2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards

[klunderbunker]

Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
AJ STYLES
Runner up: Kazuchika Okada

Most Outstanding Wrestler
AJ STYLES
Runner up: Kenny Omega

Best Box Office Draw
CONOR MCGREGOR
Runner up: Brock Lesnar

Feud of the Year
CONOR MCGREGOR vs. NATE DIAZ
Runner up: AJ Styles vs. John Cena

Tag Team of the Year
THE YOUNG BUCKS
Runner up: The Revival

Most Improved
MATT RIDDLE
Runner up: The Miz

Best on Interviews
CONOR MCGREGOR
Runner up: The Miz

Most Charismatic
CONOR MCGREGOR
Runner up: Shinsuke Nakamura

Bryan Danielson Award (Best Technical Wrestler)
ZACK SABRE, JR.
Runner up: Kyle O'Reilly

Bruiser Brody Memorial Award (Best Brawler)
TOMOHIRO ISHII
Runner up: Katsuyori Shibata

Best Flying Wrestler
WILL OSPREAY
Runner up: Ricochet

Most Overrated
ROMAN REIGNS
Runner up: Braun Strowman

Most Underrated
CESARO
Runner up: Neville

Promotion of the Year
NEW JAPAN
Runner up: UFC

Best Weekly TV Show
NEW JAPAN ON AXS
Runner up: SmackDown Live

Match of the Year
KAZUCHIKA OKADA vs. HIROSHI TANAHASHI (NJPW WRESTLE KINGDOM 10)
Runner up: Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya Naito

Rookie of the Year
MATT RIDDLE
Runner up: Lio Rush

Best Non-Wrestler
DARIO CUETO
Runner up: Daniel Bryan

Best TV Announcer
MAURO RANALLO
Runner up: Corey Graves

Worst TV Announcer
DAVID OTUNGA
Runner up: Matt Striker

Best Major Show
NJPW WRESTLE KINGDOM 10
Runner up: PWG Battle of Los Angeles Night 2

Worst Major Show
WWE WRESTLEMANIA 32

Best Wrestling Move
KENNY OMEGA's ONE WINGED ANGEL

Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic
KIMBO SLICE vs. DADA 5000

Worst TV Show
WWE RAW

Worst Match of the Year
SHELLY MARTINEZ vs. REBEL

Worst Feud of the Year
DARREN YOUNG vs. TITUS O'NEIL

Best Booker
GEDO

Promoter of the Year
DANA WHITE

Best Gimmick
BROKEN MATT HARDY

Worst Gimmick
BONE SOLDIER

Best Book
ALI vs. INOKI

Best DVD/Network Special
SETH ROLLINS: REDESIGN, REBUILD, RECLAIM

 

[klunderbunker]

Don't these usually come out earlier? These are Meltzer and Company's awards (yes I'm aware his readers vote on them and if you believe that he doesn't influence voting, you're really missing the obvious) and I've jotted down a few thoughts on each. These aren't meant to be any kind of in depth analysis and are really more along the lines of if I agree or not.

Category A Awards

Wrestler of the Year – AJ Styles

Yep. There really wasn't another option here, save for maybe Omega or Naito.

MMA Most Valuable – Conor McGregor

If there's a bigger layup this year, I have no idea what it could be.

Most Outstanding Wrestler – AJ Styles

For the life of me I still don't get the difference between this and Wrestler of the Year. I've had it explained to me more than once and I still have no idea why both of them need to exist. No one else in WWE was even in the top ten.

Most Outstanding Fighter – Conor McGregor

Enough MMA in the wrestling awards.

Best Box Office Draw – Conor McGregor

I didn't even scroll down before I wrote who won. Again: it's not fair to compare WWE and MMA but that's never stopped Meltzer.

Feud of the Year – Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz.

Erg here we go again. The top wrestling feud was AJ Styles vs. John Cena, which was nearly quadrupled in points.

Tag Team of the Year – Young Bucks

Nope, and I'm sure their finishing move being the MELTZER DRIVER had nothing to do with this.

Most Improved – Matt Riddle

I've heard nothing but great things about him so I don't have any issue here. I would have gone with Miz and the scoring was Riddle – 1026 and Miz – 1020.

Best on Interviews – Conor McGregor

Again, didn't even have to scroll down. Miz was the top wrestler and got blown out again.

Most Charismatic – Conor McGregor

Nakamura was second.

Bryan Danielson Award (Best Technical Wrestler) – Zack Sabre Jr

Hard to argue that one, especially with some of the stuff he did in the Cruiserweight Classic.

Bruiser Brody Memorial Award (Best Brawler) – Tomohiro Ishii

I'm not a fan of the guy but this makes sense.

Best Flying Wrestler – Will Ospreay

As I've said many times so far: hard to argue. Ospreay does some insanely cool looking flips.

Most Overrated – Roman Reigns

I can't go with this as Reigns is certainly good, if not very good, in the ring. He's just presented horribly and far too strong. I'd actually go with the #5 option: Cody Rhodes. Name one great match he's had and tell me why he's one of the hottest free agents in wrestling. Rhodes is good but highly overrated. Reigns is good but horribly mismanaged.

Most Underrated – Cesaro

He's won it three years running now and I tend to disagree more every year. At what point is it on him and not WWE?

Promotion of the Year – New Japan

Yeah pretty much. TNA didn't even crack the top ten and didn't make the Honorable Mentions.

Best Weekly TV Show – New Japan

It's not clear if that's the Japanese show (if one exists) or the AXS show. NXT was all the way in sixth here after winning four years straight and Raw was after Impact. It's not THAT bad.

Match of the Year – Tanahashi vs. Okada (January 4)

It's a runaway and Nakamura vs. Zayn was fifth. I disagree but the January 4 match was very good.

MMA Match of the Year – Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit – January 2

If this can have it's own exclusive award, why can't the rest of them? That doesn't make sense.

Rookie of the Year – Matt Riddle

Again, fine. I think I voted for him on the WrestleZone Awards. The only WWE name on the list: Daria Berenato. That makes sense given how WWE doesn't really hire rookies. Speaking of rookies, he's a rookie and most improved? That's kind of odd.

Best Non-Wrestler – Dario Cueto

Even in a down year for Lucha Underground, this is no surprise and shouldn't be.

Best TV Announcer – Mauro Ranallo

Was this ever in doubt? Corey Graves was a close second.

Worst TV Announcer – David Otunga

Why does he have a job? Aside from being married to Jennifer Hudson that is.

Best Major Wrestling Show – Wrestle Kingdom

You knew this was going to be #1 and it's no surprise. It's a very good show but too long for my taste.

Category B Awards

Worst Major Wrestling Show – Wrestlemania XXXII

I was there and I got bored.

Best Wrestling Maneuver – Kenny Omega's One Winged Angel

It certainly looks good. You know what doesn't look good? The #2 choice: the Rainmaker. I've said it for years now but IT'S STILL JUST A FREAKING CLOTHESLINE!

Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic – Bellator Kimbo Slice vs. Dada 500 Fight

That was indeed embarrassing. The #1 wrestling pick was Lesnar cutting Orton open at Summerslam. This one is very opinion based and I can't think of anything that jumps ahead of everything else.

Worst TV Show – Raw

Am I really the only person who still watches Impact?

Worst Match of the Year – Shelley Martinez vs. Rebel – TNA One Night Only

I actually watched this due to the horror stories and it really is this bad. I'd go with HHH vs. Reigns due to where it took place but this is fine.

Worst Feud of the Year – Titus O'Neil vs. Darren Young

Makes sense. It also makes my head hurt.

Worst Promotion of the Year – TNA

Can we get the award named after them? That's TEN YEARS in a row.

Best Booker – Gedo

Of course. He scored 851 points, or nearly ten times second place.

Promoter of the Year – Dana White

Real promotion/sport. Fake promotion/sport. Totally the same thing.

Best Gimmick – Broken Matt Hardy

If this was ANYTHING else, they were kidding themselves.

Worst Gimmick – Bone Soldier

I only saw him in a battle royal so I'll take the word for it. The Cabinet was #2 and probably who I would have gone with.

Best Pro Wrestling Book – Ali vs. Inoki

I haven't read it but Pat Patterson's Accepted (#2) was good.

Best Pro Wrestling DVD – Seth Rollins: Redesign, Rebuild, Reclaim

People still watch DVDs in the Network Era?


Overall, I don't have many complaints about the wrestling stuff. As usual, I do have a problem with comparing MMA and wrestling for reasons that should be obvious. These are mostly fine but PLEASE stop mixing MMA and wrestling. It's just not a fair comparison and comes off as more of a way to put MMA over WWE for whatever reason. On a less annoyed note, Meltzer and company love them some New Japan and while I rarely agree on that front, it's hardly a bunch of ridiculous choices. These aren't as fun without something to get mad over and that's really not here this time around.

 

[The Life Of Pablo Ren]

How does someone win Rookie of the Year and Most Improved in the same year?

 

[BaconBits]

The one thing Meltzer's awards consistently prove is that his reader base is the worst of the worst when it comes to smarkiness. It's everything wrong with internet fans in a nutshell.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Most overrated in whose mind? Is this most overrated in WWE's collective mind or in general? I think this should be renamed the Dolph Ziggler Award, personally.

 

[ヒュー　G.　レックション]

As a big Okada, Tanahashi, and of course New Japan fan, I still have to disagree with the MOTY choice. Okada and Tanahashi have had better matches against each other. I really think either of the two DIY Revival Takeover matches should take it.

Also, I wholeheartedly agree with the MMA sentiment KB. Would any reader care if those awards were separated? MMA and pro wrestling are completely different and should be treated as such.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Why would you combine wrestling with UFC? It's two very different things.

 

[Da Prophet]

Meltzer has covered MMA for a very long time. These are not wrestling awards rather they are the Observer awards. I see no problem with including MMA in categories like feud of the year and best on interviews.

In fact, wrestlers have no reason to lose those awards to MMA guys. It's beyond embarrassing that they can script results, therefore having control over a feud and still lose out to MMA which isn't scripted and fights can end in a minute or be put off due to injury. Same goes for interviews. These wrestlers have writers and some of the best talkers ever working behind the scenes and yet they continue to lose best on interviews to MMA fighters. No reason they should ever lose those two awards.

Even Best Box Office Draw, which I didn't think was fair to compare, has made me change my mind. It says something when WWE has all this control and can't create a bigger star than one guy promoting himself and the UFC, while having to deal with the very real danger of that fighter losing a fight and hurting their star power.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

It's Meltzer's award giveaway, he can include whatever he wants. I will continue to care very little.

 

[Барбоса]

Scripting is as much a hindrance as it is a help.

Plus UFC fighters are under-worked and under-exposed in comparison to wrestlers.

 

[klunderbunker]

Meltzer has covered MMA for a very long time. These are not wrestling awards rather they are the Observer awards. I see no problem with including MMA in categories like feud of the year and best on interviews.

In fact, wrestlers have no reason to lose those awards to MMA guys. It's beyond embarrassing that they can script results, therefore having control over a feud and still lose out to MMA which isn't scripted and fights can end in a minute or be put off due to injury. Same goes for interviews. These wrestlers have writers and some of the best talkers ever working behind the scenes and yet they continue to lose best on interviews to MMA fighters. No reason they should ever lose those two awards.

Even Best Box Office Draw, which I didn't think was fair to compare, has made me change my mind. It says something when WWE has all this control and can't create a bigger star than one guy promoting himself and the UFC, while having to deal with the very real danger of that fighter losing a fight and hurting their star power.

Feud of the Year - Eh maybe.

Best on Interviews - It helps when you know you can say whatever you want and have absolutely no risk of getting in trouble.

Best Box Office Draw - Not fair. Above all else, McGregor fights for all of three times a year max. Almost any wrestler is on TV what, every week or two at minimum? They also have to build towards a pay per view every month instead of every other month.

Look back at the 80s if you need proof of how well this works. Hogan/Flair could come to your town once in a blue moon and sell the place out because people hadn't seen them that often. Put them on TV every week and their value goes way down. Undertaker vs. Shane being announced caused a major spike in Wrestlemania ticket sales because they're two rare acts appearing. Among a variety of reasons, Conor is a major draw because he's not around very often.

It's really not a fair comparison.