- The Bloggies are NOT a measure of who drew money or drove business. Look to the Observer for that scope.
- The Bloggies are NOT a measure of kayfabe accomplishment. Pro Wrestling Illustrated has that covered like a boss.
- The Bloggies are NOT crowd-sourced or openly voted upon. They're chosen by me and me alone, so if anyone has a problem, take it up with me.
- The Bloggies ARE a measure of who did the most to advance the ART of wrestling. Who told the best stories? Who talked with the silverest of tongues? Who wrestled the best matches? Who had the biggest emotional impact? These are the questions that these awards have set out to answer.
Wrestler of the Year
And the nominees are:
- Austin Aries
- The Big Show
- Daniel Bryan
- Kevin Steen
- Rachel Summerlyn
Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Obviously, he was the mack daddy in the ring. We all knew that if he got the chance to hold court in main event-type PPV matches, he'd deliver. Extreme Rules, Over the Limit, and TLC were all examples of his magic in the ring. But out of the ring is where he busted through barriers, man. He not only was charismatic and engaging, the guy took otherwise unwatchable segments and made them work solely through his own actions or his interactions with guys like Kane. The other four candidates had great years, no doubt. Bryan, though, had an all-time year, and I will fight anyone who argues otherwise.
The Ricky Steamboat Award
And the nominees are:
- ACH
- Daniel Bryan
- Dolph Ziggler
- El Generico
- Kyle Matthews
Photo Credit: Texas Anarchy |
Talker of the Year
And the nominees are:
- Austin Aries
- The Big Show
- CM Punk
- Damien Sandow
- Daniel Bryan
Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Independent Wrestler of the Year
And the nominees are:
- ACH
- Jessicka Havok
- Kevin Steen
- Rachel Summerlyn
- Tim Donst
Photo Credit: Leslie Lee III/DDS |
Tag Team of the Year
And the nominees are:
- 3.0 (Scott Parker and Shane Matthews)
- Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian)
- Super Smash Bros. (Player Uno and Stupefied)
- Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane)
- Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson)
Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
I imagine this is going to be the most controversial choice of them all. Sure, the Smash Bros. didn't salvage an awful angle like Bad Influence. They weren't a collective unit of quarter of WWE television like Team Hell No. However, for an entire calendar year, they were perhaps the best in-ring tag team for the best company for tag team wrestling in PWG, and they did the best with the limited chances they got in DGUSA/EVOLVE. It's hard to ignore the sheer amounts of tag insanity they got themselves into for an entire year, and that's why they get the nod from me.
Manager of the Year
And the nominees are:
- Chris Trew
- Machiko
- Sidney Bakabella
- Truth Martini
- Veronica Ticklefeather
Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
She was a veritable manager of Champions in 2012. OF course, that's not why she won; remember, these aren't kayfabe awards. However, it's hard to argue that her antics didn't enhance her charges - Mark Angelosetti in Chikara and the Batiri in AIW - to the point where both became headline acts in either company. Her role in the Angelosetti/Archibald Peck story was the kind of textbook way of how a non-wrestler helps a wrestler attain emotional equity with the fans. That puts her over the top for me.
Group of the Year
And the nominees are:
- Aces and Eights (Brother Devon, Doc, var.)
- Delirious' Army (Delirious, Ophidian, the Batiri)
- Nixon (Duke Schork, Bobby Beverly, Eric Ryan, Rickey Shane Page, Necro Butcher)
- Spectral Envoy (UltraMantis Black, Frightmare, Hallowicked, Crossbones, Blind Rage)
- The Submission Squad (Pierre Abernathy, Gary Jay, Evan Gelistico, Amanda Fox, Davey Vega [sometimes], Athena [sometimes])
Photo Credit: Texas Anarchy |
The New to Me Award
And the nominees are:
- Fred Yehi
- Mark Angel/Mark Angelosetti
- Mat Fitchett
- Saturyne
- Veda Scott
Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
This was a razor-thin decision for me between Angel and Scott. However, I thought Angel(osetti) had more of a baptism by fire in two companies and handled it with the smoothness of a 10 year veteran. It's uncanny how he was able to carry top level stories in both Beyond Wrestling and Chikara despite being so young, and his acumen in the ring is far beyond his years too. This guy is going to be special for years to come, because he's already special now.
Comedian of the Year
And the nominees are:
- 3.0
- Archibald Peck/Mysterious and Handsome Stranger
- Chuck Taylor
- Colt Cabana
- Pierre Abernathy
Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
These guys are just such a great comedy tandem. Matthews is the manic one, and Parker is the straight man, and they complement each other so perfectly that it's a comedic dynamo. This year, they took their act to the main event, winning the Campeonatos de Parejas and getting to team with guys like Eddie Kingston in atomicos. It worked too. It was the comic relief in the Oscar-bait feature length, pitch perfect for a company like Chikara. Keep the Red Bull coming!
Feud of the Year
And the nominees are:
- Adam Cole vs. Kevin Steen (PWG)
- Daniel Bryan vs. Kane (WWE)
- Delirious' Army vs. the Spectral Envoy (Chikara)
- Gekido vs. Mike Quackenbush and friends (Chikara)
- James Storm vs. Robert Roode (Impact)
Photo Credit: WWE.com |
Announcer of the Year
And the nominees are:
- Aaron McGuire(-Bauer)
- Bryce Remsburg
- Excalibur
- Justin Bissonette
- Kevin Steen
Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
Remsburg wrests this award back from the West Coast, despite the fact that he was very much relegated the opening matches of the Chikara cards he called. Obviously, he had to make some concessions, given that he's also the best referee in the biz as well (by a longshot). However, his expertise was recognized by people in higher influence than I, as he's now one of the voices of EVOLVE. In 2013, his goal is to simultaneously commentate AND ref a match. If this happens, he may have this award on lockdown again.
Moment of the Year
And the nominees are:
- Daniel Bryan and Kane Hug It Out
- Hallowicked Taps Mike Bennett to Win the King of Trios Tournament for the Spectral Envoy
- Jessica James Lets Her Inner Lady Poison Out to Infect Rachel Summerlyn
- Jigsaw Superkicks Mike Quackenbush, Siding with Gekido
- Matthew Palmer Leaps from the Balcony at the Mohawk, Taking Rachel Summerlyn with Him
Photo Credit: Texas Anarchy |
Social Media Award
And the nominees are:
- The Batiri
- Beyond Wrestling
- Colt Cabana
- Darin Childs
- Wrestling Is...
And the winner is... Wrestling Is!
This might have been the most ambitious project of the year, but they hit it pitch-perfectly. Indie wrestling has needed an outlet to show that its wrestlers can show personality. Oftentimes, there's not enough time on the actual shows to do that, and not every promotion is as inclined towards YouTube to give time and bandwidth to its wrestlers. Wrestling Is provides at least potential to be a catchall. I mean, right now, it's mostly geared towards the Chikara/Wrestling Is ____ family of promotions, but if it at least inspires other companies to use it or to at least copy off the concept, then its influence will be measured in exponents.
Promotion of the Year
And the nominees are:
- Absolute Intense Wrestling
- Anarchy Championship Wrestling
- Chikara Pro Wrestling
- Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
- World Wrestling Entertainment
Photo Credit: Brandon Stroud |