Standard caveats: -The timeframe covers December to November. -Some of the overall awards are available to both wrestling and MMA organizations. (Sometimes this makes sense, sometimes this doesn't.) -I didn't vote. Maybe someone else here did. -If there's no WWE in the top three, I'll list their top finisher.
LOU THESZ/RIC FLAIR AWARD (WRESTLER OF THE YEAR)
1. HIROSHI TANAHASHI
2. Kazuchika Okada
3. Daniel Bryan
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS MOST VALUABLE
1. GEORGES ST-PIERRE
2. Ronda Rousey
3. Jon Jones
MOST OUTSTANDING WRESTLER
1. HIROSHI TANAHASHI
2. Daniel Bryan
3. Kazuchika Okada
MOST OUTSTANDING FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
1. CAIN VELASQUEZ
2. Jon Jones
3. Johny Hendricks
BEST BOX OFFICE DRAW
1. GEORGES ST-PIERRE
2. The Rock
3. John Cena
FEUD OF THE YEAR
1. HIROSHI TANAHASHI VS. KAZUCHIKA OKADA
2. Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate
3. Hirooki Goto vs. Katsuyori Shibata
4. C.M. Punk vs. Brock Lesnar
TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR
1. SETH ROLLINS & ROMAN REIGNS
2. Goldust & Cody Rhodes
3. Young Bucks
MOST IMPROVED
1. ROMAN REIGNS
2. Tomohiro Ishii
3. Goldust
BEST ON INTERVIEWS
1. PAUL HEYMAN
2. C.M. Punk
3. The Rock
MOST CHARISMATIC
1. HIROSHI TANAHASHI
2. The Rock
3. John Cena
BEST TECHNICAL WRESTLER
1. DANIEL BRYAN
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi
3. Antonio Cesaro
BRUISER BRODY MEMORIAL AWARD (BEST BRAWLER)
1. KATSUYORI SHIBATA
2. Tomohiro Ishii
3. Kevin Steen
5. Brock Lesnar
BEST FLYING WRESTLER
1. KOTA IBUSHI
2. Ricochet
3. Adrian Neville
(Adrian Neville is in NXT, as is 5th place Sami Zayn. Top WWE roster was Kofi Kingston at 15th, the last of the honorable mentions.)
MOST OVERRATED
1. RANDY ORTON
2. Ryback
3. HHH
MOST UNDERRATED
1. ANTONIO CESARO
2. Dolph Ziggler
3. Tomohiro Ishii
PROMOTION OF THE YEAR
1. NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING
2. Ultimate Fighting Championship
3. World Wrestling Entertainment
BEST WEEKLY TV SHOW
1. WWE NXT
2. WWE Raw
3. Dragon Gate Infinity
PRO WRESTLING MATCH OF THE YEAR
1. HIROSHI TANAHASHI VS. KAZUCHIKA OKADA 4/7 TOKYO
2. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tomohiro Ishii 8/4 Osaka
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada 10/14 Tokyo
4. Brock Lesnar vs. C.M. Punk 8/18 Los Angeles
MMA MATCH OF THE YEAR
1. GILBERT MELENDEZ VS. DIEGO SANCHEZ 10/19 Houston
2. Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson 9/21 Toronto (
3. Wanderlei Silva vs. Brian Stann 3/3 Tokyo
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
1. YOHEI KOMATSU
2. Konosuke Takeshita
3. U-T
5. Enzo Amore (NXT)
6. Charlotte (NXT; Ric Flair's daughter)
BEST NON-WRESTLER
1. PAUL HEYMAN
2. Zeb Colter
3. Gedo
BEST TELEVISION ANNOUNCER
1. WILLIAM REGAL (NXT)
2. Joe Rogan
3. John Layfield
WORST TELEVISION ANNOUNCER
1. TAZ
2. Jerry Lawler
3. Michael Cole
BEST MAJOR WRESTLING SHOW
1. NEW JAPAN G-1 8/4 OSAKA
2. New Japan Wrestle Kingdom 1/4 Tokyo Dome
3. WWE SummerSlam 8/18 Los Angeles
WORST MAJOR WRESTLING SHOW
1. WWE BATTLEGROUND 10/6 BUFFALO
2. WWE Survivor Series 11/24 Boston
3. WWE Night of Champions 9/15 Detroit
BEST WRESTLING MANEUVER
1. KAZUCHIKA OKADA RAINMAKER
2. Antonio Cesaro Giant Swing
3. Daniel Bryan Busaiku Knee
MOST DISGUSTING PROMOTIONAL TACTIC
1. WWE EXPLOITING DEATH OF BILL MOODY (PAUL BEARER)
2. TNA treatment of Jesse Sorensen
3. CMLL not delivering Atlantis vs. Guerrero mask match
WORST TELEVISION SHOW
1. TNA IMPACT
2. WWE Raw
3. WWE Smackdown
WORST MATCH OF THE YEAR
1. NATALYA & NAOMI & CAMERON & BELLA TWINS & JO JO & EVA MARIE VS. FOX & AKSANA & LEE & SNUKA & MENDES & KAITLYN & SUMMER RAE 11/24 BOSTON
2. Randy Orton vs. Big Show 11/24 Boston
3. Kane vs. Bray Wyatt 8/18 Los Angeles
WORST FEUD OF THE YEAR
1. BIG SHOW VS. AUTHORITY
2. TNA vs. Aces and 8s
3. Total Divas vs. WWE Divas
Kane's top finish was 10th. (Bray Wyatt)
WORST PROMOTION OF THE YEAR
1. TOTAL NONSTOP ACTION
2. All Japan Pro Wrestling
3. CHIKARA Pro
BEST BOOKER
1. GEDO & JADO (New Japan)
2. Joe Silva (UFC)
3. Hunter Johnston (ROH)
PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
1. DANA WHITE
2. Takaaki Kidani
3. Vince McMahon
BEST GIMMICK
1. THE WYATT FAMILY
2. The Bullet Club
3. The Shield
WORST GIMMICK
1. ACES & 8S
2. Heel owner Dixie Carter
3. Los Matadores
BEST PRO WRESTLING BOOK
1. MAD DOGS, MIDGETS AND SCREWJOBS BY PATRIC LAPRADE & BERTRAND HEBERT
2. The Hardcore Truth by Bob Holly & Ross Williams
3. The Squared Circle by David Shoemaker
BEST PRO WRESTLING DVD
1. JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS: THE GOOD OLD DAYS
2. Legends of Mid South Wrestling
3. Barbed Wire City
I am why James is crying.
Go Pack Go! Owner of one (1) share. (8-7-1, NFC North Champions.) Let's Go Riders! Owner of one (1) share. (11-7, Champs!)
Battleground at least had that epic Rhodes Brothers/Shield tag title match, so I would've ranked it as better than the wasteland that was Night Of Champions.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." --- Bart Giamatti, on baseball
MMA should have been all Tate and Rousey. Rock is the biggest Box Office draw since he again headlined a Mania for the third straight year. I am glad they stopped throwing MMA and Wrestling into together for most of the categories, now they have to do it for all. I know its going to come off as racist, but every year some random Japanese wrestler, I have never heard of wins all the awards, because its Japan that is why. I have voted in this before and it would be nice if they sent you a reminder email or something.
The Wee Baby Sheamus.Twitter: @realjoecarfley its a bit more toned down there. A bit.
Originally posted by lotjxI know its going to come off as racist, but every year some random Japanese wrestler, I have never heard of wins all the awards, because its Japan that is why. I have voted in this before and it would be nice if they sent you a reminder email or something.
I don't even know where to begin, so I just want to make sure nobody skips past this part right here.
Originally posted by lotjxI know its going to come off as racist, but every year some random Japanese wrestler, I have never heard of wins all the awards, because its Japan that is why.
This isn't the 80s. It's not really that hard to find out who these people are BEFORE the awards get announced.
Also, good job TNA. You beat out a company that literally lost half it's roster (AJPW) and another that hasn't had any shows since the middle of the year (Chikara Pro).
Regal beating Rogan for best announcer is surprising but not surprising. Regal has a strong sentimental following because he was never used to his full potential in the ring, and he's a funny guy who has nothing to lose by making someone else look good.
But I contend that Rogan is the best color commentator on TV today. He can hype a match without being overbearing, and during the fights, he can talk strategy and history, explain the utility and efficacy of maneuvers, and he can still get caught up in the fight while continuing to talk it up. He's a superfan who knows his stuff. He makes any UFC better, and there's a significant diminishment when someone else has his chair.
And I completely agree on Cesaro not getting his due. Almost any match-up we can suggest with him is intriguing.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Originally posted by lotjxI know its going to come off as racist, but every year some random Japanese wrestler, I have never heard of wins all the awards, because its Japan that is why. I have voted in this before and it would be nice if they sent you a reminder email or something.
I don't even know where to begin, so I just want to make sure nobody skips past this part right here.
Please read it, I doubt I am alone to find it eye-rolling when it happens almost every year.
The Wee Baby Sheamus.Twitter: @realjoecarfley its a bit more toned down there. A bit.
Originally posted by lotjxI know its going to come off as racist, but every year some random Japanese wrestler, I have never heard of wins all the awards, because its Japan that is why. I have voted in this before and it would be nice if they sent you a reminder email or something.
I don't even know where to begin, so I just want to make sure nobody skips past this part right here.
Please read it, I doubt I am alone to find it eye-rolling when it happens almost every year.
1. Just because you don't know about something doesn't mean that the thing you don't know about isn't valid
2. Given that you're openly and proudly uninformed about what you'd be voting on, I'm sure the Observer Awards will survive quite nicely without your input
3. If only there was some sort of website with daily updates and/or a weekly newsletter that could remind you of the voting period
Originally posted by lotjxI know its going to come off as racist, but every year some random Japanese wrestler, I have never heard of wins all the awards, because its Japan that is why.
This isn't the 80s. It's not really that hard to find out who these people are BEFORE the awards get announced.
Actually, reading these awards actually gets me to scour YouTube, looking for wrestlers I've never heard of before. Okada is VERY entertaining.
Considering that CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar was really more "CM Punk vs Paul Heyman" and lasted less than a month, I really think that one was a case of people really liking the match (which was very well built) than any real consideration to the many feuds of the year. I think that one is kind of bullshit, even for fourth place (which is First Place American).
I would have taken Punk vs Heyman, or even Daniel Bryan vs The Authority, while it did fizzle out, seemed like a better feud considering the greater whole.
Otherwise, I guess that's 2013 in a nutshell. New Japan had a great year and I was even able to watch some of it online, so I think it placed pretty fairly.
Originally posted by SKLOKAZOIDConsidering that CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar was really more "CM Punk vs Paul Heyman" and lasted less than a month, I really think that one was a case of people really liking the match (which was very well built) than any real consideration to the many feuds of the year. I think that one is kind of bullshit, even for fourth place (which is First Place American).
I would have taken Punk vs Heyman
Punk vs. Heyman was #5, so they actually split the vote between the same feud. If you add them up they would've finished second.
Brock F5'd Punk the night after Payback, so I suppose they did have two-month build. It would've been nice if Triple H hadn't wasted the Brock matches and a Brock job and they could've done a second match. Maybe even Punk against Lesnar and Heyman inside the Cell. Also, my usual talking point about how much better it would've been with Barrett or Cesaro as the other Paul Heyman Guy.
My pick for WWE feud would've probably been the Shield vs. Hell No (#7), not just for double digit great matches in various combinations, but a story from start to finish with Daniel Bryan chasing and finally getting the win. Most importantly, the crowd reactions to Daniel Bryan in those matches got him the SummerSlam main event and led to the overlapping storyline and IRL saga of his trials & tribulations basically taking over the company.
In a cost-benefit analysis, HHH is more overpushed than Randy Orton.
NXT deserved Best Show in 2012. Total Divas should've won this year.
I don't watch Japanese Grappleknees, but because I don't think the sun is extinguished every time I blink, I just skip down to look at the Americans.
Originally posted by hansenWORST FEUD OF THE YEAR 1. BIG SHOW VS. AUTHORITY Kane's top finish was 10th. (Bray Wyatt)
God, it's the end of an era. But wait! Kane's tenacity is such that HIS DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS SPOT IN THE AUTHORITY KEEPS THE STREAK ALIVE. Close call but you knew he'd find a way to pull it out, just like the other streak in the family.
Originally posted by hansen9jPRO WRESTLING MATCH OF THE YEAR
1. HIROSHI TANAHASHI VS. KAZUCHIKA OKADA 4/7 TOKYO
2. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tomohiro Ishii 8/4 Osaka
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada 10/14 Tokyo
4. Brock Lesnar vs. C.M. Punk 8/18 Los Angeles
Where did Punk/Cena from the 2/25 RAW make the list? (Don't you tell me it didn't because everybody forgot to vote for it!)
12th, shunted down into the honorable mentions. Third best Punk match (#4 Lesnar, #10 Undertaker), second best Cena (#5 Daniel Bryan). I'm gonna say everyone forgot.
I would have voted for NFL MVP if only there had been an email reminder.
I am why James is crying.
Go Pack Go! Owner of one (1) share. (8-7-1, NFC North Champions.) Let's Go Riders! Owner of one (1) share. (11-7, Champs!)
So, Raw is voted the 2nd best AND 2nd worst show? Ooooookay.
There aren't a lot of shows to chose from, and it's super high profile. It's not like the same people are voting for both. If we had the 2012 Presidential Election awards, Obama and Romney would have finished in the top two for Best and for Worst.
I am why James is crying.
Go Pack Go! Owner of one (1) share. (8-7-1, NFC North Champions.) Let's Go Riders! Owner of one (1) share. (11-7, Champs!)
It isn't on TV here, but they air many live events as PPVs on uStream. (Commentary is in Japanese, or very occasionally in Spanish.) They post older matches on their YouTube channel under the NJPW Greatest Moments playlist. Occasionally, some current stuff is posted for free on the uStream channel, but they don't post their TV shows anywhere. Other people do, of course.
NJPW's talked about running shows in the US this year. They've posted English language commericals for their iPPVs and have a poorly translated English Facebook page, but they should be doing a lot more. I'm still really surprised they didn't have a English commentating option for their Tokyo Dome show. I know most of their current English speaking fans prefer the traditional announcer over a crew who wouldn't be as educated as them, but they need to do it if they're going to continue to expand. They're not going to be able to get their in ring product much better than it is, but they could definitely improve their accessibility.
Originally posted by hansen9jThere aren't a lot of shows to chose from, and it's super high profile. It's not like the same people are voting for both. If we had the 2012 Presidential Election awards, Obama and Romney would have finished in the top two for Best and for Worst.
My guess at the Observer's picks in those categories:
Best Political Characters (Fiction and Real combined categories) 1. Shinzō Abe 2. Bunmei Ibuki 3. Barack Obama
Worst Political Characters (Fiction and Real combined categories) 1. Selina Meyer 2. Mitt Romney 3. Ernesto Cordero
There's no way anyone other than Hogan and Michaels are getting credit if the show does a good buyrate, and I'd rather have Triple H back than see Hogan stick around any longer.