Most Deteriorated Wrestler
--------------------------
Award Description:
To be given to the person whose skill has deteriorated the most over
the past year. This person should be a shadow of his/her former self.
Previous Winners:
1994: Hulk Hogan
1993: Hulk Hogan
1992: Hulk Hogan
1991: Hulk Hogan
1990: Dusty Rhodes
This Year's Winner: Hulk Hogan
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 80 (= 400 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 77 (= 231 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 72 (= 144 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
18 6 5 118 Hulk Hogan
11 7 8 92 Zodiac (Butcher/Brutus Beefcake/Ed Leslie)
8 5 8 71 Randy Savage
8 5 4 63 Ric Flair
5 4 6 49 Bam Bam Bigelow
4 3 4 37 Tatanka
2 5 5 35 Kevin Sullivan
4 4 1 34 Owen Hart
1 7 2 30 V.K. Wallstreet (I.R.S.)
2 2 3 22 King Kong Bundy
3 0 3 21 Goldust (Dustin Rhodes)
2 2 2 20 Terry Gordy
1 4 1 19 Brian Pillman
2 1 1 15 Lex Luger
1 0 4 13 Kamala
0 3 2 13 Bret Hart
1 1 2 12 Jim Duggan
0 4 0 12 Sid
1 2 0 11 Paul Orndorff
2 0 0 10 Hawk
1 1 0 8 Road Warrior Hawk
0 2 1 8 Yokozuna
0 2 1 8 Sabu
1 0 1 7 Bob Backlund
0 0 3 6 Sting
1 0 0 5 Razor Ramon
1 0 0 5 Hakushi
0 0 2 4 Skip (of the Bodydonnas)
0 1 0 3 Tommy Dreamer
0 1 0 3 Shark
0 1 0 3 Duke Droese
0 1 0 3 Diesel
0 1 0 3 Dick Slater
0 1 0 3 Bobby Eaton
0 1 0 3 1-2-3 Kid
0 0 1 2 Waylon Mercy
0 0 1 2 Terry Funk
0 0 1 2 Jerry Lawler
STEVE BLACK: Owen should be ashamed of himself. With all the talent he has,
he has done nothing of any use with it since his feud with Bret. It's an
insult to the entire Hart family name, quite honestly. Then there's Randy
Savage. There's a *reason* that he takes all that punishment just to
deliver that elbow, folks. It's all he's got left. He seems to have
forgotten how to do almost anything else. Then there's Kevin Sullivan,
truly a shadow of his former self. His match with Savage a few weeks ago
on Nitro was just abysmal.
RAY DUFFY: Brian Pillman is no where near the level he was a few years ago.
Savage's matches are now "get pounded the entire match, knock the guy down,
elbow drop, 1-2-3."
JER <jk4...@cnsvax.albany.edu>: Note: You had to be good to be
deteriorated. Thats why no Hogan.
HERB KUNZE: Hogan will win, but he's been the same for ten years: he
didn't deteriorate *this* past year. No, Ed Leslie, now as Zodiac,
just got worse and worse. Yokozuna added 100 pounds and now can't
be in the ring for more than a few seconds without wanting to tag
out. I can't imagine what he'll be like in a few years; I feel
sorry for the guy. Dustin Rhodes as Goldust is also abysmal. He
went from giving good interviews and being great in the ring to
giving incomprehensible, long-winded interviews and being mediocre
at best in the ring. He's nowhere near the worst wrestler in the
world, but the drop was astounding.
ROB NEWLAND: Ric Flair has really deteriorated this year and after
recently watching some of his matches from 1994 he sadly seems to have lost
what once made him so great and Flair seems to be lost in a sea of men with
more determination, capability and willingness to put on a memorable and
meticulously perfect match. Hulk Hogan is not in my top three because the
award is for 1995 and he had already deteriorated to his current level a
couple of years ago and has stuck at that pathetic level ever since.
TOM O'CONNOR: No matter the gimmick, Ed just is a poor shadow of the
"Barber" Hogan has actually improved this year - end of his "title"
DEAN RASMUSSEN: Am I crazy, or was Mike Rotundo actually okay back when he
was in the Varsity Club?
JASON ROBAR: Ten years ago, Randy Savage was considered one of the best
wrestlers and workers in the world. 5 years ago, he was a shell of his
former self, and it looked like he was truly deteriorated. Then came his
match with the Warrior at WM7, which was not necessarily a 5 * match, but
it was good enough to show that he could pull off a good match when he
wanted. In '92 he had some great matches with Flair, and another good one
with the Warrior. But now there's no hint of that former glory. He has
moved to a point that he can't really turn it up whenever he wants.
He is a shadow of his former self, living off of past glories. Paul
Orndorff and Kevin Sullivan gained control of WCW booking, and decided
that they need to give themselves new embarassing gimmicks. Neither
show anything that they used to have, and rely heavily on their gimmicks
in order to get over. And it's a shame, really. They could probably do
more than they're doing right now.
JEREMY SORIA: When Randy made the jump, he hasn't dazzled me as much as he
used to. At least he doesn't commentate anymore. Brian Pillman--just one
look at him is enough (although to you it may seem like an improvement :-\ ).
Lex Luger--this is only from January through August.
Most Underrated Wrestler
------------------------
Award Description:
To be given to the person whose ability merits a far greater push than
the person receives. There may be many such people, but the winner
of this award should have the most ability with least push.
Previous Winners:
1994: 1-2-3 Kid
1993: Chris Benoit
1992: Owen Hart
1991: Cactus Jack
1990: Terry Taylor
This Year's Winner: Barry Horowitz
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 83 (= 415 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 79 (= 237 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 76 (= 152 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
8 4 4 60 Barry Horowitz
5 7 6 58 Hakushi
5 4 9 55 Jean Pierre Lafitte
9 1 1 50 Al Snow (Avatar)
5 7 1 48 Craig Pittman
4 7 3 47 Hunter Hearst Helmsley
6 4 2 46 Alex Wright
4 6 3 44 Owen Hart
3 3 9 42 Rad Radford
6 2 1 38 Skip (of the Bodydonnas)
3 6 0 33 Marty Jannetty
2 4 2 26 1-2-3 Kid
3 1 2 22 Ahmed Johnson (Tony Norris)
3 2 0 21 2 Cold Scorpio
2 2 1 18 Sting
3 0 0 15 Diamond Dallas Page
1 2 1 13 Steve Richards
1 1 2 12 Eddy Guerrero
1 1 1 10 Johnny B. Badd
1 1 1 10 Chris Benoit
1 1 1 10 Bob Holly
0 3 0 9 Bam Bam Bigelow
1 0 1 7 Rocco Rock
1 0 1 7 Mikey Whippreck
0 1 2 7 Dean Malenko
0 1 2 7 Billy Gunn
0 0 3 6 Scott Norton
1 0 0 5 Rico Suave
1 0 0 5 Heavenly Bodies: Tom Prichard & Jimmy Del Ray
1 0 0 5 Devon Storm
1 0 0 5 Chad Austin
1 0 0 5 Brian Pillman
0 1 1 5 Dr. Isaac Yankem, D.D.S.
0 1 1 5 Bobby Eaton
0 0 2 4 Razor Ramon
0 0 2 4 Dean Douglas
0 1 0 3 State Patrol
0 1 0 3 Jerry Lawler
0 1 0 3 Great Sasuke
0 1 0 3 Doink
0 1 0 3 Disco Inferno
0 1 0 3 Adam Bomb
0 0 1 2 Well Dunn: Timothy Well & Steven Dunn
0 0 1 2 Tom Zenk (Z-Man)
0 0 1 2 Steve Austin
0 0 1 2 Smoking Gunns: Billy Gunn & Bart Gunn
0 0 1 2 Shinjiro Otani
0 0 1 2 Roadie
0 0 1 2 PG-13
0 0 1 2 King Mabel
0 0 1 2 Cobra
0 0 1 2 Brady Boone
0 0 1 2 Arn Anderson
TREVOR BARRIE: Yes, I know Owen Hart held a title for the most of the
year, and no, that isn't enough. Not when he's jobbing to one of the
Gunns in singles matches, at least. [1:Skip, 2:Jean-Pierre Lafitte,
3:Owen Hart]
STEVE BLACK: I'm going on record right now: Chad Austin is the next big indy
superstar to make the jump to the Big Two. His potential for success is
utterly limitless. And how about Craig Pittman? Here is a man who comes into
the sport with a legit background most people would drool over, and his
gimmick has absolutely ruined any chance he has of people taking him
seriously as a bad-ass wrestler. Then you have PG-13. Even as recently as
five years ago, the only place these two would have been pushed would
have been into the street. Now, they're winning tag titles, and looking
an awful lot like Tag Team of the Year candidates.
PETE CHU: Al Snow is really unknown to alot of people, with the New Gimmick
Avatar, I am afraid that he is going to job soon. Jannetty is only being
known as the former partner of Shawn Micheals, but he is a good worker too.
I really enjoy Red Radford, it is sad to see WWF used him as a JTTS.
RODNEY GRAVES: My friends say I'm crazy when I say this but, I believe
that Steve Richards will one day become the World Heavyweight Wrestling
Champion of the World. IMO, Richards is one of the most talented young
workers that I have seen in a very long time. It is true that he has a
long way to go, but he has the raw talent, the determination, the ability
to sell moves, and the charisma to one day become the world champion.
Will this actually happen, I don't know. The only thing that I'm saying
is that he has the POTENTIAL of being a world champion. It will be
interesting to see what happens to him in the future.
HERB KUNZE: Skip, Jean Pierre Lafitte, and Hakushi deserve more.
DEAN RASMUSSEN: Craig Pittman made a Hacksaw Jim Duggan match almost
watchable. That should count for something. He might become
something if he doesn't get Red Roostered by the WCW.
JASON ROBAR: When I heard that Louie Spicoli was coming back to the WWF,
I was really expecting nothing much out of him, as I remembered his WWF
jobber days, not his AAA days. Boy I was really surprised. The Rad
Radford gimmick isn't so bad, and Radford can really work well. The WWF
plus most of the fans vastly underrate him. I can't understand why more
people don't like Adam Bomb. The guy is big, agile, is willing to learn,
and seems to legitimately care about fan support. He was extremely misused
in his various stays in the WWF. I can only hope that he gets another
chance with somebody who's willing to use him in a better role. And who'd
have thunk that Scott Hall would be one of the best workers in the WWF?
Razor seems to get a lack of respect, as he's seen as a decent worker,
but not much more. Yet he seems to sneak into the best matches at
various PPVs.
SCOTT ROGERS: 1. Tony Norris/Ahmed Johnson - Don't let the muscles fool
you the man can do high spots when he feels like it. Tony Norris's battles
with John Hawke were the only bright spots in the now defunct Texas
NWA, and they showed that Norris possessed great potential. 2. Barry
Horowitz - I guess we'll have to wait and see where Vince is going to take
the whole underdog angle. 3. Rad Radford - In his former incarnation of
Louie Spicolli, Rad Radford was your typical pasty-face jobber. Now he's
come back as a JTTS, but his moves are much better. With a push as Skip's
tag team partner he might actually find some success.
RICK SCAIA: Without a doubt, the WWF houses two of the world's most
underrated (mis-used?) grapplers. Both Rad Radford and Jean-Pierre
Lafitte are amazing wrestlers with great moves and some heel charisma.
To see them relegated to mid-card status is disappointing. Mikey
Whipwreck (once the hardcore version of the 1-2-3 Kid) certainly
came into his own this year, as well.
JEREMY SORIA: Alex Wright works hard and should have received the megapush
NOW, not back in January. And besides, he's VERY attractive.
Worst Wrestling Gimmick
-----------------------
Award Description:
To be given to the wrestler who had the worst character gimmick
in the past year.
Previous Winners:
1994: Doink the Clown
1993: Doink the Clown
1992: Papa Shango's voodoo
1991: Mike Rotundo as Irwin R. Shyster
1990: N/A
This Year's Winner: Dungeon Of Doom
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 84 (= 420 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 82 (= 246 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 80 (= 160 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
32 5 7 189 Dungeon Of Doom
10 14 8 108 Giant
10 3 5 69 Goldust
6 8 6 66 Renegade
2 12 7 60 Henry O. Godwinn
4 9 5 57 Zodiac
3 8 4 47 Dr. Isaac Yankem, D.D.S.
3 5 3 36 Dave Sullivan
3 3 5 34 Doink
3 1 6 30 Mantaur
1 1 7 22 Shark
1 1 3 14 Yeti
1 1 3 14 Undertaker
1 1 0 8 Bertha Faye
1 0 1 7 Hulk Hogan
0 2 0 6 King Mabel
1 0 0 5 Man Mountain Rock
1 0 0 5 Kamala
1 0 0 5 Alex Wright
0 1 1 5 Disco Inferno
0 1 0 3 Road Warriors
0 1 0 3 Paul Bearer
0 1 0 3 Million Dollar Corporation
0 1 0 3 Meng
0 1 0 3 J.T. Smith
0 1 0 3 Hugh Morrus
0 1 0 3 Fatu
0 0 1 2 Skip (of the Bodydonnas)
0 0 1 2 Paul Orndorff
0 0 1 2 Kevin Sullivan
0 0 1 2 Kama
0 0 1 2 Hack Myers
0 0 1 2 Duke "the Dumpster" Droese
0 0 1 2 Dudley Brothers
0 0 1 2 Dean Douglas
0 0 1 2 Adam Bomb
JIM BAINES: Doink isn't bad as an evil clown heel gimmick, but it's
embarrassing to watch as a face gimmick.
TREVOR BARRIE: The WWF has done a lot better gimmick-wise this
year than before... shame about Dr. Yankem, as he keeps the Dungeon
of Doom from obtaining a much-deserved sweep of this category.
[1:Dungeon of Doom, 2:Isaac Yankem, D.D.S., 3:Zodiac]
STEVE BLACK: The fact that Goldust doesn't even make my top three ought to
scare the hell out of every wrestling purist. Let's see: first on the shit
list we have Mantaur. About the only thing I can say in Mantaur's favor is
at least he got rid of that animal head he ripped off from the local Elks
Lodge. Then you get Issac Yankem. Now, let's see if I follow this: Lawler
gets his ass kicked and embarassed at the hands of Bret Hart, and he
wants revenge. So he gets his *dentist*? *shakes head* Then, of course,
you have the supreme logic of having a pig farmer in wrestling, complete
with slop bucket.
OTTO HEUER: Too.... many.... choices.... I narrowed my list down to about
10 that REALLY annoyed me over the past year. I finally had to settle
with Goldust, HOG, and Doink. Gee... all from the WWF (Shark and Evad
were #4 and #5, however).
HERB KUNZE: This award is meant for a wrestler with a bad gimmick, so
the members of the Dungeon of Doom count in my vote, but the entire
DoD doesn't. Kamala and Zodiac are terrible. Their gimmicks kill
the wrestling and kill believability and that's what I consider a
bad gimmick. Undertaker's gimmick does the same, so I give him
third.
GIANLUCA MILANDRI: A pathetic clone of the Ultimate Warrior and the son of
the late, great, Andre the Giant. Should I say more?
ROB NEWLAND: My selection was the Dungeon of Doom but I wanted to take
some time to point something out about all the "worst" categories. There
is no doubt in my mind that WCW will split the votes in the worst categories
and perhaps allow another choice to win the final award. I would think the
more telling stat of these particular categories was the total number of
votes WCW receives. I for instance had a hard time this year picking which
was the worst WCW match, angle and numerous other pathetic, insulting,
degrading, scurril and ultimately offensive things WCW have thrown at us
this year.
DEAN RASMUSSEN: People can whine and complain about WCW, but Skip and
Avatar are travesties that had nothing to do with the Dungeon
of Doom. Why do I get the feeling Candito and Snow may rue the
day they showed up at the doorstep of Titan?
JASON ROBAR: WCW's version of the Yeti has to be the worst gimmick in all
of wrestling. Not only was it a guy walking around like a zombie, but it
was the misnamed gimmick of the year as well. A Yeti is an Abominable
Snowman, not a mummy. Zodiac is second because of the stupid "Yes! No!"
gimmick. That's not something to be intimidated by, it's something to
laugh at. Third is Andre's Son, Paul Wight. That is just disrespectful
toward a man who gave a lot to this sport, and who is not here to give
his permission to running with this gimmick.
SCOTT ROGERS: 1. Dungeon of Doom - Kevin Sullivan's idea of how create an
endless number of unstoppable foes to battle Hogan and still draw in the
under 10 crowd. 2. The Giant (Paul Wright) - Well if Mean Gene's hotline
didn't exploit the dead enough, here we have Hogan, Sullivan, Bischoff
and Wright desecrating the memory of Andre the giant. 3. Renegade - Will
the real Ultimate Warrior please stand up. <Insert Steve Disalvo joke here>.
Worst Wrestling Move
--------------------
Award Description:
To be given to the move that is the worst thing you've seen this year.
This shouldn't be given to a move that was flubbed by a wrestler
- the move was performed correctly, but was just too stupid for words.
This move should probably be a "finishing" move or something that was
meant to be spectacular.
Previous Winners:
1994: Hulk Hogan's leg drop
1993: Crush's Compactor head-vise
1992: Crush's Compactor head-vise
1991: Hulk Hogan's leg-drop
1990: Hulk Hogan's leg-drop
This Year's Winner: Hulk Hogan's leg drop
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 77 (= 385 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 65 (= 195 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 63 (= 126 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
31 9 5 192 Hulk Hogan's leg drop
8 12 8 92 Jim Duggan's three point stance
10 9 6 89 Randy Savage's reviving top-rope elbow drop
2 5 6 37 Renegade's splash
4 1 2 27 Henry O. Godwinn's Slop Drop
2 3 4 27 Dave Sullivan's boot to the head off the ropes
2 4 2 26 Hulk Hogan's boot to the head off the ropes
2 1 5 23 Shark's Shark Attack
2 2 2 20 Doink's Whoopie Cushion
2 1 1 15 Dave Sullivan's inverted bear hug
1 1 2 12 Sid's power bomb
2 0 0 10 Renegade's drop kick
2 0 0 10 Bushwhackers' battering ram
1 1 1 10 Shawn Michaels' Superkick
0 2 1 8 King Mabel's leg drop
1 0 1 7 Yeti's bearhug
1 0 1 7 Kamala's big splash
1 0 0 5 Marty Jannetty's Rocker Dropper
1 0 0 5 Man Mountain Rock's Wammy Bar
1 0 0 5 Hulk Hogan's punches
1 0 0 5 Barry Horowitz' combination pin
0 1 1 5 Waylon Mercy's sleeper
0 1 1 5 Ric Flair's figure four leglock
0 1 1 5 Jim Duggan's taped fist knockout punch
0 1 1 5 Aldo Montoya's Reverse DDT from the second rope
0 0 2 4 Sgt. Craig Pittman's Code Red
0 0 2 4 Alex Wright's flying body press
0 1 0 3 Undertaker's Zombie sit-up
0 1 0 3 Ric Flair's punches
0 1 0 3 Nasty Boys' pit stop
0 1 0 3 Nasty Boy Jerry Sagg's top-rope elbow drop
0 1 0 3 Brian Pillman's swinging DDT
0 1 0 3 Bret Hart's Sharpshooter
0 1 0 3 Bob Backlund's crossface chickenwing
0 1 0 3 Alundra Blayze's German suplex
0 1 0 3 911's Choke Slam
0 1 0 3 1-2-3 Kid's moonsault
0 0 1 2 Tatanka's Tomahawk chops
0 0 1 2 Skip's push ups
0 0 1 2 Sabu missing opponent on a table spot
0 0 1 2 Renegade's leap off the top rope with a title belt
0 0 1 2 Kevin Sullivan's foot stomp
0 0 1 2 Giant's neck thing (like when Zeus did in '89)
0 0 1 2 Giant's choke slam
0 0 1 2 Duke Droese's Trash Compactor
STEVE BLACK: If we ever do a "RSPW Decade Awards" thing, the reviving elbow
drop is a shoo-in for Worst Wrestling Move of the Decade. Folks, let's see
if we can follow the logic here. For everything else, the move is sold as if
you've just crushed the guy's rib cage; but for Hogan, it *wakes him
up*??? Uh, my bullshit meter just broke, it went off so hard. On lesser
levels, you have Waylon Mercy's sleeper hold (I've cuddled my girlfriend
harder than that) and Dave Sullivan's boot to the head (You'd be a great
punter Dave, but it just don't work for wrestling).
ROB NEWLAND: I apologize for my lack of eloquence and substantiation in
the following statement but Randy Savage's reviving top rope elbow just made
absolutely no sense at all.
TOM O'CONNOR: Always has been, always will be
JASON ROBAR: Randy Savage's Reviving Elbow Drop was just one of those
angles that WCW ran to make Hogan look good. Unfortunately, it set
wrestling back about 10 years. The last two slots are reserved for the
man himself, Aldo Montoya. I thought his reverse bulldog from the second
rope was bad, and it never got landed properly. Then, I was fortunate
enough to see Montoya increase his repetroire even further, and show us his
reverse DDT from the second rope, which is exactly the same as the
bulldog, only instead it ends up being a DDT. No matter, 'cause it still
doesn't land properly.
SCOTT ROGERS: I've been waiting all year to nominate and place in the #1
position Randy Savage's magical reviving elbow. What an insult to the
intelligence of longtime WCW fans.
JEREMY SORIA: Tombstone Piledriver: only when Undertaker does it--It's
better when someone else can do this.
Worst Match
-----------
Award Description:
To be given to the worst wrestling match you've seen this year, either
live, on TV, PPV, or in an arena, or on tape. If it took place in the
past year, it is eligible.
Previous Winners:
1994: 09/18/94: Jim Duggan vs. Steve Austin, Fall Brawl
1993: 04/04/93: Hulk Hogan vs. Yokozuna (WrestleMania IX)
1992: 01/18/92: Beverly Brothers vs. Bushwhackers (Royal Rumble)
1991: 05/19/91: El Gigante vs. Sid Vicious (SuperBrawl)
1990: 06/13/90: Ric Flair vs. Junkyard Dog (CoC XI)
This Year's Winner: 95/03/19: Hulk Hogan vs. Vader WCW Uncensored
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 70 (= 350 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 62 (= 186 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 60 (= 120 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
18 3 4 107 95/03/19: Hulk Hogan vs. Vader WCW Uncensored
3 4 8 43 95/08/04: Hulk Hogan vs. Kamala WCW Clash XXXI
1 8 6 41 95/03/19: Jim Duggan vs. Meng WCW Uncensored
6 0 1 32 95/04/02: Bam Bam Bigelow vs. L. Taylor WWF WMania
1 4 4 25 95/06/19: Mabel vs. Savio Vega WWF KotRing
2 4 1 24 95/06/18: Arn Anderson vs. Renegade WCW GABash
0 6 3 24 95/06/19: Mabel vs. Undertaker WWF KotRing
3 1 2 22 95/10/22: King Mabel vs. Yokozuna WWF IYHouse IV
4 0 0 20 95/08/04: Hawk & Sting vs. Meng & Kurasawa WCW Clash XXXI
2 2 2 20 95/08/27: Diesel vs. Mabel WWF SummerSlam
2 2 1 18 95/07/18: Renegade vs. Paul Orndorff WCW BaBeach
2 1 2 17 95/ / : Big Bubba Rogers vs. Dave SullivanWCW
2 2 0 16 95/01/22: Undertaker vs. King Kong Bundy WWF Rumble
1 3 0 14 94/12/2?: Hulk Hogan vs. the Butcher WCW Starrcade
1 1 2 12 95/10/29: Giant vs. Hulk Hogan WCW Havoc
0 1 4 11 95/08/04: Renegade vs. Paul Orndorff WCW Clash XXXI
1 1 1 10 95/07/18: Hulk Hogan vs. Vader WCW BatBeach
1 0 2 9 95/09/11: Hulk Hogan vs. Lex Luger WCW Nitro
1 1 0 8 95/01/22: Undertaker vs. Irwin R. Schyster WWF Rumble
0 2 1 8 95/09/04: Hulk Hogan vs. Big Bubba Rogers WCW Nitro
1 0 1 7 95/08/27: Alundra Blayze vs. Bertha Faye WWF SummerSlam
1 0 1 7 95/07/18: Jim Duggan vs. Kamala WCW BatBeach
1 0 1 7 94/11/2?: Doink & Dink & Pink & Wink
vs. Jerry Lawler & Wheezy
& Cheezy & Sleazy
0 2 0 6 95/01/23: King Kong Bundy vs. Mabel WWF RAW
1 0 0 5 95/11/06: Cobra vs. Giant WCW Nitro
1 0 0 5 95/10/22: Smoking Gunns WWF IYHouse IV
vs. Razor Ramon & 1-2-3 Kid
1 0 0 5 95/10/22: Marty Jannetty vs. Goldust WWF IYHouse IV
1 0 0 5 95/10/02: Eddy Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko WCW Nitro
1 0 0 5 95/09/24: Razor Ramon vs. Dean Douglas WWF IYHouse III
1 0 0 5 95/09/23: Jason vs. Primo Carnera III ECW
1 0 0 5 95/08/27: Yokozuna vs. Mabel WWF SummerSlam
1 0 0 5 95/08/ : Sting vs. Paul Orndorff WCW Worldwide
1 0 0 5 95/04/28: Jeff Gaylord vs. Scott Summers indy show, KC
1 0 0 5 95/04/02: Bret Hart vs Bob Backlund WWF WMania
1 0 0 5 95/02/ : Dave Sullivan & Jim Duggan WCW Pro
vs. Kevin Sullivan & Butcher
1 0 0 5 95/01/22: I.R.S vs. Undertaker WWF Rumble
1 0 0 5 95/01/09: Harvey Wippleman vs. Howard FinkleWWF RAW
1 0 0 5 95/01/04: Sting vs. Antonio Inoki NJ Tokyo Dome
1 0 0 5 95/ / : Alundra Blayze vs. Bertha Faye WWF RAW
1 0 0 5 94/12/ : Bob Backlund vs. Doink WWF RAW
0 1 1 5 95/ / : Sid Vicious vs. Bam Bam Bigelow WWF RAW
0 1 0 3 95/10/29: Hawk vs. Kurasawa WCW Havoc
0 1 0 3 95/09/23: Cactus Jack vs Hack Myers ECW
0 1 0 3 95/09/17: Hulk Hogan & Sting & Randy Savage WCW Fall Brawl
& Big Van Vader vs. Dungeon of Doom
0 1 0 3 95/08/19: Diesel/Shawn Michaels vs. MOM WWF House Show
0 1 0 3 95/06/25: Diesel & Bam Bam Bigelow WWF KotRing
vs. Sid & Tatanka
0 1 0 3 95/06/25: Bret Hart vs Jerry Lawler WWF KotRing
0 1 0 3 95/04/02: Diesel vs. Shawn Michaels WWF WrestleMania
0 1 0 3 95/03/19: Dustin Rhodes vs. Blacktop Bully WCW Uncensored
0 1 0 3 95/02/19: Jim Duggan vs. Bunkhouse Buck WCW Superbrawl
0 1 0 3 95/02/19: Hulk Hogan vs. Vader WCW Superbrawl
0 1 0 3 95/ / : Jim Duggan vs. Big Bubba Rogers WCW
0 1 0 3 95/ / : Hulk Hogan vs. Zodiac WCW
0 1 0 3 94/12/2?: Sting vs. Avalanche WCW Starrcade
0 0 1 2 95/10/22: Diesel vs. British Bulldog WWF IYHouse V
0 0 1 2 95/08/27: Bret Hart vs. Isaac Yankem WWF Summerslam
0 0 1 2 95/08/04: Vader vs. Ric Flair & Arn AndersonWCW Clash XXXI
0 0 1 2 95/08/04: Harlem Heat & Sister Sherri WCW Clash XXXI
vs. Stud Stable & Rob Parker
0 0 1 2 95/06/20: Renegade vs. Bunkhouse Buck WCW Pro
0 0 1 2 95/05/14: Adam Bomb vs. Mabel WWF IYHouse I
0 0 1 2 95/04/07: Sandman vs. Shane Douglas ECW
0 0 1 2 95/03/19: Sting vs. Big Bubba Rogers WCW Uncensored
0 0 1 2 95/01/07: Shane Douglas vs. Tully Blanchard ECW
0 0 1 2 95/ / : Dave Sullivan vs. Kevin Sullivan WCW
0 0 1 2 95/ / : Dave Sullivan WCW
vs. Diamond Dallas Page
0 0 1 2 94/11/2?: Bob Backlund vs. Bret Hart WWF Survivor
STEVE BLACK: None of my picks are going to win, I know, but these, somehow,
have managed to exceed most of what was nominated in terms of stupidity. The
KC independent match (Summers vs. Gaylord), first of all, was one of the
most astoundingly bad things I've ever seen. If someone can explain to me how
a human being can sit there for eight minutes, not do one damn thing in
the ring, and be blown up, I'd love to hear it. Then, you have the Palace
house show between Diesel/Michaels and Men on a Mission. MOM should be
ashamed of themselves for such an abysmal performance...when *Diesel* has
to be the one to save the match, you know you've got a bad one. (Not to
mention the 10 minutes spent in waiting for an actual lockup.) For third
worst, I had a LOT of choices. In the end, I abandoned my original
nominee (Hogan vs. Kamala at Clash 31) in exchange for the match that
would not die: the Nightmare on Swanson Street, Shane Douglas vs. Tully
Blanchard. The Fan Death Match. Aptly named, Mr. Scherer, if I do say so
myself. :>
PETE CHU: If there is a worst match of the century, HH vs Vader in
UnCensored will get it. It is a boring match, then worse HH pins Flair,
for no reason. And then without explaining it to any fans what happened.
DOUG CORTI: (Duggan/Evad vs. Kevin Sullivan/Butcher) Somehow, when watching
a tag match, and then realizing that thebest worker in the match is Butcher,
you automatically have the worst match of the year. Two more with Duggan
round out my picks. And I din't even see the Kamala match.
JASON ROBAR: My first vote for Worst Match of the Year will not win, but I
really thought it was the worst, so I decided to vote for it anyway. Sting
and Paul Orndorff faced off on Worldwide in August, and for the most part
it was rather uninteresting. So what, you might say? There was worse
matches out there. But at the ten minute mark of the match, it was like
both Sting and Orndorff decided to pack it in. The problem is that the
match went for another 5 minutes. Spots were blown left and right,
until the ending. Then the ending was blown badly. I could go into the
horrendous details, but lets just say that this is what people chant
"Fake" at. Diesel vs. the Bulldog at IYH4 was way too long and way too
slow. It did have a bit of potential, but that potential was really
buried in crappy restholds. And Hawk vs Kurasawa at Halloween Havoc
sucked as well.
Worst Feud
----------
Award Description:
To be given to the feud that nobody cared about at all this year.
When they were pushing the feud on TV, you'd go to the fridge for
a snack.
Previous Winners:
1994: Doink vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
1993: The Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzalez
1992: Ultimate Warrior vs. Papa Shango
1991: Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter
1990: Hulk Hogan vs. Earthquake
This Year's Winner: Hulk Hogan vs. Dungeon of Doom
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 78 (= 390 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 73 (= 219 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 65 (= 130 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
46 16 5 288 Hulk Hogan vs. Dungeon of Doom
4 10 7 64 Dave Sullivan vs. Diamond Dallas Page
5 6 6 55 Dave Sullivan vs. Big Bubba Rogers
3 5 4 38 King Mabel vs. Diesel
1 4 8 33 Alundra Blayze vs. Bertha Faye
3 1 6 30 Craig Pittman vs Cobra
1 4 4 25 Undertaker vs. Kama
2 1 2 17 Hulk Hogan vs. Vader
1 4 0 17 Hulk Hogan vs. Butcher
1 2 2 15 Diesel vs. Sid
0 3 3 15 Undertaker Vs. King Kong Bundy
1 1 2 12 Hulk Hogan vs. Giant
1 2 0 11 Bret Hart vs. Jerry Lawler & co.
1 1 1 10 Men on a Mission vs. Smoking Gunns
1 0 2 9 Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Million Dollar Corporation
1 1 0 8 Alex Wright vs. Paul Roma
0 2 1 8 Undertaker vs. Million Dollar Corporation
1 0 1 7 Shawn Michaels vs. Sid
0 2 0 6 Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair
0 0 3 6 Hack Myers vs. Val Puccio & J.T. Smith
1 0 0 5 Skip vs. Barry Horowitz
1 0 0 5 King Mabel vs. Undertaker
1 0 0 5 Ian Rotten vs. Axl Rotten
1 0 0 5 I.R.S. vs. Undertaker
1 0 0 5 Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Henry O. Godwinn
0 1 1 5 Dave Sullivan vs. Kevin Sullivan
0 0 2 4 Jim Duggan vs. Big Bubba Rogers
0 1 0 3 Renegade vs. Paul Orndorff
0 1 0 3 Razor Ramon vs. 1-2-3 Kid
0 1 0 3 Henry O. Godwinn vs. Million Dollar Corporation
0 1 0 3 Hawk vs. Kurasawa
0 1 0 3 Harlem Heat vs. American Males
0 1 0 3 Goldust vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
0 1 0 3 Bob Backlund vs. Man Mountain Rock
0 0 1 2 Ric Flair vs. Arn Anderson
0 0 1 2 Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair
0 0 1 2 Lex Luger vs. Tatanka
0 0 1 2 Lex Luger & Davey Boy Smith vs. Owen Hart vs. Yokozuna
0 0 1 2 Harlem Heat vs. Bunkhouse Buck & Dick Slater
STEVE BLACK: Hogan's feud in and of itself is not the most terrible thing
in the world, mainly because it keeps the bad workers in a certain circle,
so that we don't have to watch classics such as, say, Benoit vs. Zodiac.
*shudder* The reason I named it #1 worst feud, however, is the fact that
it's been shoved so far down our throats, to the point where no human
being can stand it. Meanwhile, another classic is Sullivan vs. Page. How
many of you were doing as I did every time that goddamned rabbit was with
Sullivan..."KILL THE WABBIT! KILL THE WABBIT!" And then, of course, Mabel
vs. Diesel, that drew such a pristine buyrate at their PPV showdown.
PETE CHU: Watching DOD reminds me of watching some crappy home video.
With them feuding against HH, it just doesn't make any sense. Butcher
somehow gets on the main event at Starrcade, the most important WCW PPV,
and face HH, now everyone knows that they are friends, and no one believes
that they hate each other.
DOUG CORTI: (Pittman vs. Cobra) Did anybody, anybody at all care what
happened with this feud?? The DDP/Evad feud was nothing but a repeat of the
Savage/Steele feud, and Bundy/Taker was just full of horrible matches.
Most Disappointing News item
----------------------------
Award Description:
To be given to the wrestling news item that most disappointed
you when heard of it. When you first learned of this news story,
you couldn't believe that it was true, and when you learned that
it was, you were bummed out for a while.
Previous Winners:
1994: WCW signs Hulk Hogan and makes him World champion
1993: WWF brings Hulk Hogan back and gives him the title
1992: Legion of Doom: Hawk & Animal split up
1991: Scott Steiner gets injured
1990: N/A
This Year's Winner: Death of Eddie Gilbert
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 77 (= 385 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 77 (= 231 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 73 (= 146 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
11 10 3 91 Death of Eddie Gilbert
9 8 3 75 Death of Art Barr
8 5 9 73 WCW: Paul Wright playing Andre's son
5 10 4 63 WCW: Hulk Hogan is champ (without regularly
defending title)
4 5 6 47 WCW: Mean Gene hawks death info on hotline
4 1 6 35 WCW: Chris Benoit, Eddy Guerrero & Dean Malenko
signed away from ECW
4 2 4 34 ECW: Arena fire on 10/28
4 1 3 29 WCW: Big Van Vader gets suspended after fight with
Paul Orndorff
4 2 1 28 PPVs become essentially monthly
4 0 0 20 WWF: Bret Hart loses WWF Title
2 1 3 19 WWF: Shawn Michaels gets beat up in Syracuse
3 1 0 18 WCW: Big Van Vader does not shoot on Hulk Hogan
1 2 3 17 WWF: Mabel wins the King of the Ring tournament
2 0 3 16 WWF: Jeff Jarrett & Roadie walk out
0 2 4 14 WCW: Ric Flair wears a dress at Uncensored
1 2 1 13 WWF: Shawn Michaels is not given the WWF Title
1 2 1 13 WWF: Dustin Rhodes becomes Goldust
2 0 1 12 ECW: Sabu leaves (is fired) after no-showing
0 3 1 11 WCW: Renegade imitating Ultimate Warrior
0 3 1 11 WCW: Big Van Vader turns babyface
0 3 0 9 WWF: Bill Watts leaves
1 1 0 8 ECW: leaves Prime Sport Network
1 0 1 7 WWF: Waylon Mercy leaves
1 0 0 5 WWF: Shawn Michaels forfeits the IC Belt
1 0 0 5 WWF: Joey Morella killed in auto accident
1 0 0 5 WWF: Diesel keeps belt for 12 months
1 0 0 5 WWF: 1-2-3 Kid's neck broken
1 0 0 5 WCW: Hulk Hogan doesn't give up belt cleanly
1 0 0 5 WCW: Dustin Rhodes & Blacktop Bully fired for blading
0 0 2 4 WCW: Debut of the Giant (The son Andre never had)
0 1 0 3 WWF: Undertaker injured by Mabel
0 1 0 3 WWF: Owen Hart picks Yokozuna as his mystery partner
0 1 0 3 WWF: Bret Hart wins WWF Title
0 1 0 3 WCW: Sabu leaves WCW
0 1 0 3 WCW: Ric Flair reforms horsemen only to job to Sting
0 1 0 3 WCW: New Japan wrestlers brought in
0 1 0 3 WCW: Monday Nitro is created
0 1 0 3 WCW: Hulk Hogan to be in WW3 instead of leaving as
originally promised
0 1 0 3 WCW: Hulk Hogan returns for late November Nitro,
much earlier than expected
0 1 0 3 WCW: Hulk Hogan allowed to control his angles
0 1 0 3 WCW: Dungeon of Doom is formed
0 1 0 3 No U.S. promotion to have lots of women wrestlers
0 1 0 3 Death of Big John Studd
0 0 1 2 WWF: Shawn Michaels turns babyface
0 0 1 2 WWF: Owen Hart & Yokozuna having to defend against
the Smoking Gunns on RAW right after IYH IV
0 0 1 2 WWF: Chris Benoit does not join promotion
0 0 1 2 WWF: 1-2-3 Kid turns heel
0 0 1 2 WCW: Ric Flair turns on Sting
0 0 1 2 WCW: Ric Flair retires
0 0 1 2 WCW: Kevin Sullivan made head booker
0 0 1 2 WCW: Hulk Hogan does not die in plane crash
0 0 1 2 WCW: Big Van Vader is injured (?) by Hogan
0 0 1 2 Terry Funk is hurt
0 0 1 2 Sudden bashing of WWF and praise of WCW on RSPW,
unfairly comparing WCW's talent to WWF's mid-carders
0 0 1 2 Ricky Steamboat retires
0 0 1 2 Ricky Morton fired by SMW and USWA
COLEMAN BAKER: With the advent of the monthly PPV, the whole booking logic
has changed for the WCW/WWF. No longer do feuds last more than a few
months (2 or 3 PPVs). Also, each PPV now must fuel sales for the next one.
We've now seen (and will continue to see) matches that do nothing than set
up the next "great card". I wish someone would have the courage to see if
they can make as much money by cutting down on the PPVs and hopefully,
bringing up the buyrate on each.
STEVE BLACK: What more can you say? The deaths of Gilbert and Barr...*sigh*
These were two true greats. Gilbert, as I'm writing this, is more likely
than not on his way to the RSPW Hall of Fame, and Barr may be following
close behind...and they deserve it. As for Funk, it's good to see that he
can still move around well enough to continue to wrestle.
RODNEY GRAVES: As a result, some fans got burned. Fire is cool but
not when a fan gets hurt.
OTTO HEUER: Was tempted to write in "Hogan didn't die a slow, lingering,
painful death", but found three others from the ballot that were
almost as disappointing. Surprised that Shawn getting jumped didn't
make the nominations.
GIANLUCA MILANDRI: Hogan still in WCW (and without regularly defending the
title) is a shame for wrestling, and the Renegade arrived as the Ultimate
Surprise is another shame. Again, it was hard to keep out Mabel winning KotR.
TOM O'CONNOR: Just when Dubba-J REALLY had his shtick at its peak,
he goes bye-bye. All that money on his "debut" song right down the
toilet :-)
JASON ROBAR: Art Barr was going to be the next big star in wrestling. His
work at When Worlds Collide was tremendous, and unfortunately, that was my
only chance to see him in his Love Machine persona. Even still, I was really
looking forward to seeing him in WCW sometime. Now, unfortunately, I'm
left to wonder what could have been whenever I see Eddy Guerrero in the
ring. Paul Wight as Andre's son is just disrespectful to Andre's memory.
And it wasn't that Mean Gene used a death to sell his hotline. It was
the way he did it. If he had come out and said who died, then I wouldn't
be so bad. But to have people call to find out who has died is not very
good at all.
SCOTT ROGERS: 1. PPVs become essentially monthly - This is bad for the
business because it oversaturates the market and cuts into the fans'
checkbooks more. As well, the two months between PPVs typically
gave the TV shows enough time to build up good heat for angles.
Now they have to work the angles around PPVs that come every 3.5
weeks. As a result, the energy seems to be lacking more.
2. Mene Gene hawks hotline for death info - A truly sleazy individual
who went even lower when you thought he couldn't. 3. Paul Wright as
Andre's son - see Worst Wrestling Gimmick.
BRIAN WESTCOTT: No question in my mind that one of the most shocking and
emotionally disturbing events of 1995 was the sudden death of Eddie Gilbert.
Gilbert had such a passion for pro wrestling like no one else. Gilbert was
great as a heel, (especially in the GWF and the USWA). He will be missed
very much.
Most Obnoxious Personality
--------------------------
Award Description:
To be given to the person who just rubs you the wrong way. This could
be anybody involved in the wrestling biz.
Previous Winners:
1994: Hulk Hogan
1993: Vince McMahon
1992: Vince McMahon
1991: Dusty Rhodes
1990: N/A
This Year's Winner: Eric Bischoff
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 85 (= 425 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 67 (= 201 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 66 (= 132 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
30 10 7 194 Eric Bischoff
13 11 9 116 Gene Okerlund
16 1 0 83 Hulk Hogan
2 7 11 53 Vince McMahon
4 4 10 52 Todd Pettingill
6 4 4 50 Dusty Rhodes
3 8 5 49 Steve McMichael
3 3 4 32 Jerry Lawler
2 4 3 28 Dok Hendriks
1 2 3 17 Jimmy Hart
1 2 0 11 Harvey Wippleman
0 2 2 10 Renegade
0 2 1 8 Jim Duggan
0 2 1 8 Bobby Heenan
1 0 1 7 Zodiac
1 0 0 5 Ric Flair
1 0 0 5 Jim Cornette
1 0 0 5 Brandon Baxter
0 1 0 3 The Master
0 1 0 3 Jesse James Armstrong
0 1 0 3 Diesel
0 1 0 3 Bill Alfonso
0 1 0 3 Barry Didinski
0 0 1 2 Paul E. Dangerously
0 0 1 2 Luna Vachon
0 0 1 2 Jim Ross
0 0 1 2 Dutch Savage
0 0 1 2 Chris Cruise
STEVE BLACK: I have been a perennial basher of Savage and Hogan and Duggan,
but there's three people in WCW that top them easily. McMichael, for one.
Here is living proof that you don't have to know a fucking thing about
the English language to announce on TV. I never thought I'd see anyone
make me nostalgic for Art Donovan, but he's done it repeatedly for the
last two months. And it does NOT help that he's paired with the Audio
Medusa himself, Eric Bischoff. I'm convinced the reason Nitro's ratings
stay up is that there are a lot of people listening too close that have
turned to stone. And then of course, you have Sir Drunk Fuck himself,
Dusty Rhodes. All I have to say is that when Dustin retires from the ring
and starts commentating, I hope he inherited his mom's brains.
PETE CHU: Bischoff's comments on WWF directly without backing up with
good angles makes him the most obnoxious person this year.
ROB EVANS: Okerlund: "Just call my hotline!"
OTTO HEUER: Had to go wit Gene, Heenen, and Hulk on this one. Sorry
McMahon... I know you wanted my vote again this year.
HERB KUNZE: "We got a real situation here," since Dusty Rhodes gets
"clubbered" into first place. He actually wants us to believe that
the new workers come talk to him about ring work. What an idiot.
Hulk Hogan takes second and Vince McMahon takes third. Close honorable
mentions to Gene Okerlund and Eric Bischoff.
TOM O'CONNOR: Once, JUST ONCE, I want to see baldy "do the job"
for Flair. God, I'd love to see the Figure-4 on Gene!
DEAN RASMUSSEN: Jerry Lawler and Dusty Rhodes have ruined more wrestling
matches for me this year just talking, than Kamala has his
entire life wrestling.
SCOTT ROGERS: 1. Eric Bischoff - Competition is one thing, but Eric's
pathetic attempts to malign the name of the WWF and any wrestlers who
left the WCW or wouldn't join (Levesque, Steiners, Diesel, Payne) make
him a grade-A jerk. 2. Hulk Hogan - Bet you didn't see this one coming.
3. Mean Gene - Call the hotline to find out why. Note : Hard to believe
that I could find three to beat out McMichael, Lawler, McMahon, and Dusty.
Best Manager
------------
Award Description:
To be given to the manager who outperformed his peers at ringside
and behind the microphone in interviews.
Previous Winners:
1994: Jim Cornette
1993: Jim Cornette
1992: Curt Hennig
1991: Bobby Heenan
1990: Jim Cornette
This Year's Winner: Jim Cornette
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 82 (= 410 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 69 (= 207 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 60 (= 120 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
44 15 5 275 Jim Cornette
9 14 11 109 Sonny (of the Bodydonnas)
5 10 14 83 Paul E. Dangerously
10 3 6 71 Woman
5 8 7 63 Sister Sherri
1 7 6 38 Diamond Doll
3 4 1 29 Beulah
2 3 3 25 Ted DiBiase
2 2 3 22 Colonel Rob Parker
1 0 0 5 Mr. Fuji
0 1 0 3 Shinja
0 1 0 3 Scott Bowden
0 1 0 3 Brandon Baxter
0 0 1 2 Paul Bearer
0 0 1 2 Jimmy Hart
0 0 1 2 Francine
0 0 1 2 Allan "The Duke" Barrie
STEVE BLACK: No, it's NOT just because of her incredibly sexy body,
beautiful face, luscious *SMACK* Sorry. Got carried away there. :> In all
seriousness, Woman being #1 on my list hasn't got much to do with looks,
though the way she uses them in her persona certainly helps a lot. Her
biggest strength is the fact that she doesn't have to pound on the mat or
scream to get people into the match. All you have to do is take a look at
when she's concerned, pleased, or whatever, and you have a reference
point for *really* getting into the match. Her subtlety and her...aura, I
guess...draw you into the match. Cornette is much more traditional, but
he had his best year in the last three this time around. To get the
Punisher over to the extent he has...it's remarkable. As for Allan
Barrie? Well, hey, even at the beginning level he's at now, he's ten
times better than Mr. Fuji. :>
PETE CHU: Jim Cornette makes great facial expression, gets the fans
involve with the match. Sunny gets second with her bouncing around.
Sherri usually works harder than Harlem Heat.
TOM O'CONNOR: Tough decision. Sunny is the best thing to happen to
drive up hormones since Elizabeth, and Woman just has that intense
"You will obey me" look about her. But the man with the racket is
still #1 in my book
Best Announcer
--------------
Award Description:
To be given to the commentator/announcer who makes the most insightful
and entertaining comments while pushing his product. As of 1992, the
difference between this and colour commentator will be enforced.
Previous Winners:
1994: Jim Ross
1993: Jim Ross
1992: Jim Ross
1991: Jesse Ventura
1990: Jesse Ventura
This Year's Winner: Jim Ross
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 83 (= 415 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 65 (= 195 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 57 (= 114 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
42 19 10 287 Jim Ross
19 11 4 136 Joey Styles
6 3 12 63 Vince McMahon
1 13 8 60 Tony Schiavone
4 5 10 55 Gordon Solie
2 2 1 18 Akira Fukuzawa
1 3 1 16 Lance Russell
0 4 2 16 Joe Pedicino
0 2 5 16 Chris Cruise
2 0 1 12 Bobby Heenan
2 0 0 10 Gorilla Monsoon
1 0 0 5 Todd Pettingill
1 0 0 5 Les Thatcher
1 0 0 5 Howard Finkel
1 0 0 5 Dok Hendriks
0 1 0 3 Woman
0 1 0 3 Mark Nulty
0 1 0 3 Jerry Lawler
0 0 1 2 The Japanese Annoucer for the Japanese Edition of
WCW World Wide who busts on the show for being sucky
0 0 1 2 Dave Brown
0 0 1 2 Beulah
STEVE BLACK: Lance Russell, point blank, is the best announcer to have
ever graced us with his presence in the broadcast booth. The man is a
master of understatement, yet still does an incredible job of getting
his point across. He was *made* to be behind the microphone on WMC. Joey
Styles...is there anyone better at doing an interview? He has the
subtlety - the facial expressions, the certain look he gives the
heels...wow. And Akira Fukuzawa...even in another language, the guy makes
you care about what's happening on the screen, as if the fate of the
world itself hinged on the outcome of, say, Kikuchi vs. Kroffat. :>
RODNEY GRAVES: Joey Styles is the best wrestling accouncer in the
business. He does a wonderful job combining his witty huomr with
his extensive knowlage of wrestling holds. He can only get better
with time. Hell, he might be known as the Gordon Solie of my
generation. BTW, I'm 21 years old.
TOM O'CONNOR: Vince, give in to your ego and give Ross the mic!!
SCOTT ROGERS: 1. Gordon Solie - A su-plex is a wrestling move, a SOUFFLE
is a dessert or entree made with eggs. We'll miss you Gordon.
2. Joe Pedicino - 1 of only 3 good things in the now deceased Texas NWA.
3. Chris Cruise - Chris has always been an okay announcer, but with so
few good ones left the Chrispy Cruiser gets 3rd place by default.
Honorable Mention to the new WWF-ified Jim Ross. The old Jim Ross would
have easily taken first place.
Best Colour Commentator
-----------------------
Award Description:
To be given to the colour commentator who provides the most insightful
and entertaining comments.
Previous Winners:
1994: Bobby Heenan
1993: Jesse Ventura
1992: Bobby Heenan
1991: Bobby Heenan
1990: N/A
This Year's Winner: Bobby Heenan
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 79 (= 395 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 67 (= 201 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 54 (= 108 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
37 18 9 257 Bobby Heenan
11 19 15 142 Jerry Lawler
11 11 3 94 Shawn Michaels
9 6 8 79 Dok Hendriks
6 7 13 77 Jim Cornette
2 1 0 13 Joey Styles
1 1 2 12 Larry Zbyszko
1 0 0 5 Steve McMichael's dog
1 0 0 5 Gorilla Monsoon
0 1 1 5 Jim Ross
0 1 0 3 Lance Russell
0 1 0 3 Dusty Rhodes
0 1 0 3 Bobby Eaton
0 0 1 2 Todd Pettengill
0 0 1 2 Taz
0 0 1 2 Colonel DeBeers
STEVE BLACK: What does it tell you about the state of color commentators in
wrestling that Michaels, who barely worked 1/3 of the year, if that, as a
commentator, is the best one out there? Bobby Heenan is watchable, Todd
Pettengill is 3rd by default.
HERB KUNZE: I didn't vote for this award. There are no good colour
commentators, so to name one the best is calling one cow-chip the
least smelly. And after that metaphor I bet your thinking of Henry
O. Godwinn.
TOM O'CONNOR: A broadcast without a Heenan one liner is a day without
sunshine. The man has not lost a step in his decades of work.
SCOTT ROGERS: No one! When color commentators learn to start calling
matches rather than making crack comments or talking about things
unrelated to the match then I'll be glad to start putting down names again.
Best Interviewee
----------------
Award Description:
To be given to the person who gives the best interview in the biz.
This could be a wrestler or a manager.
Previous Winners:
1994: Ric Flair
1993: Ric Flair
1992: Ric Flair
1991: Ric Flair
1990: Ric Flair
This Year's Winner: Shawn Michaels
Participation Statistics:
Total 1st Place Voters = 81 (= 405 points)
Total 2nd Place Voters = 79 (= 237 points)
Total 3rd Place Voters = 74 (= 148 points)
Detailed Results:
1st 2nd 3rd Score
22 13 8 165 Shawn Michaels
21 13 4 152 Ric Flair
17 6 2 107 Cactus Jack
3 11 3 54 Jim Cornette
1 7 4 34 Public Enemy
2 3 7 33 Shane Douglas
3 1 3 24 Bob Backlund
1 1 7 22 Bret Hart
1 1 6 20 Goldust
0 2 5 16 Paul E. Dangerously
1 2 2 15 Big Van Vader
0 3 3 15 Steve Richards
1 1 2 12 Road Warrior Hawk
1 1 2 12 Buddy Landell
1 1 1 10 Raven
1 1 1 10 Owen Hart
0 1 3 9 Arn Anderson
0 2 1 8 Diesel
1 0 1 7 Undertaker
0 2 0 6 Dean Douglas
1 0 0 5 Lex Luger
1 0 0 5 Harlem Heat
1 0 0 5 Diamond Dallas Page
1 0 0 5 Al Snow
0 1 1 5 Sid
0 1 1 5 Randy Savage
0 1 1 5 British Bulldog
0 1 0 3 Terry Funk
0 1 0 3 Steve Austin
0 1 0 3 King Mabel
0 1 0 3 Jeff Jarrett
0 0 1 2 Sting
0 0 1 2 Sonny (of the Bodydonnas)
0 0 1 2 Savio Vega
0 0 1 2 Razor Ramon
0 0 1 2 Gangstas
0 0 1 2 Disco Inferno
STEVE BLACK: Shawn Michaels has combined an earnest style with a little
gumption to become one of the best all-around interview subjects in
wrestling. The Public Enemy, in the time I've seen them, have never
once done a bad interview. And Paul E. Dangerously not only does the
psycho yuppie gimmick like a master, he also projects an earnest,
no-bullshit approach that makes you believe in him.
RAY DUFFY: I don't see how anyone can not pick Cactus Jack as best
interview. Perhaps the highlight of every week of wrestling for me is
tuning in to see what Cactus has to say each week. It's always different
and it's always good. I know some times they can go on a bit, but there's
always a gem in the interview. His interviews are what has really are
fueling his "I'm not working" angle. Richards gets a point just for wearing
our shirt on a tv interview :-)
ROB EVANS: Cornette has given some of the best interviews I've seen in
a long time.
RODNEY GRAVES: I have NEVER seen the Nature Boy give a bad interview.
All wrestlers should should study tapes of his interviews so they can
learn the finer points of art of interviewing.
OTTO HEUER: Ric Flair has won FIVE years in a row. This time I shant
vote for The Man. I'll instead go with Raven, Cactus Jack, and Paul E.
Dangerously. All three are keeping it fresh and interesting behind
the mic. While Flair still has the enthusiasm, his catch phrases are
STARTING to get old, and he was in a slump for the first 8 months of
the year.
HERB KUNZE: Flair's still the best. Cornette is second and Shawn
Michaels is third.
TOM O'CONNOR: Wow, I dropped Flair behind Michaels. I do not believe
it. But Shawn's work this year, especially his post-Syracuse interview,
put him over the top. Wild, intelligent, markish yet "insider".
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