2016 Year End Awards

Once again we have reached the end of another year. WWE declared it a new era and went back to the brand split. Good ideas but at times poor execution. TNA pushed things creatively but has major issues on the business side of things. ROH looked for an international flair that some fans loved but also took away from there own core roster. Lucha Underground looked to change the business but left some wonder why try and change what works? For those new to the page. These awards are my opinion. I consider several factors. For example wrestler of the year is not just about in ring skill. So here they are the Real Wrestling News and Opinionated Views Year End Awards

Wrestler of the Year Matt Hardy- For this award like I said I’m not just looking for in ring work. That factors in but also how well they connect with fans, work a gimmick, and wind up being important to there company. Matt Hardy started the year with strong heel turn and doing the big money Matt gimmick. His early matches with EC3, Drew Galloway, and Jeff Hardy were great. His Big Money Matt gimmick was a perfect way to given his 2015 year long chase of the world title. Than things changed when he become Broken. It was a huge change from Big Money gimmick. It was just so fresh and new. Matt played it over the top the fans loved him for it. There is a reason why everyone chants OBSOLETE or DELETE. The promos are so interesting you are left riveted even by dumb things like him visiting his personal zoo. Matt also adjusted his in ring work adding more brawling and the bites fitting his more savage at times ways. Along the way he had strong matches with Jeff, Decay, and others. Plus stuff like the Final Deletion, Delete or Decay, And The Great War have helped to push wrestling as whole. Even people that love to bash TNA have given credit to to Hardy this year.

Tag Team Of the Year Decay- Formed earlier in the year the team made up of Abyss, Crazy with Rose Mary as the manger really gelled quickely. Abyss needed some new life and go it hear. He and Steve are perfect. Abyss is the monster the muscle of the team while Steve is the vicious little attack dog. Right away they were pushed to the top feuding with than TNA tag champions The Wolves. Having a great monsters ball to wrap up that feud. They than won the tag title from Beer Money. Spending most of the summer in a decent feud with Bro Mans there real peak came when working with the Hardys. It’s a great gimmick that has the legs to keep going.

Female Wrestler of the Year Allie/Cherry Bomb- In other forms of entertainment we often praise a performer who can play different type of roles. Laura Dennis plays two very different roles. On the Independent circuit she is Cherry Bomb. A top performer whose work in companies with WSU, SHIMMER, and SHINE would have been enough to get in the debate for this award. Than there is Allie her gimmick in TNA. She really is one of the very best female wrestlers in the world. Yet why playing a total rookie you wouldn’t know it. She looks like someone that is just learning. Why Allie has gotten very over as a face lately people forget she played the role of lackey heel well getting real heat with her “Attention….Attention Please” stuff. What really puts her over the top the fact is how well she did in her face turn. A gimmick like Allie could easily come off as annoying IE Bayle. But Allie walks the line perfect. She plays the role of “Judy Hop” as Josh calls her without making fans go “Man she is annoying.”

Match of the Year The Final Deletion Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy TNA Impact Wrestling- What else could it have been? You could make the argument this was the most important match in years. TNA took a risk with this they had an entire match with two top stars NOT take place in front of a live crowd of any kind. It was shot more like a movie than a wrestling match. And it actually was a very good wrestling match if you just watching the wrestling exchanges. Than you add on the crazy stuff they did. This was everything Matt and Jeff have wanted to since they were kids wrestling in the backyard of there father’s home. Yes if you really think about it hard logic breaks down with stuff like the lake transforming Jeff into Willow or Matt’s “Vision” of Maxel’s party. But you can do that in every match. Hell the match even had some fun with that stuff such as “It’s a delpated boat.” Yes there were better in ring matches but I think the amount of Impact this had give it the win. Hell WWE ripped this off just a few days later and even some of TNA harshest critics were putting it over.

Gimmick Of the Year BROKEN Matt Hardy- Again what else could it have been? No other gimmick got the kind of buzz this gimmick got. Matt could have played it safe as Big Money Matt and than at some point revert back to just Matt Hardy. Instead he choice to change up everything. At it’s core Broken Matt is the mad genius. A big key to why it works is we can relate to him. Sure we can’t relate to getting premonitions or having a personal zoo with the soul of Joe Frazier in a Kangaroo in it. But we can relate to things like wanting to build and protect a legacy and name for our child. Or wanting to protect that child from any type of threat. We can relate to having issues with our brother to the point we don’t even want to be related to them. Also Matt kept logic in most of his story telling. Start of the gimmick he felt betrayed by Brother Nero after years of taking care of him. Yet when a real threat emerge and Brother Nero scarficed himself to save Maxel Matt let the anger go.

Another key Matt goes all out to get this over. He changed his hair and gear. He changed his promo style and even wrestling style. Often guy with a new gimmick change enough. It’s clearly to anyone Broken Matt is not the same old Matt Hardy. And finally the gimmick is just fun. You can quote him all day long you can smirk at the faces he makes. You ponder what crazy thing comes next.

Best in Ring Worker Drew Galloway- For this award we only really look at in ring work and what a guy can do bell to bell. And you would be very hard to find a better pick that Galloway. A man that embodies the terms hybrid and road warrior. A fairly tall man Galloway can fly as easy and he hit power moves. He can hit hard looking strikes as easy as he goes for a grappling sequence. Also he’s one of the hardest workers in the world. During his TNA world title run he was all over world. His work with TNA and EVOLVE along with various other companies is always a treat.

Comeback of the Year Cody Rhodes- Cody Rhodes started the year in the awful awful did I mention it was awful gimmick known as Stardust. He hated it and it clearly a poor attempt to have him do brother gimmick. He stopped caring and was phoning it in. He finally had enough and departed the WWE. Free of the gimmick and the WWE’s restrictions he was renewed. Allowed to work any where he wanted he found himself again. Cody to put on a series of great matches. Able to work deals that allow him to work any where all Roads are open to Cody Rhodes

Most Improved Moose- A former NFL football player Moose seemed to be on of those guys that was only in wrestling because he was really big and could pick up really heavy things. Sure he could do some decent moves but he had no real chrimsa. So when he left ROH I didn’t see it as a big and was actually glade all reports said he was WWE bound. Than he came to TNA and it’s amazing what just a few small changes can make. The guy always had amazing physical skill but he finally started to understand the importance of character. He started playing to the crowd more. He got rid of the DUH face he often did during promos. The potential is finally being shown.

Best Event of The Year TNA Bound For Glory- This show had a little something for everyone. For people that want old school style story telling you got EC3 vs. Lashley. Which was a classic dominate heel champion taking on a hard charging babyface challenger. For those that wanted a sport style you got Rex vs. Edwards in the grand championship. For those that wanted a more soap opera like story you had Gail Kim vs. Maria after a year of back and forth drama. For those that wanted things to be bat shit crazy you had the great war. With other strong matches and a important win for Eli Drake moving him into the main event picture this was a great event.

Worst Wrestler of the Year Sasha Banks- She can’t even do the most basic moves. She screws up things like being thrown into a corner or a school girl. WWE can’t even do highlight packages for her doing moves because she always lands on her head. Twice this year she had to take time off to heal up from injures. She doesn’t have a gimmick she has a catch phrase and that stupid hand move. Her promos are always awful and the same thing. Sure you could argue guys like Darren Young or women like Nia Jax are worse in certain areas. But almost all of them have some area where they could be strong or have an excuse. Banks is bad at everything she’s been in the business long enough she should be better than she is. And sadly I think she’s dragged Charlotte down with her. She didn’t desever to main event numerous Raw’s she had no business in a PPV main event. And he “Historic” Hell in a cell was awful because Banks can’t do anything that made the match feel like a epic hell in the cell. Rewatch that match Sasha defenders non of the big spots needed the cell to be done. But the thing that puts her over the top is all the people trying to act like she is great. Gail Kim is great, Madison Rayne is great, Becky Lynch is great, Alexa Bliss is becoming great, Trish Stratus was Great, Lita was Great. Sasha is a botcher.

Worst Tag Team of the Year New Day- Yes I’m including any version of the three guys because they all suck. Lets start with Big E who can only do the same awful boring power moves over and over again. And for anyone about to say “That dive through the ropes...” SHUT THE FUCK UP! He does that spot in every match. Why because he only knows like 3 moves and that is one of them. And its not even that impressive compared to other big guys flying. Xavier Woods has been reduced to just making noise instead of doing moves. Kofi had gone down to just his most basic move set. The gimmick is just annoying as I called it last year they are like the bikers from south park. And the matches are bad. Its always the same thing New Day doing a bunch of over the top shit and than ending when the one not involved in the match distracts or interfere so the other two can win.

Worst Female Of the Year Sasha Banks- See why she was listed as worse wrestler of the year. Banks is awful. I am sick of hearing all the praise for her for having bad matches. I am sick of other truly great females getting ignored. I am sick of her getting chances that should have gone to people like Becky or Alexa. Or hell why not let AJ Lee or Katilyn have chances to main event Raw?

Worst Gimmick Chris Jericho dumb catch phrase machine- I miss when Chris Jericho actually cared and tried. I’ve talked a lot about how he just phones in his matches. But his gimmick is so stupid. He actually one of many that doesn’t really have gimmick. As a result he’s become a bad sitcom character. He just spews out catchphrases. But they have no point. When Ric Flair yelled Wooo it was a taunt. When Hogan talked about training, prayers and vitamins it was a clear cut image of what he believed. But Drink it in, Stupid Idiot, and Your on the list just feel like he is waiting for he laugh track to cue up. They have no point. He’ snot really taunting anyone or making it clear what kind of person he is.

Worst Event Of the Year Survivor Series- This event was doomed before it even began. The new brand split wasn’t that old and it was way to soon to do Raw vs. Smackdown matches and make it feel special. Yet the company built the whole show on Raw vs. Smackdown matches. The Women’s Survivor Series match was soley built on the back of Alexa and Becky who had to carry the whole thing. And had to go out of there way to try and make Nia Jax look dominate. The tag team survivor series was a mess with to many guys and such weak tag division jobbers wound up on both sides. Braun Strowman was booked as the most important factor in the main event and than it became all about Shane McMahon. Even wore Barron Corbin a great young talent was pulled from the match in favor of having Shane in the match. Shane looked lost and confused at what to do through out the match.

And there was just bad stuff throughout the show. Nikki Bella gets attacked before he match but seemed more like she didn’t want to be woken up form a nap. Corbin who was supposed to be injured attacked Kalisto to cause a DQ in the crusierweight title match. James Ellsworth was inovoled in the main event. Ever Survivor Series match featured a teased big brawl and arguing teammates to cause an elimination. Than it all came down to the main event. Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar. The first match a decade earlier was a disaster so why even do a rematch? But here we are it’s 2016 and once again WWE built a major event around two men that aren’t even full time. And than this huge “Mega Match” as they called it lasted less then 90 seconds. All to build Goldberg up again as a major force? Why give that to the guy that is nearly 50? This could have worked if this had it been to build up a young superstar in the making instead it was to keep the AARP division strong. This show was everything I hate about WWE and modern wrestling booking.

Most Misused All Those Trapped in NXT- NXT is supposed to be developmental. Its supposed to be where young wrestlers or untrained talent goes to get experience. It can also be used to help wreslter learn to work TV style matches as opposed to indy or interinatial style matches. But WWE has turned it into a attempt to be an indy style company. As a result the company has signed a number of fairly well known talents rather they be alumni of TNA or ROH or EVOLVE. They also have a number of great talents that have come up under the WWE system. Look at the roster in NXT right now it pretty impressive, Austin Aries, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, Johnny Gargano the Revival just to name some. Yet there is a good chance they won’t be called up any time soon. Because of NXT touring WWE feels it needs to keep draws down as part of NXT. Sadly that defeates the main purpose NXT to develop talent. The main roster is badly I new of fresh talent to push and to give fans feuds that haven’t been done to death. Yet they keep much of best talent in the world off WWE TV. Even worse some of the talent they call up for example Nia Jax, Braun Strowman, American Alpha aren’t ready and could use more time in smaller venues with less pressure.