They’re out again and as usual here are my thoughts on each one of them. After reading these, I’m very glad I watched Wrestle Kingdom.
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of the Year – Shinsuke Nakamura
MMA Most Valuable Fighter – Ronda Rousey
Most Outstanding Wrestling – AJ Styles
Best Box Office Draw – Ronda Rousey
See all my other MMA responses. For actual wrestlers, probably Cena.
Feud of the Year – Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier
Good grief we get it already. For a wrestling feud, eh probably Rollins vs. Ambrose or whatever I picked for my award.
Tag Team of the Year – Young Bucks
Most Improved – Rusev
Best on Interviews – Paul Heyman.
Next.
Most Charismatic – Shinsuke Nakamura
Based on Wrestle Kingdom, I have no issue with this one.
Best Technical Wrestler – Zac Sabre Jr.
Best Brawler – Tomohiro Ishii
Best Flying Wrestler – Ricochet
You might know him better as Prince Puma. No one really springs to my mind to beat him so I can live with this again.
Most Overrated – Kane
Most Underrated – Cesaro
You mean the guy that everyone raves about? How is that underrated? This award usually comes off like “Most Underutilized” as opposed to the previous one being “Most overused.” I get the idea but the award name is kind of misleading.
Promotion of the Year – New Japan
Yeah probably. WWE had a really, really bad year, at least in the second half.
Best Weekly TV Show – NXT
Most Outstanding Fighter – Ronda Rousey
Just stop already. Or go post about it on an MMA site.
Match of the Year – AJ Styles vs. Minoru Suzuki
Fight of the Year – Johnny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler
Good grief. Next.
Rookie of the Year – Dragon Lee II
This would likely be another guy that only Meltzer has ever seen/heard of unless you watch a bunch of obscure wrestling.
Best Non-Wrestler – Paul Heyman
Best Television Announcer – William Regal
Worst Television Announcer – JBL
Best Major Show – G1 Climax 24:Day 7
Wrestlemania just means nothing nowadays does it?
Worst Major Wrestling Show – Battleground
Best Wrestling Maneuver – Meltzer Driver
Ok I totally get why he went with this one.
Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic – WWE Insulting Fans Who Bought PPV
Yep. That made me roll my eyes harder than I have in a long time.
Worst Television Show – Monday Night Raw
Oh come on. Raw was bad but Impact could be unwatchable at times and Smackdown was a waste of air time more often than not.
Worst Worked Match of the Year – Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena – Extreme Rules
Worst Feud of the Year – Nikki Bella vs. Brie Bella
Worst Promotion of the Year – TNA
Best Booker – Gedo and Jado – New Japan
Sure why not.
Promoter of the Year – Dana White – UFC
NEXT.
Best Gimmick – Rusev and Lana
…Worst Gimmick – Adam Rose
Best Pro Wrestling Book – The Death of WCW
Best Pro Wrestling DVD – Ladies and Gentlemen, My Name Is Paul Heyman
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Nitro #203
Date: August 30, 2015
Location: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York
Attendance: 10,605
Commentators: Bobby Heenan, Tony Schiavone
Disorderly Conduct vs. Dave Taylor/Steven Regal
Four powerbombs to Mike and Tom later and Sid is still ranting about being the Millennium Man.
Nitro Girls.
The Demon will be here later.
Berlyn arrives with security and his version of Lana.
Video on KISS and the Demon.
Scotty Riggs vs. Lash LeRoux
Vampiro says Riggs owes him something.
Nitro Girls.
Kaz Hayashi vs. Lodi
Lenny and Lodi lay Kaz out post match.
Hogan and Flair have new home videos. I only mention this because a piano starts playing, distracts them, and then stops abruptly.
La Parka/Blitzkrieg vs. Rey Mysterio Jr./Eddie Guerrero
Vampiro and the Clowns come out again as heel miscommunication allows the hot tag to Eddie. Everything breaks down and Eddie hits a gorgeous top rope hurricanrana to Blitzkrieg. Blitzkrieg misses a handspring into a moonsault and gets caught on the top, allowing Eddie to launch Rey into another hurricanrana. Eddie tosses Rey over the top onto La Parka, setting up the Frog Splash to Blitzkrieg for the pin.
Fall Brawl video, featuring Savage, Nash, Hart and Steiner.
A banged up Luger comes out and says someone in red and yellow attacked him and went through his bags. No word on if the evidence was taken, or why Lex Luger is in a major storyline in 1999.
Tag Team Titles: Kendall Windham/Barry Windham vs. Prince Iaukea/Kenny Kaos
Post match Barry says the champs have no competition, including Harlem Heat. This brings out Booker and Stevie for a lot of kicks, one leading to the referee counting a pin on Kendall. The Rednecks come out and beat down Harlem Heat, including hog tying Booker. The feud continues for some reason.
Nitro Girls.
Van Hammer vs. Buff Bagwell
Clip of Nash being crushed by the Hummer, nearly three months ago.
Insane Clown Posse CD ad.
Mike Enos vs. Evan Karagias
The fans are begging Sid to come out and end this match. Well Enos was in the match when Hall jumped the railing to debut so why not have Sid do it here? Evan hammers away and gets countered into a big powerbomb followed by a powerslam. Mike picks him up off the cover though and hits a wicked piledriver. Good grief Vampiro and the Clowns are back. The Clowns distract the referee, allowing Vampiro to kick Mike in the head, giving Karagias the pin.
Hugh Morrus/Brian Knobbs vs. Dean Malenko/Shane Douglas
TV Title: Disco Inferno vs. Rick Steiner
Steiner puts on the armbar but Saturn runs out to superkick the champ to the floor.
US Title: Chris Benoit vs. Jerry Flynn
The Revolution makes the save and Benoit challenges Sid for Fall Brawl. So much for the open challenge.
Goldberg/Hulk Hogan vs. Jersey Triad
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Rumble 2010
Date: January 31, 2010
Location: Phillips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 16,697
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, Matt Striker
The opening video is about the Road to Wrestlemania is beginning and how it determines what happens for months to come. This is called the most star studded Rumble ever, which is a tagline that has been used before.
ECW Title: Christian vs. Ezekiel Jackson
The springboard plancha takes Jackson out and we head back in. Christian finally gets caught in the corner and pounded on before having the Killswitch easily blocked. Instead Christian chokes away on the ropes and hits another shot to the face. Jackson throws Christian to the floor where Regal tries to throw him back in, earning himself an ejection. Off to a neck crank back inside which Jackson picks up into a kind of cobra clutch slam for two.
US Title: The Miz vs. MVP
After that eats up some time, MVP pounds away with all of his usual stuff. Ballin hits and a running boot to the side of the head gets two for the challenger. A big shoulder block gets the same for MVP but he misses a running boot in the corner. MVP grabs three straight quick near falls but gets caught in a small package for the pin to keep the title on Miz.
Post match MVP hits the Playmaker on Miz and gets booed LOUDLY. He lost completely clean so the booing is deserved.
The National Guard is here.
Raw World Title: Sheamus vs. Randy Orton
Post match Orton snaps on Cody as DiBiase comes down to save his partner. While Orton yells at Cody in the corner, Sheamus comes back in and lays out Randy with a Brogue Kick.
Smackdown World Title: Rey Mysterio vs. Undertaker
Rey fires off some shots in the corner before Taker grabs him by the neck and throws him up and over the top and out to the floor. That looked awesome. Back to the apron and Rey fires off strikes to the face, only to get punched right back down to the floor by a single shot. Taker misses the legdrop on the apron but hits it the second time before heading back in. Rey counters a chokeslam into the 619 but Taker easily grabs the legs. Tombstone is countered and Taker misses an elbow drop.
Rumble by the Numbers time:
23 Winners
627 entrants eliminated
36 eliminations by Austin
11 eliminations by Kane in 2001
2002 was the last Rumble in Atlanta
62:12 Rey was in the Rumble in 2006
2 seconds was the record for 20 years until Santino broke it last year
3 wins for Austin
2 win for #1, the same as #30
70% of the winners win at Mania
Royal Rumble
Rhodes is #13 and saves Ted as he comes in. Morrison is sent to the apron and springboards back in, only to get dropkicked out of the air. Legacy goes after Kane but HHH saves him for no apparent reason. Cody saves himself from being eliminated and MVP is #14. Miz runs up behind him though and blasts MVP with the US Title. Morrison hits the Moonlight Drive on McIntyre to break up the Future Shock on Kane. HHH is in trouble in the corner and MVP is carried to the back.
HHH starts laying out everyone and Shawn is #18. Carlito is backdropped out, Rhodes and DiBiase are tossed, Morrison gets dumped, and DX puts out McIntyre to get us down to DX. Before anything can happen though, Cena is #19 to get us to the final third of the match. Cena cleans house and hits a double Shuffle before getting caught in the Pedigree. Out of nowhere Shawn superkicks HHH out to pop the crowd BIG.
Ratings Comparison
Christian vs. Ezekiel Jackson
Original: C+
Redo: C+
Miz vs. MVP
Original: B-
Redo: D+
Sheamus vs. Randy Orton
Original: B
Redo: D+
Mickie James vs. Michelle McCool
Original: N/A
Redo: N/A
Undertaker vs. Rey Mysterio
Original: C-
Redo: B
Royal Rumble
Original: A
Redo: A-
Overall Rating
Original: A-
Redo: B
Dang I liked Sheamus a lot more than I thought I did.
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2011/01/29/royal-rumble-count-up-2010-one-of-the-best-ever/
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Underground
Date: January 14, 2015
Location: Lucha Underground Arena, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Vampiro, Matt Striker
Recap of Prince Puma winning Aztec Warfare and the Lucha Underground Title last week.
Aero Star vs. Cage vs. Argenis vs. Angelico
Cage throws all three opponents around to start so they triple team him against the ropes. Angelico hits a nice running knee to the face but the three not named Cage start fighting amongst themselves. Argenis kicks Angelico low, leaving us with Aero Star vs. Argenis with the superhero hitting a hurricanrana. Star tries a Tajiri elbow but gets countered into a release German suplex. You would think someone else would have tried that before.
Cage calls himself an animal.
Drago vs. King Cuerno
Video on Fenix.
Lucha Underground Title: Fenix vs. Prince Puma
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Rumble 2009
Date: January 25, 2009
Location: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Attendance: 16,685
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross, Todd Grisham, Matt Striker, Tazz
ECW Title: Jack Swagger vs. Matt Hardy
Hardy walks into a belly to belly suplex from Jack for two though and both guys are down. A DDT on the arm gets two for the champion but Matt blocks a belly to back superplex. Matt hits a decent looking moonsault for two and the fans are getting into these kickouts. The Twist is countered and Jack sends Matt shoulder and possibly head first into the post. The Swagger Bomb retains the title.
Rating: B-. Better match than I was expecting here with both guys looking good out there. Matt was getting close to being something decent as a singles guy and this was his way off ECW and onto Smackdown. Swagger would go on to win a world title and shock the world in the process before falling through the floor soon after. Solid opener here.
Orton arrives and gets glared at.
Melina is challenging and Beth has Santino with her here. Beth shoves her around to start before easily breaking out of a headlock. A LOUD Santino chant starts up as Beth throws Melina around. Melina comes back with a shot to the head but gets shoved down immediately again. The challenger hooks an armbar of all things but Beth easily stands up while Melina stands on her shoulder.
Raw World Title: John Cena vs. John Bradshaw Layfield
Smackdown World Title: Edge vs. Jeff Hardy
We head back inside again with Edge in full control including a spear in the corner. Jeff grabs a quick two off a sunset flip but gets clotheslined right back down. Off to a body vice by Edge to slow things down a bit. Jeff fights up and hits a mule kick before going up top, only to jump into a dropkick from Edge for two. Now Edge goes to get two chairs but Jeff spears him down off the apron before it can be brought in.
Rumble by the numbers which is roughly the same as the previous year.
Royal Rumble
Punk pulls Regal out and brags about it without getting thrown out. R-Truth is #24 and nothing happens. Rob Van Dam makes a one night only return at #25 after not having been seen in the WWE in about a year and a half. That at least wakes the crowd up but there are too many people in there for his style of stuff to work. He loads up the Five Star but Truth is too close so he has to bail out in mid air.
Jericho tries to put a sleeper on Show but it gets about as far as you would expect. Taker throws Punk to the apron as Show dumps Truth. Punk fires off some kicks and hangs on three times so Show finally knocks him out cold and out to the floor. Show knocks out Knox and Mysterio as Horny gets in for no apparent reason. Finlay tries to save him and gets dumped for his efforts at good parenting.
Ratings Comparison
Jack Swagger vs. Matt Hardy
Original: B
Redo: B-
Melina vs. Beth Phoenix
Original: C-
Redo: D+
John Cena vs. John Bradshaw Layfield
Original: C
Redo: C-
Edge vs. Jeff Hardy
Original: B-
Redo: B
Royal Rumble
Original: D
Redo: D
Overall Rating
Original: B+
Redo: C-
http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2011/01/28/royal-rumble-count-up-2009-the-voices-tell-me-no-one-but-orton-has-a-chance/
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And check out my Amazon author page with wrestling books for under $4 at:
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