List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
This is a list of both active and inactive Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards created by professional wrestling journalist, Dave Meltzer. The first fourteen awards were created in 1980 as an informal poll between Meltzer and his friends and others he corresponded with on the subject of professional wrestling at the time. After starting the Wrestling Observer in 1983, the awards took on a greater life, with an increasing number of awards given out every year.
The awards were created to recognize the individual achievements of a select few wrestlers who exemplified in a specified criterion. The awards are given on a yearly basis in various categories such as Best Overall Wrestler, Most Outstanding Wrestler, Best Tag Team, Most Improved, Match of the Year, etc.; there are also a handful of awards to recognize the dubious distinctions in the business during that year such as Most Overrated and Worst Worked Match. Currently, there are thirty-seven categories that are actively assessed every year and ten that are no longer active. The awards are voted for by the readership of the newsletter, which includes various insiders of the industry, such as promoters, agents, and performers, as well as journalists, historians, and fans.
The awards are organized into two classes. For "Category A" awards, voters indicate their top three choices. First choices are awarded five points, second places three points, and third places two points. The choice with the most points overall wins. For "Category B" awards, voters simply indicate their top choice.
Over the years, various institutions of mixed martial arts have become eligible to win some awards that seemed as though they were more deserving than the conventional wrestler. This led to, in 1997, the creation of Shootfighter of the Year and Fight of the Year to recognize MMA achievement specifically, but some awards remained intact for MMA to win, due to the similar business aspect between both sports (i.e. Best Box Office Draw, Promotion of the Year). In the December 3, 2007 edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it was announced that from that year onwards, mixed martial artists are no longer eligible for the Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award, thus reserving it for professional wrestlers only. Shootfighter of the year was renamed to Most Outstanding Fighter to match a new award called MMA Most Valuable Fighter, which is similar to the Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award except it is for mixed martial artists.
Current awards
"Category A" awards
Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)
Ric Flair is an eight-time winner of the category
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Harley Race | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1981 | ||
| 1982 | Ric Flair | |
| 1983 | ||
| 1984 | ||
| 1985 | Jim Crockett Promotions | |
| 1986 | ||
| 1987 | Riki Choshu | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1988 | Akira Maeda | Universal Wrestling Federation |
| 1989 | Ric Flair | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | Jumbo Tsuruta | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1992 | Ric Flair | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1993 | Big Van Vader | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1994 | Toshiaki Kawada | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1995 | Mitsuharu Misawa | |
| 1996 | Kenta Kobashi | |
| 1997 | Mitsuharu Misawa | |
| 1998 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1999 | Mitsuharu Misawa | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2000 | Triple H | World Wrestling Federation |
| 2001 | Keiji Mutoh | New Japan Pro Wrestling All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2002 | Kurt Angle | World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment |
| 2003 | Kenta Kobashi | Pro Wrestling Noah |
| 2004 | ||
| 2005 | ||
| 2006 | Místico | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre |
| 2007 | John Cena | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2008 | Chris Jericho | |
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | John Cena | |
| 2011 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2012 | ||
| 2013 | ||
| 2014 | Shinsuke Nakamura | |
| 2015 | A.J. Styles | New Japan Pro Wrestling Ring of Honor |
Mixed Martial Arts Most Valuable
Brock Lesnar is a three-time winner of the category
| Year | Fighter | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Randy Couture | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2008 | Brock Lesnar | |
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | ||
| 2011 | Georges St-Pierre | |
| 2012 | Anderson Silva | |
| 2013 | Georges St-Pierre | |
| 2014 | Ronda Rousey | |
| 2015 |
Most Outstanding Wrestler
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Ric Flair | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1987 | ||
| 1988 | Tatsumi Fujinami | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1989 | Ric Flair | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1990 | Jushin Thunder Liger | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1991 | New Japan Pro Wrestling World Championship Wrestling | |
| 1992 | ||
| 1993 | Kenta Kobashi | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1994 | ||
| 1995 | Manami Toyota | All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling |
| 1996 | Rey Misterio Jr. | Extreme Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling |
| 1997 | Mitsuharu Misawa | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1998 | Koji Kanemoto | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1999 | Mitsuharu Misawa | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2000 | Chris Benoit | World Championship Wrestling World Wrestling Federation |
| 2001 | Kurt Angle | World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment |
| 2002 | ||
| 2003 | ||
| 2004 | Chris Benoit | |
| 2005 | Samoa Joe | Ring of Honor Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| 2006 | Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan | Ring of Honor |
| 2007 | ||
| 2008 | ||
| 2009 | Ring of Honor Dragon Gate USA | |
| 2010 | World Wrestling Entertainment Evolve Dragon Gate USA Chikara | |
| 2011 | Davey Richards | Ring of Honor Pro Wrestling Guerrilla |
| 2012 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2013 | ||
| 2014 | A.J. Styles | New Japan Pro Wrestling Ring of Honor |
| 2015 |
Most Outstanding Fighter of the Year
Georges St-Pierre is a three-time winner of the category
| Year | Fighter | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Maurice Smith | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 1998 | Frank Shamrock | |
| 1999 | ||
| 2000 | Kazushi Sakuraba | Pride Fighting Championships |
| 2001 | Wanderlei Silva | |
| 2002 | Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira | |
| 2003 | Randy Couture | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2004 | Wanderlei Silva | Pride Fighting Championships |
| 2005 | Fedor Emelianenko | |
| 2006 | Mirko Filipović | Pride Fighting Championships Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2007 | Quinton Jackson | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2008 | Georges St-Pierre | |
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | ||
| 2011 | Jon Jones | |
| 2012 | Anderson Silva | |
| 2013 | Cain Velasquez | |
| 2014 | Ronda Rousey | |
| 2015 | Conor McGregor |
Best Box Office Draw
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The Rock is a three-time winner of the category
| Year | Performer | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Hollywood Hogan | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1998 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1999 | ||
| 2000 | The Rock | |
| 2001 | Kazushi Sakuraba | Pride Fighting Championships |
| 2002 | Bob Sapp | K-1 Pride Fighting Championships New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2003 | ||
| 2004 | Kenta Kobashi | Pro Wrestling Noah |
| 2005 | ||
| 2006 | Místico | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre |
| 2007 | John Cena | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2008 | Brock Lesnar | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | ||
| 2011 | The Rock | WWE |
| 2012 | ||
| 2013 | Georges St-Pierre | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2014 | Ronda Rousey | |
| 2015 |
Feud of the Year
| Year | Feud | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Bruno Sammartino vs. Larry Zbyszko | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1981 | André the Giant vs. Killer Khan | |
| 1982 | Ted DiBiase vs. Junkyard Dog | Mid South Wrestling |
| 1983 | The Freebirds vs. The Von Erichs | World Class Championship Wrestling |
| 1984 | World Class Championship Wrestling National Wrestling Alliance | |
| 1985 | Ted DiBiase vs. Jim Duggan | Mid South Wrestling |
| 1986 | Hulk Hogan vs. Paul Orndorff | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1987 | Austin Idol and Tommy Rich vs. Jerry Lawler | Continental Wrestling Association |
| 1988 | The Fantastics vs. The Midnight Express | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1989 | Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1990 | Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Jumbo Tsuruta | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1991 | Mitsuharu Misawa and company vs. Jumbo Tsuruta and company | |
| 1992 | Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Lawler vs. The Moondogs | United States Wrestling Association |
| 1993 | Bret Hart vs. Jerry Lawler | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1994 | Los Gringos Locos vs. Asistencia Asesoría y Administración | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración |
| 1995 | Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko | Extreme Championship Wrestling |
| 1996 | New World Order vs. World Championship Wrestling | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1997 | Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Hart Foundation | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1998 | Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Vince McMahon | |
| 1999 | ||
| 2000 | Mick Foley vs. Triple H | |
| 2001 | Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Wanderlei Silva | Pride Fighting Championships |
| 2002 | Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2003 | Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2004 | Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H | |
| 2005 | Batista vs. Triple H | |
| 2006 | Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2007 | Batista vs. The Undertaker | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2008 | Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels | |
| 2009 | Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk | |
| 2010 | El Generico vs. Kevin Steen | Ring of Honor |
| 2011 | John Cena vs. CM Punk | WWE |
| 2012 | Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2013 | ||
| 2014 | Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2015 | José Aldo vs. Conor McGregor |
Tag Team of the Year
| Year | Tag team | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts) |
Mid South Wrestling Georgia Championship Wrestling |
| 1981 | Jimmy Snuka and Terry Gordy | All Japan Pro Wrestling National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1982 | Stan Hansen and Ole Anderson | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1983 | Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood | National Wrestling Alliance (Jim Crockett Promotions) |
| 1984 | The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) |
American Wrestling Association National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1985 | The British Bulldogs (Dynamite Kid and Davey Boy Smith) |
World Wrestling Federation Stampede Wrestling |
| 1986 | The Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey and Bobby Eaton) |
Universal Wrestling Federation |
| 1987 | The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane) |
Universal Wrestling Federation Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1988 | Jim Crockett Promotions | |
| 1989 | The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty) |
World Wrestling Federation |
| 1990 | The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner) |
World Championship Wrestling |
| 1991 | Mitsuharu Misawa and Toshiaki Kawada | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1992 | The Miracle Violence Connection (Terry Gordy and Steve Williams) |
All Japan Pro Wrestling World Championship Wrestling |
| 1993 | The Hollywood Blonds (Steve Austin and Brian Pillman) |
World Championship Wrestling |
| 1994 | Los Gringos Locos (Eddy Guerrero and Art Barr) |
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración |
| 1995 | Mitsuharu Misawa and Kenta Kobashi | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1996 | Mitsuharu Misawa and Jun Akiyama | |
| 1997 | ||
| 1998 | Shinjiro Otani and Tatsuhito Takaiwa | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1999 | Kenta Kobashi and Jun Akiyama | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2000 | Edge and Christian | World Wrestling Federation |
| 2001 | Satoshi Kojima and Hiroyoshi Tenzan | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2002 | Los Guerreros (Eddie Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero) |
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment |
| 2003 | Kenta and Naomichi Marufuji | Pro Wrestling Noah |
| 2004 | ||
| 2005 | America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) |
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| 2006 | The Latin American Exchange (Homicide and Hernandez) | |
| 2007 | The Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark Briscoe) |
Ring of Honor |
| 2008 | John Morrison and The Miz | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2009 | The American Wolves (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards) |
Ring of Honor |
| 2010 | The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli) | |
| 2011 | Bad Intentions (Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson) |
New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2012 | Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels and Kazarian) |
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| 2013 | The Shield (Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) |
WWE |
| 2014 | The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) |
New Japan Pro Wrestling Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Ring of Honor |
| 2015 |
Most Improved
Bayley is the only female winner of the category
| Year | Name | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Larry Zbyszko | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1981 | Adrian Adonis | American Wrestling Association |
| 1982 | Jim Duggan | Mid-South Wrestling |
| 1983 | Curt Hennig | American Wrestling Association Pacific Northwest Wrestling World Wrestling Federation |
| 1984 | The Cobra | New Japan Pro Wrestling Stampede Wrestling |
| 1985 | Steve Williams | Mid South Wrestling |
| 1986 | Rick Steiner | |
| 1987 | Big Bubba Rogers | Universal Wrestling Federation |
| 1988 | Sting | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1989 | Lex Luger | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1990 | Kenta Kobashi | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1991 | Dustin Rhodes | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1992 | El Samurai | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1993 | Tracy Smothers | Smoky Mountain Wrestling |
| 1994 | Diesel | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1995 | Johnny B. Badd | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1996 | Diamond Dallas Page | |
| 1997 | Tatsuhito Takaiwa | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1998 | The Rock | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1999 | Vader | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2000 | Kurt Angle | World Wrestling Federation |
| 2001 | Keiji Mutoh | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2002 | Brock Lesnar | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2003 | ||
| 2004 | Randy Orton | |
| 2005 | Roderick Strong | Ring of Honor |
| 2006 | Takeshi Morishima | Pro Wrestling Noah |
| 2007 | Montel Vontavious Porter | World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE |
| 2008 | The Miz | |
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | Sheamus | |
| 2011 | Dolph Ziggler | |
| 2012 | Kazuchika Okada | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2013 | Roman Reigns | WWE |
| 2014 | Rusev | |
| 2015 | Bayley | WWE NXT |
Best on Interviews
Jim Cornette is a five-time winner of the category
| Year | Performer | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Lou Albano Roddy Piper |
World Wrestling Federation; National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1982 | Roddy Piper | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1983 | ||
| 1984 | Jimmy Hart | Continental Wrestling Association |
| 1985 | Jim Cornette | Mid South Wrestling |
| 1986 | Jim Crockett Promotions | |
| 1987 | ||
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | Terry Funk | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1990 | Arn Anderson | |
| 1991 | Ric Flair | |
| 1992 | World Wrestling Federation | |
| 1993 | Jim Cornette | Smoky Mountain Wrestling |
| 1994 | Ric Flair | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1995 | Cactus Jack | Extreme Championship Wrestling |
| 1996 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1997 | ||
| 1998 | ||
| 1999 | The Rock | |
| 2000 | ||
| 2001 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | |
| 2002 | Kurt Angle | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2003 | Chris Jericho | |
| 2004 | Mick Foley | World Wrestling Entertainment Hustle Ring of Honor |
| 2005 | Eddie Guerrero | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2006 | Mick Foley | |
| 2007 | John Cena | |
| 2008 | Chris Jericho | |
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | Chael Sonnen | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2011 | CM Punk | WWE |
| 2012 | ||
| 2013 | Paul Heyman | |
| 2014 | ||
| 2015 | Conor McGregor | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
Most Charismatic
Hulk Hogan is a six-time winner of the category
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Ric Flair | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1981 | Michael Hayes | World Class Championship Wrestling |
| 1982 | Ric Flair Dusty Rhodes |
National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1983 | Ric Flair | |
| 1984 | ||
| 1985 | Hulk Hogan | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1986 | ||
| 1987 | ||
| 1988 | Sting | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1989 | Hulk Hogan | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | ||
| 1992 | Sting | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1993 | Ric Flair | World Wrestling Federation World Championship Wrestling |
| 1994 | Atsushi Onita | Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling |
| 1995 | Shawn Michaels | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1996 | ||
| 1997 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | |
| 1998 | ||
| 1999 | The Rock | |
| 2000 | ||
| 2001 | ||
| 2002 | World Wrestling Entertainment | |
| 2003 | Bob Sapp | New Japan Pro Wrestling K-1 |
| 2004 | Eddie Guerrero | World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE |
| 2005 | ||
| 2006 | John Cena | |
| 2007 | ||
| 2008 | ||
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | ||
| 2011 | The Rock | |
| 2012 | ||
| 2013 | Hiroshi Tanahashi | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2014 | Shinsuke Nakamura | |
| 2015 |
Bryan Danielson Award (Best Technical Wrestler)
Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan is a nine-time winner of the category
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Bob Backlund | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1981 | Ted DiBiase | Mid South Wrestling |
| 1982 | Tiger Mask | New Japan Pro Wrestling World Wrestling Federation |
| 1983 | ||
| 1984 | Dynamite Kid Masa Saito |
Stampede Wrestling New Japan Pro Wrestling World Wrestling Federation; American Wrestling Association New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1985 | Tatsumi Fujinami | New Japan Pro Wrestling World Wrestling Federation |
| 1986 | ||
| 1987 | Nobuhiko Takada | Universal Wrestling Federation |
| 1988 | Tatsumi Fujinami | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1989 | Jushin Liger/Jushin Thunder Liger | |
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | ||
| 1992 | ||
| 1993 | Hiroshi Hase | |
| 1994 | Chris Benoit | Extreme Championship Wrestling New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1995 | Extreme Championship Wrestling New Japan Pro Wrestling World Championship Wrestling | |
| 1996 | Dean Malenko | World Championship Wrestling New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1997 | ||
| 1998 | Kiyoshi Tamura | Pride Fighting Championships |
| 1999 | Shinjiro Otani | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2000 | Chris Benoit | World Wrestling Federation World Championship Wrestling |
| 2001 | Minoru Tanaka | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2002 | Kurt Angle | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2003 | Chris Benoit | |
| 2004 | ||
| 2005 | Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan | Ring of Honor |
| 2006 | ||
| 2007 | ||
| 2008 | ||
| 2009 | Ring of Honor Dragon Gate USA | |
| 2010 | World Wrestling Entertainment Evolve Dragon Gate USA Chikara | |
| 2011 | WWE | |
| 2012 | ||
| 2013 | ||
| 2014 | Zack Sabre Jr. | Pro Wrestling Noah |
| 2015 |
Bruiser Brody Memorial Award (Best Brawler)
Mick Foley is 10-time winner of the category
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Bruiser Brody | World Wrestling Council |
| 1981 | ||
| 1982 | ||
| 1983 | ||
| 1984 | World Wrestling Council All Japan Pro Wrestling | |
| 1985 | Stan Hansen | All Japan Pro Wrestling National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1986 | Terry Gordy | All Japan Pro Wrestling Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1987 | Bruiser Brody | World Wrestling Council |
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | Terry Funk | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1990 | Stan Hansen | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1991 | Cactus Jack/Mankind/Mick Foley | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1992 | ||
| 1993 | World Championship Wrestling Extreme Championship Wrestling | |
| 1994 | Extreme Championship Wrestling International Wrestling Association of Japan | |
| 1995 | ||
| 1996 | World Wrestling Federation | |
| 1997 | ||
| 1998 | ||
| 1999 | ||
| 2000 | ||
| 2001 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | |
| 2002 | Yoshihiro Takayama | New Japan Pro Wrestling Pride Fighting Championships |
| 2003 | Brock Lesnar | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2004 | Chris Benoit | |
| 2005 | Samoa Joe | Ring of Honor Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| 2006 | ||
| 2007 | Takeshi Morishima | Ring of Honor Pro Wrestling Noah |
| 2008 | Necro Butcher | Ring of Honor Combat Zone Wrestling |
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | Kevin Steen | Ring of Honor Pro Wrestling Guerrilla |
| 2011 | Pro Wrestling Guerrilla | |
| 2012 | Ring of Honor Pro Wrestling Guerrilla | |
| 2013 | Katsuyori Shibata | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2014 | Tomohiro Ishii | |
| 2015 |
Best Flying Wrestler
Jushin Thunder Liger is a five-time winner of the category
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Jimmy Snuka | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1982 | Tiger Mask | New Japan Pro Wrestling National Wrestling Alliance World Wrestling Federation |
| 1983 | ||
| 1984 | Dynamite Kid | |
| 1985 | Tiger Mask II | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1986 | ||
| 1987 | Owen Hart | New Japan Pro Wrestling World Wrestling Federation |
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | Jushin Liger/Jushin Thunder Liger | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | ||
| 1992 | ||
| 1993 | New Japan Pro Wrestling World Championship Wrestling | |
| 1994 | The Great Sasuke | Michinoku Pro Wrestling New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1995 | Rey Misterio Jr. | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración Extreme Championship Wrestling |
| 1996 | Extreme Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling | |
| 1997 | World Championship Wrestling | |
| 1998 | Juventud Guerrera | World Championship Wrestling Asistencia Asesoría y Administración |
| 1999 | ||
| 2000 | Jeff Hardy | World Wrestling Federation |
| 2001 | Dragon Kid | Toryumon |
| 2002 | Rey Mysterio | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2003 | ||
| 2004 | ||
| 2005 | A.J. Styles | Ring of Honor Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| 2006 | Místico | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre |
| 2007 | ||
| 2008 | Evan Bourne | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2009 | Kota Ibushi | Dramatic Dream Team |
| 2010 | ||
| 2011 | Ricochet | Dragon Gate Pro Wrestling Guerrilla |
| 2012 | Kota Ibushi | Dramatic Dream Team |
| 2013 | Dramatic Dream Team New Japan Pro Wrestling | |
| 2014 | Ricochet | Dragon Gate Lucha Underground |
| 2015 |
Most Overrated
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Mr. Wrestling II | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1981 | Pedro Morales | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1982 | ||
| 1983 | Bob Backlund | |
| 1984 | Big John Studd | |
| 1985 | Hulk Hogan | |
| 1986 | ||
| 1987 | Dusty Rhodes | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | The Ultimate Warrior | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | ||
| 1992 | Erik Watts | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1993 | Sid Vicious | |
| 1994 | Hulk/Hollywood Hogan | |
| 1995 | ||
| 1996 | ||
| 1997 | ||
| 1998 | ||
| 1999 | Kevin Nash | |
| 2000 | ||
| 2001 | The Undertaker | World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment |
| 2002 | Triple H | |
| 2003 | ||
| 2004 | ||
| 2005 | Jeff Jarrett | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| 2006 | Batista | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2007 | The Great Khali | |
| 2008 | Vladimir Kozlov | |
| 2009 | Triple H | |
| 2010 | Kane | |
| 2011 | Crimson | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| 2012 | Ryback | WWE |
| 2013 | Randy Orton | |
| 2014 | Kane | |
| 2015 |
Most Underrated
Bobby Eaton is a four-time winner of the category
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Iron Sheik | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1981 | Buzz Sawyer | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1982 | Adrian Adonis | American Wrestling Association |
| 1983 | Dynamite Kid | New Japan Pro Wrestling Stampede Wrestling |
| 1984 | B. Brian Blair | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1985 | Bobby Eaton | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1986 | ||
| 1987 | Brad Armstrong | |
| 1988 | Tiger Mask II | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1989 | Dan Kroffat | |
| 1990 | Bobby Eaton | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1991 | Terry Taylor | |
| 1992 | ||
| 1993 | Bobby Eaton | |
| 1994 | Brian Pillman | |
| 1995 | Skip | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1996 | Leif Cassidy | |
| 1997 | Flash Funk | |
| 1998 | Chris Benoit | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1999 | Chris Jericho | World Championship Wrestling World Wrestling Federation |
| 2000 | World Wrestling Federation | |
| 2001 | Lance Storm | World Wrestling Federation World Championship Wrestling |
| 2002 | Booker T | World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE |
| 2003 | Último Dragón | |
| 2004 | Paul London | |
| 2005 | Shelton Benjamin | |
| 2006 | ||
| 2007 | ||
| 2008 | Montel Vontavious Porter | |
| 2009 | Evan Bourne | |
| 2010 | Kaval | |
| 2011 | Dolph Ziggler | |
| 2012 | Tyson Kidd | |
| 2013 | Antonio Cesaro/Cesaro | |
| 2014 | ||
| 2015 |
Promotion of the Year
| Year | Promotion |
|---|---|
| 1983 | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1984 | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1985 | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1986 | Mid South Wrestling |
| 1987 | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1988 | |
| 1989 | Universal Wrestling Federation |
| 1990 | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1991 | |
| 1992 | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1993 | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1994 | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración |
| 1995 | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1996 | |
| 1997 | |
| 1998 | |
| 1999 | World Wrestling Federation |
| 2000 | |
| 2001 | Pride Fighting Championships |
| 2002 | |
| 2003 | |
| 2004 | Pro Wrestling Noah |
| 2005 | |
| 2006 | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2007 | |
| 2008 | |
| 2009 | |
| 2010 | |
| 2011 | |
| 2012 | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2013 | |
| 2014 | |
| 2015 |
Best Weekly TV Show
| Year | Program |
|---|---|
| 1983 | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1984 | |
| 1985 | Mid South Wrestling |
| 1986 | Universal Wrestling Federation |
| 1987 | CWA 90 Minute Memphis Live Wrestling |
| 1988 | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1989 | |
| 1990 | |
| 1991 | |
| 1992 | |
| 1993 | |
| 1994 | Extreme Championship Wrestling Hardcore TV |
| 1995 | |
| 1996 | |
| 1997 | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1998 | World Wrestling Federation: Raw Is War |
| 1999 | |
| 2000 | |
| 2001 | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2002 | World Wrestling Entertainment: SmackDown! |
| 2003 | Pro Wrestling Noah Power Hours |
| 2004 | World Wrestling Entertainment: Raw |
| 2005 | Ultimate Fighting Championship: The Ultimate Fighter |
| 2006 | |
| 2007 | |
| 2008 | |
| 2009 | World Wrestling Entertainment: Friday Night SmackDown |
| 2010 | Ring of Honor Wrestling |
| 2011 | WWE: Friday Night SmackDown |
| 2012 | TNA Impact Wrestling |
| 2013 | WWE NXT |
| 2014 | |
| 2015 |
Pro Wrestling Match of the Year
| Year | Match | Promotion | Venue Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Bob Backlund vs. Ken Patera Texas Death Match |
World Wrestling Federation | New York, New York May 19 |
| 1981 | Pat Patterson vs. Sgt. Slaughter Alley Fight |
New York, New York May 4 | |
| 1982 | Tiger Mask vs. Dynamite Kid | New Japan Pro Wrestling | Tokyo, Japan August 5 |
| 1983 | Ric Flair vs. Harley Race Steel Cage match |
National Wrestling Alliance | Starrcade Greensboro, North Carolina November 24 |
| 1984 | The Freebirds vs. The Von Erichs Anything Goes Match |
World Class Championship Wrestling | Independence Day Star Wars Fort Worth, Texas July 4 |
| 1985 | Tiger Mask II vs. Kuniaki Kobayashi | All Japan Pro Wrestling | Tokyo, Japan June 21 |
| 1986 | Ric Flair vs. Barry Windham | Jim Crockett Promotions | Battle of the Belts II Orlando, Florida February 14 |
| 1987 | Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage | World Wrestling Federation | WrestleMania III Pontiac, Michigan March 29 |
| 1988 | Sting vs. Ric Flair | Jim Crockett Promotions | Clash of the Champions I Greensboro, North Carolina March 27 |
| 1989 | Ricky Steamboat vs. Ric Flair Two out of Three Falls match |
World Championship Wrestling | Clash of the Champions VI New Orleans, Louisiana April 2 |
| 1990 | Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Naoki Sano | New Japan Pro Wrestling | Osaka, Japan January 31 |
| 1991 | Hiroshi Hase and Kensuke Sasaki vs. Steiner Brothers | WCW/New Japan Supershow Tokyo, Japan March 21 | |
| 1992 | Kenta Kobashi and Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. Doug Furnas and Dan Kroffat | All Japan Pro Wrestling | Sendai, Japan May 25 |
| 1993 | Manami Toyota and Toshiyo Yamada vs. Dynamite Kansai and Mayumi Ozaki | All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling | Dream Slam II Osaka, Japan April 21 |
| 1994 | Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels Ladder match |
World Wrestling Federation | WrestleMania X New York, New York March 20 |
| 1995 | Manami Toyota vs. Kyoko Inoue | All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling | Tokyo, Japan May 7 |
| 1996 | Mitsuharu Misawa and Jun Akiyama vs. Steve Williams and Johnny Ace | All Japan Pro Wrestling | Tokyo, Japan June 7 |
| 1997 | Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin Submission match |
World Wrestling Federation | WrestleMania 13 Rosemont, Illinois March 23 |
| 1998 | Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa | All Japan Pro Wrestling | Tokyo, Japan October 31 |
| 1999 | Tokyo, Japan June 11 | ||
| 2000 | Atlantis vs. Villano III | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre | Juicio Final Mexico City, Mexico March 17 |
| 2001 | Keiji Mutoh vs. Genichiro Tenryu | All Japan Pro Wrestling | Tokyo, Japan June 8 |
| 2002 | Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit vs. Edge and Rey Mysterio | World Wrestling Entertainment | WWE No Mercy North Little Rock, Arkansas October 20 |
| 2003 | Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa | Pro Wrestling Noah | Navigate for Evolution Tokyo, Japan March 1 |
| 2004 | Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama | Departure Tokyo, Japan July 10 | |
| 2005 | Kenta Kobashi vs. Samoa Joe | Ring of Honor | ROH Joe vs. Kobashi Manhattan, New York October 1 |
| 2006 | Dragon Kid, Ryo Saito and Genki Horiguchi vs. Cima, Masato Yoshino and Naruki Doi | ROH Supercard of Honor Chicago Ridge, Illinois March 31 | |
| 2007 | Takeshi Morishima vs. Bryan Danielson | ROH Manhattan Mayhem II Manhattan, New York August 25 | |
| 2008 | Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels Ladder match |
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE | WWE No Mercy Portland, Oregon October 5 |
| 2009 | The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels | WrestleMania XXV Houston, Texas April 5 | |
| 2010 | WrestleMania XXVI Glendale, Arizona March 28 | ||
| 2011 | CM Punk vs. John Cena | Money in the Bank 2011 Rosemont, Illinois July 17 | |
| 2012 | Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki | New Japan Pro Wrestling | King of Pro-Wrestling Tokyo, Japan October 8 |
| 2013 | Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada | Invasion Attack Tokyo, Japan April 7 | |
| 2014 | A.J. Styles vs. Minoru Suzuki | G1 Climax 24 Tokyo, Japan August 1 | |
| 2015 | Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kota Ibushi | Wrestle Kingdom 9 Tokyo, Japan January 4 |
MMA Match of the Year
| Year | Fight | Promotion | Venue Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Maurice Smith vs. Mark Coleman | Ultimate Fighting Championship | UFC 14 Birmingham, Alabama July 27 |
| 1998 | Jerry Bohlander vs. Kevin Jackson | UFC 16 New Orleans, Louisiana March 13 | |
| 1999 | Frank Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz | UFC 22 Lake Charles, Louisiana September 24 | |
| 2000 | Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Royce Gracie | Pride Fighting Championships | Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals Tokyo Dome May 1 |
| 2001 | Randy Couture vs. Pedro Rizzo | Ultimate Fighting Championship | UFC 31 Atlantic City, New Jersey May 4 |
| 2002 | Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama | Pride Fighting Championships | Pride 21 Saitama, Japan June 23 |
| 2003 | Wanderlei Silva vs. Hidehiko Yoshida | Pride Final Conflict 2003 Tokyo, Japan November 9 | |
| 2004 | Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson | Pride 28 Saitama, Japan October 31 | |
| 2005 | Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar | Ultimate Fighting Championship | The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale Las Vegas, Nevada April 9 |
| 2006 | Diego Sanchez vs. Karo Parisyan | UFC Fight Night 6 Las Vegas, Nevada August 17 | |
| 2007 | Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia | UFC 68 Columbus, Ohio March 3 | |
| 2008 | Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton Jackson | UFC 86 Las Vegas, Nevada July 5 | |
| 2009 | Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida | The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom Finale Las Vegas, Nevada June 20 | |
| 2010 | Leonard Garcia vs. Chan-Sung Jung | World Extreme Cagefighting | WEC 48 Sacramento, California April 24 |
| 2011 | Dan Henderson vs. Shogun Rua | Ultimate Fighting Championship | UFC 139 San Jose, California November 19 |
| 2012 | Chan-Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier | UFC on Fuel TV: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier Fairfax, Virginia May 15 | |
| 2013 | Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez | UFC 166 Houston, Texas October 19 | |
| 2014 | Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler | UFC 171 Dallas, Texas March 15 | |
| 2015 | Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald | UFC 189 Las Vegas, Nevada July 11 |
Rookie of the Year
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Barry Windham | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1981 | Brad Armstrong and Brad Rheingans | |
| 1982 | Steve Williams | |
| 1983 | The Road Warriors | |
| 1984 | Tom Zenk Keiichi Yamada |
World Wrestling Federation; New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1985 | Jack Victory | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1986 | Bam Bam Bigelow | Continental Wrestling Association |
| 1987 | Brian Pillman | Stampede Wrestling |
| 1988 | Gary Albright | |
| 1989 | Dustin Rhodes | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1990 | Steve Austin | |
| 1991 | Johnny B. Badd | |
| 1992 | Rey Misterio Jr. | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración |
| 1993 | Jun Akiyama | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1994 | Mikey Whipwreck | Extreme Championship Wrestling |
| 1995 | Perro Aguayo Jr. | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre |
| 1996 | The Giant | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1997 | Mr. Águila | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración |
| 1998 | Goldberg | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1999 | Blitzkrieg | |
| 2000 | Sean O'Haire | |
| 2001 | El Hombre Sin Nombre | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre |
| 2002 | Bob Sapp | K-1 |
| 2003 | Chris Sabin | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Ring of Honor Pro Wrestling Zero-One Max |
| 2004 | Petey Williams | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| 2005 | Shingo Takagi | Dragon Gate |
| 2006 | Atsushi Aoki | Pro Wrestling Noah |
| 2007 | Erick Stevens | Ring of Honor |
| 2008 | Kai | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2009 | Frightmare | Chikara |
| 2010 | Adam Cole | Ring of Honor Combat Zone Wrestling |
| 2011 | Daichi Hashimoto | Pro Wrestling Zero1 |
| 2012 | Dinastía | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración |
| 2013 | Yohei Komatsu | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2014 | Dragon Lee | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre |
| 2015 | Chad Gable | WWE NXT |
Best Non-Wrestler
Paul Heyman is a six-time winner of the category
| Year | Performer | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Vince McMahon | World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment |
| 2000 | ||
| 2001 | Paul Heyman | |
| 2002 | ||
| 2003 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | |
| 2004 | Paul Heyman | |
| 2005 | Eric Bischoff | |
| 2006 | Jim Cornette | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Ring of Honor |
| 2007 | Larry Sweeney | Ring of Honor |
| 2008 | ||
| 2009 | Vickie Guerrero | World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE |
| 2010 | ||
| 2011 | Ricardo Rodriguez | |
| 2012 | Paul Heyman | |
| 2013 | ||
| 2014 | ||
| 2015 | Dario Cueto | Lucha Underground |
Best Television Announcer
Jim Ross is a 14-time winner of the category
| Year | Announcer | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Gordon Solie | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1982 | ||
| 1983 | ||
| 1984 | Lance Russell | Continental Wrestling Association |
| 1985 | ||
| 1986 | ||
| 1987 | ||
| 1988 | Jim Ross | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1989 | ||
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | ||
| 1992 | ||
| 1993 | World Championship Wrestling World Wrestling Federation | |
| 1994 | Joey Styles | Extreme Championship Wrestling |
| 1995 | ||
| 1996 | ||
| 1997 | Mike Tenay | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1998 | Jim Ross | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1999 | ||
| 2000 | ||
| 2001 | ||
| 2002 | Mike Tenay | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| 2003 | ||
| 2004 | ||
| 2005 | ||
| 2006 | Jim Ross | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2007 | ||
| 2008 | Matt Striker | |
| 2009 | Jim Ross | |
| 2010 | Joe Rogan | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2011 | ||
| 2012 | Jim Ross | WWE |
| 2013 | William Regal | |
| 2014 | ||
| 2015 | Mauro Ranallo | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
Worst Television Announcer
| Year | Announcer | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Angelo Mosca | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1985 | Gorilla Monsoon | |
| 1986 | David Crockett | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1987 | ||
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | Ed Whalen | Stampede Wrestling |
| 1990 | Herb Abrams | Universal Wrestling Federation |
| 1991 | Gorilla Monsoon | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1992 | ||
| 1993 | ||
| 1994 | ||
| 1995 | ||
| 1996 | Steve McMichael | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1997 | Dusty Rhodes | |
| 1998 | Lee Marshall | |
| 1999 | Tony Schiavone | |
| 2000 | ||
| 2001 | Michael Cole | World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment |
| 2002 | Jerry Lawler | |
| 2003 | Jonathan Coachman | |
| 2004 | Todd Grisham | |
| 2005 | Jonathan Coachman | |
| 2006 | Todd Grisham | |
| 2007 | Don West | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| 2008 | Mike Adamle | World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE |
| 2009 | Michael Cole | |
| 2010 | ||
| 2011 | ||
| 2012 | ||
| 2013 | Taz | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| 2014 | John "Bradshaw" Layfield | WWE |
| 2015 |
Best Major Wrestling Show
| Year | Program | Promotion |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | The Great American Bash | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1990 | Wrestling Summit | World Wrestling Federation/New Japan Pro Wrestling/All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1991 | WrestleWar | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1992 | Wrestlemarinpiad | All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling |
| 1993 | Dream Slam I | |
| 1994 | Super J Cup | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1995 | Multi-promotional show | Weekly Pro Wrestling |
| 1996 | Super J Cup: Second Stage | Wrestle Association R |
| 1997 | In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1998 | Heat Wave | Extreme Championship Wrestling |
| 1999 | Anarchy Rulz | |
| 2000 | Juicio Final | Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre |
| 2001 | WrestleMania X-Seven | World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2002 | SummerSlam | |
| 2003 | Final Conflict | Pride Fighting Championships |
| 2004 | Departure | Pro Wrestling Noah |
| 2005 | Destiny | |
| 2006 | Glory By Honor V: Night 2 | Ring of Honor |
| 2007 | Man Up | |
| 2008 | WrestleMania XXIV | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2009 | Open the Historic Gate | Dragon Gate USA |
| 2010 | UFC 116 | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2011 | Money in the Bank | WWE |
| 2012 | King of Pro-Wrestling | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2013 | G1 Climax 23: Day 4 | |
| 2014 | G1 Climax 24: Day 7 | |
| 2015 | Wrestle Kingdom 9 |
"Category B" awards
Worst Major Wrestling Show
| Year | Program | Promotion |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | WrestleMania V | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1990 | Clash of the Champions XII | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1991 | The Great American Bash | |
| 1992 | Halloween Havoc | |
| 1993 | Fall Brawl | |
| 1994 | Blackjack Brawl | Universal Wrestling Federation |
| 1995 | Uncensored | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1996 | Uncensored | |
| 1997 | nWo Souled Out | |
| 1998 | Fall Brawl | |
| 1999 | Heroes of Wrestling | Fosstone Productions |
| 2000 | Halloween Havoc | World Championship Wrestling |
| 2001 | Unleashed | Women of Wrestling |
| 2002 | King of the Ring | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2003 | Backlash | |
| 2004 | The Great American Bash | |
| 2005 | The Great American Bash | |
| 2006 | UFC 61 | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2007 | December to Dismember | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2008 | Survivor Series | |
| 2009 | Victory Road | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| 2010 | Hardcore Justice | |
| 2011 | Victory Road | |
| 2012 | UFC 149 | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2013 | Battleground | WWE |
| 2014 | Battleground | |
| 2015 | Triplemanía XXIII | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración |
Best Wrestling Maneuver
| Year | Wrestler | Move | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Jimmy Snuka | Superfly splash | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1982 | Super Destroyer | Superplex | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1983 | Jimmy Snuka | Superfly splash | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1984 | British Bulldogs | Military press followed by a missile dropkick | |
| 1985 | Tiger Mask II | Tope con Giro | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1986 | Chavo Guerrero | Moonsault block | World Wrestling Association |
| 1987 | Keiichi Yamada | Shooting star press | New Japan Pro Wrestling All Star Promotions |
| 1988 | |||
| 1989 | Scott Steiner | Frankensteiner | World Championship Wrestling New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1990 | |||
| 1991 | Masao Orihara | Moonsault to the outside of the ring | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1992 | 2 Cold Scorpio | 450° Splash | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1993 | Vader | Moonsault | |
| 1994 | The Great Sasuke | Sasuke Special | Michinoku Pro Wrestling New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1995 | Rey Misterio Jr. | Flip dive into a frankensteiner on the floor | Extreme Championship Wrestling |
| 1996 | Último Dragón | Running Liger bomb | World Championship Wrestling Wrestle Association R |
| 1997 | Diamond Dallas Page | Diamond Cutter | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1998 | Kenta Kobashi | Burning Hammer | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1999 | Dragon Kid | Dragonrana | Toryumon |
| 2000 | |||
| 2001 | Keiji Mutoh | Shining Wizard | New Japan Pro Wrestling All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2002 | Brock Lesnar | F-5 | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2003 | A.J. Styles | Styles Clash | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| 2004 | Petey Williams | Canadian Destroyer | |
| 2005 | |||
| 2006 | Kenta | Go 2 Sleep | Pro Wrestling Noah Ring of Honor |
| 2007 | |||
| 2008 | Evan Bourne | Shooting star press | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2009 | The Young Bucks | More Bang for Your Buck | Chikara Dragon Gate USA Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Ring of Honor |
| 2010 | Ricochet | Double rotation moonsault | Dragon Gate USA Pro Wrestling Guerrilla |
| 2011 | |||
| 2012 | Kazuchika Okada | Rainmaker | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2013 | |||
| 2014 | The Young Bucks | Meltzer Driver | New Japan Pro Wrestling Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Ring of Honor |
| 2015 | A.J. Styles | Styles Clash | New Japan Pro Wrestling Ring of Honor |
Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic
| Year | Storyline | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Monster character (Tony Hernandez) | LeBelle Promotions |
| 1982 | Bob Backlund as WWF Champion | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1983 | Eddie Gilbert broken neck angle | |
| 1984 | Blackjack Mulligan fake heart attack | Championship Wrestling From Florida |
| 1985 | Usage of Mike Von Erich's near death | World Class Championship Wrestling |
| 1986 | Exploitation of the death of Gino Hernandez | |
| 1987 | Exploitation of the death of Mike Von Erich | |
| 1988 | Fritz Von Erich's fake heart attack | |
| 1989 | José González babyface push | World Wrestling Council |
| 1990 | Atsushi Onita stabbing José González | Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling |
| 1991 | Exploiting the Persian Gulf War (Sgt. Slaughter Iraqi sympathizer angle) | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1992 | Pushing Erik Watts | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1993 | Cactus Jack gets amnesia | |
| 1994 | Ric Flair retirement angle | |
| 1995 | Gene Okerlund's 900 hotline advertisements | |
| 1996 | Fake Diesel, Razor Ramon, and "The Real" Double J | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1997 | Melanie Pillman interview days after Brian Pillman's death | |
| 1998 | Exploiting Scott Hall's alcoholism | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1999 | Over the Edge pay-per-view continuing after the death of Owen Hart | World Wrestling Federation |
| 2000 | David Arquette wins the WCW World Heavyweight Championship | World Championship Wrestling |
| 2001 | Stephanie McMahon comparing her father's indictment to September 11 attacks | World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2002 | Triple H accusing Kane of murder and necrophilia (Katie Vick) | |
| 2003 | McMahons all over the product | |
| 2004 | Kane impregnating Lita | |
| 2005 | Terrorist angle on day of London bombings | |
| 2006 | Exploitation of the death of Eddie Guerrero | |
| 2007 | Signing of Adam "Pacman" Jones and having him "Make It Rain" on television | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| 2008 | Jeff Hardy teased drug overdose | World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE |
| 2009 | Mickie James' "Piggy James" angle | |
| 2010 | Stand Up For WWE campaign launched in coincidence with Linda McMahon's US Senate run | |
| 2011 | WWE blatantly mistreating Jim Ross despite their anti-bullying campaign | |
| 2012 | CM Punk and Paul Heyman mock Jerry Lawler's heart attack | |
| 2013 | Exploitation of the death of Bill Moody (Paul Bearer) | |
| 2014 | Insulting fans who purchased PPVs | |
| 2015 | Using Reid Fliehr's death in an angle |
Worst Television Show
| Year | Program |
|---|---|
| 1984 | World Wrestling Federation All-Star Wrestling |
| 1985 | Championship Wrestling from Florida |
| 1986 | California Championship Wrestling |
| 1987 | World Class Championship Wrestling |
| 1988 | American Wrestling Association on ESPN |
| 1989 | ICW Wrestling |
| 1990 | American Wrestling Association on ESPN |
| 1991 | Universal Wrestling Federation Fury Hour |
| 1992 | Global Wrestling Federation on ESPN |
| 1993 | |
| 1994 | World Championship Wrestling Saturday Night |
| 1995 | |
| 1996 | American Wrestling Federation Warriors of Wrestling |
| 1997 | United States Wrestling Association |
| 1998 | World Championship Wrestling Monday Nitro |
| 1999 | World Championship Wrestling Thunder |
| 2000 | |
| 2001 | World Wrestling Federation Excess |
| 2002 | World Wrestling Entertainment Raw |
| 2003 | |
| 2004 | World Wrestling Entertainment SmackDown! |
| 2005 | |
| 2006 | World Wrestling Entertainment Monday Night Raw |
| 2007 | TNA Impact!/Impact Wrestling |
| 2008 | |
| 2009 | |
| 2010 | |
| 2011 | |
| 2012 | WWE Raw |
| 2013 | TNA Impact Wrestling |
| 2014 | WWE Raw |
| 2015 |
Worst Match of the Year
| Year | Match | Promotion | Venue Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Wendi Richter vs. The Fabulous Moolah | World Wrestling Federation | The Brawl to End it All New York, New York July 23 |
| 1985 | Freddie Blassie vs. Lou Albano Steel cage |
Uniondale, New York September 20 | |
| 1986 | Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper Boxing match |
WrestleMania 2 Uniondale, New York April 7 | |
| 1987 | Hulk Hogan vs. André the Giant | WrestleMania III Pontiac, Michigan March 29 | |
| 1988 | Hiroshi Wajima vs. Tom Magee | All Japan Pro Wrestling | Kawasaki, Japan April 21 |
| 1989 | André the Giant vs. The Ultimate Warrior | World Wrestling Federation | Topeka, Kansas October 31 |
| 1990 | Sid Vicious vs. The Nightstalker | World Championship Wrestling | Clash of the Champions XIII Jacksonville, Florida November 20 |
| 1991 | Bobby Eaton and P.N. News vs. Terrance Taylor and Steve Austin Scaffold match |
The Great American Bash Baltimore, Maryland July 14 | |
| 1992 | Rick Rude vs. Masahiro Chono | Halloween Havoc Philadelphia, Pennsylvania October 25 | |
| 1993 | The Bushwhackers and Men on a Mission vs. Bam Bam Bigelow, Bastion Booger, and The Headshrinkers | World Wrestling Federation | Survivor Series Boston, Massachusetts November 24 |
| 1994 | Jerry Lawler and Mini Lawlers vs. The Doinks | Survivor Series San Antonio, Texas November 23 | |
| 1995 | Sting vs. Tony Palmora | New Japan Pro Wrestling | Battle 7 Tokyo, Japan January 4 |
| 1996 | Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Meng, The Barbarian, Lex Luger, Kevin Sullivan, Z-Gangsta and The Ultimate Solution Tower of Doom match |
World Championship Wrestling | Uncensored Tupelo, Mississippi March 24 |
| 1997 | Hollywood Hogan vs. Roddy Piper | SuperBrawl Daly City, California February 23 | |
| 1998 | Hollywood Hogan vs. The Warrior | Halloween Havoc Las Vegas, Nevada October 25 | |
| 1999 | Al Snow vs. The Big Boss Man Kennel from Hell Match |
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment | Unforgiven Charlotte North Carolina September 26 |
| 2000 | Pat Patterson vs. Gerald Brisco Evening Gown Match |
King of the Ring Boston, Massachusetts June 25 | |
| 2001 | The Brothers of Destruction vs. KroniK | Unforgiven Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania September 23 | |
| 2002 | Bradshaw and Trish Stratus vs. Christopher Nowinski and Jackie Gayda | Raw Philadelphia, Pennsylvania July 7 | |
| 2003 | Triple H vs. Scott Steiner | Royal Rumble Boston, Massachusetts January 19 | |
| 2004 | Tyson Tomko vs. Stevie Richards | Unforgiven Portland, Oregon September 12 | |
| 2005 | Eric Bischoff vs. Theodore Long | Survivor Series Detroit, Michigan November 27 | |
| 2006 | Reverse Battle Royal | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling | TNA Impact! Orlando, Florida October 26 |
| 2007 | James Storm vs. Chris Harris Six Sides of Steel Blindfold match |
Lockdown St. Louis, Missouri April 21 | |
| 2008 | Edge vs. Triple H vs. Vladimir Kozlov | World Wrestling Entertainment | Survivor Series Boston, Massachusetts November 23 |
| 2009 | Jenna Morasca vs. Sharmell | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling | Victory Road Orlando, Florida July 19 |
| 2010 | Kaitlyn vs. Maxine | World Wrestling Entertainment | WWE NXT Edmonton, Alberta, Canada October 19 |
| 2011 | Sting vs. Jeff Hardy | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling | Victory Road Orlando, Florida March 13 |
| 2012 | John Cena vs. John Laurinaitis No Disqualification match |
WWE | Over the Limit Raleigh, North Carolina May 20 |
| 2013 | Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Natalya, Naomi, Cameron, Eva Marie and JoJo vs. AJ Lee, Tamina Snuka, Kaitlyn, Alicia Fox, Aksana, Rosa Mendes and Summer Rae | Survivor Series Boston, Massachusetts November 24 | |
| 2014 | John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt Steel Cage match |
Extreme Rules East Rutherford, New Jersey May 4 | |
| 2015 | Psycho Circus vs. Villanos | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración | Triplemanía Mexico City, Mexico August 9 |
Worst Feud of the Year
| Year | Feud | Promotion |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | André the Giant vs. Big John Studd | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1985 | Sgt. Slaughter vs. Boris Zhukov | American Wrestling Association |
| 1986 | The Machines vs. King Kong Bundy and John Studd | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1987 | George Steele vs. Danny Davis | |
| 1988 | The Midnight Rider vs. Tully Blanchard | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1989 | André the Giant vs. The Ultimate Warrior | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1990 | Ric Flair vs. The Junkyard Dog | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1991 | Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1992 | The Ultimate Warrior vs. Papa Shango | |
| 1993 | The Undertaker vs. Giant González | |
| 1994 | Jerry Lawler vs. Doink the Clown | |
| 1995 | Hulk Hogan vs. The Dungeon of Doom | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1996 | Big Bubba vs. John Tenta | |
| 1997 | The D.O.A. vs. Los Boricuas | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1998 | Hollywood Hogan vs. The Warrior | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1999 | Big Boss Man vs. Big Show | World Wrestling Federation |
| 2000 | Hulk Hogan vs. Billy Kidman | World Championship Wrestling |
| 2001 | WWF vs. The Alliance | World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE |
| 2002 | Triple H vs. Kane | |
| 2003 | Kane vs. Shane McMahon | |
| 2004 | Kane vs. Matt Hardy and Lita | |
| 2005 | McMahon Family vs. Jim Ross | |
| 2006 | McMahon Family vs. D-Generation X | |
| 2007 | Kane vs. Big Daddy V | |
| 2008 | Kane vs. Rey Mysterio | |
| 2009 | Hornswoggle vs. Chavo Guerrero | |
| 2010 | Edge vs. Kane | |
| 2011 | Triple H vs. Kevin Nash | |
| 2012 | John Cena vs. Kane | |
| 2013 | Big Show vs. The Authority | |
| 2014 | Brie Bella vs. Nikki Bella | |
| 2015 | Team PCB vs. Team B.A.D. vs. Team Bella |
Worst Promotion of the Year
| Year | Promotion |
|---|---|
| 1986 | American Wrestling Association |
| 1987 | World Class Championship Wrestling |
| 1988 | American Wrestling Association |
| 1989 | |
| 1990 | |
| 1991 | Universal Wrestling Federation |
| 1992 | Global Wrestling Federation |
| 1993 | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1994 | |
| 1995 | |
| 1996 | American Wrestling Federation |
| 1997 | United States Wrestling Association |
| 1998 | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1999 | |
| 2000 | |
| 2001 | |
| 2002 | Xtreme Pro Wrestling |
| 2003 | Fighting World of Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2004 | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2005 | |
| 2006 | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2007 | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling |
| 2008 | |
| 2009 | |
| 2010 | |
| 2011 | |
| 2012 | |
| 2013 | |
| 2014 | |
| 2015 |
Best Booker
| Year | Booker | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Dusty Rhodes | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1987 | Vince McMahon | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1988 | Eddie Gilbert | Continental Wrestling Federation |
| 1989 | Shohei Baba | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | ||
| 1992 | Riki Choshu | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1993 | Jim Cornette | Smoky Mountain Wrestling |
| 1994 | Paul Heyman | Extreme Championship Wrestling |
| 1995 | ||
| 1996 | ||
| 1997 | ||
| 1998 | Vince McMahon | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1999 | ||
| 2000 | ||
| 2001 | Jim Cornette | Ohio Valley Wrestling |
| 2002 | Paul Heyman | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2003 | Jim Cornette | Ohio Valley Wrestling |
| 2004 | Gabe Sapolsky | Ring of Honor Full Impact Pro |
| 2005 | ||
| 2006 | ||
| 2007 | ||
| 2008 | Joe Silva | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | ||
| 2011 | Gedo and Jado | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2012 | ||
| 2013 | ||
| 2014 | ||
| 2015 | Paul Levesque and Ryan Ward | WWE NXT |
Promoter of the Year
Dana White is a 10-time winner of the category
| Year | Booker | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Vince McMahon | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1989 | Akira Maeda | Universal Wrestling Federation |
| 1990 | Shohei Baba | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1991 | ||
| 1992 | ||
| 1993 | ||
| 1994 | ||
| 1995 | Riki Choshu | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1996 | ||
| 1997 | ||
| 1998 | Vince McMahon | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1999 | ||
| 2000 | ||
| 2001 | Antonio Inoki | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2002 | Kazuyoshi Ishii | K-1 |
| 2003 | Nobuyuki Sakakibara | Pride Fighting Championships |
| 2004 | ||
| 2005 | Dana White | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
| 2006 | ||
| 2007 | ||
| 2008 | ||
| 2009 | ||
| 2010 | ||
| 2011 | ||
| 2012 | ||
| 2013 | ||
| 2014 | Takaaki Kidani | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2015 | Dana White | Ultimate Fighting Championship |
Best Gimmick
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) | Gimmick |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Adrian Street | Continental Championship Wrestling | Flamboyant wrestler |
| 1987 | Ted DiBiase | World Wrestling Federation | Corrupt millionaire |
| 1988 | Rick Steiner | Jim Crockett Promotions | Varsity amateur wrestling champion |
| 1989 | Jushin Liger | New Japan Pro Wrestling | Anime superhero |
| 1990 | The Undertaker | World Wrestling Federation | Undead wrestler |
| 1991 | |||
| 1992 | |||
| 1993 | |||
| 1994 | |||
| 1995 | Disco Inferno | World Championship Wrestling | Disco dancer |
| 1996 | nWo | Outside invaders | |
| 1997 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment | Surly redneck |
| 1998 | |||
| 1999 | The Rock | Comedian jock | |
| 2000 | Kurt Angle | Smug Olympic Hero | |
| 2001 | The Hurricane | Superhero | |
| 2002 | Matt Hardy | Self-help guru | |
| 2003 | John Cena | White rapper | |
| 2004 | John "Bradshaw" Layfield | Stock broker millionaire | |
| 2005 | Mr. Kennedy | Self-announced wrestler | |
| 2006 | The Latin American X-change | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling | Latino revolutionaries |
| 2007 | Santino Marella | World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE | Italian stereotype |
| 2008 | |||
| 2009 | CM Punk | Straight edge messiah | |
| 2010 | Alberto Del Rio | Mexican aristocrat | |
| 2011 | CM Punk | Anti-corporate rebel | |
| 2012 | Joseph Park | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling | Lawyer brother of Abyss |
| 2013 | The Wyatt Family | WWE | Backwoods cult |
| 2014 | Rusev and Lana | Russian nationalists | |
| 2015 | The New Day | Hyperactive over-optimists |
Worst Gimmick
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) | Gimmick |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Adrian Adonis | World Wrestling Federation | Gay stylist |
| 1987 | |||
| 1988 | Midnight Rider | Jim Crockett Promotions | Mystery wrestler |
| 1989 | The Ding-Dongs | World Championship Wrestling | Comical idiots |
| 1990 | The Gobbledy Gooker | World Wrestling Federation | Anthropomorphic turkey |
| 1991 | Oz | World Championship Wrestling | Wizard of Oz character |
| 1992 | Papa Shango | World Wrestling Federation | Voodoo priest |
| 1993 | The Shockmaster | World Championship Wrestling | Intergalactic klutz |
| 1994 | Dave Sullivan | Dyslexic brother of Kevin | |
| 1995 | Goldust | World Wrestling Federation | Perverse Hollywood critic |
| 1996 | Fake Diesel Fake Razor Ramon The Real Double J |
Replacements for departed wrestlers | |
| 1997 | The Artist Formerly Known as Goldust | Rundown Hollywood critic | |
| 1998 | The Oddities | Freak show outcasts | |
| 1999 | Powers That Be | World Championship Wrestling | Company higher-ups |
| 2000 | Mike Awesome | 1970s flashback | |
| 2001 | Diamond Dallas Page | World Wrestling Federation | Motivational speaker |
| 2002 | The Johnsons | National Wrestling Alliance: Total Nonstop Action | Wrestling penises |
| 2003 | Rico Constantino | World Wrestling Entertainment | Gay stylist/manager |
| 2004 | Mordecai | Religious zealot | |
| 2005 | Jillian Hall | Obstructive facial blemish | |
| 2006 | Vito | Cross Dresser | |
| 2007 | Black Reign | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling | Dual personality of Goldust |
| 2008 | The Great Khali | World Wrestling Entertainment | Punjabi playboy |
| 2009 | Hornswoggle | Irish leprechaun | |
| 2010 | Orlando Jordan | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling | Bisexual wrestler |
| 2011 | Michael Cole | WWE | Heel announcer |
| 2012 | Aces & Eights | Total Nonstop Action Wrestling | Invading bikers |
| 2013 | |||
| 2014 | Adam Rose | WWE | Party animal |
| 2015 | Stardust | Dual personality of Cody Rhodes |
Best Pro Wrestling Book
| Year | Book | Author(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The Death of WCW | Bryan Alvarez and R.D. Reynolds |
| 2006 | Tangled Ropes | Superstar Billy Graham and Keith Elliot Greenberg |
| 2007 | Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling | Bret Hart |
| 2008 | Gorgeous George: The Bad Boy Wrestler Who Created American Pop Culture | John Capouya |
| 2009 | Midnight Express 25th Anniversary Scrapbook | Jim Cornette |
| 2010 | Countdown to Lockdown | Mick Foley |
| 2011 | Undisputed | Chris Jericho |
| 2012 | Shooters: The Toughest Men in Professional Wrestling | Jonathan Snowden |
| 2013 | Mad Dogs, Midgets and Screw Jobs | Pat LaPrade and Bertrand Hébert |
| 2014 | The Death of WCW – 10th Anniversary Edition | Bryan Alvarez and R.D. Reynolds |
| 2015 | Yes!: My Improbable Journey to the Main Event of WrestleMania | Daniel Bryan and Craig Tello |
Best Pro Wrestling DVD
| Year | DVD | Promotion |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The Rise and Fall of ECW | World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE |
| 2006 | Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be | |
| 2007 | Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen | |
| 2008 | "Nature Boy" Ric Flair: The Definitive Collection | |
| 2009 | Macho Madness: The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection | |
| 2010 | Breaking the Code: Behind the Walls of Chris Jericho | |
| 2011 | Greatest Rivalries: Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart | |
| 2012 | CM Punk: Best in the World | |
| 2013 | Jim Crockett Promotions: The Good Old Days | EllBow Productions Highspots.com |
| 2014 | Ladies and Gentlemen, My Name Is Paul Heyman | WWE |
| 2015 | Daniel Bryan: Just Say Yes! Yes! Yes! |
Defunct awards
Class A awards
Most Unimproved
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Jimmy Snuka | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1985 | Sgt. Slaughter | American Wrestling Association |
| 1986 | Bob Orton | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1987 | Butch Reed | |
| 1988 | Bam Bam Bigelow | |
| 1989 | Jim Duggan | |
| 1990 | Sting | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1991 | Davey Boy Smith | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1992 | Randy Savage | |
| 1993 | Rick Rude | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1994 | Hulk Hogan[1] | |
| 1995 |
Most Obnoxious
Vince McMahon is a six-time winner of the category
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Gene LeBell | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1982 | David Crockett | |
| 1983 | Vince McMahon | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1984 | ||
| 1985 | ||
| 1986 | ||
| 1987 | David Crockett | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1988 | Dusty Rhodes | |
| 1989 | World Championship Wrestling | |
| 1990 | Vince McMahon | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1991 | Herb Abrams | Universal Wrestling Federation |
| 1992 | Bill Watts | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1993 | Vince McMahon | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1994 | Hulk Hogan | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1995 |
Best Babyface
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Dusty Rhodes | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1981 | Tommy Rich | |
| 1982 | Hulk Hogan | American Wrestling Association New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1983 | ||
| 1984 | World Wrestling Federation | |
| 1985 | ||
| 1986 | ||
| 1987 | ||
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | ||
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | ||
| 1992 | Sting | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1993 | Atsushi Onita | Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling |
| 1994 | ||
| 1995 | Perro Aguayo | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración |
| 1996 | Shawn Michaels | World Wrestling Federation |
Best Heel
Ted DiBiase is a two-time winner of the category
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Larry Zbyszko | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1981 | Don Muraco | |
| 1982 | Buzz Sawyer | Georgia Championship Wrestling |
| 1983 | Michael Hayes | World Class Championship Wrestling |
| 1984 | Roddy Piper | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1985 | ||
| 1986 | Michael Hayes | World Class Championship Wrestling |
| 1987 | Ted DiBiase | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | Terry Funk | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1990 | Ric Flair | |
| 1991 | The Undertaker | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1992 | Rick Rude | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1993 | Vader | |
| 1994 | Art Barr | Asistencia Asesoría y Administración |
| 1995 | Masahiro Chono | New Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1996 | Stone Cold Steve Austin | World Wrestling Federation |
Manager of the Year
Sherri Martel is the only female winner of the category
| Year | Manager | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Jimmy Hart | Continental Wrestling Association |
| 1984 | Jim Cornette | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1985 | ||
| 1986 | ||
| 1987 | ||
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | World Championship Wrestling | |
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | Sherri Martel | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1992 | Jim Cornette | Smoky Mountain Wrestling |
| 1993 | ||
| 1994 | ||
| 1995 | World Wrestling Federation Smoky Mountain Wrestling | |
| 1996 |
Class B awards
Best Color Commentator
The category was active until 1996.[2]
Jesse Ventura is a four-time winner of the category
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Michael Hayes | Universal Wrestling Federation |
| 1987 | Jesse Ventura | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | ||
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | Paul E. Dangerously | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1992 | Bobby Heenan | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1993 | ||
| 1994 | ||
| 1995 | Jerry Lawler | |
| 1996 |
Readers' Favorite Wrestler
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Ric Flair | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1985 | ||
| 1986 | ||
| 1987 | ||
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | World Championship Wrestling | |
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | World Championship Wrestling World Wrestling Federation | |
| 1992 | World Wrestling Federation | |
| 1993 | World Wrestling Federation World Championship Wrestling | |
| 1994 | Sabu | Extreme Championship Wrestling Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling |
| 1995 | Manami Toyota | All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling |
| 1996 | Ric Flair | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1997 | Chris Benoit | |
| 1998 | Shawn Michaels | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1999 | Chris Jericho | World Championship Wrestling World Wrestling Federation |
| 2000 | Chris Benoit | |
| 2001 | Keiji Mutoh | New Japan Pro Wrestling All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 2002 | Kurt Angle | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2003 |
Readers' Least Favorite Wrestler
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Ivan Putski | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1985 | Hulk Hogan | |
| 1986 | ||
| 1987 | Dusty Rhodes | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | Ultimate Warrior | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | Hulk Hogan | |
| 1992 | Erik Watts | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1993 | Sid Vicious | |
| 1994 | Hulk/Hollywood Hogan | |
| 1995 | ||
| 1996 | ||
| 1997 | ||
| 1998 | ||
| 1999 | ||
| 2000 | Kevin Nash | |
| 2001 | The Undertaker | World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment |
| 2002 | Triple H | |
| 2003 |
Worst Wrestler
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Ivan Putski | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1985 | Uncle Elmer | |
| 1986 | Mike Von Erich | World Class Championship Wrestling |
| 1987 | Junkyard Dog | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1988 | Ultimate Warrior | |
| 1989 | André the Giant | |
| 1990 | Junkyard Dog | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1991 | André the Giant | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1992 | ||
| 1993 | The Equalizer | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1994 | Dave Sullivan | |
| 1995 | The Renegade | |
| 1996 | Loch Ness | |
| 1997 | Hollywood Hogan | |
| 1998 | Warrior | |
| 1999 | Kevin Nash | |
| 2000 | ||
| 2001 | Big Show | World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment |
| 2002 | ||
| 2003 | Nathan Jones |
Worst Tag Team
| Year | Tag team | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Crusher and Baron von Raschke | American Wrestling Association |
| 1985 | Uncle Elmer and Cousin Junior | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1986 | George Steele and Junkyard Dog | |
| 1987 | Jimmy Valiant and Bugsy McGraw | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1988 | The Bolsheviks (Nikolai Volkoff and Boris Zhukov) | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1989 | The Powers of Pain (The Barbarian and The Warlord) | |
| 1990 | Giant Baba and André the Giant | All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| 1991 | ||
| 1992 | The Bushwhackers (Luke Williams and Butch Miller) | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1993 | The Colossal Kongs (King Kong and Awesome Kong) | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1994 | The Bushwhackers | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1995 | Dick Slater and Bunkhouse Buck | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1996 | The Godwinns (Henry Godwinn and Phineas Godwinn) | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1997 | ||
| 1998 | The Oddities (Golga and Kurrgan) | |
| 1999 | Viscera and Mideon | |
| 2000 | KroniK (Brian Adams and Bryan Clark) | World Championship Wrestling |
| 2001 | World Championship Wrestling World Wrestling Federation | |
| 2002 | 3-Minute Warning (Rosey and Jamal) | World Wrestling Entertainment |
| 2003 | La Résistance (René Duprée and Sylvain Grenier) |
Worst Manager
| Year | Manager | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Mr. Fuji | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1985 | ||
| 1986 | Paul Jones | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1987 | Mr. Fuji | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | ||
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | ||
| 1992 | ||
| 1993 | ||
| 1994 | ||
| 1995 | ||
| 1996 | Sonny Onoo | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1997 | ||
| 1998 | ||
| 1999 |
Worst on Interviews
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Jimmy Snuka | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1985 | Thunderbolt Patterson | National Wrestling Alliance |
| 1986 | Mike Von Erich | World Class Championship Wrestling |
| 1987 | Bugsy McGraw | Jim Crockett Promotions |
| 1988 | Steve Williams | |
| 1989 | Ultimate Warrior | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | ||
| 1992 | ||
| 1993 | Mr. Fuji | |
| 1994 | Dave Sullivan | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1995 | Hulk Hogan | |
| 1996 | Ahmed Johnson | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1997 | ||
| 1998 | Warrior | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1999 | Sid Vicious | |
| 2000 | Vince Russo | |
| 2001 | Stephanie McMahon | World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment |
| 2002 | ||
| 2003 |
Most Embarrassing Wrestler
| Year | Wrestler | Promotion(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Adrian Adonis | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1987 | George Steele | |
| 1988 | ||
| 1989 | André the Giant | |
| 1990 | Dusty Rhodes | |
| 1991 | Van Hammer | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1992 | Papa Shango | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1993 | Bastion Booger | |
| 1994 | Doink the Clown | |
| 1995 | Hulk Hogan | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1996 | ||
| 1997 | Goldust | World Wrestling Federation |
| 1998 | Hollywood Hogan | World Championship Wrestling |
| 1999 | ||
| 2000 | ||
| 2001 | Buff Bagwell | World Championship Wrestling World Wrestling Federation |
| 2002 | The Big Show | World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment |
| 2003 | Nathan Jones |
Worst Non-Wrestling Personality
| Year | Personality | Promotion |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Vince Russo | World Championship Wrestling |
| 2001 | Stephanie McMahon | World Wrestling Federation |
| 2002 | ||
| 2003 |
Decade awards
2000s
- Best Wrestler: Kurt Angle
- Most Outstanding Wrestler: Bryan Danielson
- Best Box Office Draw: Místico
- Best Tag Team: Rey Bucanero and Último Guerrero
- Best Interviews: Chris Jericho
- Most Charismatic: John Cena
- MMA Most Valuable: Randy Couture[3]
See also
References
- Meltzer, Dave (January 26, 2011). "The 2011 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards Issue". Wrestling Observer Newsletter (Campbell, California) (5): 1–40. ISSN 1083-9593.
The following are the results of the 31st annual Wrestling Observer Newsletter readership awards, along with a listing of the previous winners in the various categories.
- Meltzer, Dave (January 30, 2012). "Jan 30 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Gigantic year-end awards issue, best and worst in all categories plus UFC on FX 1, death of Savannah Jack, ratings, tons and tons of news". Wrestling Observer Newsletter (Campbell, California): 1–29. ISSN 1083-9593.
- Meltzer, Dave (January 23, 2013). "The 2012 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Annual Awards Issue". Wrestling Observer Newsletter (Campbell, California): 1–52. ISSN 1083-9593.
- Meltzer, Dave (January 27, 2014). "The 2013 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Annual Awards Issue". Wrestling Observer Newsletter (Campbell, California): 1–36. ISSN 1083-9593.
- Meltzer, Dave (January 26, 2015). "2014 Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards". Wrestling Observer Newsletter (Campbell, California): 1–35. ISSN 1083-9593.
- Meltzer, Dave (January 25, 2016). "January 25, 2016 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: 2015 Observer Awards Issue". Wrestling Observer Newsletter (Campbell, California): 1–49. ISSN 1083-9593.
- ↑ "Jan 22 1996 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Results of the 1995 Observer Newsletter Awards, 1995 Record Book, tons more". The Wrestling Observer. January 22, 1996.
- ↑ Meltzer, Dave (January 19, 1998). "Jan. 19, 1998 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: 18th Annual Newsletter Awards Issue". Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
- ↑ Beltrán, William (August 3, 2010). "Según el Wrestling Observer… ¿Quiénes son los mejores los mejores de la década?". Superluchas (in Spanish). Retrieved October 30, 2015.
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