The 2012 PWI Awards

[Jack-Hammer]

Over the course of the past day or so, Pro Wrestling Illustrated announced the winners of its annual year end awards. Like everything else in wrestling, it's all subjective and they can be a fun topic of discussion or debate.

Wrestler of the Year: CM Punk
1st Runner Up: - Sheamus
2nd Runner Up: - Austin Aries
3rd Runner Up: - John Cena

Thoughts - This can't really come as a surprise. When you look back over the year Punk has had in general, including having a WWE Championship run that's about to cross the 400 day threshold, it's a pretty obvious choice. I'm a little surprised to see Sheamus ahead of John Cena because...well it's John Cena. He's either been 1st or 2nd in these awards since 2005 I think.

Tag Team of the Year: Kofi Kingston & R-Truth
1st Runner Up: Bad Influence
2nd Runner Up: - Team Hell No
3rd Runner Up: - Samoa Joe & Magnus

Thoughts - Wow, I think they truly dropped the ball on this one. In my opinion, Team Hell No has been by far the most interesting & entertaining tag team in wrestling this year. I'd have put Kofi & Truth at the bottom of this list with Bad Influence & Joe & Magnus taking 2nd & 3rd spots.

Match of the Year: The Undertaker vs. Triple H at WM 28

Thoughts - No argument here. If you asked most people what they thought the best match of this year was, they'd answer with this one. It was a great match and even overshadowed the massively hyped Cena vs. Rock. This makes 3 of the past 4 years that Taker has been involved in the publication's pick for MOTY and it's hard to disagree.

Feud of the Year: TNA vs. Aces & Eights
1st Runner Up: - John Cena vs. The Rock
2nd Runner Up: - CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan
3rd Runner Up: - Adam Pearce vs. Colt Cabana

Thoughts - I totally disagree. TNA vs. Aces & Eights is very much the same rehashed power struggle storyline TNA keeps doing. If anything, I think it's one of the lamest feuds of this year with Aces & Eights probably being the weakest heel faction TNA has had in many years. Given all the hype, build up and ultimate payoff, this should've gone to Cena vs. The Rock.

Most Popular Wrestler of the Year: John Cena
1st Runner Up: - Sheamus
2nd Runner Up: - Randy Orton
3rd Runner Up: - Jeff Hardy

Thoughts - If Punk hadn't gone heel, become the top heel in the industry and generally overshadowed his babyface character, this one would've been his. Either his or The Rock, and I'm very surprised he wasn't even one of the runners up. His popularity far overshadows Sheamus or Hardy's this year. But they went with Cena, who's probably the "safe" choice I suppose. He's still massively popular but 2012 wasn't his year in my view.

Most Hated Wrestler of the Year: CM Punk
1st Runner Up: - Bobby Roode
2nd Runner Up: - Alberto Del Rio
3rd Runner Up: - Kevin Steen

Thoughts - No surprise here. Punk's easily been the best heel in wrestling this year. I don't really see Del Rio being 2nd runner up. I could buy into Bobby Roode or Bully Ray as #2. I'm glad to see Roode at least got 1st runner up as he's done a great job over the past year or so.

Most Improved Wrestler of the Year Ryback
1st Runner Up: - Brooke Tessmacher
2nd Runner Up: - Michael Elgin
3rd Runner Up: - Adam Cole

Thoughts - Ryback getting this doesn't surprise me. Over the course of the past 3 or 4 months, he's gone from being a barely tolerated Goldberg clone to being one of the most over talents on the WWE roster. The fact that he's been paired up against & with some of the WWE's top talent is a huge reason for this. I don't see why Tessmacher is even among the runners up. She seemed to be progressing nicely before she won the KO title but after she won it, her personality just rolled tits up and died. It hasn't been reincarnated either. Elgin & Cole have both done good stuff in ROH, so at least they're getting some recognition from the magazine.

Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year: Jerry Lawler
1st Runner Up: - Austin Aries
2nd Runner Up: - Shawn Davari
3rd Runner Up: - John Cena

Thoughts - If Lawler hadn't gotten this, then the PWI offices needed to be fire bombed. Lawler suffered a legit heart attack on the air and damn near died and is now back at his post. Not really sure what Aries has done to be "inspirational" exactly. I'd have thought Jeff Hardy should be on the list for turning himself around so much. Davari being on the list comes as little surprise given that he had to choke out a passenger that was violently drunk & disruptive. Another passenger had pressed the emergency button but the cops had their thumbs up each other's asses, so Davari took care of it. Pretty badass really. Cena's 3rd runner up just for being Cena due to his constant charity work and the character is a good role model all in all.

Stanley Weston Award: Bobby Heenan

Thoughts - Bobby Heenan remains my all time favorite manager. His stuff in the WWE during the 80s & 90s, plus his work on commentary, were hysterical. Heenan's been very sick for quite a while now and I wish WWE would put him into the HOF again just so we could see him again, if physically well enough to.

Comeback of the Year: Jeff Hardy

1st Runner Up: - The Rock
2nd Runner Up: - Brock Lesnar
3rd Runner Up: - Layla

Thoughts - While The Rock & Brock Lesnar made much bigger waves in wrestling in 2012 than Jeff Hardy, Hardy's someone that seems to have genuinely turned his life around for the better. For the past couple of years, people have been waiting for Jeff Hardy to become the latest in a long line of major wrestling tragedy stories. His issues with drugs have nearly cost him his career, and this time nearly his freedom, on several occasions. But Hardy's cleaned up, gotten in shape and is back on top of the TNA mountain. From a purely business standpoint, I wouldn't blame anybody for saying The Rock or Brock Lesnar should get this. From a personal standpoint, I'm glad Hardy got this bit of recognition for the positive changes he's made in both his personal and professional life.

Woman of the Year: AJ Lee

1st Runner Up: - Gail Kim
2nd Runner Up: - Eve Torres
3rd Runner Up: - Sara Del Rey

Thoughts - The absolute right call was made here. AJ Lee's "crazy chick" character has been by far & away the most interesting thing going on in women's wrestling in 2012. This was a character that could've been a massive failure but AJ surprised a lot of people. I'm guessing that Gail Kim was 2nd runner up for her lengthy run as TNA KO champ this year. Eve Torres has come a long way, from a character perspective. Sara Del Rey is on there probably just because she's damn near universally hailed as the best female wrestler on the planet.

There was a Rookie of the Year award given to Veda Scott with the runners up being The Big O, Jason Jordan and Sammy "Bambi" Hall. I have no clue as to who any of them are or what they're about, so I had nothing to say.

There were a couple of surprises to this year's PWI awards. I definitely don't agree with Kofi & Truth being tag team of the year or TNA vs. Aces & Eights as feud of the year. Just my opinion. Aside from that, no other surprises came about.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Wrestler of the Year

I'm surprised to not see Daniel Bryan on the list. He's wrestled some magnificent matches with guys of all shapes and sizes. He's also done two things that are very difficult to do - he has reinvented himself twice AND had roughly 4 heel / face turns, somehow getting more over every time. He's such a natural tweener, and since Raw has been pretty awful much of the 2nd half of the year, he's been the one guy who is always worth the entertainment value.

Tag Team of the Year

I'd ave also looked at Team Hell No. Kofi and Truth didn't make a huge noise this year, and were quiet, enjoyable, reliable tag champions. Despite being two singles stars jammed together, Bryan and Kane have done a terrific job of helping reinvent the tag team division.

Also, they didn't get enough time, but the Rhodes Scholars are terrific.

Match of the Year

Rock vs Cena wasn't the match of the year. It wasn't even Cena's best match. The fact that Cena vs Lesnar at Extreme Rules isn't even in the top 4 is awful. That match told an AMAZING story. Cena had to just survive the onslaught early, and Lesnar seemed like an unstoppable tank. It took Cena a great deal to dig down and do something pretty dastardly - clock a dude with a fist wrapped in chain - to get the win. That match hearkened back to the purer eras when grudge matches involved two types of blood - head blood and bad blood. Both dudes worked stiff, and both dudes were opened up. I was hanging on every second.

Feud of the Year

Give me Cena vs Punk. They've weaved a terrific storyline with one another, even when they haven't worked together. Some of the matches have been excellent, and Punk has been a brilliant foil for Cena. He embodies everything that those in the crowd who hate John Cena truly love. Cena has the kids and the ladies, while Punk has the smarks eating out of his hand, talking about throwbacks and Ice Cream bars. I realize part of the feud went back to 2011, but in all honesty, so did Rock vs Cena. They only had 4 months on their feud in 2012.

Most Popular Wrestler of the Year

I want to go with Bryan again, but you may as well rename this the John Cena award. His merch is everywhere, and he gets sick crowd reactions in every city, good and bad.

Most Hated Wrestler of the Year

I love Jackhammer's Bully Ray answer. The guy is a douche in real life, so he's just being himself in TNA, and he's one of the best at it. I'd have been fine with him winning, too. I'd also accept Vickie Guerrero. Even though she isn't a wrestler, she is the most hated figure there is.

Most Improved of the Year

I won't go Ryback, because I've very little to compare it to. Bobby Roode has always been fantastic, he just finally for credit for it. If you're going to look at a female, I don't see how you overlook Eve Torres. She's been pretty solid in the ring, and despite being one of the hottest women on the face of the earth, she plays a decent heel. I'm actually going to land on a tag team - The Prime Time Players. These are two NXT guys who could have easily been kicked around as jobbers for the longest time, but instead, they got themselves over as a heel tag team, and they can flat out go in the ring. PTP for this one for me. I'd nominate Dolph Ziggler, too.

Most Inspirational

I wanted to dissent from Lawler just for an argument, but I really can't think of anyone I can debate in favor of.

Comeback of the Year

I thought Ryback deserved a mention here. From NXT monster to injury list to WWE Title contender? That's damn impressive. I do like Jack-Hammer's commentary on Hardy turning his life around.

Woman of the Year

My girl from NJ!! Yeah, AJ Lee has been all over it this year, and she hasn't backed down from the spotlight. Granted, she was given John Cena, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Kane, Vickie, and Dolph to work with, which is a recipe for success.

I'll add a few of my own:

Manager / Valet of the Year: Paul Heyman, with Ricardo Rodriguez a close 2nd.

Biggest Disappointment of the Year: Cody Rhodes

Biggest Flop of the Year: Lord Tensai, the WM World Title Match

Moment of the Year: Lesnar's Return, HBK, HHH, and Taker embrace after WM

 

[King Patrick Star]

Here are my picks for the 2012 PWI Awards.

Wrestler of the Year: CM Punk
Anyone who can hold on to the Top Prize in the Top Company for 365 days is the Wrestler of the Year. It can’t even be questioned.

Tag Team of the Year: Kofi Kingston & R-Truth
I think these two had a great run together and I think they should have had both the Intercontinental Title and United States Title together, similar to when the Hardys would have two Singles Titles and still teamed together.

Match of the Year: WM XXVIII The Rock vs. John Cena
Yearlong build, off air battles, Yesterday vs. Today theme, surprise ending. What else could you ask for?? Everyone and their Paul Bearers knew Undertaker was going to win. No one, and the King means no one, saw Rock walking out of WM XXVIII as the winner, home field advantage and all that.

Feud of the Year: The Rock vs. John Cena
See above.

Most Popular Wrestler of the Year: CM Punk
In the first half of 2012, CM Punk was more popular that Vince McMahon, Triple H, Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, and John Cena combined. You heard the people…

Most Hated Wrestler of the Year: CM Punk
In the second half of 2012, CM Punk attacked the People’s Champion. You just don’t do that, ever.

Most Improved Wrestler of the Year: Austin Aries
A Double went from being the Starr of the X-Division, to the Greatest World Champion That Ever Lived. I know he didn’t improve his actual skills from 2011 to 2012, but he sure improved on his list of accomplishments.

Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year: Jerry Lawler
Long Live The King!!

Stanley Weston Award: Hulk Hogan
Bobby Heenan deserves this award, there is no denying that in anyway whatsoever. I just believe Hulk Hogan should have gotten it before the Brain.

Comeback of the Year: The Rock
Who do you know leaves for years, comes back and wins at the Survivor Series and WrestleMania?? It doesn’t matter who you know!!

Woman of the Year: Gail Kim
Gail Kim should have gotten this award. All A. J. Lee did was skip around the ring, literally. If anything, Gail Kim should have received the Woman of the Year award and A. J. Lee should have received the Diva of the Year award.

Rookie of the Year: Seth Rollins
I don’t know much about Seth Rollins, but I do know he was the first NXT Champion. That, plus all the great things the IWC is saying about the guy, is enough for me to give him the award.

 

[Papa Pillman]

Steen as third runner-up to most hated wrestler of the year is one of the stupidest things I've ever seen PWI print. And that's a big statement.

Even in their little kayfabe world that they mostly try to stay confined in, they still need to be expected to exercise some common sense.

Jim Cornette hated Kevin Steen. His character hated Steen, and I would be shocked if Cornette, the man, didn't share the sentiment to a degree.

Who else hated him? anybody??

Was the guy pushed as a heel for the most part? Yeah. But he was an anti-authority badass heel who positioned himself against the authority figure that the fanbase wanted to see out the door to begin with. Steen did nothing to alienate himself to his own fans, in fact he furthered endeared himself to them, and made many new fans along the way. Steen is more over now than he probably ever was. He is likely the most over guy the company has seen since Danielson left.

His KillSteenKill t-shirt sold at obsene levels for an indy worker. I would go a far as to propose that outside of Cena, Punk, and maybe Jeff Hardy, no other professional wrestler moved more merch in 2012.

So I ask you PWI where is this Steen hate so prominent???
Answer: apparently at PWI itself, because if he was going to get a token mention in one of these categories it should have been "wrestler of the year". I mean they love the kayfabe so much, argue with the fact that whether in reality or "wrestling-reality" the man is undefeated in singles competition in 2012 while putting on atleast six seperate four or more star matches, including a very real MOTY candidate with Elgin at GBH, and has held the ROH world title for the last seven months.

PWI is a goddamn joke at this point. But that shouldn't be a newsflash to anyone, they were never much more than that to begin with.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

An okay list, but I definitely disagree with picking Aces & Eights for feud of the year. Revealing Devon as the first known member was bad enough, and then you follow that with Luke Freakin' Gallows. Saw what you will about "They"/Immortal, but that stable included some big names. Aces & Eights VS TNA is another lame hostile takeover storyline, and the interest level peaked, when Hogan and others were trying to find the "mole." Since then, Aces & Eights has become one of the most tiresome and uninteresting angles on Impact Wrestling.

Also, Kofi & R-Truth? Why? They had one of the more forgettable reigns as Tag Team Champions, but Bryan and Kane brought a much needed spark to WWE's tag team division.

 

[Potatogod93]

I'm not really sure how Kevin Steen and Super Smash Bros are not honorable mentions for Wrestler of the Year and Tag of the Year. Both had very good years.

 

[ocekit]

Steen as third runner-up to most hated wrestler of the year is one of the stupidest things I've ever seen PWI print. And that's a big statement.

So I ask you PWI where is this Steen hate so prominent???
Answer: apparently at PWI itself, because if he was going to get a token mention in one of these categories it should have been "wrestler of the year". I mean they love the kayfabe so much, argue with the fact that whether in reality or "wrestling-reality" the man is undefeated in singles competition in 2012 while putting on atleast six seperate four or more star matches, including a very real MOTY candidate with Elgin at GBH, and has held the ROH world title for the last seven months.

PWI is a goddamn joke at this point. But that shouldn't be a newsflash to anyone, they were never much more than that to begin with.

Keep in mind that these awards are NOT voted on by PWI staff members, but by their READERS. It seems people forget that every year. It's silly to get mad at PWI staff just because the people you liked didn't make the list. If you're going to get mad, get mad at the people who actually voted!

 

[Papa Pillman]

Keep in mind that these awards are NOT voted on by PWI staff members, but by their READERS.

Keep in mind that it is the PWI staff that provides the very shallow list of nominees.

 

[CDoherty]

No one in Japan or Mexico mentioned, sorry to be bitter but as a person who mainly watches CMLL and wrestling in Mexico I think the PWI awards are always a joke. The PWI 100 or whatever seems to always just throw in one or two guys from Mexico like to throw them a bone. The fact of the matter that CMLL and AAA are on more channels, hold more shows, draw more people, than ROH they still are the redheaded step-child of the wrestling world.
Sorry for the rant.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Love the post Jack and I hope no offence is caused by me having the occasional dispute with your takes here. I'm sure you are well aware that, as the Dread Pirate Roberts would say, "Please understand, I hold you in the highest respect!"

Wrestler of the Year: CM Punk
1st Runner Up: - Sheamus
2nd Runner Up: - Austin Aries
3rd Runner Up: - John Cena

Thoughts - This can't really come as a surprise. When you look back over the year Punk has had in general, including having a WWE Championship run that's about to cross the 400 day threshold, it's a pretty obvious choice. I'm a little surprised to see Sheamus ahead of John Cena because...well it's John Cena. He's either been 1st or 2nd in these awards since 2005 I think.

While I'm in agreement with JH on Punk being a worthy winner, I'm actually shocked to see Cena there because he headlined PPVs in throwaway bouts against the likes of Kane and Laurenitis WHILE Punk was excelling in the undercard for the WWe Title. People may criticize Sheamus on the mike (I personally love - BishopBrennan4Life ) but, with the notorious WM as an exception, he has turned in quality bout after quality bout - even against the oft maligned Big Show.

My personal list would have been Aries, Punk, Roode and Sheamus but that's just because I believe that TNA did a better job of portraying Austin and Bobby as their top guys than WWe did.

Tag Team of the Year: Kofi Kingston & R-Truth
1st Runner Up: Bad Influence
2nd Runner Up: - Team Hell No
3rd Runner Up: - Samoa Joe & Magnus

Thoughts - Wow, I think they truly dropped the ball on this one. In my opinion, Team Hell No has been by far the most interesting & entertaining tag team in wrestling this year. I'd have put Kofi & Truth at the bottom of this list with Bad Influence & Joe & Magnus taking 2nd & 3rd spots.

Wow, tag teaming has fallen so far! A winning team that is most notable for having an imaginary child than any feud they were in and the second runner ups more entertaining because of the interaction between the members than, again, who they're facing. The TNA couple ain't much/any better, Bad Influence had one good feud (against AJ&Kurt) and SJ&Magnus only had a coffee break as a partnership (despite looking very good together).

My personal list would have been Bad Influence, Hell No, Rhodes Scholars and the Prime Time Players - two teams with a strong gimmick who can provide a strong foundation for a division not perceived as filler.

Match of the Year: The Undertaker vs. Triple H at WM 28

Thoughts - No argument here. If you asked most people what they thought the best match of this year was, they'd answer with this one. It was a great match and even overshadowed the massively hyped Cena vs. Rock. This makes 3 of the past 4 years that Taker has been involved in the publication's pick for MOTY and it's hard to disagree.

Oh dear, here's were I set myself up for ridicule usually reserved for the most idiotic prisoners - I have appreciated both HHH&UT bouts because I feel they have been set up very intelligently around Taker's physical capabilities these days. However... I do feel they have been overrated to the extreme from what they actually were - a variation of a multiperson spot fest with power moves replacing the high flying spots. In both matches, the two competitors spent more time lying round selling these spots than they actually did competing. Basically, these matches are this generation's Hogan vs Andre - very well thought out and executed... but Hogan/Andre wasn't even the match of that NIGHT never mind the match of the year.

My personal favorite match of 2012 was the first meeting of Sheamus and Show at HiaC which wasn't just a great bout but an unbelievable surprise. Sheamus is vastly underated for his ability in the squared circle and I believe this has been vindicated in him bringing out the best in Show, something that I don't believe has ever happened in the giants Connecticut tenure.

Feud of the Year: TNA vs. Aces & Eights
1st Runner Up: - John Cena vs. The Rock
2nd Runner Up: - CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan
3rd Runner Up: - Adam Pearce vs. Colt Cabana

Thoughts - I totally disagree. TNA vs. Aces & Eights is very much the same rehashed power struggle storyline TNA keeps doing. If anything, I think it's one of the lamest feuds of this year with Aces & Eights probably being the weakest heel faction TNA has had in many years. Given all the hype, build up and ultimate payoff, this should've gone to Cena vs. The Rock.

While I agree that Aces & Eights has been very uneven, it did carry big interest in the early days with plenty of speculation and it has been consistent. Whereas a large part of Cena/ Rock was very onesided with John carrying the majority of the workload in keeping interest going. Punk/ Daniel was overshadowed by Cena vs Big Johnny AND AJ Lee. Pearce vs Colt has received very little coverage this side of the pond so I can't comment here.

Going back to my favorite match, I'd give the nod to Sheamus and Show as the best feud with AJ vs Daniels, DB vs Kane and Aces & Eights filling the runner up spots.

Most Popular Wrestler of the Year: John Cena
1st Runner Up: - Sheamus
2nd Runner Up: - Randy Orton
3rd Runner Up: - Jeff Hardy

Thoughts - If Punk hadn't gone heel, become the top heel in the industry and generally overshadowed his babyface character, this one would've been his. Either his or The Rock, and I'm very surprised he wasn't even one of the runners up. His popularity far overshadows Sheamus or Hardy's this year. But they went with Cena, who's probably the "safe" choice I suppose. He's still massively popular but 2012 wasn't his year in my view.

John Cena was the top face in the top company, no shock here. What does surprise me is that Hardy only received 3rd Runner Up because he has been the most over face in TNA ever since his return. Another surprise is Sheamus being on the list ahead of DBry who has been insanely popular despite the fact he was a heel. Orton amazes me because, between injury and suspension, he has hardly been consistently on TV. Punk and Aries have obviously suffered because of their year end heel turns with voters apparently having the memories of goldfish.

My personal top four would be Hardy, Bryan, Cena and Punk.

Most Hated Wrestler of the Year: CM Punk
1st Runner Up: - Bobby Roode
2nd Runner Up: - Alberto Del Rio
3rd Runner Up: - Kevin Steen

Thoughts - No surprise here. Punk's easily been the best heel in wrestling this year. I don't really see Del Rio being 2nd runner up. I could buy into Bobby Roode or Bully Ray as #2. I'm glad to see Roode at least got 1st runner up as he's done a great job over the past year or so.

Again, Punk spent 8 months as the number 2 face in the WWe so I am surprised to see him win here. Bobby Roode was a heel for the whole period and is more worthy in my eyes. The most consistent heel I felt the WWe had was Big Show and this is why I feel he was given the Big Gold Belt for a reasonable period (for once). Steen, again, receives little coverage in Europe so I, again, can't comment. The biggest omission I feel is Christopher Daniels who (I feel) has been a revelation this year to the extent that, like Show, he is going to get a title shot.

So, my picks would be Bobby Roode, Big Show, Chris Daniels and then either Punk (to acknowledge the success of his turn) or Bully Ray (to acknowledge his great heel work in the first two thirds of 2012).

Most Improved Wrestler of the Year Ryback
1st Runner Up: - Brooke Tessmacher
2nd Runner Up: - Michael Elgin
3rd Runner Up: - Adam Cole

Thoughts - Ryback getting this doesn't surprise me. Over the course of the past 3 or 4 months, he's gone from being a barely tolerated Goldberg clone to being one of the most over talents on the WWE roster. The fact that he's been paired up against & with some of the WWE's top talent is a huge reason for this. I don't see why Tessmacher is even among the runners up. She seemed to be progressing nicely before she won the KO title but after she won it, her personality just rolled tits up and died. It hasn't been reincarnated either. Elgin & Cole have both done good stuff in ROH, so at least they're getting some recognition from the magazine.

Jeff Hardy (his work in TNA prior to Victory Road 2011 was very lacklustre, whereas his work during the redemption storyline has been of a consistently high level), Big Show (from underachiever to believable monster - he gets my Mark Henry Improvement Award), Chris Daniels (adding a character has made the Fallen Angel something more than just a steady performer) and Heath Slater (who really made the RAW 1000 build up tremendous fun).

Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year: Jerry Lawler
1st Runner Up: - Austin Aries
2nd Runner Up: - Shawn Davari
3rd Runner Up: - John Cena

Thoughts - If Lawler hadn't gotten this, then the PWI offices needed to be fire bombed. Lawler suffered a legit heart attack on the air and damn near died and is now back at his post. Not really sure what Aries has done to be "inspirational" exactly. I'd have thought Jeff Hardy should be on the list for turning himself around so much. Davari being on the list comes as little surprise given that he had to choke out a passenger that was violently drunk & disruptive. Another passenger had pressed the emergency button but the cops had their thumbs up each other's asses, so Davari took care of it. Pretty badass really. Cena's 3rd runner up just for being Cena due to his constant charity work and the character is a good role model all in all.

Pretty much agree with everything Jack had to say, I'd have had Hardy's redemption qualify him into the list too. I believe that A Double makes the list because he went from a guy who was going to quit the sport when WWe passed on him to TNA headliner.

Stanley Weston Award: Bobby Heenan

Thoughts - Bobby Heenan remains my all time favorite manager. His stuff in the WWE during the 80s & 90s, plus his work on commentary, were hysterical. Heenan's been very sick for quite a while now and I wish WWE would put him into the HOF again just so we could see him again, if physically well enough to.

Agreed

Comeback of the Year: Jeff Hardy

1st Runner Up: - The Rock
2nd Runner Up: - Brock Lesnar
3rd Runner Up: - Layla

Thoughts - While The Rock & Brock Lesnar made much bigger waves in wrestling in 2012 than Jeff Hardy, Hardy's someone that seems to have genuinely turned his life around for the better. For the past couple of years, people have been waiting for Jeff Hardy to become the latest in a long line of major wrestling tragedy stories. His issues with drugs have nearly cost him his career, and this time nearly his freedom, on several occasions. But Hardy's cleaned up, gotten in shape and is back on top of the TNA mountain. From a purely business standpoint, I wouldn't blame anybody for saying The Rock or Brock Lesnar should get this. From a personal standpoint, I'm glad Hardy got this bit of recognition for the positive changes he's made in both his personal and professional life.

I agree with Jack wholeheartedly here as well. The only thing I would say is that I would have had either Ryback or Brodus Clay as the last member on the list instead of Layla for coming back and overcoming gimmicks that were either initially jeered by the fans (Ryback) or that seemed ludicrous to begin with (Funkasaurus).

Woman of the Year: AJ Lee

1st Runner Up: - Gail Kim
2nd Runner Up: - Eve Torres
3rd Runner Up: - Sara Del Rey

Thoughts - The absolute right call was made here. AJ Lee's "crazy chick" character has been by far & away the most interesting thing going on in women's wrestling in 2012. This was a character that could've been a massive failure but AJ surprised a lot of people. I'm guessing that Gail Kim was 2nd runner up for her lengthy run as TNA KO champ this year. Eve Torres has come a long way, from a character perspective. Sara Del Rey is on there probably just because she's damn near universally hailed as the best female wrestler on the planet.

Yup, AJ was a sure in here but I'm flabbergasted that Vickie doesn't make the list as she consistently receives the loudest reactions from the crowd. I'm also (mildly) surprised that Maria didn't make the list, given that other RoH Alumni have made other categories and I have heard pretty good reports of her character there as Mike Bennett's valet. Making out the list, I'd have to go with Eve who mightn't be the greatest actress but was consistently over and high profile all year.

There was a Rookie of the Year award given to Veda Scott with the runners up being The Big O, Jason Jordan and Sammy "Bambi" Hall. I have no clue as to who any of them are or what they're about, so I had nothing to say.

The only thing I would add here is that it is more than slightly disturbing that neither the WWe nor TNA has anyone on this list for two consecutive years, considering that guys like Kurt Angle, Randy Orton, Goldberg and Big Show are past winners.


So, like Jack, I have agreements and disagreements but I feel it is always important to remember that it is fans like us who make most of these calls so, as we are wont to do, we are only disagreeing among ourselves.