IrishCanadian25
Going on 10 years with WrestleZone
Edge
Chris Jericho
Batista
Triple H
Kurt Angle
Samoa Joe
Sting
Jeff Hardy
CM Punk
Randy Orton
Wrestler of the Year
- Thread starter IrishCanadian25
- Start date
Edge
Chris Jericho
Batista
Triple H
Kurt Angle
Samoa Joe
Sting
Jeff Hardy
CM Punk
Randy Orton
AnthonyMango/NoFate007
A Post Is Worth A Thousand Words
This is SO close to me...
Everybody outside of Edge, Jericho, and Hardy, they don't even come close I think. Punk won a title by default, Orton was out most of the time, Batista did nothing of value, Angle doesn't match up, Joe failed at a title reign, Sting didn't do all that much, HHH was a bore....but Edge, Jericho, and Hardy were really the focal points this year and each one stepped up their games.
Edge = This guy has carried a show on his shoulders right out of the blue for even longer than just this year. He's been the top guy and he hasn't been boring during any of it. Have the angles at times been dry, watching Taker fight Hawkins/Ryder/Chavo a thousand times? Yeah. But Edge performed top-notch every time he was out there. He became world champion multiple times and was in the main event at WrestleMania. What hurts him is the time he took off.
Chris Jericho = He was floundering for a little while there when he was feuding with JBL and winning the IC title but not defending it. But ever since his feud with HBK and Batista, this guy's been gold. He also has won multiple titles and has been performing on a great scale. What hurts him is the time he was doing nothing and going nowhere at the beginning of the year.
Jeff Hardy = A huge focal point. At the beginning of 08, we got our first true taste at what it would be like if Jeff was a main event level talent. Then he became the shoe-in for Money in the Bank, but screwed it all up. After his suspension and the time it took for him to warm back up, he was banging on all cylinders again and chasing the title, which today, he officially has captured. What hurts him is that bump in the road.
So Edge, Jericho, and Hardy..........its a tough, tough call.
But you know what? Hardy and Jericho weren't carrying a brand on their shoulders.
My vote goes to Edge.
Everybody outside of Edge, Jericho, and Hardy, they don't even come close I think. Punk won a title by default, Orton was out most of the time, Batista did nothing of value, Angle doesn't match up, Joe failed at a title reign, Sting didn't do all that much, HHH was a bore....but Edge, Jericho, and Hardy were really the focal points this year and each one stepped up their games.
Edge = This guy has carried a show on his shoulders right out of the blue for even longer than just this year. He's been the top guy and he hasn't been boring during any of it. Have the angles at times been dry, watching Taker fight Hawkins/Ryder/Chavo a thousand times? Yeah. But Edge performed top-notch every time he was out there. He became world champion multiple times and was in the main event at WrestleMania. What hurts him is the time he took off.
Chris Jericho = He was floundering for a little while there when he was feuding with JBL and winning the IC title but not defending it. But ever since his feud with HBK and Batista, this guy's been gold. He also has won multiple titles and has been performing on a great scale. What hurts him is the time he was doing nothing and going nowhere at the beginning of the year.
Jeff Hardy = A huge focal point. At the beginning of 08, we got our first true taste at what it would be like if Jeff was a main event level talent. Then he became the shoe-in for Money in the Bank, but screwed it all up. After his suspension and the time it took for him to warm back up, he was banging on all cylinders again and chasing the title, which today, he officially has captured. What hurts him is that bump in the road.
So Edge, Jericho, and Hardy..........its a tough, tough call.
But you know what? Hardy and Jericho weren't carrying a brand on their shoulders.
My vote goes to Edge.
Little Jerry Lawler
Sigmund Freud On Ritalin And Roids
I am going to have go with Edge...He did carry Smackdown on his back this year and had an amazing feud with Taker and produced three classic encounters...Even though he was out for four months he meant the most to his particular brand more than anybody on RAW or ECW.
Jericho-I would have went with him but he didn't do anything for the first four months...The JBL feud was awful and he won the IC Title because Hardy was suspended and rarely defended it...He did save himself in the rest of the year but he came up short here.
Hardy- He started off awesome with a win over HBK at RAW and a great effort against Orton at the Royal Rumble...Then he got suspended before WM and took a while to get back after he got suspended...He has improved significantly over the past few months and the WWE Title win was just icing on the cake...If he doesn't get suspended in the near future he would be the wrestler of the year in 2009.
Jericho-I would have went with him but he didn't do anything for the first four months...The JBL feud was awful and he won the IC Title because Hardy was suspended and rarely defended it...He did save himself in the rest of the year but he came up short here.
Hardy- He started off awesome with a win over HBK at RAW and a great effort against Orton at the Royal Rumble...Then he got suspended before WM and took a while to get back after he got suspended...He has improved significantly over the past few months and the WWE Title win was just icing on the cake...If he doesn't get suspended in the near future he would be the wrestler of the year in 2009.
It's either Chris Jericho or Jeff Hardy. Is there a most improved award? If there is, the loser here should get that.
At the start of the year, I thought that both of these guys were shit. How my opinion has changed.
I will give it to Jericho though. Where Hardy was made to look inferior to Triple H even if Iron Man showed up to help him, Jericho portrayed one of the best heels I've seen in a while, having the best feud and the best matches of the year as he did. Add to that that Jericho made me change my opinion so much more than Hardy did - the spot monkey is still little more than the lesser of two evils to me. But he is the lesser of two evils, and that's an improvement of what I thought of him at the start of the year.
And yeah, he won the "big one". So did Jericho. Twice.
At the start of the year, I thought that both of these guys were shit. How my opinion has changed.
I will give it to Jericho though. Where Hardy was made to look inferior to Triple H even if Iron Man showed up to help him, Jericho portrayed one of the best heels I've seen in a while, having the best feud and the best matches of the year as he did. Add to that that Jericho made me change my opinion so much more than Hardy did - the spot monkey is still little more than the lesser of two evils to me. But he is the lesser of two evils, and that's an improvement of what I thought of him at the start of the year.
And yeah, he won the "big one". So did Jericho. Twice.
klunderbunker
Welcome to My (And Not Sly's) House
Of all these people, only Jericho has been in the upper mid card or higher the entire year. He starts out with Orton feuding for the title, then moves on to the mini feud with JBL, and onto HBK, then the world title feuds. That's hard to do. Everyone else has either been hurt or bouncing around the card. Jericho has won 2 titles this year, moved up on his IC title record, and had a great heel turn/feud with Shawn. He completely recreated himself and is now always a threat to beat everyone he faces. Not many have had as good a year as that. Jericho wins this.
dd23beatlesfan1
Getting Noticed By Management
My vote went to Chris Jericho pretty easily.
Before I explain why, I'll give some props to a couple of runners up.
Jeff Hardy had a great year, as he remained even through personal troubles, quite possibly the most over and popular babyface in the WWE. He improved tremendously in the ring, had great matches with many people, and capped the year off by becoming the WWE champion. He had quite the year, that's for sure. But not quite enough to be "Wrestler of the Year."
Edge has probably been the MVP for the WWE for the last few years as he has carried the Smackdown brand for a number of years now and has been the top heel of the WWE since Triple H's heyday with Evolution (IMO anyway). This year was no different, as he was champion through a lot of it, had three "Match of the Year" candidates with the Undertaker, and continued to play his heel role tremendously. Edge has been consistent and great for years. He would be my top choice for the year, if a certain someone hadn't had one of the greatest career turnarounds in recent memory.
That guy is my top choice, which is Chris Jericho. Chris Jericho is one of the best wrestlers of this decade, and this was perhaps the greatest year in his career. Yeah, that's a pretty bold statement to make perhaps, but I think it's true. Jericho started off with a big return last year, but once he got in a feud with JBL (hmmmm, he killed Punk's momentum with a feud and almost killed Jericho's momentum with a feud, am I sensing a pattern here?), Jericho's momentum went down and then he floundered in the mid-card for awhile. But Jericho turned things around by evolving his character and becoming the best heel of the year definitely. I don't think Jericho has ever played as good a heel as he did this year, not even in his glory days in WCW as a heel. Jericho challenged the fans in a way few heels have done, and he managed to go from being one of the most popular guys on the roster (with both marks and smarks) to becoming easily one of the most hated and booed. Most of the wrestlers that are considered "cool heels" (ala Angle, the NWO back in WCW, etc.) get boos and some cheers in crowds, but whenever I saw Jericho on TV, who used to be a "cool heel," I didn't hear hardly any cheers. He really managed to get the crowds to hate him, which is pretty amazing considering how popular he has always usually been. It's quite the turnaround in character. I'd also say he was the promo guy of the year, and has had solid matches with just about anyone he's faced. Then he topped it off with some World Title wins (the reigns were too short IMO). Jericho always seemed to be just under the main event throughout most of his WWE career, and this year he's managed to go from a top mid-carder at the beginning of the year to becoming the top heel on RAW and one of the top 3 heels in the company (along with Edge and Orton) by the end of it. Jericho has had an amazing year. The best of his career in my estimation.
Before I explain why, I'll give some props to a couple of runners up.
Jeff Hardy had a great year, as he remained even through personal troubles, quite possibly the most over and popular babyface in the WWE. He improved tremendously in the ring, had great matches with many people, and capped the year off by becoming the WWE champion. He had quite the year, that's for sure. But not quite enough to be "Wrestler of the Year."
Edge has probably been the MVP for the WWE for the last few years as he has carried the Smackdown brand for a number of years now and has been the top heel of the WWE since Triple H's heyday with Evolution (IMO anyway). This year was no different, as he was champion through a lot of it, had three "Match of the Year" candidates with the Undertaker, and continued to play his heel role tremendously. Edge has been consistent and great for years. He would be my top choice for the year, if a certain someone hadn't had one of the greatest career turnarounds in recent memory.
That guy is my top choice, which is Chris Jericho. Chris Jericho is one of the best wrestlers of this decade, and this was perhaps the greatest year in his career. Yeah, that's a pretty bold statement to make perhaps, but I think it's true. Jericho started off with a big return last year, but once he got in a feud with JBL (hmmmm, he killed Punk's momentum with a feud and almost killed Jericho's momentum with a feud, am I sensing a pattern here?), Jericho's momentum went down and then he floundered in the mid-card for awhile. But Jericho turned things around by evolving his character and becoming the best heel of the year definitely. I don't think Jericho has ever played as good a heel as he did this year, not even in his glory days in WCW as a heel. Jericho challenged the fans in a way few heels have done, and he managed to go from being one of the most popular guys on the roster (with both marks and smarks) to becoming easily one of the most hated and booed. Most of the wrestlers that are considered "cool heels" (ala Angle, the NWO back in WCW, etc.) get boos and some cheers in crowds, but whenever I saw Jericho on TV, who used to be a "cool heel," I didn't hear hardly any cheers. He really managed to get the crowds to hate him, which is pretty amazing considering how popular he has always usually been. It's quite the turnaround in character. I'd also say he was the promo guy of the year, and has had solid matches with just about anyone he's faced. Then he topped it off with some World Title wins (the reigns were too short IMO). Jericho always seemed to be just under the main event throughout most of his WWE career, and this year he's managed to go from a top mid-carder at the beginning of the year to becoming the top heel on RAW and one of the top 3 heels in the company (along with Edge and Orton) by the end of it. Jericho has had an amazing year. The best of his career in my estimation.
Lee
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it's Supermod!
CM Punk has had a great year, during 2008 he's held;
ECW Title
World Tag Titles
Won MITB
Won the WHC
Won the very prestigious slammy award for OMG moment of the year. BUt CM Punk did not win the IC title, he's never been IC champ. He's #1 contender for the Intercontinental belt, but he hasn't won it.
With that in mind I have not placed Punk infirst, but the man himself, Chris Jericho. Starting as a face feuding with JBL, winning the IC belt, turning heel, having (in my opinion) the biggest feud of the year with HBK, winning the championship belt (twice) and being the most over heel on Raw. It is because of that I voted for Jericho, Hardy would of had it if not for his suspension, and Edge would have had it if not for his stint in 'hell'
Jeff Hardy, without a doubt. The only wrestler who can challenge him is Jericho, and he didn't get going until 4 months into the year.
Jeff started with a bang. I actually think that him losing/winning to HHH via a roll up at Armageddon was the best thing to happen to him. WWE realized they'd need to do something special to make him look like a proper challenger again, and they did.
It's just a shame he was suspended for a couple of months, and that Triple H wouldn't let him beat him properly.
Jeff started with a bang. I actually think that him losing/winning to HHH via a roll up at Armageddon was the best thing to happen to him. WWE realized they'd need to do something special to make him look like a proper challenger again, and they did.
It's just a shame he was suspended for a couple of months, and that Triple H wouldn't let him beat him properly.
Jericho? lawlz, what has he done? Nothing, he's a boring heel, he's been boring since his title win. His promos are repetitive and his title reigns were terrible. His feuds were overrated. Nothing good came from his feuds...
I am not a huge Hardy fan but it was a good wrestling year nonetheless.. He went from pinning HHH, Michaels, to getting suspended right before he was supposed to win MITB. He comes back, still looking alright, he manages to stay in the ME, he gets many title shots, doesn't win but still manages to look legit Finally he wins a world title... yay Hardy...
I am not a huge Hardy fan but it was a good wrestling year nonetheless.. He went from pinning HHH, Michaels, to getting suspended right before he was supposed to win MITB. He comes back, still looking alright, he manages to stay in the ME, he gets many title shots, doesn't win but still manages to look legit Finally he wins a world title... yay Hardy...
Jeff Hardy should win this. He's constantly been the most over superstar all year, face or heel. He's been interesting all year, too. I haven't been bored by Jeff Hardy at all. Sure, he screwed up, but he turned that around into something positive and used it to elevate himself. He's been involved in the title hunt for the past three months or so and he finally capped off the year with a win. Good for him.
I gave it to Edge, only just. The only reason is because while he was champion, he was such a good champion that I couldn't give it to anyone else. He was carrying the SD! brand on his shoulders and did such a good job that i'm not sure anyone else could have matched him. His matches & storylines were always quality, and his partnership with Vickie proved a pivitol thing for him in terms of how entertaining he was. His fued with The Undertaker deserves a mention, because that was something special. his HIAC match at SummerSlam was one of, if not his best match.
I think this is a toss up between Chris Jericho and Jeff Hardy.
Jericho had a great year in 2008. He returned late last year and didn't look too impressive. His face turn was average, but it just wasn't getting him anywhere. Then he surprisingly turned heel and really established himself as a true main event heel. Not to mention he shockingly won 2 World Heavyweight Titles and consistantly put on good matches with multiple opponents. He really improved a lot this year and he certainly turned me into a Jericho fan.
But I'm going to go for Jeff Hardy here. Apart from the 60 day holiday break he had for breaking the Wellness Policy, he worked his ass of this year. He had the best year of his entire WWE career. This one year, turned Jeff into a legimate main event and a WWE Champion. Which is something hardly anyone thought he would accomplish. His matches with Triple H were good and he was very consistant in the ring on a weekly basis. He defeated the Undertaker cleanly! That says it all, really. He turned into a more edgier Jeff Hardy, and had a brilliant year.
Both Jericho and Hardy improved in many ways this year, but Jeff Hardy in my opinion, is the superstar of 2008.
Jericho had a great year in 2008. He returned late last year and didn't look too impressive. His face turn was average, but it just wasn't getting him anywhere. Then he surprisingly turned heel and really established himself as a true main event heel. Not to mention he shockingly won 2 World Heavyweight Titles and consistantly put on good matches with multiple opponents. He really improved a lot this year and he certainly turned me into a Jericho fan.
But I'm going to go for Jeff Hardy here. Apart from the 60 day holiday break he had for breaking the Wellness Policy, he worked his ass of this year. He had the best year of his entire WWE career. This one year, turned Jeff into a legimate main event and a WWE Champion. Which is something hardly anyone thought he would accomplish. His matches with Triple H were good and he was very consistant in the ring on a weekly basis. He defeated the Undertaker cleanly! That says it all, really. He turned into a more edgier Jeff Hardy, and had a brilliant year.
Both Jericho and Hardy improved in many ways this year, but Jeff Hardy in my opinion, is the superstar of 2008.
Pfft its pretty easy for me this, but i'll try and and be systematic in this. There are only 4 real contenders as I see it.
4. Jericho- I don't think he had as good a year as people make out. His feud with HBK wasn't legendary like people exagerate, it was ok with some decent matches but nothing to warrant superstar of the year. His titles reigns unfortunatly were quite disapointing for me and though I am big on Jericho I'm not that huge on his work, though his matches with Cena have been very good.
3. Jeff Hardy- Similar to Orton in that he has been getting some great reactions from fans, and has had a few good matches by toning down the spots. He won the world title but it wasn't a huge moment like people were expecting and once people got over the inital suprise it doesnt seem that special. Besides giving someone the belt doesnt make them a good wrestler- see Punk or Samoa Joe. Remember also that most of the summer Jeff spent jobbing to HHH, Kozlov, and Edge at various points.
2. Edge- Had a another good year with some great storylines but still nothing that really tops his feud with Cena, so I can't give it him.
1. Orton- This year Orton has completed his transformation from low main event status, to mass popularity and undoubtaly has proven a lot of critics who were saying he should be fired last year wrong. His matches have been good, his crowd reaction is increadible, his storylines have been intresting, and is as over as Cena or Hardy atm.
4. Jericho- I don't think he had as good a year as people make out. His feud with HBK wasn't legendary like people exagerate, it was ok with some decent matches but nothing to warrant superstar of the year. His titles reigns unfortunatly were quite disapointing for me and though I am big on Jericho I'm not that huge on his work, though his matches with Cena have been very good.
3. Jeff Hardy- Similar to Orton in that he has been getting some great reactions from fans, and has had a few good matches by toning down the spots. He won the world title but it wasn't a huge moment like people were expecting and once people got over the inital suprise it doesnt seem that special. Besides giving someone the belt doesnt make them a good wrestler- see Punk or Samoa Joe. Remember also that most of the summer Jeff spent jobbing to HHH, Kozlov, and Edge at various points.
2. Edge- Had a another good year with some great storylines but still nothing that really tops his feud with Cena, so I can't give it him.
1. Orton- This year Orton has completed his transformation from low main event status, to mass popularity and undoubtaly has proven a lot of critics who were saying he should be fired last year wrong. His matches have been good, his crowd reaction is increadible, his storylines have been intresting, and is as over as Cena or Hardy atm.
God, I'm the only vote for Triple H?
First off, I cannot, in good conscience, take a wrestler who has been absent for an extended period this year as wrestler of the year. So I'm eliminating Edge, Hardy, and Orton, despite the fact they're all strong. Batista's only touched gold once this year in an embarrassing week long reign. CM Punk had an unfortunately booked WHC reign, mostly marred by the lack of Orton and Cena. I think had Orton been there for Punk, he would have become a much stronger champion, and I can't help but think that was the original intent until Orton got reinjured. But, Punk's WHC reign was lackluster despite the potential it had, and his recent tag reign was very weak.
I won't bias myself against TNA, but I am eliminating all of their contenders. Joe's entire reign was as bland as he is, and in this later portion of the year, what is he doing? Practically just a jobber to the MEM. Rhino and Styles are the only halfway credible main event players on the Frontline. Sting's title chase was better than his reign, which has been weak so far and overshadowed by the MEM. Sting has rarely cut a promo as of late, and it seems like Angle is controlling the talking.
Speaking of Angle, he is in my top three. Strong reign until Lockdown, with a surprisingly good match against Joe. That's where it kind of spiraled out of control, because the Styles feud just never quite made it. There was never the great match that the two should have been able to find. In its latter stages it completely devolved with Trigg and the MMA bout, and it just got kind of crazy. More bastardization of the gold medal did not help. Strong match with Jarrett, but he's finished out the year cutting the same exact promo - "Jeff, I will eat your babies", as I like to call it.
So why Triple H over Jericho, you ask? Mostly, because Jericho had a horrible year until he really got rolling with Michaels, and honestly, they didn't even have a good match until Unforgiven. Strong promos, certainly, with the Highlight Reel segment, the SummerSlam promo, etc., etc., but until the Unsanctioned Match at Unforgiven and the No Mercy ladder match, it never really went well. Their GAB match was mostly a "Poke HBK in the Eye" match, and their JD match was good, but didn't have the emotion as Jericho wasn't fully heel. Furthermore, Jericho had an absolutely horrendous IC reign, without a single PPV defense until he lost it, and the only defense that comes to mind on TV is in a rotten match with JBL. So frankly, as far as I'm considered, Jericho had a crappy year until circa Night of Champions, when he officially went full out heel. A good match with Kofi that did the title the justice it deserves at NoC as well. Boring match at GAB, with the entire second half "Punch HBK, wait 30 seconds, repeat". SummerSlam, strong promo, but who wants a promo over a match? Unforgiven was brilliant for Jericho and his year definitely went on the upswing, with a great ladder match. However, Cyber Sunday kind of killed Jericho's excitement with Batista's win, and even though he won it back it kind of weakened the reign. Then, basically, he jobbed to Cena like he was always supposed to, and jobbed even harder with a tapout to Cena. Basically, Jericho's only standout period in the year was September-December, and that's just not enough. It looks like he'll win, but I'll defend Triple H to the last.
And now, the man of the hour, Triple H. Triple H had a huge showing in the Rumble, and was everyone's man to win until Cena stepped in. Also, Cena should have been on the poll. I wouldn't have voted for him due to injury, but hell - if Punk and Joe are on, Cena ought to be. Anyway, Triple H. Had a huge EC victory at NWO that was almost as exciting as winning the Rumble would have been, although predictable. Strong showing at WrestleMania, as well, despite the somewhat surprising loss. So basically, even though he didn't grab gold in the January - March period, he still showed strong, which is more than can be said for Jericho, who spent his time feuding with JBL in a feud no one wanted to see, failed in the EC, and then proceeded to rape the IC Championship. Backlash, Triple H had the night of his year, grabbing the WWE Championship that he held for 7 months - the longest world title reign of the year. Judgment Day had a great Cage match with Orton, followed by the best LMS match of the year with Orton as well. Let's look at what Jericho did in that period...Special Guest Referee at Backlash, good match with HBK, but lack of emotion as he was still a face/tweener, and ONS he was barely on except to cheer Michaels of whatever. Night of Champions saw him match up with Cena in a great main event, and the Bash featured a taste of a match with Edge, not unlike Jericho's match with Michaels. Jericho also had a strong match at NoC, but A) He lost, and B) It was just a midcard match. As I said, HHH/Edge at the Bash was similar to Jericho/HBK at the Bash, but Edge and Triple H at least put on a strong match that didn't devolve into "Beat the hell out of Michaels". Basically, Edge/HHH didn't put me to sleep, while Jericho/HBK had me nodding off at the end. Move on to SummerSlam where Triple H probably had his weakest defense of the year with Khali, but hey - at least he had a match, didn't he? Incredibly overshadowed by Cena/Batista and Edge/'Taker, but he was wrestling while Jericho/HBK had a promo that should have been done on Raw. Unforgiven was a tie between them, I think, with Jericho winning the WHC and also showed strong in the Unsanctioned Match, but Triple H also won his Scramble clean. No Mercy was the only time that Jericho outshone Triple H, with a strong ladder match win over Triple H's good win over Hardy. Cyber Sunday saw Triple H against Hardy again, and it was weaker than No Mercy, but Triple H won his match, while Jericho lost the WHC. Despite regaining it on Raw, his title reign was certainly devalued while Triple H rolled on strong. Now, Survivor Series was an equally poor night for both men, and has begun both of their downswings of the year. I will, in fact, give Survivor Series to Triple H, however, because I though HHH vs Koslov was a great match despite how much the crowd loved to yell boring. Just because there's no flips or suplexes doesn't mean it isn't a good match, damn it. Armageddon was weaker for Jericho than it was for HHH - HHH wasn't pinned, although he did lose, while Jericho tapped out.
So I'm basically gonna break it down by the PPVs and title reigns, because that's where it really counts.
Rumble - Triple H (Despite a loss, much better showing than Y2J/JBL)
No Way Out - Triple H (Wins the EC, which Jericho lost)
WM - Triple H (Strong match, loss, while Jericho had a weak showing in MITB and also lost)
Backlash - Triple H (Triple H wins WWE Championship, Jericho is SGR)
Judgment Day - Triple H (Strong cage match win, Jericho loses to HBK)
ONS - Triple H (Triple H wins LMS, Jericho not even in match)
NoC - Triple H (Jericho has a good match, but loses, Triple H has a strong match, and wins)
GAB - Triple H (Jericho wins with a boring match, Triple H wins with a good match)
SummerSlam - Triple H (Jericho has a promo that should have just been the main event on Raw, if that, while Triple H at least had a match, which he won)
Unforgiven - Tie (Jericho loses a good match to Michaels and wins WHC, Triple H retains in strong Scramble showing)
No Mercy - Jericho (Triple H wins strong match with Hardy, Jericho wins excellent ladder match)
Cyber Sunday - Triple H (Wins good match against Hardy, Jericho loses decent match to Batista)
Survivor Series - Triple H (Good HHH vs Koslov for most of the Triple Threat, IMO better than round 1 of Cena/Jericho)
Armageddon - Triple H (Triple H not pinned in Triple Threat, Jericho taps to Cena)
So Triple H with a PPV record of 12-1-1, with Jericho getting 1-12-1. In short - Jericho is, compared to Triple H, the Cincinnati Bengals of the WWE.
As far as title reigns go:
Triple H has one WWE Championship reign of seven months, while Jericho has one horrid IC reign of too long, two WHC reigns of a combined under 3 months. Shouldn't have to spell that one out.
In short - Triple H has had the strongest showing this year of any wrestler in the business.
First off, I cannot, in good conscience, take a wrestler who has been absent for an extended period this year as wrestler of the year. So I'm eliminating Edge, Hardy, and Orton, despite the fact they're all strong. Batista's only touched gold once this year in an embarrassing week long reign. CM Punk had an unfortunately booked WHC reign, mostly marred by the lack of Orton and Cena. I think had Orton been there for Punk, he would have become a much stronger champion, and I can't help but think that was the original intent until Orton got reinjured. But, Punk's WHC reign was lackluster despite the potential it had, and his recent tag reign was very weak.
I won't bias myself against TNA, but I am eliminating all of their contenders. Joe's entire reign was as bland as he is, and in this later portion of the year, what is he doing? Practically just a jobber to the MEM. Rhino and Styles are the only halfway credible main event players on the Frontline. Sting's title chase was better than his reign, which has been weak so far and overshadowed by the MEM. Sting has rarely cut a promo as of late, and it seems like Angle is controlling the talking.
Speaking of Angle, he is in my top three. Strong reign until Lockdown, with a surprisingly good match against Joe. That's where it kind of spiraled out of control, because the Styles feud just never quite made it. There was never the great match that the two should have been able to find. In its latter stages it completely devolved with Trigg and the MMA bout, and it just got kind of crazy. More bastardization of the gold medal did not help. Strong match with Jarrett, but he's finished out the year cutting the same exact promo - "Jeff, I will eat your babies", as I like to call it.
So why Triple H over Jericho, you ask? Mostly, because Jericho had a horrible year until he really got rolling with Michaels, and honestly, they didn't even have a good match until Unforgiven. Strong promos, certainly, with the Highlight Reel segment, the SummerSlam promo, etc., etc., but until the Unsanctioned Match at Unforgiven and the No Mercy ladder match, it never really went well. Their GAB match was mostly a "Poke HBK in the Eye" match, and their JD match was good, but didn't have the emotion as Jericho wasn't fully heel. Furthermore, Jericho had an absolutely horrendous IC reign, without a single PPV defense until he lost it, and the only defense that comes to mind on TV is in a rotten match with JBL. So frankly, as far as I'm considered, Jericho had a crappy year until circa Night of Champions, when he officially went full out heel. A good match with Kofi that did the title the justice it deserves at NoC as well. Boring match at GAB, with the entire second half "Punch HBK, wait 30 seconds, repeat". SummerSlam, strong promo, but who wants a promo over a match? Unforgiven was brilliant for Jericho and his year definitely went on the upswing, with a great ladder match. However, Cyber Sunday kind of killed Jericho's excitement with Batista's win, and even though he won it back it kind of weakened the reign. Then, basically, he jobbed to Cena like he was always supposed to, and jobbed even harder with a tapout to Cena. Basically, Jericho's only standout period in the year was September-December, and that's just not enough. It looks like he'll win, but I'll defend Triple H to the last.
And now, the man of the hour, Triple H. Triple H had a huge showing in the Rumble, and was everyone's man to win until Cena stepped in. Also, Cena should have been on the poll. I wouldn't have voted for him due to injury, but hell - if Punk and Joe are on, Cena ought to be. Anyway, Triple H. Had a huge EC victory at NWO that was almost as exciting as winning the Rumble would have been, although predictable. Strong showing at WrestleMania, as well, despite the somewhat surprising loss. So basically, even though he didn't grab gold in the January - March period, he still showed strong, which is more than can be said for Jericho, who spent his time feuding with JBL in a feud no one wanted to see, failed in the EC, and then proceeded to rape the IC Championship. Backlash, Triple H had the night of his year, grabbing the WWE Championship that he held for 7 months - the longest world title reign of the year. Judgment Day had a great Cage match with Orton, followed by the best LMS match of the year with Orton as well. Let's look at what Jericho did in that period...Special Guest Referee at Backlash, good match with HBK, but lack of emotion as he was still a face/tweener, and ONS he was barely on except to cheer Michaels of whatever. Night of Champions saw him match up with Cena in a great main event, and the Bash featured a taste of a match with Edge, not unlike Jericho's match with Michaels. Jericho also had a strong match at NoC, but A) He lost, and B) It was just a midcard match. As I said, HHH/Edge at the Bash was similar to Jericho/HBK at the Bash, but Edge and Triple H at least put on a strong match that didn't devolve into "Beat the hell out of Michaels". Basically, Edge/HHH didn't put me to sleep, while Jericho/HBK had me nodding off at the end. Move on to SummerSlam where Triple H probably had his weakest defense of the year with Khali, but hey - at least he had a match, didn't he? Incredibly overshadowed by Cena/Batista and Edge/'Taker, but he was wrestling while Jericho/HBK had a promo that should have been done on Raw. Unforgiven was a tie between them, I think, with Jericho winning the WHC and also showed strong in the Unsanctioned Match, but Triple H also won his Scramble clean. No Mercy was the only time that Jericho outshone Triple H, with a strong ladder match win over Triple H's good win over Hardy. Cyber Sunday saw Triple H against Hardy again, and it was weaker than No Mercy, but Triple H won his match, while Jericho lost the WHC. Despite regaining it on Raw, his title reign was certainly devalued while Triple H rolled on strong. Now, Survivor Series was an equally poor night for both men, and has begun both of their downswings of the year. I will, in fact, give Survivor Series to Triple H, however, because I though HHH vs Koslov was a great match despite how much the crowd loved to yell boring. Just because there's no flips or suplexes doesn't mean it isn't a good match, damn it. Armageddon was weaker for Jericho than it was for HHH - HHH wasn't pinned, although he did lose, while Jericho tapped out.
So I'm basically gonna break it down by the PPVs and title reigns, because that's where it really counts.
Rumble - Triple H (Despite a loss, much better showing than Y2J/JBL)
No Way Out - Triple H (Wins the EC, which Jericho lost)
WM - Triple H (Strong match, loss, while Jericho had a weak showing in MITB and also lost)
Backlash - Triple H (Triple H wins WWE Championship, Jericho is SGR)
Judgment Day - Triple H (Strong cage match win, Jericho loses to HBK)
ONS - Triple H (Triple H wins LMS, Jericho not even in match)
NoC - Triple H (Jericho has a good match, but loses, Triple H has a strong match, and wins)
GAB - Triple H (Jericho wins with a boring match, Triple H wins with a good match)
SummerSlam - Triple H (Jericho has a promo that should have just been the main event on Raw, if that, while Triple H at least had a match, which he won)
Unforgiven - Tie (Jericho loses a good match to Michaels and wins WHC, Triple H retains in strong Scramble showing)
No Mercy - Jericho (Triple H wins strong match with Hardy, Jericho wins excellent ladder match)
Cyber Sunday - Triple H (Wins good match against Hardy, Jericho loses decent match to Batista)
Survivor Series - Triple H (Good HHH vs Koslov for most of the Triple Threat, IMO better than round 1 of Cena/Jericho)
Armageddon - Triple H (Triple H not pinned in Triple Threat, Jericho taps to Cena)
So Triple H with a PPV record of 12-1-1, with Jericho getting 1-12-1. In short - Jericho is, compared to Triple H, the Cincinnati Bengals of the WWE.
As far as title reigns go:
Triple H has one WWE Championship reign of seven months, while Jericho has one horrid IC reign of too long, two WHC reigns of a combined under 3 months. Shouldn't have to spell that one out.
In short - Triple H has had the strongest showing this year of any wrestler in the business.
the-celtic-destroyer
Dark Match Jobber
Joe.Defo.
Not just bcos im a huge fan,but bcos he finally won the title,altho a few months too late.Remember hard justice,him and angle,wat a match.So now continue the feud nd make sum great matchs but no,take a lil break nd put joe wit cage hu if u remember joe just had a massiv feud wit.I tink it was just a bit too late.
But still a great year for joe
Not just bcos im a huge fan,but bcos he finally won the title,altho a few months too late.Remember hard justice,him and angle,wat a match.So now continue the feud nd make sum great matchs but no,take a lil break nd put joe wit cage hu if u remember joe just had a massiv feud wit.I tink it was just a bit too late.
But still a great year for joe
Spine Line
Dark Match Jobber
This post in general has shocked me, Jericho has had an immense year. He has had the best storyline of the year, some of the best matches of the year and the fact that he has actually had title reigns this year sums it all up for me. He has improved massively since turning heel and I would have voted for him if not for Jeff Hardy.
Jeff Hardy has been taking high risks for the past decade and this year he has been so close probably about a dozen times, this is Hardy's year because he has finally done it.
Both Jericho and Hardy have had brilliant years and hopefully they will continue to be excellent in 2009.
Gutter Phenomenon
Listen To CKY
I think Hardy is an unpopular choice, but I had to choose him. Unlike Jericho, Jeff was a mid card guy and had never been thought of as a legit World Champ until he pinned HHH in '07. On top of that, he ends up being the runner up in the Raw EC at No Way Out. The only thing that was negative about his year was not being at WM. If he hadn't gotten suspended I think it's pretty clear he would've won the MITB. Plus I think finally getting to the top of the mountain trumps Jericho coming back and teaching everyone the art of the heel.
Harthan, at the end of the day, we all know the reason HHH got that kind of run this year is because he has a lot of creative control, whereas the others do not. They have to put in hard work to get the nod from Vince. Yes, we should judge on in ring performances, but we don't. HHH will never get the respect he probably deserves due to the stories that come from him backstage. I don't care if that bothers you, whenever HHH is champ I do not give a toss, same goes with Taker and Batista.
TheGreatSPAMbino
Getting Noticed By Management
Ok, im pretty sure the true wrestler of the year wasn't even nominated making this award a complete fucking joke. The true wrestler of the year is the best worker, the most charismatic showman, the champion of all champions and a genuine living legend. Kevin Nash FTW.
clamdiggerdanielson
Dark Match Jobber
Jericho is the best of the options given. He had a classic feud with Shawn Michaels and some amazing matches with HBK and Cena. He re invented himself with the new character. I hope 2009 is half as kind to Jericho as 2008 has been.
Id say Punk is 2, Cena is 3 and Edge is 4.
I do not understand why Batista was even put on the ballot, to be honest. lol
Id say Punk is 2, Cena is 3 and Edge is 4.
I do not understand why Batista was even put on the ballot, to be honest. lol