Board 8 > All-Purpose Year-End Wrestling Awards 2017

(+) Yeah! (+)

Oh, interesting anecdote:

At my shop, I sell several Bushi Road products, and recently I've been getting posters with Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada advertising both the card games as well as Wrestle Kingdom. It's interesting what they're doing with cross-promotion now.
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Jakyl25 posted...

Speaking of AJ, its interesting to think that history will say he took the perfect career path. He built a name in TNA at a time when he couldnt in WWE, bailed PRECISELY at the edge of the cliff for the company, and parlayed his success there to ruling NJPW and WWE.

He wouldnt be where he is if he made the jump any sooner OR much later

Couldn't you argue that the reason they were at the cliff is because of losing AJ?

They were at the edge of the cliff with or without AJ. Meaning, AJ made no difference.
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scarletspeed7 posted...

They were at the edge of the cliff with or without AJ. Meaning, AJ made no difference.

I disagree. Their mismanagement of AJ was what caused them to be there.

The strongest they ever were was 09 with AJ leading the company. They died immediately after when they buried AJ and fought WWE one on one.

They mismanage every talent that walks through the door. AJ being the greatest wrestler in the world is proof of that.
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scarletspeed7 posted...

They mismanage every talent that walks through the door. AJ being the greatest wrestler in the world is proof of that.

But no other talent was ever mismanaged while they were successful, making traction, getting eye balls, and turning a profit.

ChampionCloud posted...

But no other talent was ever mismanaged while they were successful, making traction, getting eye balls, and turning a profit.

AJ by himself was not turning a profit. There were other notable people around.

And let's be honest, they did mismanage other people who were successful, making traction and getting eye balls.
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They were at the edge of a cliff because Dixie is very VERY dumb and no wrestler was going to change that.
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ChampionCloud posted...

scarletspeed7 posted...

They mismanage every talent that walks through the door. AJ being the greatest wrestler in the world is proof of that.

But no other talent was ever mismanaged while they were successful, making traction, getting eye balls, and turning a profit.

wut
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NBIceman posted...

ChampionCloud posted...

scarletspeed7 posted...

They mismanage every talent that walks through the door. AJ being the greatest wrestler in the world is proof of that.

But no other talent was ever mismanaged while they were successful, making traction, getting eye balls, and turning a profit.

wut

Who else in this company ever made money?

Jeff Hardy.
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scarletspeed7 posted...

Jeff Hardy.

Not in 2009, which is what I was saying, about them cutting AJ's nuts off when he and the company were the hottest he ever was.

Jeff's merch money was a way to slightly stop the bleeding in 2010

AJ was not the top guy.
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scarletspeed7 posted...

AJ was not the top guy.

Uh.... like fuck he wasn't.

Joe had been cooled off like crazy
Angle had been cooled off.
Foley was done in that regard.
They killed Hernandez.
They killed Morgan.

Unless you want to claim the Beautiful People was the top act in the company (they may very well have been) it was AJ in 09.

To show this they put him over Sting clean at the biggest show of the year.

Sting was the top guy. They put over AJ, immediately regretted it, and that led to Jeff coming in.
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Please tell me Southpaw Regional Wrestling won Federation of the year
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Whiskey_Nick posted...

Please tell me Southpaw Regional Wrestling won Federation of the year

Yup. 1980.
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scarletspeed7 posted...

Sting was the top guy. They put over AJ, immediately regretted it, and that led to Jeff coming in.

By immediately regretted it you mean gave him the longest reign ever to that point? Only being beaten by Bobby Roode ever?

From the moment he inexplicably lost to Nash (clean) at Victory Road to December of that year when Hogan came of in and became the focus cause he's an asshole... he was THE guy. Even when Angle had the belt the show was showing he was the top guy as more stories were about him than anyone else. Then they gave him the Belt and put him over clean their biggest star ever who had won the previous 3 Bound for Glory Main Events...

I heartily disagree. From what I've seen in interviews, they were constantly looking outside and ignoring AJ and his wants.
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scarletspeed7 posted...

I heartily disagree. From what I've seen in interviews, they were constantly looking outside and ignoring AJ and his wants.

That's completely possible internally. But that's not kayfabe that we see.

From a presentation standpoint he was #1.

It wouldn't be TNA if they weren't positioning someone high and saying fuck you backstage though.... so that makes sense.

I guess I accept kayfabe with a grain of salt when the company operates like TNA. Like, how serious could you ever take a WCW champion that wasn't Sting or Flair or Hogan?
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Most Improved
Previous Winners:
2016: Matt Hardy
2015: Roman Reigns
2014: Bobby Lashley
2013: Jack Swagger
2012: Bobby Roode

Third Place: Samoa Joe
Second Place: Juice Robinson
Winner: Braun Strowman

Honorable Mentions: The Usos, Laurel Van Ness, Jinder Mahal, Hiromu Takahashi, Roppongi 3K

This category was extremely close together - all of the Honorable Mentions were tied, actually. Joe and Juice only had one point more than the placement before. But Braun was clearly the favorite here. It's clear why - before the end of last year, Braun was easily one of the dullest acts in WWE. A large guy who mostly stood behind Bray Wyatt, most people had written off Braun as another failed Vince experiment.

What came next, however, was quite intriguing. The normal Vince Monster formula was given the right victim: Roman Reigns. Instead of getting Roman over as a babyface in peril, Braun become a champion for smarks, a giant bashing the irritant that constantly garnered all of the attention and praise. From that point on, the writing team saw a special place for Braun: the man who gave no fucks. Braun destroys like Edge plays kazoo. And specialty matches became the perfect showcase for the character. The wrestler himself? Mediocre, as evidenced in the lackluster Brock Lesnar one-on-one. The character? Phenomenally well-executed.

For his part, Juice Robinson defied all NXT expectations, turning into a fantastic babyface in NJPW. The future seems quite bright for both him and for Samoa Joe, a heel that started the year cold and has ended it as a fan-favorite.

Of course, the honorable mentions are a mixed bag of revitalized careers (Usos) and small-time wrestlers hitting their stride (Laurel van Ness).
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scarletspeed7 posted...

Most Improved
Previous Winners:
2016: Matt Hardy
2015: Roman Reigns
2014: Bobby Lashley
2013: Jack Swagger
2012: Bobby Roode

Third Place: Samoa Joe
Second Place: Juice Robinson
Winner: Braun Strowman

Honorable Mentions: The Usos, Laurel Van Ness, Jinder Mahal, Hiromu Takahashi, Roppongi 3K

This category was extremely close together - all of the Honorable Mentions were tied, actually. Joe and Juice only had one point more than the placement before. But Braun was clearly the favorite here. It's clear why - before the end of last year, Braun was easily one of the dullest acts in WWE. A large guy who mostly stood behind Bray Wyatt, most people had written off Braun as another failed Vince experiment.

What came next, however, was quite intriguing. The normal Vince Monster formula was given the right victim: Roman Reigns. Instead of getting Roman over as a babyface in peril, Braun become a champion for smarks, a giant bashing the irritant that constantly garnered all of the attention and praise. From that point on, the writing team saw a special place for Braun: the man who gave no fucks. Braun destroys like Edge plays kazoo. And specialty matches became the perfect showcase for the character. The wrestler himself? Mediocre, as evidenced in the lackluster Brock Lesnar one-on-one. The character? Phenomenally well-executed.

For his part, Juice Robinson defied all NXT expectations, turning into a fantastic babyface in NJPW. The future seems quite bright for both him and for Samoa Joe, a heel that started the year cold and has ended it as a fan-favorite.

Of course, the honorable mentions are a mixed bag of revitalized careers (Usos) and small-time wrestlers hitting their stride (Laurel van Ness).

Who the fuck voted for Jinder?

Best Personality
Previous Winners:
2016: Daniel Bryan
2015: Dario Cueto
2014: Paul Heyman
2013: Paul Heyman/Ultramantis Black
2012: Paul Heyman/JBL

Third Place: Paul Heyman
Second Place: Dan Lambert
Winner:Hiromu Takahashi

Honorable Mentions: Miz, Johnny Mundo, Dario Cueto, Daniel Bryan, Young Bucks

This was the first year that regular on-screen personalities had the opportunity to square off against wrestlers' performances, and the results were quite interesting. First of all, the Best New Character winner also claimed the Best Personality award, and it's quite clear why Takahashi has won over so many. The character is so pitch-perfect. Both heelish and facelike, the sympathetic death of Daryl won over even the most cold-hearted fans while the brutal feud with KUSHIDA continued to highlight Takahashi's darker side.

Despite only being active on TV at the tail end of the year, Dan Lambert's run on Impact! really won over some fans. His work with American Top Team and especially Bobby Lashley has shown that there's more than one way to manage an MMA guy in the sports entertainment world. Of particular note was his fantastic promo where he brought a bag of old wrestling belts and mockingly quizzed the audience on where the belts were from. It's clear that Lambert is not only a great MMA personality but also a fan of the wrasslin' business, and he's genuinely a delight to watch on TV.

Paul Heyman claimed third place. Always in the top handful of personalities, Heyman may not have appeared often, but when he did... it counted. Throughout the year, Heyman cut great promos. But most importantly, he helped to build up the legitimacy of his client's opponents; look at the fantastic post-match promo he cut on AJ Styles. AJ isn't diminished in his loss - instead, Heyman raves about AJ's skills in the ring and virtually claims that if Brock didn't exist, AJ would be the top guy.

I was a little surprised Miz got any votes for best character. This year has not been a particularly banner year for Miz, most likely due to the brand switch. Johnny Mundo worked well as the top heel on Lucha Underground, and Dario Cueto is always a delight. Daniel Bryan, despite being off-screen for chunks of the spring and summer, easily dwarfed his current Smackdown rival, Shane McMahon. And the Young Bucks are always crowd-pleasers wherever they go.
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Tag Team of the Year
Previous Winners:
2016: The Revival
2015: New Day
2014: The Bullet Club
2013: Team Hell No
2012: The Shield

Third Place: Young Bucks
Second Place: The Bar
Winner:The Usos

Honorable Mentions: Authors of Pain, Worldwide Underground, Best Friends, New Day, Owens and Zayn

With the biggest point differential between first and second place of any category on this list, it was clear that this year was the year of the USO PENITENTIARY. They definitely had this award on lock since day one-ish.

In all honesty, it was clear that this was not going to be a fantastic category this year until Smackdown kicked it up a notch in the late year. With the Hardyz being unfortunately torpedoed and the Revival out of commission all year, RAW lost some of its top contenders right away. Furthermore, the Shield return did little to ingratiate itself with some of Board 8 - enough that the Shield received no votes whatsoever. It was clear that the Bar were going to be the natural favorites in the RAW side, but they had nothing like the year the Usos had.

From pre-show matches that stole entire shows to that fantastically brutal Hell in a Cell match, the Usos really stuck the landing on a great year.

Even the Young Bucks couldn't score all that highly (although admittedly, they were far more active out of the ring than in it). NXT's biggest tag teams were all over the place this year - one of them exploded like the mega powers and another didn't make much of a splash until later in the year. Ultimately, this was the Usos category to lose at the end of the day.
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Samoa Joe seems like an odd Most Improved vote considering he had an argument as the best wrestler in the world for part of his career.
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NBIceman posted...

Samoa Joe seems like an odd Most Improved vote considering he had an argument as the best wrestler in the world for part of his career.

Some of it is likely the WWE effect, where some voters are just not familiar with the guy.
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to be fair Joe definitely slacked off a lot at the end of his TNA run and I recall him struggling a bit in NXT. He may be reverting back to being good but its improved from where he was previously
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ScareChan posted...

to be fair Joe definitely slacked off a lot at the end of his TNA run and I recall him struggling a bit in NXT. He may be reverting back to being good but its improved from where he was previously

To be more fair Joe was kidnapped by Ninjas and had a dick on his face....

I might have slacked off in TNA at the end too...

I still think people aren't aware how hiromu's brother yujiro was supposed to be the breakout star of no limit.
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ScareChan posted...

to be fair Joe definitely slacked off a lot at the end of his TNA run and I recall him struggling a bit in NXT. He may be reverting back to being good but its improved from where he was previously

That's a good point. I only saw bits and pieces of his NXT stuff but as I think about it, his brief return to ROH wasn't all that great either.
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ChampionCloud posted...

Who the fuck voted for Jinder?

I gave him +1 or +2.

I mean he's still overpushed as hell but compare April Jinder to December Jinder and there was a lot of improvement there. Mostly in the promo and presence departments where he got a lot more natural as the year went on. Matches not so much but whatever.
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Joe's biggest turning point, I think, was his match with Corbin in NXT. He really meandered and looked, well, done in the ring. And while it's clear that 37-38 year Joe can't do what he used to, he's still very smart in how he works in the ring enough to be part of some very good matches.
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Lopen posted...

ChampionCloud posted...

Who the fuck voted for Jinder?

I gave him +1 or +2.

I mean he's still overpushed as hell but compare April Jinder to December Jinder and there was a lot of improvement there. Mostly in the promo and presence departments where he got a lot more natural as the year went on. Matches not so much but whatever.

You seem to keep kinda just be handwaving away what should be the biggest thing for improvement in pro wrestling....

Not counting AJ Styles (who I'm really beginning to think couod get at least a 1 star match out of me) he's just as awful now as he was last December. Despite the fact he got to work ME with good to great workers. He showed no improvement and still wrestles prelim like matches.

Yes he's better on TV now and more confident, he's still dog shit where it counts though. And now he no longer has an excuse for that to be true

You're free to say he's still a bad wrestler. I'm just saying he has had pretty significant improvements despite still kinda having bad matches. It's not really meant to be a handwave as much as pinpointing where his improvements actually were. I mean Braun Strowman blew the category out and I don't think people are saying he's gotten significantly better in the ring-- maybe you'd say that last year but early 2017 Braun Strowman is basically identical in the ring to late 2017 Strowman.
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I considered Jinder as at least a +1, but Braun, Usos, and Naomi beat him out. The new entrance alone gave Jinder a presence. Yes, his matches and promos are junk, but he seems to have a defined sense and confidence. The Singh Brothers are a great part of the package deal.

He's also better at a brawling/intense style than someone like Corbin...which says more about Corbin's weakness (outside of better signature moves). I'd rather see Jinder on TV.
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Jinder was most improved like percentage wise, braun was most impressive growth
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Woman of the Year
Previous Winners:
2016: Becky Lynch
2015: Sasha Banks
2014: Nikki Bella

Third Place: TIE: Alexa Bliss/Rosemary
Second Place: Kairi Sane
Winner:Asuka

Honorable Mentions: Taya Valkyrie, Charlotte, Hollywood Jurina, Peyton Royce, Naomi

Asuka took this category pretty handily, and after having a fantastic year, it's not hard to see why. The Empress of Tomorrow was joined by the Pirate Princess in a top-of-the-list Asian Domination of this category. Alexa Bliss, who spent most of the year as some form of champion, tied for third with beloved Impact star Rosemary to round out the category.

It's clear that for more hardcore fans, the style and personality embodied in both Asuka and the newer WWE signee Kairi Sane is over. These more aggressive, less talkative women are getting over most likely because their characters aren't able to be forced into terrible talking segments like the native English-speakers. Alexa Bliss generally has found popularity due to her appearance, on the flip side. Rosemary, our other third placer, is such a unique character that definitely busts her ass to put out memorable matches on a smaller market that it's nice to see her get some recognition.
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Best Weekly Program
Previous Winners:
2016: Smackdown
2015: Lucha Underground
2014: NXT
2013: NXT
2012: Raw

Third Place: Lucha Underground
Second Place: Smackdown
Winner: Tiger Mask W

Honorable Mentions: NJPW on AXS, NXT, Talking Smack, Impact!, NJPW World

This category actually was lighter on votes that other categories, possibly what led to a shocking upset victory by an anime wrestling program featuring NJPW talent. Tiger Mask W, the story of a new Tiger Mask working alongside the ragtag rebels of NJPW against the large evil wrestling conglomerate GWM, must have struck a chord amongst fans in the wrestling community. Who could resist the story of the masked man IT'S THE ACE! (totally not Tanahashi) fighting against a provocatively dressed daughter of a curmudgeonly old rich man who runs a company that eats other companies alive and takes their talent? There were absolutely no real world parallels whatsoever.

From an entire episode devoted to the Bullet Club stealing all the candy to episode-long matches that defied conventional reason and physics, Tiger Mask W swooped in and stole this award from Smackdown.

Smackdown didn't have the same banner year as it had last year - stuck with a fairly unremarkable champion for a lot of the year, it was clear that some of the loyalty in the category had died over the course of the year. In fact, Lucha Underground almost stole second place as well. Despite LU's future remaining somewhat up in the air (with budget cuts for the next season), it still found love on the board, rounding out the top 3.
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Best Promotion
2016: WWE/NXT
2015: Lucha Underground
2014: NJPW
2013: WWE/NXT
2012: TNA

Third Place: WWE/NXT
Second Place: Lucha Underground
Winner: NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING

Honorable Mentions:PWG, DDT, CMLL, XWA, TNA

Just to show you how dominant New Japan was in this category, it DOUBLED the point total of second place's Lucha Underground.

New Japan had a lot of things going for it this year. Its big shows were putting out top quality matches every few weeks. It was gaining traction in the United States. Meltzer was throwing out stars like they were sprinkles on ice cream. All in all, New Japan had just about as good of a year as humanly possible. The fact that 5-star matches didn't even crack New Japan's Top 5 matches of the year should be enough to say that this was the company producing the highest quality content.

Lucha Underground still has a dedicated fanbase on the board, and the second of the most recent season really stepped up the quality of matches and storytelling as Johnny Mundo's reign as champion continued. With a major cliffhanger ending, fans are biting at the champ for more.

WWE's votes came primarily for NXT, a promotion that put out some fantastic matches at their Takeover events. Whether it was Jericho's Judas playing on top of one of the best betrayals in recent memory, a feud between Aleister Black and Velveteen Dream of all people tearing the house down, or a Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate creating one of the most enduring feuds in recent memory, NXT truly earned a place near the top of this list as well.
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NXT not making top 3 for best weekly program is a shocker.

It seems like it really is all about the Takeover events now. I still think that because WWE produces so much content, it ends up having the highest number of good matches in the year.

But this year, NJPW had the highest number of excellent matches. DG and DDT need to step their game up, though DDT getting a major company buying them, could either turn them into a force, or have them become what ROH is.
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O ya go my tiger mask
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Tiger Mask W sounds awesome I need to watch it.
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And yeah NXT seems to be largely filler nowadays. Also most of the characters I've had interest in have been called up at this point. I mean their current champion is Andrade Almas for crissakes.
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voltch posted...

But this year, NJPW had the highest number of excellent matches. DG and DDT need to step their game up, though DDT getting a major company buying them, could either turn them into a force, or have them become what ROH is.

I feel like the problem with ROH's ownership is just how cynical it is and honestly morally bankrupt it is on many levels. ROH needs to get out of that Sinclair mess.

Lopen posted...

Tiger Mask W sounds awesome I need to watch it.

I think it's 24? 25? episodes. It's honestly a fun little adventure anime. Harmless, but if you're a wrestling fan you'll pop for the obvious WWE stand-in characters (and also for guys like Naito, who is fucking amazing on that show).
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Some pretty good winners and NJPW winning multiple categories really shows what a down year for the E its been.

Well and how much easier its been to follow New Japan.
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Well Sinclair may be cynical, but I dunno how DDT's ownership stacks up in those.

They're a big money company and it seems like they bought DDT to provide content for their media platforms. So it'll be interesting to see if they continue going after their niche, or if they aim to challenge NJPW. They've already announced their ambition of running the Dome.
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scarletspeed7 posted...

I feel like the problem with ROH's ownership is just how cynical it is and honestly morally bankrupt it is on many levels.

Counterpoint: they are fighting for a spot in a market largely controlled by Vince McMahon
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Jakyl25 posted...

scarletspeed7 posted...

I feel like the problem with ROH's ownership is just how cynical it is and honestly morally bankrupt it is on many levels.

Counterpoint: they are fighting for a spot in a market largely controlled by Vince McMahon

I'm talking about their journalistic integrity.
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Well yes but to be fair that hasnt really filtered down to ROH

Their Champion is Dalton Castle!
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