Pulse Wrestling Awards – 2006 Winners

Awards, Features, Site News

To close out 2006, the Pulse Wrestling staff selected nominees in 15 categories that span all U.S.-based wrestling promotions and events that took place from December 16, 2005 through December 15, 2006. Twenty-nine members of our staff chose from the five nominees in each category, and below are the results. Listed for each category are the Writers’ Pick, the corresponding Readers’ Pick (from a similar poll posted in our forums), and a paragraph (or so) on each category, written by various members of Pulse Wrestling’s staff. The five nominees for each award are also listed in order, from winner to fifth place.

Enjoy!
– Mm




Best Male Wrestler
Writers’ Choice: Bryan Danielson
Readers’ Choice: Samoa Joe

At this point, assuming you’ve been paying any attention to my writing at all, you all know I’m a huge Danielson mark. I was clearly heavily rooting for him for wrestler of the year and had a series of columns lined up about why he should have won if he didn’t. I might even volunteer to have his babies were I a properly equipped women… So, even though I think he’s the cat’s meow, I am able to remain fully objective on the matter, as in the past I’ve thrown my support behind wrestlers I hate, such as Wifebeater (TM Eric S) and The Undertaker. I wanted to get that out of the way at the start.

Now, that said, there is no way any wrestler even approached Bryan Danielson’s year. From the first day of the year to the very last ROH show in Decmeber, he was Ring of Honor Champion. During his run he took on all comers, such as Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Homicide, Chris Sabin, KENTA, Naomichi Marufuji and Austin Aries. He elevated up-and-comers like Nigel McGuinness, Roderick Strong and Delirious to legitimate main event status. He even managed to draw Lance Storm out of retirement for one last title shot. According to Dave Meltzer at the Wrestling Observer he had at least four **** matches, and he was the best old-school heel since a late 80s Ric Flair. At my count he has 10 **** title defenses this year including my own personal match of the year. This is the stuff legends are made of. While Samoa Joe got untracked in the TNA midcard and Edge was trying to drag something decent out of John Cena, Danielson was putting on classic after classic. This might be his final time up for this award if his Peace Corps dream comes true, but whether he ever reaches these heights again, no one can ever doubt the legendary run he’s had this year culminating in this award. – Pulse Glazer

Staff Voting Results
1 – Bryan Danielson (37%)
2 (tie) – Edge (20%)
2 (tie) – Samoa Joe (20%)
4 (tie) – Kurt Angle
4 (tie) – Dave Finlay




Best Female Wrestler
Writers’ Choice: Trish Stratus
Readers’ Choice: Trish Stratus

Returning to defend her title as Inside Pulse’s Best Female Wrestler of 2005, unanimously by both the staff and the readers, is Trish Stratus. Stratus, Victoria and Lita were the returning nominees this year, with Mickie James and Cheerleader Melissa debuting in the category. In late 2005 through May 2006, Stratus was involved in a hot feud against her “biggest fan” turned psycho Mickie James which got a considerable amount of air time and brought rare attention to the women’s division. Stratus developed an onscreen relationship with Carlito, and feuded with power-couple Lita and Edge, which rekindled her old rivalry with the Rated R Lita. Stratus’ final match of her WWE career occurred against Lita at Unforgiven, in Stratus’ hometown of Toronto, with Lita tapping out to the surprise finish of using Bret Hart’s signature Sharpshooter. Lita also retired from WWE competition this year against Mickie James in November at Survivor Series, losing the belt to James, and was then further humiliated by Cryme Tyme after the match. There has been speculation and controversy surrounding the contrasts of the retirements of both divas, with Stratus leaving in a classy manner, while Lita left with the last fan memories of her career including Cryme Tyme auctioning off her vibrator to fans at ringside. Victoria in late-2005 form is now involved in a storyline involving Mickie James; the first big feud of Mickie’s current reign as WWE’s Women’s Champ. With Lita and Stratus both now retired from active WWE competition, the state of the women’s division is in the capable hands of these two talented ladies. – Bambi Weavil

Staff Voting Results
1 – Trish Stratus (48%)
2 – Mickie James (27%)
3 – Cheerleader Melissa
4 – Victoria
5 – Lita






Best Tag-Team
Writers’ Choice (tie): Austin Aries & Roderick Strong, Brian Kendrick & Paul London, Latin American Exchange
Readers’ Choice: Latin American Exchange

How to build a tag division in three easy steps. First get numerous respectable challenging teams from in and outside the promotion. Next, put together a number of singles stars to chase to title to build its importance. Lastly, give the best team you can find a lengthy run, where they put on numerous match of the year candidates and convincingly match up with all contenders, regardless of style.

Points one and two are fairly easy with some dedication. Point three is the real sticking point to building a credible tag division. ROH has been trying for years, most recently with The Havana Pitbulls, but with no success. That is, until 2006 when they put the belt on Austin Aries and Roderick Strong. Aries is a fantastic worker and former ROH World Champion. Having him want the tag belts and put such an emphasis on them only helps the prestige of the championship. Strong is one of the best up-and-coming talents in the business; the kind of worker who, in time, can overcome a bland look through sheer workrate, something he’s already started doing in his matches against (who else?) Bryan Danielson. Put them together and you have a dynamic team that can credibly match up with anyone, bring out the best in their opponents, and drag out the best from even the most limited of teams. Add in compelling adversaries like the Briscoes, AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Matt Sydal, and The Kings of Wrestling and suddenly an entire tag division has been sculpted out of the shadow of one amazing team.

The team of Aries & Strong, possibly the only team active today who could carve out that niche, is a deserving to be named one of Pulse Wrestling’s Best Tag-Teams, in a year that sees an unprecedented three-way tie for this award. They mix technical wrestling with high flying. They mix tag formula with innovation of style. They mix personal success with opponents’ elevation like no other. They are everything a tag team should be and whether you’ve seen them wrestle or not, the other two winners in this category are elevated by being mentioned in the same breath. Don’t believe me? Try their Unified match against The Briscoes and find out for yourselves. – Pulse Glazer

~~~~~

London and Kendrick are simply the most exciting thing to happen to WWE’s oft-neglected tag team scene in quite some time. The explosive tandem have defied the odds time and time again, defeating teams of all shapes and sizes while successfully defending the WWE Tag Team Championship for several months. Their road to the title belts was a strong storyline compared to some of the usual McMahon fare. The high-flyers chased MNM for weeks, defeating them in every conceivable match without winning the titles, until finally sealing the deal at Judgment Day in May. London and Kendrick proved they were worthy to wear the straps before they ever actually won them.

Their drama masks are a unique twist, and have helped to cement the personality of the team, as their appearance mirrors their in-ring style: non-standard, edgy, and all their own. Playboy cover girl Ashley in their corner helps the two handsome young men appeal to more than just the teenage girls in the audience. And when you watch the champs, it’s often apparent that they were trained in Shawn Michaels’ image. The daredevils employ a high-risk, dangerous offensive style that takes a toll on them as well as their opponents, but this is what works for them. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

The longest reigning WWE Tag Team Champions in history are on a roll, and things continue to look good for these HooliganZ. – Vinny Truncellito

~~~~~

After bursting onto the scene in December 2005, LAX dominated TNA’s tag team division throughout 2006. They finally settled in following a few roster adjustments, with the two permanent members displaying a bit of a Hart Foundation dynamic. X Division high-flyer Homicide provides the speed and agility, and muscle monster Hernandez is the resident powerhouse. Of course, it’s quite apparent that Konnan is El Jefe, the inspirational leader and motivator of the team.

LAX set themselves apart using a separate ring entrance area, Spanish-language intros by Moody Jack, their own “border’ around the Spanish commentary position, and the angle in which they refused to wrestle due to discrimination. Anyone could see and feel that this group was something special, something unique. LAX possess what many experts consider the key element for wrestling heels: believability. It’s reasonable to accept that some Hispanic wrestlers could truly be upset at what they perceive as inequality, repression and unfair treatment of ethnic minorities in the business. They aren’t simple street thugs; they’re a revolutionary movement with a political agenda, and that makes them very dangerous.

They adeptly wove real-world immigration issues into their list of grievances, again providing a degree of realism to their fight. Their controversial flag-burning arc was powerful, and allowed superstar Petey Williams to turn face. You know a heel team is good when other heels are disgusted by their actions. In order to establish a “no mercy” attitude, LAX has committed several other distasteful acts, including a vicious attack on 60-plus year old legend “Bullet” Bob Armstrong and a devastating Border Toss on 100-pound Gail Kim. LAX clearly sees themselves at war with the establishment, and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

The angle with Jim Cornette wanting to strip LAX of the titles and them retaliating by threatening a lawsuit was priceless, even if reinstating their titles wasn’t initially on the books behind-the-scenes, but rather a reaction to fan backlash. LAX exploited the very system they stand against when it was to their advantage to do so. If you truly believe in what America is all about, then while you might dislike what LAX says and does, you simply have to support their right to say and do it. That puts pro-American fans in an uncomfortable position and makes them want to see the Latin American Exchange get their asses kicked. What more could you ask for in a heel stable?

LAX delivers in the ring as well. They feuded over the NWA Tag Team Championship with the outstanding team of AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels, providing some of the best in-ring action of the year, including the first ever Ultimate X tag title match. When you combine believable heel logic and reasoning, heat with American fans, and great wrestling action, you’ve got a real winner. LAX can certainly thrive and succeed for a long time to come in TNA. – Vinny Truncellito

Staff Voting Results
1 (tie) – Austin Aries & Roderick Strong (27%)
1 (tie) – Brian Kendrick & Paul London (27%)
1 (tie) – Latin American Exchange (27%)
4 – AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels (17%)
5 – America’s Most Wanted




Best Non-Wrestling Personality
Writers’ Choice: John Bradshaw Layfield
Readers’ Choice: John Bradshaw Layfield

I was reluctant to nominate our winner. After all, he spent half the nominating period being eligible for Male Wrestler of the Year. However, my fears were nullified by my colleagues. John Layfield received the most nominations of anyone in this category, and that result translated to the voting. The only surprise was that he didn’t receive a majority of the votes (and will the five people who voted for Kevin Nash please stand up so that I can crush your fingers?).

Can you believe now that we were hesitant when he took over the color spot in the Smackdown booth? “Could he really replace Tazz?” we all thought. From his second week, though, we all knew that WWE hadn’t made a mistake. Not even his great promo artistry prepared us for the phenomenal job he was doing on color. And, miracle of miracles, Michael Cole gave him the room he needed to work with. He’s been funny, educational, respectful of wrestling history, and seriously trying not to get himself over at the cost of getting the wrestlers over. The template is Jesse Ventura, of course, but he’s gone beyond that mold, meshing aspects of Gordon Solie, Jim Ross, and Mike Tenay into the basic Ventura model. The only thing holding him back right now is that Michael Cole isn’t Gorilla Monsoon. He’s been so great that we’ve been able to justify the excesses, like his use of Vince’s private plane to get him to his day job on Wall Street, with no problem.

I started calling him High-Quality Speaker Boy as a cute referential pun back when he started insisting on using initials, something that’s abominable to me. I never, in my wildest imaginations, believed that he’d turn it into a self-fulfilling prophecy. – Eric Szulczewski

Staff Voting Results
1 – John Bradshaw Layfield (48%)
2 – Armando Alejandro Estrada (20%)
3 – Kevin Nash
4 (tie) – Paul Heyman
4 (tie) – Jim Cornette




Breakout Star of the Year
Writers’ Choice: CM Punk
Readers’ Choice: CM Punk

Breakout superstar is a category where opportunity must meet action. CM Punk, possibly the top independent star of the past decade, finally got an opportunity to make a name for himself and to break out into the mainstream. This is an opportunity he made the most of, becoming the only star to shine amidst the mess that is the new ECW. The man who already has a five star match according to Meltzer (in Ring of Honor, Joe vs. Punk II) has stepped up to show the mainstream WWE fan what they’ve been missing.

CM Punk does not wrestle the “WWE style” particularly, but because of his loyal following from his independent days, and the fortuitous circumstance of his first televised WWE match being at the Hammerstein Ballroom, he received the loudest cheers of anyone in ECW save perhaps Rob Van Dam. This reaction caused the WWE to push him, an opportunity Punk wouldn’t waste.

Through a series of short matches and backstage vignettes, Punk’s promo ability, skill in the ring, and natural charisma have led to him being one of the best reasons to watch the new ECW. Possibly that brand’s most marketable new name, his merchandise is a top mover and in the Survivor Series main event, he received one of the bigger pops, dwarfing even that of the far more established D-Generation X and Hardy Boyz. Punk has truly emerged into the mainstream and broken out of the cult, indie star mold. Should his opportunity continue, it’s quite easy to see Punk as a contender for this award again next year. As for 2006, as you can see, no one has taken action upon meeting opportunity quite like Chicago’s own CM Punk. – Pulse Glazer

Staff Voting Results
1 – CM Punk (79%)
2 – Mickie James (10%)
3 (tie) – Bobby Lashley
3 (tie) – Eric Young
3 (tie) – Umaga




Best Wrestling Move
Writers’ Choice: Petey Williams’ Canadian Destroyer
Readers’ Choice: Petey Williams’ Canadian Destroyer

The piledriver has a long and storied history as a finisher in wrestling. Jerry Lawler turned it into the be-all-and-end-all (literally in the latter) in Memphis in the 70s and 80s. The Undertaker still whips his variant out when nothing else will put his opponent away. With just a little more luck, Owen Hart, God rest his soul, could have saved us from the menace of Wife-Beater (hey, for what happened, paralysis was an option). According to that great philosopher Koko B. Ware, love is like one.

But from Classic Lawler to Ganso Bomb, the piledriver has stayed relatively the same. It’s a simple yet effective move: drop a guy on his head. The impact does to cerebrospinal fluid what a rock dropped into a pond does: creates waves of concussive hydraulic force. It’s enough to cause spasms to areas of the brain. If done wrong, the impact causes spinal compression and potential, possibly fatal, damage to vertebrae and cranial nerves. That’s why people are scared of this move. And that’s a big reason why there hasn’t been much technical development in it. The arm-bar has gained more technical accouterments than the piledriver.

Until Petey Williams came along. He taught an old dog an impressive new trick. Since there wasn’t much to change about the end of the move, he concentrated on the way for the head to get to the mat. Under the tutelage of Scott D’Amore and what must have been a series of brave people on the other end, Williams mastered turning the piledriver into more of a snap move rather than being saddled with an elaborate set-up. Taking his opponent’s head between his knees, he does a 270-degree front flip, putting himself into a seated position and slamming his opponent’s head into the mat. Due to the fact that the motion is accelerated and the final position is essentially blind, the move looks dangerous and is dangerous.

But he does it so well that it’s a must-see even if you’ve seen it dozens of times. It’s one of the few finishers these days that you cannot consciously no-sell; any time Williams has hit it and not got the three-count, it’s been due to interference. And every time it’s done, an entire audience cringes.

Combine this devastating finisher with Williams’ incredible skill on the mat, and he takes a position at a higher level among credible X Division wrestlers. No one complains if he has the strap. That’s because everyone knows that the Destroyer is only a second away. – Eric Szulczewski

Staff Voting Results
1 – Petey Williams’ Canadian Destroyer (34%)
2 – CM Punk’s Anaconda Vice (24%)
3 – Homicide’s Gringo/Cop Killa
4 – Samoa Joe’s Muscle Buster
5 – Bryan Danielson’s Cattle Mutilation




Best Gimmick
Writers’ Choice: King Booker (Smackdown)
Readers’ Choice: King Booker (Smackdown)

By the beginning of 2006, Booker T was in a funk in terms of booking. He had spent the last part of 2004 gunning for JBL’s WWE Heavyweight Championship. After not winning his first World Title since WCW, he seemed to stall out. His wife, Sharmell, was introduced in time to start a feud with Kurt Angle which centered around her. He went from face to heel when he turned on friend Chris Benoit attacking him while Sharmell looked on and laughed. A two-ref decision in a match with Chris Benoit rendered the US Championship vacant as each ref declared one of the competitors the winner. He was headed into a best of seven series of matches with Booker and Chris Benoit to declare a new United States Champion, which sent WCW fans into a tizzy because of the memories of the best of seven series in WCW which ended poorly in a haze of Booker, Benoit, Finlay and Bret Hart.

This best of seven didn’t end much better. Thanks to a strain of his groin muscle, the series was cut short and Booker was left out in the cold, as the five-time WCW Champion found himself stuck in a feud with the Boogeyman while he healed up. Five years after headlining Wrestlemania for the WWE Championship, he would team up with his wife against the Boogeyman and lose. Then, it seemed like Booker had hit rock bottom when he lost a few matches to Smackdown rookie Gunner Scott, but then he was entered into the King of the Ring tournament, defeating Matt Hardy in the first round and getting a bye in the second round thanks to an injured Kurt Angle.

Thanks to some interference from Finlay, Booker defeated Bobby Lashley to become the 2006 King of the Ring. That’s when things changed. It seemed like the winning of the King of the Ring had catapulted Booker’s self esteem from the low that he had been experiencing all year long. He debuted himself as “King Booker” and immediately found himself a court fit for a king. Along with a fake English accent, Queen Sharmell and Sirs Fit Finlay and William Regal, King Booker set his sights on Rey Mysterio Jr. and his World Championship.

It’s the drastic change of gimmick that allowed the King Booker gimmick to get over with the crowd so well. Everyone saw through the facade, but despite how much we knew that this was the “Tell me he didn’t just say that” guy, the guy who had a feud with the Rock, the guy who was million-time WCW tag champion in Harlem Heat, and that he was the black guy from Houston who would scream “suckaaaa” at the end of his promos, the crowd would eventually embrace the King Booker gimmick and love to hate Booker and his fake English accent and delusional royalty.

King Booker went from “King of the Smackdown Kingdom” to “King of the World” at The Great American Bash 2006, where Booker defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. thanks to some help from Chavo Guerrero Jr. He’d then win a match with the RAW and ECW World Champs at Cyber Sunday to become “Champion of Champions.” By the time Booker eventually lost his title, it didn’t matter. The persona of King Booker had arrived. – Rob Blatt

Staff Voting Results
1 – King Booker (Smackdown) (62%)
2 (tie) – Latin American Exchange (TNA) (10%)
2 (tie) – Little Bastard (Smackdown) (10%)
2 (tie) – Paparazzi Productions (TNA) (10%)
5 – CM Punk (ECW)




Storyline of the Year
Writers’ Choice: Edge Cashes in Money in the Bank to Beat John Cena, Feuds with Him Most of the Year (RAW)
Readers’ Choice: Mickie James is Obsessed with Trish Stratus (RAW)

To me, Storyline of the Year is the ultimate year-end category for any fan of modern-day professional wrestling. This is the one place where solidly booked sports entertainment feuds and angles get their due over in-ring wrestling performances, and the main reason I wanted to offer my commentary on this crop of candidates is because I feel that there are many people who lose sight of the fact there are actually times where heavily criticized Creative Teams not only get it right but even strike gold. When these windfalls do occur, it is the writers, the wrestlers themselves, and we as fans who reap the benefits.

I am not surprised by the staff’s voting results, and in fact I am very proud that we gave the storyline between Edge and Cena its due. The best part about this angle was that the timing WWE Creative chose to kick it off was, in the immortal words of Curt Hennig, absolutely perfect. I say this because Edge secured his first WWE Championship and cemented his status as the new main event heel on the block in a situation that still kept John Cena very strong as a babyface. Cena had already survived a grueling Elimination Chamber match when Edge opportunistically cashed in his Money in the Bank title shot to force the embattled Cena into a tough spot, and Edge’s win began a successfully scripted, moderately rated main event title feud that carried the bulk of the load on Raw for most of the year.

Some other lingering thoughts on the other nominees…

On Mickie James and Trish Stratus: It’s a good thing Mickie and Trish feuded in 2006, because the rub and the experience that Mickie garnered while working with arguably the best women’s wrestler of this generation not only propelled her to the Women’s Championship but also prepared her for a Trish-less and Lita-less Raw. By playing the obsessed and later the possessed “fan” of Trish, Mickie received a crash course in character development that will serve her well. Also, from a fan’s perspective, the fact that Mickie has showed that “dark side” to her personality has made her feud with Victoria more realistic. Rather than thinking that Victoria automatically has that psychological edge over Mickie, the WWE fan knows – thanks to her feud with Trish – that Mickie James can play mind games with the best of them.

On Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe: The biggest shocker in these voting results was that Kurt targeting Joe did not place in one of the top two spots. At the same time, however, this angle is still developing in TNA and I feel like we still haven’t seen the best of Kurt and Joe in terms of storyline development. We know they can wrestle match after match and that most of them will be instant classics, but these guys have been around the block and I know they can make things even more “personal” than they had become by the end of the year.

On L.A.X. – Militant Thugs 24/7!: In terms of becoming monster heels and running roughshod over at TNA, Konnan deserves the MVP for being the quintessential mouthpiece for Homicide and Hernandez. I don’t know what happened between WCW and TNA, but Konnan has gotten so much better at promos, which are much more seasoned and resonant these days. Fight the power, L.A.X.!

On DX Reuniting: This one barely got nominated, so I guess the IP staff doesn’t like DX promos about t-shirts, wristbands, jerseys, pendants, finger-pointers, posters, water bottles, antidepressants, hair creams, Et. Al. – Chris Biscuiti

Staff Voting Results
1 – Edge Cashes in Money in the Bank to Beat John Cena, Feuds with Him Most of the Year (RAW) (34%)
2 – Mickie James is Obsessed with Trish Stratus (RAW) (31%)
3 – Kurt Angle Joins TNA & Targets Samoa Joe (TNA)
4 – Latin American Exchange Fights Discrimination (TNA)
5 – Degeneration-X Reunites, Wreaks Havoc on McMahons, Spirit Squad and Rated-RKO (RAW)





Match of the Year
Writers’ Choice (tie): Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA – ROH 9/16/06 (Glory by Honor V, Night 2) and Edge vs. Mick Foley – Hardcore Match – RAW 4/02/06 (Wrestlemania 22)
Readers’ Choice: Edge vs. Mick Foley – Hardcore Match – RAW 4/02/06 (Wrestlemania 22)

Let’s start off with the background of our first Match of the Year: KENTA was an undefeated Pro-Wrestling NOAH worker, yet to be pinned or submit to anyone in Ring of Honor, having beaten big names like Austin Aries and Roderick Strong. He has used his finisher, Go to Sleep (fireman’s carry to a flying knee to the head) to pin Danielson twice, once in a tag match and once in a non-title three-way. His offense is largely based on stiff kicks. Usually there isn’t much chance of a foreigner beating an in-promotion champion, but Danielson badly injured his shoulder in his last match and there was been noise all year of a full-blown NOAH invasion, which would be kicked off wonderfully by a KENTA title win. Danielson had put together a legendary title run to this point, but KENTA has had his number thus far.

With an electric crowd, evenly split between the face, KENTA, and the tweener (not yet a full heel), Danielson, things get kicked off with Danielson dodging a KENTA strike, showing that he’s learned from previous encounters and won’t be falling for the same tricks again. They lock up again and KENTA gives Danielson a slap to the face, letting him know with that sign of disrespect that he doesn’t care what Danielson thinks he’s learned. Danielson returns the slap a moment later.

The match featured running storylines galore. Danielson was unable to gain control with his regular offense so he borrowed heavily from previous opponents move sets to wear KENTA down. KENTA smelled blood with the hurt shoulder and attacked it all match to the exclusion of all else. This was set up by Danielson early having an answer for KENTA’s regular offense and later attacking the leg, weakening the kicks of KENTA. The Go to Sleep was not set up due to KENTA’s exclusively attacking the shoulder all match and that combined with Danielson’s knack, from the earliest of ROH shows, of kicking out of finishers, was enough to cause the escape. Danielson worked the arms early then concentrated on wearing down KENTA, but KENTA set the pace and controlled the match by going back to the shoulder time and again. By the end that meant his options were limited. With the hurt leg, the kicks weren’t putting Danielson away, Go to Sleep was already escaped, and the arm submissions were all escaped. KENTA had tried everything and was left with nothing but going back to what he already attempted. As worn down as he was, there was no chance that Danielson wasn’t countering this, as shown by his early mat superiority, and counter he did into vicious combinations ending with the Cattle Mutilation for the win. *****

After the match both men show each other respect with handshakes and bows. The crowd chant’s “Best in the World” and “Thank You KENTA.” And I give you your Match of the Year.

This match lead to Meltzer calling Danielson the best heel since late 1980’s Ric Flair. This is ROH and former ECW booker Gabe Sapolsky’s favorite match Ever in Ring of Honor. Remember, this promotion had matches like Kenta Kobashi vs. Samoa Joe and Joe vs. Punk II. This match is that good. It’s on Glory by Honor V Night 2. Go see it. It’s one of my favorite matches ever. And when you do see it, remember who sent you. – Pulse Glazer

~~~~~

From the Wrestlemania 22 SmarK Rant:

Hardcore match: Mick Foley v. Edge. So now we’ve got Joey Styles on commentary. Edge tries attacking with a baseball bat to start, but gets hung in the corner by Mick and elbowed. Joey’s analysis of Mick’s flannel seems a bit forced, but I guess he’s the expert. Lita retrieves the usual plunder — cookie sheets and road signs — allowing Edge to take over for the moment. Who seriously uses cookie sheets in a fight? Anyway, the spear looks to end it early, but Mick reveals that he was wearing barbed wire under his flannel. Edge just got PUNK’D! The blood starts flowing as Mick rips him up with it and retrieves the real deal — the barbed wire baseball bat. Now that’s what I’m talking about. Lita tries to slow him up, so Mick clotheslines Edge out with Lita on his back, and gets two. Neckbreaker on the floor gets two. Mick takes a run at him on the stairs, but Edge hiptosses him into the stairs instead. That wasn’t quite enough for him, so Edge whips him into them and Mick takes his usual crazy bump off it. Mick rolls back in, so Edge baseball slides him out again and then finds a table under the ring. Mick uses a cunning counter — rolling off the table, what a concept — so Edge slams him on the ramp for two. Back into the ring, and Edge finds his inner New Jack by dousing Foley with lighter fluid. Now there’s a spot you don’t see every day. Mick comes back with a piledriver and grabs a chair, but goes after Lita and Edge DDTs him for two. Edge now uses the barbed wire bat for nefarious purposes, and it’s Foley’s turn to bleed. Bulldog on the bat gets two. And now more secrets are revealed, as Edge shows off his weapons cache under the stairs and dumps some thumbtacks into the ring. And irony proves to be ironic again, as Mick suplexes him onto them instead. And now it’s Mr. Socko, with barbed wire to boot, and that’s one effective finisher. Everyone bleeds and Foley pounds on Edge with the bat in various unsavory ways. Now see, this is the difference between just doing a bunch of crazy highspots and actually taking the time to make each disgusting move mean something. Mick goes all Homer Simpson with the lighter fluid on the table, and yes, we have fire. Edge spears him through the flaming table, and yes, that is enough to end it. (Edge d. Foley, spear through a flaming table — pin, 14:36, ****1/4) Tremendous fun, as Foley somehow found new ways to recycle the same old hardcore spots into something new and different each time.

Some additional thoughts: I would have to protest this one actually winning Match of the Year, as I didn’t vote for it and in fact I saw two or three much better matches on ROH shows from around the same time. However, this match did prove that Mick Foley can make just about anyone into a star, as this match (and the ensuing feud with John Cena for the next part of the year) turned Edge into one of the cornerstones of the main event scene in the WWE and showed that if you let the hardcore genre lay fallow for a few years, it makes it easier to get a reaction out of a crowd when you bring it back again. – Scott Keith

Staff Voting Results
1 (tie) – Bryan Danielson vs. KENTA – ROH 9/16/06 (Glory by Honor V, Night 2) (29%)
1 (tie) – Edge vs. Mick Foley – Hardcore Match – RAW 4/02/06 (Wrestlemania 22) (29%)
3 (tie) – Blood Generation vs. Do Fixer – ROH 3/31/06 (Supercard of Honor) (18%)
3 (tie) – Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe – TNA 12/10/06 (Turning Point) (18%)
5 – Chris Benoit vs. Finlay – Smackdown 5/21/06 (Judgment Day)




Worst Match of the Year
Writers’ Choice: Undertaker vs. Big Show – Punjabi Prison Match – Smackdown 7/23/06 (Great American Bash)
Readers’ Choice: Undertaker vs. The Great Khali – Smackdown 5/21/06 (Friday Night Smackdown)

The Undertaker has had one of the greatest sustained runs in the history of wrestling. We all know the story: just another gimmick created by Pat Patterson and given to the entering Mark Calloway in 1990, it should have died a hideous death like virtually all of the gimmicks back then. But somehow it didn’t. The reason for that was simple to figure out. I was able to watch Survivor Series 1990 from the comfort of my barracks room in Germany, and when Calloway made his first ever WWE entrance, every single one of us went “What the hell is that?!” The gimmick and the person playing it were able to create a striking impression from that first moment, one that he’s sustained since. Who doesn’t mark out when the bell rings and the lights go off?

Calloway’s been able to achieve this success despite being paired off against some of the biggest stiffs to ever enter a WWE ring. If anyone else had an extended feud against Giant Gonzales, their careers would have been killed. And who can forget the Casket Match against Yokozuna, where Marty Jannetty died for our sins? Well, he continued this trend in 2006 thanks to Vince’s predilection for Calloway to only face the biggest and “baddest” (in more than one sense of the word).

So when Dalip Singh signed, it was natural that his character, The Great Khali, would end up facing the Undertaker at some point. And they did face each other, in a match that was also nominated for Worst Match of 2006. If we oldsters thought Giant Gonzales was atrocious, if we thought that Yokozuna fattened himself up to the point where he couldn’t move, none of us anticipated the steaming pile of crap that Khali was.

The problem here was that they were forced to do a blow-off match, and in order to hide Khali’s deficiencies, they had to do a gimmick match. So they created the Punjabi Prison, essentially a cage match with a spiked top instead of the traditional-in-these-cases barbed wire top. Of course, the spikes made sense because the cage was going to be wooden in nature rather than steel, since apparently Punjab doesn’t have access to any kind of refined metal.

That was dubious enough to begin with. Then Khali fell victim to the Wellness Policy and was suspended for thirty days during the hype for this match. Sane people would have canceled the gimmick. But we all know that no one at WWE is sane. The match would go on, despite the fact that the person for who the gimmick was tailored for would not be competing in it.

If that wasn’t enough, UT’s substitute opponent would end up being a very hurt and worn-down Big Show, a match we’d seen too many times to be interested in. Sometimes company loyalty (and Paul Wight’s been a good little soldier since he came in in ’99) just isn’t worth expressing. But, hell, it was a payday for him.

And it was torture for us. An over-the-hill, extremely uninterested Undertaker and a hurting and extremely uninterested Big Show, wrestling inside of what looked like the set for the World’s Tackiest Luau. It was a complete, utter nightmare from start to finish. To be nice, let’s just say that the Undertaker didn’t do for the Punjabi Prison what he did for Hell In A Cell. It didn’t set the concept of the cage match back fifty years, but it didn’t help the situation any.

However, we know that Mark Calloway could rationalize it. This was just another of those career kidney stones that eventually passed. He would have more to come. – Eric Szulczewski

Staff Voting Results
1 – Undertaker vs. Big Show – Punjabi Prison Match – Smackdown 7/23/06 (Great American Bash) (34%)
2 – Shane and Vince McMahon vs. Shawn Michaels (and ‘God’) – No Holds Barred Match – RAW 4/30/06 (Backlash) (31%)
3 – Undertaker vs. The Great Khali – Smackdown 5/21/06 (Friday Night Smackdown)
4 (tie) – Balls Mahoney vs. Matt Striker – ECW 12/03/06 (December to Dismember)
4 (tie) – Kevin Thorn & Ariel vs. Mike Knox & Kelly Kelly – ECW 12/03/06 (December to Dismember)




Missed Opportunity of the Year
Writers’ Choice: WWE Bringing Back ECW While Not Maintaining the ECW Feel
Readers’ Choice: WWE Bringing Back ECW While Not Maintaining the ECW Feel

I didn’t even bother to nominate ECW for this award. I knew everyone else would, and everyone else did. I was hoping to throw some notice to other abominations of the past year, like Edge’s first title reign being cut short. I knew going in, though, that if ECW was nominated, I’d end up voting for it. It’s just been mishandled from moment one, in a ham-fisted, disturbing manner.

First of all, ECW itself isn’t the Missed Opportunity Of 2006. It was the Missed Opportunity Of 2005 (and it ended up not even being nominated for last year’s awards…well, I nominated it, but the rest of the staff didn’t). It should have been done after the first One-Night Stand, when ECW and the memories thereof were white-hot. Of course, with the WWE’s TV situation in flux at the time, there were justifications for not doing it. But that’s neither here nor there.

As everyone’s pointed out, the biggest problem with ECW is that they revived the name without the spirit. It’s a hollow shell of its 1993-2001 self, three initials signifying nothing. The only thing the two have in common is the fact that they were both on an inappropriate television outlet.

There were some voices out there (especially Big Johnson over at 1bullshit Junior) who said that they shouldn’t follow the ECW Path. They claimed to be saying this out of some sort of perverse respect for the Original, telling us that our memories shouldn’t be soiled. Well, they got what they wanted. ECW Mark Two is so unlike ECW Mark One that there’s a complete disconnect, to the point where kids who weren’t around for the first go-around are wondering if the original sucked this bad too. Thank God that WWE’s released DVDs showing that it wasn’t.

The thing is, we had hope. We’d thought that Vince had his vendettas from 2001 out of his system. He’d denigrated WCW and ECW enough during the Invasion that it could have been considered a catharsis. We had a firm belief that they’d do it the right way. We were so foolish.

The litany of things that could have and did go wrong are long. They began with Van Dam’s and Sabu’s drug bust, which gave Steph and her little gnomes the opening they needed to worm their way into what was promised to be an autonomous creative staff. When they didn’t have their way (like the second episode of the new show), the results were great. But then the edicts started to come down: put the title on Wight, bury Van Dam, turn Heyman heel, push Test, push Knox, bring in Striker, bring in Lashley, and most importantly in regard to the “look and feel” aspect which won this award, eliminate ECW Rules matches. Everything they’ve done, for whatever reason, has been a complete and utter mistake.

Except for one thing. His name is CM Punk. He is now ECW’s only hope of survival. His push, hopefully to the title at Wrestlemania, is the only bright light at the end of the tunnel. However, far too often when it comes to WWE, the bright light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of the oncoming train. – Eric Szulczewski

Staff Voting Results
1 – WWE Bringing Back ECW While Not Maintaining the ECW Feel (44%)
2 – TNA Blowing Samoa Joe’s Win-streak on Kurt Angle (17%)
3 (tie) – CM Punk Not Winning the Elimination Chamber
3 (tie) – DX Not Adding One or Two New Members
5 – WWE Letting Angle go Thinking He’d Come Back




Most Improved Wrestler
Writers’ Choice: Carlito
Readers’ Choice: Johnny Nitro

It’s become a bit of a pattern that wrestlers stuck in a certain position on the card do just enough to get by in the ring, but don’t go above and beyond and are satisfied with their place. Carlito was accused of this in 2005, but made considerable strides in 2006 to improve his workrate. His work still comes off looking soft, but his effort has improved greatly, and he has debuted a variety of new, impressive moves throughout the year. Carlito also finally got a finisher over, which was something sorely lacking from his early WWE career repertoire. Although once again mired in a feud with Chris Masters, Carlito is one mid card WWE wrestler that is in line for a top level push in 2007, and if his workrate continues to improve like it has in 2006, he could be in for big things. – Widro

Staff Voting Results
1 – Carlito (31%)
2 – Nigel McGuinness (27%)
3 – Johnny Nitro
4 – John Cena
5 – Edge




Comeback of the Year
Writers’ Choice: Dave Finlay
Readers’ Choice: Dave Finlay

You know when you whittle through your Christmas stocking on the 25th December and, once you’ve got past the obligatory garbage that will be interesting for about 2 minutes, the jumper with a picture of a snowman, you get to the ever-present orange and apple nestling comfortably in the toes? Well, imagine if you were to delve past those and find a whole other stocking crammed full of emeralds. That’s the unexpected treat that Finlay has been in 2006. When we were duly informed via WWE hyperbole packages that this old looking fella hiking around Ireland was called Finlay and he loved to fight, I, for one, was wondering exactly what a geezer just shy of his half-century could bring to the game with him. It turns out that he’s quite capable thankyouvery much – and has not only made every single match he’s been involved in must-see TV, he’s snatched himself a run with the US Title, turned in a couple of match of the year candidates and been pretty much the on-the-job tutor to the new ECW Champion, Bobby Lashley. If you doubt how good Finlay actually is in helping others get their act together, Lashley’s amazing improvement in-ring should convince you otherwise. As much as I’d love to see it and think it would actually work, it’s hard to see Finlay winning the big one in the twilight of his career but, if nothing else, the only man on the roster worthy of carrying the mantle of DAVEness into 2007 has proved that age has it’s advantages and so does having a midget hiding under the ring wielding a big stick. – Ross Williams

Staff Voting Results
1 – Dave Finlay (62%)
2 – Umaga (Eddie Fatu/Jamal) (13%)
3 (tie) – D-Generation X
3 (tie) – Jeff Hardy
5 – Kevin Nash




Best Big Event
Writers’ Choice: WWE Wrestlemania 22
Readers’ Choice: WWE Wrestlemania 22

Let’s just play along nicely with the simplified version of things and consider that Raw is the A-brand, Smackdown is the B-brand and ECW is the See-brand (it’s too imbecilic to just use the actual letter). We could even placate the whims of the hopeful and say that TNA is the #2 promotion in North America now, and that ROH could very easily be the same thing if they wanted it. WrestleMania is above them all. The brand name WrestleMania means more to people now than even the name WWE does. When that mythical casual audience thinks of wrestling the first names that spring to mind will either be ‘Hulk Hogan’ or ‘WrestleMania’. It is the superior promotion in its own right, a veritable Brand Zero, and perhaps the only show that we can now rely on WWE to get right. Hell, WrestleMania 23 is already the most profitable card in the company’s history and they don’t even know what matches to put on it. WrestleMania 22 was far and away the biggest event of 2006 and brought with it that patented magic which can somehow make even the sight of Kane and The Big Show lobbing Carlito and Chris Masters around the ring in the opening match seem like great fun. It is an atmosphere unmatched by any other wrestling show in the world, WWE or otherwise, and to compare any of them to it would be as unfair as comparing a cable TV mini-series to an IMAX cut of Lord of the Rings. Highlights this time around included: Shelton Benjamin’s Spider-Man impression, Mick Foley bringing out the inner Terry Funk in Edge (not literally, sadly), a botched finish to one of the most heated women’s matches ever, Undertaker displaying his lovely hat to Mark Henry, Vince somehow strutting even harder than ever before, Randy Orton not winning the title, Rey out-doing Taker on the lovely headgear front, Triple H’s little furry boots, an unspoken cameo by C.M. Punk, at least half the crowd telling Cena to f*ck off, and Triple H tapping out to a cuddle. Neat. – Iain Burnside

Staff Voting Results
1 – WWE Wrestlemania 22 – 4/02/06 (41%)
2 – ROH Supercard of Honor – 3/31/06 (31%)
3 – TNA Bound for Glory – 10/22/06
4 – TNA iMPACT! Prime Time Special – 11/16/06
5 – ECW One Night Stand – 6/11/06




Best Promotion
Writers’ Choice: Ring of Honor
Readers’ Choice: Ring of Honor

Why won’t they listen to their fans? Why don’t they build around the cruiserweights? The X division? Do they have to waste so much time on T&A and failed attempts at comedy? They need to treat the titles with more respect!

Why isn’t there a promotion that cuts through all of the crap and just lets the best wrestlers wrestle?

There is, and the wrestling fans who know about it have been trying to tell the wrestling fans who don’t know about it since the era of honor began back in February 2002. At long last, in 2006, the word seems to really be spreading.

Ring of Honor listens to their fans. They book wrestlers based on their talent rather than on their size or their look. The bad comedy is mercifully kept to a minimum and the wrestling itself is what always carries the show. The ROH title isn’t just used as an empty prop, it means something.

Granted, there have been some missteps along the way. Long time ROH fans love to talk about classic matches from the past, but there have been some moments most of us would prefer to forget: The Christopher Street Connection gay-bashing storyline, for example, or the mystery of who crapped in the Carnage Crew’s Bags. Nine times out of ten, though, the promotion has hit a bullseye when it comes to giving their fans what they want.

In 2006, Ring of Honor gave their fans everything we could have wanted and more.

The man that many consider the best independent professional wrestler in the world, Bryan Danielson, completed his quest to win the ROH World Championship title in September 2005. For the first 51 weeks of 2006, he defended the belt against all comers, putting on one classic match after another. He had memorable feuds with Roderick Strong, Chris Hero, Nigel McGuinness, KENTA, Samoa Joe and Homicide. Lance Storm came out of retirement specifically to face him for the title. Danielson also showed a Ric Flair-like touch in elevating lower-card wrestlers like Delirious, Jimmy Rave, and Colt Cabana to the level of believable challengers. By the end of his reign, Danielson has added considerable weight to the assertion that the ROH title is truly a World Championship.

The ROH vs. CZW feud was an indie wrestling fan’s dream come true, and another great example of how well the promotion understands, and plays to, their fan base. Better still, the matches themselves featured the kind of hot crowds and great brawling that made them stand out from the usual ROH main events. Furthermore, the Milestone Series of big events saw regular international participation from the stars of Pro Wrestling NOAH and Dragon Gate. KENTA, CIMA, and other Japanese pros continued to show up in ROH throughout the year, putting on good to great matches every time out. Jay & Mark Briscoe, Austin Aries & Roderick Strong, and The Kings of Wrestling were the key members of pro wrestling’s best tag team division. Young stars like Davey Richards and the Irish Airborne were brought into the promotion and given the chance to shine.

2006 was undoubtedly the best year in ROH’s brief history, and it’s great to be able to recognize that, and thank them for all they’ve given us as fans, by awarding them Pulse Wrestling’s Promotion of the Year. – Gordi Whitelaw

Staff Voting Results
1 – Ring of Honor (55%)
2 – Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (27%)
3 – RAW
4 (tie) – Smackdown
4 (tie) – ECW



Agree/disagree/have something to say about our picks? Comment below or in our reader forums, and click here to see full results of our Readers’ Poll! Also, you can look at last year’s awards by clicking here, plus don’t forget to check out our Puro and Lucha awards, coming soon!

Matthew Michaels is editor emeritus of Pulse Wrestling, and has been since the site launched.