I’ve had a draft of this article for about 4 days now, but I was too lazy to finish it.
We all know the Slammy Awards are a contrivance that WWE uses to get certain people they want over. I mean, when WWE tells us that The Usos are the best tag team of the year and Neville was the breakout star of the year over Kevin Owens, I believe there is a group out there who knows the truth about WWE and can provide a more credible opinion than what they have to offer us. Watching RAW every Monday night can be a real chore some days, and throughout 2015, there have been moments to remember and celebrate while there has also been moments where it wasn’t so swell. This article may be long, so if you plan to read through the whole thing, I suggest you sit back and get comfy. I present to you, instead of the Slammies, the Staple’s. Yeah, I came up with that myself. This year, I will also be including the NXT roster. I got some nuclear heat for not involving them in my edition last year, so hopefully this will make amends. With that said, Here are the categories:
Superstar of the Year
Diva of the Year
Match of the Year
PPV of the Year
Tag Team of the Year
Breakout Star of the Year
Moment of the Year
Return of the Year
Feud of the Year
Now, with that said, I present to you, the 2nd annual Staple’s Awards. Please, kick back, have a Snickers bar, and enjoy my selections if you will.
Return of the Year: 2015, I believe was a rather weak year in terms of returns, because the relevance they have today is not setting anyone on fire. However, there were shockers to say the least, so with that said, allow me to introduce the nominees for the 2015 Return of the Year Award. And the nominees are…..
Alberto Del Rio – Del Rio returned at Hell In A Cell to answer John Cena’s United States Open Challenge and subsequently did what no one thought was possible, and that was bury John Cena. Yes folks, when you defeat Cena clean in under 10 minutes, you buried him. No ifs, ands or buts about it. With that said, Del Rio’s return in its entirety has been a flop. His MexAmerica gimmick with Zeb Colter just wasn’t here, and while he is capable of putting on a great match when he’s inspired, his character is still as dull as it was before his initial release. 2016 doesn’t seem to provide a change in sight that is needed. Hopefully his inclusion in the League of Nations will hide his deficiencies.
Dudley Boyz – This legendary tag team returned the night after Summerslam to challenge The New Day for the tag team titles. Bubba Ray actually made his return at the Royal Rumble, but we all thought it just was a one time affair. Bubba is nothing without Devon, and in one of the louder pops of 2015, we saw them return and bring out their staple of the tag team, a table. Despite their return, they failed to win the titles on two occassions and have been putting over the Wyatt Family since that time. At this point, they are probably nothing more than enhancement talent at this point, and may have a retirement match at WrestleMania. Who knows?
AJ Lee – AJ’s return came just time for WrestleMania after Fast Lane after losing the Divas Title to Nikki Bella at Survivor Series. I honestly only put her here because this would be the final time we would see her in WWE action at WrestleMania, when she and Paige went over The Bella Twins. By the way, this means that she is perfect at WrestleMania as well. Eat that, Undertaker.
Goldust – He returned on the Survivor Series pre-show, but we hadn’t seen him since earlier on the year, and it was a more than decent surprise.
NWO and D-X – At WrestleMania 31, towards the end of the match, these two iconic factions returned in a nostalgic moment. While it was sort of overbooked, the replay of the Monday Night Wars provided a great memory.
And the winner is……
DUDLEY BOYZ- They haven’t exactly set the world on fire since returning and have been perennial jobbers to The Wyatt Family and The New Day, but their return was unexpected, to say the very least. This was close between them and Del Rio.
Feud of the Year – In addition to returns, WWE has been very weak on creating interesting and lasting feuds. Some were just plain long and others were plain stupid. I’ve searched long and hard and I chose to nitpick a bit, so here are my nominees for Feud of the Year in 2015.
John Cena vs. Kevin Owens – Kevin Owens’ main roster debut came with a bang as he attacked John Cena on his first night on RAW and subsequently defeated him clean at Elimination Chamber in an incredible match. The two would continue their feud, with Cena calling out Owens for him not being a man, and Cena got his revenge at Money In The Bank in what some may say was a better match. Through attacks and ambushes, the two finally decided to settle the score in a rubber match for Cena’s United States Championship and Cena reigned victorious. Because, you know, Cena can never not come out on top. I liked this feud primarily for the quality of the matches but I believed Cena and Owens were the perfect foils for each other and I believed they worked well. I certainly wouldn’t mind to see them feud again in the future. I just hope Cena doesn’t go over 2 times in a row.
Roman Reigns vs. The Authority – For most of 2015, Roman Reigns had been battling The Wyatt Family, but it was all a precursor to a bigger goal of his, and that was The Authority and his pursuit of the WWE World Heavyweight Title. He won this year’s Royal Rumble, as he was booed straight out of the building, and he got cashed in on by his former comrade Seth Rollins. He lost his contendership to the title because of The Big Show and had to climb his way back up. He failed once again at Payback. Then, he was screwed by Bray Wyatt at Money In The Bank. You see where this is going. Yet, he still continued to pursue, and he won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament at Survivor Series, but once again, he had to climb his way back up as Sheamus cashed in on him, making it the second time this happened to him. When Shemaus’ chronies came out to help him retain at TLC, he had it. He beat Triple H into oblivion after the match and was granted one final chance on RAW last week by Vince McMahon. Through all the distractions and interference, Roman finally conquered his demons and won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in emotional fashion to a standing ovation from a Philly crowd. Kind of makes you cry, doesn’t it?
Sasha Banks vs. Bayley – Yeah, these two certainly had quite the 2015, didn’t they. Sasha Banks began her reign as NXT Divas champion when she defeated Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Bayley in a fatal four way match. Bayley kept coming up short when the moment arose such as Daniel Bryan in 2013-2014. However, it didn’t deter Bayley from continuing to pursue. Sasha was known as The BO$$, with fancy cards and security on each side. Bayley was this little girl that loved to give out hugs. It was your typical good guy vs. bad guy thing going on. At NXT:Takeover in Brooklyn, Sasha and Bayley stole the show as Bayley would finally reach the mountaintop and go over Sasha in an incredible match. At the very next Takeover, they would main event as they would have the first ever IronMan match between two females, not to mention main eventing as females. Bayley would retain in another great match. Bayley is still NXT Women’s Champion to this day while Sasha Banks has been firmly on the roster. I believe these two shared something very special with the fans, and made us appreciate women’s wrestling more, even if it was a brief renaissance.
Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar – This all started at WrestleMania 30, when Brock Lesnar did what we all thought would never happen, and that was terminate Undertaker’s undefeated winning streak at WrestleMania. We didn’t see Undertaker until this year’s WrestleMania, when he defeated Bray Wyatt, but surely that loss was still on his mind. He returned in the main event of Battleground as he cost Brock Lesnar a WWE World Heavyweight Championship victory in a bout against Seth Rollins. With a low blow and two Tombstomb Piledrivers, the gloves clearly came off. At Summerslam, the two had an entertaining match (albeit with a stupid match), and Undertaker won in underhanded fashion, capitalized by Lesnar flipping him off before he tapped out. To settle the score, these two fought in their second Hell In A Cell Match and put on an absolutely brutal clinic. Brock Lesnar would return Undertaker’s low tactics with a low blow of his own, and end their feud, which really began in 2002, with an F-5 and defeated Undertaker. These two didn’t always have chemistry and had their bad moments, but I believe they made amends for it this year. Through some spotty booking, they were able to make something out of nothing if you ask me.
And the winner of 2015 Feud of the Year goes to…………
KEVIN OWENS VS. JOHN CENA – This was a very tough call for me, between this and Undertaker and Brock Lesnar, but it was the quality of the matches in three consecutive bouts that did it for me. These two were the perfect polar opposites and worked very great together, and Owens going over Cena clean in their first matchup was a good surprise.
Breakout Star of the Year – For the first time in a while, I believe, WWE found a great set of future WWE superstars to lead into the future, both in WWE and in NXT. So with that said, the nominees for 2015 Breakout Star of the Year are…..
Kevin Owens – I have to say I was a big critic of Kevin Owens because of his physique, but boy was I wrong. From great matches with John Cena, to winning the Intercontinental Championship, Kevin Owens had quite a 2015. Not to mention, he is shaping up to be one of, if not, the top heel in the company should Seth Rollins return next year as a face. He just has that nasty, slap-in-the-face attitude people can see in a true heel, and Owens was just that.
Bayley – Bayley was just a really cute and innocent girl before 2015, but I believe she broke out onto the scene like few can. She had a strong performance in NXT: Takeover Rival in February and her feud with Sasha started to put her over the top. With Becky Lynch, Banks, and Charlotte on the main roster, it’s Bayley’s time to shine in NXT, and I believe she has a very bright future.
Braun Strowman – Ah, yes. The muscle of the Wyatt Family. See, now I was under the impression that with the addition of this guy, The Wyatt Family would be an unstoppable entity, but dare I say they look even more fragile than before. Despite that, this guy has been protected for most of his tenure, and rumors have already circulated that he is a possible opponent for Undertaker at WrestleMania next year (something that I am against). He still has much work to do in the ring, but I think he can be a great monster heel if booked right. I just hope he doesn’t turn out like Snitisky, kicking baby dolls and all that.
Finn Balor – Prince Devitt really came into his own in NXT in 2015. His epic entrance got the crowd captivated the audience each time he stepped into the ring, and he had great matches with the likes of Kevin Owens and Adrian Neville as well. At Beast in the East in Japan, he went over KO to win the NXT Title, something fans have been waiting for quite some time now. He’s effectively the leader of the NXT roster right now with the likes of Samoa Joe, Baron Corbin and the return of Sami Zayn in tow. But I believe WWE has found a great superstar to build with towards the end of this decade if you ask me.
Sasha Banks – I mean, I had to include her as well. Sasha showed me some great heel work in her matches with Bayley and is shaping up to be something special, if she isn’t already. In most arenas where we go, we get “We Want Sasha” chants. The fans have started to respect her in-ring prowess. Something about her, perhaps her swagger, just separates her from the rest of the females in both NXT and WWE. I personally hope she never goes on the side of good.
And the winner for 2015 Breakout Star of the Year is……
KEVIN OWENS.…..See, I believe out of all of these stars, Owens has the brightest future next to Balor. I think he had a strong 2015 campaign and will lead into 2016 just as strong. We shall see. Despite that, in reality, this wasn’t even close. Owens has had the most impact since making his main roster debut.
Diva/Female Wrestler of the Year
I believe this was a stronger year for female wrestling, and there a certain amount of nominees to be taken into account. With that said, the nominees are….
Sasha Banks – Banks has arguably had the most impressive matches for a female in WWE this year. With impressive performances against the likes of Bayley, Charlotte, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch, she is more than worthy of a nomination. Not to mention, her heel work has been fabulous all year.
Bayley – The sweet, innocent, huggable woman showed her passionate wrestling side, as she finally defeated Banks to win the NXT Women’s Title and is firmly the face of the female division there for the time being.
Charlotte – Naturally, her being Divas Champion and ending Nikki Bella’s reign would have her on here, so she’s basically here by default.
Nikki Bella – I believe out of all the nominees, she is the most underrated. A record setting Divas reign was completed this year, but towards the end of her reign, she was carrying matches, even though no one wanted to admit it. She even did something no one thought was possible last year, and that was carry Charlotte in a match. Give respect where it’s do.
And the winner is…
SASHA BANKS AND BAYLEY – Out of all the nominees, Banks has been the most consistent. RAW crowds wasnt her for the most part, and her NXT stint was one of the best individual ones I’ve seen. However, Bayley has shown she can hold her own and wasn’t the product of working with a talent like Banks as she had great matches with Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax. I couldn’t give this to one over the other, so this is a cop-out. Sorry.
Moment of the Year Award
WWE has essentially sucked for most of 2015, but many memorable moments were left for us to cheerish. The nominees are…
Seth Rollins cashes in at WrestleMania – Um, duh? The ROH alumni running down the WrestleMania aisle to interfere in the main event was a moment that will go down as one of the best in WWE history, as Seth Rollins became the first to cash in at WrestleMania and finally won the WWE Title that many wanted him to win for a while.
Roman Reigns destroys Sheamus and Triple H at TLC – Roman Reigns had been screwed yet again by Sheamus and The League of Nations, and after time after time chasing after the title, he finally lost it and became the pissed off badass I wanted to see from the beginning. He assaulted Sheamus with a chair mercislessly, and assaulted Triple H like little have done in the past. Chairshot after chairshot punctuated by a brutal spear was the catalyst for his WWE Title win the following night.
NWO and D-Generation X return at WrestleMania – This was a nostalgic moment for me, as WWE wanted to give us another glimpse of what the Monday Night Wars was right, the AARP edition. Towards the end of the Sting match, two iconic factions, D-X and NWO returned and a super kick from behind from HBK followed by a sledgehammer shot gave Triple H the victory. It was a great flashback to the good old days if you ask me.
The Rock and Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 31 – Well, seeing these two at WrestleMania was great enough, but the DBZ shirt Rousey was wearing? Oh yes.
Brock Lesnar and Undertaker Brawl – You all know WWE is, well, fake, but when you see an actual fight, like this, there comes an essence of reality. This was an entertaining brawl to watch as both men fought through the entire arena and spilled backstage. You actually could have bought that they hated each other, with no other quote to reaffirm that belief than this: Lesnar: “I’ll KILL YOU!” Undertaker: “You’re gonna have to!”
And the winner is…..
SETH ROLLINS CASHES IN AT WRESTLEMANIA 31 – No other moment was as adrenaline pumping nor as exciting than this. Period.
PPV of the Year
Despite WWE being inconsistent for most of 2015, there were a good amount of wrestling shows between them and NXT. The nominees are…
WrestleMania 31 – WrestleMania is generally always here by proxy, but this year they certainly earned it. The IC Ladder match, Rollins and Orton and the main event of Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns makes this a must see, but the bonuses of seeing Daniel Bryan and John Cena (yes, John Cena) winning mid-card titles, Orton’s incredible RKO, the nostaligic ending to Triple H and Sting and not to mention The Rock and Ronda Rousey, makes this a great wrestling show, but a great entertainment show as well.
NXT Takeover: Brooklyn – NXT proved at this show that you don’t need large designs or large crowds to put the audience at the edge of their heels. On Summerslam weekend, this was practically the junior varsity PPV, but it was the varsity PPV in the end. The Vaudevililans won the NXT Tag Team Titles with Blue Pants returning, Finn Balor retained his NXT Title over Owens in a fantastic main event ladder match, but the match that put this one over the top was clearly Sasha Banks and Bayley’s classic in what was perhaps the greatest women’s match in WWE history. The back and forth, the amazing heel psychology of Banks and the reversals all made this a must see show, with Bayley finally capturing the title and the Four Horsewomen coming together for a moment of mutual respect.
Summerslam – Summerslam was a stacked show, though some of it was fluff. It was a long show, but I think you were able to get your money’s worth from here. There were plenty of great matches to see. Kevin Owens and Cesaro had a very underrated bout, which is made more impressive when considering Owens already had a ladder match with Balor the night before. You also had the tag team turmoil tag team match with provided a great spotfest. The Divas tag team turmoil wasn’t too shabby as well. Of course, you can’t forget Seth Rollins going over Cena to win the United States Championship while already WWE Champion in a fantastic match with Jon Stewart’s surprise run-in. Finally, the main event, despite its stupid finish was entertaining, and a great back and forth which also saw Lesnar flip the bird. Definitely a lot of good here.
NXT Takeover: Rival – NXT seldom fails to deliver when it comes to wrestling, and this show was just another example. Finn Balor went over Neville in an incredible bout, Sasha Banks defeated the three other members of the Four Horsewomen to win the NXT Women’s Title, which was another great bout, and it was all capitalized by Kevin Owens defeating Sami Zayn to become the NXT Champion. I believe this PPV was a sign for great things to come in the future.
Money In The Bank – Kevin Owens and John Cena replicated their performance from Elimination Chamber, with Cena going over this time. But it was still an incredible match. Then you add in the Money In The Bank match, while not as impressive as others in the past was good for a little spotfest. The main event of Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins in a singles ladder match, while albeit a tag long, was also another great spotfest which showed much brutality and how far those two was willing to go. Money In The Bank has to be VERY bad to be a bad show, so normally this show is usally one of the better ones.
And the winner is…..
WRESTLEMANIA 31 – I believe there wasn’t a show this year that was as balanced and consistently entertaining as WrestleMaina. Takeover Brooklyn was a hair away.
Tag Team of the Year
The winner is…….
THE NEW DAY – I wasn’t even going to bother bringing up nominees, because there was one obvious answer. No shock here. Moving on.
Match of the Year
There were many memorable matches in 2015, and there are probably some I will miss, but I will get those that I feel deserve it. The nominees are…
Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins vs. John Cena – Royal Rumble : Seth Rollins was inserted into the match via The Authority after bringing them back into power after he threatened to kill Edge on national TV. This match instantly went up a few pegs, but the actual match was a spectacle. Rollins needed this amazing performance to show he belonged with the big boys, and boy did he ever. People will say, well Brock Lesnar barely did anything and just did a few power moves and others will say it was just Seth Rollins, but I believe all three men did an incredible job. Lesnar played the role of the unstoppable monster who suplexed and manhandled Cena and Rollins like it was nothing and the two needed to work together just to put him down. Cena did is his usual stuff, but with his chemistry with Rollins, it was poetry in motion. With Rollins’ Pheonix Splash and the ending sequence, this is the first nominee for match of the year honors, and deservedly so.
Kevin Owens vs. John Cena – Elimination Chamber: I’ll be the first to admit I was skeptical about how Owens would fare with his…physique. I only got a small sample with NXT, so I needed more, and I got in this match. I believe Owens was the clear star of the match, but Cena made sure to make him look good as well. Owens kicked out of two finishers and Cena could not. It was a legit shock to see Owens go over clean, but the match was a great back and forth. Of course, we can never let Cena not have the last laugh. Nonetheless, a fantastic bout.
Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar – WrestleMania 31: This wasn’t so much of a match as it was a fight. Roman Reigns came into this match as the heel, despite the fact that he was supposed to be the good guy. People did not want WWE’s chosen hero to defeat Brock Lesnar, who just recently extended his contract with WWE, making him the guy fans would cheer for. Lesnar brutalized Roman Reigns like nobody else could, but Roman Reigns’s stint at the end provided a glimmer of hope for him to overcome the odds, but after two spears and 3 Superman punches, Lesnar could not stay down. There was blood as well. The ending came when Seth came down the aisle, Curb Stomped anyone in sight and won the WWE Championship, leaving this one on one bout without a clear winner. But who knows, perhaps a rematch is in the making.
Sasha Banks vs. Bayley – NXT: Takeover Brooklyn – I’d be remiss not to have this match as a nominee. This was probably the best WWE women’s match in, like, ever. Yes, even better than Lita and Trish Stratus. The fact of the matter is that these two had chemistry, but what put this match over the top was Sasha’s heel psychology, which was elite as she consistently worked over Bayley’s hand. Bayley was the huggable, infallible hero who had fallen ;short, and Sasha was the heel that anyone could despise. In the heart of Brooklyn, before Summerslam, these two had the best match of that weekend.
Seth Rollins vs. John Cena – Summerslam (Title vs. Title) – Coming into this match, Rollins broke Cena’s nose and put him out of commission for a while. Rollins was willing to put his title on the line against Cena if Cena put his United States Championship on the line. Rollins and Cena always had great matches, but this was special because of what was at stake. Plus, Rollins debuted his white and gold color scheme attire, which sort of made him like a Power Ranger. Anyways, this was another great bout, and probably the best one on one bout between the two.
Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar – Hell In A Cell : Lesnar and Undertaker had been feuding since 2002, and this match would be the definitive end to this feud. Depsite WWE’s neglect to mention these two had already wrestled inside the Cell in the past. So, effectively, these two knew how to work. Back then, they were in the Ruthless Aggression Era, and they were fighting in the PG era. Despite that, there was still blood and brutality that the first match between these two inside the Cell offered. Lesnar even removed the padding for added impact. This was just a matter of who could take more pain. Despite that, Lesnar gave Undertaker a taste of his own medicine with a low blow capitalized with an F-5 to win the match, and the feud. Based on how Undertaker was moving at WrestleMania 30, I never would have guessed he could have had this match in him, but that goes to show that greatness knows no age, at least for Undertaker.
And the winner is….
SETH ROLLINS VS. JOHN CENA VS. BROCK LESNAR – A very, very close one, but I can’t deny the amount of action and great near falls that this match provided. A close runner up was Sasha/Bayley.
Superstar of the Year
In 2015, certain superstars separated themselves from the rest of the roster. With that said, the nominees are…..
Seth Rollins – In 2015, Seth Rollins cashed in Money In The Bank at WrestleMania 31, won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, won the United States Championship from John Cena at Summerslam, becoming the first superstar to win both at the same time and defeated the likes of Dean Ambrose, Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, John Cena and even Sting (after facing Cena) during his campaign. To top it off, he never got pinned to lose the title. Few have had the success Rollins had in 2015 as WWE’s top heel, and once he returns from his injury in 2016, I have a feeling greater things are in store. Redesign. Rebuild. Reclaim.
John Cena – 2015 was the first year in John Cena’s career since 2012 where he did not win the WWE Championship. However, that doesn’t mean he didn’t have a great year. He won the United States Championship from Rusev at WrestleMania, and despite whatever people may say, the Open Challenge (Called the Burial Challange by some), was one of the more consistent parts of WWE programming. Seeing Cena go up against the likes of Neville, Cesaro, Dean Ambrose, Sami Zayn and others with the title on the line for free on RAW. Despite the fact that the ending was rarely, if ever, in jeopardy, the matches were solid, and in a year were RAW had record low ratings, Cena’s matches were a great bright spot as he begin to enter the twilight of his career.
Brock Lesnar – Yes, he is a part time superstar who rarely comes on RAW and never on Smackdown, but there is a reason why much anticipation comes when he wrestles on PPV. It’s because he always brings the good because of his sheer combination of speed, athleticism, and power. He had great performances at Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, Hell In A Cell, and Summerslam. Say what you want, but he shows up when the moment arises.
Kevin Owens – He is the breakout star of the year and he did so in a big way. Behind Seth Rollins, he was arguably WWE’s best heel this year. His promos and consistent bad attitude belied his natural despicable nature. He’s not a created heel, he is a natural one, and 2015 was the start of a promising career for one Kevin Owens.
Finn Balor – Since winning the NXT Championship, he’s been NXT’s most effective wrestler. He’s had great consistent peformances, the most recent one coming against Samoa Joe in the UK. He is a fine athlete, his entrance is epic as usual, and as long as he stays on the NXT, we are guaranteed to have great wrestling. 2015 was a very strong year for him wrestling wise, and I am persuaded that he will continue his strong campaign in 2016.
Roman Reigns – 2015 was a proving ground for the Samoan, as he had to conquer his demons and gain the approval of WWE’s collective audience. In Philadelphia in Royal Rumble, after he won it, he was booed out of the building, and not even an endorsement from The Rock could help him. However, when he won it back against Sheamus three weeks ago, they gave him a standing ovation, because we all knew how far he has come. Roman Reigns has grown in the ring, and while his mic work is spotty, he certainly is a better wrestler than he was at the beginning of the year. I have a feeling we have yet to see the best of him as he enters WrestleMania season as champion.
And the winner is…
SETH ROLLINS – Come now, it would be a tragedy if anyone else was here.
Well, this was my version of the awards and I know I missed a lot and some of you may disagree. Please feel free to tell me where. Hopefully 2016 will provide new opportunities for new wrestlers, great moments and more memorable matches. Until then, as my last article of 2015, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and may you all have a Happy New Year. Until 2016.
