Best Wrestler
-------------
Award Description:
To be given to the athlete who was the best overall wrestler of the
year. This includes all facets of wrestling: workrate, technical
ability, interviews, charisma, value to his/her promotion, etc.
In 1994, this award was split into three: North American,
Non-North American, and overall.
Previous Winners:
1990: Curt Hennig
1991: Ric Flair
1992: Ric Flair
1993: Big Van Vader
This Year's Winner: Bret Hart
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 50 (= 250 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 47 (= 141 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 46 (= 92 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
9 4 3 63 Bret Hart
8 4 2 56 Sabu
7 4 2 51 Ric Flair
3 6 4 41 Vader
2 5 5 35 Shawn Michaels
5 2 2 35 Chris Benoit
2 2 3 22 Kenta Kobashi
1 2 1 13 Terry Funk
1 1 2 12 Shane Douglas
1 1 2 12 1-2-3 Kid
1 0 3 11 Cactus Jack
1 1 1 10 Razor Ramon
2 0 0 10 Bob Backlund
0 1 3 9 Owen Hart
0 1 3 9 Jushin Liger
0 2 1 8 Kyoko Inoue
1 1 0 8 Akira Hokuto
0 0 3 6 Steve Williams
0 2 0 6 Steve Austin
1 0 0 5 Toshiaki Kawada
1 0 0 5 Sting
0 1 1 5 Sid Vicious
1 0 0 5 Marcus Alexander Bagwell
1 0 0 5 Love Machine
1 0 0 5 Lex Luger
1 0 0 5 Great Sasuke
0 1 0 3 Steve Regal
0 1 0 3 Mitsuhara Misawa
0 1 0 3 Manami Toyota
0 1 0 3 Jungle Jim Steele
0 1 0 3 Hulk Hogan
0 1 0 3 Eddy Guerrero
0 1 0 3 Diesel
0 0 1 2 Warlord
0 0 1 2 Undertaker
0 0 1 2 Jeff Jarrett
0 0 1 2 Al Snow
0 0 1 2 2 Cold Scorpio
0 0 0 0 Tatsumi Fujinami
0 0 0 0 Super Shockmaster
0 0 0 0 Riki Choshu
0 0 0 0 Psicosis
0 0 0 0 Nobuhiko Takada
0 0 0 0 Guardian Angel
0 0 0 0 Great Muta
0 0 0 0 El Hijo del Santo
0 0 0 0 Arn Anderson
TREVOR BARRIE: Wrestlers who show talent at both ring work and mike work
seem to be a dying breed ... Bret Hart, Razor Ramon, and Shawn Michaels
are the only wrestlers I saw all year who were at least very good at both,
and Michaels spent most of his time this year as a manager rather than a
wrestler. The third position was a virtual toss-up between 1-2-3 Kid
and Owen Hart, both of whom are tremendous in the ring and mediocre on
the mike; Owen gets the nod based on sheer personal preference. [1:Bret
Hart, 2:Razor Ramon, 3:Owen Hart]
JOHN JERMANIS: Eddy Guerrero has seemingly come out of nowhere to
become one of the most impressive wrestlers in the world at a relatively
young age. He is highly proficient at aerial and mat techniques and
has added many moves to his arsenal (Tiger driver, Nuclear plancha,
top rope rana to name a few) in just this year. His matches in both
Japan and Mexico have been nothing short of excellent.
HERB KUNZE: How do we shuffle the North American and Non-North American
votes together? Tough question. A case could be made for Sabu's
inclusion ahead of one of the Japanese trio (Hokuto, Kyoko, Kobashi),
but in the end I had to stay with the Japanese.
DOMINIC MACIKA: Al Snow is the best thing to come across the US indy circuit
in years. Benoit is just plain the best. Douglas's and Funk's contributions
to making ECW the hardocre promotion it is can't be denied. Misawa and
Kobashi are the best reasons to watch any wrestling show in the world.
ANDY PATRIZIO: Kobashi is The Man. I wish Baba would push him as fast as
he did for Omori.
WOJO: Razor Ramone wrestled and efeated all kinds of wrestlers this year,
and he earned that IC title. Bret Hart has done very well at Heavyweight
champ and Vader hasn't lost a step.
CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN: If you'd have told me a year ago that I'd put Backlund
ahead of Vader, I would have moonsaulted you. Jeff Jarrett takes third,
and will probably go up next year.
Best Wrestler (North American)
------------------------------
This Year's Winner: Sabu
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 63 (= 315 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 58 (= 174 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 53 (= 106 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
11 4 3 73 Sabu
10 5 1 67 Bret Hart
6 9 3 63 Shawn Michaels
5 9 5 62 Vader
7 2 5 51 Ric Flair
4 2 2 30 Terry Funk
3 3 2 28 Steve Austin
1 5 3 26 Cactus Jack
1 3 3 20 Shane Douglas
1 2 4 19 1-2-3 Kid
2 1 2 17 Chris Benoit
1 3 1 16 Razor Ramon
3 0 0 15 Love Machine
0 2 4 14 Owen Hart
1 2 1 13 Eddy Guerrero
0 0 6 12 2 Cold Scorpio
2 0 0 10 Bob Backlund
1 0 1 7 Sting
1 0 1 7 Marcus Alexander Bagwell
0 2 0 6 Rey Misterio Jr.
1 0 0 5 Lex Luger
1 0 0 5 Johnny B. Badd
1 0 0 5 Al Snow
0 1 0 3 Steve Regal
0 1 0 3 Jungle Jim Steele
0 1 0 3 Hulk Hogan
0 1 0 3 Arn Anderson
0 0 1 2 Warlord
0 0 1 2 Undertaker
0 0 1 2 Sid Vicious
0 0 1 2 Robert Gibson
0 0 1 2 Psicosis
0 0 1 2 Jeff Jarrett
0 0 0 0 Super Shockmaster
0 0 0 0 Guardian Angel
0 0 0 0 El Hijo del Santo
PAUL HERZOG: I just need to look at who I thought had the greatest number of
great matches. Sabu....nobody else comes close, not strictly in North
America. Second I'd give to Eddy Guerrero, for he can mat wrestle AND
fly in combination better than anyone in the world. Third to Vader, for
being able to work so well in the "puroresu" styles with such mediocre
talents as Guardian Angel as well as going to UWFi.
OTTO HEUER: It was really hard for me to have to put Ric Flair as my third
choice this year (especially since he still is on top of his game as far as
interviews go) but he didn't really have any REALLY memorable matches in the
past year, and the matches he did have all had the same moves as every other
Flair match in the last six years or so. He just needs to add a new move
every six months or so to keep his matches a bit more fresh.
HERB KUNZE: This has to be based on what the wrestler did this past year
and what he meant to his promotion. Shawn Michaels was injured most of
the year and didn't have the impact in any way to get named here.
Bret Hart pulled out some good work for his PPV matches, but did nothing
at the houses. Whoever we pick here should work hard every time. That
defines Sabu. Whether there's 1000 or 50 fans, he still pulls out all
the stops; I've seen enough handhelds to know. Without him, ECW would
be in trouble. He gets first. Second goes to Vader (hopefully, the
reasons are obvious). Third goes to Ric Flair. Despite this being
the year when it was fashionable to dump on Ric as stale, he worked
his ass off every time out and had great matches more times than not.
I'm sure a case can be made for some AAA guys getting placed here, but
I didn's see enough of them to be able to do so.
CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN: Bob Backlund did more for me in three months than
anyone else did in the entire year.
Best Wrestler (Non-North American)
----------------------------------
This Year's Winner: Chris Benoit
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 43 (= 215 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 36 (= 108 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 32 (= 64 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
11 4 5 77 Chris Benoit
7 9 2 66 Jushin Liger
4 3 7 43 Steve Williams
6 2 3 42 Great Muta
5 4 2 41 Kenta Kobashi
2 2 2 20 Great Sasuke
0 4 3 18 Kyoko Inoue
3 0 1 17 Akira Hokuto
2 0 0 10 Sabu
1 0 2 9 Toshiaki Kawada
0 2 0 6 Tatsumi Fujinami
0 2 0 6 Manami Toyota
1 0 0 5 Tito Santana
0 1 1 5 Mitsuhara Misawa
1 0 0 5 Genichiro Tenryu
0 1 0 3 Yokozuna
0 1 0 3 Terry Gordy
0 1 0 3 Super Vader
0 0 1 2 Masa Fuchi
0 0 1 2 Konnan
0 0 1 2 Ken Shamrock
0 0 1 2 Hiro Hase
0 0 0 0 Riki Choshu
0 0 0 0 Nobuhiko Takada
PAUL HERZOG: Chris Benoit had the greatest night any wrestler ever had in
the NJ Jr. tourney, and I'd give him North American wrestler of the year
as well if he'd have worked here more. Steve Williams has become a truly
amazing singles wrestler since Terry Gordy had to break up their team.
Akira Hokuto is still working as well as she ever has, plus handling the
lead-in to retirement with amazing grace.
HERB KUNZE: Akira Hokuto first. Period. She's the best female wrestler
ever and, while it's probably not fair to compare, that makes her the
best wrestler ever. Even though her number of appearances in Japan
were way down this year, the importance and impact of each was way up.
Every single match she worked was tremendous, at least ****1/2, and
she often worked them all banged up. The promotion will not be the
same without her next year. Second it tough, but I'll go with Kyoko
Inoue. I saw her in at least a dozen matches from this past year and
practically every one was **** or better. She has the charisma and
the ability to fill the void left by Akira leaving. Third goes to
Kenta Kobashi, who won his first title this year and is now officially
upper tier in All Japan and easily the promotion's future.
Best Tag Team
-------------
Award Description:
To be given to the tag team who were the best overall team of the year
This includes all facets of wrestling: workrate, technical ability,
interviews, charisma, hot team moves, value to their promotion,
etc. In 1994, this award was split into three: North American,
Non-North American, and overall.
Previous Winners:
1990: The Steiners: Rick & Scott
1991: The Steiners: Rick & Scott
1992: Terry Gordy & Steve Williams
1993: The Hollywood Blonds: Brian Pillman & Steve Austin
This Year's Winner: Steiner Brothers
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 49 (= 245 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 43 (= 129 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 44 (= 88 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
9 5 1 62 Steiner Brothers
8 3 4 57 Eddy Guerrero & Love Machine
5 4 1 39 Mitsuhara Misawa & Kenta Kobashi
2 4 6 34 Heavenly Bodies: Tom Prichard & Jimmy del Ray
5 1 2 32 Quebecers: Jacques Rougeau & Pierre Oullette
3 4 0 27 Shawn Michaels & Diesel
2 1 3 19 Hell Raisers: Road Warrior Hawk & Power Warrior
1 3 2 18 Pretty Wonderful: Paul Roma & Paul Orndorff
2 0 4 18 Nasty Boys: Jerry Saggs & Brian Knobbs
0 3 4 17 Headshrinkers: Samu & Fatu
2 1 2 17 Cactus Jack & Maxx Payne
2 2 0 16 Public Enemy: Rocco Rock & Johnny Grunge
2 0 2 14 Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada
1 1 1 10 Marty Janetty & 1-2-3 Kid
1 1 1 10 Cactus Jack & Kevin Sullivan
1 1 0 8 Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue
0 1 2 7 Owen Hart & Bret Hart
1 0 0 5 Warlord & Power Warrior
1 0 0 5 Rock'n'Roll Express: Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson
0 1 1 5 Marcus Alexander Bagwell & 2 Cold Scorpio
0 1 1 5 Jushin Liger & Chris Benoit
1 0 0 5 Hulk Hogan & Brutus Beefcake
0 0 2 4 Money, Inc.: I.R.S. & Ted DiBiase
0 0 2 4 Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki
0 1 0 3 Well Dunn: Timothy Well & Steven Dunn
0 1 0 3 Owen Hart & Jim Neidhart
0 1 0 3 Kyoko Inoue & Takako Inoue
0 1 0 3 El Hijo del Santo & Octagon
0 1 0 3 Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas
0 1 0 3 Cactus Jack & Mikey Whipreck
0 0 1 2 Stars & Stripes: Marcus Bagwell & Patriot
0 0 1 2 Hiro Hase & Keiji Muto
0 0 1 2 Gangstas: Mustapha Saed & New Jack
0 0 0 0 PG-13
0 0 0 0 Jurassic Powers: Hercules & Tony Halme
0 0 0 0 Chris Candido & Brian Lee
TREVOR BARRIE: No contest here ... with the possible exception of Bob Backlund,
the Quebecers were the most entertaining thing I saw in wrestling all year.
Besides them, the only really good teams this year were the Heavenly
Bodies and the Steiner Brothers, with the Bodies having better
interviews. [1:Quebecers, 2:Heavenly Bodies, 3:Steiner Brothers]
HERB KUNZE: How to shuffle the votes? Toyota & Yamada are clearly ahead
of the pack as far as I'm concerned. I saw more of the Bodies, so they
get second. Guerrero & Barr get third.
DOMINIC MACIKA: Public Enemy have put on excellant matches all year with
a variety of opponants. Heavenly Bodies are top when working in SMW,
unfortunately that ended on 4/1, so I can't put them #1. Cactus's teams
have all been great, but he hasn't had a consistand partner. I picked
his team with Mikey, because they put on the best matches, probably because
they weren't restricted by the WCW environment and they had the best
opponants too. On the Non-North American side, there wasn't really
anyone dominant. The New Japan scene has been largely forgetable, except
the occasional teaming of Hase and Muto. Misawa and Kobashi have put
on excellant matches all year against a variety of opponants, although
infrequently. Furnas and Kroffat and probably actually the best, but no
one ever gets to see them on tv.
WOJO: Overall a bad year for tag teams.
CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN: Long live the Quebecers!
Best Tag Team (North American)
------------------------------
This Year's Winner: Eddy Guerrero & Love Machine
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 61 (= 305 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 55 (= 165 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 57 (= 114 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
12 5 0 75 Eddy Guerrero & Love Machine
9 4 4 65 Steiner Brothers
5 5 10 60 Heavenly Bodies: Tom Prichard & Jimmy del Ray
6 3 4 47 Quebecers: Jacques Rougeau & Pierre Oullette
6 3 2 43 Cactus Jack & Maxx Payne
5 3 3 40 Shawn Michaels & Diesel
4 4 3 38 Pretty Wonderful: Paul Roma & Paul Orndorff
2 7 2 35 Public Enemy: Rocco Rock & Johnny Grunge
3 2 4 29 Nasty Boys: Jerry Saggs & Brian Knobbs
1 3 3 20 El Hijo del Santo & Octagon
1 2 3 17 Marty Janetty & 1-2-3 Kid
0 3 4 17 Headshrinkers: Samu & Fatu
1 1 4 16 Rock'n'Roll Express: Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson
0 4 1 14 Gangstas: Mustapha Saed & New Jack
2 0 0 10 Hulk Hogan & Brutus Beefcake
1 1 1 10 Cactus Jack & Kevin Sullivan
1 0 2 9 Cactus Jack & Mikey Whipreck
0 1 2 7 Owen Hart & Bret Hart
0 0 3 6 Money, Inc.: I.R.S. & Ted DiBiase
1 0 0 5 Warlord & Power Warrior
1 0 0 5 Smoking Gunns: Billy & Bart Gunn
0 1 1 5 Marcus Alexander Bagwell & 2 Cold Scorpio
0 1 0 3 Well Dunn: Timothy Well & Steven Dunn
0 1 0 3 Terry Funk & Bunkhouse Buck
0 1 0 3 Owen Hart & Jim Neidhart
0 0 1 2 Stars & Stripes: Marcus Bagwell & Patriot
0 0 0 0 PG-13
0 0 0 0 Chris Candido & Brian Lee
DAVE FELDMAN: Except for AAA, has the tag team situation ever been
worse in the U.S. then it is now?
PAUL HERZOG: This isn't even close. The two best teams in the world proved
it on 11/6 from L.A. Guerrero & Barr are probably my favorite team ever, with
Santo & Octagon not far behind. In third, I guess Rock & Grunge will do,
since they can fly, brawl, and work hard every time out.
HERB KUNZE: The Heavenly Bodies were fantastic in SMW for the first 6 months
of our voting year, building to one of the best moments in wrestling
this past year, then they went to the WWF and got lost in the shuffle.
Luckily, I got to see them shine during SMW Fanweek and that's enough
for me to put them first. Eddy Guerrero & Love Machine Art Barr get
second. I would listen to an argument to switch these two votes around.
Third goes to the Rock'n'Roll Express. Ricky Morton is still one of the
better workers in the country. The team has so many strikes against
them (age, Gibson's mic & ring work, and others) and yet are over as
hell and are involved in really good matches.
CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN: Bret and Owen Hart were a classic case of wasted
potential. How many matches did we get from them, two? Three? But what
a two or three they were. Easily enough to beat out, say, the Smoking Gunns.
Best Tag Team (Non-North American)
----------------------------------
This Year's Winner: Steiner Brothers
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 31 (= 155 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 24 (= 72 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 22 (= 44 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
8 2 4 54 Steiner Brothers
7 5 1 52 Hell Raisers: Road Warrior Hawk & Power Warrior
8 2 1 48 Mitsuhara Misawa & Kenta Kobashi
3 3 4 32 Jushin Liger & Chris Benoit
2 5 1 27 Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada
0 4 3 18 Hiro Hase & Keiji Muto
1 1 2 12 Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue
1 1 0 8 Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki
1 0 1 7 Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas
0 0 2 4 Jurassic Powers: Hercules & Tony Halme
0 1 0 3 Kyoko Inoue & Takako Inoue
0 0 1 2 Yokozuna & Crush (inadmissable?)
0 0 1 2 Stan Hansen & Ted DiBiase
0 0 1 2 Mima Shimoda & Etsuko Mita
PAUL HERZOG: Again, this isn't even close, IMHO. The JWP team of
Kansai & Ozaki were first on my ballot, but AJW's Toyota & Yamada could
have been #1 just as well. In third, the Steiners have finally decided
that they are better suited for the Japanese style, and I hope they stay
over there.
HERB KUNZE: First place is Yamada & Toyota. That's easy. Second goes to
Misawa & Kobashi, again not to hard. Third is tricky. One regular
team that we didn't get to see enough of on television was Furnas
& Kroffat. Every time we saw them, they were oustanding, so they
get third based on the assumption that they were always that good.
Best Heel
---------
Award Description:
To be given to the person who was the best villain this past year.
This person should bring out the fans' wrath. Match quality is
not paramount here; this award should be based primarily on how
over the wrestler was in the past year.
Previous Winners:
1990: Ted DiBiase
1991: Cactus Jack
1992: Jake Roberts
1993: Big Van Vader
This Year's Winner: Bob Backlund
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 64 (= 320 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 59 (= 177 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 50 (= 100 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
17 7 7 120 Bob Backlund
15 9 5 112 Vader
4 8 8 60 Shawn Michaels
9 2 2 55 Love Machine Art Barr
3 5 6 42 Ric Flair
5 3 3 40 Steve Austin
1 5 4 28 Owen Hart
2 4 0 22 Shane Douglas
2 2 2 20 Terry Funk
2 1 2 17 Jeff Jarrett
2 2 0 16 Eddy Guerrero
1 2 0 11 Arn Anderson
1 1 0 8 Jake Roberts
0 2 0 6 I.R.S.
0 1 1 5 Masa Chono
0 1 1 5 Chris Candido
0 1 0 3 Warlord
0 1 0 3 Tatanka
0 1 0 3 Diesel
0 1 0 3 911
0 0 1 2 Yokozuna
0 0 1 2 Ted DiBiase
0 0 1 2 Sandman
0 0 1 2 Rick Rude
0 0 1 2 Psicosis
0 0 1 2 Paul Roma
0 0 1 2 New Jack (from the Gangstas)
0 0 1 2 Mr. Pogo
0 0 1 2 Konnan
0 0 0 0 Moadib
0 0 0 0 Espectrito
TREVOR BARRIE: Who would have thought Ol' Howdy Doody had it in him?
Backlund should have turned years ago.... [1:Bob Backlund, 2:Shawn
Michaels, 3:Jeff Jarrett]
PAUL HERZOG: I have NEVER seen three heels more over than Los Gringos
Locos....Love Machine is probably the best heel in the past 20 years,
with Guerrero & Konnan not far behind.
JOHN JERMANIS: Art "Art" Barr has to be the best heel since Piper in his
prime. In the span of year he has changed from babyface star to the most
despised man in wrestling. Barr none. As _the_ Gringo Loco, he has
changed the story from faces vs. heels to faces vs. heels vs. Americans.
Barr just doesn't get the fans to boo -- they actively loathe him.
HERB KUNZE: Love Machine Art Barr goes first, way ahead of anybody else.
Vader gets second. If you saw how my mother reacted to him with a mix
of dislike and respect, you'd understand. Third goes to Chris Candido,
who learned a lot about being a heel in SMW. Sure, he can do all the
great spots you would want to see, but this year, as both a crybaby and
a little guy hiding behind a bigger guy (Brian Lee), he learned how to
draw great heel heat.
DOMINIC MACIKA: Douglas's interviews generate heat from everyone, marks and
smart fans alike, and that can't be ignored. Candido is great in his
role as a crybaby and a small guy with someone big protecting him.
Backlund eeked intot he third spot with his turn.
ANDY PATRIZIO: After seeing Bob Backlund's reaction in the Garden, there's
no doubt he is the most effective heel to come along in years.
WOJO: Vader is always hurting somebody.
CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN: Bob Backlund. Nuff said.
Best Babyface
-------------
Award Description:
To be given to the person who best portrayed the hero this past year.
This person should get lots of fan support. Match quality is not
paramount here; this award should be based primarily on how over
the wrestler was in the past year.
Previous Winners:
1990: Hulk Hogan
1991: Brian Pillman
1992: Sting
1993: Bret Hart
This Year's Winner: Bret Hart
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 62 (= 310 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 51 (= 153 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 48 (= 96 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
12 7 8 97 Bret Hart
9 9 4 80 Sting
8 7 6 73 1-2-3 Kid
2 3 7 33 Razor Ramon
2 3 6 31 Rick Steamboat
5 1 1 30 Ric Flair
3 3 2 28 Hulk Hogan
5 0 1 27 Atsushi Onita
3 3 1 26 Perro Aguayo
2 4 1 24 Mikey Whipreck
3 1 1 20 Terry Funk
1 3 1 16 El Hijo del Santo
2 0 1 12 Lex Luger
1 2 0 11 Undertaker
1 0 0 5 Rey Misterio Jr.
0 1 1 5 Mascarita Sagrada
1 0 0 5 Jungle Jim Steele
1 0 0 5 Diesel
1 0 0 5 Brian Christopher
0 0 2 4 Bob "Spark Plug" Holly (Thurman "Sparky" Plugg)
0 1 0 3 Shane Douglas
0 1 0 3 Ricky Morton
0 1 0 3 Marcus Bagwell
0 1 0 3 Guardian Angel
0 0 1 2 Jim Powers
0 0 1 2 J.T. Smith
0 0 1 2 Cactus Jack
0 0 1 2 Alundra Blayze
0 0 1 2 Adam Bomb
TREVOR BARRIE: Bret Hart is the only person who really stands out in this
category; after years of the WWF shoving superman Hogan down our throats,
Hart's more realistic image remained a breath of fresh air even into the
second year of his push. Razor Ramon's "tough guy" image and Sean Waltman's
"nice kid" gimmick also worked well IMO. [1:Bret Hart, 2:Razor Ramon,
3:1-2-3 Kid]
PAUL HERZOG: Aguayo & Santo are as beloved as Barr & Guerrero are hated
by the Lucha fans. In third, Onita is still filling stadiums with people
who want to see him.
HERB KUNZE: Onita gets first. Here's a guy with little wrestling ability
remaining that still manages to draw throngs to see bloodbath gimmick
matches that have little appeal to me. I don't get it. I'll probably
be out on a limb by myself for second, 'cause I'm picking Ricky Morton.
SMW tapes had me believing that he was a pretty good face, but being
there live put him over the top. He *really* knows how to get over
as a face. Third is tough; there's nobody left who really stands out.
I went with Bret Hart ahead of Sting as a token choice, although
neither guy deserves it since they just can't draw. Hogan was a possible
third choice too, but he gets a little too much negative reaction to
consider even though he'll probably draw well most of the time.
DOMINIC MACIKA: Terry Funk's ECW babyface stint had the same effect as
Douglas' heel stint. Hardcores and marks alike adored him. Everyone loves
Mikey too. Cactus eeked into the third spot.
WOJO: Everyone like the Kid because he looks so innocent, bagwell too.
Blaze is a pretty woman and will be liked if she keeps wrestling that well.
CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN: Geez, are there any left? Bret Hart by default.
Best Worker
-----------
Award Description:
To be given to the wrestler with, on average, the best workrate.
In 1994, this award was split into three: North American,
Non-North American, and overall.
Previous Winners:
1990: Ric Flair / Randy Savage (tie)
1991: Jushin Liger
1992: Jushin Liger
1993: Bret Hart
This Year's Winner: Sabu
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 51 (= 255 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 44 (= 132 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 42 (= 84 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
13 2 2 75 Sabu
7 7 3 62 Chris Benoit
6 3 2 43 Bret Hart
6 2 1 38 Cactus Jack
2 3 5 29 1-2-3 Kid
1 4 3 23 Shawn Michaels
2 2 2 20 Vader
2 2 2 20 Kenta Kobashi
0 4 3 18 Jushin Liger
2 0 3 16 Owen Hart
1 2 1 13 Ric Flair
1 2 0 11 Great Sasuke
0 2 1 8 Rey Misterio Jr.
1 0 1 7 Manami Toyota
0 0 3 6 Steve Williams
1 0 0 5 Toshiaki Kawada
0 1 1 5 Terry Funk
1 0 0 5 Sting
0 1 1 5 Kyoko Inoue
1 0 0 5 Jungle Jim Steele
1 0 0 5 Hulk Hogan
1 0 0 5 Barry Horowitz
1 0 0 5 Al Snow
1 0 0 5 Akira Hokuto
0 0 2 4 Razor Ramon
0 0 2 4 2 Cold Scorpio
0 1 0 3 Steve Austin
0 1 0 3 Psicosis
0 1 0 3 Paul Roma
0 1 0 3 Marcus Alexander Bagwell
0 1 0 3 Lex Luger
0 1 0 3 Bull Nakano
0 1 0 3 Bob Backlund
0 0 1 2 Shinjiro Otani
0 0 1 2 Mitsuhara Misawa
0 0 1 2 Johnny B. Badd
0 0 1 2 Jim Powers
0 0 0 0 Tracy Smothers
0 0 0 0 Riki Choshu
0 0 0 0 Public Enemy's Rocco Rock
0 0 0 0 Public Enemy's Johnny Grunge
0 0 0 0 Octagon
0 0 0 0 Mascarita Sagrada
0 0 0 0 Legend of Doom (Johnny South, UK)
0 0 0 0 Jimmy Del Ray
0 0 0 0 Hiro Hase
0 0 0 0 Heavy Metal
0 0 0 0 Ginsei Shinzaki
0 0 0 0 El Hijo del Santo
0 0 0 0 Dory Funk Jr.
0 0 0 0 Cutie Suzuki
0 0 0 0 Chris Candido
0 0 0 0 Bam Bam Bigelow
TREVOR BARRIE: Hopefully by next year I'll have figured out what this
"workrate" thing you guys talk about is and can actually vote in this
category.:)
HERB KUNZE: Same as my Non North American vote, surprise, surprise.
Hokuto, Benoit, Liger.
DOMINIC MACIKA: I had to flip a coin between Snow and Benoit. Snow came
up on top. Benoit is rated in both NA and other, although he hasn't
done as much in NA, hence his lower position. Misawa and Kobashi
are just plain tremendous. Shane Douglas today is Ric Flair in the 70's.
CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN: Yeah, I gave Razor Ramon a 3rd place vote. Are you
telling me he doesn't deserve it?
Best Worker (North American)
----------------------------
This Year's Winner: Sabu
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 59 (= 295 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 56 (= 168 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 47 (= 94 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
17 3 3 100 Sabu
6 8 6 66 Shawn Michaels
8 5 1 57 Cactus Jack
5 7 5 56 1-2-3 Kid
6 3 5 49 Bret Hart
6 4 2 46 Chris Benoit
2 3 3 25 Vader
2 1 4 21 Owen Hart
1 2 2 15 Ric Flair
0 3 2 13 Terry Funk
0 1 5 13 Rey Misterio Jr.
0 4 0 12 Psicosis
0 3 1 11 2 Cold Scorpio
1 1 0 8 Love Machine Art Barr
0 1 2 7 Razor Ramon
0 1 2 7 Marcus Alexander Bagwell
0 2 0 6 Eddy Guerrero
1 0 0 5 Sting
0 1 1 5 Shane Douglas
1 0 0 5 Jungle Jim Steele
1 0 0 5 Hulk Hogan
1 0 0 5 Barry Horowitz
1 0 0 5 Al Snow
0 1 0 3 Steve Austin
0 1 0 3 Paul Roma
0 1 0 3 Bob Backlund
0 0 1 2 Johnny B. Badd
0 0 1 2 El Hijo del Santo
0 0 1 2 Chris Candido
0 0 0 0 Tracy Smothers
0 0 0 0 Public Enemy's Rocco Rock
0 0 0 0 Public Enemy's Johnny Grunge
0 0 0 0 Octagon
0 0 0 0 Mascarita Sagrada
0 0 0 0 Jimmy Del Ray
0 0 0 0 Jim Powers
0 0 0 0 Heavy Metal
0 0 0 0 Dory Funk Jr.
0 0 0 0 Bam Bam Bigelow
DAVE FELDMAN: Although I was close to including her in the "best worker"
category, did anyone this year perform with as much commitment and
effectiveness as Sherri Martel has this year? I could do without the
screeching, but she has taken more bumps than many wrestlers this year
and she has saved many of the lamer Ric Flair angles this year.
PAUL HERZOG: Sabu is amazing, especially when you consider how many injuries
he's walking around with. Guerrero has finally reached his potential, and
Santo is brilliant every time out.
HERB KUNZE: I have to give first to Sabu, since he works his ass off all
the time, without exception. I want to put a AAA guy second, but I can't
decide between a batch of them: Love Machine, Rey Misterio Jr., Heavy
Metal, Psicosis, and Guerrero. I didn't really see enough of them to
decide and it's unfair to base my opinion on things I saw in 1993.
Since I have to pick, I went with Love Machine because of the 11/06
match. Do any of the remaining four AAA guys beat out the other two
guys I want to consider: Chris Candido & Ricky Morton? I'm not sure.
I went with Candido third since he impressed the socks off me at SMW
Fanweek. I want to mention that there are a lot of guys in the "big
two" that one might consider: Ric Flair, Rick Steamboat, Sting, Vader,
Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, 1-2-3 Kid, and others. Based on performances
of the past year, none of them qualify to be in the top 15 really.
Michaels would if he had not been injured.
CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN: Shawn would have gotten my top vote if he hadn't
been injured practically all year. Again, Hart by default.
Best Worker (Non-North American)
--------------------------------
This Year's Winner: Chris Benoit
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 33 (= 165 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 27 (= 81 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 26 (= 52 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
11 5 3 76 Chris Benoit
4 7 5 51 Jushin Liger
4 4 2 36 Kenta Kobashi
2 3 3 25 Steve Williams
3 1 1 20 Great Sasuke
1 2 2 15 Manami Toyota
2 0 1 12 Toshiaki Kawada
2 0 1 12 Akira Hokuto
1 1 0 8 Sabu
0 2 1 8 Kyoko Inoue
1 0 0 5 Terry Gordy
1 0 0 5 Genichiro Tenryu
1 0 0 5 Cutie Suzuki
0 0 2 4 Great Muta
0 1 0 3 Mitsuhara Misawa
0 1 0 3 Bull Nakano
0 0 1 2 Shinjiro Otani
0 0 1 2 Masa Fuchi
0 0 1 2 Legend of Doom (Johnny South, UK)
0 0 1 2 Hiro Hase
0 0 1 2 Barry Horowitz
0 0 0 0 Riki Choshu
0 0 0 0 Ginsei Shinzaki
PAUL HERZOG: Benoit is the best in the world, period. Williams is tremendous,
and Hokuto will be missed (unless Kyoto can step up into her shoes).
HERB KUNZE: I like easy first place votes. Akira Hokuto. She was just
phenomenal in every match and way ahead of the pack. Kyoko is a contender
for one of the remaining spots and so is Toyota, although Toyota isn't
very graceful in the air and that affects my view of her. In the end,
I went with some guys, Benoit & Liger, for second and third in that
order.
Best Jobber
-----------
Award Description:
To be given to the Professional Loser that does an incredible
job of putting his name opponent over. Maybe the bumps that this perso
takes are just that much more spectacular than other PLs. After seeing
a match with this person, you feel sorry about the punishment he/she
took and realize how good it made his/her name opponent look.
Previous Winners:
1990: Barry Horowitz
1991: Rip Rogers
1992: Barry Horowitz
1993: Barry Horowitz
This Year's Winner: Barry Horowitz
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 58 (= 290 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 46 (= 138 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 36 (= 72 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
27 10 5 175 Barry Horowitz
9 12 8 97 Reno Riggins
10 5 5 75 Brady Boone
5 4 2 41 Mikey Whipreck
2 1 3 19 Dwayne Gill
2 1 0 13 Rip Rogers
0 3 2 13 Frank Lancaster
0 3 1 11 Steve Lombardi
1 1 1 10 Chris Hammrick
0 2 2 10 Barry Hardy
0 2 0 6 P.J. Walker
0 1 1 5 The Gambler
1 0 0 5 Jim Powers
1 0 0 5 Hack Myers
0 0 2 4 Pete Doherty
0 1 0 3 Mike Sharpe
0 0 1 2 Todd Morton
0 0 1 2 Kevin Jackson
0 0 1 2 Ken Kendall
0 0 1 2 John Stevens
PAUL HERZOG: Brady Boone is a better worker than 95% of the guys he gets in
the ring with, and it's sad to see him as a jobber. I thought the whole
Mikey Whippreck TV title scenario was excellent. And Horowitz gimmick still
gets a chuckle, plus he can still work.
HERB KUNZE: The traditional favourites of Horowitz and Riggins didn't do
much for me at all this year. I liked Chris Hammrick this year. He took
some great Lucha bumps out of the ring and I often feared for his health.
At SMW Fanweek, he was dumped over the top rope by the Gangstas and gave
such a thud when he hit the floor that everyone around me swore and stood
up. Mikey Whipreck gets second 'cause the storyline was fun and he got
demolished every time out. Brady Boone gets third since he has more
talent than most of his opponents. Hopefully, he'll get used a bit
in the Cruiserweight division in WCW next year. Sure.
CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN: Barry is still the King, but Reno had the best line
of the year: (while putting a headock on Tatanka) "I have no reservations
about beating an Indian!"
Best Flyer (North American)
---------------------------
Award Description:
To be given to the wrestler who did the most and the best high-flying
maneuvers throughout the year. In 1994, this award was split into
two: North American and Non-North American.
Previous Winners:
1990: N/A
1991: Jushin Liger
1992: Jushin Liger
1993: 1-2-3 Kid (Lightning Kid)
This Year's Winner: 1-2-3 Kid
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 62 (= 310 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 53 (= 159 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 50 (= 100 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
18 15 4 143 1-2-3 Kid
18 8 5 124 Sabu
11 3 1 66 Rey Misterio Jr.
6 6 3 54 Brian Pillman
1 7 12 50 2 Cold Scorpio
1 4 7 31 Chris Benoit
1 2 4 19 Psicosis
1 1 2 12 Owen Hart
1 1 1 10 Marcus Alexander Bagwell
0 1 3 9 Mascarita Sagrada
0 2 0 6 Brady Boone
1 0 0 5 Shawn Michaels
1 0 0 5 Paul Roma
1 0 0 5 Jungle Jim Steele
1 0 0 5 Cactus Jack
0 1 0 3 Public Enemy's Rocco Rock
0 1 0 3 Jim Powers
0 1 0 3 Jeff Jarrett
0 0 1 2 Vader
0 0 1 2 Undertaker
0 0 1 2 Sting
0 0 1 2 Randy Savage
0 0 1 2 Marty Janetty
0 0 1 2 Love Machine
0 0 1 2 Johnny B. Badd
0 0 1 2 Andy Fish
0 0 0 0 Octagon
0 0 0 0 Heavy Metal
0 0 0 0 El Hijo del Santo
PAUL HERZOG: Anyone who does not have at least 2 Luchadors here is either
insane or never seen them. Misterio is mind-boggling. Sabu is the only
guy who consistently works in North America that can compare. Psicosis
is awesome...it's too bad he didn't show much on the PPV.
JOHN JERMANIS: There are only a handful moves that I thought to be totally
impossible that have actually been done. Rey Misterio Jr. has done most
of them with the rana suicida at the top of the list.
HERB KUNZE: Sabu does a lot of great wild stuff that fits into the brawling
style that he works. He's innovative and takes (too many?) risks and
has to be rewarded with first here. Lucha Libre allows for more aerial
stuff, so it's not surprising that they have some stars in this category.
Rey Misterio Jr. is the best of the flyers and gets second. Third should
probably go to Psicosis, but I feel like going with Mascarita Sagrada,
who has been one of my favourites since I first saw him and is probably
the best mini in the world.
DOMINIC MACIKA: Sabu's innovation keeps him on top, despite the
fact that if he keeps up his current pace, he'll end up like the
Dynamite Kid. Rocco Rock still has the moves of the Cheetah Kid,
he just hides them under all the brawling. Andy Fish gets my local
favorite vote, unfortunately he's been out since May.
WOJO: I picked Sabu for his wrestling ability people talk about. The 123 Kid
can take amazing bumps. Vader moves well for a big man with knee problems.
CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN: 1-2-3 Kid and....geez, is there anybody else? I almost
voted for Vader, but chickened out.
Best Flyer (Non-North American)
-------------------------------
This Year's Winner: Jushin Liger
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 34 (= 170 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 24 (= 72 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 22 (= 44 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
16 8 0 104 Jushin Liger
11 2 2 65 Great Sasuke
2 8 6 46 Chris Benoit
1 2 2 15 El Samurai
2 0 1 12 Great Muta
1 0 3 11 Manami Toyota
1 1 1 10 Ginsei Shinzaki
0 1 1 5 Chapparita Asari
0 1 0 3 Sabu
0 1 0 3 Psicosis
0 0 1 2 Terry Gordy
0 0 1 2 Rey Misterio Jr.
0 0 1 2 El Hijo del Santo
0 0 1 2 Black Tiger
0 0 1 2 Akira Hokuto
0 0 1 2 1-2-3 Kid
0 0 0 0 Shinjiro Otani
PAUL HERZOG: Sasuke is the only guy in the world that can compare equitably
with Rey Misterio. Chris Benoit is still phenomenal in the air despite
doing less of it than he has in the past, and Shinzaki is the perfect
complement to Sasuke for Michinoku.
HERB KUNZE: Sasuke must take first. He did lots of topes this year that
should have killed him. How he can do those unprotected dives is beyond
me. Liger gets second because he's so graceful. Toyota gets third
despite not being very graceful. Her dropkick off the top rope to the
floor hurts me every time I see it.
DOMINIC MACIKA: Sasuke put Michinoku Pro on the map. Liger can't help
but be rated, despite his injury.
ANDY PATRIZIO: What I wouldn't give to see a Liger/Psicosis vs.
Rey Jr./Sasuke match
Best Technical Wrestler
-----------------------
Award Description:
To be given to the wrestler who has the most technical ability.
The number of holds and moves you see this person do and the crispness
with which the moves are executed makes his/her matches a pleasure
to watch. In 1994, this award was split into three: North American,
Non-North American, and overall.
Previous Winners:
1990: N/A
1991: Bret Hart
1992: Bret Hart
1993: Bret Hart
This Year's Winner: Bret Hart
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 45 (= 225 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 42 (= 126 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 40 (= 80 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
10 8 0 74 Bret Hart
6 3 6 51 Bob Backlund
6 5 2 49 Chris Benoit
5 4 2 41 Ric Flair
2 3 4 27 Steve Austin
2 1 4 21 Owen Hart
2 1 3 19 1-2-3 Kid
1 2 3 17 Shane Douglas
1 2 2 15 Steve Regal
1 1 2 12 Kenta Kobashi
2 0 0 10 Wayne Shamrock
0 1 3 9 Mitsuhara Misawa
0 2 1 8 I.R.S.
0 1 2 7 Rick Steamboat
0 2 0 6 Barry Horowitz
1 0 0 5 Royce Gracie
1 0 0 5 Paul Roma
1 0 0 5 Jungle Jim Steele
1 0 0 5 Dean Malenko
1 0 0 5 Bull Nakano
1 0 0 5 Al Snow
1 0 0 5 Akira Hokuto
0 1 0 3 Toshiaki Kawada
0 1 0 3 Tom Prichard
0 1 0 3 Shawn Michaels
0 1 0 3 Razor Ramon
0 1 0 3 Ken Shamrock
0 1 0 3 2 Cold Scorpio
0 0 1 2 Jim Powers
0 0 1 2 Hiro Hase
0 0 1 2 Great Sasuke
0 0 1 2 Genichiro Tenryu
0 0 1 2 Gary Albright
0 0 1 2 Dustin Rhodes
0 0 0 0 Masakatsu Funaki
0 0 0 0 Marcus Alexander Bagwell
HERB KUNZE: The Japanese votes get repeated. There is no way the North
American guys fit in this group.
WOJO: (Backlund, Bret Hart, Regal) All three can wrestle very well.
Best Technical Wrestler (North American)
----------------------------------------
This Year's Winner: Bret Hart
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 60 (= 300 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 53 (= 159 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 52 (= 104 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
15 11 2 112 Bret Hart
6 5 7 59 Bob Backlund
6 3 7 53 Owen Hart
7 4 2 51 Chris Benoit
5 7 2 50 Ric Flair
3 6 5 43 Steve Austin
3 1 6 30 1-2-3 Kid
3 3 2 28 Rick Steamboat
1 3 6 26 Steve Regal
3 1 3 24 Shane Douglas
0 4 0 12 Barry Horowitz
1 0 3 11 Jungle Jim Steele
1 1 0 8 Dean Malenko
0 1 1 5 Shawn Michaels
1 0 0 5 Royce Gracie
1 0 0 5 Paul Roma
1 0 0 5 Matt Borne
1 0 0 5 Bull Nakano
1 0 0 5 Al Snow
1 0 0 5 2 Cold Scorpio
0 0 2 4 I.R.S.
0 1 0 3 Tom Prichard
0 1 0 3 Razor Ramon
0 1 0 3 Ken Shamrock
0 0 1 2 Maxx Payne
0 0 1 2 Jim Powers
0 0 1 2 Dustin Rhodes
0 0 1 2 Alundra Blayze
0 0 0 0 Marcus Alexander Bagwell
PAUL HERZOG: Douglas is the best of a not-so-great showing this year.
Owen carried (IMHO) his brother at WrestleMania X, and Benoit gets in
here based on his few N.A. appearances this year....nobody else can
still compare.
JOHN JERMANIS: Those who praise Steve Regal's techincal skills should
watch a good Dean Malenko vs. Chris Benoit match. There's no comparison.
HERB KUNZE: Don't annoy me by mentioning Bret Hart. That "excellence of
execution" nonsense gets said so often that people believe it. He's okay
technically, but let's not get carried away. Ditto Bob Backlund, who
is pretty terrible. There really are no great technical wrestlers in
North America. I didn't see Chris Benoit the few times he worked
over here and I don't know if that few appearances should elevate him
ahead of others. He would be the best if he worked here consistently.
Dean Malenko must be very good - he was in Japan - but I didn't see
him. That leaves me high and dry. I went with Rick Steamboat first
and Steve Regal second. Regal does some nice stuff, he just does it
very s...l...o...w...l...y. With the only two obvious choices in a
poor crop gone, I'm in a tight spot. Shane Douglas is okay, but I
don't think he deserves third. For some reason, I have some good
memories of Sean Waltman from this past year, so 1-2-3 Kid gets
third.
CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN: Backlund and the Harts.
Best Technical Wrestler (Non-North American)
--------------------------------------------
This Year's Winner: Chris Benoit
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 32 (= 160 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 21 (= 63 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 18 (= 36 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
13 4 3 83 Chris Benoit
6 1 1 35 Kenta Kobashi
2 4 2 26 Mitsuhara Misawa
2 1 3 19 Hiro Hase
2 1 1 15 Wayne Shamrock
2 1 1 15 Genichiro Tenryu
2 0 1 12 Great Muta
0 2 0 6 Steve Williams
0 1 1 5 Toshiaki Kawada
1 0 0 5 Steve Regal
0 1 1 5 Kyoko Inoue
1 0 0 5 Ken Shamrock
0 1 1 5 Great Sasuke
1 0 0 5 Akira Hokuto
0 0 2 4 Jushin Liger
0 1 0 3 Terry Gordy
0 1 0 3 Tatsumi Fujinami
0 1 0 3 Sabu
0 1 0 3 Gary Albright
0 0 1 2 Masakatsu Funaki
PAUL HERZOG: Benoit is, once again, the best in the world. Williams can work
hard, and execute well, until you tell him to stop. I feel uncomfortable
including a shoot-wrestler in the Year-End Awards, since it's a completely
different ballgame, but hey, Wayne Shamrock can kick anyone else's ass.
HERB KUNZE: Akira Hokuto gets first, way ahead of the pack again. The men
come in after that, with Chris Benoit getting second and Mitsuhara Misawa
getting third.
CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN: I almost voted for Chono here, but I don't consider
myself qualified to vote in these categories.
Best Brawler (North American)
-----------------------------
Award Description:
To be given to the wrestler who brawled his/her way through the year
most convincingly. This award would go to Frank "Bruiser Brody" Goodis
if he were still around. In 1994, this award was split into two:
North American and Non-North American.
Previous Winners:
1990: N/A
1991: Stan Hansen
1992: Cactus Jack
1993: Big Van Vader
This Year's Winner: Cactus Jack
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 61 (= 305 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 53 (= 159 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 51 (= 102 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
22 15 6 167 Cactus Jack
15 7 14 124 Vader
12 13 9 117 Terry Funk
4 0 2 24 Undertaker
2 4 1 24 Arn Anderson
0 2 4 14 Kevin Sullivan
1 1 1 10 Steve Lombardi
1 1 1 10 Sabu
1 1 1 10 Diesel
1 1 0 8 Sid Vicious
0 2 0 6 Bruise Brother Don Harris
1 0 0 5 Jim Neidhart
1 0 0 5 Guardian Angel
0 1 1 5 Dustin Rhodes
0 0 2 4 Maxx Payne
0 0 2 4 Bruise Brother Ron Harris
0 1 0 3 Super Shockmaster
0 1 0 3 Roddy Piper
0 1 0 3 Nasty Boy Jerry Saggs
0 1 0 3 I.R.S.
0 1 0 3 Hulk Hogan
0 0 1 2 Warlord
0 0 1 2 Public Enemy's Rocco Rock
0 0 1 2 Nasty Boy Brian Knobbs
0 0 1 2 Michael Hayes
0 0 1 2 Mascara Ano 2000
0 0 1 2 Lex Luger
0 0 1 2 Jim Duggan
0 0 0 0 Public Enemy's Johnny Grunge
0 0 0 0 Dory Funk Jr.
PAUL HERZOG: Cactus Jack is the best, since he adds in that element of
complete insanity that none of the other ones have. The Bruise Brothers
can round out my other votes.
JOHN JERMANIS: A lucha man in "Best brawler"? Don't ask me why, but there
is something about Mascara Ano 2000 that has bad ass written all over him.
When he's in the ring, he _really_ makes it look like he wants to beat the
tar out of his opponents. He's not the biggest man, but there is no way
I'd _ever_ tick him off.
HERB KUNZE: The choices are obvious; it's the ordering that's unclear.
I think Cactus Jack deserves first place after all he did this year.
Terry Funk gets second and Vader gets third.
CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN: This is the only category where I didn't pick a WCW
wrestler (well, the only "Best" category anyway). {Editor's Note: I think
Chris means WWF ;-)}
Best Brawler (Non-North American)
---------------------------------
This Year's Winner: Stan Hansen
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 27 (= 135 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 18 (= 54 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 13 (= 26 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
13 7 5 96 Stan Hansen
4 2 1 28 Atsushi Onita
2 5 1 27 Aja Kong
4 0 1 22 Mr. Pogo
2 1 1 15 Steve Williams
1 0 0 5 Terry Gordy
1 0 0 5 Gary Albright
0 1 0 3 Terry Funk
0 1 0 3 Great Muta
0 1 0 3 Chris Benoit
0 0 1 2 Sheik
0 0 1 2 Sabu
0 0 1 2 Masa Chono
0 0 1 2 Kensuke Sasaki
0 0 0 0 Demolition (W.O.W., UK)
PAUL HERZOG: Pogo is God. Kong is the Virgin Aja. Hansen fills out the
triumvirate.
HERB KUNZE: Stan Hansen takes first, Aja Kong takes second, and Mr. Pogo
takes third.
Most Favourite Wrestler
-----------------------
Award Description:
To be given to the wrestler you like the most, regardless of the reaso
Previous Winners:
1990: N/A
1991: Ric Flair
1992: Ric Flair
1993: Ric Flair
This Year's Winner: Ric Flair
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 62 (= 310 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 56 (= 168 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 55 (= 110 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
8 3 0 49 Ric Flair
5 5 3 46 Vader
3 6 4 41 Shawn Michaels
4 2 3 32 Cactus Jack
3 4 2 31 1-2-3 Kid
4 3 0 29 Bret Hart
3 2 3 27 Undertaker
2 3 2 23 Sabu
2 3 1 21 Owen Hart
3 0 0 15 Kenta Kobashi
3 0 0 15 Diamond Dallas Page
3 0 0 15 Chris Benoit
2 0 2 14 Bob Backlund
2 1 0 13 Love Machine
1 2 0 11 Kyoko Inoue
2 0 0 10 Diesel
1 0 2 9 Terry Funk
1 0 2 9 Hulk Hogan
0 3 0 9 Brian Christopher
1 1 0 8 Barry Horowitz
1 0 1 7 Rick Steamboat
0 1 2 7 Razor Ramon
1 0 1 7 Manami Toyota
0 1 2 7 Jushin Liger
0 0 3 6 Randy Savage
0 0 3 6 Dirty White Boy
0 2 0 6 Bull Nakano
0 0 3 6 Arn Anderson
1 0 0 5 Warlord
1 0 0 5 Sting
0 1 1 5 Sid Vicious
1 0 0 5 Rock'n'Roll Express
0 1 1 5 Mitsuhara Misawa
1 0 0 5 Lex Luger
0 1 1 5 Jungle Jim Steele
0 1 1 5 Jeff Jarrett
0 1 1 5 Eddy Guerrero
1 0 0 5 Barry Windham
1 0 0 5 Akira Hokuto
1 0 0 5 2 Cold Scorpio
0 0 2 4 La Parka
0 0 2 4 Bam Bam Bigelow
0 1 0 3 Roddy Piper
0 1 0 3 Rey Misterio Jr.
0 1 0 3 P.J. Walker
0 1 0 3 Jim Powers
0 1 0 3 Jacques Rougeau
0 1 0 3 Great Muta
0 1 0 3 El Hijo del Santo
0 1 0 3 Davey Boy Smith
0 1 0 3 Al Snow
0 0 1 2 Toshiaki Kawada
0 0 1 2 Tony Norris (Moadib)
0 0 1 2 Steve Austin
0 0 1 2 Psicosis
0 0 1 2 Mikey Whipwreck
0 0 1 2 Marcus Alexander Bagwell
0 0 1 2 Jerry Lawler
PAUL HERZOG: Art Barr has probably unseated Flair as my all-time favorite,
any time, any place. Hijo del Santo represents everything I love about
AAA, and Tony Norris has the potential to be the best ever, carrying me
through months of GWF horror.
HERB KUNZE: Guess what? They're all great workers. Akira Hokuto, Kyoko
Inoue, and Jushin Liger.
WOJO: Sting is very good, and should be a champion. Vader can make a great
champion also. Ramone, like I said, is one of the best WWF has.
CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN: North American wrestling can't be ALL bad if I can
find three people to put ahead of Barry Horowitz. Of course, these are
the same people I voted for in the Best Wrestler category.
Most Improved Wrestler
----------------------
Award Description:
To be given to the wrestler who most improved himself/herself
in all facets of the sport in the past year.
Previous Winners:
1990: Lex Luger
1991: Ron Simmons
1992: Steve Austin
1993: Marcus Alexander Bagwell
This Year's Winner: Diesel
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 60 (= 300 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 52 (= 156 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 45 (= 90 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
18 7 9 129 Diesel
3 6 7 47 Razor Ramon
4 7 3 47 Johnny B. Badd
6 4 2 46 Owen Hart
4 0 0 20 Jungle Jim Steele
4 0 0 20 Brian Christopher
2 1 2 17 Bob Backlund
2 2 0 16 Shinjiro Otani
0 4 2 16 Marcus Alexander Bagwell
2 1 1 15 Great Sasuke
1 2 1 13 Steve Williams
2 1 0 13 Bunkhouse Buck
1 2 1 13 Brian Lee
1 1 2 12 Paul Roma
0 3 1 11 Guardian Angel
2 0 0 10 Love Machine
1 0 2 9 Jun Akiyama
1 0 1 7 I.R.S.
0 2 0 6 Steve Austin
0 2 0 6 Dustin Rhodes
1 0 0 5 Tommy Dreamer
1 0 0 5 Thrillseekers
1 0 0 5 Shawn Michaels
1 0 0 5 Maxx Payne
0 1 1 5 Harlem Heat
1 0 0 5 Bryant Anderson
1 0 0 5 Alex Wright
0 0 2 4 Chris Candido
0 0 2 4 1-2-3 Kid
0 1 0 3 Shane Douglas
0 1 0 3 Public Enemy
0 1 0 3 Lex Luger
0 1 0 3 Konnan el Barbaro
0 1 0 3 Candy Okutsu
0 1 0 3 Bam Bam Bigelow
0 0 1 2 Terry Funk
0 0 1 2 Tatanka
0 0 1 2 Takao Omori
0 0 1 2 Steve Regal
0 0 1 2 Hulk Hogan
0 0 1 2 Eddy Guerrero
PAUL HERZOG: The Thrillseekers have gone from nothing to, well, something
pretty great, as have the Public Enemy. Sasuke was pretty great last
year, but he has taken it to a level no one has ever seen before.
HERB KUNZE: Great Sasuke pulled out all the stops this year and had great
matches with Benoit, Liger, and Shinzaki, among others. Shinjiro
Otani really improved this year as well and shows a lot of promise
for the future. Chris Candido takes third. He was already better
movewise than most guys in North America, but working his first
territory helped him improve in other ways. Many people may vote
for Diesel or Ramon here, but I think in both cases that only their
image improved thanks to being near Shawn Michaels.
ANDY PATRIZIO: No American's in my list... and that's not an accident,
either. The scene sucks as it is. No new talent makes it worse.
WOJO: Diesal shows that he has improved since coming to the WWF.
CHRISTOPHER ZIMMERMAN: A little heel turn goes a long way...yep, Backlund
again. Razor Ramon gets 2nd. I never thought I'd see such outstanding
matches from him. Same for Diesel, although that just might be the push
(as it was when I voted for Yokozuna last year).
Now, some special awards:
Best Line by a commentator:
1. What a Sham! Gene Okerkund after the Goolinator incident (8/93 Clash)
2. I still don't know anything - Eric Bischoff at the same Clash
Brightest hope for wrestling's future:
1. Hogan becomes marked man after the creation of RSPW's
"SHOOT VADER SHOOT" fund
2. Vader's shot at Hogan's title
3. Macho Man enters the WCW as a face, later to turn heel on Hogan
Worst Guest Referee:
1. Mr. T
2. Mr. T
3. Chuck Norris
Most Encouraging News Item (rumor?)
1. WCW starting light-heavyweight division
The "Willy Loman" Worst Job of Selling Award:
1. Paul Roma at Starrcade 93 for complaining to the ref about Scorpio
or Bagwell's armbar - "He's hurting my arm. He's hurting my arm."
