wrestling / Columns
The 2010 411 Wrestling Year End Awards (Part 1)
Welcome to the 411wrestling.com Year End Wrestling Awards. I am your host, Michael Bauer, here to bring you the best and worst from 2010! In a year that saw, and much, much more, our staff got together, voted, and wrote about all the craziness from this year! With that said, we have a several platefuls, so let’s get to it!
We’re going to use the same format as last year, but just in case some of you didn’t see it, here is how it works.
I will give you the category. I will then list a couple of *Honorable Mentions*. These honorable mentions will be so that you can see some of the things the staff was voting for that didn’t make it. It will in no way indicate 4th or 5th place, it will be completely random. I will then give you the 3rd (bronze) and 2nd (silver) place winners. That will be followed by the winner (gold). The staff will then hit you with their thoughts on said winner.
Voting went as follows. Staff could vote for three places per category; 5 points awarded for 1st place vote, 3 points for 2nd place vote, 1 point for 3rd place vote.
Before anything else, let me thank everyone who voted and participated in this year’s Awards. And in no order, here they are:
ARI Berenstein
Ryan Byers
Jeremy Thomas
Aaron Hubbard
THE Larry Csonka
Greg DeMarco
Stephen Randle
Steve Cook
Chad Nevett
Len Archibald
Michael Ornelas
Benjamin Waller
Robert Leighty
And of course, your host, Michael Bauer!
ANNOUNCER OF THE YEAR
Honorable Mentions:
Dave Prazak (RoH/SHIMMER) – 11 Points
Matt Striker (WWE) – 2 Points
Tazz (TNA) – 5 Points
3rd Place: Mike Hogewood (RoH) – 14 points
2nd Place: CM Punk (WWE) – 28 points
And your winner is…:
Larry Csonka: I have been a Josh Matthews supporter for some time, dating back to when he would do Velocity. Matthews was a kid that the company liked, but due to his size, would never be used as a wrestler, despite the fact that he was a very good athlete. But the one thing that he had was a passion for the business, and with that also came his dedication to learning all about the business. He is a student of the game, he is enthusiastic about his job, and best of all in my opinion, he doesn’t totally fit into that “story teller” mold that WWE loves. He does his own thing at times, which brings out his enthusiasm and adds to the broadcast. Josh Matthews may not be the VERY best at his job, but in a time of over produced puppet announcing, he comes off as knowledgeable, enthusiastic and most importantly, honest at what he is doing. And it is that I appreciate.
Aaron Hubbard: Josh Matthews has, in many ways, been WWE’s best kept secret for years. The former tough enough season one competitor effortlessly adapted to the roles of backstage interviewer and ringside announcer and has done both with excellence for years. Being a huge fan of the business (not just WWE) and being eloquent in the position has made Josh everything an announcer should be: knowledgeable, easy to understand and relate to, and at time, flat out humorous. He is able to get across a storyline in plain, everyday English and can alternatively call every move in a match perfectly. Matthews is a nerd but not not self-indulgent like Matt Striker. In short, Josh is as good at his job as anyone else in the wrestling industry as anyone in the business. While in years previous he has had to play second fiddle to the incomparable Jim Ross and several great guest commentators, nobody has been able to outshine Matthews this year (though CM Punk came close in his brief run).
Michael Ornelas: I like Josh Matthews and everything, and he was my number one vote, but 2010 wasn’t really a great year for announcing. That being said, I think Josh Matthews did a great job of being professional (in not mocking what he was calling despite being next to Michael Cole the entire time), showing interest in the matches and storylines, and still showing his own personality. I got behind Josh during the first season of Tough Enough and really hoped for him to win. Even in his loss, WWE gave him a gig hosting pre-PPV shows or online segments, where he persevered and finally made it to the announce desk briefly on Velocity. He then faded back into obscurity before getting back on TV and in the position he’s in right now. I’m glad that he at least tries to take NXT seriously despite the fact that it’s devolved into glorified summer camp Olympics with a sports entertainment twist. Matthews seems like a genuinely nice guy, a good announcer, and more importantly, the best announcer of 2010.
Jeremy Thomas: Do you want to have 100% proof that it was a very poor year for announcing? Simple: Josh Matthews is our Announcer of the Year. Now, I’m not trying to say that he doesn’t deserve it or that he sucks, because neither is the case. In fact, Matthews has been one of the most consistently solid announcers that the industry has seen, certainly since Jim Ross hung up his hat. While Matt Striker’s announcing has fallen into self-parody in record time, Michael Cole has quickly become the new John Cena in terms of split reaction from the IWC, Mike Tenay and Jerry Lawler’s stayed the same stale guys that they’ve been for years, Todd Grisham seems in over his head half the time and Taz has let his announcing backslide, Matthews has remained the sole man who is consistently improving at the commentator’s booth. He’s shown more and more personality and actually complemented Cole fairly well on NXT, providing a balance to him until Season Three. That season was where Matthews lost some luster in my mind as he let himself fall into the same hole that Cole was digging himself of trying to tell the crowd that there was no reason to like these girls, but he still managed to provide some solid announcing and there’s no doubt that while they weren’t really doing their jobs as announcers, they were at least being entertaining. I hate being negative in awards explanations like these, but the fact is that in a year where announcing took a major downward turn, Josh Matthews attained the top spot by being the only guy to really step up his game.
Honorable Mentions:
Mike Tenay (TNA) – 10 Points
Todd Grisham (WWE) – 6 Points
3rd Place: Jerry Lawler (WWE) – 13 points
2nd Place: Nameless Wrestlicious Guy (Wrestlicious) – 15 points
And your winner is…:
Ryan Byers: In some ways, I like what Michael Cole has done during 2010. When it has been used properly, his heel character has been an entertaining one, one that could easily make the transition from the announce desk to a wrestler’s corner as his manager. The problem with Michael Cole as an announcer this year isn’t that he’s been bad at what he’s been told to do. The problem with Michael Cole is that what he’s being told to do by WWE management is completely counterproductive and hurts the WWE product a lot more than it helps. When I’ve criticized Cole’s schtick throughout the year, there has been a portion of the 411mania readership that has said to me, “Yeah, he’s the lead play-by-play guy and he’s a heel, but just because it hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be done.” Though I do agree with the sentiment that something different isn’t necessarily something bad, I disagree with the sentiment that all things unique are worth doing. The fact of the matter is that the role of a lead play-by-play announcer on a wrestling show is that of the promotion’s number one salesman. Some people hate to hear this, but free wrestling TV shows are by and large infomericals, designed to get fans to buy pay per views, live event tickets, and merchandise. In order to do that, the play-by-play man in the booth has the responsibility to tell audiences what they’re supposed to think about the product. He’s supposed to tell people that the babyfaces are cool, that the big storylines are full of drama, and the next big show is worth plunking down your money for. However, when you turn that lead play-by-play guy into a heel, two things happen. The first is that fans are less likely to believe what he’s attempting to sell them, because fans naturally distrust heels. The second is that you’ve got your lead commentator telling fans that top babyfaces and up-and-coming good guys are actually losers, and, when the guy saying this is “the voices of the WWE,” the perception can stick and harm the faces’ ability to get over even if the knocks on them are intended as heel comments. That’s why, even though it has from time to time been entertaining, Cole’s schtick is harmful to the business end of wrestling and why I had to name him my Worst Announcer of the Year.
Aaron Hubbard: Let me preface this scathing rant by saying that I have never been a Michael Cole-hater until this year. I felt the guy got a lot of flack and wasn’t nearly as irritating as people said he was; I was a huge fan of his pairings with Tazz and JBL. However, this year, Cole has done irredeemable damage to my view of him. While I don’t pretend that being a wrestling announcer isn’t a difficult job that encompasses FAR more than I can truly appreciate, I know one thing. You do NOT relentlessly bash a performer to the point where you are harming their image. Michael Cole’s verbal assaults on Daniel Bryan consist of the same points ad nauseum. Who cares Bryan’s diet, his television habits, or his social life? WHY would you declare that his T-Shirt is bland? HELLO, you’re supposed to make people WANT to buy your products so your company can make money! What the fans care about is his ability to perform in and out of the ring and entertain us. In business, there is a simple rule; accentuate the positives and hide the negatives. Michael Cole has taken to accentuating the negatives and ignoring the positives. Add this to his usual grating announcing tendencies (VINTAGE! OH MY!), and his increased role on television, and you have a character that I don’t love to hate, but that I hate and never want to see again.
Benjamin Waller: Admittedly the new persona of Michael Cole throughout the year of 2010 has been somewhat intriguing with the emergence of the anonymous Raw General Manager and his ‘And I Quote’ parts in the latter part of this year. But does this come as a new character or as a new way for someone to not watch the show, and be bad for business? Does it annoy people? Yes. Does it make people not watch the show? Probably not. But Michael Cole (to me at least) seemed like a legit annoyance when watching WWE Raw. With the ‘vintage’ and the new ‘And I Quote’ line, it becomes bearable to a certain extent. Cole has been ridiculed over this year for the developing character, but that is primarily for the fact that he is a turn off to some fans watching the live show. He can be very overrated as an announcer at times, and not have a personality as such.. but in 2010 as soon as he actually develops character.. it becomes legitimately difficult to watch and listen.
Chad Nevett: Michael Cole has never been a great announcer. He’s been able to play the annoying straight man to some great color commentators like Taz and JBL, but he alone has never been great. So why did anyone think turning him quasi-heel and having him draw more attention to himself than the matches he was calling would be a good idea? He’s supposed to be the voice of reason and moderation, the guy who calls it down the middle, tells it like it is, and, instead, he’s a guy who veers wildly between championing the likes of the Miz and the likes of John Cena. I’m amazed when he actually discusses what’s going on in matches anymore, usually more focused with reminding everyone that, yes, he likes the Miz, yes, he’s the voice of the Raw General Manager, and, yes, he’s getting a bigger push than the actual talent. Quite frankly, he was the worst announcer of the year because he stopped being an announcer for the most part but still kept the gig anyway.
(Applies to someone who legitimate debuted in wrestling in the last 18 months [6 month grace period])
Honorable Mention:
Kaitlyn (WWE NXT) – 7 Points
3rd Place: Naomi Knight (WWE NXT) – 12 points
2nd Place: Jamilia Craft (SHIMMER) – 21 points
And your winner is…:
Steve Cook: You know how sometimes you watch somebody really early in their career and you can tell that even though they don’t have it clicking just yet, there’s something about them that tells you they’re gonna be good? I got that feeling a lot while watching “Showtime” Percy Watson work his magic on Season 2 of NXT. Unlike a lot of the people that NXT showcased, Percy did not have extensive experience in the independent wrestling ranks. FCW was where he started learning to wrestle, and perhaps it’s the fact that he went in as a clean slate that made him adapt to the WWE style so well. It doesn’t hurt that Watson has a natural charisma about him, with a personality that stands out from the pack in WWE right now. He’s a little green in the ring, but is at a really good level for somebody with his experience, and has the athleticism to make it work. Percy’s been off TV since Season 2 ended, but has recently re-emerged for dark matches at Raw tapings, leading people to believe that he could be back on WWE TV at any time. To that, I have two words:
OH YEAH!
Ryan Byers: OH YEAH~! I was not a big fan of NXT. I thought that there was a lot of wasted potential in the first season, both in terms of the wrestlers’ talents and the format of the show. The second season was even worse and, as a result, I gave up on watching it about halfway through, not to return for seasons three and four. One of the things that kept me hanging on to NXT2 when I had otherwise given up on the show was none other than “Showtime” Percy Watson. One of the big problems with WWE these days is that it feels like all of their wrestlers come out of the same mold, being told to act, talk, and dress the same. Watson was captivating just because, for whatever reason, he was allowed to be something different. Granted, he had the stereotypical “WWE body,” but his brightly colored ring gear and glasses set him apart. On top of that, he had more charisma and was better on the mic than the majority of other WWE rookies who were brought up on to television this year, and his Little Richard-esque delivery made him into something the likes of which wrestling has not seen for several years. Though he may not have been the best performer in the ring due to his limited experience, I was bound to laugh a few times on every occasion that Percy grabbed a mic, and I thought that he had great potential to be a comedic midcarder with a cult following, a la Santino Marella. Unfortunately, an NXT2 victory was not in the cards for Showtime, as he probably would have done a lot more with it than Low Ki was allowed to do. Fortunately, Percy has recently been sighted on Smackdown house shows and dark matches, meaning that it’s probably only a matter of time before we see him on our television screens again in 2011.
Andy Critchell: It took me a while to warm up to Percy. It seemed liked people were singing his praises right away but he didn’t really jump out to me. But then in one of his matches he lost his glasses and much like Clark Kent, the glasses totally made him into a different person and I realized how much fun I thought his character really was, goofy glasses and all. Speaking of his character, that’s the part of Percy that I find most refreshing. Black guys are somewhat pigeon-holed in wrestling as far as their characters go but Percy was a departure from what we usually see. He was goofy, weird, silly, and even a tad effeminate. And even though he was so “out there” it strangely made him seem more real, or at least it made me believe that his character was an exaggeration of himself which is what most successful characters are. Anyway, I hope we get to see more of Percy soon. Oh yeah!
Michael Ornelas: Percy “Showtime” Watson’s video package that aired before NXT season 2 even started made me hate him. By the second week I was totally for him. He has such dedication to his character and is incredibly unique in his promos. He’s very hard to dislike and he’s quite athletic/coordinated for someone who has been wrestling for as little time as he has. I saw him wrestle a dark match against Primo at RAW in Austin, Texas recently and he was the one that shined in that match. I think when he does eventually get called up back onto WWE programming, he’ll quickly get the fans on his side like he did during the second season of NXT. Oh yeah, and another thing (see what I did there? I used his catchphrase sneakily): his glasses are awesome.
(applies to someone who debuted in the last 12 months in the following: WWE, TNA, ROH, AAA, CMLL, NJPW, NOAH, AJPW, and Dragon Gate)
Honorable Mentions:
Husky Harris (WWE) – 3 Points
Johnny Gargano (DG USA) – 4 Points
3rd Place: AJ Lee (WWE NXT) – 6 points
2nd Place: Justin Gabriel (WWE) – 31 points
And your winner is…:
Stephen Randle: For all the drama that surrounded Daniel Bryan’s presence on the first season of NXT Season 1, there was one man who managed to set himself apart from all that, focus on the competition itself, and with the help of his dedicated NXT Pro Chris Jericho (who is always the right answer to “Who should we use to get this guy over?”), Barrett outshone all other contestants and was the consensus choice by both WWE and the fans watching (despite being a heel). He was touted for having an impressive size and physique, good skills in the ring and on the mic, and a marketable personality. After he won NXT, Barrett was quickly elevated to the main event as the leader of Nexus, showing that WWE had big plans for the Manchester native. While his group ran rampant on Raw, Barrett positioned himself for repeated WWE title shots, including two one-on-one matches with Randy Orton on PPV. Although Barrett failed to win the title in 2010, he quickly established himself in the main event of WWE’s flagship brand. From FCW talent to WWE main event mainstay within a calendar year, there are few who can make that claim, and nobody in a long time has enjoyed so much success in their first year in WWE.
Jeremy Thomas: Wade Barrett is undoubtedly the Major Fed Rookie of the Year. In fact, he’s the kind of guy I believe that this award was made for. Barrett’s first year in the WWE was not something that you often see, as he made his first appearance in the WWE this year in February as a rookie fighting for a guaranteed contract and by the end of the year he was fighting on Pay-Per-Views for the World Title and taking on the top face in the company. That’s a once in a blue moon kind of situation; the only guy that we’ve seen with that level of a push from the get-go in recent years has been Sheamus, who is now firmly ensconced at the upper midcard/main event level. And most people would argue that Barrett has a bigger upside than Sheamus in terms of mic skills and wrestling ability. He’s put together more exciting matches with Cena and Orton than his Irish co-superstar has, he’s been consistently excellent on the mic and he headed up the hottest angle to hit any major wrestling show this year. While poor Wade may have lost a bit of status after being buried (literally) at TLC, he’ll be back with a vengeance, and I would not at all be shocked to see him winning a World Title sometime before the middle of 2011.
Aaron Hubbard: Wade Barrett deserves a lot of credit for his career growth in 2010. This is a man who went from the virtual obscurity of FCW (a company that doesn’t even have the fanbase of most independent promotions) to becoming one of the top heels in the business. Barrett’s mic skills, which he uses to aggrandize himself and to berate his opponents, immediately made him stand-out on Season 1 of NXT. While his finisher leaves much to be desired, he is a very competent in-ring performer as well, and was probably the third best of the season behind Bryan and Justin Gabriel. Barrett soon found himself thrust into the main event scene as the leader of Nexus, and surprisingly has carried himself very well in that capacity. His storyline with John Cena has been a highlight of RAW and Barrett has not looked lost on the mic once; indeed, he often outshines Cena. Barrett was an easy choice for this award.
Michael Ornelas: I don’t think anyone is surprised by this. The man that didn’t even wrestle on the first episode of NXT went on to have the best rookie year since Brock Lesnar. He’s been a staple of WWE programming in a MAJOR way since he formed the Nexus back in June and had a high-profile feud with none other than WWE’s poster boy John Cena. The Nexus took out Cena, Punk, the ringside workers, and the ring itself on their debut, and proceeded to beat up legends, other superstars, and even Vince McMahon in their path of destruction. Even though his position as leader was threatened at times, Wade Barrett led them through everything. He may not have won a world championship like many thought he would, but that doesn’t rule him out for the future at all. When Barrett comes back, I have no doubt he’ll be ready to pursue his singles career without Nexus.
Honorable Mentions:
Cody Rhodes (WWE) – 3 Points
D’Angelo Dinero (TNA) – 1 Point
Daniel Bryan (WWE) – 2 Points
Prince Devitt (NJPW) – 1 Point
Wade Barrett (WWE) – 9 Points
3rd Place: Alberto Del Rio (WWE) – 12 points
2nd Place: Sheamus (WWE) – 36 points
And your winner is…:
Greg DeMarco: 2011 was the year for someone to seize the day and breakout. Who did just that? Several people actually. Wade Barrett. Sheamus. Douglas Williams. Jack Swagger. Daniel Bryan. Matt Morgan. Alberto Del Rio. John Morrison. But one man ascended above all others, having an amazing breakout year. That man? The Miz. The Miz went from a three minute opening match at WrestleMania (his first WM main card match, by the way) to capturing a Money in the Bank briefcase to the WWE Championship. For many others, MitB has lead to great things. Edge won his first world title off of the briefcase, and now has 10. CM Punk did the same, and is up to three of his own. The Miz cashed in on his first, and has grown into a great heel champion, one of the best heel champs since The Honky Tonk Man. Just how high can The Miz ascend? Only time will tell. But in my opinion, the sky is the limit.
Aaron Hubbard: A hotly contested category this year, (see Story/Surprise of the Year) but Miz was always at or near the top of the list. What pushed his chances to 100% was his Money in the Bank cash-in to become WWE Champion in November. Miz likes to brag about his accomplishments in an over-the-top manner, but let’s face. The man spent the bulk of the year as United States Champion, with only a brief (and highly suspect) run by Bret Hart breaking up what was essentially a nine-month run at the top of RAW’s midcard. During this time, The Miz won the Tag Team Championship with The Big Show and won Raw’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match at the titular PPV. He also spent time on NXT as a pro, antagonizing Daniel Bryan during Season 1 and championing Alex Riley during season 2. Throughout the year, Miz’s shining category has been his impeccable mic skills. Both a fantastic promo in January and an even better promo where he revealed his WWE Magazine Cover detailed how everyone hated him and wanted him to fail, but he is now a success and a top star. Miz is a compelling and at times even sympathetic villain, and one of WWE’s most interesting characters. While he catches flack for his reality star origins and his somewhat lacking, yet ever-improving in-ring skills, Miz is a true self-made man who deserves his spot in the main event scene.
Len Archibald: In hindsight now, this is a no-brainer, but really, until that fateful night when The Miz cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to defeat Randy Orton for the WWE Title, this was Wade Barrett’s to lose. Wade had a hell of a year, debuting on season 1 of NXT and practically making the entire season lead up to an anticlimactic finale when Daniel Bryan basically eliminated himself. But we’re talking about The Miz, here – and to tie everything together, it was that first season of NXT that saw The Miz truly “break out” from the pack. In all honesty, the first two seasons nearly revolved around The Miz and his antics; first with his natural feud with his “rookie”, Daniel Bryan and then as Alex Riley’s mentor in season 2. From there, he won the Raw edition of the Money in the Bank match and most pegged (or probably hoped) that he would be the first person to cash in and lose. That didn’t happen and in all honesty, I think it’s for the best as The Miz is one of those few superstars who literally started from the bottom up to be where he is today. Congratulations to my fellow Ohioan and let’s hope there are more AWESOME moments to come.
Benjamin Waller: Triple Crown. The Miz in 2010 has won a Triple Crown Championship… in all of 14 months of his 4 and a half year WWE on-screen tenure. Winning the United States, Unified Tag Team and WWE Championships, Mizanin has shown that not only can a talent with odd circumstances enter the WWE (reality TV) but they can also win the WWE Championship and be on top of the food chain in the WWE. Towards the end of 2009, Miz was given freedom to have his own character and personality on-air, even making small changes such as wearing short trunks made him look all the more threating as a legitimate WWE Superstar, regardless of his past endeavours. Miz came into 2010 with buckets of potential and the US Championship on his shoulder. He would soon win the WWE Unified Tag Team Championships on February 8th, 2 weeks after the Royal Rumble. In tagging with a man such as the Big Show came the brash, loud-mouth egotistical Miz who felt as if he honestly was the top WWE Superstar and was THE man to see. After splitting ShoMiz, Miz kept his status and ego in check by keeping his US title throughout the year until being beaten by WWE uprise Daniel Bryan. Miz performed excellently throughout his feud with Bryan, and coming out of the feud.. both looked better than before they enterted. Miz flaunted his ego, and Bryan proved himself as a world-class wrestler and sueprstar in winning the US title. Ultimately, when we talk of this ‘breakout’ concept, you know a breakout is a true breakout when they win a World titie.. and that is exactly what the Miz did. After winning the Raw Money in the Bank Ladder match, the Miz had his Money in the Bank briefcase for 5 months until cashing in the shot against Randy Orton and finally achieving his dream of becoming WWE Championship. Acquiring Alex Riley as his apprentice and semi-manager, this furthered his character showing he needed a manager to make his importance and position in the WWE stand out even moreso than it already does.. and this plus the WWE Championship= … AWESOME. The year 2011 holds a lot for the Miz, and I hope we see him as WWE Champion heading into WrestleMania 27.
Honorable Mentions:
Kane (WWE) – 5 Points
Steve Corino (RoH) – 5 Points
3rd Place: Mr. Anderson (TNA) – 21 points
2nd Place: Bret Hart (WWE) – 31 points
And your winner is…:
Ryan Byers: I have to say that I was rather surprised by Rob Van Dam’s return to professional wrestling. He had been out of the game for almost three solid years on a sabbatical which reportedly began as a result of his wife being diagnosed with a form of cancer. Despite the unfortunate facts surrounding RVD’s departure, it seemed from various shoot interviews that he did that he legitimately enjoyed the time off once he got into relaxing, working on some non-wrestling projects, and taking the occasional indy date when the wrestling bug bit him or when the booking gave him an opportunity for an overseas vacation. There was a part of me which honestly expected Van Dam to never come back full time. However, coming back full time was exactly what he did in 2010, making his debut with TNA Wrestling and winning their major singles championship in relatively short order. Many of Van Dam’s biggest fans have been annoyed with how few major singles titles that he’s held during his career, and now they can take solace in the fact that he’s had a decently long TNA Title run after never being given the main strap in ECW and having his run as WWE champ cut short by some poorly time extracurricular shenanigans.
Len Archibald: A year ago, Rob Van Dam was the ultimate inside IWC joke. Now, he has made the rounds to become one of the top hands in TNA, and is one of the top babyfaces in the promotion. Of course, I think RVD needs to take a page out of LL Cool J’s book and declare, “Don’t call it a comeback…”; Van Dam wasn’t hampered by injuries or “retired”; he just simply faded away for a while. When he made his return for TNA, he really didn’t miss a beat and executed the style of match he has during his entire career. Winning the TNA World Title helped as well.
Ari Berenstein: From a one-time, one-note, one-night only inside joke on 411Mania to this: a full-time TNA-contracted wrestler who won championship gold. It’s just been a “Whole F’N Year” for Rob Van Dam. Sure, his debut, though much-anticipated, had the distinct disadvantage of being quintessential TNA. He beat up Sting in a twenty-second match and then beat-down by Sting for ten minutes. It wasn’t the greatest way to introduce a man who could give TNA mega-star potential, but then again it wasn’t giving three girls a painting in an empty parking lot. Yet RVD turned it around and produced many positive and memorable moments in TNA throughout the year, including two really great matches against Jeff Hardy and then AJ Styles on the night he won the TNA Heavyweight Title. He carried the weight of the Hardcore Justice Pay Per View and did an amicable job in the main-event against Sabu in the last-minute switch when Lynn had been injured and scratched. He put his body on the line against Abyss. Ultimately Van Dam’s hectic comeback is about his jumping back in with two feet and reminding us about why fans liked him so much in the first place.
Michael Ornelas: A lot of people think his comeback started with TNA, but he actually main evented PWG’s Kurt Russellmania in January in a triple threat match against Chris Hero and Roderick Strong that he won. It was a really fun match and after seeing it, I welcomed the idea of a Rob Van Dam return to televised professional wrestling. Fast forward several months and he was the TNA world champion, beating the heel AJ Styles on an episode of iMPACT. True, Bret Hart came back and won a championship this year as well, but it was a second-tier title and he obviously can’t go in the ring like he used to. RVD, while he hasn’t been gone quite as long, returned to the ring without missing a step and continues to excite with his high-flying style.
Honorable Mentions:
CM Punk injured after his Raw re-debut. (WWE) – 3 Points
Matt and Jeff Hardy continue to be total screw ups. (WWE/TNA) – 9 Points
NXT Flops (WWE NXT) – 1 Point
TNA continues to blow all big opportunities. (TNA) – 6 Points
3rd Place: Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania not fulfilling. (WWE) – 15 points
2nd Place: TNA Bombs on Monday nights. (TNA) – 28 points
And your winner is…:
Larry Csonka: While not as bad as most years, and while some of the names are as big as they have been in the past, it is still a supreme disappointment seeing so many people that have worked to entertain the people die at such a young age. Trent Acid at 29, JC Baily at 27, Lance Cade at 29 were all WAY to young to go, but they all had demons that caught up to them. Kanyon committing suicide at 40, Luna overdosing at 48, both too young to die. I will no sit here and completely vilify Vince McMahon and wrestling as a whole for this, but year after year, it continues to be a sad and unfortunate thing to deal with.
Greg DeMarco: This sucks. Booking can suck year after year and I’d get over it. You could have an underwhelming WrestleMania main event every year (such as HHH-Orton from ’09) and I’ll be able to forgive and forget. But this is one thing I’ll never get used to. And I hope we all feel that way. The moment we get desensitized to this is the moment we’re crossed a very scary line. The list of wrestlers who died young continues to grow despite the efforts of everyone surrounding professional wrestlers. Despite the Wellness Policy and the WWE’s policy of paying for rehab to any current or former employee who needs it, drug use continues. Despite toning down of the in-ring product and the near elimination of chairshots to the head, wrestlers still put their lives on the line every time out. The change can’t come from the WWE, TNA or ROH. It can’t come from executives or even fans. It has to come from the wrestlers themselves. Veteran wrestlers need to take the lead in both changing the locker room culture and teaching the younger talent right from wrong. Otherwise, this trend is doomed to continue.
Chad Nevett: Deaths in wrestling aren’t new, so why should they be so disappointing? We’re supposed to be past this. With all of the other deaths, more knowledge has been gained about the effects of drugs (whether illegal, prescription, or otherwise), the effects of concussions, the effects of going too far just for a cheap pop… Weren’t we supposed to have learned the lessons by now? It was a year where the WWE and TNA both banned unprotected shots to the heads, but that didn’t help the guys whose lives were already destroyed. Despite the measures being taken to prevent these deaths, they’ve come too late for so many. Yeah, we should be past this, the business should be taking care of its own a whole lot better, and the days of heart attacks at 30 or overdoses being a regular occurance should be behind us. But, we haven’t come as far as we think, sadly. Goddammit.
Stephen Randle: For me, this award is highlighted (or, rather, lowlighted) by the death of Lance Cade. A graduate of Shawn Michael’s short-lived wrestling school, he had the hype behind him that came with other wrestlers with the same credentials. WWE snapped him up quickly and very quickly, he was on the main roster. Although a solo run as “Garrison” Cade didn’t pan out, WWE was apparently so high on Cade that they kept him around. Cade found success as a tag team with Trevor Murdoch, and after the team broke up, he was positioned for a push as Chris Jericho’s protégé (which, we all saw, did wonders for Wade Barrett). But then he was suddenly released, and reports surfaced that he had suffered a drug-induced seizure on an airplane. He was quietly re-hired later, but never made it back onto WWE TV before his second release. The next we heard of Cade, it was because of his death, well before the age of 40. News broke shortly after that Cade had attended rehab shortly before his second release in early 2010, and an autopsy showed that Cade’s death was the result of mixing drugs.
The end of Cade’s story was not unique in 2010, and as years go by, the tragedies become worse as the ages of those who pass seems to get younger and younger. What’s more, many of these deaths seem entirely preventable, which is likely the biggest tragedy or all.
Honorable Mentions:
Kurt Russelmania (PWG) – 3 Points
Supercard of Honor V (RoH) – 5 Points
3rd Place: CHIKARASAURUS REX (CHIKARA) – 6 points
2nd Place: Seven (PWG) – 9 points
And your winner is…:
Ari Berenstein: Woah, this is a slight upset in my mind, as I thought for sure PWG would take it for “SEVEN”. However, this show is definitely worthy of the prize and I would know since I was there live and in-person for CHIKARA’s Brooklyn debut. It was a top-notch show from beginning-to-end and one could immediately tell that the wrestlers were out there to wow and impress in this new venue. The show was so packed with fans that there were rows of people standing all over the building and CHIKARA actually had to turn away many because they were about to break fire code laws. A lot of credit should also go to Manami Toyota’s two-night stand. Her first-ever matches in the United States turned out be an impressive draw (and the reaction she received even more so). The main-event tag with her and Mike Quackenbush against The Bruderschaft des Kruzes was thrilling…and everyone involved in the match contributed to what made it work so well. It was also a majority babyface win night, which I feel generally lends to more crowd-pleasing and well-reviewed shows. The opener with Team F.I.S.T. against Solider Ant and 3.0 set the tone with a frenetically paced and hard-worked opener. Hallowicked and Ultramantis Black destroyed each other. It was a turning point show for the war against the BDK, with the CHIKARA technicos winning a majority of the matches against them. The Osirian Portal came back to win against the BDK nightmare combination of Haze and Delirious and Da Soul Touchaz (super popular in the BKLYN) won a six-man tag against Lince Dorado, Tim Donst and the massive Tursas. Frightmare retained the Young Lions Cup against Pinkie Sanchez. Eddie Kingston did damage to Ares and Delirious even though he didn’t win. The Olsen Twins reunited after nearly two years of separation in a very feel good moment. So not only was it a crowd-pleasing show, but it was a newsworthy show as well. CHIKARA did themselves proud here and my hope is that they can return to Brooklyn, New York as soon as possible.
Greg DeMarco: A surprise winner in this category shows just how many strong indy cards were put together this year. This event featured eight matches and had a perfect build from start to finish. The opening six man tag (Soldier Ant & 3.0 vs. Team F.I.S.T.) set the pace with 15 minutes of non-stop action. The card also saw The Osirian Portal defeat BDK’s team of Delirious & Daizee Haze to earn their third point and the opportunity to challenge Ares & Claudio Castagnoli for the Campeonatos de Parejas in another great match. Ares defeated Eddie Kingston in a match that was more about storyline advancement than the match itself, but the live crowd was heavily into the whole thing. The Olsen Twins reunited in the second half of the show, much to the delight of the CHIKARA faithful. And of course it was the main event that puts this match over the top as Mike Quackenbush teamed with Japanese women’s wrestling legend Manami Toyota in her debut weekend in the US. They took on the BDK team of Claudio Castagnoli & Sara Del Rey, providing a dream match for both international and indy fans alike. All four delivered in spectacular fashion, giving the crowd what many called CHIKARA’s best match to date in 2010. It was both scientific and hard hitting, and it drove home what was the surprise card of the year and ultimately the Best Indy Show of The Year for 2010. This event was pretty much the perfect CHIKARA show. Multiple six man tag team matches packed with energy and excitement, storyline advancement that never took away from the action, and a blow away main event that won’t soon be forgotten.
Michael Ornelas: There was absolutely nothing bad on this show. F.I.S.T. and 3.0 with Soldier Ant put on a very fun opener, Ultramantis Black (Tyler’s cousin) settled a grudge with Hallowicked, the Bruderschaft had a couple tag matches (Delirious & Haze vs. the Osirian Portal; Tursas, Donst, & Dorado taking on da Soul Touchaz; and the main event, which I’ll get to in a minute), Eddie Kingston faced Ares, the UnStable battled The Future is Now, the Young Lion’s Cup champion Frightmare defended against the BDK’s Pinkie Sanchez, and Mike Quackenbush enlisted the help of Joshi legend Manami Toyota to bring it to the Bruderschaft des Kreuzes’ Claudio Castagnoli & Sara Del Rey. All those matches and nothing bombed. Everything was at least good. Storylines were advanced (Eddie Kingston being the man who’s taking it to the BDK the hardest, Delaney and Jimmy Olsen reunited in a nice moment, the Osirian Portal getting to 3 points, and an outsider coming in to help CHIKARA fend off the BDK) and great matches were had. The opening bout set the tone for the whole show, coming out strong with the new installment of F.I.S.T., consisting of Chuck Taylor, Johnny Gargano, and Icarus, putting on an over *** match with Shane Matthews, Scott Parker, and Soldier Ant. Two matches later there was another *** encounter, and everything that followed was close to that. Then we got to what really made this show the best indy show of 2010: the main event with Manami Toyota. She got the streamer treatment to the max and she delivered a great match with all of her interactions with Sara Del Rey and even some with Claudio. She showed why she is one of the best women’s wrestlers of all time to an entirely new audience. The CHIKARA crowd was incredibly gracious to her and giving her the respect she earned. It was truly a sight to see, and if I had to suggest to someone who wanted to check out CHIKARA one show to watch, this would be it.
Be sure to check out Part 2 tomorrow, Part 3 on Wednesday, and Part 4 on Thursday!
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