Correct The Award: PWI Comeback Of The Year

[The Brain]

For the next thread in the PWI Award series we’ll talk about Comeback of the Year. This award usually goes to a wrestler who missed significant time due to injury or came out of retirement and made a noticeable impact upon his return. It can also go to someone who struggled one year but returned to prominence the next. Here’s the list:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PWI_Comeback_of_the_Year

I would change 2003. Kurt Angle made an unusually quick return from neck surgery that year. It was quite impressive and I was happy to see he wouldn’t be out for a full year like most guys who had neck surgery. My problem with giving him the award is he was only out for three months. My own interpretation of the award means a guy needs to miss a more significant amount of time than that to fully qualify for the award. That’s just me. You can interpret it any way you like. It can certainly be argued that Angle’s quick and impressive recovery makes him deserving. I could buy into that if the candidates were weak that year, but I think the first runner up is a more deserving winner. I hate to say Goldberg deserved something Angle won as I really don’t care for Goldberg, but I believe he was the better choice. We hadn’t seen Goldberg in at least two years and he made an immediate impact upon his arrival in WWE. He started by taking out the Rock in what I believe was the Rock’s last singles match. He went on to feud with Chris Jericho and Triple H and briefly captured the world title. Overall I’d say Angle had a better year than Goldberg. I just don’t feel Angle was gone long enough to say he had the best comeback year.

 

[dman1373]

i would change 2002 and 2005. In 2002 shawn michaels returned and joined the nwo. After 2 years of being away from wrestling(not talking about in ring). And he is a heel. perfect.

And in 2005 it would be matt hardy. This was before I read alot of the dirt sheets and just heard stuff around sometimes. Well I first heard about matt after the edge lita wedding. And then he started poping up attacking edge, making videos, wresting in roh. I didn't know if what was work, what was shoot. Then when he officially came back he had the greatest fued of 2005 with edge. Great matches, promos, everything.

 

[Dan E. Inferno]

I'm a little confused as to how Triple H didn't even make the top four in 2002. He tore his quad in May 2001 and after seven long months, he returned in January to a huge ovation. It is easily one of the loudest pops I've ever heard. He went on to pedigree Angle that night, and then a few weeks later would eliminate Angle to win the Royal Rumble. This would lead to him main eventing Wrestlemania 18 against Jericho. I know this match, and the feud as a whole, is often criticised by online fans, but to win the Royal Rumble and the undisputed championship within months of returning from a serious injury is very impressive.

I know that Hogan's return to WWE was huge, as was his match with the Rock, but I think Triple H deserved the award more, or at least a mention as a runner up.

 

[The Brain]

I'm a little confused as to how Triple H didn't even make the top four in 2002. He tore his quad in May 2001 and after seven long months, he returned in January to a huge ovation. It is easily one of the loudest pops I've ever heard. He went on to pedigree Angle that night, and then a few weeks later would eliminate Angle to win the Royal Rumble. This would lead to him main eventing Wrestlemania 18 against Jericho. I know this match, and the feud as a whole, is often criticised by online fans, but to win the Royal Rumble and the undisputed championship within months of returning from a serious injury is very impressive.

I know that Hogan's return to WWE was huge, as was his match with the Rock, but I think Triple H deserved the award more, or at least a mention as a runner up.

Even more shocking is HBK was not on the runner up list. Here's a main event icon who missed four years with a serious back injury. His comeback match was one of the greatest matches of all time in my opinion and he's not even on the list. Rey Mysterio could have been a runner up too. I guess 2002 was a big year for comebacks.

 

[jerishowholic]

i agree in all honestly alot of these winners and runner ups dont make sense like why the hell is raven in so many? like i like raven and all but his comebacks were never significant...ever!,lol, and especially '02 triple h not winning thats ridiculous,and in 2001 i love rvd and that he was in the wwe but for austin not to win makes no sense and i think one that bothers me the most was 2000 how rikishi won are u kidding me? that shouldve easily gone to the undertaker,and yea i see ur point brain on how angle 's other canidates were weak but angle just wasnt gone long enough it shouldve been goldber, on the other hand though thats what might have made his comeback so good was how fast he recoverd

 

[El Rev sXe]

Wow, there are a couple that I don't understand. As jerishowholic said, Triple H and Shawn Michaels comeback were fucking huge. Both gave us a new chapter in wrestling history.

2000: Rikishi Phatu? WHAT? Who the fuck remembers Rikishi over Dusty Rhodes and The Undertaker?

2001: Triple H returns to RAW and becomes THE star. If Jericho was the first undisputed champion, I think that many people remembers HHH as THE undiputed champion.

2002: H-B-K! H-B-K! Chants that you could hear EVERYWHERE! I mean, I didn't care so much for him being a new member in nWo. However, when he was betrayed by HHH in the "reunion" of DX. WOW! It started one the bittest rivalries in WWE's history imo.

2005: Road Warrior Animal is a freaking legend indeed. However his return to in-ring action was mostly emotional, he dind't gave us a classic match or a classic feud.
On the other hand Matt Hardy did! I think it was the only time that Matt was relatively important to the E in his single career. EVERYBODY was behind Matt. He gave us emotional, classic and bitter matches with this feud.

 

[Ghost of Benoit]

...to win the Royal Rumble and the undisputed championship within months of returning from a serious injury is very impressive.

Not really...if pro wrestling was a REAL sport then it would be incredibly impressive I.E. Peyton Manning coming back from neck surgery to win a Superbowl in his first season back...however in pro wrestling since things are booked and scripted there is NOTHING impressive about a creative team "booking" you to win a "fictional title". You have got to be kidding me.

Its like saying you were impressed when Rocky got over his fear of losing to Mr. T in Rocky III and came back to overcome it and beat him.

Theres nothing impressive about winning a title in pro wrestling if u look from "outside the box". The only exception is the skill and finesse of your actual performance skills. Other than that, its all scripted really.

Its like when people are so impressed by the Undertaker's "streak"...LOL...the credit goes to Mcmahon and the booking team who predetermined it to continue...Undertaker just goes out there and puts on a choreographed show...

wrestling fans...lets realize and take in pro wrestling for what it is...its all predetermined outcomes...not like a real competitive sport which where it truly is impressive when a person or a team comes back from injury or a setback to win a championship...because they actually won...not because they were scripted to...

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

I've gotta say 2002. Someone mentioned HBK, well I'm going for Triple H.

How he's not even on the list is beyond me. Seriously, Ron Killings is but Triple H, a former World Champion, and very much a main eventer in the only game left standing, who returned from a potentially career ending quad injury doesn't make this list but Killings does...okay.

Honestly, we knew he was coming back but that didn't matter. Everyone knew where he was going (into the Main Event of WrestleMania) but they didn't care. They knew he was going to win the Rumble and that he was a heel when last seen, but that didn't affect them in the slightest.

Just watch this video and tell me he doesn't deserve to win:

[YOUTUBE]_N8tr_QDhDk[/YOUTUBE]​

 

[legendkiller1979]

First I want to say that it's kinda funny that they started this award in 1992 when the class of comebacks is pretty slim. The Ultimate Warrior won and his comeback lasted all of six months. I just thought that was funny.

Now the award that I would change would be 1997. I love Bret Hart but all he did was take some time off and come back. Brian Pillman overcame a terrible car accident and make a full time return to the ring. Bret was more successful but Pillman's was more amazing

 

[The Brain]

I’ll make a case for Rikishi in 2000. Fatu was always one of those guys who was just kind of around in the WWF. He did ok with Samu as his partner in the Headshrinkers. When Seone replaced Samu the Headshrinkers just kind of faded away. Then Fatu used a couple unsuccessful lower mid card gimmicks before disappearing in late 1997. He returned on an episode of Shotgun (or whatever it was called at the time) in late 1999. I think most people assumed he would just wrestle on Shotgun and Heat and not really make an impact. Then something happened to Fatu that hadn’t happened before. He got over. He actually got over pretty big. Rikishi was one of the most popular guys on the roster in 2000. By the time 2001 rolled around Rikishi lost his momentum, but for one year in his long career Rikishi did really well.

Not really...if pro wrestling was a REAL sport then it would be incredibly impressive I.E. Peyton Manning coming back from neck surgery to win a Superbowl in his first season back...however in pro wrestling since things are booked and scripted there is NOTHING impressive about a creative team "booking" you to win a "fictional title". You have got to be kidding me.

Its like saying you were impressed when Rocky got over his fear of losing to Mr. T in Rocky III and came back to overcome it and beat him.

Theres nothing impressive about winning a title in pro wrestling if u look from "outside the box". The only exception is the skill and finesse of your actual performance skills. Other than that, its all scripted really.

Its like when people are so impressed by the Undertaker's "streak"...LOL...the credit goes to Mcmahon and the booking team who predetermined it to continue...Undertaker just goes out there and puts on a choreographed show...

wrestling fans...lets realize and take in pro wrestling for what it is...its all predetermined outcomes...not like a real competitive sport which where it truly is impressive when a person or a team comes back from injury or a setback to win a championship...because they actually won...not because they were scripted to...

Was this post necessary? We all realize wrestling is scripted and the outcomes are predetermined. You can shoot down any award that anybody has won over the years with your logic. Despite wrestling being scripted it's fun for some of us to have these kind of discussions. Regardless Triple H still made a good comeback in 2002.

 

[Rayquaza2233]

Not really...if pro wrestling was a REAL sport then it would be incredibly impressive I.E. Peyton Manning coming back from neck surgery to win a Superbowl in his first season back...however in pro wrestling since things are booked and scripted there is NOTHING impressive about a creative team "booking" you to win a "fictional title". You have got to be kidding me.

Its like saying you were impressed when Rocky got over his fear of losing to Mr. T in Rocky III and came back to overcome it and beat him.

Theres nothing impressive about winning a title in pro wrestling if u look from "outside the box". The only exception is the skill and finesse of your actual performance skills. Other than that, its all scripted really.

Its like when people are so impressed by the Undertaker's "streak"...LOL...the credit goes to Mcmahon and the booking team who predetermined it to continue...Undertaker just goes out there and puts on a choreographed show...

wrestling fans...lets realize and take in pro wrestling for what it is...its all predetermined outcomes...not like a real competitive sport which where it truly is impressive when a person or a team comes back from injury or a setback to win a championship...because they actually won...not because they were scripted to...

It's not exactly hard for creative to make a shitter out of what would otherwise be an outstanding comeback. Likewise, the wrestler could also make what was a well-developed storyline terrible. It takes two to tango, sir.