Getting Over 1.07.07: The Overies!

Posted by Mike LaFave on 01.07.2007

Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you, the first annual Overies! I’m handing out my 2006 awards to the WWE! Plus a major homework assignment…aka, I need your help!

So 2006 has come and gone. Some are sad to see it go, while others are hoping 2007 will erase all their bad memories from the year gone by. Either way, it is an American tradition to hand out awards. Being the true American patriot that I am, I'm going to take part in that custom with the first ever Overies presentation!

The Overies are the "marks" answer to all the "smart" awards being thrown around. I'll only be dealing with the WWE, so all TNA fans might as well turn away now and save time, but thanks for the hit!

So, without further ado, I give you, Mike LaFave's, first annual, Overies Presentation!

Getting Over The Overies:

These first few Overies are like the Grammies that we don't see on television.

Women's Wrestler of the Year – Mickie James
Manager of the Year – Armando Alejandro Estrada
Announcer of the Year – John Bradshaw Leyfield
Show of the Year – WWE SmackDown!
Babe of the Year – Mickie James
Special Appearance of the Year – The Million Dollar Man and IRS
Cruiser Weight of the Year – Gregory Helms
Television Special of the Year – WWE vs. ECW

Shooting Star Award!

This award goes to the youngster who broke through the "glass ceiling" in 2006 and has shown a great deal of promise for the future. (I WISH I could have put Shelton Benjamin on this list…)


4) Matt Striker (Raw/ECW) – Matt Striker may not have done anything spectacular in the ring in '06, but he did prove that he can indeed wrestle, and that given time he should be able to put on a good match. But beyond that, his promo skills and personality are at the head of the class!

3) Carlito (Raw) – Carlito had a great January. He stole the show at New Year's Revolution and had a solid showing in the Rumble. Unfortunately he became a forgotten man after that. Then it appeared as though he was getting a push when his pairing with Trish Stratus led him into a short program with Randy Orton and some run-ins with main-eventer Edge. But alas, nothing came of it and now he's back feuding Chris Masters again. Let us all hope that a big push is in line for Carlito when he is finally done with the Masterpiece!

2) Ken Kennedy (SmackDown!) – I can't say anything about this guy that JBL hasn't said already. He's just great and getting better every week. I honestly don't think that the loss to Undertaker at Armageddon will set Mr. Kennedy back too far. He should be on his feet again in no time and challenging for the World title before you know it!

And the Overie goes to…

1) Bobby Lashley (SmackDown!/ECW) – Bobby Lashley shot up the charts in the tail end of '05 and didn't look back this year! His long-running program with Finlay elevated Lashley's game to new levels. He was on the brink of becoming a main event star on SmackDown! before he was moved to ECW. And what did he do after that move…oh just knock off the Big Show who had looked unstoppable before Bobby came to town! Is it too much too soon? Time will tell, but there is no denying that Bobby Lashley is a shooting star!

Rookie of the Year

This award goes to the SuperStar who debuted in the WWE within 2006 and had the best year.

6) Umaga (Raw) – I went back and forth about whether Umaga should even be on this list because of his past with the WWE as part of 3 Minute Warning. In the end, I came up with a half assed solution, Umaga makes the list, but I take away points from his score. If not for the controversy Umaga's path of destruction and main event push would have put him at number two in this Overie category.

5) Burke/Terkay (SmackDown!/ECW) – This combo bores some people, but I enjoy watching them. They both can wrestle in a unique fashion and Burke has show he can go on the stick. Big props for Burke being the man the E turned to when Taz had to miss a show!

4) Montel Vontavious Porter (SmackDown!) – I didn't like MVP at first, but I have to admit, it was mainly because I had just wrote my GO on Shelton Benjamin with almost the exact same gimmick when MVP debuted. But once I was able to look past that, I started to warm up to MVP. He cuts a great promo and his interaction with Kennedy has been great. Also, big points go to a guy who will let Kane light his ass on fire!

3) Kenny Dykstra (Raw) – Kenny was obviously part of the Spirit Squad, which held tag team gold for a good portion of 2006. Now he is out on his own and trying to impress Rated RKO. I don't know if he's impressed Edge or Orton yet, but he has impressed me and that is good enough to get him this high on the Overie list!

2) The Miz (SmackDown!) – Yeah, yeah, I know a lot of you hate the Miz, but I think that's just jealousy. The kid cuts promos better than some guys who have been in the business for a decade. He has a great personality, loves the business and respects its history. He's athletic and has shown that he has the ability to wrestle. So why all the hate? Could it be because he is semi-famous, attractive, rich, and has been with hotter girls than you'll ever even jerk-off to? Yeah, I think that is it.

And the Overie goes to…

1) CM Punk (ECW) – The thought of giving the Miz this Overie just to piss people off did cross my mind. But at the end of the day, no one is more deserving than CM Punk. Punk is the future of ECW and will be a world champion by the time to 2007 Overies are announced. The pops he received at both Survivor Series and December to Dismember were, as Taz would say, Ginormous! I see great thing in the future for the straight-edge Pepsi lover!

Tag Team of the Year!

This is a one team list so, the Overie goes to…

1) London and Kendrick - The two young guns have had a hell of a year as a team. First they put on a great series of matches with MNM and then went on to defend their tag team titles in several solid matched with both the Teacher's Pets, and the Pit Bulls. They are in the middle of what is a very interesting feud with Regal and Taylor, and they truly cemented their legacy with that simply amazing win in the Four Team Ladder Match at Armageddon. With the possible rebirth of the tag division, they could receive heavier competition next year, but if 2006 is any indication, these two lads are up for anything!

Match of the Year!

I'm not going to describe each of these matches because they are simply too good. If you haven't seen them, what are you waiting for, do so! A number of matches just missed the cut, including the Triple Threat Match between Hardy/Nirto/Carlito at Vengeance, the Intercontinental Ladder match between Hardy and Nitro on Raw, and the Triple Threat Match between Batista/Booker/Finlay on SmackDown!. I also was tempted to put the Angle/Taker rematch from SmackDown! on the list, but the Henry interference at the end cost it some points. SmackDown! actually had a number of free T.V. matches that were in the running.

10) Hardy Boys vs. MNM (December to Dismember)
9) Edge vs. Ric Flair TLC (Raw)
8) John Cena vs. Triple H vs. Edge Triple Threat Match (Backlash)
7) Edge/Foley vs. Dreamer/Funk Hardcore Match (ECW One Night Stand)
6) John Cena vs. Triple H (WrestleMania 22)
5) John Cena vs. Rob Van Dam (ECW One Night Stand)
4) Four-Way Tag Team Championship Ladder Match (Armageddon)
3) Edge vs. Mick Foley Hardcore Match (WrestleMania 22)
2) Edge vs. John Cena TLC (Unfrgiven)

And the Overie goes to…

1) Kurt Angle vs. Undertaker (No Way Out)

Pay-Per-View of the Year!

16) December to Dismember (ECW) – This ppv was just bad! The opening tag contest was great, and the Striker promo and match that followed were solid, but it was all down hill from there. Far and away the most pathetic Elimination Chamber we've seen to date and ending over 40 minutes early just left a bad taste in my mouth!

15) Cyber Sunday (Raw) – This was the only ppv of the year I didn't see. If a card is weak enough to the point I don't watch it, that's not a good sign. From what I've read it was pretty uneventful. The reports on the Carlito/Hardy match are mixed and that sounds as if it were the best part.

14) Royal Rumble (WWE) – I did enjoy the Rumble. I wasn't a fan of the order the last three matches happened in, and I subtracted points for it. Unlike many, I liked Cena's entrance, but the match turned out to be one of the weakest in their series. Plus, Angle/Henry was just bad, and they should feel bad for putting it on last!

13) Great American Bash (SmackDown!) – Thank God for Wellness! If not for the Wellness Program, this card may have been worse than December to Dismember! Big Show replacing Kahli and Kennedy replacing Mark Henry did pick this show up from the gutter, but not far from the gutter.

12) Judgment Day (SmackDown!) – I just wasn't feeling this ppv. There was a solid tag match and the King of the Ring final was all well and good, but outside of that, Judgment Day really didn't offer anything special.

11) Survivor Series (WWE) – I didn't think Survivor Series was as bad as many of my peers did, I just found it to be tremendously disappointing. I had such high hopes for this card and it simply didn't deliver. The Survivor Series elimination match between DX's team and Rated RKO's team should have been a match of the year contender, but instead it was a glorified squash. All I can say is, disappointing!

1h0) New Year's Revolution (Raw) – Once again, I enjoyed this ppv more than many of my fellow writers. I'll have to admit a bias, New Year's Revolution was my favorite wrestler, Carlito's opportunity to shine and I feel he delivered in a big way. Carlito carried the main even, which carried the ppv. The Cool One busted out some flashy moves we hadn't seen from him before and had a hand in the elimination of half the field. As much as I knew deep down he couldn't win, the booking of this match and the selling of the great athletes involved actually had me believing that maybe, just maybe he would. For a true mark out moment like that, this moves up the list. Also there was the swerve (if you can call it that, I know many people, including myself called it) with Edge cashing in and beating Cena for the title. I also thought Triple H vs. Big Show was an underrated match.

9) Backlash (Raw) – This is the last ppv in my blah section. Outside of the main event (and Carlito picking up a win) this card was just kind of there. The triple threat was good enough to put it at the top of the blah ppv's.

8) No Mercy (SmackDown!) – Here is where I really started enjoying the ppv's! I thought No Mercy was a ton of fun! Sure Chavo and Rey would put on a better match later on SmackDown!, but it was still a good match. Hardy and Helms delivered as always. We saw the return of Chris Benoit, who put on a clinic with William Regal. And the Fatal Four-Way main event was very well executed.

7) Vengeance (Raw) – Once again, a lot of people really took a piss on Vengeance, but I enjoyed it. Angle and Orton finished off what was a series of good matches between them that started back at the WrestleMania build. John Cena and Sabu had a fun little match, while Edge and Rob Van Dam had a very good match. The Triple Threat for the IC Gold stole the show, as all three men, Shelton Benjamin, Jeff Hardy and Carlito really stepped up their game! Also it was interesting to see DX back in action!

6) SummerSlam (WWE) – Wow, how many times will I say this, this ppv received a lot of heat, but I rather enjoyed it! I remember watching it, liking it and then hopping on-line to read everyone shitting all over it. Well, I've never been one to change my opinion based on other's beliefs so I stand by my call that SummerSlam was indeed a good show. I thought the Hogan and Orton match was better than it had any right to be and particularly liked it when Hogan went all old-school rule-breaker on the Legend Killer! The I Quit match was all sorts of goodness until the end, but the ending made sense in terms of storytelling. I also thought it was a privilege to watch history as three World Titles were defended on the same show! And unlike many, I enjoyed all three matches! I thought Big Show vs. Sabu was fun, Batista, while showing rust opened up his move set and Edge and Cena put on a great main event with a very hot ending sequence. I think Summer Slam was a classic example of, if you went into it thinkingf it was going to suck, then it sucked, but if you went into it with an open mind, it was a very entertaining show!

5) No Way Out (SmackDown!) – So we've covered the bad and the blah, and moved on to the good shows, now No Way Out is the start of the GREAT ppv's 2006 had to offer! SmackDown!'s build to Mania was fantastic and No Way Out really illustrates that. The two matches that really hit a homerun were Orton/Mysterio and of course Angle/Taker. I remember thinking going into the event that I could see any combination of those four guys wrestling for the World Championship come Mania. Anytime a ppv can brag about two huge matches with immense implications and we don't have a clue who is going to win, it makes for a fun show!

4) Armageddon (SmackDown!) – Armageddon, what a surprise. Because of all the ppv's they had scheduled so closely, I was forced to pick two between Cyber Sunday and Royal Rumble to skip, because frankly, my wallet is only so big. I decided I would skip Cyber Sunday and Armageddon, immediately after watch December to Dismember I regretted that decision! The Sunday night Armageddon was on, I was over watching Sunday Night Football at a buddy's house. When I returned home I went on-line to see the results of the ppv. The first thing I saw was a picture of London standing on top of Ladder holding the tag team straps. Without reading any further I logged on to wwe.com, whipped out my credit card, ordered the ppv and sat in front of my computer until 4am watching what turned out to be a very surprising and excellent ppv! I loved it! MVP and Kane put on the best Inferno match I've ever seen (granted that's not saying a whole hell of a lot) and told a great story in the process. Kennedy and Taker delivered some big spots. The main event, while far from spectacular had a special feel to it. Jimmy Wang Yang and Helms put on what would have been a show stealer on most nights. And then of course there was the Four-Way Ladder match. Just amazing, match, amazing ppv, and big respect to Joey Mercury for one of the sickest bumps I've ever seen!

3) Unforgiven (Raw) – Here's another ppv that delivered a MOTC. TCL with Cena and Edge was off the charts good! That match alone would have put this ppv high on the list! The match between Orton and Carlito could have and should have been longer, but it was still solid for the time it was given. Johnny Nitro and Jeff Hardy put on a hell of a match, and to top it all off we got to see a brutal Hell in a Cell! I feel like I'm forgetting something important…oh yeah, Trish Stratus received the send off of a life time! Honestly, who didn't mark out for her beating Lita with a sharpshooter in Canada in her last match?

2) ECW One Night Stand II (ECW) – I went back and forth several times trying to decide if this should be number one or two on the list. The crowd was as hot as I've ever seen and the matches did them justice! Orton had huge heel heat and put on a great match with Our Olympic Gold Medalist. We got to see the return of Tajiri in a solid tag match. Rey Rey and Sabu put on a sick spot-fest. The tag team hardcore match was the second best hardcore style match of the year and told a great story along the way. And then Rob Van Dam put on possibly the best match of his WWE tenure with the champ, John Cena. The crowd was so hot for that match and Cena played off them perfectly. As much as I'm a Van Dam hater, that was a moment and a match I'll never forget!

And the Overie for Pay-Per-View of the Year goes to…

1) WrestleMania 22 (WWE) – Come on, WrestleMania should be the best show every year. Granted, it's not every year, but this year I honestly believe it barley beat out ECW One Night Stand as the best ppv of the year! The Money in the Bank Ladder Match delivered once again, to no ones surprise. The U.S. championship match was solid. The Women's title match had as much crowd reaction as I've ever seen in a women's match. Undertaker was even able to pull a solid showing out of Mark Henry in the Casket match! The triple threat match for the World Title should have went on longer and could have been the match of the night, but was very good considering the time they had. The main event was everything a WrestleMania main event should be. It was a good match, it told a great story, the crowd was hot and the wrestlers played of the crowd to perfection. If all that was not good enough, we haven't touched on the best match of the night yet! Edge and Mick Foley should go on tour showing this hardcore match and giving lessons on how a hardcore match should take place, because they are obviously experts!

Wrestler of the Year!

10) Ric Flair (Raw) – Ric Flair proved he still has some gas in the tank in '06. He put his body through hell for the enjoyment of the fans this year, taking bumps we never thought we'd see him take. Flair wowed us in the TLC match on Raw against Edge, and his Hardcore match against Big Show on ECW. Not to mention his feud with Mick Foley was one of the hottest feuds of the year. Who knows how much longer "Naitch" can entertain us, but here's hoping we can get another year out of the Dirtiest Player in the Game!

9) Triple H (Raw) – Triple H, has been somewhat quiet this year, but was still good enough to make it on this list. He put on a great main event match with John Cena at Mania, and followed that up with another strong showing in the triple threat against Cena and Edge at Backlash. He then went on to reform Degeneration X to much fanfare and huge merchandise sales. Plus, you may question his motives, but one sentence from Trips at Survivor Series went a long way in getting net hero CM Punk over. HHH has silenced some of his doubters by staying away from the title picture, but is still a controversial figure in the IWC, I for one think Triple H is one of, if not the best in the business and hope he's higher on the list in 2007!

8) Gregory Helms (SmackDown!) – Sure, Helms spent a good portion of the year on the shelf, but he was still the Cruiser Weight Champion for the just about the entire calendar year. Not to mention his fun feud with Matt Hardy and his great match at Armageddon against Jimmy Wang Yang. Here's to more success for the former Hurricane in 2007!

7) Finlay (SmackDown!) – The Man Who Loves to Fight (or the bastard, as Lashley calls him, in his oh-so, masculine voice) has been around for ever, but has never been as over as he was in 2006. Finlay went from beating up midgets, to fighting for the World Championship over the course of the year. And his feud against Bobby Lashley was one of the many reasons SmackDown! had such an entertaining year. Vince has said he's very high on The Fighting Irishman, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see Finlay higher up on the list for the 2007 Overies!

6) Bobby Lashley (SmackDown!/ECW) – Bobby Lashley had a breakout year in 2006. His feud with Finlay was a shining point on SmackDown! through the early and middle portion of the year. He was later elevated to semi-main event level and proved he could play with the big boys. He then moved on to ECW where he was the only man who could end Big Show's strangle hold over the ECW title. For ECW's sake, let's hope that Lashley can move even higher up the list for 2007!

5) Rob Van Dam (Raw/ECW) – Let me start off by saying I think RVD is overrated. Now that that's out of the way, Rob Van Swamp-ass, had a very good 2006. He started off strong when he returned from injury with a solid showing in the Royal Rumble. He then turned a feud with Carlito into a victory at WrestleMania and became Mr. Money in the Bank. Van Dam had a run with the Intercontinental Championship before becoming the face of the new breed unleashed. Van Dam put on an amazing match with John Cena at ECW One Night Stand II, and in the process became both the WWE and ECW champion! Van Dam would end up smoking his run at the top away, but he came back and continued to put on good matched to entertain the ECW fans. His solid matches with the likes of Carlito, Cena, Edge, Big Show and even Hardcore Holly earn RVD a spot on the list…no matter how much I don't like him.

4) Edge (Raw) – Edge had the best year of his professional life in 2006. He started the year off with a bang, cashing in his Money in the Bank Ladder Match prize and winning the WWE Championship at the first ppv of the year. The Rated R Super Star went on to have a hot, on-again-off-again feud with John Cena that tore the house down through out the summer. When Edge wasn't busy battling Cena for the belt, he was waging war against Mick Foley and Degeneration X. His runs with the belt and his high profile feuds definitely earn Edge recognition from the Overie voting poll!

3) Big Show (Raw/ECW) – Show started the year off as a dominate tag team champion with the Big Red Machine and then went on to save ECW after Kurt Angle and RVD both dropped the ball. Big Show's impressive reign as ECW champion not only legitimized the new belt and new brand, but earns him the number three spot in the Wrestler of the Year Overie!

2) John Cena (Raw) – Tell me if this sounds familiar or not…like him or hate him, he's the best thing going! Those words sum up John Cena perfectly. This year Cena has managed to be the most over face, heel and tweener for the WWE depending on what city they happen to be in. I've grown up watching some of the biggest names in wrestling and few have elicited the type of crowd response Cena fires up on a nightly basis. When you combine that with some of his great ppv matches and a few championship reigns, John Cena just misses out on the Overie for Wrestler of the Year. Maybe next year John.

And the Overie for Wrestler of the Year goes to…

King Bookah! (SmackDown!) – It's interesting, before the midway point of 2006 I never like Booker T, he bored me. But Booker transformed in the middle of the year and won me over as a fan and a loyal subject! Booker T started the year off feuding with Chris Benoit over the coveted United States Championship. It wasn't long after that, the future King was found jobbing to the Boogey Man in minutes on the grandest stage of them all. Just like JBL before him, Booker was rewarded for putting over the worm eating embarrassment. At SmackDown!'s next ppv, Booker T became King Booker by winning the returning King of the Ring Tournament! There was no looking back after Judgment Day as King Bookah took the King gimmick arguably farther than anyone before him (Randy Savage being the one who could argue that). Two months later at SmackDown!'s next ppv, King Bookah became King of the Word, by defeating underwhelming champ, Rey Mysterio for the World Championship! King Bookah formed a very entertaining Royal Court that aided him in retaining his championship against such challengers as Batista and Bobby Lashley. One of his court members, Finlay had an eye on the King's thrown though and turned on his majesty, forcing a great four-way match at No Mercy, where King Bookah once again reigned supreme. Next up for Bookah was crossing the waters to uncharted territories in an attempt to expand his kingdom. Booker went into a Raw exclusive ppv and beat out both John Cena and Big Show to become the first ever Champion of Champion. The King did end up losing his championship to the Animal at Survivor Series, but put on a nice little triple threat match the following Friday Night. He also headlined the final ppv of the year. When you add it all up, a U.S. title feud, King of the Ring, World Champion, Champion of Champion and many ppv main events, 2006 truly was the year of the King! All Hail King Bookah!


Over and Out:

So there you have it, the first ever Overies have come to an end. I hope you enjoyed the show and that you'll be sure to come back next year for the 2007 Overies!

Before I sign out, I have a special homework assignment for all my loyal readers. Before the spring semester begins, I want to do a special edition Getting Over. I've been thinking of doing a column on Getting Over the return of a former WWE SuperStar. I don't mean some one in the legend category like a Randy Savage. I have two main guys in mind and I need your help to determine who I should pick. Brock Lesnar is one choice and the other is Y2J Chris Jericho! So what I'm asking everyone to do is let me know which of those two you'd rather see return to the WWE. Or, if you feel I should consider someone else, convince me, I'm open to other possibilities.

Alright, with that, I want to remind you that all feedback is welcomed. I don't care if you loved the column, hated it, or are indifferent about it, I want to know how everyone feels! Every piece of feedback you guys send me I take the time to answer back, so lets see the feedback people! Until next time, Over and Out!