Jack-Hammer
YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHORITAH!!!!
Recently, Pro Wrestling Illustrated announced the winners of their annual awards that recognizes certain achievements in wrestling. Some consider PWI practically gospel and some don't. Me, it's just an interesting topic to talk about. There weren't any major surprises in the awards this year and the read as follows:
Wrestler of the Year
Winner: CM Punk
1st Runner Up: John Cena
2nd Runner Up: Davey Richards
3rd Runner Up: Bobby Roode
Thoughts - No surprise here and it certainly went to the right wrestler. CM Punk has had a phenomenal year and has emerged as one of the most exciting main eventers to come about in years. Punk is also arguably the best overall pro wrestler in the world today and has shown why he could lay a legit claim in numerous matches and promo segments throughout the year.
Tag Team of the Year
Winner: Beer Money
1st Runner Up: Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team
2nd Runner Up: Air Boom
3rd Runner Up: Kings of Wrestling
Thoughts - I've no real issue with Beer Money winning it this year, though I think it a little odd that they took it this year instead of last year. Tag team wrestling in TNA in 2010 as a whole was much stronger than it was in 2011 and Beer Money was a much stronger team. The writing seemed to be on the wall that BM would end in 2011 and both would go off into singles careers. Personally, I'd have gone with WGTT just because of ROH's stronger tag scene in general and the dominance they enjoyed throughout 2011 as the ROH tag champs. Air Boom had a good year and it was nice to see a young, energetic team bring some life and restore some relevance to the WWE Tag Team Championship. They were on a very nice role until Evan Bourne's mishaps. Kings of Wrestling dominated ROH tag team scene with a reign 2 days shy of being a full year before dropping the straps to WGTT. A strong case could've been made for them as team of the year in 2010 as well, but you also got the sense that it was kind of over for them in 2011.
Match of the Year
Winner: CM Punk vs. John Cena: Money in the Bank, July 17, 2011
Thoughts - Again, no surprise here. The match simply had everything going for it that anyone could ask. It had a great build to it, great storyline, great action and a live crowd that was any wrestler's dream. It was a huge moment for CM Punk winning the WWE Championship in his hometown and this is a match that will easily be looked back on as a classic.
Feud of the Year
Winner: CM Punk vs. John Cena
1st Runner Up: Randy Orton vs. Christian
2nd Runner Up: Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett
3rd Runner Up: Briscoe Brothers vs. All Night Express
Thoughts - This is ultimately the feud & program that firmly planted CM Punk in the main event scene and put aside any doubts that he didn't have the ability to be a main event player. Orton vs. Christian was a great feud over the summer that gave some tremendous matches both on tv & ppv. I wasn't a fan of Angle vs. Jarrett. It dragged out for too long, it was very repetitive and I was especially turned off when the Angle & Jarrett children were used in the angle. I can't really comment on BB vs. ANE as I'd never really saw ROH before late last year. Still, I doubt it'd really measure up to the overall buzz & interest generated by Punk vs. Cena.
Most Popular Wrestler of the Year
Winner: CM Punk
1st Runner Up: John Cena
2nd Runner Up: Sting
3rd Runner Up: Randy Orton
Thoughts - No explanation needed really. Punk's popularity has skyrocketed since this past summer and shows no sign of ebbing. This makes three years in a row for Cena at 2nd and while he frequently gets mixed reactions, Cena always gets a massive response from the crowd. Sting has always been over no matter where he is, but I can't say I agree with putting him ahead of Orton. Most of 2011, we saw Sting in the Impact Zone where most fans sit on their hands and barely make a sound whereas we saw Orton in arenas all over the country & world garnering massive pops wherever. Not that Sting isn't extremely popular, it's just so much easier to see Orton's than Sting's.
Most Hated Wrestler of the Year
Winner: The Miz
1st Runner Up: Alberto Del Rio
2nd Runner Up: Christian
3rd Runner Up: Kurt Angle
Thoughts - The Miz was easily the top heel in WWE for the first half of 2011. Some weren't fans of him, some loved him but everyone paid attention to him. He's the longest reigning WWE Champion in several years and continued to frequently be someone that fans simply wanted to see the snot beaten out of. Alberto Del Rio was someone who had a great first half of the year before things started to go a bit downhill. Christian also got some great heat as a heel as did Angle. Personally, I believe that Mark Henry should've been at least 1st Runner Up in my view.
Most Improved Wrestler of the Year
Winner: Mark Henry
1st Runner Up: Kelly Kelly
2nd Runner Up: Eddie Edwards
3rd Runner Up: Zack Ryder
Thoughts - Who else could it have realistically been but Mark Henry? Over the course of the past 7 months or so, Mark Henry has been one of the best things going in wrestling. It's so shocking that he's gone from being completely irrelevant for the vast majority of his career to outstanding all within the span of a year. Putting Kelly Kelly 2nd is a joke in my view. Dolph Ziggler, Cody Rhodes, Bobby Roode, James Storm, Wade Barrett and half a dozen other guys that spring to mind would've been far worthier choices. It's also sad that none of those guys made the top 4.
Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year
Winner: Rosita
1st Runner Up: Gregory Iron
2nd Runner Up: Rob Fury
3rd Runner Up: CM Punk
Thoughts - I honestly fail to see why Rosita should get this. I know her father died on 9/11 and that she spoke out of character regarding him during the 9/11 anniversary at the No Surrender ppv. It's a tragic happening no doubt but I don't really see much inspiration. Gregory Iron was born weighing a pound, has Cerebral Palsy that's withered his left arm & given it a limited range of motion, his mother was a drug addict who got custody of him after his parents were divorced, he practically raised his little brothers until his mother went to jail and his father was awarded custody. He's been out on the indy circuit since about 2006. Everybody from Colt Cabana to CM Punk has heaped praise onto him. Sorry but he's just the guy that should've gotten this.
Rookie of the Year
Winner: Ace Hawkins
1st Runner Up: Nick Madrid
2nd Runner Up: Leakee
3rd Runner Up: Briley Pierce
Thoughts - Can't say anything about this one way or another as I'm not familiar with any of these wrestlers.
Stanley Weston Award
Winner: Macho Man Randy Savage
Thoughts - This is basically a lifetime achievement award that some wrestlers have won while still alive, during the last year of their career or posthumously. Macho Man Randy Savage will be thought of as an all time great by anyone that's watched pro wrestling in the past 30 years. Simply put, Savage was someone that had it all. Even though he generally played second fiddle to Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair, Savage's overall talent was more than enough to secure his spot as one of the industry's greatest stars.
Comeback of the Year
Winner: Sting
1st Runner Up: Mark Henry
2nd Runner Up: Austin Aries
3rd Runner Up: Montel Vontavious Porter
Thoughts - I like Sting, always have and I've always respected him. I know he probably won this award mostly for having another run as TNA World Heavyweight Champion. To me, his run was mediocre and he was just a guy TNA trusted to carry the strap after taking it from Hardy. He's one of those guys that's pretty much above titles now. I'd have gone with Henry for the win here. Everything he's been involved in has been solid gold since this past summer and had one of the most dominant World Championship runs in recent memory. Austin Aries is one of the bright new stars in TNA and has been the only one keeping the X Division at all relevant or interesting since he arrived. MVP has found success in Japan and that's great, including becoming the first ever IWGP Intercontinental Champion.
Woman of the Year
Winner: Mickie James
1st Runner Up: Kelly Kelly
2nd Runner Up: Beth Phoenix
3rd Runner Up: Madison Eagles
Thoughts - No surprise to see Mickie James win this for the 2nd time in three years. Overall, Mickie James has been the single biggest force in women's wrestling and is probably the biggest star in women's wrestling since Trish Stratus. Kelly Kelly is beautiful, she has legitimately improved her work inside the ring and she's one of the few WWE Divas that gets a strong response from the crowd. Beth Phoenix is a great talent that's got the ability in the ring and has delivered some pretty good promos. Both she & Kelly Kelly have been the only things keeping the Divas the slightest bit relevant since the departue of Kharma.
Do you think PWI hit the nail on the head this year? Do you think some wrestlers should've won that weren't in the running? Discuss away.
Wrestler of the Year
Winner: CM Punk
1st Runner Up: John Cena
2nd Runner Up: Davey Richards
3rd Runner Up: Bobby Roode
Thoughts - No surprise here and it certainly went to the right wrestler. CM Punk has had a phenomenal year and has emerged as one of the most exciting main eventers to come about in years. Punk is also arguably the best overall pro wrestler in the world today and has shown why he could lay a legit claim in numerous matches and promo segments throughout the year.
Tag Team of the Year
Winner: Beer Money
1st Runner Up: Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team
2nd Runner Up: Air Boom
3rd Runner Up: Kings of Wrestling
Thoughts - I've no real issue with Beer Money winning it this year, though I think it a little odd that they took it this year instead of last year. Tag team wrestling in TNA in 2010 as a whole was much stronger than it was in 2011 and Beer Money was a much stronger team. The writing seemed to be on the wall that BM would end in 2011 and both would go off into singles careers. Personally, I'd have gone with WGTT just because of ROH's stronger tag scene in general and the dominance they enjoyed throughout 2011 as the ROH tag champs. Air Boom had a good year and it was nice to see a young, energetic team bring some life and restore some relevance to the WWE Tag Team Championship. They were on a very nice role until Evan Bourne's mishaps. Kings of Wrestling dominated ROH tag team scene with a reign 2 days shy of being a full year before dropping the straps to WGTT. A strong case could've been made for them as team of the year in 2010 as well, but you also got the sense that it was kind of over for them in 2011.
Match of the Year
Winner: CM Punk vs. John Cena: Money in the Bank, July 17, 2011
Thoughts - Again, no surprise here. The match simply had everything going for it that anyone could ask. It had a great build to it, great storyline, great action and a live crowd that was any wrestler's dream. It was a huge moment for CM Punk winning the WWE Championship in his hometown and this is a match that will easily be looked back on as a classic.
Feud of the Year
Winner: CM Punk vs. John Cena
1st Runner Up: Randy Orton vs. Christian
2nd Runner Up: Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett
3rd Runner Up: Briscoe Brothers vs. All Night Express
Thoughts - This is ultimately the feud & program that firmly planted CM Punk in the main event scene and put aside any doubts that he didn't have the ability to be a main event player. Orton vs. Christian was a great feud over the summer that gave some tremendous matches both on tv & ppv. I wasn't a fan of Angle vs. Jarrett. It dragged out for too long, it was very repetitive and I was especially turned off when the Angle & Jarrett children were used in the angle. I can't really comment on BB vs. ANE as I'd never really saw ROH before late last year. Still, I doubt it'd really measure up to the overall buzz & interest generated by Punk vs. Cena.
Most Popular Wrestler of the Year
Winner: CM Punk
1st Runner Up: John Cena
2nd Runner Up: Sting
3rd Runner Up: Randy Orton
Thoughts - No explanation needed really. Punk's popularity has skyrocketed since this past summer and shows no sign of ebbing. This makes three years in a row for Cena at 2nd and while he frequently gets mixed reactions, Cena always gets a massive response from the crowd. Sting has always been over no matter where he is, but I can't say I agree with putting him ahead of Orton. Most of 2011, we saw Sting in the Impact Zone where most fans sit on their hands and barely make a sound whereas we saw Orton in arenas all over the country & world garnering massive pops wherever. Not that Sting isn't extremely popular, it's just so much easier to see Orton's than Sting's.
Most Hated Wrestler of the Year
Winner: The Miz
1st Runner Up: Alberto Del Rio
2nd Runner Up: Christian
3rd Runner Up: Kurt Angle
Thoughts - The Miz was easily the top heel in WWE for the first half of 2011. Some weren't fans of him, some loved him but everyone paid attention to him. He's the longest reigning WWE Champion in several years and continued to frequently be someone that fans simply wanted to see the snot beaten out of. Alberto Del Rio was someone who had a great first half of the year before things started to go a bit downhill. Christian also got some great heat as a heel as did Angle. Personally, I believe that Mark Henry should've been at least 1st Runner Up in my view.
Most Improved Wrestler of the Year
Winner: Mark Henry
1st Runner Up: Kelly Kelly
2nd Runner Up: Eddie Edwards
3rd Runner Up: Zack Ryder
Thoughts - Who else could it have realistically been but Mark Henry? Over the course of the past 7 months or so, Mark Henry has been one of the best things going in wrestling. It's so shocking that he's gone from being completely irrelevant for the vast majority of his career to outstanding all within the span of a year. Putting Kelly Kelly 2nd is a joke in my view. Dolph Ziggler, Cody Rhodes, Bobby Roode, James Storm, Wade Barrett and half a dozen other guys that spring to mind would've been far worthier choices. It's also sad that none of those guys made the top 4.
Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year
Winner: Rosita
1st Runner Up: Gregory Iron
2nd Runner Up: Rob Fury
3rd Runner Up: CM Punk
Thoughts - I honestly fail to see why Rosita should get this. I know her father died on 9/11 and that she spoke out of character regarding him during the 9/11 anniversary at the No Surrender ppv. It's a tragic happening no doubt but I don't really see much inspiration. Gregory Iron was born weighing a pound, has Cerebral Palsy that's withered his left arm & given it a limited range of motion, his mother was a drug addict who got custody of him after his parents were divorced, he practically raised his little brothers until his mother went to jail and his father was awarded custody. He's been out on the indy circuit since about 2006. Everybody from Colt Cabana to CM Punk has heaped praise onto him. Sorry but he's just the guy that should've gotten this.
Rookie of the Year
Winner: Ace Hawkins
1st Runner Up: Nick Madrid
2nd Runner Up: Leakee
3rd Runner Up: Briley Pierce
Thoughts - Can't say anything about this one way or another as I'm not familiar with any of these wrestlers.
Stanley Weston Award
Winner: Macho Man Randy Savage
Thoughts - This is basically a lifetime achievement award that some wrestlers have won while still alive, during the last year of their career or posthumously. Macho Man Randy Savage will be thought of as an all time great by anyone that's watched pro wrestling in the past 30 years. Simply put, Savage was someone that had it all. Even though he generally played second fiddle to Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair, Savage's overall talent was more than enough to secure his spot as one of the industry's greatest stars.
Comeback of the Year
Winner: Sting
1st Runner Up: Mark Henry
2nd Runner Up: Austin Aries
3rd Runner Up: Montel Vontavious Porter
Thoughts - I like Sting, always have and I've always respected him. I know he probably won this award mostly for having another run as TNA World Heavyweight Champion. To me, his run was mediocre and he was just a guy TNA trusted to carry the strap after taking it from Hardy. He's one of those guys that's pretty much above titles now. I'd have gone with Henry for the win here. Everything he's been involved in has been solid gold since this past summer and had one of the most dominant World Championship runs in recent memory. Austin Aries is one of the bright new stars in TNA and has been the only one keeping the X Division at all relevant or interesting since he arrived. MVP has found success in Japan and that's great, including becoming the first ever IWGP Intercontinental Champion.
Woman of the Year
Winner: Mickie James
1st Runner Up: Kelly Kelly
2nd Runner Up: Beth Phoenix
3rd Runner Up: Madison Eagles
Thoughts - No surprise to see Mickie James win this for the 2nd time in three years. Overall, Mickie James has been the single biggest force in women's wrestling and is probably the biggest star in women's wrestling since Trish Stratus. Kelly Kelly is beautiful, she has legitimately improved her work inside the ring and she's one of the few WWE Divas that gets a strong response from the crowd. Beth Phoenix is a great talent that's got the ability in the ring and has delivered some pretty good promos. Both she & Kelly Kelly have been the only things keeping the Divas the slightest bit relevant since the departue of Kharma.
Do you think PWI hit the nail on the head this year? Do you think some wrestlers should've won that weren't in the running? Discuss away.
. However it dragged out SO LONG, the finish should have been in that awesome match at Lockdown but it went on incessantly until they had a rather anti-climatic finish at Slammiversary. 