Memo to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and PWI Awards

Memo to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and PWI Awards

November 28, 2013

By Ryan Porzl

It's that time of year. Around this time of year, Dave Meltzer and the Wresting Observer Newsletter as well as Pro Wrestling Illustrated begin to consider who should be nominated for their yearly awards. The great film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert used to have a “Memo to the Academy” special where they bring up actors, actresses, and movies they believed deserved nominations in an attempt to influence the vote. I liked the concept and decided to steal it. I don't expect this to change anyone's mind but I'll still do it for fun. Think of this as me doing a charitable thing. Remember, the names on here are names of wrestlers that I think should get nominated but might be overlooked. Just because I don't put a name doesn't mean I don't think they or it should be nominated. More like, I think they definitely will be.

Wrestler of the Year

AJ Styles (TNA)- I can not say enough praise for Styles in 2013. He did a great job this year with his lone wolf gimmick and he also deserves a lot of credit for doing something so different since we live in an age where wrestlers continue to play the same tired gimmicks for years and even decades. Styles was still as good as ever in the ring by having excellent matches with Kurt Angle, Magnus, and Bully Ray. From a storyline standpoint, Styles also regained the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in three and a half years, won the 2013 BFG Series, and main evented Bound For Glory for the first time since 2009.

Suwama (All Japan)- Japan has their shares of major stars and no doubt Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, and KENTA will be in consideration for this award but one other who deserves a nomination is Suwama. Maybe it's me but I view Suwama as one of the most underrated wrestlers who doesn't seem to get the same credit as everyone else. 2013 has been an interesting year for Suwama. He had many excellent and underrated matches with Jun Akiyama and Go Shiozaki. Hell, he got a very good match out of Akebono. He won his third Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship and his first Unified World Tag Team Championship which made him the first since Keiji “The Great Muta” Mutoh in 2001/2002 to have held those five title belts at the same time (Triple Crown represents 3 belts while the World Tag Team Titles represent 2). Most of all, Suwama has also been a great ace for All Japan during uncertain times. With Mutoh leaving All Japan this past summer and taking half the roster with him, Suwama has been great as he clearly is doing his best in the ring and behind the scenes to lead All Japan through these rocky times and eventually return them to former glory. Anybody can be an ace of a profitable promotion but it takes a great talent to be the ace of a promotion with an uncertain future and Suwama has done very well.

James Raideen (ZERO1)- Raideen is another guy with an incredible and underrated 2013. The New Zealand has seen his stock shoot to the top this year. He's had many great matches and despite being 22, he doesn't come off as an inexperienced young guy. Raideen shows a lot of potential as he's big and strong but agile and athletic. Overall, he seems to have the whole package. Raideen enjoyed tremendous success by winning the ZERO1 World Heavyweight Championship and the 2013 Fire Festival. Raideen became the youngest wrestler to win both honors and is the first foreigner or gaijin to win the Festival. Raideen has already accomplished so much, yet there's still plenty more. 2013 saw him take his career to the next level. Don't be surprised if within five years he's in a bigger Japanese promotion or even stateside with the WWE or TNA.

Adam Cole (ROH/PWG/CZW)- Cole was probably the most successful wrestler in the indy circuit in 2013. From a storyline standpoint, Cole became a two time World Champion by winning both the ROH and PWG World Titles. He also is the top heel in both promotions and enjoyed a good feud with Sami Callihan in CZW. Cole is likely to get nominated but I still want to add him because you never know as indy wrestling can fly underneath the radar.

Woman of the Year

Kaitlyn (WWE)- Kaitlyn was easily WWE's best diva in 2013. To think that this is the same girl who had the worst match of the year in 2010 to where she's at now, she's made so much improvement. Kaitlyn deserves a lot of credit for being one of the few models WWE brings in and actually strives to improve instead of half-assing until Hollywood comes calling. 2013 saw Kaitlyn put on good matches with the likes of Eve Torres and AJ Lee all the while having one of the best feuds of 2013 with the latter. From a storyline standpoint, Kaitlyn captured her first WWE Diva's Championship at RAW's 20^th Anniversary show.

Cheerleader Melissa (SHIMMER)- Melissa was the top women wrestlers on the independent circuit. She's currently the top star in the all-woman promotion SHIMMER and regained the SHIMMER title for the second time in her career and also was ranked #1 in PWI's Top 50 Females of 2013.

Tag Team of the Year

Killer Elite Squad (Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.) (New Japan)- KES is one of those teams that's fun to watch and comes off as a well-oiled machine. Archer and Smith are already great talents as both are very tall and strong but at the same time are very fast and agile. They also play their parts well as the evil, big, intimidating gaijin heels. They work well together with good double-team moves and a badass finisher the Killer Bomb (a sitout full nelson slam/sitout powerbomb combo). From a storyline standpoint, the two entered the year as New Japan's IWGP Tag Team Champions and have since regained them for a second time. They also held the NWA World Tag Team Titles on the side.

Kotaro Suzuki and Atsushi Aoki (All Japan)- Suzuki and Aoki deserve a nomination because I don't think it's possible for them to have a bad match. These two are probably the most exciting team not only in Japan but probably in the world. While both do have technical wrestling, they're at their best when doing high flying, acrobatic moves. From a storyline standpoint, Suzuki and Aoki have won the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Titles and held them for most of this year (as of writing they're still the champions). They also won the 2013 AJPW Jr. Tag League tournament.

The Young Bucks (PWG/New Japan)- Like Suzuki and Aoki, the Bucks are one of the most exciting teams in wrestling. Also, like Suzuki & Aoki, I don't know if it's possible for them to have a bad match. These guys have a fun high-flying style and great double-team moves. From a storyline standpoint, the Bucks won their third PWG World Tag Team Title along with their first New Japan IWGP Jr. Tag Team Championship. They also won their third PWG DDT4 Tag Team Tournament as well as their first New Japan Super Jr. Tag Tournament.

Laughter7 (Kazushi Sakuraba & Katsuyori Shibata) (Freelance)- Yes, Laughter7 hasn't won any titles and they're part time freelancers but they're still a great team. Sakuraba and Shibata compliment each other with Shibata being the typical japanese wrestler with stiff slaps, forearms, and kicks while Sakuraba wrestles like he fought in MMA by focusing on grappling and submissions. They've had some good matches this past year with Stack of Arms (Masakatsu Funaki & Masayuki Kono) and Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi.

Best Flying Wrestler

(I'm not going into detail because they're all the same in that they're great high flyers. They have great success and all put on great matches.)

Manik (TNA)

ACH (ROH)

Kotaro Suzuki (All Japan)

Taiji Ishimori (NOAH)

Most Overrated

John Cena (WWE)- Oh man. What would a most overrated list be without the most overrated “performer” in WWE history as well as today in John Cena? 2013 saw the WWE continue to shove their golden boy down wrestling fans throats for the eighth straight year. It also saw Cena continue to get booed out of every arena in the country all the while putting on bad matches, bad promos, getting an undeserved Wrestlemania main event slot, and winning the World Title in his first match back from injury. It's obvious that most fans are either sick of Cena or just flat out bored with the guy. Defenders can say what they want but the fact is when you're supposed to be the top fan favorite in the company and yet you're getting booed at of buildings including your hometown, then you're overrated because you're in a position you shouldn't be in since you're not doing your job. Same goes for Cena's matches as he makes the same mistakes year after year and match after match. His fisherman suplexes don't look right and his STF looks extremely loose and couldn't submit anyone. So having said all that, the last thing we needed was an eighth straight year of Vince's Champ.

Alberto Del Rio (WWE)- I don't think there was ever a wrestler who was given as many chances at bat and strike out every single time as Del Rio has. 2013 saw WWE do everything short of selling their soul to get Del Rio over as a main eventer and fail each time. We've seen Del Rio enter the year as a babyface “Man of the People” type gimmick then switch back to a cocky heel to a vicious heel with a mean streak. None of them worked, not one. Meanwhile, as WWE was changing Del Rio's character and personality, Del Rio was boring people to tears with lackluster matches and promos which lacked so much reaction that crickets wouldn't bother chirping. Despite all this, Del Rio was still giving push after push as he was still giving World Title runs all the while Dolph Ziggler was given one half-assed reign and sent back to the midcard.

Jay Briscoe (ROH)- I don't care how popular Jay Briscoe is to the casual ROH fan, there was no justification to see him as a top star in ROH. The fact Briscoe was given a run with the World Title makes him worthy of a nomination but it's more than that. This guy is one of the top stars despite the fact he's not a good wrestler, can't cut a promo, and has a terrible look. There is NOTHING about him that screams “Superstar”. It's even more nauseating when you look at the fact that ROH went with him over Jay Lethal or Michael Elgin who are guys that are more marketable, can wrestle better, cut a promo, and overall speak coherent English.

Most Underrated

Daniel Bryan (WWE)- Has there ever been a person who was mishandled and underutilized than Daniel Bryan? He starts the year with the silly and stupid Team Hell No with Kane to two pathetic WWE Championship reigns to getting buried week after week to a bunch of tired acts. It's even more sad because Bryan was easily the most popular act in American wrestling in 2013 and to push him would seem like a no-brainer. Unfortunately, the WWE's policy is largely hiring people with no brains. Sadly, Bryan will likely exit 2013 back in the midcard. It's even more sad how WWE didn't learn from botching CM Punk two years earlier and once again botched a white hot act. Even worse is the fact that the booking of Bryan was like the WWE punishing him for getting over on his own and punishing the fans for supporting someone the WWE didn't handpick.

Dolph Ziggler (WWE)- If anyone can compete with Daniel Bryan in the mishandled and underutilized category it's Dolph Ziggler. Like Bryan, Ziggler was becoming one of the WWE's hottest acts and was becoming one of the popular wrestlers the WWE had despite being a heel. But once again, the WWE failed to use Ziggler to his best. Like all Money in the Bank Winners, Ziggler spent the early part of 2013 losing often instead of being groomed for the next level. From there, he was given a very half-assed World Title reign only to lose it quickly and be sent back down the midcard. As 2013 winds down, Ziggler has no direction and is completely rudderless all because Vinnie Mac didn't hand pick him to be a star.

Antonio Cesaro (WWE)- Cesaro is one of dozens of WWE superstars who have been misused in 2013. Cesaro entered the year as United States champion but had no direction and quietly lost the belt. He then stumbled through the year with nothing to do until being saddled with the lame Real Americans stable. Watching Cesaro with this lousy act, you can't help but feel disappointed that the WWE wasted a whole year of this guy's career especially since he had a decent 2012.

Knux (TNA)- Knux was probably the most underrated wrestler in TNA in 2013. For 3/4 of the year, the big man was rarely used. Sure, he appeared on TV every week but he didn't do much. He rarely wrestled or cut promos or wasn't given his own feud. It was such a shame given how talented he is. While TNA has begun to use Knux more beginning in the fall, it's still a shame it took them as long especially since he's shown he's a very good wrestler who can cut some good promos. Knux was probably the most frustrating wrestler to watch in TNA this year because you know he's good and yet he was wasted for most of the year as he stood around and did nothing. I still believe when Bully told Knux he had something for him to do on an episode of Impact and Knux said “Finally”, he was ad-libbing. I wouldn't be surprised if he said that because in real life because he thought he would finally do something productive.

Jay Lethal (ROH)- Jay Lethal is not only an underrated wrestler but probably the most misused wrestler on the ROH roster. At this time last year, Lethal looked like he was possibly going to win the big one as he was chasing Kevin Steen and the ROH World Title. Instead he lost at the anniversary show and was sent down the midcard all the while Jay Briscoe was given a run with the belt. Sadly Lethal has the tools to be a world champion with in-ring ability, mic skills, and can have a great match with just about anybody but ROH seems content to having him be a midcard act.

Toru Yano & Takashi Iizuka (New Japan)- Yano and Iizuka are underrated in so many ways. Sure they won NOAH's GHC Tag Team Titles this year but I feel they've been overlooked. As talents both are very good wrestlers but can't showcase it because of their gimmicks with Yano being a weasel-like heel and Iizuka being a psychopathic heel. They're also underrated because they have the skills to be a top team in New Japan but it seems New Japan wants them to be a midcard act all the while they have to keep putting over the very stale TenCozy team.

Best Gimmick

AJ Styles (TNA)- In 2013, we've seen many of wrestling big stars largely do the same old/same old. John Cena, Bully Ray, and Jay Briscoe for example, all did the same stuff they've been doing for 10-15 years. That's what makes AJ Styles gimmick the best of the year. 2013 saw Styles largely shed his flashy and colorful phenomenal gimmick for his dark, cynical lone wolf gimmick. As the lone wolf, Styles grew a beard, started wearing a leather jacket and black attire, and somewhat toned down his matches and focusing on some technical wrestling all the while debuting a new submission the calf killer. In this day and age, it's refreshing to see someone try something different and Styles did a great job.

Worst Gimmick

The Real Americans (Jack Swagger, Antonio Cesaro, and Zeb Colter) (WWE)- Usually I'm not a fan of when wrestling tries to bring in politics and the Real Americans are that. The group is based off of the Tea Party wing of American Politics and it has so many problems. For one thing, the whole concept doesn't come off well, it's not entertaining, and it seems to resort to cheap tactics to get heat or reactions from the audience. Swagger and Cesaro are great but this gimmick is a waste of their talents. Colter brings nothing to the table other than looking like a stereotypical tea partier. Colter just isn't a very good manager and doesn't talk well. To make matters worse, if you're going to do a Tea Party gimmick, then do it in 2009 or 2010 when the Tea Party were all over the American news, not 2013.

Los Matadores (WWE)- I wish someone would give Vince McMahon either the DeLorean from Back To The Future, the WABAC Machine from Mr. Peabody, the TARDIS from Dr. Who, The Phone Booth from Bill & Ted, or Epoch from Chrono Trigger. Maybe then, Vince can go back to 1991-1993 and will remember he tried this gimmick 20 years ago and failed with Tito Santana. The only thing interesting about this gimmick is how the WWE still has Tito Santana's El Matador costumes from years gone by. Other than that, this gimmick is awful. It's not a good gimmick, it doesn't add any flavor or character to Epico and Primo, it's not entertaining, and JBL & Jerry Lawler shouting “ole”makes me want to jab a wooden stake through my ears. What makes this gimmick more frustrating is that the WWE could've done something better by having Sami Zayn bring back his El Generico gimmick which has proven to be a highly successful gimmick, appeal to all ages including the kids, could sell merchandise, and JBL & Jerry Lawler can say “Ole” 50,000 times.

The Briscoe Brothers (ROH)- The Briscoes are nothing short of epic fail. The gimmick is one of the more obnoxious gimmicks that literally gives wrestling a bad name. The two literally come off as the stereotype the media and Hollywood portray wrestling fans as: Drunk rednecks who are missing some of their teeth, have shaggy beards, speak in drunken babble, and have a style that resembles kids flipping around on a trampoline in their backyard.

Worst Promotion

WWE- This one isn't about recommending a nomination but rather a winner. In 2013, the worst promotion of the year only needs a gold. No silver and no bronze because no company has come as close to being a small fraction as bad as the WWE was. Simply put, there probably has never been a period in wrestling history where one company was so painfully stubborn, arrogant, incompetent, and overall bad as the WWE was in 2013. Not World Class in 1987. Not AWA in 1988, 1989, or 1990. Not WCW in 1999 or 2000. Even 1995 and 2006 WWE wasn't this bad. 2013 saw the WWE continue to push the same tired acts like John Cena, Randy Orton, and Alberto Del Rio. They buried one of the hottest acts they had in years in Daniel Bryan and squandered chances to push hot acts like Dolph Ziggler and Damian Sandow. We also saw the unneeded and unwelcome return of Triple H and the McMahon Family who have centered RAW and Smackdown around them. RAW is still 3 hours which is way too much and the show drags along so slow. Too many TV shows which oversaturates the market. They cut a guy capable of main eventing a Wrestlemania in Chris Hero (Kassius Ohno). They continue to keep guys and girls like Sami Zayn, Aiden English, and Paige stuck in NXT while rookie divas like Eva Marie and JoJo are moved to the main roster before they even have one professional match because they're on a WWE reality show. Storylines and feuds were abruptly dropped in ways that made the Happy Days writers look like they put a lot of effort in writing out Chuck Cunningham. Too many championships including two world titles and two secondary title with most not getting enough attention. I can literally write a 500 word essay on the WWE's misses in 2013.

Worst Match of the Year

John Cena vs. Mark Henry (WWE)- This is one of the categories where I only pick one suggestion because it's not even close. It really says a lot when I go into a match with very low expectations and it's worse than I expected it. That's the feeling I got with this match. This match basically saw a lazy, unmotivated and occasionally sloppy top star and a very untalented oaf lumber around the ring and put on a dull match. To make matters worse, they looked sloppy in certain parts. Cena's STF looked horrible as usual while Henry could barely swing Cena on the second attempt.

Feud of the Year

Kaitlyn vs. AJ Lee (WWE)- This is not only the best women's feud this year in the WWE but this was easily the best diva's feud the WWE has had since Trish Stratus and Lita from 2000-2006. The history between the two was there, the matches were good, and both had very good chemistry with AJ being the the crazy, conniving heel who uses technical skill against bigger opponents while Kaitlyn is the take no shit diva who's had it with her former best friend and uses her power and strength. Overall, the matches have been very good and the only negative was they never had a real blowoff with Kaitlyn settling the score and reclaiming the belt but still very good.

Yuji Nagata vs. Kazushi Sakuraba (New Japan)- This was an underrated feud which started with Sakuraba suffering a legit injury but it added to the feud as the two wrestled throughout the summer and fall exchanging wins in several tag matches before concluding it one on one. Overall, both compliment each other with Nagata doing stiff strikes, suplexes, and submissions while Sakuraba (despite being limited) being the grappler who goes for submission. It's also pretty good when you consider how broken down Sakuraba is given many of his wars in MMA.

Comeback of the Year

Chris Sabin (TNA)- This one is a no-brainer. In 2011, Sabin sat out for 6-9 months with a torn ACL. In 2012, Sabin would return only to tear his other ACL within 2 months and was out for another 6-9 months. Since returning this year, Sabin has not only had a great year but doesn't look like he's missed a beat. He's put on phenomenal matches and promos against guys like Manik and Bully Ray. From a storyline standpoint, Sabin won his first TNA World Heavyweight Championship and the X Division Championship three times making him a record setting seven time champion.

Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year

Chris Sabin (TNA)- Pretty much the same reasons why I think Sabin should get a comeback nomination is the same here. Sabin tore both of his ACLs two years in row (one per year). Most wrestlers would probably quit after sitting out for two year because of major muscle tears in both legs. But Sabin bounced back and not only returned, but is as good as he's ever been. Last year, I personally thought TNA should've dropped him given the long layoffs and major injuries. But thankfully, TNA didn't and not only did Sabin prove me wrong, but it's one of those moments where I'm glad to have been wrong.

Worst Announcer of the Year

Jerry Lawler (WWE)- It's no surprise that Lawler has been consistently bad for years but he still deserves a nomination. Lawler has been verbal diarrhea for over 10 years and counting. He also offer absolutely nothing to commentary. At least most color commentators are funny and either offer some insightful commentary like Jesse Ventura and Bobby Heenan or are an encyclopedia like Matt Striker or are former wrestlers like Taz and occasionally explain certain moves and holds. Lawler does none of these things. He hasn't been funny in years, he doesn't say anything fascinating on commentary, he isn't an encyclopedia and doesn't explain moves. He also can be extremely annoying to listen to on commentary and also disturbing in diva's matches since no one wants to hear a 63 year old man talking about how hot a bunch of 20 year old girls that are old enough to be his granddaughters are. Finally, listening to his commentary, you can't help but feel he's not motivated anymore and is just there to collect a check.

JBL (WWE)- I know a lot of people like JBL but I'm not one of them. Similar to Lawler, JBL is really annoying to listen to on commentary. He doesn't have a good voice and sounds like he's drunk on commentary (I wouldn't blame him if he was). He also comes off as obnoxious to listen to and more time than not, doesn't offer anything on commentary. Most fans praise JBL for the fact that he brings up outside companies but he doesn't do it that much and sometimes he gets his facts wrong (He's incorrectly claimed that Tensai was the first two time New Japan Cup winner a few times). Honestly, the WWE would be better off rehiring Matt Striker.