The 2009 411 Year End Wrestling Awards (Part 4)

Welcome to Part 4 of the 411Mania.com 2009 Year End Wrestling Awards. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3!

REVIEW: Before we get to it, let’s take a look at the winners we’ve already announced to this point:

Announcer of the Year: Matt Striker (WWE)

Rookie of the Year: Frightmare (CHIKARA)

Breakout of the Year: Kofi Kingston (WWE)

Comeback Wrestler of the Year: Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat (WWE)

Disappointment of the Year: The Overall Lackluster Wrestlemania XXV(WWE)

Best Indy Show of the Year: PWG Threemendous III

Free TV Match of the Year: Rey Mysterio vs. John Morrison (WWE Smackdown: 9.4.09)

Story/Surprise of the Year: Shane McMahon resigns from the WWE. (WWE)

Worst Story/Surprise of the Year: Mitsuhara Misawa dies in the ring. (NOAH)

Feud/Storyline of the Year: CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy (WWE)

Worst Feud/Storyline of the Year: Hornswoggle vs. Chavo Guerrero (WWE)

Worst Fed of the Year: Total Nonstop Action

Worst Promo of the Year: The Debut of the Abraham Washington Show (WWE ECW: 6.30.09)

Worst Pay-Per-View of the Year: TNA Victory Road (7.19.09)

Worst Match of the Year:> Sharmell vs. Jenna Morasca (TNA Victory Road, 7.19.09)

Worst Manager of the Year: Jenna Morasca (TNA)

Worst Tag Team of the Year: Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov (WWE)

Worst Women’s Wrestler of the Year: Jenna Morasca (TNA)

Worst Wrestler of the Year: Hornswoggle (WWE)

Fed of the Year: World Wrestling Entertainment

And now that we have that out of the way…

2009 411 YEAR END WRESTLING AWARDS! (Part 4)

PROMO OF THE YEAR

Honorable Mentions:
AJ Styles & Sting – AJ can’t quit. (TNA Impact: 8.20.09) – 6 Points
CM Punk – “It’s hard being straight edge.” (WWE Smackdown: 7.24.09) – 10 Points
Edge – “You were wrong, you were wrong, you were wrong, you were wrong…” (WWE Raw: 2.16.09) – 5 Points
Shawn Michaels’ Tribute to the Undertaker (WWE Smackdown: 3.27.09) – 12 Points
The Price is Raw (WWE Raw: 9.07.09) – 6 Points

3rd Place: Paul London and Bryan Danielson’s Excellent Adventure aka Join The Swarm (PWG: 4.22.09) – 13 points

2nd Place: CM Punk snaps on Jeff Hardy. (WWE Smackdown: 7.31.09) – 16 points

And your winner is…:

Randy Orton slapping Vince McMahan in the face before McMahan could even finish his catch phrase and then punting his head into 2010. (WWE Raw: 1.19.09) – 40 points

Len Archibald: This hurts to give this award because when this moment happened, there was a feeling – from both an “insider” and a “casual” perspective, that Randy Orton was moving on to officially be the “next big thing”. Sure, people have abused Vince McMahon before, but there was something different about Orton bitchslapping and punting his skull in. This was a “moment” and had all the stars lined up just right: Being the week before the Royal Rumble, on the road to WrestleMania, Orton being WHITE-HOT at the time – almost to the point the pop he was getting from the crowd was definitely more significant than the boos. Orton was on his way to being that “cool heel” – the kind that defined Bad News Brown, Razor Ramon, Stone Cold and the n.W.o. – *sigh*

Ari Berenstein: Over the years The McMahons have spent more time playing the heels rather than the heroes, but sometimes Vince and Stephanie McMahon are at their most interesting when they are on the side of the good guys. It takes a really evil and vile character to make Vince appear valiant and heroic, but one thing that always does the trick is to have someone threaten his family when it is not in the least justified. This was Mr. McMahon’s return to Raw after being laid out in storyline via the stage falling down on him to end McMahon’s Millions (don’t ask) and once again the fans were cheering for him because, it seems, absence makes the fans’ heart grow fonder for Vince McMahon. Here was Randy Orton interrupting McMahon’s time to demand an apology from Stephanie McMahon all the while remarking scathingly about how she was worthless and how she meant nothing to the company or to her family. Stephanie slapped him earlier in the show for making similar comments directly to her and he demanded Vince tell his daughter to apologize. Instead, Vince stuck up for his daughter. He protected her as best as he could by directing her to leave the ring—foreshadowing that Orton would eventually physically strike her (and he did, in front of HHH no less). Vince also struck back at Orton through some choice words about his family—which began to toe the borderline about who was in the right and who was in the wrong. Finally, when Mr. McMahon threatened to use his power to fire Orton for his transgressions, Orton struck back in one of the most shocking moments of the year. Vince took a tremendous slap to the face and an even more brutal punt kick to the head. It was a moment so surreal it even (in the storyline) shocked Orton when he stepped back and realized what he had done.

This was Randy Orton proving how dangerous his character can be when given the opportunity to leash out against his enemies. He was not afraid or remorseful about hitting a man who was older than him because that guy was in his way and not giving him the proper respect. It was the beginning of him having ultra, white-hot heat, the kind that can make a Legend Killer into an outright Legend. Unfortunately for Orton, the handling of the McMahon vs. Legacy feud in the months afterwards was a mixed bag and the feud as a whole never quite got to that level of wrestling immortality that lives on in the minds of wrestling fans for years to come. However, the attack on Stephanie McMahon has that kind of potential to endure, and so does this moment.

Aaron Hubbard: It’s been almost twelve months, and I still can’t believe that this happened. While most of the follow-up was sub-par (Shane McMahon attacking Orton like he was Aang from The Last Airbender, Triple H breaking into Orton’s house, and the Wrestlemania main-event itself), THIS was absolutely flawless in it’s execution. Watching Orton has been one of my greatest joys since his latest character change, a change that started with punting in Shawn Michaels head in 2007 and was made complete last year with “Voices” becoming his theme-song. Every movement he makes, every subtle facial expression, the moves he uses and when he uses them, contributes to one of the most cerebral characters in wrestling today. That was on full display in this segment, where Orton snapped on Vince McMahon and punted his skull in a fit of rage. And then, after the reality set in that he had just concussed McMahon and that his career was now in serious jeopardy, Orton slinked away from the evidence of his deed with an expression of regret. Not remorse, but fear for what was to come afterwards. It was an example of the perfect character acting that makes Orton the best heel in the world today. What I find more ironic is that even with Vince McMahon rarely going a year without eating a Stunner from Stone Cold or a Pedigree from Vince, that this still came off as the shocking and surreal event that it needed to come off as.

Jeremy Thomas: There is a certain level of prestige associated with being involved in a storyline involving the McMahon family. Sure, not everyone gets the right rub from it (Sorry, Mr. Martin), but as a general rule Vince and Stephanie have to have a lot of confidence in you in order for you to get tangled up in McMahon family drama. So when Randy Orton insulted Stephanie McMahon, she slapped him and Vince McMahon told Orton to apologize, you knew something great would come out of it. Little could anyone know how amazing it would be. This simply had everything come together perfectly. The timing was just right, where Orton could get in trouble then win the Royal Rumble and not be fired. Vince and Randy were perfect in the ring as two egocentric guys who refused to back down. When Vince told Randy to apologize, you knew it wasn’t going to happen. When he said “Apologize, or else,” you started to doubt and wonder. When he threatened to fire Orton you know this was going somewhere very bad…and very cool. And then came the kick heard round the world. The crowd was incredibly hot for it and giving us a huge “RKO” chant, and when Vince tried to fire him Orton slapped him, knocked him to the ground and delivered what was quite honestly one of the most impressive-looking punts Orton’s ever done. His own shocked reaction was brilliant to boot. This would set Orton on a path through 2009 that would not always be gold, but would send him straight into the focal point of Raw storylines. It was a picture-perfect segment that just came off beautifully.

PAY-PER-VIEW OF THE YEAR

Honorable Mentions:
Dragon Gate USA: Open the Untouchable Gate (11.06.09) – 15 Points
ROH Rising Above (1.16.09) – 6 Points
TNA Slammiversary (6.21.09) – 9 Points
TNA Turning Point (11.15.09) – 11 Points
WWE Summerslam (8.23.09) – 8 Points

3rd Place: WWE Backlash – 17 points

2nd Place: WWE No Way Out – 18 points

And your winner is…:

Dragon Gate USA: Enter the Dragon (9.4.09) – 42 points

Larry Csonka: Enter The Dragon from Dragon Gate USA was easily the best PPV of the year. If I had to compare this to a PPV that most people would know, I would say that the best comparison is the WWF Canadian Stampede PPV, a PPV of top to bottom great wrestling, featuring different styles of matches and no bullshit. Dragon Gate PPV hit the ground running and did not slow down for 2-hours. For $20, this PPV is absolutely the best money I have ever spent on a PPV in my life as a wrestling fan. Every match delivered, and this is what wrestling PPV should be. A card of matches where everyone goes out there to bust their ass and put on the best product possible for the person spending their money. As far as US PPV, this is the most unique card you will find, and I cannot imagine anyone walking away disappointed. This show is easily the best PPV of the year, and honestly, one of the best PPV’s you’ll ever see. Not perfection, but damn near close. Since they only run 6 PPVs a year, this is the kind of show that they have to deliver, and they did.

Theo Fraser: Dragon Gate USA’s pay-per-view debut (and debut event period) had a lot riding on it. Gabe Sapolsky has his fair share of detractors, who probably wanted to see him fail without the backing of ROH. ROH themselves likely weren’t too keen on the idea of a rival promotion succeeding in an area they had previously failed (although we’ve yet to get any idea on the buyrate for the recent live Final Battle 2009 PPV, but that’s besides the point). Gabe himself no doubt had a heck of a lot invested in the event; he’s seen PPV failure before, not to mention the pressure he must have been feeling in wanting to prove to Dragon Gate officials that it was a smart move to give him the reigns of the US leg of the company. Needless to say, Enter the Dragon had extraordinarily high expectations set for it. Even more extraordinary was the fact that it lived up to them, perhaps even surpassing them. Let’s get the bad out of the way first. Dawn Marie. There we go, that’s literally it; Dawn Marie’s announcing is god-awful, but that is seriously the only bad thing I have to say about Enter the Dragon. From the opening match to the hard-hitting finale, it’s a stacked card. BxB Hulk and Yamato provide the exhilarating opener, and the Chikara guys keep the awesome action going with the spectacular 8-man tag match that really highlights what the promotion in question has to offer. Yoshino and Dragon Kid put on a fast-paced sprint which is a sheer joy to watch, and then we have the pleasure of witnessing tag team excellence, as the Young Bucks take on CIMA and Yokosuka. This was tag team action at its finest and would have been worth the price of admission alone. However we still had the main event, Naruki Doi vs SHINGO, and these two absolutely tore the house down, barely giving viewers a chance to breathe after the awesome display that came before it. I can’t possibly praise this show enough. We’ve been conditioned into spending our hard-earned cash each month and accepting a lacklustre product, and then along comes Dragon Gate USA to really show us how PPV should be done.

Aaron Hubbard: Very, very rarely do I see a show where nothing disappoints. Even more do I see a show where everything delivers above and beyond the call of duty. That was the case with Dragon Gate USA’s first show. From the fantastic opener between BxB Hulk and YAMATO, I knew that I had gotten my $20 worth. The CHIKARA eight-man tag was a bonus and was my full-fledged introduction to a company I want to see more of. Dragon Kid and Masato Yoshino provided another match that was worth the price of the PPV. And then, came the two main events. The Young Bucks vs. CIMA & Susumu Yokosuka provided pure tag team excellence that absolutely MADE the Young Bucks. And Shingo vs. Doi did the same thing in a singles setting, with the two providing great action at a slightly more realistic pace that set it apart from the rest of the show and gave it an epic feel. From top to bottom, this was undoubtedly the best wrestling show I’ve seen since Man Up. My only real complaint is that there isn’t the variety of styles you would see at an ROH PPV or even a WWE show, so it’s not a “something for everyone” show. But what is on this show is excellent, and if you missed this show, you did yourself a great disservice.

Jeremy Thomas: I will admit to not being nearly as familiar with Dragon Gate as I would like to be. The former Toryumon has a lot of great talent, but my own inability to properly see it most of the time means that I haven’t been able to follow it as much as I’d like. When DG-USA came, I was quite interested, and their first Pay-Per-View was Enter the Dragon. Expectations were high for this show and a lot of people were waiting to see what Dragon Gate USA would have to offer. In a word, the results were unbelievable. From the opening match pitting Yamato against BxB Hulk, the bar was set. What amazed me was that they kept that bar high throughout the show. The eight-man tag pitting Mike Quackenbush, Jigsaw, Fire Ant and Soldier Ant vs. Hallowicked, Amasis, Gran Akuma and Icarus was the kind of high-paced, action-filled spotfest that fans of Jeff Hardy and Rey Mysterio would mark out hard for. Yoshino vs. Dragon Kid was a very good match, and the Young Bucks taking on CIMA and Yokosuka made for the kinds of tag team action we’ve been praying for the Big Two to deliver for years. All of that led into the main event, where Naruki Doi defeated Shingo in a twenty-minute match that easily equaled almost anything that the WWE or TNA has put on this year. Let’s face it, a lot of people are going to be crying foul that an indy show topped the Pay-Per-View of the Year charts, and those people have no interest in seeing what the indies have to offer. Enter the Dragon easily topped anything that the WWE, TNA or Ring of Honor—or anyone else, for that matter—put on Pay-Per-View this year. And that is an argument that is nearly impossible to deny.

MATCH OF THE YEAR

Honorable Mentions:
Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio (WWE The Bash: 6.28.09) – 4 Points
Davey Richards vs. KENTA (ROH Supercard of Honor IV: 4.3.09) – 4 Points
Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk in a TLC Match (WWE SummerSlam: 08.23.09) – 10 Points

3rd Place: Naruki Doi vs. Bryan Danielson (Dragon Gate USA: Open the Untouchable Gate: 11.06.09) – 11 points

2nd Place: AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Daniels (TNA Turning Point: 11.15.09) – 25 points

And your winner is…:

Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker (WWE Wrestlemania XXV: 4.5.09) – 69 points

Len Archibald: The “Showstoppa” and the “Phenom” has had a storied rivalry – one that actually spans all the way back to 1997 and the first ever Hell in a Cell. They had arguably the best match *that* year (the vote is usually split between that and Bret/Austin at WM 13), but had not faced each other in one-on-one competition for eleven years since. Their brief match-within-a-match encounter at the 2008 Royal Rumble was an awe-inspiring moment that the calls for them to clash at the years biggest show was instantaneous. When it finally happened at WrestleMania 25, it was pretty obvious that these two were going to pull out all the stops. Despite their bodies wearing down from their age, these two literally rocked the boat – keeping the fans on the edge of their seats and having them unglue with each close call. HBK kicking out of a tombstone??!?! Sure, *perhaps* the final 10 seconds wasn’t in doubt, but the road to get there was more thrilling than any other match in 2009.

Samuel Berman: It is rare that I order a WWE Pay-Per-View, but I had little issue with getting together with a couple of friends to order this past year’s Wrestlemania. While the show as a whole came off as somewhat underwhelming, the landmark Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker match delivered in spades. Given that the three prior PPV encounters between the two (in 1997 at Ground Zero and Badd Blood, and then again at the 1998 Royal Rumble) had all been at worst excellent and at best instant classics, Michaels and the Undertaker had a lot to live up to on the grandest stage of them all. Astoundingly, they delivered a match that not only lived up to the hype, but perhaps exceeded any reasonable level of expectation, turning in an effort that has been regarded as amongst the greatest matches of all time. Some expressed surprise, but when one steps back and looks at the two men involved, was there really ever any doubt that Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker, two of the sports all-time great showmen and absolute living legends, would give fans their money’s worth and more as a featured match at Wrestlemania? I thought not.

Theo Fraser: At this point in Shawn Michaels’ career, there would be absolutely ZERO point in him ending Undertaker’s Wrestlemania winning streak. My point being that this one was pretty much a foregone conclusion from the beginning. That didn’t stop these two from going out there and putting on the very definition of a wrestling clinic. I’ve heard various detractors talk about the sloppiness in the delivery of some spots, and Taker’s sporadic selling and such other miniscule jibes at the match, but it’s ridiculous to nitpick when this is so clearly a masterpiece of a match by two veterans of the business, putting on a 30-minute-long ‘Wrestlemania Moment’. I personally loved the moment where Taker went to deliver HBK’s very own diving elbow drop, after Shawn had already kicked out of much of the Phenom’s offense. How often do you see the Undertaker stealing someone else’s signature move? That was an awesome little moment that showed Taker would try anything to put Shawn down long enough to pick up the 3 count, even if it meant resorting to stealing his own moves. This showed Shawn to be a legitimate threat, and when he finally hit Sweet Chin Music in the middle of the ring, that foregone conclusion suddenly seemed doubtful. For a split second it looked like Shawn might actually win the damn thing, and that’s a testament to these two and the perfect pacing and structure of the match. Ultimately, Taker would hit a second tombstone to pick up the victory, and the bout was instantly declared a match for the ages, voted one of the finest matches in Wrestlemania history. To be honest, I can’t really argue with that.

Stephen Randle: There was little doubt from the moment this match was created, or even when it was only rumoured, that it would be a serious contender for Match of the Year. Twelve years ago, putting these two men in the ring resulted in the first ever Hell in a Cell match, and the Match of the Year for 1997. Since Shawn Michaels’ 1998 retirement (caused, in fact, by an injury suffered during a Casket Match with…The Undertaker) and subsequent return five years later, however, these two men had not faced each other across the ring, as Shawn stayed exclusively on Raw, while The Undertaker plied his trade only on Smackdown. And while both men had age and injuries working against them, they had also evolved their characters and abilities so much since that infamous Cell match, that wrestling fans were salivating at the chance to see what the two legendary competitors would do when they were pitted against each other. And WWE went all out, putting the match as the centerpiece of the 25th edition of WrestleMania. And while the presence of The Streak loomed large in figuring the result, there was always that element of doubt brought on by The Undertaker’s increasing age and rumours of retirement, and the fact that Shawn Michaels was given the honour of retiring another Legend at the previous Mania. Still, logic pointed towards Undertaker coming out with an inevitable victory.

Well, inevitable or not, the result was only the smallest part of this match. Both men left everything they had inside the ring at WrestleMania, and in some cases, around the outside as well. Two lifetimes of wrestling experience met in both men’s home state, on the biggest stage in professional wrestling, and they proceeded to tear the house down with a nearly flawless, emotional performance that took such an enormous toll on both men that neither would return to the ring for several months afterwards, at least partially for fear of overshadowing the importance of their bout. If the rest of WrestleMania was disappointing (and it was), this, perhaps, stood alone as the shining light, a match between two men who have been a significant part of WWE for over two decades, who both showed that yes, the injuries and the age are never going to go away, but when it comes right down to it, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker know exactly how to wrestle the best match possible, and on that night, they did exactly that.

And now they’re going to do it again? Do we even need to vote next year?

MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Honorable Mentions:
Don West (TNA) – 8 Points
Natalya Neidhart (WWE) – 11 Points
Tony Atlas (WWE) – 8 Points

3rd Place: Shane Hagadorn (ROH) – 14 points

2nd Place: Vickie Guerrero (WWE) – 15 points

And your winner is…:

Prince Nana (ROH) – 29 points

Ryan Byers: It’s been said many times over the last several years, but it’s worth repeating once more: Managing is pretty well a lost art in professional wrestling. However, there is a small group of talented individuals who are keeping the old flair of wrestling managers alive, whether it’s Vickie Guerrero in WWE, Sharmell Sullivan in TNA, or our 2009 manager of the year, Prince Nana from ROH. When Larry Sweeney vanished from the company earlier this year, there was a definite void left by the Sweet n’ Sour one. There was a need for an individual who could talk and drum up heat for some of the members of the Ring of Honor roster who are talented in the ring but uncharismatic in their matches and/or unable to handle a microphone. Fortunately, waiting in the wings to fill that void was a returning Prince Nana, who was perhaps the best promo in ROH when he appeared on the promotion’s first cards in 2002 and was even better in his first run as the manager of the Embassy in 2004. When the Ghanaian grappler returned to Ring of Honor for his current run, it was as though he had never missed a beat, forming a new version of his Embassy stable which may be even more menacing than the original group. Now that Larry Sweeney is also back in ROH’s good graces, here’s to a showdown between the two top cornermen currently going in professional wrestling sometime within the next twelve months.

Steve Cook: It’s been a tough go for managers the past decade or so, but Prince Nana and his Embassy have always been a highlight of Ring of Honor programming since their formation. Now, the Embassy hasn’t been particularly successful this year, but you can’t really fault Nana for that. He’s always vocal at ringside in support of his wrestlers, is never shy about getting involved to give a charge the upper hand, and he’s even entered himself into several multi-man matches this year to attempt and settle scores with those who oppose him. 2009 wasn’t exactly a banner year for Nana & the Embassy, but there’s plenty of reason to believe that will change in 2010.

Jasper Gerretsen: The lack of managers has been a problem in the wrestling business for years now. My personal top three would probably have to be Prince Nana, Vickie Guerrero and Annie Social, who only really works as a manager in SHIMMER. The only reason there was any kind of competition this year was that Larry Sweeney spent most of the year absent from wrestling entirely. Prince Nana meanwhile returned to Ring of Honor to reform the Embassy, one of the greatest heel stables in Ring of Honor history. He had spent most of late 2008 and early 2009 just begging for a job, any job, but thanks to president Obama’s stimulus package he quickly bounced back to his old self. Unfortunately the new Embassy didn’t live up to the old one. Jimmy Rave returned after a TNA stint, but was gone before the end of the year. The only permanent members right now are Erick Stevens and Ernie Osiris, with Bison Smith still spending most of his time over in Japan. Still, Prince Nana is one of the most entertaining managers I know, with a unique persona and the skills to create heel heat for any of hsi charges. Still, like Larry Sweeney in years before, it seems that Nana mostly won this price by absence of any competition.

Mathew Sforcina: This time last year, I used this award to soapbox about the lack of managers in the big leagues, spending less time talking about the winner (Larry Sweeney) and more about how he had no competition for the award thanks to the death of the modern manager. So you could go back, stick Prince Nana over Larry’s name, and the point still stands. Nana was damm good, but he gets this almost by default, given that Vickie was unable to get her clients over. I’d issue a hope that next year might be different, and it might. We might have TWO viable winners next year, if Sweeney is back in ROH…

TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR

Honorable Mentions:
Chris Jericho and Edge (WWE) – 5 Points
John Morrison and The Miz (WWE) – 6 Points
The British Invasion (TNA) – 5 Points
The Young Bucks (ROH, DG USA, PWG) – 20 Points

3rd Place: Beer Money, Inc. (TNA) – 28 points

2nd Place: Chris Jericho and The Big Show (WWE) – 37 points

And your winner is…:

The American Wolves (ROH) – 40 points

Ari Berenstein: I don’t know if I can explain it any better than I did when I named The American Wolves the best tag team in Ring of Honor in 2009 during my Final Column feature. Here is some of what I wrote: … their run as champions would prove to be one of the most solid and convincing in ROH history. They fought against the top tag team competition in the promotion, and often the best of the singles division who decided to join together to make a stab at winning the belts … There is no doubt that the best ROH tag team matches this year involved The Wolves. They wrestled hard and fierce matches, dominated against the best and yet were able to convince fans when it mattered that they were at-risk of losing their belts to their opponents. Their eight-month long title run is one of the longest in the history of the tag team titles. Not only did this give a huge platform for Davey Richards, but undoubtedly Eddie Edwards has improved dramatically and Shane Hagadorn, who took over as manager of The Wolves when Sweeney left, had a significant and effective purpose with the team…Looking back at 2009, the defining moments of the tag team division involved Richards and Edwards in some shape or fashion, and that is why they are the tag team of the year.

So that’s why The Wolves deserve to be ROH Tag Team of the Year…but what about for the entire wrestling industry? Well, for me, what cinches it is not the duration of the title run, but what they did with it. While JeriShow helped to make the WWE Tag Team Titles important and main event-level for the first time in years during their run as a tag team, but WWE had so much else still going on that JeriShow wasn’t THE act for their promotion. ROH anchored their entire promotion in 2009 around The American Wolves and even more specifically their feud against Steen & Generico. This was the kind of team who could main event a show, every show really, without any complaints, because they would bring it in the ring and prove themselves to be at that level. The ROH World Title had been mired in debate and disagreement about who should be champion and who was and wasn’t worthy, but there were never any such arguments about The Wolves. They had some of the best matches of the year and they made any match they were involved in must-see because it was known they were about to give the beat down on some team and it was going to be something else. I don’t think the same could be said for Jeri-Show or any other tag team besides The Wolves. That’s what makes these guys the best tag team in the world in 2009.

Aaron Hubbard: It has been quite a while since the competition for this category has been so fierce. With Chris Jericho and Big Show forming a duo of unexpected success, Beer Money and The Machine Guns still tearing up TNA, and the Independents filled with numerous quality tag teams from the Briscoes to The Colony, it has been very difficult to pick out a team. In the end though, I think the Wolves are the most deserving. Since their formation as a team, Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards have ran wild on Ring of Honor’s tag team division, defeating Kevin Steen and El Generico in a Tables match at an HD Net taping to win the ROH Tag Team Titles. With hard-hitting strikes, technical acumen, and power, the Wolves drew instant comparison to the British Bulldogs, a team which inspired more than the name of the team. From 45-Minute Draws with Bryan Danielson and Tyler Black to facing Steen & Generico in a Ladder War to facing The Young Bucks in a terrific outing on HD Net, the Wolves have dominated tag team wrestling in Ring of Honor like few teams before them. I would also be loathe to forget Davey Richards breakout as a singles star, from his knockdown drag-out with KENTA to his technical classic with Danielson, Richards is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the elites of independent wrestling. It was a tough race, but the American Wolves are deserving winners.

Jasper Gerretsen: The team of Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards was formed under the guidance of super agent Larry Sweeney. Edwards had spent most of his time in Ring of Honor floundering in the undercard, occasionally teaming with Jason Blade. Richards had had more success at that point, having had a fairly successful run, including a tag team title reign, with Roderick Strong’s No Remorse Corps. I was initially sceptical about the team, as Sweeney’s previous attempts at taking over the tag division had been lackluster at best. Sweeney’s sudden departure from the company certainly didn’t help, but Shane Hagedorn has done a remarkably good job as their manager. They won the titles in one of the first main events of the ROH on HDNet show, beating the team of Kevin Steen and El Generico in a Tables Are Legal match to end their 203 day reign. Their feud with Kevin Steen and El Generico was one of the best feuds of the year, and it all culminated in an epic Ladder War. They have since lost the tag team titles to the Briscoe Brothers, but they’ve still had an incredible year, coming out of nowhere and completely dominating the Ring of Honor tag team division.

Mathew Sforcina: How dare they! How dare ROH and the American Wolves put on great match after great match, and take this award! Didn’t they hear that JeriShow was meant to win this? But Nooooo, the Wolves had to go and be awesome and put on great matches, great long matches to boot. Dammit, how are JeriShow supposed to compete with two guys as crisp and smooth at the Wolves were this year? They can’t, clearly. Damm those Wolves, DAMM THEM TO HECK AND BACK I SAY!

WOMEN’S WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

Honorable Mentions:
Ayako Hamada (TNA) – 6 Points
Beth Pheonix (WWE) – 8 Points
Daffney (TNA) – 8 Points
Sara Del Rey (ROH, SHIMMER) – 6 Points

3rd Place: Tara (TNA) – 10 points

2nd Place: Amazing Kong (TNA, SHIMMER) – 33 points

And your winner is…:

MsChif (SHIMMER) – 44 points

Ari Berenstein: Putting aside that MsChif held the SHIMMER Women’s Title all year, as that in part is due to the booking decisions, what MsChif has done for that promotion is just flat-out produce for her promotion. She contributes great main event matches for a promotion that is based off selling DVDs that promotes women having great main event matches. She’s lived up to her end of that deal. It’s easy to be convinced when watching her title defenses against the likes of Daizee Haze, Sara Del Rey, Sereena Deeb and Amazing Kong this year. Her unique character and look set her apart, but what she does in the ring is what makes her the best woman’s wrestler of 2009. She has the ability to be imposing to smaller wrestlers and at-risk when she faces more muscular and bigger opponents. That’s a quality of a champion who takes on all-comers that cannot be denied.

MsChif was the best wrestling this year on a roster that boasts some of the best female wrestlers in the country (and uses some TNA wrestlers better than TNA ever could). SHIMMER is the bastion of great women’s wrestling now that WWE has completely de-emphasized quality wrestling matches in the Divas divisions (and even those that could have been trusted in the past to create excellent wrestling-based matches have faltered in that capacity this year). TNA for all its effort in building a singles and tag team division for their “Knockouts” still can be uneven in the booking and the in-ring presentation. Yet MsChif continues to thrive on the independent wrestling scene, not just for SHIMMER but for NWA affiliates all around the United States. She is the Great Green Hope of women’s wrestling.

Ryan Byers: Believe it or not, this is the first time that a female wrestler not affiliated with a major promotion has been named 411’s Women’s Wrestler of the Year. This makes sense, given that WWE’s women’s action has been fairly middling this year and, unfortunately, that TNA’s women’s division has fallen victim to some of the poor booking that has long plagued their talented male wrestlers. However, that’s not to say that MsChif only won our polling by default. That’s far from the case, as she has assembled an impressive resume this year which is more than deserving of being dubbed the top lady wrestler in the world. For starters, she has been a triple crown champion for the entire, year, holding the SHIMMER Title for all of 2009, the NWA World Women’s Title for all of 2009, and the NWA Midwest Women’s Title for all of 2009. On top of that, ‘Chif can always be counted on for a quality in-ring performance, with her work in SHIMMER being exemplary of those bouts. In that promotion alone, she has had epic encounters this year with Serena Deeb, Wesna Busic, LuFisto, and Nikki Roxx, as well as a wild three-way with the previously mentioned LuFisto and Amazing Kong, in which MsChif became the first woman in four years worth of SHIMMER wrestling to score a pinfall victory over the imposing Kong. This was perhaps the best year in the career of the woman who refers to herself as “Your Soul’s Tormenter,” and she has boatloads of momentum headed into 2010.

Jeremy Thomas: When it came time to figure out who was going to be Women’s Wrestler of the Year, the only question for me would be who were number two and three. Number one was one of the easiest picks of all the awards this year. MsChif dominated independent women’s wrestling in 2009, holding three separate women’s titles for the entirety of the year. Two of them came from the NWA, and one of them came from the preeminent women’s wrestling promotion in North America. Many expected her to drop the SHIMMER Women’s Championship at one point or another throughout the year but she defied all the odds and put on one great performance after another. Some people will scoff at an “independent no-name” winning anything of the year, but one needs to realize that MsChif is not independent due to lack of interest; she’s independent by choice. She has stated she has no interest in the “Big Two” because it would force her into a full-time schedule. Meanwhile, anyone who wants to see her influence on women’s wrestling needs to look no further than Melina’s sudden reliance on her stretchiness, which is a direct reference to MsChif’s style. They also need to look no further than the TNA, where some of their talent fell to the Tormenter of Souls. Awesome Kong and Serena Deeb, the latter of whom is currently in FCW facing off against full members of the Divas roster, both got pinned by MsChif this year. The woman has gotten national television exposure as well thanks to her four appearances on ROH on HDNet. When all is said and done, there isn’t a doubt that of all the women who lace up the boots and step into the squared circle, MsChif stands as the best of 2009.

Mathew Sforcina: You heard the old expression ‘Better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven’? Well, this year, seemed that, for women wrestlers, it was better to rule in purgatory than serve in a slightly worse level of purgatory. SHIMMER had 2 whole tapings, albeit super-duper ones, this year. And yet, despite this, MsChif had a hell of a year. From holding the SHIMMER title all year, to having great matches at SHIMMER, including being the first woman to ever pin Kong in SHIMMER, thus proving that not every Bitch is killed dead. MsChif also put on great matches all over the Indy scene, and that’s enough for this award. Her achievements aren’t mind-blowing, apart from the SHIMMER reign, but compared with the state of the rest of the Women’s Wrestling scene in the world (not called Tara, obviously), MsChif wins based on that. And that’s so sad I think I might cry…

WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

Honorable Mentions:
Hiroshi Tanahashi (NJPW) – 6 Points
Jeff Hardy (WWE) – 3 Points
KENTA (NOAH, ROH) – 4 Points
Kurt Angle (TNA) – 3 Points
Randy Orton (WWE) – 7 Points

3rd Place: AJ Styles (TNA) – 18 points

2nd Place: Chris Jericho (WWE) – 52 points

And your winner is…:

CM Punk (WWE) – 56 points

Len Archibald: I don’t think this was in doubt. From late spring to the end of summer, there was no one more on fire than CM Punk. When he won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania for the second straight year, it was met with some fanfare and a LOT of backlash (haha, two PPV references) as it seemed that he was poised to be the first to “cash in” his title opportunity and lose – well, that wasn’t the “case” as he used his title shot after Jeff Hardy had just went through a grueling ladder match with Edge. At this point, the possibillities were endless. Was this the beginning of “Straight Edge means I’m better than you?” It took a while to get there, but when he busted that line out on WWE television for the first time, it was glorious – along with “Fix him so I can break him again!” His matches has been stellar (with the exception of his bouts with a beaten up Undertaker), and he has been the most well-rounded character in the WWE.

Ari Berenstein: From my January 2nd, 2010 Column of Honor: I celebrated 2008 in CM Punk’s career for his sudden breakthrough to the top of the company with his stunning World championship win. Yet it was 2009 that truly saw CM Punk become CM Punk, the character ROH fans knew and loved to love, or conversely loved to hate. Punk’s straight edge saint character slowly emerged in one of the most well-told heel turns of the year, a storyline that showed that WWE can deliver some wonderful angles when they don’t get over-complicated and allow character progression to happen organically. It was incredible seeing how Punk and WWE manipulated the crowd to transition from loving him to absolutely vitriolic response with just a few small little quirks of character that built over time. Of course, he did need the right character to play off and Jeff Hardy was the best fit (almost sadly so). Hardy fans almost instantaneously switched on Punk when he “stole” the WWE Title (or “made the most of opportunity” as he would term it) minutes after Hardy won it from Edge. Punk’s justification was rational and sound, but most fans didn’t buy it. Over the weeks Punk grew more and more heelish until finally he didn’t even have to say anything. He just smashed down the microphone over Jeff Hardy’s head, and viola—a Straight Edge Hero was born. Since then, Punk has delivered both on promos and in the ring—the fantastically ingratiating “straight-edge means I’m better than you” catchphrase was reborn in WWE, as was a ruthlessness and guile not seen since the Summer of Punk in ROH days. In 2009, WWE had its own Summer of Punk, and as a long time Punk supporter it was great to have Punk do what he did best, just in front of a larger audience.

Stephen Randle: To understand how huge a year this was for CM Punk, you have to understand that outside of several hundred ROH fans, nobody had seen Punk’s “Straight Edge” heel gimmick. When the year began, Punk had just dropped the World tag titles, and captured the Intercontinental championship from William Regal, seemingly securing his position in the Raw midcard as a plucky guy who knew how to wrestle pretty well and was, as he put it, “addicted to competition”. After wandering through the first few months of the year with little direction, even quickly dropping the IC title on Raw to JBL, nobody thought that Punk was going to make any large strides towards repeating his World title victory the previous year.

But then Punk entered the Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania, and despite not being seen as a likely victor, emerged with the coveted briefcase in tow for the second straight year. Fans knew that a World title victory would likely be in the offing for Punk within the next calendar year, but it did not seem to be forthcoming immediately, as Punk lost PPV matches to Kane and Umaga in the months following WrestleMania. It was at Extreme Rules where Punk cashed his shot, defeating Jeff Hardy, who had won the title minutes earlier to the joy of watching fans, and suddenly, he was World champion again.

Only this time, he hadn’t been a fan favourite giving hated heel Edge his just desserts, as he had in 2008. This time, he had robbed Jeff Hardy of his long-awaited moment, and the fans were not as willing to forgive that indiscretion. And as Punk tried to defend his decision, it became apparent that the Straight Edge Superstar was not that big of a Jeff Hardy fan, particularly when it came to Hardy’s personal decisions. And as he continued to explain himself, his character began a shift, until soon enough Punk wasn’t just asking for support, he was telling the fans that they had to support him, because he was right, his way was the correct way, and because he was Straight Edge, he was just plain better than everyone else.

From such humble beginnings came an explosion, as Punk used his real-life beliefs to become the hottest heel act in professional wrestling, turning Money in the Bank into multiple World title reigns, and several PPV main event matches. And the quality of matches was superb, as Punk worked classic bouts against Hardy, as well as Rey Mysterio, John Morrison, and others, some of which became contenders for both Free TV Match and Best Match of 2009. Punk’s self-righteous promos and hotly-contested matches made him a hot prospect, and set him firmly in the main event pantheon of WWE, where he finished in the final four for the Slammy for Best WWE Wrestler of 2009. Punk has even earned the trust of the WWE higher-ups, to the point where he has been asked to help raise other wrestlers to higher levels within the Smackdown hierarchy. And with Luke Gallows at his side, and the potential of even more members to join his crusade in the near future, it looks like 2010 could be another big year for the Straight Edge Superstar, the man who bills himself as the choice of a new generation, and the man who is 411’s choice for Best Wrestler of the Year.

Jeremy Thomas: Is this a controversial choice? Undoubtedly. Many have bemoaned the Straight Edge Superstar’s treatment from October until today, and those people may be right. They also cannot deny that up to that point, CM Punk had a banner year. Punk started the year off in the midst of a feud with William Regal over Regal’s Intercontinental Title. It didn’t take long before Punk had taken the belt off the British superstar, a title he would hold until March. From March, we had the WrestleMania build, and few people thought Punk would repeat as Mr. Money in the Bank. He defied the odds and took home the briefcase for a second year in the row before the Draft took him to SmackDown. On SmackDown, Punk was briefly bogged down with feuds against Kane and Umaga, before at Extreme Rules he cashed in his title shot at the end of Jeff Hardy’s match against Edge. In the shocker of the night, Punk was the new World Heavyweight Champion. This kicked off the slow and masterful build to Punk’s heel turn. He began to talk about how Jeff was a druggie and had done it all to himself, and that let the man deliver some of the top promos of the year. When Jeff beat Punk at Night of Champions, that solidified Punk’s turn and he attacked Jeff the next Friday to go fully heel. From that moment, Punk was on a roll that couldn’t be stopped. It was perfect booking and Punk played it out wonderfully. He was having some of the best matches of the year and was in the midst of the hottest feud in the company. Since Jeff left the ‘E Punk’s push has certainly mellowed, but he’s in the process of bouncing back by taking Luke Gallows as an acolyte to the straight edge lifestyle and battling some of the most popular babyfaces on Friday Nights. In a year of ups and downs, Punk stands ahead of the rest of the pack by just a bit…which is exactly the way it should be.

Be sure to check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3! Thank you for joining us for the 2009 411wrestling.com Year End Wrestling Awards!