Welcome ladies and gentlemen to The 2013 Pulse Wrestling Awards! I am your host, Rhett Davis, and I collected the thoughts and opinions of eight of our esteemed Pulsers. Now if you want to comment before reading, here are the categories…
Head-Scratching Moment of the Year
PPV Of the Year
Biggest Surprise of the Year
Top News Story
Feud of the Year
Promo of the Year
Match of the Year
Best Indy Promotion of the Year
Rookie of the Year
Most Improved Wrestler of the Year
Best Non-Wrestling Personality
Tag Team of the Year
Female Wrestler of the Year
Wrestler of the Year
Now without any other delays here are the selections made by the staff…
Head-Scratching Moment of the Year
Rhett Davis – Dolph Ziggler’s Fall
One minute he’s the hottest act around with maybe the exception of Daniel Bryan, and the next he’s shuttled to the back battling Damien Sandow in a Broadway Brawl (in Nashville of all places). Poor guy was the most memorable thing from the ‘Monday After WrestleMania,’ and now his push is going to the likes of Big E Langston.
Penny Sautereau – HBK’s heel turn
That can NEVER have any decent pay-off.
Chris Sanders – Los Matadores
I just…I can’t.
Mike Gojira – Dolph Ziggler’s Epic Fail
Seriously, what the fuck is that all about? The fans love him, they rallied behind him for his MitB cash-in, they switched sides in support of Ziggler when del Rio kicked his head in, and yet he languishes in a Zack Ryder-like state. Did he shit in Stephanie’s bag?
CB – Daniel Bryan getting replaced in the main event title picture … by the Big Show.
I still can’t believe that this happened, nor can I comprehend why this happened. As I said at the beginning of this whole thing, let’s just hope the payoff in 2014 is worth it for Mah Boy D-Bry Right There.
Wrestling_Facts – Wrestlemania 29.
I mean, what the hell was that all about?
Justin C – Title Unification Announced For TLC
I just don’t get this announcement at all. Three weeks in between PPVs and you want to unify the Titles with almost no build? Not only that, it is a match between two guys that no one wants to see wrestle again. If this was going to happen, then it should be happening at Wrestlemania. And if there is not a clean finish here, it ruins the allure of the match at Wrestlemania if it does happen. This just screams of desperation on the WWE’s part to pop a rating and buyrate. And as evident by this week’s RAW rating, this hasn’t helped. Maybe it is because the WWE Universe would rather see a story play out then see it thrown together and rushed. I just don’t get this idea at all and it ruins what should be a big moment by having it on a B-PPV.
BD – Dixie Carter turning heel, Impact 24/7, and… well, TNA.
The Tally – Dolph Ziggler’s Fall – 2
HBK’s Heel Turn – 1
Los Matadores – 1
Daniel Bryan Is Replaced in Title Picture by Big Show? – 1
WrestleMania 29 – 1
Title Unification Match – 1
Dixie Carter, Impact 24/7, and… well TNA – 1
PPV of the Year
Rhett Davis – SummerSlam
I remembered ordering this just because I, along with several others (first exclaimed by Jonah Kue to my knowledge), knew that Daniel Bryan was going to beat Cena and then lose the belt to Randy Orton. What we didn’t know was that he would go over clean and Triple H would cost Bryan the belt. This plus the amazing CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar made this the PPV of the year. Easy.
Penny Sautereau – Summerslam.
Chris Sanders – Summerslam
It had the two front-runners for match of the year and my biggest surprise of the year. Although, there was very few choices this year. Seriously, Payback may be the only other “good” PPV this year.
Mike Gojira – SummerSlam 2013
Two awesome main events (Punk vs Lesnar and Bryan vs Cena) made this THE PPV of the Year, in my opinion. It was the last PPV of the year I spent money on, and I was even present at WrestleMania. Yup, SummerSlam for the win.
CB – None of them.
I was going to say SummerSlam but then I remembered that they didn’t let Bryan leave the arena as the Champ due to Randy Orton’s cash-in. Also, you can actually make a case that the best PPV for the money was actually TNA’s One Night Only Knockouts Knockdown PPV, but that was a Friday night throwaway show taped months earlier and not a hugely hyped event. Therefore, I’ll stick with my answer: None of them.
Wrestling_Facts – TNA World Cup of Wrestling
Justin C – SummerSlam
This was easily the best PPV that the WWE produced during the year. It had two Match of the Year candidates on it in Punk/Lesnar and Bryan/Cena. It had a very good Christian/Alberto del Rio World Title match that would have gotten a lot more recognition if not for the two matches mentioned above. This PPV actually gave me hope that the WWE was going to be on the right track going into the fall. But boy was I wrong. Every match on this show had at least some story behind it, which is rare for the WWE nowadays.
BD – Payback 2013 or SummerSlam 2013
The Tally – SummerSlam 2013 – 5.5
TNA World Cup of Wrestling – 1
None – 1
Payback 2013 – 0.5
Biggest Surprise of the Year
Rhett Davis – Daniel Bryan pinning Cena 1-2-3.
It wasn’t all that surprising that Bryan won as the end game became apparent a few weeks out, but it was so exciting to see Bryan actually win cleanly over Cena.
Penny Sautereau – Danielson actually getting to win the main belt
Even if he didn’t get to keep it.
Chris Sanders – Daniel Bryan beat Cena cleanly at Summerslam.
Sure, it was immediately followed by Orton cashing in and the ball was dropped once Bryan was taken off the Authority story and replaced with Big Show. Still, Daniel Bryan pinned Cena clean.
Mike Gojira – Daniel Bryan Falls Out of the Spotlight
After an amazing performance at SummerSlam, it looked as though Daniel Bryan had finally made it to the top. Then Triple H cost him the title and he was set to feud with The Authority. This lasted for an entire month and Bryan won the belt AGAIN…only to have it stripped from him. Logic pointed to an eventual, legit title reign….and yet Bryan has been relegated to a feud with the Wyatt Family while Orton and Cena compete to see whose (title) is bigger. Curiouser and curiouser.
CB – Goldust’s full-time return to WWE and his ability to perform at such a high level.
Seriously awesome stuff.
Wrestling_Facts: That TNA is still in existence.
And that Tony Dawson was let go by WWE.
Justin C – The Burial Of Dolph Ziggler
I was in New York/New Jersey all weekend for Wrestlemania. There was a hope in the air that maybe, just maybe, Dolph Ziggler would cash in his MITB Contract. The fans chanted for him at Wrestlemania and it didn’t happen. Then at RAW the next guy, Ziggler easily got the loudest pops of the night when he came out, cashed in, and won the World Title. I thought there was a new star in the making. And then the WWE just went the complete opposite way. It is amazing that Ziggler has fallen as far as he has. I always thought, if given the proper push, that Ziggler could be a big player. I even thought one day he could have a potential Wrestlemania match with The Rock. But that is never happening. Ziggler’s star has faded, and I don’t know if he will ever get it back.
BD – Mark Henry injuring himself four times in two years, instead of the usual three times in two years.
The Tally – Daniel Bryan Beats Cena Clean – 3
Bryan Falls Out of Spotlight – 1
Goldust Still Has It – 1
TNA Is Still Here? – 1
The Burial of Dolph Ziggler – 1
Mark Henry Breaks His Injury Record – 1
Top News Story
Rhett Davis – TNA Letting Loose Its Talent
I’m honestly surprised that there still are as many talented people in TNA. I guess you can call them loyalists as hardly any have tried to jump ship yet. Yet.
Penny Sautereau- Hogan bails on TNA
Chris Sanders – TNA’s financial woes
Contracts were terminated due to financial reasons, rumors were spread and hilarity ensued with the #AskDixie nonsense.
Mike Gojira – TNA For Sale?!
When the rumors spread that TNA was up for sale, the Pulse Wrestling Community (PWC?) got into a heated debate over whether this was the company’s death knell. Although the reports were greatly exaggerated, the very fact that the rumor sparked such an uproar is enough for me to declare this the Top News Story of the Year.
CB – TNA pulls Impact of the road and goes back to the Impact Zone.
Regardless of how you feel about TNA Wrestling, the move back to the Impact Zone is not a good sign for long-term sustenance or success. TNA may not go out of business just yet, but their ability to thrive rather than merely survive seems to be something they just haven’t ever been able to accomplish. And, well, scurrying back to the Impact Zone after failing to make it out on the road really doesn’t bode well for TNA’s future, as short or as long as that will be.
Wrestling_Facts – Don’t be silly.
Justin C – Retirement of Jim Ross
This one completely came out of left field. You can believe whoever’s side of the story for what happened Wrestlemania weekend. But the fact that Jim Ross was forced to retire came as a shock to me. Every wrestling fan hoped that at some point, maybe JR would come back and call some matches again. Now that won’t happen. Jim Ross is the voice of my generation and he will always be the first person I think of when talking about play by play guys in wrestling. This was something that no one saw coming. JR could have such an influence for a wrestling promotion out there that I hope he can find a job with a new company and help build it up.
BD – WWE still actually attempting to launch the WWE Network
The Tally – TNA Problems – 5
JR’s Retirement – 1
WWE Attempting the WWE Network Still – 1
Don’t Be Silly – 1
Feud of the Year
Rhett Davis – CM Punk vs. Paul Heyman
It lead to the match of the year and the promos between these two were fantastic. Their history is long, and this feud culminated nicely… at the beginning. It did seem to drag a bit at the end though once Rybread was added.
Penny Sautereau – Punk/Heyman
Chris Sanders – CM Punk vs Undertaker
There were so many great aspects about this feud that came from the unfortunate death of Paul Bearer and that’s astounding because that usually would’ve been grounds for completely terminating a story line and go with something else. Instead, they used his passing as part of the angle which is something we are all sure Paul would’ve loved. And yes, Punk’s constant dispicable acts made it certain that he was going to get his at Wrestlemania, the match was still really good and fun enough to where I stopped caring who would win. The story, the venue, the entrances and the match itself was a great combination that worked for me.
Mike Gojira – The Shield vs Everyone
The biggest story of the year for me was how The Shield ran roughshod on EVERYBODY in the locker room and it took multiple variations of three-man teams to find a way to finally defeat them.
CB – The Shield vs. The Rhodes Family
When everything else has failed across multiple TV shows and lackluster PPVs, The Shield and The Rhodes Family were there to bring us back to life and give us something positive to take home with us. Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes have all greatly benefitted from the resurgence of Goldust and several appearances by Dusty Rhodes, which catapulted this feud into main event territory when the McMahons vs. Dusty was thrown into the mix. This feud had everything you could want in 2013: Dominant displays by the heel characters, breaking the faces all the way down to nothing before building them back up, and a sweet revenge storyline that ended with a brilliant payoff for the faces that still didn’t hurt the long-term prospects of the heels. For all of that and much more, The Shield vs. The Rhodes Family easily, undoubtedly deserves this award of Feud of the Year.
http://youtu.be/Ap5t4TpXBjY
“I’ll be your huckleberry all night long.” Dusty Rhodes to Triple H, Monday Night Raw 9/30/13
Wrestling_Facts – There were none of any particular merit.
Justin C – Paul Heyman vs CM Punk
This feud was the perfect example of two people who just know how to tell a story. Punk is possibly the best all around wrestler the WWE has today. Paul Heyman is one of the most creative guys the wrestling world has ever seen. When you put these two together, it just works. There’s so much history between these two that they had a lot to work with. I thought it dragged on a little bit longer than it should have, but the beginning months of this feud played out so well that it doesn’t take away from it. The turn by Heyman at MITB, the promo the next night, the Lesnar/Punk match at SummerSlam. It was all so well done. I’m sure these two had a lot of input in their program and it showed every time they were on TV together. An all around great job by these guys.
BD – Ziggler / Del Rio
The Tally – CM Punk vs. Paul Heyman – 3
CM Punk vs. The Undertaker – 1
The Shield vs. Everyone – 1
The Shield vs. The Rhodes Family – 1
Dolph Ziggler vs. Alberto del Rio – 1
None – 1
Promo of the Year
Rhett Davis – CM Punk’s ‘Boxing With God’ Promo
Amongst all the terrible jokes and one-liners from The Rock, this stood out as the only redeemable quality of The Rock and Punk feud. It brought the seriousness into the feud, and made Punk not look like the stepping stone that he was for Rock.
Penny Sautereau – Tie from last week’s Raw actually. Bray Wyatt’s creepy as fuck promo and CM Punk SINGING!!!
Chris Sanders – CM Punk’s “You Can’t Box with God”
Completely disregard the juvenile regurgitations by Rock because everything that came out of Punk’s mouth was golden. I viewed it as a companion piece to THE promo in 2011 that was a great continuation from that train of thought. And yes, it still hurts that Punk ended up losing to a People’s Elbow but we’ll always have 434.
CB – Paul Heyman and Ryback ‘Bromance’
While I could have picked anything from the Paul Heyman vs. CM Punk saga, the one that actually sticks out the most is the one that was as original as it was creepy. Punk wasn’t even involved in this one, but Paul Heyman really pulled out all of the stops when he made a proposal to Ryback of epic “bromance” proportions:
http://youtu.be/lr6VR2Pisb0
To me, that one just sticks out as the most memorable promo of the year, because only Paul Heyman can pull off such absurdity so brilliantly.
Wrestling_Facts: There were none of any particular merit.
Justin C – Paul Heyman/CM Punk (RAW 7/15/13)
There weren’t too many promos that stood out this year as far as being really good goes. I thought about The Rock/CM Punk exchange from the build up to the Rumble, but The Rock’s jokes took away from it. AJ Lee’s pipebomb was the best thing from any Diva in a long time. AJ Styles promo would have been better if CM Punk didn’t do the same one two years earlier. So I’m going with this exchange between Heyman and Punk the night after Money in the Bank. They laid the groundwork perfectly for their upcoming program. Both men have a long history with each other that helped play into the promo. In a matter of minutes they went from being best friends to bitter enemies. Heyman and Punk know how to work an audience and they did that here. Sometimes you have to make a promo a little personal to make it better. These two did that.
BD – CM Punk / Undertaker
From when Undertaker was paying homage to Paul Bearer and Punk interrupted the first time.
The Tally – CM Punk’s Boxing With God Promo – 2
Paul Heyman and Ryback ‘Bromance’ – 1
None – 1
Paul Heyman and CM Punk (7/15/13) – 1
CM Punk Interrupting Undertaker – 1
Bray Wyatt Promo From Last Week – 0.5
CM Punk SINGING?! – 0.5
Match of the Year
Rhett Davis – CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar SummerSlam
It’s hard to beat this match. The decision was up in the air, the match quality was excellent, and both Punk and Brock came out of this match looking fantastic. Punk/Taker, Cesaro/Zayn, Bryan/Cena, and Bryan/Orton from Raw would be the runner-ups.
Penny Sautereau – Bryan/Cena, Summerslam, and the Mens Traditional Survivor Series match that Roman Reigns won. (Tie)
Chris Sanders – CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar
It was either this or Cena vs Bryan, Punk vs Cena on Raw, or the 2 out of 3 on NXT between Cesaro and Zayn. Something about this match just fired on all cylinders for me. It’s exactly what we needed after Brock’s 3 matches against HHH to ensure we grow tired of Brock. Great match, great story and all due to CM Punk, Brock and Paul Heyman.
Mike Gojira – CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar
This was a tough call for me to make. While Daniel Bryan vs John Cena was great, the ultimate underdog match was CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar. The feud was white-hot and they told a great story as Punk sought revenge on Paul Heyman. I also could have chosen CM Punk vs the Undertaker, but Punk’s bout with Lesnar was that rare contest where either man could have won and the ending was always up in the air.
CB – Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton, Street Fight, WWE Monday Night Raw 6/24/13
http://youtu.be/i628B-w_Mus
In a down year for PPVs, it is this match from Raw over the summer that gets the nod from me. The flow of the match was perfect, the crowd was fully engaged, and like every great match, there were moments you could freeze frame into indelible images you don’t soon forget. One such image was Bryan making Orton tap out with the YES! Lock that was assisted by THAT RAW KENDO STICK, and it was easily my favorite singular moment and match finish of the year.
Wrestling_Facts – Cesaro vs Generico on NXT.
Nothing else came close to it and it’s the kind of match to which all should aspire.
Justin C – SummerSlam: CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar
SummerSlam had two Match of the Year candidates on the show. I would say both matches were equal as far as rating and quality. But hindsight ins 20/20, and what we thought would lead to a big push for Daniel Bryan didn’t. And that, at least for me, taints that match going back and watching it. How could a guy beat John Cena clean and then not get pushed? While Punk lost as well, it still feels like there was more emotion involved in this one. Punk was the perfect guy to get a good match out of Lesnar. Punk knows some MMA so he could match Lesnar there. Plus Punk sold Lesnar’s offense great. The No DQ stip is needed for Lesnar matches, and this one helped it out tremendously. I’d love to see a rematch down the line. This gets a slight nod as well over Taker/Punk from Mania.
BD – Dolph Ziggler .vs. Alberto Del Rio for the WHC, Payback 2013
The Tally – CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar (SummerSlam) – 4
Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton (Raw) – 1
Sami Zayn vs. Antonio Cesaro (NXT) – 1
Dolph Ziggler vs. Alberto del Rio (Payback) – 1
Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena – 0.5
Men’s Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match – 1
Best Indy Promotion of the Year
Rhett Davis – PWG
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. You should check it out if you haven’t. Especially the stuff between Kevin Steen and El Generico.
Penny Sautereau – Chikara is funny as shit.
CB – RCW
Don’t know much about all of the different Indy feds out there, but for my man Steven Gepp I will throw a vote to RCW down in Australia.
Wrestling_Facts – Progress Pro Wrestling.
They’re a British company. It’s pretty good stuff. Check them out.
The Tally – PWG – 1
Chikara – 1
RCW – 1
Progress Pro Wrestling – 1
Rookie of the Year
Rhett Davis – Roman Reigns
Honorable mentions for this award would have been Big E Langston and The Wyatt Family, but no rookie has accomplished as much as each member of The Shield. Dean Ambrose won and is currently the holder of the United States Championship. Seth Rollins won the WWE Tag Team Championship but otherwise has been the quietest of the faction. Roman Reigns, on the other hand, not only was the most unknown of the group, but has impressed me the most. His spear is remarkable and brutal looking, he held the WWE Tag Team Championship for a while, and (like his fellow Shield members) won at WrestleMania. Sounds like a solid first year.
Penny Sautereau – Eva, JoJo, and Xavier Woods.
If Rookie means only appeared on Raw for the first time this year, there’s only three options, Eva, JoJo, and Xavier. So I’ll say tie because none have had enough exposure to stand out.
Chris Sanders – The Shield
There really shouldn’t be much of a debate here.
Mike Gojira – Big E Langston
This guy appeared from out of nowhere (I hadn’t watched NXT so I didn’t know he existed) as Dolph Ziggler’s personal heavy and emerged as a surprisingly quick hoss. Big E has all the skills to make it in the business…the WWE just has to let him show off his personality a bit more.
CB: Men: Big E Langston / Women: Summer Rae
Wrestling_Facts – Big E Langston
I’m not really sure if he’s really a rookie, but I’ll pick Big E Langston here just so he has a mention. Whoever was booking NXT clearly knew what do with him and how to use him effectively. On the main shows, he was wasted.
Justin C – The Shield
It is tough to give this award out to one single member of the group. So I’m giving it out as a joint award. It amazes me that the WWE has not found a way to screw up these guys in the year they’ve been around. I’m sure it has a lot to do with all three members of the group being solid in ring workers and each bringing their own unique aspect to the group. We often see stables debut with a bang and then fizzle out after a few months. That hasn’t happened with The Shield. They are as strong as when they debuted. And I think each member of the group will have their own singles success somewhere down the line.
BD – Sami Zayn
Whatever they’re calling El Generico now
The Tally – Big E Langston – 2.5
The Shield – 2
Roman Reigns – 1
Sami Zayn – 1
Summer Rae – 0.5
Eva Marie – 0.3
Xavier Woods – 0.3
JoJo – 0.3
Most Improved Wrestler of the Year
Rhett Davis – Jack Swagger
Look, look I know he’s not the best… okay he’s still god awful. But isn’t this gimmick with Zeb Colter as the Tea Party Extremists still 10x better than running around with Chavo as a Bald Eagle or teaming up with Michael Cole or being a champion anything? I think so.
Penny Sautereau – Brie Bella
Chris Sanders – Antonio Cesaro
Let’s be honest, he’s always been great but the part that’s shown the most improvement is WWE’s slow realization that he’s great too. Always remember, there was a point during 2013 where they had this man yodeling. Sure, being in a tag team with Swaggy time isn’t the best position to be in but we’ve seen signs here and there where WWE seem to have finally realized that Cesaro is the type of talent you promote as often as you can.
Mike Gojira – Antonio Cesaro
Cesaro’s giant swing helped get him out of his yodeling rut when the WWE thought he was too “boring.” If anyone has come out of a bad gimmick smelling like roses, it’s Cesaro. WE, THE PEOPLE!
CB – Brie Bella
She had a longer way to go than most, but Brie Bella has improved significantly in the ring in 2013 and she deserves credit for transforming herself from a liability to a serviceable asset in the ring.
Wrestling_Facts – Big Van Vader.
He beat up those 3MB guys. That’s an improvement on previous years when he did not.
Justin C – Roman Reigns
When The Shield debuted at Survivor Series 2012, Roman Reigns was the unknown of the group. There was a lot of hype about Rollins and Ambrose but not Reigns. Many people just saw him as the muscle of the group. Of course, Reigns has the look the WWE likes in their main eventers. And in the latter part of this year, Reigns has grown tremendously as a performer. I’m sure working with Rollins and Ambrose every night helps. Now, I would have no problem watching a Roman Reigns singles match. He had a good match with Daniel Bryan on RAW a couple months back. He had a dominating performance at Survivor Series. There are a lot of things to like about Roman Reigns, and I think he will be in line for a big push come 2014.
BD – Roman Reigns.
This is a non-starter. Wrestlers rarely improve when they get to the major’s. If I have to say someone, I’m going with Roman Reigns.
The Tally – Antonio Cesaro – 2
Roman Reigns – 2
Brie Bella – 2
Jack Swagger – 1
Big Van Vader – 1
Best Non-Wrestling Personality
Rhett Davis – Zeb Colter
The only other choice to me is Paul Heyman, but he did technically do a thing that was referred to as ‘wrestle.’ But I think Zeb Colter came in and made Jack Swagger relevant and also gave new life to a fantastic wrestler that deserved it in Antonio Cesaro.
Penny Sautereau – Renee Young hands down.
Chris Sanders – Ricardo Rodriguez
I don’t have much reasoning for this other than the fact that this man is perfect and needs to be an actual wrestling personality.
Mike Gojira – Paul Heyman
While he may have been mediocre as a businessman, his vast knowledge of how to draw heat has made Heyman one of the most despised figures in all of sports entertainment. Any time this man gets on the mic, he hits the jackpot.
CB – Renee Young
I just like everything about Renee Young, from her interview style and Canadian charm to her appearances on the JBL and Cole Show and her overall passion and enthusiasm for her job. Young has a very bright future ahead, and I’m looking forward to seeing her more in the years to come.
Wrestling_Facts – Tie between Bradshaw and Renee Young.
Bradshaw for being a commentator without being annoying. Renee Young for being a interviewer without being annoying.
Justin C – Renee Young
This category is tough to pick because the options are not that great. Vickie Guerrero has jumped the shark. Brad Maddox has his moments but overall just doesn’t impress me. Dixie Carter is beyond awful. And the announcers on both shows are annoying. So Renee Young gets my vote. She’s a terrific interviewer and has improved every week she has been doing color commentary on NXT. Plus, she is mighty fine to look at. Hopefully the WWE continues to utilize her the right way, and not throw her into some stupid storyline with a midget bull, or something like that.
BD – Zeb Coulter.
He’s got that Tea Party Clownshit down.
The Tally – Renee Young – 3.5
Zeb Colter – 2
Ricardo Rodriguez – 1
Paul Heyman – 1
Bradshaw – 0.5
Tag Team of the Year
Rhett Davis – The Shield
There actually were quite a few teams to choose from this year; however, many of these teams aren’t on the level of The Shield. Team Hell No! is the only team I would put on the same level as The Shield, but they didn’t have as successful a year as The Shield.
Penny Sautereau – The Shield dominated.
Chris Sanders – The Shield
When was the last time we’ve seen a wrestler or group of wrestlers make their debut and consistantly stay in the limelight without going stale, watered down or have the entire internet want to chase them with pitchforks? I’m not sure I can come up with anyone other than The Shield. Every time we start to think that a breakup might be around the corner, they do something to rejuvinate and be just as great as ever.
Mike Gojira – The Shield
Perhaps the most consistently dominant tag team since the Legion of Doom back in the day, The Shield are one of the few heel teams in history that’s almost universally loved (I haven’t heard a bad thing about them in, like, ever). Anytime they’re in a match, you know it’s going to be good.
CB – TIE – The Shield (Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) and The Rhodes Family (Cody Rhodes and Goldust)
In fact, these two tag teams are also in line for another award as well that’s even more prestigious than this one.
Wrestling_Facts – The Shield.
For some reason, WWE have given The Shield an adequate amount of time to build into something meaningful. They’ve given Ambrose a singles title run, but without breaking the stable up. And they’re now an effective team. Why can’t they do that with other teams and stables?
Justin C – Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns
This one was really tough for me. I had a hard time picking between Rollins/Reigns and Bad Influence. Bad Influence is one of the best acts in TNA. They are entertaining. But when it comes to success as a tag team, Rollins and Reigns have them beat this year. Bad Influence didn’t win the Tag Titles this year in TNA. Rollins and Reigns did have a handful of great matches with the likes of The Usos and Goldust and Cody. It goes back to The Shield working so well in the ring together. That gives them the slight edge here.
BD – The Shield
The Tally – The Shield – 7.5
The Rhodes Family – 0.5
Female Wrestler of the Year
Rhett Davis – AJ Lee
Well she held the title for most of the year, and no one really had a remarkable year for the Divas.
Penny Sautereau- Brie Bella for improving so drastically
Chris Sanders – AJ Lee
The fact that she’s still holding the Divas title when there’s a reality show that’s being pushed that’s featuring other Divas is almost astounding in my eyes.
Mike Gojira – AJ Lee
Besides Natalya, AJ epitomizes what a female athlete aspires to be. She has a great persona and can go in the ring; she’s clearly had a love for the business since she was a kid and isn’t in it for the money or the chance to step out as an actor’s arm candy or supermodel.
CB – Brie Bella
Props to Bryan’s fiancé for really working at her craft and becoming as reliable / believable in the ring as the likes of Natalya and AJ Lee and an emerging Summer Rae (who has only scratched the surface in her WWE TV time thus far).
Wrestling_Facts – Nattie Neidhart.
Because she’s Jim Neidhart’s daughter. Good job, Anvil Jr.
Justin C – A.J. Lee
I don’t think this one is that much of a contest. I considered Gail Kim, but she doesn’t have the promo ability that A.J. does. A.J. is everything that the WWE should be looking for in their Divas: She’s good looking, can work in the ring, and isn’t some dumb bimbo who doesn’t know wrestling. A.J. grew up with a passion for the business and it shows. She had some solid matches with Kaitlyn, and her character is one of the best the WWE has to offer. Hopefully A.J. gets some better competition soon.
BD – None.
All WWE and TNA women wrestlers are terrible. And I haven’t watched the indy’s.
The Tally – AJ Lee – 4
Brie Bella – 2
Natalya Neidhart – 1
None – 1
Wrestler of the Year
Rhett Davis – Daniel Bryan
Beat Cena clean at SummerSlam. Was the hottest act all year. Won at WrestleMania. Was one of the hottest tag teams of the year. Daniel Bryan wins the Wrestler of the Year Award.
Penny Sautereau – Daniel Bryan Danielson
Chris Sanders – Daniel Bryan
I really don’t see how anybody else could win this.
Mike Gojira – Daniel Bryan
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the man who had one hell of a year is most certainly one Bryan Danielson. His awesome tag team with Kane, his involvement with The Shield, and his rise to the top after defeating John Cena CLEAN (the last man to do that was The Rock almost two years ago), there’s no doubt that the Wrestler of the Year award belongs to Daniel Bryan. Admittedly, the last couple of months have been a bit of a downer as far as his placement in WWE hierarchy is concerned, but he consistently has great matches and that makes him the top dog in my book.
CB – Daniel Bryan
Without a doubt the most consistent and exciting wrestler in the WWE regardless of the piss poor booking that has held him back. I can only hope there is an honest storyline payoff coming in 2014, where Bryan wins the Royal Rumble and wins the Unified Championship at WrestleMania XXX, but either way Daniel has earned his place as the best wrestler of 2013.
Wrestling_Facts: The Undertaker.
Anyone who can turn up to work for two nights a year, get paid and not get fired has done well. That’s working with intelligence and efficiency. Good job, Mean Mark.
Justin C – Daniel Bryan
Taking away this last month, Daniel Bryan’s career has grown by leaps and bounds this year. He started off as a comedy act with Kane in Team Hell No. When that ended, I don’t know if anyone expected Daniel Bryan’s popularity to take off like it did. Bryan’s popularity exploded like no other wrestler’s in recent memory. The crowd was begging for him to be pushed to the top and he finally was. Of course, the WWE completely screwed that up on their end, but there is no denying how over Bryan has gotten. He’s had some great matches with members of The Shield as well as a Top 5 Match of the Year candidate at SummerSlam with John Cena. This year, Bryan reached heights that I didn’t expect him to reach in the WWE. Hopefully, he can get back there at some point next year.
BD – Daniel Bryan
The Tally – Daniel Bryan – 7
The Undertaker – 1
Well that’s it! Were you surprised? Post your thoughts and picks in the section below and thanks for reading!
