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EditorialWrestling In 2020: The Best Wrestler & Other Special Awards

Wrestling In 2020: The Best Wrestler & Other Special Awards

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Good day to you all! We’re getting close to Christmas and I hope you all have an enjoyable time. As a counter to my latest piece, let’s cheer things up with something more positive. Today, I’ll sharing my personal special awards to wrestlers and shows for the first time. Only for WWE, AEW and Impact though, as they are the only products I have seen. Who is the Best Wrestler of 2020? Read on to find out.

Intro

It has been a rough time no matter where you live. Here in the UK, we have spent much of the year in lockdowns or with added restrictions to our daily lives. All for the commendable fight of slowing the spread of the virus to help the NHS. And one of the biggest things which helped me through one of the toughest years of my life (even before the pandemic) has been wrestling.

When the virus hit, I was furious it was going ahead uninterrupted. Part of me was selfish, because I knew it meant that the site would keep on covering the news and I’d have something to do. But the other side of me wished they would pack everything up and go on a break. I feared for the wrestlers and their families well-being. WWE getting named an “essential business” was laughable, but not in a good way. And it was the same for AEW, I wanted them to close up too. To run empty shows was ludicrous. Were they really that desperate? And then the layoffs happened, and it became clear that if wrestling didn’t keep on keeping on, then it would affect many of their livelihoods.

And boy, was it strange watching those first empty arena shows. Through the sheer lack of audience participation, we came to appreciate the lack thereof. To this day, wrestling without fans popping still doesn’t feel right. But through this struggle, WWE, AEW, Impact Wrestling and others have entertained us in their own way. The coronavirus has made this year one of the most memorable. Everyone had to pull together and do things we never would have imagined. It wasn’t perfect, but we cannot deny that the business has done all that it can to keep us entertained.


Show Awards

WWE – Best Match / Feud / Production / Cinematics / Documentary / Entrance

I know what some of you are thinking… WWE gets this many awards? Yeah, so I may be critical of Vinnie Mac’s baby more than others, but it’s only because I know it can do better. Speaking of which, I think WWE has improved over the previous year because it has had no choice but to deliver a product that would keep us tuning in.

Production: I’m not a big fan of the ‘Thunderdome’ concept, but I get why it’s there. It serves a purpose. WWE gets the production award for going all in with that, although I hate how it’s done. I’m probably more annoyed by the piped in chants than the screens. Shows felt pretty empty before they introduced it, so there’s a positive for you.

Match: I wonder how many witnessed the brutality of Walter vs. Ilja Dragunov? It was a total barnburner and the best match I have seen anywhere. Stiff and dangerous as hell, it was akin to a proper fight. The NXT UK Championship bout had been a long time coming, because lockdowns in the United Kingdom meant they couldn’t run shows for half a year. Dragunov sat impatiently on the sidelines as the #1 contender. So when they finally locked horns, the many months of waiting was unleashed in a highly recommended encounter.

Feud: At the start of the year, no one expected to see Edge make his triumphant return to the squared circle at the Royal Rumble. They teased us with a reunion of Team Rated RKO, but the story quickly shifted to something more personal between Edge and Randy Orton. And what a feud it was! Not only did it reintroduce Edge in the best way it possible, it rejuvenated Orton’s career. There’s a lot we can say about their cinematic fight and “Greatest Wrestling Match Ever”, but Edge vs. Randy Orton is the greatest altercation we never expected this year.

Cinematics: It may not have been the way we wanted to see him go, but The Boneyard match between The Undertaker & AJ Styles is considered the best cinematic match of the year. While Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena had a mixed reception, I loved the psychological drama and broke it down in an extremely detailed way (“It’s such good shit!”):

Firefly Fun House: A Step-By-Step Guide to Bray Wyatt’s Madness

I enjoyed some of AEW’s cinematics, especially the Stadium Stampede match, but nothing could hold a candle to the Boneyard match. There was Wrestle House in Impact Wrestling, but it was too hit-and-miss from week-to-week. They also had some of the worst cinematic matches, including The Battle at The Deaner Compound. My impression is that it was ribbing how bad cinematics can be… but it turned out to be so unfunny it backfired.

Documentary: The Undertaker’s Last Ride documentary was one of the best things I have watched anywhere all year. It was so incredibly genuine and brave of Mark Calaway to open up about his life, and share his unrivaled passion for the business. WWE’s strength is in its documentary series, but the emotion we experience in them rarely translates to their regular products.

Nevertheless, I think Last Ride is a must-see piece of television for any wrestling fans young, old, and new. The Undertaker is a once in a lifetime character who deserves all the respect in the world for doing all he could for his fans. When I think back to his character’s last days, I will always think about this documentary… while doing my best to forget his less than stellar “Final Farewell”. RIP

Entrance: Karrion Kross & Scarlett have taken over The Undertaker’s mantle of having the best entrance in wrestling. It still gives me goosebumps. Tick-tock!

AEW – Best Tag Team Division / Celebrity Cameo / High Spot / Random Moment / Stable / PPV

Best Tag Team Division: All Elite Wrestling has by far the deepest and most talented tag team division in the game today. Young Bucks. FTR. Kenny Omega & Hangman Page. Jurassic Express. Best Friends. Private Party. Dark Order. SCU. Hybrid2. Butcher & The Blade. The Lucha Brothers. Proud N’ Powerful. Joey Janela & Sonny Kiss. Kip Sabian & Miro. The Acclaimed. The Natural Nightmares. And I’m sure there’s more!

It’s a crazy amount, but at least no one can say they don’t care about tag team wrestling. Some of the best matches in AEW has come out of this division. A few of these pairings would dominate other companies if they weren’t so keen on making it to the top.

Celebrity Cameo: While Mike Tyson’s cameo may have flopped due to a lack of followup, Shaq’s humorous appearance with Brandi Rhodes was reportedly AEW’s highest ever rated segment. Which is enough of a feat to include it here.

High Spot: I cannot think of another high spot which sticks in my mind more than Cody Rhodes’ moonsault from the top of AEW’s first-ever steel cage match. There was another in Stadium Stampede, but I’m remembering this one the most.

Random Moment: When you’re watching a wrestling show… and they suddenly break in to song and dance. I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or had my drink spiked, but it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless. There were so random moments across these companies, but the sing-a-long with Chris Jericho & MJF is in a whole other class of its own.

Stable: The Undisputed Era suffered this year due to injuries, otherwise they would have got the nod. It was tough to pick, but in the end I settled on The Inner Circle because they had so many cool moments. They might not have always been on the winning side, but every member has done something to remember in 2020. It wasn’t all Chris Jericho.

PPV: AEW Revolution was a complete PPV because the build to the main event between Chris Jericho & Jon Moxley was first class. The tag team match between Kenny Omega & Hangman Page vs. The Young Bucks stole the show. I’m not sure if I would rate it “6 Stars” like Dave Meltzer, but it’s definitely the best tag match of the year.

Orange Cassidy vs. Pac has one of the most viewed YouTube videos for a highlights package of their encounter. It arguably has the biggest audience participation we’ve seen in years. The rest of the show included Nyla Rose defending against Kris Statlander, Jake Hager beating Dustin Rhodes, and Darby Allin getting revenge on Sammy Guevara.

Impact Wrestling – Best Women’s Division / Improved Product / Storytelling / Recovery / Surprise / PPV Hype / Atmosphere

Best Women’s Division: Extremely close between NXT and Impact, but I like the Knockout’s Division more because it is Impact’s biggest draw and is treated as such. NXT probably had better matches, but Knockouts are established characters with story development. If you could combine both it would make the ultimate division in wrestling, but we can’t so I had to pick one.

They made Deonna Purrazzo a star by taking her talent seriously upon signing her. Taya Valkyrie has had a fun year at Rosemary’s side. Sadly, Kylie Rae’s mental health did not allow her to fulfill what we all know is huge potential. Su Yung/Suzie has gone about her business really well. And then there’s Jordynne Grace, the rest, and a Knockouts Tag Team title on the way. It’s a stacked division, which I am sure will find another level in 2021. Tessa Blanchard was the World Champion at the start of the year over the men… that’s how much Impact treats its Knockouts equally.

Improved Product: Something has clicked this year. The roster isn’t stacked like an AEW or a WWE, but they make do with who they have. Management is keeping the flow going, and it doesn’t feel weird that there’s no one stood at ringside. It’s still not everybody’s cup of tea, but from covering the show for the past two years… it has improved a lot. I often look forward to Impact more than others these days, because we don’t know what’s going to happen, but it’s going to be entertaining. Add an AEW crossover in to the mix and wow, the sky is the limit. AEW would not be doing this if the product sucked.

Storytelling: A big reason the show has improved is because of its storytelling. Scott D’Amore. Don Callis. D’Lo Brown. Tommy Dreamer. Konnan. Jimmy Jacobs. RD Evans. Madison Rayne.

They are the driving force behind Impact Wrestling’s fun storylines and gimmicks. Promos are better. Angles make sense. The booking isn’t insulting. They work together like a well-oiled machine. It probably won’t sink in from one viewing how good it is. After a month or so you might get an idea. Everyone has a place. They waste no talent. And there are no last-minute revisions or politics. Well done Impact. You get an A+

Recovery: It’s hard to tell if Impact got themselves in to this, or if it was pure bad luck, but they went in to Slammiversary with some surprise drama. First, Tessa Blanchard decided she didn’t want to help management by sending in a video to explain why she wouldn’t be at the PPV to defend the title, so they had to fire her and vacate the World Championship.

Second, the sex allegations blew up, leaving guys like Michael Elgin, Joey Ryan and The Crist Brothers in tough spots. Impact wanted nothing to do with this, so they eventually released them all. They rearranged everything and brought in some surprise returnees to the company, and Slammiversary didn’t end up a total disaster. Nice save.

PPV Hype: Another reason Slammiversary was successful is attributed to the way they hyped it. In video packages, they teased the return of a former World Champion and others who had been released from WWE.

Kurt Angle. Sting. Eric Young. EC3. Rusev. Heath. The Good Brothers… and a few more I may be forgetting. The fact that no one knew who would show up was enough to help sell a PPV which had struggled after the aforementioned struggles with its booking. The buy rate was incredible.

Surprise: One of the biggest surprises of the year was not only Bret Hart and Mick Foley appearing at Bound For Glory in cameos, but Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson also showing up in a pre-taped recording to induct his old rival Ken Shamrock in to the Impact Hall Of Fame. It was surreal, but also very cool. Impact must have been slapping themselves to find out if they were awake.

Atmosphere (Morale): One of the reasons I believe Impact has done so well in 2020 is because the atmosphere is amazing. I’m not talking about the crowd, but the body language of the wrestlers when they interact. There’s a genuine sense of teamwork and enjoying the process.

Everyone is on the same page and respect what they have to do. This hasn’t always been the case, as in the past, the company has suffered with low morale due to bad booking and business decisions. Current management has turned it around and has made it a more friendly environment. At least, that’s how it appears from the outside.

Individuals

In this section, I will hand out individual awards. Some of them might be similar, but rest assured I will try to differentiate them. I’ll be starting with WWE superstars, then AEW, and Impact at the end.

AJ Styles (Best Worker): I think when a legend like The Undertaker accepts you for his last match and compares you to Shawn Michaels, an award for being the best worker in the business today is just. Or should I say Most Phenomenal Worker?

Bray Wyatt / The Fiend (Most Creative): A lot of what he does has subtle references and I love it. Many will miss these, but if you dig hard enough, there’s so much he is saying without connecting the dots for you. It doesn’t always work, but The Fiend has become an established character because Bray Wyatt has done much of the work on the creative side.

Drew McIntyre (Most Improved): Ever since Drew was given the green light to go in to the Royal Rumble and be a threat to Brock Lesnar he has looked the part. And I don’t think many would’ve pictured that last year, and definitely not the year before that. McIntyre still has a way to go to establish himself as a main event superstar for the rest of his days, but 2020 has been an amazing first step for the first-ever British WWE Champion.

Keith Lee (Best NXT Graduate): Something has been off about his run on the main roster, but his time as the NXT Champion was refreshing. Sure, he may have lost the title to Karrion Kross, but being the first double NXT Champion can never be taken away from him. His ring work has been altered since the call up, he’s not doing as many high risk aerial moves anymore, but I’m sure one day we shall see them again. His potential is limitless, and it’s not because of his size, but because of his heart.

MVP (Best Manager): Yes, you read that right. I’m putting him over Jake Roberts, Tully Blanchard, even Paul Heyman. The Hurt Business has gone from nothing to being arguably the best stable in WWE. It has won championships, taken out Revolution, and MVP has been the leader of the pack. It’s incredible how he went from being literally nowhere, to being back on TV as one of the best managers in the game. The Hurt Business needs him more than others need their managers, which is why I think MVP gets this.

Randy Orton (Most Motivated): Since Edge returned, it’s like a light bulb turned on inside his head. I wish we had this Randy Orton back when John Cena and Batista was around, because it would have made things more interesting. Randy has been exceptional in every aspect of his game in 2020, so much so he has finally made me admit that he is as good as Evolution made him out to be over fifteen years ago. His championship reigns have been justified. He’s not just an RKO machine anymore… he can actually tell a story!

R-Truth (Best Comedy): If I had done awards for the past few years, he would probably have them all. I can’t get enough of R-Truth. Although Johnny Swinger is a close second for me, daddy.

Bayley & Sasha Banks (Best Team): There have been some good tag teams, but in terms of getting the most success? It has to be the Golden Role Models. For a long while they completely dominated Raw & SmackDown, holding all the gold they can possibly get (unless they went to NXT) together. WWE was figuring out how to do shows in an empty arena, and it was Bayley & Sasha who stepped up in an environment that so many others were struggling to get their heads around.

Otis & Mandy Rose (Best Love Angle): There have been a few love angles this year, including Rosemary & John E. Bravo, Su Yung & Cousin Jake, Murphy & Aalyah Mystero, and can we say Taz’s desperation to get his beloved FTW Championship recognized? But nothing comes close to the heart-warming story of Otis and Mandy Rose. Why did they ever split them up? It’s a travesty.

Roman Reigns (Biggest Transformation): Bravo to Reigns for doing what so many fans have believed he could do for years… become a main event level heel. And I don’t think he needs Paul Heyman to do it anymore, he has transitioned and the story with Jey Uso was great. 2021 is going to be an exceptional year for the Tribal Chief. This is what we’ve been waiting for, and I’m so glad he took the time off to be safe, spend time with his family, and come back knowing he is at the head of the table.

Pat McAfee (Best On Mic): I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s true. Echoing CM Punk & Steve Austin’s comments, Pat McAfee has slayed it so hard on the mic he is embarrassing many established talents. Considering he’s a former Football star who has spent much of his WWE career providing commentary and analysis, I don’t think anyone saw this coming. We groaned when Adam Cole started an angle with him, but Pat McAfee has proven he belongs. Eddie Kingston is a very close second.

Drake Maverick (Most Passionate): The video he sent out on Twitter after WWE released him was so gut-wrenchingly heartfelt that WWE had no choice but to backtrack and get him in the NXT Crusierweight Championship tournament. And we don’t know if he knew beforehand, but his performances and the way he acted when Triple H handed him a contract is enough for me to say there is no one who showed they are more passionate about being in this business than Drake Maverick in 2020.

Timothy Thatcher (Best Catch-as-Catch-can): The guys reminds me so much of Stu Hart torturing guys in the dungeon it’s unreal. There is no one in the game today who applies the basics and works ground moves like Thatcher. I really wish more wrestlers would take note of how he wrestles and adapts it to their repertoire, because his offense looks both really simple and extremely painful. It’s not pretty and won’t earn him many Meltzer stars, but boy is this guy flying under the radar. I don’t think many have clocked on to how good he is yet, but they will find out someday.

Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae (Best Couple): A marriage is a wonderful thing. Even more so when two former babyfaces transform in to two of the most wicked personalities on NXT. And now they have a stable going, there’s a good chance they can take over NXT like Undisputed Era has before. It might be the only way Candice Le Rae can get the title off of Io Shirai.

Shotzi Blackheart (Best Host): She has grown a lot on me this year, and even more so when she hosted Halloween Havoc. It was a perfect match, and I’d totally go for the same thing next year if she’s still working in NXT.

Edge & Sting (Biggest Return): I can’t separate these two, so they are going to have to be awarded with one each. Edge’s return at the Royal Rumble is the biggest in WWE. Sting’s return to TNT on AEW Dynamite was the biggest there. There’s nothing else coming close.

Tony Schiavone (Best Commentator): Back in the day I didn’t watch WCW Nitro as much as the WWF, but so many told me that Tony wasn’t anywhere near Jim Ross’ level. Either JR has lost it, or Tony has improved incredibly since 2001. Either way, I enjoy a Dynamite more when Schiavone is calling it. I’m also big on Nigel McGuiness and Don Callis, but they haven’t been around enough this year. Wade Barrett has been a decent replacement for Mauro Ranallo. This one is tough to call.

Chris Jericho (Best Guest Commentator): Le Champion can do it all maaaan. The Demo God can write, dance, sing, win championships, and provide the best commentary you have ever heard. It’s like audible chocolate baby!

Orange Cassidy (Best Gimmick): You know what? I’m not even going to try. I know Orange Cassidy wouldn’t try. Here, have half a thumbs up.

MJF (Most Hated): He’s better than you, and you know it. Maxwell Jacob Friedman may be the slimiest, hypocritical doucebag I have ever seen on TV. We know that he’s infiltrated the Inner Circle and will rip it apart from the inside, it’s only a matter of time. I can’t stand this guy! But I also love that I can’t stand him. World Class Tool.

Eric Young (Most Vicious): The “World Class Maniac” returned to Impact with a bang at Slammiversary, his first match being in the main event for the World Championship. He didn’t win, but he would claim the title a couple of months later and begin a reign of terror.

His brutal attacks on Rich Swann and other members of the Impact roster are some of the most wicked beat downs I’ve seen all year. All done with no mercy whatsoever. And in 2021 we’re likely to see more of the same, as he recruits guys like Joe Doering and Cody Deaner to his side. This version of Eric Young is the most vicious, and there are not many out there who can match his ruthlessness.

Tommy Dreamer (Best Legend): In case you haven’t been watching Impact, Dreamer has been exceptionally generous in helping to get talents over this year. Whether it be putting them over in the ring, getting in to feuds, cutting wicked promos, or helping in backstage segments, Tommy has done everything he can possibly do as a legend in the business. Don’t be surprised if he shows up on Dynamite sometime next year with a team of Impact invaders, as he isn’t pleased about this AEW partnership. “MATCH TIME!”

Deonna Purrazzo (Best Newcomer): This talented young woman spent much of her early career bouncing around from promotion to promotion, never getting a proper chance at doing what she believed she could do. And after being dropped by WWE, and looked over by AEW, The Virtuosa signed with Impact and well… made an impact! By becoming the Knockouts Champion. Not once, but twice in the same year. She has a long way to go, but at least someone has finally realised she has something to give.

Kylie Rae (Most Inspirational): We end these awards with a woman who had an incredible year, right up to the point she had to back out of Bound for Glory for reasons which have not been fully explained to us. Her mental health is a serious issue and I hope she will recover. Whether she will return to wrestling is unknown, but whatever happens, I and other Impact Wrestling fans will always remember how Kylie Rae fought to get to Bound For Glory and would have claimed her prize. And it was because she deserved it through her hard work, personality, and passion to be the best. It’s rare that a “good person” can get over these days, but she managed it. No, she was never Bayley 2.0. She was the one and only Kylie Rae.

Conclusion

Before I clock out, one guy I really want to mention is Darby Allin! He was amazing and I can’t think up an award for him, but he definitely deserves some recognition. Jon Moxley did well too, although I believe his title reign floundered when they got Jake Hager & Brodie Lee involved. Ohh! I almost forgot about “Best Wrestler”. That is a very tough decision. Omega? Styles? Reigns? McIntyre? It’s a toss up really.

You know what? I’m going to hand it to The Undertaker for his legendary 30 year career. He can never get this again, so I don’t feel bad handing the honour to him. If you don’t like that? Well, let me know who you think deserves it more. I shall leave any further awards to you guys in the comments section. Let us know who you think deserves recognition for their work in 2020. Thank you very much for reading! Have a lovely Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Wrestling 2020

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