion this year, and consistently gets great reactions, but it's hard to call a guy who is at best the fourth biggest star in his own promotion (AT BEST and being really generous) the WOTY by Observer standards.

 

In Mexico AAA has had some strong houses of late, as has CMLL, but I don't get the sense that any particular wrestler or feud is driving consistent attendance, nor are there hot feuds that look like they will be strongly paid off. I would love to vote for someone like Rush, but I'm not sure I think he's all that viable even in a weak year.

 

TNA is a joke.

 

In a twisted way I think AJ Styles is emerging as an interesting candidate, albeit of a protest variety. Yeah he's not headlined a slew of massive drawing shows, BUT he has had a hugely positive impact on the business of every indie he's worked for, including ROH. This impact has reached into several different regions, and has had seen him draw several 1,000 plus crowds on top of indie shows. In fact he's becoming something of a proven draw on the indies, which tells you all you need to know about TNA. And of course there is also the recent IWGP title win, which I think was handled poorly (and he wasn't over in the building), but could lead to him headlining some impressive houses in Japan.

 

There is still a lot of time left in the year, but it's hard to imagine a slate of strong candidates filling out a 1,2,3 on a ballot this year.

 

Worker of the Year

 

Also kind of a weird year in that early a lot of guys looked like they may be set to break out and/or continue a hot run from the year before, but either booking, bad luck, or circumstance has intervened to bring all of them back down to the Earth. At the moment I still think Cesaro has the meatiest resume, but I don't feel nearly as strongly about him as I did last year. I see a lot of potential candidates in the WWE for the top spot including Cesaro, Bryan, Ambrose, Luke Harper and Sheamus, but none seems far ahead of the others. Lucha is suffering a bit this year from the Casas injury, my own viewing habits and other weird circumstances. There I think Cavernario, Hechicero, Virus and Rush are the strongest candidates, but not sure any of them has a complete resume at this point (to be fair, that's not Cavernario or Hechicero's fault, as they haven't been booked in a position to have such a resume). In Japan I think Ishii is a very viable number one contender, and wouldn't dismissive the notion of Nakamura either, though I don't feel nearly as strongly about him. Vordell Walker and Timothy Thatcher have been great on the indies, but footage availability remains a major issue. If pressed right this second I think my top three would be Cesaro, Ambrose and Hechicero, but I have no confidence in that at all.

 

Tag Team of the Year

 

Uso's are the easy pick here as they remain over enough to mix things up with the big singles stars, work hard in every match, and have solid matches with just about everyone. I actually really enjoy Rybaxel as a team to my great shame, so they might be my number 2 at the moment, though I guess the Rhodes Brothers had some solid stuff at the beginning of the year. This category really feels like a major drop off from where it was last year.

 

Not sure what other categories are worth talking about at this point.

[jpchicago23]

Feel no shame in Rybaxel. I actually like their dynamic quite a bit. They're almost like two dumb jocks that are oblivious to sucking or not

[Grimmas]

I can't argue with anything you say there.

 

My top 5 matches this year, so far, are in my signature. I still don't understand how Wyatt-Shield from the Chamber is not a consensus. If it took place in 2013, it would had been my 2013 match of the year, it was that good.

[Eduardo]

I haven't watched much international, but WWE-wise, I'd probably pick Sheamus as "Worker of the 1/3 Year" at this point. The great series with Christian, some good-to-really-good matches with Wade Barrett, Titus O'Neil, Ryback, Real Americans, and the Elimination Chamber.

[Dylan Waco]

Only thing that hurts Sheamus to me is the fact that he doesn't have that one MOTYC level match I can point too

[BillThompson]

I can't ever engage in these discussions because, to be frank, drawing power doesn't matter one iota. I get that a lot of people do care about it, but I've never truly understood the urge to focus so heavily on the business side as opposed to the performance side of pro wrestling.

[Steenalized]

My #1 and #2 MOTY are the same as yours, Dylan. Right now I'd probably put The Shield vs. Evolution at three, since I loved that match, though I think I'm putting it well above where most others would.

[W2BTD]

I wrote this before this weekend, at exactly the one third point of the year.

 

http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2014/05/01/the-first-third-of-2014-pro-wrestling-awards/

 

And oh boy, did one weekend change a lot of things.

[Dylan Waco]

Joe, who do you like for the Thesz/Flair Award contenders?

[Tim Evans]

Does tag team of the year not include the Wyatts/Shield? If not, my vote goes to the Usos or M&M(Maxwell Chicago/Moose)

 

My wrestler of the year is between Hechicero and Seth Rollins. Neither ever have a bad match I think and both bring out the best in everyone. Although the Hechicero/Super Halcon match from Tuesday wasn't great. Seth Rollins is probably the best tag wrestler in the world these days along with Ambrose.

 

And Dylan talking about Rush, the Rush/Sombra/Mascara vs Shocker/Casas/Niebla feud has potential to be feud of the year. It's a shame we will never see the bloodbath from last Friday with them beating each other with weapons.

[W2BTD]

Joe, who do you like for the Thesz/Flair Award contenders?

 

Totally up in the air, but I think Daniel Bryan has to be the winner if the year ended right this second.

[Loss]

I think this is the first year in ages where there's some real competition for Best Non-Wrestling Performer. Stephanie and Heyman have both been excellent.

[stomperspc]

Titan vs. Virus is still my favorite match from the first four months of the year. There have been a boatload of matches (more so than I can remember in recent years) that I have liked quite a bit but probably fall in the bucket or two just below surefire match of the year contenders. Bray Wyatt vs. Daniel Bryan (Royal Rumble), Tanahashi vs. Nakamura (4/6), Triple H vs. Bryan (WrestleMania), Rush vs. Shocker hair match (3/21), and Okada vs. Goto (2/11) are some matches off the top of my head that I'd put in the mix even though I am not sure any of them is a real slam dunk contender. I didn't get into the Elimination Chamber six man as much as others. I thought the Evolution vs. Shield match from this past weekend was a better match (and is probably a contender for me, but it falls just outside of the 4-month period).

 

Bryan is probably Wrestler of the Year so far. I am not sure any one individual is drawing well enough to make that factor significant difference maker thus far. Bryan has as good of a match resume as anyone, is one of the most over wrestlers in his home promotion of anyone in the world, and at the very least as kept business steady while being put in a top position. I would probably have Bryan as the best worker of the first four months but Cesaro is up there as well. I imagine Ishii will get a lot of consideration from some people too because of the Naito matches. Hechicero and Cavernario - if they continued to get pushed post-En Busca de un Idolo - could be guys to keep an eye on later in the year for workers of the year.

 

WWE is promotion of the first four months but largely by default more than anything else. I think predictions of New Japan's demise are greatly exaggerated (just as the heights they reached over the past two years were probably exaggerated some as well) but they haven't had a blow away four months of anything. CMLL has been its usual up and down self. Dragon Gate will probably get some consideration with even more after their show last weekend. I will say that there are more promotions putting out watchable stuff on a regular basis than last year at this time, I think, even if there isn't really one or two transcendent promotions so far.

 

Dave should add a "Best non-PPV Specials" award or something like that which could encompass things like the Daniel Bryan documentary, Warrior documentary, UFC Countdown shows, Hall of Fame special, ect. With the WWE Network leading to more content in that area, it seems to make sense.

[Strummer]

I think this is the first year in ages where there's some real competition for Best Non-Wrestling Performer. Stephanie and Heyman have both been excellent.

If Stephanie were to win would she be the first person to win both Worst non wrestler performer (2001-2003) and best?

[Eduardo]

Sergio Martinez should have won in 2012 for "Best Interviews", and after tonight's "Face Off", he should win for 2014. Miguel Cotto and Max Kellerman looked lost at times.

[Dylan Waco]

My best on interviews pick might be Mean Gene. I'm almost positive I will vote for him in the Best Non-Wrestler category.

 

Thinking about promotion of the year this year is interesting. I tend to have a weird calculus for that award in that I don't generally weigh my enjoyment of a promotion as the key criteria, but I also don't think it's just the "who made the most money" award. What I try to do is look to see what promotion has shown real growth, or expanded their base, or succeeded where they seemingly should have failed, or have made some strides toward achieving meaningful business goals that appeal to their core audience while also showing an expansion of the base audience and/or the potential for that expansion. Operating by that standard I have a real hard time seeing my favorite two in ring promotions (WWE and CMLL) as viable contenders at all this year, and I think NJPW would need a real successful showing at the G1 Final Dome Show - something that I think is increasingly less likely as time goes on - for me to feel comfortable tossing them a vote.

 

Instead I find myself looking at two promotions I generally don't care much about in Dragon Gate and ROH. DG is not my cup of tea at all, but they are pretty clearly the number two in Japan at this point, and they seem to be delivering to their core audience in a way that NJPW arguably hasn't been this year. They draw well - not great - and I'm not sure there is real opportunity for growth, but they definitely aren't losing ground or falling on their face in embarrassing ways. ROH has more of a buzz around it than it has in years. There paid attendance numbers are up, fueled in part by guys like Hero and Styles returning, and they are about to pick up Bad Influence which is an act that will likely have a similar effect. The NJPW relationship led to two successful iPPVs (a miracle for ROH), and two legit sellout crowds. They also poached TNA's Brooklyn stadium show this year. I'm still not sold ppv is a good idea fro them at this point, but if those shows just do decent, it would be a net gain for them. It's actually arguable at this point that ROH is the number 2 in the U.S. Of course that doesn't mean a lot in the grand scheme of things, but considering where they were a year ago, it says something about them (and TNA).