Wrestler of the Year: The Miz—more for the first half of the year than the second half. The Miz was an ambassador for the WWE getting a lot of mainstream publicity and he is honestly underrated in the ring. The Miz has a great character, can get heat, works well with the right opponent and he was worth watching until The WWE stuck him with R-Truth in a worthless and meaningless angle with Triple H and CM Punk.
Tag Team of the Year: The Miz/R-Truth—they are not the flashiest nor have they been together the longest but they are two very distinct characters who mesh well while still holding onto their individuality. When pushed correctly and matched with the right opponents they can have off the charts matches. With Vince McMahon still not a fan of tag team wrestling there is not a lot to choose from really, the Hart Dynasty would be a close second but only because of Nattie Neidhart.
Top Indie Wrestler: Johnny Gargano—the current Dragon Gate USA Champion, Gargano has gotten better at just about everything in the last year including his mic work. In the ring Gargano is at the top of rising indie workers and more and more people are starting to take notice. There are rumors that ROH may approach him with an offer and The WWE has him on their radar as well. As long as he stays healthy he has a bright career ahead of him.
Lady Wrestler of the Year: Beth Phoenix—she has been consistent for much of the year and in-ring is probably one of the best in the game.
Indie Lady Wrestler of the Year: Jessicka Havoc—very consistent worker, has very few “bad” matches and even when she is “off” there are very few who can keep up with her.
Match of the Year: Mark Henry v. Big Show at Vengance 2011—both worked hard and they worked stiff to add realism and with the ring collapse to add dramatic flare this was a match I wanted to watch more than once. It was not the most technically sound match ever or even this year but this one gets the nod just for the sheer will of the two to make it good.
Money: John Cena—as much as it pains me to say so Cena is consistent on top and even though people get tired of seeing him they generally tune in to see him hopefully get his ass kicked. Though there are some misses, like with Alberto Del Rio, there were a lot more hits this year especially with CM Punk. Cena is usually very good on the mic which is half the battle and his work has improved. God did that hurt…
Not Money: Daniel Bryan—no matter how much the guy is pushed he is just not money and will not be money. Bryan is no Shawn Michaels, he does not have the ring aptitude to even come close.
Inspirational Wrestler of the Year: Gregory Iron—hey the kid took a slight mention by CM Punk and has turned it into more recognition and notoriety than he would have ever had just working for Pro Wrestling Ohio. Iron has been lobbying to get into the Royal Rumble and to be voted “Inspirational Wrestler of the Year” by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Forget that he has Cerebral Palsy, he is an inspiration for being able to work a moment…
Most Overrated: Alberto Del Rio—one of the most disappointing PPVs of the year was headlined by Del Rio, no one seems to be buying into him and no one seems to be buying anything with him.
Most Underrated: Brodus Clay—I wish someone in “creative” would come up with something meaningful and special for this guy. I like his look and his attitude and with the right program he could be money.
Idiot of the Year: Triple H gets the nod here for running his mouth about the developmental group (FCW) and former developmental group (OVW). His remarks buried not only the people responsible for training future stars but he also buried those up and coming. And in an off handed way he buried many current stars (Randy Orton, John Cena, Beth Phoenix, CM Punk) by asking how someone who never drew money (Danny Davis) could train anyone to make money. Triple H also ruined a good thing with The Miz when Triple H went into business for himself and had to be the center of attention again which also killed the momentum The WWE had going with CM Punk. If anyone can ruin WrestleMania next year it will be Triple H.
No Longer Relevant Award: Steve Austin—even with his work on Tough Enough his rhetoric and babbling about one more match and the opinions he has lobbied toward the boys and the product are just, who cares. Retire gracefully once and for all and make some more mediocre movies.
Best Announcer: Jerry Lawler—with Jim Ross no longer a full-time announcer Lawler, even though many of his one liners come from a joke book of sorts, offers consistency if nothing else.
Worst Announcer: Michael Cole—he ranks up there as one of the worst of all time with David Crockett. He is one of the reasons I stopped watching RAW. Honorable mention has to go to Booker T who is the Shannon Sharpe of professional wrestling, cannot understand a damn thing they say and if you are able to discern something you realize quickly it was not worth listening to.
Promotion of the Year: The WWE simply because for everything they do wrong they do more right and the numbers (ratings) as well as having the top stars in the business on their roster keeps them ahead of the competition.
Indie Promotion of the Year: This is a tie between W.A.R. Wrestling and Respect and Hoosier Pro Wrestling. Both companies put on quality shows, draw consistently and are very involved in the community. Thomas Williams (W.A.R.) and Jerry Wilson (HPW) should both be commended for putting on great shows that keep the fans coming back and offer an alternative to “TV Wrestling.” Both companies have had their issues with other jealous promoters and their underhanded tactics to try and disparage what they do but being able to rise above those juvenile attempts by others to undermine their success puts W.A.R. and HPW at the top.
Feud of the Year: Big Show v. Mark Henry—I have been impressed with the work these two have put forth and though there are other programs that may be better technically or pushed harder, these two have been interesting.
Best PPV: Survivor Series 2011—The return of The Rock may not have drawn the best buy number but it added an element that no other PPV had this year.
Worst PPV: Vengance 2011 headlined by Alberto Del Rio v. John Cena drew the worst numbers in years for the WWE and PPV as a whole.
Most Pathetic Angle: CM Punk v. The WWE—only because “creative” and Triple H just ruined one of the hottest angles in years.
Must Have DVD of the Year: “YouShoot w/Chyna” from Kayfabe Commentaries.
Worst DVD: IWA Mid-South “King of the Death Matches” 2011—nothing more than a bunch of under developed no-name goofs working in front of no one for virtually no money and the opening moment of silence for JC Bailey set the tone for an otherwise disgraceful production.
Must Have Book of the Year: “The Road Warriors” by Joe Laurinaitis was a very introspective look at the rise of one of the most dominate tag teams in the history of the sport and is well worth adding to your collection.
