Board 8 > All Purpose Wrestling Topic Year End Awards Ballot and Debate Topic 1

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Hey there wrestling fans!

It's time for our yearly APWT wrestling awards. A storied tradition going back all the way 2011 OR maybe earlier. Come join us to vote on and pointlessly rank all the in ring action this year.

Between a new major League promotion (AEW), a pair of aging C Leagues throwing haymakers to stay relevant (RoH and Impact), a resurgent All Japan, a reinvented NWA and beloved Indies such as DGUSA and MLW, topic stalwarts New Japan and WWE had a lot of competition this year which lends itself well to debate!

The records are shoddy and the votals are strange but here we are again deciding just what wrestling board 8 enjoyed most this year.

As always this is a ranked choice ballot which should be formatted with 1st place getting 5 pts, 2nd 3pts and 3rd 1 pt.

This year's Categories are:

Wrestler of the Year:
Best overall wrestler. Speaks for itself but this is not limited to in ring skill or promo work - it is simply the best overall package. The Man. The Total Package. The Best There is The Best There Was The Best there ever will be.
2018: Kenny Omega
2017: Kazuchika Okada
2016: The Miz
2015: Seth Rollins
2014: Randy Orton
2013: Kazuchika Okada
2012: Bobby Roode

Match of the Year:
The best overall bout. This might be the most emotional or interesting match of the year. Or perhaps the best worked. Or maybe even just the most memorable shit fest. Whichever criteria you use we will all have to agree it was the best match this year those are the rules.
2018: Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada at Dominion
2017: Kazuchika Okada vs Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom
2016: The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler at TLC
2015: Grave Consequences (Mil Muertes vs Fenix)
2014: Brock Lesnar vs John Cena (Summerslam)
2013: Daniel Bryan vs John Cena (Summerslam)
2012: Brock Lesnar vs John Cena (Extreme Rules)

Event of the Year:
What wrestling extravaganza most gripped you this year? This is not limited to single day pay per views but can be extended to whole tournaments or weekends as well. What got you the most jazzed and interested. What event were you unable to stop thinking about this year?
2018: New Japan
2017: New Japan
2016: WWE/NXT
2015: Lucha Underground
2014: NJPW
2013: WWE/NXT
2012: TNA

Promotion of the Year:
This year was an incredible year in terms of realignment of the wrestling world. One of the few categories in which this is just so wide open to me. Which promotion got you most excited? Kept you the most engaged? Had you tuning in constantly? As a reminder NXT and all other WWE subsidiaries will be counted as WWE votes. Its still WWEs product. Fight me.
2018: New Japan
2017: New Japan
2016: WWE/NXT
2015: Lucha Underground
2014: NJPW
2013: WWE/NXT
2012: TNA

Best Wrestling Show:
Perhaps related to the previous category - which wrestling show did you enjoy most this year? At one time this really felt like a Raw vs Smackdown category but between RoH, Impact, AXS WoW, NWA Powerrr and of course AEW Dynamite this has become a dynamic question. Perhaps you enjoy a company's weekly TV much more than their overall product - this is a good way to express that!
2018: Impact Wrestling
2017: Tiger Mask W
2016: Smackdown
2015: Lucha Underground
2014: NXT
2013: NXT
2012: Raw

Woman of the Year:
Becky Lynch's finish in the top few last year notwithstanding, we generally have no women voted as wrestler of the year but every major company either has a women's division, features women as major stars or has an entire separate company for their women. So who was the best?
2018: Becky Lynch
2017: Asuka
2016: Becky Lynch
2015: Sasha Banks
2014: Nikki Bella

Tag Team of the Year
Much like women's wrestling, tag teams tend to be on their own island and tend to have some of our favorite wrestling storytelling. Who were the champs who ran the camps this year? Who were the best tag teams? This year featured a lot of renewed focus on the art of the tag on the American Indies and AEW so let's see !
2018: LAX
2017: The Usos
2016: The Revival
2015: New Day
2014: The Bullet Club
2013: Team Hell No
2012: The Shield

Angle of the Year:
What non wrestling segment did it for you this year? Classic examples of what might win this category would be either a single specific angle such as Austin hosing the Corporation with beer or an overall story such as Ric Flair attempting to convince us all that he and Ms Elizabeth were having an affair ahead of Wrestlemania 8.
2018: Becky Lynch turns heel on Charlotte
2017: Festival of Friendship
2016: The Broken Hardyz Saga
2015: The John Cena US Title Open Challenge
2014: Sami Zayns Yearlong chase of the NXT title
2013: Brock Lesnar Ends The Streak
2012: CM Punk vs the World

Feud of the Year
What series of matches was best. Every year we have a great set of matches between a pair of competitors each seeking an edge and telling an overall story in the ring. Think Bret vs Mr Perfect or the Best of Seven between Benoit and Booker. Which series will live forever in your heart this year?
2018: Gargano vs Ciampa
2017: Okada vs Omega
2016: Miz vs Dolph Ziggler
2015: Kevin Owens vs John Cena
2014: Kazuchika Okada vs Tetsuya Naito
2013: The Shield vs Team Hell No
2012: Bobby Roode vs James Storm

The Paul Heyman Best Non-Wrestler Award:
Wrestling isn't just tag teams women and wrestlers but the non wrestling personalities - interviewers, announcers, managers and the like. Heyman has won this category a staggering 4 times and it has thus been named for him.
2016: Daniel Bryan
2015: Dario Cueto
2014: Paul Heyman
2013: Paul Heyman/Ultramantis Black
2012: Paul Heyman/JBL
2011: Paul Heyman

Best Personality:
Purely from a character standpoint, which character dazzled the most when a camera was rolling?
2018: Becky Lynch
2017: Takahashi
2016: Matt Hardy
2015: <inactive>
2014: Bray Wyatt

Best New Character:
Which character or gimmick that debuted in 2019 impressed you the most?

2018: New Daniel Bryan
2017: Hiromu Takahashi
2016: <inactive>
2015: Asuka
2014: Bray Wyatt

Most Improved:
Who went from worst to first in your minds this year? Big breakout from shit or good to phenomenal both apply.
2018: PCO
2017: Braun Strowman
2016: Matt Hardy
2015: Roman Reigns
2014: Bobby Lashley
2013: Jack Swagger
2012

PLEASE PM YOUR VOTES

Easy Vote Form:

Wrestler
5
3
1

Match
5
3
1

Event
5
3
1

Promotion
5
3
1

Show
5
3
1

Woman
5
3
1

Tag Team
5
3
1

Non Wrestler
5
3
1

Personality
5
3
1

New Character
5
3
1

Most Improved
5
3
1

Best Theme Song
5
3
1

Worst Match
5
3
1

Worst Angle
5
3
1

Worst Wrestler
5
3
1

Least Improved
5
3
1

Most Embarassing Fiasco
5
3
1

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To Kick off debate I think best show really is a 4 horse race this year

Impact lost a step but is still putting out a really solidly booked show

Powerrr has a unique feel to it and has been really scratching an itch here.

AEW and NXT have both featured some really great wrestling. Lots of ways to go here.

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Tagging for when I get home from work. I think the only category I'm set on is theme music!

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Despite watching basically watching nothing apart from AEW my vote counts the same as informed voters/steiner. Thank you democracy and god bless.

eddv is a dummy and left best feud and angle off the vote form

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Oh crap I did

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Let's bump this with a discussion of Most Improved

Who is sticking out to people?

Immediately coming to my mind is the Rock n Roll Express and Ricky Morton in particular.

I also think Juice Robinson post haircut has shown marked improvement

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Shit. This is a REALLY STRONG shirt that I may actually purchase because me and my buddies have memed on Rusev Day so much and continue to do so.

https://twitter.com/RusevBUL/status/1208077089339068416?s=19

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Eddv posted...

Let's bump this with a discussion of Most Improved

Who is sticking out to people?

Immediately coming to my mind is the Rock n Roll Express and Ricky Morton in particular.

I also think Juice Robinson post haircut has shown marked improvement

Purely based on 2018 performance vs 2019 performance, its either Moxley or Taichi
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El Phantasmo and Lance Archer are the two that jump out immediately to me.

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Lance Archer is a great pick

Did not see any 2018 ELP. Was he bad?
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Lance Archer is a pretty good pick.

Moxley too.

Though as I recall he did non shittily in the Wrestler of the Year voting last year.

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ELP wasn't necessarily bad in 2018, no, just really, really bland. He had no personality so it was really tough to ever care much about anything he was doing. His gimmick in the Bullet Club solved all that and then some.

Also helps that he went from being a midcard act in RevPro to one of the harder-pushed commodities in the New Japan Junior Division - that'll raise your profile any which way you look at it.

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What are we thinking on tag teams?

LAX had a strong first 6 months but theyve been sort of middle of the road in AEW so far

the Bucks were inactive much of the year, but a solid last 3 months

Lucha Bros....is it just the Lucha Bros?


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Kabuki Warriors obv

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Strong BJ and Birds of Prey will likely get votes from me. I'll look into Aussie Open as well.

Want to watch some of Nakajima/Shiozaki from NOAH before I commit, been hearing a lot of praise for them in certain circles.

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You named two of the three of the teams I voted for, Ed.

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Will there be a "best of the decade" ballot?

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some candidates for tag team:

undisputed era
violent giants
strong bj
birds of prey
roppongi 3k
AXIZ (nakajima/shiozaki)
aussie open
swords of essex
LAX


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Throwing out the amazing team of Private Party also.

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I'm open to some suggestions for Best Angle, New Character, and Personality if anyone has candidates they feel strongly about.

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Nothing you watch, sadly.

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MJF for "new" character

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Why are the past winners of Event of the year and Promotion of the year the same?

Because I was very tired and accidentally pasted in the wrong list:

This is the actual Event of the Year lineage:

2018: All In
2017: NJPW Wrestle Kingdom
2016: NJPW G1 Climax
2015: LUCHA UNDERGROUNDs Ultima Lucha I
2014: WWE Summerslam
2013: CHIKARA King of Trios
2012: G1 Climax (Day 7)

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Bump - let's get those ballots in

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Gotta wait to see if Raw has the MotY!
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https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/78301599

Awards Show is up!

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Apologies for not participating-- real busy holiday season this year totally slipped my mind

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I wasn't the most diligent keeping this bumped for the same reason

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