WON awards front-runners for the first half of the year

[Marty]

In all of that I think people will loose sight of the fact that HHH is pretty clearly a strong cage match draw.

True, but it was the earlier performances of Shawn Michaels and Mick Foley that made the Hell In The Cell gimmick such a strong draw.

 

Yeah, I think the HIAC is kinda like Wrestlemania, in that it's a draw on its own, to an extent. HHH has managed to position himself to be THE guy as far as HIAC matches go. (4 of the last 5 HIAC matches involved HHH, with the only other one being Armageddon 2005 between Taker and Orton. Funny part is that it was a December PPV, which is traditionally supposed to be one of the lowest drawing shows for the company, but it ended up doing a 0.73 buyrate, higher than any December show they've had since 2002 and also the second-highest non-Rumble/Mania/SummerSlam/SurvivorSeries PPV of that year.)

[Bix]

November ends in a week, so let's revisit this...

 

Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)

Pretty easily Cena and then Mistico right now. I don't think you can blame any of talent for the buyrates being down. There are too many and they're too expensive. Cena is delivering in-ring, on promos, and is drawing people to house shows. Mistico isn't as good in-ring, but he makes a scary difference in attendance.

CMLL scarily bottomed out. This is Cena's award and I'll be shocked if he doesn't win. I guess Couture might (grumble grumble).

 

Most Outstanding Wrestler

There's a really strong argument for Cena, but I don't see him garnering support from voters. If Matt Hardy stays on a tear for the next 6 months, he could get it. Maybe Nigel McGuinness, but ROH's buzz is decreasing.

Orton has increased his standing, but otherwise I can't see much changing here.

 

Best Box Office Draw

Cena and Mistico again.

See Flair/Thesz.

 

Feud of the Year

With WWE booking being so odd right now, I don't see anything I'd pick or that the voters would pick. For me, Apaches vs Billy Boy in AAA is pretty easily FOTY, but it won't get votes. An MMA feud (probably Shamrock-Baroni or Penn-Pulver) has the best shot of winning depending on how Vince's killer vs whoever goes.

Will probably end up being Serra-Hughes that wins. Should still be Apache family drama.

 

Tag Team of the Year

The Hardys are probably (really this time) splitting after the PPV tomorrow, and while they're a pretty clear pick for the first half, they may be a non-entity as of Monday. London & Kendrick are getting buried and their main opponents (Deuce & Domino) lowered the quality of their matches. MNM started the year as good as or better than the Hardys, but then Mercury relapsed and got released. If they keep having a good run, Cade & Murdoch should run away with it.

Cade & Murdoch are excellent but have been unspectacular since the Hardy program ended. I could actually see MVP & Hardy winning.

 

Most Improved

Cena, MVP, and the re-motivated Batista all seem like the easy picks, but it's the WON awards and I could see some "great technician" like Davey Richards doing well.

I can't see it being anyone other than Cena or MVP at this point.

 

Best on Interviews

Flair's great when he's given a shot, but that's not often. Konnan has great delivery but the content is often babyfaces LAX when they're the heels. Cornette is pretty generic as a figurehead now. Cena is my pick, partially by default, partially by actual merit for acting above the level of the script.

This is even harder to call than it was 5 months ago. I could see MVP doing well now and he's my pick, but I really don't know who will take it.

 

Most Charismatic

Cena won last year and he upped the rest of his game this year, so I see no reason why he wouldn't win.

Still Cena.

 

Best Technical Wrestler

Danielson's downtime being at the start of the year will help his case, and he's a solid pick. Benoit had a good spotlight with the MVP feud and will for the rest of the year atop ECW, so he's my pick and he should place well anyway.

Not Benoit. Finlay? I dunno.

 

Bruiser Brody Memorial Award - Best Brawler

Cena again, for obvious reasons. Can't see picking anyone else other than maybe Gran Apache.

Should be Cena (though I haven't seen the pimped ROH Jacobs stuff). I could see it being someone ridiculous like Samoa Joe who really shouldn't win but gets votes because he hits people.

 

Best Flying Wrestler

Mistico is a safe choice and a good flyer anyway. Personally, I'd pick Jack Evans or a random member of Fuerza Aerea.

Really could be any of a number of people, and most of them are decent choices. Personally, I'd go with Aero Star at this point.

 

For overrated/underrated, remember that the WON definition is talent vs push, not hardcore fan consensus...

 

Most Overrated

Shawn Michaels is pretty loathsome in-ring and as a character, plus the crowd was turning on him (LAUGHING at his collapse to sell the concussion) in the Orton match before his injury hiatus. Kurt Angle is pretty terrible and has not had any drawing power past the 1st Joe match in TNA.

Khali after his world title push will probably take it, even if he earned it somewhat via popping a buyrate. Should still be Michaels or Angle.

Most Underrated

If Shelton Benjamin wins again, I will hurt people.

 

Umm...CM Punk is in this weird spot where he's over and pushed as the #2 guy in ECW, but it's ECW and it's sort of by default.

Probably won't be Punk at this point and I don't know if anyone even cares about Benjamin anymore. Should still be Val Venis but I'm less sure who it will be now.

 

Promotion of the Year

UFC will probably win. WWE (they haven't won since the brand split so I have no idea how to vote there) or AAA should win.

Should absolutely be AAA. Will probably be UFC. I can see AAA making a big increase in votes over past years, though.

 

Best Weekly Television Show

If TUF wins again, I will hurt people.

 

Should be Smackdown pretty easily, followed by AAA.

Smackdown fell a lot. AAA didn't. AAA should win. TUF will. Not sure what worked show will place highest, but I can see AAA placing higher again.

 

Worked Match of the Year

For me, it's pretty easily MNM vs Hardys from Royal Rumble. There are a ton of good picks, though, and I'm not really sure what will come out on top.

This is still my pick.

 

Rookie of the Year

The rules on this one are pretty wonky. MVP? Is he not eligible for Most Improved, then?

Again, I dunno.

 

Best Non-Wrestler

Vince McMahon, though if he doesn't come back it could hurt his chances of winning.

He came back, but I can see people souring on him. Teddy Long? Armando Estrada? Probably should still be Vince.

 

Best Television Announcer

Pretty easily JBL at this point. He gets everything over while also being tremendously entertaining.

Still JBL.

 

Worst Television Announcer

Todd Grisham is bad but I get the impression that nobody watches Heat and everybody is voting for him based on the Benoit DVD. It really should be Mike Tenay, but since Dave never criticizes him, I can't see him taking the top spot.

I can see Tenay actually taking it now, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if he didn't.

 

Best Major Show

Wrestlemania was transcendently good and the oddly lukewarm reception to the show made me angry.

Same.

 

Worst Major Show

December to Dismember will win. I don't see it being close.

What was that show everyone hated more recently...Unforgiven? Probably that, but I can still see D2D placing high.

 

Best Wrestling Maneuver

Johnny Nitro's new finisher is pretty cool. I dunno.

Should be Nitro's split-legged corkscrew moonsault or Aero Star's missile tope. Not sure what it will be.

 

Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic

Vince's death will take it. Jeff Jarrett using his dying/dead wife to sustain his babyface turn is probably a better choice.

Well, it only took a few days for this to change. WWE's handling of the Benoit fallout.

 

Worst Television Show

TNA should finally take it this year.

Still TNA.

 

Worst Worked Match of the Year

"Rosie" vs "Trump" will run away with it.

Probably this.

 

Worst Feud of the Year

Eric Young vs Robert Roode.

I don't see this winning, someone will probably pick the Hornswaggle stuff.

 

Worst Promotion

TNA should take it, but the Vince death angle could sway people.

Pretty much the same.

 

Best Booker

Blah blah Sapolsky hurt people.

 

Should be Dorian Roldan or Michael Hayes.

SD fell off a bit, should be whichever Roldan is officially booking or Konnan or whoever, followed maybe by Dusty.

 

Promoter of the Year

If you're including MMA, then it has to be Dana White again. Otherwise I'd go with Paco Alonso, Dorian Roldan, or Vince McMahon.

Should be whichever Roldan is officially running AAA.

 

Best Gimmick

MVP after an iffy start.

Still MVP.

 

Worst Gimmick

Whatever Shawn Michaels is supposed to be. Him or Robert Roode.

Edge as Vickie Guerrero's lover has a shot even if it started a week before the period ended. Maybe Hornswaggle as Vince's son.

 

Best Pro Wrestling Book

Didn't finish the NWA book yet, plus it's pretty wide open depending on what else is released. I could see it winning, though. Was J.J. Dillon's book eligible last year?

Jericho will win. Bret should.

 

Best Pro Wrestling DVD

I forget what the eligibility period is and I haven't watched the families DVD yet. WWE's WCCW DVD could end up being a contender.

Horsemen will win.

[Tim Evans]

Best Weekly Television Show

If TUF wins again, I will hurt people.

 

Should be Smackdown pretty easily, followed by AAA.

 

Smackdown fell a lot. AAA didn't. AAA should win. TUF will. Not sure what worked show will place highest, but I can see AAA placing higher again.

AAA has fallen a lot. They have way too many commercials and replays to fit 3 hours in. If TUF wins, The awards are fixed.

[sek69]

I wouldn't be surprised if TUF won, it gets covered in the WON in far greater detail than any wrestling show every week.

[S.L.L.]

November ends in a week, so let's revisit this...

 

Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)

Pretty easily Cena and then Mistico right now. I don't think you can blame any of talent for the buyrates being down. There are too many and they're too expensive. Cena is delivering in-ring, on promos, and is drawing people to house shows. Mistico isn't as good in-ring, but he makes a scary difference in attendance.

CMLL scarily bottomed out. This is Cena's award and I'll be shocked if he doesn't win. I guess Couture might (grumble grumble).

Cena is the only actual wrestler worth mentioning here. If you - like me - are still not sold on the whole "MMA = wrestling" thing, the second and third place votes are the tricky ones. I'm thinking Cibernetico might be a good 2nd place pick. Third is really a crapshoot. Mistico? Nagata? Misawa? Mesias? Orton?

 

Most Outstanding Wrestler

There's a really strong argument for Cena, but I don't see him garnering support from voters. If Matt Hardy stays on a tear for the next 6 months, he could get it. Maybe Nigel McGuinness, but ROH's buzz is decreasing.

Orton has increased his standing, but otherwise I can't see much changing here.

I've been going back and forth between Cena and Matt Hardy all year, but as I slowly get caught up on my ROH watching, Nigel seems as good of a candidate as either of them. Jeff Hardy and Umaga had really strong working years, too. Still, probably either Cena and Nigel as #1 and #2 (though not sure which would be which), and Matt Hardy #3.

 

Best Box Office Draw

Cena and Mistico again.

See Flair/Thesz.

Ditto.

[S.L.L.]

Feud of the Year

With WWE booking being so odd right now, I don't see anything I'd pick or that the voters would pick. For me, Apaches vs Billy Boy in AAA is pretty easily FOTY, but it won't get votes. An MMA feud (probably Shamrock-Baroni or Penn-Pulver) has the best shot of winning depending on how Vince's killer vs whoever goes.

Will probably end up being Serra-Hughes that wins. Should still be Apache family drama.

It should've been Cena vs. Orton, but it didn't really work out that way. Actually, it REALLY should've been Cena vs. a heel Michaels, but working heel is a sin, as opposed to Shawn's current gimmick: being an abomination before God as a babyface.

 

But I digress. I lean Los Hell Brothers vs. La Secta de Mesias/La Lejion Extranjera, followed by B.J. Whitmer/Colt Cabana/Daizee Haze vs. Jimmy Jacobs/Lacey/Brent Albright and Billy Boy/Alfa vs. Fabi Apache vs. El Apache/Misc. Cronies vs. Real Fuerza Aerea, in that order.

 

Tag Team of the Year

The Hardys are probably (really this time) splitting after the PPV tomorrow, and while they're a pretty clear pick for the first half, they may be a non-entity as of Monday. London & Kendrick are getting buried and their main opponents (Deuce & Domino) lowered the quality of their matches. MNM started the year as good as or better than the Hardys, but then Mercury relapsed and got released. If they keep having a good run, Cade & Murdoch should run away with it.

Cade & Murdoch are excellent but have been unspectacular since the Hardy program ended. I could actually see MVP & Hardy winning.

Unfortunately, the clear Tag Team of the Year is Los Hell Brothers, but I don't think you can vote for trios. Wikipedia says that The Freebirds won in 1980, but only for Gordy and Roberts. I guess the main "tag team" for Los Hell Brothers would be Chessman and Charly Manson, but I couldn't see picking them without Cibernetico. Fuck, I'd probably vote for The Hardys anyway. Beyond that...um...The Briscoes, maybe? Akiyama and Rikio? Fuckin' Hell.

 

Most Improved

Cena, MVP, and the re-motivated Batista all seem like the easy picks, but it's the WON awards and I could see some "great technician" like Davey Richards doing well.

I can't see it being anyone other than Cena or MVP at this point.

Cena, Jeff Hardy, John Morrison.

 

Best on Interviews

Flair's great when he's given a shot, but that's not often. Konnan has great delivery but the content is often babyfaces LAX when they're the heels. Cornette is pretty generic as a figurehead now. Cena is my pick, partially by default, partially by actual merit for acting above the level of the script.

This is even harder to call than it was 5 months ago. I could see MVP doing well now and he's my pick, but I really don't know who will take it.

MVP, Regal, and Santino, and I'll be damned if I know in what order.

[S.L.L.]

Most Charismatic

Cena won last year and he upped the rest of his game this year, so I see no reason why he wouldn't win.

Still Cena.

Oh, yeah. Cena, Cibernetico, and Mesias.

 

Best Technical Wrestler

Danielson's downtime being at the start of the year will help his case, and he's a solid pick. Benoit had a good spotlight with the MVP feud and will for the rest of the year atop ECW, so he's my pick and he should place well anyway.

Not Benoit. Finlay? I dunno.

Not a lot of great standout technical matches this year outside the Benoit/MVP matches. Most of the best stuff was slugfests. Hard to think of who the best technical wrestler is when there aren't that many great technical matches. Honestly, I'd be tempted to vote for someone like Solar I or Negro Navarro, just because you know they're out there wrestling somewhere, and you just know they're probably better technicians than 95% of wrestlers working today, even if they only make tape two or three times a year. Barring that, I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and vote for Chrazy Chris.

 

Bruiser Brody Memorial Award - Best Brawler

Cena again, for obvious reasons. Can't see picking anyone else other than maybe Gran Apache.

Should be Cena (though I haven't seen the pimped ROH Jacobs stuff). I could see it being someone ridiculous like Samoa Joe who really shouldn't win but gets votes because he hits people.

Whoever gets my vote for most outstanding gets my vote for best brawler, as really, Nigel's whole bit is finding new and exciting ways to lariat dudes into oblivion. Umaga's my third-place pick. Necro Butcher really had a quiet year, didn't he?

[S.L.L.]

Best Flying Wrestler

Mistico is a safe choice and a good flyer anyway. Personally, I'd pick Jack Evans or a random member of Fuerza Aerea.

Really could be any of a number of people, and most of them are decent choices. Personally, I'd go with Aero Star at this point.

Agreed on Aero Star. Then Laredo Kid, then Super Fly.

 

Most Overrated

Shawn Michaels is pretty loathsome in-ring and as a character, plus the crowd was turning on him (LAUGHING at his collapse to sell the concussion) in the Orton match before his injury hiatus. Kurt Angle is pretty terrible and has not had any drawing power past the 1st Joe match in TNA.

Khali after his world title push will probably take it, even if he earned it somewhat via popping a buyrate. Should still be Michaels or Angle.

Which buyrate did Khali pop?

 

For all his (many, MANY) flaws, Michaels more or less held up his end of the bargain in the main event of the biggest show in pro wrestling history. Plus, he was on the shelf much of the year, and he came back to a RAW that didn't have a lot of top faces. I mean, I'd rather see Jeff Hardy challenge Orton, or even Hunter, but it's not like there's a ton of major faces with Cena out.

 

This should be Angle's award. I actually never thought of Batista as a bad worker - even when everybody else was down on him - but he's just such a frustratingly shitty babyface that I want to vote for him here. The fans still seem to be into him (unless he's fighting Taker), so maybe he doesn't really fit, but really, fuck that guy. Edge, stripped of the...um...edgier aspects of his gimmick when he just to Smackdown, really was exposed pretty badly. But again, not in that position very long before he got hurt. Honestly, no one jumps out at me but Angle.

 

Most Underrated

If Shelton Benjamin wins again, I will hurt people.

 

Umm...CM Punk is in this weird spot where he's over and pushed as the #2 guy in ECW, but it's ECW and it's sort of by default.

Probably won't be Punk at this point and I don't know if anyone even cares about Benjamin anymore. Should still be Val Venis but I'm less sure who it will be now.

What would Jimmy Jacobs be considered? He's an excellent wrestler and an excellent booker, and the angles he works are generally featured prominently, but they're also presented as sort of a sideshow like the ROH vs. CZW feud was, since actual cool pro wrestling blood feuds aren't considered ROH main event material most of the time. PAC still gets featured prominently in PWG, but apparently got caught in a sucky match with Roderick Strong in New York, and ROH soured on him. I don't know if that means anything, depending on how you weigh being "rated" in various indies. And, of course, there's always Val Venis.

 

Promotion of the Year

UFC will probably win. WWE (they haven't won since the brand split so I have no idea how to vote there) or AAA should win.

Should absolutely be AAA. Will probably be UFC. I can see AAA making a big increase in votes over past years, though.

AAA, WWE, and...um...ROH, I suppose.

 

Best Weekly Television Show

If TUF wins again, I will hurt people.

 

Should be Smackdown pretty easily, followed by AAA.

Smackdown fell a lot. AAA didn't. AAA should win. TUF will. Not sure what worked show will place highest, but I can see AAA placing higher again.

I'm still digging Smackdown. AAA gets second. RAW can be really good some weeks, and really frustrating on others. ECW on Sci Fi got a lot better. That might be my third place pick.

 

Worked Match of the Year

For me, it's pretty easily MNM vs Hardys from Royal Rumble. There are a ton of good picks, though, and I'm not really sure what will come out on top.

This is still my pick.

I'm still catching up on stuff. I really need to see the PPV Nigel vs. Danielson match before I make any decisions. I'm going with the first Nigel vs. Morishima match for now, followed by Nigel vs. Joe from Liverpool and Joe vs. Morishima.

 

Rookie of the Year

The rules on this one are pretty wonky. MVP? Is he not eligible for Most Improved, then?

Again, I dunno.

I don't even know who would be considered a rookie this year.

 

Best Non-Wrestler

Vince McMahon, though if he doesn't come back it could hurt his chances of winning.

He came back, but I can see people souring on him. Teddy Long? Armando Estrada? Probably should still be Vince.

It might still be Vince, but he was setting up so much better of a year for himself than we got that I feel wrong voting for him. Teddy Long, John Cena Sr., Lacey, and Larry Sweeney would be the other contenders.

 

Best Television Announcer

Pretty easily JBL at this point. He gets everything over while also being tremendously entertaining.

Still JBL.

Yep.

 

Worst Television Announcer

Todd Grisham is bad but I get the impression that nobody watches Heat and everybody is voting for him based on the Benoit DVD. It really should be Mike Tenay, but since Dave never criticizes him, I can't see him taking the top spot.

I can see Tenay actually taking it now, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if he didn't.

It's about time people started catching on to how awful Tenay is. There's really a case to be made for him being the worst wrestling announcer ever, never mind this year.

 

Best Major Show

Wrestlemania was transcendently good and the oddly lukewarm reception to the show made me angry.

Same.

Agreed. Royal Rumble was a pretty strong contender, too, and could've easily had my vote any other year.

 

Worst Major Show

December to Dismember will win. I don't see it being close.

What was that show everyone hated more recently...Unforgiven? Probably that, but I can still see D2D placing high.

I don't really go out of my way to watch bad wrestling. I actually didn't hate Unforgiven, but I imagine that will win.

 

Best Wrestling Maneuver

Johnny Nitro's new finisher is pretty cool. I dunno.

Should be Nitro's split-legged corkscrew moonsault or Aero Star's missile tope. Not sure what it will be.

Definitely should be Aero Star's tope.

 

Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic

Vince's death will take it. Jeff Jarrett using his dying/dead wife to sustain his babyface turn is probably a better choice.

Well, it only took a few days for this to change. WWE's handling of the Benoit fallout.

 

Worst Television Show

TNA should finally take it this year.

Still TNA.

Agreed on these.

 

Worst Worked Match of the Year

"Rosie" vs "Trump" will run away with it.

Probably this.

The Boogeyman vs. Big Daddy V or Hornswoggle vs. The Great Khali might've stolen Rosie vs. Trump's thunder.

 

Worst Feud of the Year

Eric Young vs Robert Roode.

I don't see this winning, someone will probably pick the Hornswaggle stuff.

I got nothing.

 

Worst Promotion

TNA should take it, but the Vince death angle could sway people.

Pretty much the same.

 

Best Booker

Blah blah Sapolsky hurt people.

 

Should be Dorian Roldan or Michael Hayes.

SD fell off a bit, should be whichever Roldan is officially booking or Konnan or whoever, followed maybe by Dusty.

 

Promoter of the Year

If you're including MMA, then it has to be Dana White again. Otherwise I'd go with Paco Alonso, Dorian Roldan, or Vince McMahon.

Should be whichever Roldan is officially running AAA.

Agreed with all this.

 

Best Gimmick

MVP after an iffy start.

Still MVP.

Jimmy Jacobs' emo stuff.

 

Worst Gimmick

Whatever Shawn Michaels is supposed to be. Him or Robert Roode.

Edge as Vickie Guerrero's lover has a shot even if it started a week before the period ended. Maybe Hornswaggle as Vince's son.

Adam Pearce as the world's poorest man's Raven. Considering how poor of a poor man's Raven actual Raven is, that's saying something.

[S.L.L.]

Best Weekly Television Show

If TUF wins again, I will hurt people.

 

Should be Smackdown pretty easily, followed by AAA.

 

Smackdown fell a lot. AAA didn't. AAA should win. TUF will. Not sure what worked show will place highest, but I can see AAA placing higher again.

AAA has fallen a lot. They have way too many commercials and replays to fit 3 hours in. If TUF wins, The awards are fixed.

 

Actual quality of AAA's show hasn't fallen. Agreed, they don't do the best job of using the three-hour timeslot, and I have it below Smackdown, but what's there is still really good. Still, kinda wish they'd free up some of that replay time to put Los Diabolicos or El Canibal back on my TV.

[Tim Evans]

Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)

 

Cena no doubt about it. I would put Mistico up there but he's way too injured right now. I think you can put Benoit up there too./quote]

Ya I'll still go Cena 1 with Nigel and Claudio 2 and 3.

 

Most Outstanding Wrestler

 

Cena. Ultimo Guerrero too.

Haven't seen too much Ultimo Guerrero this year. I'll put it Cena/Matt Hardy/Jeff Hardy

 

Best Box Office Draw

 

Vince Mcmahon and Cena

Agree here.

 

Feud of the Year

 

Apaches vs Billy Boy and Sexy Starr. I'll add Benoit/MVP too.

Apaches/Billy Boy, MVP/Matt Hardy, Hero/Claudio and Kingston/Hallowicked

 

Tag Team of the Year

 

Briscoes. It's a close race between them and Hardyz.

I don't count Hell Brothers as a tag team so I agree with what I put here.

 

Most Improved

 

MVP and Marco Corleone. I"m probably the only fan of his but whatever.

MVP for sure.

 

 

Best on Interviews

 

Edge with Eddie Kingston as second

Scratch Edge and Put in Santino. People should watch more Kingston's Chikara interviews. They are outstanding.

 

Most Charismatic

 

Cena and MVP

Same

 

Best Technical Wrestler

 

Nigel or Benoit

Nigel and Claudio

 

Bruiser Brody Memorial Award - Best Brawler

 

Vince Mcmahon or Gran Apache

I'll Add Eddie Kingston to the list. I don't know Meltzer's definition of a Brawler though.

 

Best Flying Wrestler

 

Should be either Laredo Kid, Super Fly or Nemsis. Will probably be Mistico cause that's the main one Meltzer knows.

Add Aero Star and Quack.

 

Most Overrated

 

Batista or Mr. Kennedy

Same

 

Most Underrated

 

Val Venis or James Storm

Take off James Storm and add Kingston.

 

Promotion of the Year

 

With Meltzer thinking MMA=Pro Wrestling, I'll say UFC.

Same

 

Best Weekly Television Show

 

Thinking like Meltzer here, It's TUF or Bodog. I pick Smackdown.

Same

 

Worked Match of the Year

 

Cena vs Umaga from the Rumble. Other mentions include Apache/Billy Boy street fight and Hero/Kingston Loser leaves CZW.

I might have to watch Cena/Umaga again. I'll add Kingston/Hero street fight from IWA Mid South.

 

Rookie of the Year

 

How long has Laredo Kid been wrestling?

Would Santino Count?

 

Best Non-Wrestler

 

Vince or Burt Ward

Vince by far.

 

Best Television Announce

 

JBL or Dr. Morales

Same

 

 

Worst Television Announcer

 

Don West or the new guy in CMLL. His name escapes me right now.

I'm with Bix and SLL in saying Tenay.

 

Best Major Show

 

Rumble or Backlash.

Backlash.

 

Worst Major Show

 

December to Dismember

Same

 

 

Best Wrestling Maneuver

 

Melina's new finisher.

I'm a fan of the Chikara Special.

 

Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic

 

Was the Savio/Invader angle this year? If not, I'll say Abyss's over blading or Vince's death.

WWE's handling of the Benoit deal for sure. I don't agree with a lot of what they are accused of but between the tribute show and the "making up" of the Fragile X thing, They fucked up.

 

Worst Television Show

 

TNA by far. But it will probably be ECW.

PWU's show is pretty bad.

 

Worst Worked Match of the Year

 

Rosie vs Trump

Same

 

Worst Feud of the Year

 

Angle vs Sting or Mcmahon vs Lashley

Same

 

Worst Promotion

 

Shimmer

Ha this was when I was in my "women's wrestling sucks but WWE women's wrestling" mood. I"m picking PWU.

 

Best Gimmick

 

MVP or Grandpa Apache

Santino.

 

Worst Gimmick

 

Kevin Thorn

Black Reign.

 

Best Pro Wrestling Book

 

Probably will be the ECW book written by Meltzer's other butt buddy.

Bret Hart's.

 

Best Pro Wrestling DVD

 

The Dusty Rhodes DVD.

 

I like the Dusty one more than the Horseman one.

[Al]

I'd like to chime in with a few thoughts. I can't comment on all the awards, if I don't I likely agree with the consensus.

 

Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award

 

Absolutely John Cena. Probably the easiest U.S. pick since Austin in '98.

 

Most Underrated

 

You know, Chavo Guerrero comes to mind here. Good wrestler and good heel mannerisms. Unfortunately all he's gotten is the Eddie memorial push and a token job to Rey Mysterio.

 

Best Major Show

 

Agreed with those who say Wrestlemania. No one thought they could fill Ford Field without Hogan vs. Austin when they announced the venue. The card delivered.

 

Worst Major Show

 

December to Dismember. First half of the show had Hardys vs. MNM, and then mediocre matches with Velocity level wrestlers. The main event was putrid.

 

Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic

 

I disagree with WWE handling the Benoit tragedy. They tried to put public spin on a bad situation. They didn't go on their own television and try and work it into an angle. Following the first Monday tribute Raw, they acted exactly as they should have on their own programming.

 

Worst Worked Match of the Year

 

The Womens' battle royal from Summerslam. Rosie vs. Trump was a bad attempt at a Comedy match. Ten bad workers in the ring at once without the benefit of a referee to guide them through the match in the ring? Absolutely awful.

 

Best Pro Wrestling DVD

 

Which dvds fall into the eligibility range? This year from January on it's either the Horsemen, the Families' dvd or the ladder match dvd. Unless you want to give the nod to Wrestlemania 23 dvd which included the Hall of Fame ceremony. I'll take the Horsmen. The AWA dvd came out on Nov. 21, 2006. I'd take that if eligible.

[tomk]

Which buyrate did Khali pop?

not sure which one he popped but pretty much everytime he is in a PPV main Meltzer wrtes afterwards that the buyrate did "surprisingly" well or some variation of " I refuse to believe he is a draw but seems like this got a one time freak show buy"...yadda yadda.

[Bix]

It was the 1st Cena match.

[Guest onlxn]

Almost impossible to come up with a WWE candidate for the Most Overrated category, which shows how much more effective the booking has been this year. The usage of Khali was smart... HBK had an actively good year out of nowhere... HHH is hanging out in the midcard, and performing fine there. Lashley might've become a candidate if he'd stayed healthy, but he did fine in his run. In fact, I'd say that the most overrated WWE performer in '07 might be Vince. Great at times, but awful at times, and showed no real positive effect on business, despite a bigger presence than he's had in years. (I guess you could argue that he deserves some credit for the WM buyrate, but to me the mainstream draw was Trump, not Trump vs. Vince.)

 

As actual wrestlers go, the best WWE candidate might be CM Punk. I loved his indy work, but he strikes me as a pretty blah WWE worker, and you could argue he's not as over as somebody in his spot could be. He's just not a great babyface... friggin' Tommy Dreamer's a more engaging babyface than Punk.

 

Hard to call anyone in TNA overrated, as they're not really rated by anyone. Who are the best international candidates for this award? Minoru Suzuki, maybe?

[Bix]

Vince saved the ratings from the post-Benoit freefall. His return took them what is believed to be a 2.8 (the show Neilsen reported as a 2.5 before the glitch was discovered, the 2.8 is based on how other USA shows dropped) to a 3.8.

[Guest onlxn]

The significance of that accomplishment -- getting a 2.8 back up to a 3.8 -- depends on how seriously you take that 2.8. I guess I just think that the post-Benoit funk was always going to be temporary, and that they were going to rise to their previous levels no matter what the new storyline was. I mean, Vince had been in an even more heavily pushed storyline just weeks earlier, and its ratings were disappointing.

 

The "Vince's illegitimate child" storyline got things moving again, so it more or less did its job, but it's a stretch to say that it was a significant ratings success. The casual viewers were always going to come back after Benoit... they weren't as bothered by it as we nyrdz were.

[Bix]

The Raw before the murders Raw got a 4.1 to 4.2, the tribute show got a 3.8, the next show only dropped slightly to 3.7, then they got 3.4 for three straight weeks before sharply dropping to 2.8.

[Guest onlxn]

I'm not saying there wasn't a dip... just saying the dip was going to end, sooner or later. "2.8 to a 3.8" also obscures the more general RAW ratings trends of the summer:

 

June '07 (Vince "dies", Benoit tribute): 3.9 average

July '07 (post-Benoit funk period): 3.2 average

August '07 (Vince galore): 3.6 average

September '07 (Vince galore): 3.5 average

October '07 (Vince galore): 3.2 average

 

Vince's return and bastard storyline perked things up a bit, but only a bit, and the ratings have fallen during the continuation of the Hornswoggle storyline (though there are other factors, including Cena's injury). Vince popped one good rating, but I have trouble seeing his presence as a significant positive overall.

[tomk]

For most disgusting promotional tactic: The Vicky Guerrero/Benoit angle where if I recall Vicky was ripping off Eddy's estate was this year, the Vince's death turned out to be so tasteless that they had to drop it completely, leaking the Tragic X story to the news the same day they ran the lighthearted Khali choking childlike retard Eugene squash seemed pretty wrong to me.

 

And best gimmick is clearly Festus.

[S.L.L.]

the Vince's death turned out to be so tasteless that they had to drop it completely

Oh, c'mon Tom, let's not fool ourselves into thinking that's why it was pulled.

[tomk]

Of course that's not why it was pulled.

 

It was a tasteless angle that was made even more tasteless by Benoit's murder/suicide.

 

Yeah so context made it even more tasteless a week later.

 

In the June 25th Observer Meltzer does a nice job of pointing out the flaws in the Vince is killed angle. That while in terms of management it’s clear that those tributes weren’t real, that the emotions of some of the wrestlers and audience were real. And treating those real emotions as a joke is a way of going “Ha Ha we tricked you”.

 

Even if Benoit hadn't killed himself and his family, other wrestlers would have died during this angle. Sherri died within the first week. It's wrestling, it is a buissness that kills people and then burries them. Making a mockery of the real emotions of the burial and mourning process is if not tasteless than callous.

 

Benoit then went and killed his family and himself.

 

Benoit was a guy who according to Meltzer had a difficult time “coming to grips with justifying working in the WWE during the exploitation of the death of Guerrero”. An emotionally guarded person who took deaths very hard and let his guard down for the Eddie tribute (

). The Vince goes boom tributes were a real outward manifestation to everyone who watched and participated that this was “all for nothing”.

 

And then it all becomes even more tasteless.

[tomk]

So slowly making my way through backlog of tivoed Smackdowns and watched a Finlay v Rey match and a Noble v Rey match and HOLY SHIT. Rey Misterio performs the best La Mistica i've ever seen. I mean he takes what is a cool looking "hit out anywhere" flashy finsher and works it into a match as a transition escape spot just perfectly. So I've only seen three Rey matches since his return as I'm moving through this slowly but its easy to forget how good Rey is.

 

If Best High flyer is not the guy with the most spectacular moves but best wrestler who works highflying into his match, really Rey does it so much better than almost everyone else that it doesn't make any sense not to have him as one of top candidates.

[Boondocks Kernoodle]

It should be noted that the 2.8 was the night Cena wasn't there because he was on Larry King. I have to think his absence played a big part in the drop (and yes I know he did a via satellite interview that night but who wanted to see that?).

[Bix]

Larry King did a terrible number that night which kinda kills that theory,

[Loss]

Not necessarily. It doesn't necessarily mean everyone was tuning into Larry King Live, as much as it means that it was apparent Cena wasn't going to be on RAW, so people decided to watch something else completely.