the-w.com/2015.02.the-w.com.tar/the-w.com/pub/users/chris/97awards.txt

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Copyright

This document compilation copyright (c) 1997 by Christopher Robin Zimmerman.
It may be freely copied and/or distributed in its entirety as long as this
copyright notice is not removed.  It may not be sold for profit or
incorporated into commercial products without the editor's written
permission.  [Compilation copyright means that you can freely use individual
sections of this document, but any significant collection of sections is
subject to the copyright.]  Any questions?  Email me <mailto:[e-mail]>.

Portions of this document are copyright (c) 1990-1995 Herb Kunze and (c) 1996
Christopher Robin Zimmerman.

Here are the 1997 R.s.p-w Year-End Achievement Awards!  I received about 75
ballots this year, down from last year but still pretty good.

The R.s.p-w (rec.sport.pro-wrestling) Year-End Achievement Awards are an
Internet tradition dating back to 1990.  The Awards recognize both
excellence and...well, whatever the opposite of 'excellence is...in the
sport of professional wrestling.

The first six years of the Awards were run by Herb Kunze
([e-mail]).  In 1996, Herb bowed out and called for
volunteers, and I stepped in.

This year's awards (the eighth annual) cover a one year period from November
2, 1996 to November 1, 1997.  This timeframe is necessary in order to ensure
that not only do the results come out before the coming new year, but also
because it's ALWAYS been that way.  ;-)

Several votes were either rejected by me (and are listed under REJECTED for
their respective categories) or were deleted outright (usually in the case of
people who tried to vote for the same wrestler or organization in the 1st,
2nd AND 3rd positions).

First, some general comments from voters:

MIKE HOEY-LUKAKIS:  I didn't pick Dusty Rhodes in either of the "worst
on-air" categories because he makes me laugh. I actually enjoy listening to
him, as strange as that may sound. Also, Jerry Lawler, Eric Bischoff, Bill
Alfonso and Joel Gertner are incredibly annoying. Those are their
charcters. I chose people that I truly can't stand the sight/sound of.  In a
lot of the categories, it was very difficult to pick out only 3. Given 5 or
10 choices, people like Sid and Crush would have shown up a lot more in the
"worst" areas. Chris Benoit, Bret Hart, Owen Hart and El Ultimo Dragon would
have shown up in the "bests".

RICK SCAIA:  I hope any ballot that includes a vote for Sting in almost any
category gets tossed aside as the opinions of a deluded moron.  Check it
out:  since November 2, 1996, Sting hasn't wrestled in a single match.  So
he's not a wrestler.  Sting hasn't said a single word, so he can't be rated
on interview skills, nor is he an announcer of any kind.  Sting hasn't led
anyone to the ring, so he's not a manager.  That pretty much leaves
"wrestling personality" as Sting's current status.  And perhaps inclusion in
"news item" or "promotional move" categories...  but folks, that's about
it.

NATE BURNARD: I am beginning to think that pretty soon the NWO is going to
have to pull people from the crowd to spraypaint Ray Traylors gut, as just
about every NWOite has.  Will Ray Traylor ever win a match?  And on the
topic of repetition, the fake Stings are pretty bad as well.  And we can't
forget how Jim says, "Oh my God!" every time Kane lights up the WWF with
"Hellfire" like he was surprised or something.  RAW Rules!

MIKE SWEETSER: I didn't vote for Sting for any of the awards save Worst
Promotional Move, for the reason that he hasn't wrestled on TV since last
year.  If he didn't wrestle, I don't think he should be eligible (although
if he did, he'd probably be a shooin for Best Babyface).

UNDERCOVER ELEPHANT: The best interview had to be the Pillman interview
where he claimed Dakota was his love child, a priceless moment.  Surely two
of the best promotional moves this year have to be the strength of the nWo
whose appeal is as enduring as it is everlasting the ratings and buy rates
alone vindicate that, and ECW venturing into PPV's. Paul Heyman is quite
brilliant, the best fed head there is IMHO.  I hate Sonny Onoo, the
quintessential Japanese stereotype. What with him and the other racist
angles wrestling needs to portray positive images of races other than
white. Racism in wrestling, as anywhere, sucks.  Although I like the nWo
some of the booking with respect to WCW's premier heel stable has been so
inconsistent it has been risible. I cannot believe that the angle has
credibility in the eyes of fans at large when it is treated in such an
avante garde manner.  On the PPV front ECW's forst offering was superb, a
fast paced, well balanced and entertaining effort, on the other hand Souled
Out, the ladder match aside was atrocious. In principal it was a great idea
to try to do something bold and radical like Souled Out, but in practise it
was pitiful. As for this years Wrestlemania, when you consider how good they
used to be it is a sorry state the WWF now finds itself in.

IRIS POSTLER:  I'm from Germany and I'm a huge WWF and Bret Hart fan. I
think you actually guessed that from my votes :). It's difficult for me to
watch other organizations, 'cause they aren't aired here - safe an
occasional glimpse of Nitro on TNT. Most of the other stuff I get from the
net, but I must admit I never heard some of the names in your nominations
:).

JERRY GARLAND:  Personally, I think it's a bit early for the RSPW end of the
year awards. I grow sick and tired of talk on the big two's shows. Damn it,
I want more wrestling...better technical wrestling. FORCE these big guys
like Nash and The Giant to LEARN and USE more than three holds (chokeslam,
bodyslam, leg drop) My 2 cents... I think WWIII and Starcade will be much
improved PPV's for WCW. I see the WWF ending the year on a down note and in
the red.

ADAM BONIN:  This was the year the WWF lost the war.  Not because it lost
Bret Hart, mind you.  While a savage blow to the top of  the card, even had
Hart stayed the end-result would not have changed.  The  WWF, which I began
watching in the days of the Rocky Johnson/Don Muraco war,  forgot the basic
requirement of the business:  To be a wrestling organization, you need
interesting wrestlers.  Not "good" wrestlers.  Just ones who hold the fans
interest.  People able  to work a microphone, create credible ring
psychology, build heat, be  linked to interesting story lines and,
occasionally, throw in a wrestling  move.  Other than at the very top of the
card, those people aren't around the WWF  anymore.  Give McMahon credit: the
build-up of Steve Austin over the past two years  is comparable to the
Magnum TA push, or Randy Savage's WWF push, certainly  as compelling as the
first few months of the NWO.  But since then, what has  he done?  The
light-heavyweight division is, still, a black hole.  The ECW alliance  seems
to have faded.  The tag team scene is moribund, and the "gangs"  structure
has left the federation in a state where the only pure faces left  are
Shamrock and, it seems, Austin.  The middle of the card is a barren hole.
Come now, tell me how many  interesting characters Vince has created in the
past year.  Past two?   "Stone Cold".  Golddust.  Maybe HHH.  That's it.
And as of now, well, only  HHH has a chance of still wrestling at the same
level in 3-5 years.  Vince needs to get back to the basics:  new,
interesting midcarders.  Look  how fast WCW built up Hank Goldberg.  Or
Saturn.  Or resuscitated Alex  Wright and Disco Inferno.  Or made DDP a
headliner.    So, Vince, be creative.  Don't start with the angle.  Start
with the  wrestlers.  And the feuds will evolve over time.  We'll be
waiting.

DAVID CLUTTS:  What's Good:  Luchadores, Raven's Nest,  WCW mid-card, WWF
main events, Rey Misterio, Jr., Bischoff stops the crotch chops and bronco
buster, DDP, Disco Inferno, Dude Love, the Tongan Death Grip, Sweet Shin
Music, TAKA, ECW, Double A and the Naytcha Boy!  What Stinks:  The Kliq,
Degeneration X, nWo, crotch chops, WCW politics, WWF politics, continuity in
both WCW and WWF angles, WWF mid-card, WCW main events, racist angles, abuse
of female valets and managers, SCSA's favorite word and gesture, wrestlers
who never wrestle (Sting), seldom wrestle (Hogan), and/or won't work (Hogan,
Hall, Nash), the tag team scene.

And here we go with the awards!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Wrestler

Award Description:

To be given to the athlete who was the best overall wrestler of the year.
This includes all facets of wrestling: workrate, technical ability,
interviews, charisma, value to his/her promotion, etc. In 1994, this award
was split into three: North American, Non-North American, and overall.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Curt Hennig
  1991: Ric Flair
  1992: Ric Flair
  1993: Big Van Vader
  1994: Bret Hart
  1995: Shawn Michaels
  1996: Shawn Michaels

**1997**: Shawn Michaels

73 first place votes
70 second place votes
69 third place votes

 14  6  7  102   Shawn Michaels
 11  6  4   79   Chris Benoit
  9  8  4   77   Steve Austin
  8  5  4   63   Bret Hart
  2 11  7   57   Dean Malenko
  3  3  5   34   Owen Hart
  3  3  5   34   Eddie Guerrero
  3  3  4   32   Rey Mysterio Jr.
  3  2  2   25   Mitsuharu Misawa
  2  3  2   23   Diamond Dallas Page
  1  3  4   22   Mankind
  2  1  0   13   Jushin Liger
  1  2  1   13   Taka Michinoku
  0  3  2   13   Taz
  1  1  2   12   Rob Van Dam
  1  2  0   11   Kenta Kobashi
  1  0  3   11   Sabu
  1  1  0    8   Manami Toyota
  1  1  0    8   Giant
  0  2  1    8   Undertaker
  1  0  1    7   Chris Candido
  0  0  3    6   Ultimo Dragon
  1  0  0    5   Shane Douglas
  1  0  0    5   Mike Modest
  1  0  0    5   Lex Luger
  1  0  0    5   Koji Kanemoto
  1  0  0    5   Disco Inferno
  0  0  2    4   Hunter Hearst Helmsley
  0  1  0    3   Megumi Kudo
  0  1  0    3   Kaoru
  0  1  0    3   Great Sasuke
  0  1  0    3   Buff Bagwell
  0  0  1    2   Volk Hans
  0  0  1    2   Sting
  0  0  1    2   John Kronus
  0  0  1    2   Hugh Morrus
  0  0  1    2   Black Warrior
  0  0  1    2   Billy Kidman

JAMES KALYN: Austin gets my vote as best wrestler because of Summerslam.
He's crippled and in agony, but still ends the match and does as best he
can; besides, Bret vs. Austin was match of the year, hands down.  Bret comes
in second just because he's great; Shawn might put on the best overall
performance, but only when he wants to, thus, he comes in third.

JASON ROBAR:  Eddie Guerrero had a hell of a year.  He wins the U.S. belt,
having a great feud with DDP, then moves on to having to face Syxx, carrying
him, then goes into a feud with Dean Malenko, gets hurt, and comes back as
the super rudo, and becomes the most over heel in WCW, having great matches
with Chris Jericho and Rey Mysterio Jr. along the way.  He deserves the top
spot. Taka takes number two since he was brought over by the WWF as an
afterthought, and managed to position himself as the top light heavyweight
in the WWF.  Bret Hart managed to have a very good year as well, carrying
the WWF through the year, even through an injury where he couldn't compete.

RICK SCAIA:  Shawn Michaels may have only wrestled part of the year, but
when he did, it was always top notch, culminating with the Hell in the Cell
match against the Undertaker.  Other guys may have worked more often, but
none worked harder.  Add in quality interviews, lots of charisma, and the
creation of "Degeneration X," and you've got wrestling's REAL "Total
Package."  It's obvious that Michaels has more than enough skills to off-set
his reputed jack-ass behavior behind the scenes...

CHRISTOPHER BIRD: I know a whole lot of people are going to say "Chris
Benoit", but I can't. He simply hasn't done a lot of good work this year.  A
lot of that is due to matches with the Dungeon of Doom, but it's also
because he simply wasn't working as well as usual. Chris Benoit is also a
lousy interview, and this year in WCW he was a near-total non-factor. No
accolades for you, Chris. Better luck next year. My #1 vote instead goes to
Steve Austin, who's a great interview, a better wrestler, and was basically
the WWF's top draw. Undertaker gets #2 for having a generally great year
(Faarooq matches notwithstanding). Shawn Michaels gets #3 because of some
good performances, but he was dogging it too much during the year with fake
injuries to get the top spot.

JOSHUA HOLMES: My God, does AJPW rule.  Misawa and Kobashi are the two best
in the world, and they are tearing it up again and again in AJPw rings.
Eddie is the best heel in the US right now, and is on the biggest hot streak
of his life.  He's just absolutely tremndous right now.

DEAN !: The Best Wrestler in 1997 was Koji Kanemoto.  Don't let All Japan
bed-wetters tell you any different.:)  Koji supplied the goods on more
occassions and with more style, stiffness and surliness than anyone else on
earth.  He had two matches in the top five of this year (vs El Samurai, and
Vs Liger) and had the two best Junior matches of this year and was
consistently great in all situations presented to him, with a few exceptions
here and there..  KAORU had a great year in GAEA as GAEA took the lead in
the Women's Promotions with the beloved AJW folding.  She had beautiful
matches with Hokuto, the young girls, Yamada, even Chigusa and always
delivered in the big matches, carrying the youngsters in the smaller matches
and wrestled any style- Lucha to Shootstyle- effectively-  and all without
being put over once in a major match.  Plus also she had those shiny
pants.:)  Black Warrior was the best Luchadore this year- edging out Felino,
Silver King, and Shocker, I'd say.  Shocker was more totally spectacualr but
wasn't nearly as good on the mat.

MIKE SWEETSER: This, to me, was Eddy Guerrero's breakthrough year in WCW,
where he finally reached his potential.  The heel turn early in the year was
definitely needed, and he ended up with a U.S. title and two cruiserweight
belts by the end of the year, as well as some ****+ matches with Jericho,
Malenko and Misterio.  Malenko was just his usual phenomenal self, and
Benoit was..well, Benoit.  He DID get Sullivan out of wrestling (thank god).

JOSEPH COLLINS:  One thing this year was consistent for every WWF
pay-per-view: Steve Austin's match was always the best on the show.  Whether
it be his bouts with Bret Hart (at the Survivor Series), the Royal Rumble
(which is always good, but made better with Austin's antics & marathon
performance), the Final Four (which saw incredible stuff from all four men,
and an unfortunate injury pre-maturing causing Austin's elimination), the
amazing Submission match at WrestleMania (Austin gritty performance made him
the star of the show), another return match with Bret at IYH (which was
followed the night after with a vicious Street Fight), his match at Cold Day
in Hell against the Undertaker, this Shawn Michaels bout & King of the Ring
(following a tag title win for he & Michaels over Owen Hart & The British
Bulldog & title defense against the Road Warriors), the 10-man tag at
Canadian Stampede (incredible heat), and the faitful match at Summerslam
which would have been ***** if not for the marred ending.  Although that
ended Austin's year in wrestling prematurely, he had still stung together an
incredible series of performances/matches, which were unmatched in his own
company due to injuries to the other top workers (Bret Hart/Marc Mero to a
lesser extent) and a walkout by another (Shawn Michaels).  Austin
performances in the ring and antics out of it defined the WWF in 1997 more
than any other one athletes this year.  A close second to Owen Hart (in
North America), who had a great match with brother-in-law Davey Boy Smith
for the European belt, which is probably the best match in either WWF or WCW
to air on a Monday since the "Monday Night Wars" began.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Wrestler (North American)

Previous Winners:

  1994: Sabu
  1995: Shawn Michaels
  1996: Shawn Michaels

**1997**: Shawn Michaels

68 first place votes
66 second place votes
65 third place votes

 16  7  5  111   Shawn Michaels
  7  8 10   79   Chris Benoit
  9  5  6   72   Bret Hart
  8  7  3   67   Steve Austin
  4 11  6   65   Dean Malenko
  4  4  4   40   Owen Hart
  2  6  2   32   Rey Mysterio Jr.
  4  1  3   29   Eddie Guerrero
  2  3  3   25   Diamond Dallas Page
  1  4  3   23   Mankind
  1  2  2   15   Taz
  1  2  2   15   Rob Van Dam
  1  0  2    9   Sabu
  1  0  2    9   Chris Candido
  1  1  0    8   Taka Michinoku
  1  0  1    7   Shane Douglas
  0  1  2    7   Ultimo Dragon
  0  2  0    6   Undertaker
  1  0  0    5   Mike Modest
  1  0  0    5   Lex Luger
  1  0  0    5   Giant
  1  0  0    5   Disco Inferno
  1  0  0    5   Black Warrior
  0  0  2    4   Syxx
  0  0  2    4   Ric Flair
  0  1  0    3   Buff Bagwell
  0  1  0    3   Billy Kidman
  0  0  1    2   Sting
  0  0  1    2   John Kronus
  0  0  1    2   Hunter Hearst Helmsley
  0  0  1    2   Hugh Morrus
  0  0  1    2   Alex Wright

MIKE SWEETSER: Same as my overall vote.  Guerrero, Malenko, Benoit.

DEAN !:Black Warrior gets this by default because Eddy Guerrerro and Rey
Misterio Jr were too injured this year to qualify, though when they were
healthy, they were the best wrestlers in North America this year.  Black
Warrior was better on the mat and in the air than anybody else in North
America this year, the whole year through.  His first Five minutes with
Dandy in the 16-man Cibernetico was the highlight of Lucha for me this
year. He lapped everybody down South in 1997.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Wrestler (Non-North American)

Previous Winners:

  1994: Chris Benoit
  1995: Chris Benoit
  1996: Jushin Liger

**1997**: Taka Michinoku

49 first place votes
46 second place votes
42 third place votes

 15  9  3  108   Taka Michinoku
  6 10  8   76   Jushin Liger
  3  9  8   58   Great Sasuke
  9  3  1   56   Mitsuharu Misawa
  3  1  4   26   Shinjiro Otani
  2  4  1   24   Kenta Kobashi
  1  3  1   16   Ultimo Dragon
  1  1  4   16   Koji Kanemoto
  1  0  3   11   Great Muta
  2  0  0   10   Sabu
  1  0  2    9   Manami Toyota
  1  1  0    8   Rey Mysterio Jr.
  1  0  0    5   Shinja Hashimoto
  1  0  0    5   Masahiro Chono
  1  0  0    5   Davey Boy Smith
  1  0  0    5   Chris Benoit
  0  0  2    4   Steven Regal
  0  1  0    3   Kensuke Sasaki
  0  1  0    3   Kaoru
  0  1  0    3   Hayabusa
  0  1  0    3   Fit Finley
  0  1  0    3   Asari Chapparita
  0  0  1    2   Yoshihiro Tajiri
  0  0  1    2   Mima Shimoda
  0  0  1    2   El Samurai
  0  0  1    2   Eddie Guerrero
  0  0  1    2   Dick Togo

DEAN !: El Samurai gets number three because he took the big bumps when
asked to in the Kanemoto, Takaiwa, and Ohtani matches, risking life and limb
to make the Nj Jr punks look even better than they are.  This was the year
that El went from "Solid" to "interesting".  Plus that new mask Just Kicks
Ass,

MIKE SWEETSER: Ohtani came a decent way this year by winning the J*Crown and
having some damn good matches.  Liger came back from his injury and kept
being one of the best juniors ever, and Sasuke wrestled even with his injury
and had some good spots in MPro and the WWF (although he DID job to Justin
Credible).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Tag Team

Award Description:

To be given to the tag team who were the best overall team of the year This
includes all facets of wrestling: workrate, technical ability, interviews,
charisma, hot team moves, value to their promotion, etc. In 1994, this award
was split into three: North American, Non-North American, and overall.

Previous Winners:

  1990: The Steiners: Rick & Scott
  1991: The Steiners: Rick & Scott
  1992: Terry Gordy & Steve Williams
  1993: The Hollywood Blonds: Brian Pillman & Steve Austin
  1994: The Steiners: Rick & Scott
  1995: Public Enemy: Flyboy Rocco Rock & Johnny Grunge
  1996: Harlem Heat: Booker T & Stevie Ray

**1997**: The Eliminators: John Kronus & Perry Saturn

71 first place votes
66 second place votes
64 third place votes

 14  7  4   99   Eliminators - John Kronus & Perry Saturn
 12  8  7   98   Harlem Heat - Booker T & Stevie Ray
  7  5  8   66   Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith
  8  3  5   59   Head Bangers - Mosh & Thrasher
  5  7  3   52   Legion of Doom - Road Warrior Hawk & Road Warrior Animal
  2  3  9   37   Steiner Brothers - Rick & Scott
  2  5  4   33   Doug Furnas & Phil LaFon
  1  3  6   26   Sabu & Rob Van Dam
  2  3  1   21   Outsiders - Scott Hall & Kevin Nash
  2  1  3   19   Psychosis & La Parka
  2  2  1   18   Steve Austin & Shawn Michaels
  2  2  0   16   Vicious & Delicious - Scott Norton & Buff Bagwell
  3  0  0   15   Dick Togo & Mens Teoh
  1  3  0   14   Koji Kanemoto & Shinjiro Otani
  0  3  2   13   Mortis & Wrath
  2  0  0   10   Billy Gunn & Jesse Jammes
  1  1  1   10   Steve Austin & Dude Love
  1  0  2    9   Mima Shimoda & Etsuko Mita
  1  1  0    8   Public Enemy - Flyboy Rocco Rock & Johnny Grunge
  1  0  0    5   Vic & Dic Grimes
  1  0  0    5   Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama
  0  1  1    5   Faces of Fear - Meng & Barbarian
  0  1  0    3   Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue
  0  1  0    3   Steve Williams & Gary Albright
  0  1  0    3   New Blackjacks - Barry Windham & Justin Bradshaw
  0  1  0    3   Great Muta & Masahiro Chono
  0  1  0    3   Gangstas - New Jack & Mustafa Saed
  0  1  0    3   El Samurai & Jushin Liger
  0  1  0    3   Disciples of Apocalypse - Crush & Chainz & Skull & 8-Ball
  0  0  1    2   PG-13 - JC Ice & Wolfie D
  0  0  1    2   Meiko Satomura & Sonoko Kato
  0  0  1    2   Lex Luger & Giant
  0  0  1    2   Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace
  0  0  1    2   Full Blooded Italians - Tracy Smothers & Little Guido
  0  0  1    2   Dudley Boys - Buh Buh Ray & D-Von
REJECTED (not tag team)
  1  0  0        Taka Michinoku
  0  1  0        Shinjiro Ohtani
  0  0  1        The Great Sasuke

RAY DUFFY:      Best Tag Team : My pick goes for the headbangers basically
because they're the best working team consistantly in wrestling.  The
deserved to win the WWF titles, however their reign was really mishandled.
The Elim's would have been my top pick had they been together the full year.

RICK SCAIA:  I don't care if they split up in July...  the Eliminators were
wrestling's best tag team this year.  That speaks volumes about how good
they were, but also says a little about how depleted the tag ranks in the
U.S. are...  if something doesn't happen soon, the Eliminators will easily
go down as the best team of the latter half of the decade. The Steiners and
LOD just don't cut it anymore, and Harlem Heat -- easily the best of the
rest -- just don't seem like they'll ever get to the next level in WCW.

JASON ROBAR:  This was an extremely tough category to vote for, because in
all honesty, the tag scene sucks a lot.  The Eliminators will probably win
it, but they weren't that great.  My choices are more in protest than
anything else, but they are decent teams.  First is Owen and the Bulldog,
second is Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels (which was pretty close to
cheating), and third is Psychosis and La Parka.

JOSHUA HOLMES: Dick Togo/Men's Teioh combines the best wrestling with the
most smug, arrogant jerks I think I've ever seen.  You just want to reach
through the screen and strange these guys, but then they wrestle amazingly
well.  Even hurt most of the year, Furnas/Lafon just ruled it.  Kobashi/Ace
are a superb tag combo, simply because both are superb.

MIKE SWEETSER: Even though they broke up, to me this category begins and
ends with the Eliminators.  Kronus and Saturn, even before the injury,
kicked some ass in ECW and showed why they were the best team in the
world--and thanks to Bischoff for breaking 'em up.  Harlem Heat got shoved
down the drain by getting stuck with the Faces of Fear and the Steiners and
still shined in WCW, and Owen and Davey Boy were about the only highlight of
a drab WWF tag scene.

CHRISTOPHER BIRD: The Headbangers have been impressive for me this year, and
they worked hard to do so. They get #1. #2 goes to the Eliminators,
partially because I'll never get to vote for them again, which is a pity.
#3 goes to Mortis and Wrath, who have worked hard to get above their
painfully stupid gimmicks and impressed me with decent work and good
matches.

TOM SERVO 30: The only tag team I really liked in either of the big two was
Harlem Heat and Furnas and Lafon. I gave third to the Full Blooded Italians,
because nobody else stands out and they definately have the best gimmick.

JAMES KALYN: Yes, "Road Dog" and "Bad Ass" are tag team of the year.
They're a throwback to older-style of wrestling, where bad guys were pounded
severly and always wonj undeservingly.  Not to mention these guys have great
personality in the ring.

DEAN !: The Tag Situation sucked all over the world except in GAEA and AJW-
with GAEA having Satomura and Kato and Sugar Sato and Nagashima and AJW
having the Vixens that are Mita and Shimoda.  MEN'S TEIOH and Dick Togo were
the exception of the men's promotions,  being the highest flying wrecking
crew anywhere.  The Dangerous Backdrop to a Released German Suplex Relay
move was the coolest Tag move in years.  Ohtani and Kanemoto were truly
fabulous surly bastards when Ohtani was tagging with his evil mentor, though
I dug their singles matches loads more.

JOSEPH COLLINS: The tag team scene looked desperate at some points, but
WCW's Harlem Heat were always innovative & contant performers, carrying the
Steiner Brothers to good matches.  The Eliminators were excellent, but only
active for half the year, so they can't really be counted for a year end
award, can they?  The Headbangers are the best team in the WWF, but that can
only be of little consolation.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Tag Team (North American)

Previous Winners:

  1994: Eddy Guerrero & Love Machine
  1995: Public Enemy: Flyboy Rocco Rock & Johnny Grunge
  1996: Harlem Heat: Booker T & Stevie Ray

**1997**: The Eliminators: John Kronus & Perry Saturn

61 first place votes
59 second place votes
55 third place votes

 16  6  3  104   Eliminators - John Kronus & Perry Saturn
 11  9  5   92   Harlem Heat - Booker T & Stevie Ray
  7  6  9   71   Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith
  6  4  4   50   Head Bangers - Mosh & Thrasher
  4  6  3   44   Doug Furnas & Phil Lafon
  2  2  8   32   Steiner Brothers - Rick & Scott
  2  3  4   27   Sabu & Rob Van Dam
  1  5  2   24   Legion of Doom - Road Warrior Hawk & Road Warrior Animal
  1  3  4   22   Steve Austin & Shawn Michaels
  2  3  0   19   Vicious and Delicious - Scott Norton & Buff Bagwell
  2  1  2   17   Psychosis & La Parka
  2  2  0   16   Outsiders - Scott Hall & Kevin Nash
  2  0  0   10   Billy Gunn & Jesse Jammes
  0  2  2   10   Mortis & Wrath
  1  1  0    8   Public Enemy - Flyboy Rocco Rock & Johnny Grunge
  1  0  1    7   Full Blooded Italians - Tracy Smothers & Little Guido
  1  0  0    5   Vic & Dic Grimes
  0  1  1    5   Steve Austin & Dude Love
  0  1  1    5   New Blackjacks - Barry Windham & Justin Bradshaw
  0  0  2    4   Faces of Fear - Meng & Barbarian
  0  1  0    3   Villanos - IV & V
  0  1  0    3   Masahiro Chono & Great Muta
  0  1  0    3   Gangstas - New Jack & Mustafa Saed
  0  1  0    3   Disciples of Apocalypse - Crush & Chainz & Skull & 8-Ball
  0  0  1    2   Lex Luger & Giant
  0  0  1    2   Juventud Guerrera & Hector Garza
  0  0  1    2   Dudley Boys - Buh Buh Ray & D-Von
  0  0  1    2   Chris Candido & Lance Storm


MIKE SWEETSER:  Same as my overall vote.  Eliminators, Heat, Owendog.

DEAN !:North American tagteams really really suck.  I went with the FBI
because Tracy Smothers is a great Southern Ass-kicker and Little Guido is a
really good worker, and they had the best matches that I saw this year.  I
didn't see enough of PG-13 to include them but they would have been in the
running. The Villanos were also cool this year, doing their Midnight Express
imitation to the delight of me.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Tag Team (Non-North American)

Previous Winners:

  1994: Steiner Brothers
  1995: Mitsuhara Misawa & Kenta Kobashi
  1996: Doug Furnas & Dan Kroffat

**1997**: NWO: Masahiro Chono & Great Muta

38 first place votes
33 second place votes
29 third place votes

  9  5  2   64   Masahiro Chono & Great Muta
  8  5  2   59   Vicious & Delicious - Scott Norton & Buff Bagwell
  3  5  8   46   El Samurai & Jushin Liger
  5  1  4   36   Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue
  2  3  3   25   Koji Kanemoto & Shinjiro Otani
  3  1  1   20   Headhunters - A & B
  0  4  1   14   Johnny Ace & Kenta Kobashi
  2  1  0   13   Mima Shimoda & Etsuko Mita
  2  1  0   13   Dick Togo & Mens Teoh
  0  4  0   12   NWO Sting & Buff Bagwell
  1  0  0    5   Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama
  1  0  0    5   Johnny Ace & Toshiaki Kawada
  0  0  2    4   Hayabusa & Jinsei Shinzaki
  0  0  2    4   Etsuko Mita & Mima Shimoda
  0  1  0    3   Steve Williams & Terry Gordy
  0  1  0    3   Jushin Liger & Tiger King
  0  0  1    2   Sugar Sato & Nagashima
  0  0  1    2   Manami Toyota & Mima Shimoda
  0  0  1    2   Doc Dean & Robbie Brookside (?)
REJECTED (definitely not non-NA)
  1  0  0        Faces of Fear
  1  0  0        Doug Furnas & Phil LaFon
  0  1  1        Steven Regal & David Taylor


MIKE SWEETSER: I'm biased to the nWo, so sue me. :)  Chono and Muta/Mutoh
jelled as a team in New Japan and won the IWGP belts from Sasaki and
Yamazaki, and V&D started hitting it off in NJPW and WCW.  Hayabusa and
Shinzaki, although a bit slow thanks to Jinsei, they've been able to get
over a bit in All Japan--that, and I just like Jinsei and Haya. :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Heel

Award Description:

To be given to the person who was the best villain this past year. This
person should bring out the fans' wrath. Match quality is not paramount
here; this award should be based primarily on how over the wrestler was in
the past year.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Ted DiBiase
  1991: Cactus Jack
  1992: Jake Roberts
  1993: Big Van Vader
  1994: Bob Backlund
  1995: Big Van Vader
  1996: Stone Cold Steve Austin (Ring Master)

**1997**: Shawn Michaels

73 first place votes
70 second place votes
69 third place votes

 15 14  5  127   Shawn Michaels
 12  4  4   80   Hulk Hogan
  6  7  6   63   Eddie Guerrero
  6  8  3   60   Bret Hart
  5  4  6   49   Shane Douglas
  5  1  6   40   Brian Pillman
  4  5  2   39   Steve Austin
  2  5  4   33   Rob Van Dam
  1  3  5   24   Buff Bagwell
  2  1  5   23   Alex Wright
  1  2  4   19   Owen Hart
  2  1  2   17   Raven
  2  2  0   16   Dick Togo
  2  1  1   15   Hunter Hearst Helmsley
  1  2  2   15   Jerry Lawler
  2  0  0   10   Eric Bischoff
  1  1  1   10   Curt Hennig
  1  0  2    9   Sabu
  1  1  0    8   Scott Hall
  0  2  1    8   Brian Christopher
  1  0  1    7   Rocky Maivia
  0  1  2    7   Jeff Jarrett
  0  0  3    6   Kevin Nash
  1  0  0    5   Giant
  0  1  1    5   Syxx
  0  1  0    3   Vader
  0  1  0    3   Steve Regal
  0  1  0    3   Mayumi Ozaki
  0  1  0    3   Billy Gunn
  0  0  1    2   Takeshi Ono
  0  0  1    2   Nick Patrick
  0  0  1    2   Mortis

JOSHUA HOLMES:  He's obnoxious, arrogant, greasy, nasty, mean, and he beats
up his family.  He smacks around other guys and laughs when they screw up.
He's Eddie Guerrero, THE MAN in NA right now.  He's just too good to be
true.  Dick Togo and Shane Douglas are two ends of the heel spectrum, but
both do their jobs almost too well.

JAMES KALYN: Austin gets high marks both as best heel and best face.  Best
heel because he does exactly what a heel should do, best face because of the
reaction he gets.

MIKE SWEETSER: Eddy again hands down.  Without any nWo or any cheap heat,
Eddy got major over with the WCW crowd and made himself the man they love to
hate.  Douglas kept his usual schtick up in ECW, and Rob Van Dam played the
turncoat damn well.

JAMES FABIANO: How the hell did Eddy Guerrero become such a heat magnet
overnight?!!!?

JOSEPH COLLINS: The face/heel lines have been blurred in WCW, smashed in the
WWF, and never exsisted in ECW.  The true babyfaces & heels are few and far
between, but they can be found still.  The Undertaker is the only solid
babyface left in the WWF, while Rob Van Dam's cocky attitude and turn
against his company assured that he would be met with much discord from ECW
fans.  His feud with the ultra-popular Tommy Dreamer didn't hurt, either.

DEAN !: Takeshi Ono was right behind Togo and Mayumi Ozaki.  This BattlARTS
boy is gonna be to shootstyle what TAKA Michinoku was to Lucha Libre.  He
makes it surly and he makes it intense and he makes it WAY too much fun.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Babyface

Award Description:

To be given to the person who best portrayed the hero this past year. This
person should get lots of fan support. Match quality is not paramount here;
this award should be based primarily on how over the wrestler was in the
past year.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Hulk Hogan
  1991: Brian Pillman
  1992: Sting
  1993: Bret Hart
  1994: Bret Hart
  1995: Shawn Michaels
  1996: Shawn Michaels

**1997**: Steve Austin

73 first place votes
68 second place votes
65 third place votes

 14  7  2   95   Steve Austin
  6 14 11   94   Diamond Dallas Page
  9  9  2   76   Sting
 10  4  5   72   Rey Mysterio Jr.
  5  8 11   71   Undertaker
  5  3  5   44   Dude Love
  3  1  6   30   Ric Flair
  2  3  5   29   Ken Shamrock
  2  4  3   28   Giant
  3  1  1   20   Shawn Michaels
  1  2  3   17   Chris Jericho
  1  3  1   16   Lex Luger
  3  0  0   15   Bret Hart
  2  0  1   12   Chris Benoit
  1  2  0   11   Tommy Dreamer
  1  1  1   10   Patriot
  1  1  1   10   Jushin Liger
  1  0  0    5   Robert Thompson
  1  0  0    5   Mikey Whipwreck
  1  0  0    5   Manami Toyota
  1  0  0    5   Great Sasuke
  0  1  1    5   Ultimo Dragon
  0  1  1    5   Sandman
  0  1  1    5   New Jack
  0  1  0    3   Megumi Kudo
  0  1  0    3   Lenny Lane
  0  0  1    2   Vader
  0  0  1    2   Takako Inoue
  0  0  1    2   Taka Michinoku
  0  0  1    2   La Parka

MIKE SWEETSER: Lemme get this straight.  A guy uses profanity, flips off the
crowd, sneak attacks people left and right, attacks officials, and acts like
a general jackass, and he's over as a FACE?  Only in America. :)  DDP used
his hard work to get over with the crowd, even if there ARE only three
reasons for it (Those being the Diamond Cutter..and Kimberly. :)  Undertaker
was his usual noselling stiff self, but he did keep getting cheered, so I
guess it worked.

JAMES FABIANO Over the last year, I saw Steve Austin practically carry
entire RAW's  (especially the one with the ambulance incident).
Sting.....say what you will about his gimmick/angle getting stale, but the
man gets a pop by just appearing, no matter that he hasn't wrestled or spoke
for over a year.   And somehow, I don't think most WWF fans will ever get
tired of the Undertaker.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Worker

Award Description:

To be given to the wrestler with, on average, the best workrate. In 1994,
this award was split into three: North American, Non-North American, and
overall.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Ric Flair / Randy Savage (tie)
  1991: Jushin Liger
  1992: Jushin Liger
  1993: Bret Hart
  1994: Sabu
  1995: Shawn Michaels
  1996: Rey Mysterio, Jr.

**1997**: Shawn Michaels

73 first place votes
69 second place votes
67 third place votes

 19  3  8  120   Shawn Michaels
 10  7  6   83   Chris Benoit
  6  6  7   62   Rey Mysterio Jr.
  6  6  4   56   Mankind
  6  6  3   54   Dean Malenko
  2  8  7   48   Eddie Guerrero
  3  3  4   32   Bret Hart
  3  3  0   24   Diamond Dallas Page
  4  0  0   20   Mitsuharu Misawa
  2  2  2   20   Sabu
  1  3  3   20   Steve Austin
  2  3  0   19   Taka Michinoku
  2  2  0   16   Jushin Liger
  1  2  2   15   Owen Hart
  1  2  1   13   Ultimo Dragon
  2  0  0   10   Disco Inferno
  0  2  2   10   Rob Van Dam
  0  3  0    9   Kenta Kobashi
  1  0  1    7   Manami Toyota
  0  2  0    6   Ric Flair
  1  0  0    5   Koji Kanemoto
  1  0  0    5   Arn Anderson
  0  1  1    5   Kaoru
  0  1  1    5   Flash Funk
  0  1  1    5   Chris Candido
  0  1  1    5   Brian Christopher
  0  0  2    4   Syxx
  0  1  0    3   Megumi Kudo
  0  1  0    3   Billy Kidman
  0  0  1    2   Undertaker
  0  0  1    2   Super Calo
  0  0  1    2   Silver King
  0  0  1    2   Shinjiro Otani
  0  0  1    2   Psychosis
  0  0  1    2   Mike Modest
  0  0  1    2   Marc Mero
  0  0  1    2   Juventud Guerrera
  0  0  1    2   El Samurai
  0  0  1    2   Chris Jericho
  0  0  1    2   Alex Wright

MIKE SWEETSER: Malenko kept up his usual whompass technical masterpieces,
and was an obvious vote here if you're a fan of scientific wrestling.  And I
am, so..:)  Eddy was a #2 for his matches with Jericho, Malenko and Rey, and
Jericho got almost back up to his ECW style and had his kickass match with
Guerrero at Fall Brawl.

JOSHUA HOLMES: Worker and wrestler are pretty much the same thing to me, so
the only difference is Dean Malenko instead of Eddie, simply because Dean
can do everything, while Eddie can do almost everything.

JOSEPH COLLINS: Rey Jr. can still work his little a$$ off with anyone in the
world.  Of course, when your opponents are Ultimo Dragone, Dean Malenko &
Eddie Guerrero, that isn't going to hurt the workrate.  But his had matches
with Prince Ieukea that were ***1/2, due mostly to him.  It is a shame that
in a lot of the WCW's territory, his work doesn't always get the acclaim he
deserves.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Worker (North American)

Previous Winners:

  1994: Sabu
  1995: Shawn Michaels
  1996: Rey Mysterio, Jr.

**1997**: Shawn Michaels

63 first place votes
61 second place votes
61 third place votes

 20  3  4  117   Shawn Michaels
  7  9  8   78   Chris Benoit
  7  6  5   63   Rey Mysterio Jr.
  7  6  2   57   Dean Malenko
  3  6  3   39   Mankind
  3  4  6   39   Bret Hart
  0  9  5   37   Eddie Guerrero
  2  3  2   23   Sabu
  2  1  4   21   Owen Hart
  2  3  0   19   Diamond Dallas Page
  1  1  3   14   Ultimo Dragon
  1  1  3   14   Steve Austin
  2  1  0   13   Taka Michinoku
  2  0  0   10   Disco Inferno
  0  2  2   10   Rob Van Dam
  1  0  1    7   Brian Christopher
  0  1  2    7   Chris Candido
  1  0  0    5   Silver King
  1  0  0    5   Cactus Jack
  1  0  0    5   Arn Anderson
  0  0  2    4   Syxx
  0  1  0    3   Ric Flair
  0  1  0    3   Leif Cassidy (Al Snow)
  0  1  0    3   Flash Funk
  0  1  0    3   Black Warrior
  0  1  0    3   Billy Kidman
  0  0  1    2   Undertaker
  0  0  1    2   Super Calo
  0  0  1    2   Psychosis
  0  0  1    2   Mike Modest
  0  0  1    2   Marc Mero
  0  0  1    2   Juventud Guerrera
  0  0  1    2   John Kronus
  0  0  1    2   Chris Jericho
  0  0  1    2   Alex Wright

MIKE SWEETSER: Same as overall.  Malenko, Guerrero, Jericho.

OTTO HEUER: Chris Benoit is at the top of the list.  Hands down.  Even when
he was stuck in the endless feud with Kevin Sullivan, he went out and gave
it his all in every match. Next in line is Eddie Guerrero.  My gawd.  He
keeps giving great matches each week on Nitro.  Then when he's matches with
a good worker on a PPV he turns it up another notch and puts out a match of
the year candidate! Third is Rey Misterio Jr.  Verily he is "The
Hummingbird".
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Worker (Non-North American)

Previous Winners:

  1994: Chris Benoit
  1995: Chris Benoit
  1996: Jushin Liger

**1997**: Taka Michinoku

44 first place votes
41 second place votes
38 third place votes

 15  5  4   98   Taka Michinoku
  6 10  5   70   Great Sasuke
  5  7  7   60   Jushin Liger
  8  0  1   42   Mitsuharu Misawa
  0  6  6   30   Shinjiro Otani
  1  4  1   19   Kenta Kobashi
  1  1  2   12   Koji Kanemoto
  2  0  0   10   Sabu(?)
  2  0  0   10   Manami Toyota
  1  0  2    9   Ultimo Dragon
  1  0  2    9   El Samurai
  0  2  1    8   Great Muta
  1  0  0    5   Kensuke Sasaki
  0  1  1    5   Kaoru
  0  1  0    3   Tomoko Watanabe
  0  1  0    3   Rey Mysterio Jr.
  0  1  0    3   Megumi Kudo
  0  1  0    3   Aguila
  0  0  1    2   Yoshihiro Tajiri
  0  0  1    2   Toshiaki Kawada
  0  0  1    2   Mima Shimoda
  0  0  1    2   Fit Finley
  0  0  1    2   Dick Togo
  0  0  1    2   Diasuke Ikeda
REJECTED
  1  1  0    8   Steven Regal


MIKE SWEETSER: Liger did a damn good job coming back after his injury, and
kepkt up his usual workrate.  Ohtani did a good job as J*Crown champ, and
TAKA came to the WWF and still was able to have decent matches. :)

DEAN !:It would be a shame to not mention what a great year Diasuke Ikeda
had in BattlARTS and All Japan, so I'm mentioning it here, as he was right
behind Kanemoto and KAORU in my book this year- technically.  He made the
smooth transition to the hapless AJ undercard and breathed a little life
into it, after already creating a vastly underrated hybrid style in
BattlARTS that is awesome when done right.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Jobber

Award Description:

To be given to the Professional Loser that does an incredible job of putting
his name opponent over. Maybe the bumps that this person takes are just that
much more spectacular than other PLs. After seeing a match with this person,
you feel sorry about the punishment he/she took and realize how good it made
his/her name opponent look.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Barry Horowitz
  1991: Rip Rogers
  1992: Barry Horowitz
  1993: Barry Horowitz
  1994: Barry Horowitz
  1995: Barry Horowitz
  1996: Barry Horowitz

**1997**: Spike Dudley

62 first place votes
56 second place votes
49 third place votes

 16  3  1   91   Spike Dudley
  8  8  4   72   Barry Horowitz
  3  4  6   39   Jeff Hardy
  2  7  2   35   Scott Taylor
  1  4  5   27   Matt Hardy
  2  2  4   24   Johnny Swinger
  2  2  3   22   Doc Dean
  3  2  0   21   Billy Kidman
  1  1  2   12   Hardbody Harrison
  1  1  1   10   Bobby Eaton
  1  1  0    8   Road Block
  1  1  0    8   Bobby Walker
  1  0  1    7   Mark Starr
  1  0  1    7   Jerry Lynn
  1  0  1    7   Barry Armstrong
  0  2  0    6   Bert Centeno
  1  0  0    5   Pablo Marquez (El Puerto Ricano)
  1  0  0    5   La Parka
  1  0  0    5   Jim Powers
  1  0  0    5   El Jobbo Grande
  1  0  0    5   Brooklyn Brawler
  1  0  0    5   Bob Holly
  1  0  0    5   Alex Wright
  0  1  1    5   Leif Cassidy
  0  0  2    4   Lenny Lane
  0  1  0    3   Vincent
  0  1  0    3   Psychosis
  0  1  0    3   Buddy Lee Parker
  0  1  0    3   Barry Houston
  0  0  1    2   Tom Stone
  0  0  1    2   Stevie Richards
  0  0  1    2   Julio Sanchez
  0  0  1    2   Jerry Flynn
  0  0  1    2   D-Lo Brown
  0  0  1    2   Chad Fortune
REJECTED (various nonjobbers, according to me)
  2  4  0   22   Flash Funk
  1  1  2   12   Juventud Guerrera
  1  1  0    8   Disco Inferno
  1  0  1    7   Sultan
  1  0  1    7   Scott Hall
  1  0  1    7   Matt & Jeff Hardy(can only vote for singles here)
  1  0  0    5   Tommy Dreamer
  1  0  0    5   Silver King
  1  0  0    5   Rockabilly
  1  0  0    5   Ric Flair
  1  0  0    5   Hulk Hogan
  0  1  0    3   Southern Posse
  0  1  0    3   Shane Douglas
  0  1  0    3   Scotty Riggs
  0  1  0    3   Salvatore Sincere
  0  1  0    3   Kevin Nash
  0  1  0    3   Chris Benoit
  0  1  0    3   Aldo Montoya
  0  0  1    2   Yoshihiro Tajiri
  0  0  1    2   Ray Traylor
  0  0  1    2   Mortis
  0  0  1    2   Mikey Whipwreck
  0  0  1    2   Hector Guerrero

[And I probably should have rejected some others - actually Spike WON a
match, but I think we can all agree he's still a jobber.  Or can we? - CRZ]

JOSHUA HOLMES: Jerry Lynn isn't on the list, but he takes a beating and
sells practically everything, so I put him at the top.  Seeing RVD beat up
one of the Hardys, and seeing Kane destroy the Hardys puts them on my list.

MIKE SWEETSER: Many people don't know about Jobbo, but he's this masked kid
in PCCW, a Las Vegas-based federation, that acts like Steve Austin in a
mask.  He even has Jobbo 3:16 shirts, and the fans love him.  Too bad he
gets his ass kicked every single match. :)  Horowitz kept up his losing ways
even in WCW, and Juvie's here because I've seen him win MAYBE once or twice
this whole year in WCW.

JAMES KALYN: With Raw and Nitro both two hours of decent matches, there are
no real jobbers anymore, really.  I think this category comes down to best
big-name-wrestler-who-jobs-every-week, ie, Rockabilly or Flash Funk. [Ha ha,
and you would be wrong - CRZ]

JOSEPH COLLINS:  The Hardys have the best name for of any jobbers in the
sport.  They also know how to work, though, and have experience with a lot
of eastern independents.  Horowitz is everybody's favorite loser (even my
mom recognizes poor Barry).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Flyer (North American)

Award Description:

To be given to the wrestler who did the most and the best high-flying
maneuvers throughout the year. In 1994, this award was split into two: North
American and Non-North American.

Previous Winners:

  1991: Jushin Liger
  1992: Jushin Liger
  1993: 1-2-3 Kid (Lightning Kid)
  1994: 1-2-3 Kid
  1995: Sabu
  1996: Rey Mysterio, Jr.

**1997**: Rey Mysterio, Jr.

72 first place votes
68 second place votes
65 third place votes

 38 10  8  236   Rey Mysterio Jr.
  9  7  7   80   Taka Michinoku
  3  9  7   56   Juventud Guerrera
  5  8  3   55   Sabu
  2  6  4   36   Rob Van Dam
  1  4  9   35   Psychosis
  5  1  3   34   Max Mini (Mascarita Sagrada)
  1  5  4   28   Flash Funk
  0  5  5   25   Eddie Guerrero
  1  5  2   24   Shawn Michaels
  1  2  3   17   Billy Kidman
  2  0  1   12   Super Calo
  1  1  0    8   Aguila
  1  0  1    7   Chris Jericho
  1  0  0    5   John Kronus
  1  0  0    5   Hector Garza
  0  1  1    5   Venum
  0  1  1    5   Ultimo Dragon
  0  1  1    5   Brian Christopher
  0  1  0    3   La Parka
  0  1  0    3   Kensuke Sasaki
  0  0  1    2   Vader
  0  0  1    2   Shocker
  0  0  1    2   Randy Savage
  0  0  1    2   Jerry Lynn
  0  0  1    2   Dude Love

OTTO HEUER:  Damn.  It was hard to leave out great flyers like Lenny Lane,
Billy Kidman (still the best shooting star press in the biz), La Parka,
Calo, and RVD, but I had to pass them all up for Rey Misterio Jr., Psicosis,
and Juventud Guerrera.

IRIS POSTLER: I actually like to see the minis now and then.

MIKE SWEETSER:  Rey in a landslide.  Eddy isn't an itty-bitty guy like Rey,
but still flies damn good, and TAKA's no-hands springboard plancha is good
enough for me to put him here.

DEAN !:  Mr Aguila wins because he  is insane and he tried to kill himself
with that springboard shooting star press.  His match on the CMLL in JAPAN
Champ Forum is absolutely ass-stomping.  I hope he sticks around in the WWF
and wrestles TAKA every week.  Juventud did more insane things this year,
all which gets in the way of him becoming the total wrestler that he will
become in time.  It's still fun to watch Air Juvie in slow motion.
Shocker's vertical tope is the most breathtaking thing in the history of
high-spots. There you have it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Flyer (Non-North American)

Previous Winners:

  1994: Jushin Liger
  1995: Jushin Liger
  1996: Jushin Liger

**1997**: Taka Michinoku

49 first place votes
42 second place votes
40 third place votes

 16 10 10  130   Taka Michinoku
 12  8  6   96   Great Sasuke
  3  6  7   47   Jushin Liger
  5  4  3   43   Hayabusa
  1  4  4   25   Super Delfin
  2  3  1   21   Masato Yakushiji
  3  1  0   18   Sabu
  2  0  2   14   Yoshihiro Tajiri
  2  0  0   10   Rey Mysterio Jr.
  0  2  1    8   Ultimo Dragon
  1  0  1    7   Great Muta
  0  2  0    6   Manami Toyota
  1  0  0    5   Kaoru Maeda
  1  0  0    5   Chapparita Asari
  0  1  1    5   Shinjiro Otani
  0  1  0    3   Kensuke Sasaki
  0  0  1    2   Tomoko Watanabe
  0  0  1    2   Mens Teoh
  0  0  1    2   Jinsei Shinzaki
  0  0  1    2   Akira Hokuto

MIKE SWEETSER: Hayabusa's always impressed me, especially with his shooting
star press.  Sasuke is just Sasuke, which is enough for me, and Liger's
still flying.

JOSEPH COLLINS: TAKA has flown his way throughout America, while Great
Sasuke moves his tiny frame through the air in Japan.  He also hits the
ever-elusive Flying Space Tiger Drop so frequently it almost becomes
commonplace.  Sasuke, however, was limited to 4 matches on this contienent
(which is why he got my vote for Non-North American), while TAKA's wizardy
has been seen throughout the year in the WWF & Mexico.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Technical Wrestler

Award Description:

To be given to the wrestler who has the most technical ability. The number
of holds and moves you see this person do and the crispness with which the
moves are executed makes his/her matches a pleasure to watch. In 1994, this
award was split into three: North American, Non-North American, and overall.

Previous Winners:

  1991: Bret Hart
  1992: Bret Hart
  1993: Bret Hart
  1994: Bret Hart
  1995: Dean Malenko
  1996: Dean Malenko

**1997**: Dean Malenko

73 first place votes
70 second place votes
65 third place votes

 42 15  4  263   Dean Malenko
 10 12  6   98   Bret Hart
  5  9  9   70   Chris Benoit
  5  4 11   59   Steve Regal
  3  9  8   58   Owen Hart
  2  5  9   43   Taz
  1  2  3   17   Ultimo Dragon
  2  1  0   13   Chris Candido
  0  3  2   13   Ken Shamrock
  0  3  0    9   Steve Austin
  0  2  1    8   Jushin Liger
  0  1  2    7   Mitsuharu Misawa
  1  0  0    5   Mike Modest
  1  0  0    5   Manami Toyota
  1  0  0    5   Diasuke Ikeda
  0  0  2    4   Sabu
  0  0  2    4   Rey Mysterio Jr.
  0  1  0    3   Shawn Michaels
  0  1  0    3   Kaoru Maeda
  0  1  0    3   John Kronus
  0  1  0    3   Eddie Guerrero
  0  0  1    2   Yumiko Hotta
  0  0  1    2   Randy Savage
  0  0  1    2   Megumi Kudo
  0  0  1    2   Jeff Jarrett
  0  0  1    2   Hunter Hearst Helmsley
  0  0  1    2   Curt Hennig

JOSHUA HOLMES:  Dean Malenko does it all, from lucha to puroresu to
heavyweight to shoot-style to mat wrestling.  No one is a better technician
in the world.  Period.  Ultimo and Owen make the list as outstanding
wrestlers who can really take an opponent apart.

MIKE SWEETSER I always knew I'd put Malenko and Bret here, just like every
time, only question was who would be #3.  Since Neidhart sucks technically,
I put Owen. :)

JOSEPH COLLINS: The suplex machine & master of the TAZ-mission can take it
to the mat with anyone & flow through an incredible series of moves &
counter moves.  The man know more moves that the entire NWO and executes
them smoothly.  The same can be said for Dean Malenko, but TAZ's amazing
matches with Sabu put him over Dean by a hair.  Misawa is great in Japan,
with 30 & 60 minute matches being the rule.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Technical Wrestler (North American)

Previous Winners:

  1994: Bret Hart
  1995: Dean Malenko
  1996: Dean Malenko

**1997**: Dean Malenko

60 first place votes
58 second place votes
57 third place votes

 34 12  4  214   Dean Malenko
  9 12  8   97   Bret Hart
  3  9  9   60   Owen Hart
  3  6  9   51   Chris Benoit
  3  5  9   48   Taz
  4  2  6   38   Steve Regal
  0  2  6   18   Ultimo Dragon
  2  1  0   13   Chris Candido
  0  2  2   10   Ken Shamrock
  0  3  0    9   Steve Austin
  0  3  0    9   Eddie Guerrero
  1  0  0    5   Mike Modest
  1  0  0    5   Black Warrior
  0  1  0    3   John Kronus
  0  0  1    2   Randy Savage
  0  0  1    2   Jeff Jarrett
  0  0  1    2   Hunter Hearst Helmsley
  0  0  1    2   Alex Wright

MIKE SWEETSER: Same.  Malenko, Bret, Owen.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Technical Wrestler (Non-North American)

Previous Winners:

  1994: Chris Benoit
  1995: Chris Benoit
  1996: Dean Malenko

**1997**: Jushin Liger

37 first place votes
34 second place votes
31 third place votes

  5 12  6   73   Jushin Liger
 10  4  3   68   Mitsuharu Misawa
  6  4  3   48   Great Sasuke
  2  5  5   35   Yuji Nagata
  2  1  2   17   Gary Albright
  3  0  0   15   Sabu
  2  0  1   12   Volk Hans
  2  0  1   12   Ultimo Dragon
  0  2  3   12   Taka Michinoku
  0  1  2    7   Kenta Kobashi
  0  2  0    6   Steve Regal
  1  0  0    5   Yumiko Hotta
  1  0  0    5   Yoshihiro Tajiri
  1  0  0    5   Manami Toyota
  1  0  0    5   Great Muta
  1  0  0    5   Diasuke Ikeda
  0  1  0    3   Toshiyo Yamada
  0  1  0    3   Shinjiro Otani
  0  1  0    3   Megumi Kudo
  0  0  1    2   Toshiaki Kawada
  0  0  1    2   Tomoko Watanabe
  0  0  1    2   Koji Kanemoto
  0  0  1    2   Kensuke Sasaki
  0  0  1    2   Kaoru Maeda

MIKE SWEETSER: Misawa kept his skills up in a place like All Japan, which is
damn good in my book.  Liger improved his technical skills greatly, and
Nagata showed a lot of promise that he's just now showing in WCW.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Brawler (North American)

Award Description:

To be given to the wrestler who brawled his/her way through the year most
convincingly. This award would go to Frank "Bruiser Brody" Goodish if he
were still around. In 1994, this award was split into two: North American
and Non-North American.

Previous Winners:

  1991: Stan Hansen
  1992: Cactus Jack
  1993: Big Van Vader
  1994: Cactus Jack
  1995: Cactus Jack
  1996: Mankind (Cactus Jack)

**1997**: Mankind

74 first place votes
69 second place votes
67 third place votes

 33 10 12  219   Mankind (Cactus Jack)
 12  7  4   89   Chris Benoit
  7  8 10   79   Steve Austin
  5  2  7   45   Tommy Dreamer
  3  6  4   41   Vader
  3  5  2   34   Terry Funk
  1  6  3   29   Undertaker
  0  3  6   21   Sandman
  0  3  5   19   Diamond Dallas Page
  1  3  2   18   New Jack
  3  0  0   15   Sabu
  1  1  1   10   Bret Hart
  0  2  2   10   Steve Regal
  0  2  2   10   Fit Finley
  0  3  0    9   Roddy Piper
  1  1  0    8   Shawn Michaels
  0  2  0    6   Axl Rotten
  1  0  0    5   Sycho Sid
  1  0  0    5   Kevin Sullivan
  1  0  0    5   Kevin Nash
  1  0  0    5   Disco Inferno
  0  0  2    4   Randy Savage
  0  0  2    4   Bill Goldberg
  0  1  0    3   Ric Flair
  0  1  0    3   Raven
  0  1  0    3   Ken Shamrock
  0  1  0    3   Blackjack Bradshaw
  0  1  0    3   Bam Bam Bigelow
  0  0  1    2   Steve McMichael
  0  0  1    2   Hacksaw Jim Duggan
  0  0  1    2   Balls Mahoney

RAY DUFFY:  Mick Foley is one of the best brawlers in the world, period.
However, Fit Finley and Chris Benoit get on this list as two of the best
non-garbage style brawlers after basically kicking the crap out of each
other in the past few weeks.

DEAN !: Benoit gets this in a freakin walk.  His matches lately against
Finlay are the beginning of the Hansenesque period of the Benoit mystique.
Regal is the other GREAT brawler in North America that is in WCW but when
you put these two together, they always end up panning back  the cameras for
some reason.:)

IRIS POSTLER: I assume Cactus Jack is included?

MIKE SWEETSER:  I'm biased as hell toward Sid Vicious, so too bad. :)  He
didn't use technical skills because he didn't need them, and he won two
World titles.  Vader's a shadow of his former self and is still one of the
best, and Mankind is Mankind.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Brawler (Non-North American)

Previous Winners:

  1994: Stan Hansen
  1995: Stan Hansen
  1996: Terry Funk

**1997**: Stan Hansen

33 first place votes
25 second place votes
23 third place votes

  9  3  3   60   Stan Hansen
  6  6  2   52   Masahiro Chono
  4  1  3   29   Atsushi Onita
  4  1  2   27   Aja Kong
  2  1  6   25   Mens Teoh
  3  0  1   17   Fit Finley
  3  0  0   15   Sabu
  0  3  2   13   Wing Kanemura
  0  2  0    6   Yumiko Hotta
  0  2  0    6   Steve Williams
  0  2  0    6   Dick Togo
  1  0  0    5   Terry Gordy
  1  0  0    5   Steve Regal
  0  1  1    5   Terry Funk
  0  1  0    3   Nakamaki(?)
  0  1  0    3   Mayumi Ozaki
  0  1  0    3   Davey Boy Smith
  0  0  1    2   Sandman
  0  0  1    2   Mr. Pogo
  0  0  1    2   Gedo

DEAN !: Fit Finlay is International I guess.  There you have it.

MIKE SWEETSER: Hansen and Doc're still kicking ass after all these years.
Go fig. :) Chono's done good with his Yakuza kick so I put him here at
third.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most Favourite Wrestler

Award Description:

To be given to the wrestler you like the most, regardless of the reason.

Previous Winners:

  1991: Ric Flair
  1992: Ric Flair
  1993: Ric Flair
  1994: Ric Flair
  1995: Shawn Michaels
  1996: Stone Cold Steve Austin

**1997**: Stone Cold Steve Austin

73 first place votes
73 second place votes
69 third place votes

 10  7  5   81   Steve Austin
  9  6  3   69   Chris Benoit
  6  6  6   60   Shawn Michaels
  8  1  3   49   Bret Hart
  3  7  2   40   Rey Mysterio Jr.
  5  2  3   37   Ric Flair
  3  5  1   32   Owen Hart
  4  1  2   27   Dean Malenko
  3  2  2   25   Mankind
  1  4  4   25   Undertaker
  1  3  3   20   Rob Van Dam
  1  2  3   17   Buff Bagwell
  2  0  3   16   Eddie Guerrero
  2  1  0   13   Raven
  2  1  0   13   Disco Inferno
  1  2  1   13   Sabu
  1  2  1   13   Kevin Nash
  2  0  1   12   Chris Candido
  1  2  0   11   Sting
  0  2  2   10   Brian Pillman
  0  1  3    9   Taka Michinoku
  1  1  0    8   Syxx
  0  2  1    8   Diamond Dallas Page
  1  0  1    7   Dick Togo
  1  0  1    7   Billy Gunn
  0  2  0    6   Ultimo Dragon
  0  2  0    6   Stevie Richards
  0  2  0    6   La Parka
  0  0  3    6   Ken Shamrock
  1  0  0    5   Mike Modest
  1  0  0    5   Manami Toyota
  1  0  0    5   Jushin Liger
  1  0  0    5   Hunter Hearst Helmsley
  1  0  0    5   Giant
  0  1  1    5   Alex Wright
  0  0  2    4   Taz
  0  0  2    4   Kaoru Maeda
  0  1  0    3   Shocker
  0  1  0    3   Shane Douglas
  0  1  0    3   Megumi Kudo
  0  1  0    3   Hugh Morrus
  0  1  0    3   Brian Christopher
  0  1  0    3   Billy Kidman
  0  0  1    2   Tommy Dreamer
  0  0  1    2   Sycho Sid
  0  0  1    2   Sandman
  0  0  1    2   Mr. Aguila
  0  0  1    2   M. Wallstreet
  0  0  1    2   Jeff Jarrett
  0  0  1    2   Flash Funk
  0  0  1    2   Davey Boy Smith
  0  0  1    2   Curt Henning
  0  0  1    2   Arn Anderson

OTTO HEUER:  1st:Chris Benoit - He never has a bad match.  He could carry
Loch Ness to a good match. 2nd:Raven - I think it's just his attitude.  Been
following his career from the GWF to Scotty Flamingo to Johnny Polo to
Raven. 3rd:Rey Misterio Jr. - The guy is just amazing. Psicosis is a close
#4.

JASON ROBAR:  Chris Benoit rules the freaking earth.  Why he isn't close to
getting a title around his waist is beyond me.  Taka Michinoku has impressed
me in his appearances in ECW, EMLL and the WWF, and I look forward to all of
his matches, even when he's against a vastly inferior wrestler.  And I'm
frightened by Mr. Aguila.  He's this good and is only a teenager?  And he's
only going to get better with his EMLL exposure?  I can't to see him a
coulple of years from now!

JOSHUA HOLMES:  Chris Benoit just rules.  He's so misused, jobbing to
no-talents, and devoid of title shots, yet he manages to work incredibly
stiff, stay incredibly intense, and really kick some butt.  Benoit is great.
Ultimo and Eddy are on the list for two different reasons: Ultimo just does
it all, and does it well, and Eddie is too good a heel to pass up.

MIKE SWEETSER:  Eddy has become one of my favorites to watch this year,
thanks to his heel turn and just being a great wrestler and a fucking
asshole. :)  La Parka's strut and humor won him my heart, and Sid Vicious
has been my fav for years.

DEAN !: Dick Togo, Shocker, and KAORU are my favorites because they are all
great workers, they can fly, they are all stylish as hell, and each has one
amazing article of clothing- the Togo pirate temporary mask, the KAORU aqua
shiny outfit, and the amazing two tone Shocker reflective mask.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most Improved Wrestler

Award Description:

To be given to the wrestler who most improved himself/herself in all facets
of the sport in the past year.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Lex Luger
  1991: Ron Simmons
  1992: Steve Austin
  1993: Marcus Alexander Bagwell
  1994: Diesel
  1995: Johnny B. Badd
  1996: Wildman Marc Mero (Johnny B. Badd)

**1997**: Ken Shamrock

72 first place votes
64 second place votes
61 third place votes

 11  7  9   94   Ken Shamrock
 12  3  5   79   Buff Bagwell
  7  9  5   72   Steve McMichael
  8  7  3   67   Diamond Dallas Page
  5  3  4   42   Alex Wright
  4  2  4   34   Disco Inferno
  2  6  3   34   Undertaker
  4  1  5   33   Rocky Maivia
  2  3  4   27   Hunter Hearst Helmsley
  1  4  3   23   Mortis
  2  1  1   15   Steve Austin
  1  2  1   13   Stevie Richards
  1  1  2   12   Owen Hart
  2  0  0   10   Billy Gunn
  1  1  1   10   Chris Jericho
  0  1  3    9   D-Lo Brown
  0  2  1    8   Billy Kidman
  1  0  1    7   Eddie Guerrero
  0  2  0    6   Goldust
  1  0  0    5   Tadao Yasuda
  1  0  0    5   Super Calo
  1  0  0    5   Rob Van Dam
  1  0  0    5   Rey Mysterio Jr.
  1  0  0    5   Koji Kanemoto
  1  0  0    5   Justin Credible
  1  0  0    5   D-Von Dudley
  1  0  0    5   Chris Candido
  0  1  1    5   Felino
  0  1  0    3   Silver King
  0  1  0    3   NWO Sting
  0  1  0    3   Mosh
  0  1  0    3   Marc Mero
  0  1  0    3   Hayabusa
  0  1  0    3   Giant
  0  1  0    3   El Samurai
  0  1  0    3   Blackjack Bradshaw
  0  0  1    2   Thrasher
  0  0  1    2   Taz
  0  0  1    2   Momoe Nakanishi
  0  0  1    2   Johnny Swinger
  0  0  1    2   Hector Garza

OTTO HEUER:   1st:Steve McMichael - I hated the guy as an announcer with his
stupid little dog.  I hated his wife with her annoying voice.  But the guy
has been training and learning.  I know Terry Taylor is responsible for his
early training.  Whoever we have to thank, Mongo has improved to get to the
point where I didn't thin he could reach in ten years, let alone
one. 2nd:Alex Wright - I was impressed when he first came into WCW. Everyone
on WCW panned him, but Flair saw that this kid had a future.  I didn't think
he'd be able to get over as a heel, but he seems to have worked that into
his persona just fine.  Nice to see he's learning to sell moves for more
than five seconds, too. :-) 3rd:Chris Jericho - I never saw him pre-WCW, but
he's come a long way since his debut in WCW.

RAY DUFFY:     Most Improved Wrestler :  Buff gets the top choice.  I
thought for years all he needed was a heel turn and it paid off.  His work
is great and the character overall is fantastic.  People can rag on the
Blood Runs Cold gimmick, but Chris Canyon as Mortis is definitely a keeper,
even if he needs to be repackaged.  Stevie Richards rounds out the 3,
unfortunatley, his numberous injuries stopped him from being ranked higher.

CHRISTOPHER BIRD:  #1 goes to Buff Bagwell, who finally got a good gimmick
and complemented it with the stiffest ringwork yet in his career. #2 is Ken
Shamrock, who improved dramatically on all fronts and is surprisingly
learning a lot of flying moves that I would think wouldn't blend with his
submission style, yet he does it flawlessly. #3 is Mongo...he's still not
*amazing*, but he's progressed from a total stiff from hell into a wrestler
who can work a match kind of okay, and that's a *lot* of improvement.

JAMES FABIANO: Buff Bagwell: THIS GUY USED TO BE AN AMERICAN MALE??!!?!  I
can hardly believe it today.  He's become an entertaining heel and not too
bad of a wrestler.

TOM SERVO 30: One year ago I didn't give half a crap about Marcus
Bagwell. Now the guy can wrestle is the only wrestler in the NWO that I
actually enjoy watching. If only the rest of the NWO could follow his
example and learn to wrestle........

MIKE SWEETSER: Shamrock's gone from a UFCer to a top World title contender,
and more importantly, has crediblely done it by mixing his style with the
American style.  Mongo won the U.S. title, and Maivia's heel turn
rejuvenated him.

JOSHUA HOLMES: Shamrock, Mortis, and Rocky are all rapidly improving in the
ring, and they get better and better every week.  Shamrock and Rocky are
going to be pillars in the WWF in the near future, and Mortis is a great
young WCW heavyweight..

CHRIS QUIGLEY: Anyone who doubts Billy Gunn will be a major star in a few
years must be completly blind.  The Rockabilly angle was a setback, but as
"Bad Ass" Billy Gunn, he and Road Dog have finally generated some heat in a
boring WWF tag team division.  Learning from Road Dog, Gunn's mic skills
will get much better as well.

JOSEPH COLLINS: I don't like watching that much of WCW, but I do enjoy Steve
McMichael's performances.  Steve seems to be getting better with each match,
and the feud with Jarrett (while drawn-out) showcased his improvement, and
no doubt helped him.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most Overrated Wrestler

To be given to the wrestler who really has little talent, but has a large
place in the spotlight nonetheless. This is a measure of how undeserved a
wrestler's push is.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Hulk Hogan
  1991: Hulk Hogan
  1992: Ultimate Warrior
  1993: Hulk Hogan
  1994: Hulk Hogan
  1995: Hulk Hogan
  1996: Hulk Hogan

**1997**: Hulk Hogan

73 first place votes
70 second place votes
69 third place votes

 25  4  7  151   Hulk Hogan
  8  7  8   77   Lex Luger
  6 10  5   70   Kevin Nash
  3  7  3   42   Roddy Piper
  3  8  1   41   Jeff Jarrett
  1  5  4   28   Konnan
  4  1  2   27   Diamond Dallas Page
  3  2  2   25   Ric Flair
  2  2  1   18   Shane Douglas
  1  2  3   17   Curt Hennig
  2  0  3   16   Syxx
  0  4  2   16   Taz
  2  1  1   15   Shawn Michaels
  2  1  1   15   Bret Hart
  0  1  6   15   Scott Hall
  2  0  2   14   Undertaker
  1  3  0   14   Steve Austin
  2  0  1   12   Patriot
  1  0  3   11   Tommy Dreamer
  0  3  1   11   Sycho Sid
  2  0  0   10   Chris Jericho
  1  0  1    7   Sandman
  0  1  2    7   Randy Savage
  0  2  0    6   Road Warrior Hawk
  0  0  3    6   Vader
  1  0  0    5   Tommy Rich
  1  0  0    5   Ken Shamrock
  0  1  1    5   Ahmed Johnson
  0  0  2    4   Hunter Hearst Helmsley
  0  1  0    3   Steve Regal
  0  1  0    3   Ray Traylor
  0  1  0    3   Raven
  0  1  0    3   Giant
  0  1  0    3   Brian Christopher
  0  0  1    2   Marc Mero
  0  0  1    2   Kyoko Inoue
  0  0  1    2   Brian Pillman
  0  0  1    2   Bill Goldberg

OTTO HEUER:  1st:Jeff Jarrett - This guy should be jobbing for midcarders.
I'm not sure where he got the idea that he's a draw.  Maybe in a regional
promotion he could get a few wins over midcarders, but he's getting a far
bigger push than he deserves. 2nd:Shane Douglas - He can't wrestle.  He
can't brawl.  He has learned to interview a *little*.  Way
overrated. 3rd:Vader - I just gotta put Leon in this category every
year. :-)

RAY DUFFY:  Jeff Jarrett, boy is this guy a load.  Mongo was carrying the
matches they were in on nitro.

JASON ROBAR:  Syxx suxx.  You could see it coming through his fifty
gazillion concussions that he suffered in the WWF, but the NWO has still
been a very bad influence.  He's not very entertaining, even when paired
with superior workers.  What people see in Taz is beyond me.  He suplexes
people, and swears a lot.  I guess that's cool if you ignore the fact that
he can't put together a coherent match if his life depends on it.  And don't
even get me started on the Sandman.  Trying is one thing, but he's been
trying for 2+ years, and hasn't improved at all.

JAMES FABIANO:  Hogan and Sid are all name value and no skills, but were
nonetheless pushed to the top of their respective federations.  And I know
my fellow ECW fans will be pissed at me for saying this, but Taz is becoming
an "Extreme" Hulk Hogan.  He doesn't job, his matches have the same ending,
and he won't sell even if it would have meant putting over an angle (like
Sabu/Van Dam/Lawler vs. ECW).  Yes, he has some nice suplexes and mat moves,
but he's not so great that it excuses him from ever putting anyone else
over.

JOSHUA HOLMES:  No one gets on my nerves as much as DDP.  I can't stand to
hear about how great he is or how cool his Diamond Cutter is.  He only uses
about 5 moves, if that, and he doesn't sell all that well.  Taz sucks.  BIG
TIME.  He had his shot against Candido, and he looked slow and out of place.
Shane is a great heel, but a nothing in the ring.

MIKE SWEETSER:  Undertaker sucks, sucks, sucks.  He's been going downhill
since '91 and this latest "evil brother" crap sealed it.  Luger's been a bum
about that long too (are the WWF and WCW competing here or something? :) and
Dreamer's nothing more than foreign objects and a DDT.

DEAN !:  Steve Austin:  GREAT interview, average wrestler. 2nd:TAZ: Endless
interview, horrible wrestler. 3rd:Tommy Dreamer: Horrible Interview,
Horrible wrestler.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Wrestling Gimmick

Award Description:

To be given to the wrestler who had the best character gimmick in the past
year.

Previous Winners:

  1991: The Undertaker
  1992: The Undertaker
  1993: The Undertaker
  1994: Bob Backlund as the real WWF champ
  1995: Goldust
  1996: NWO

**1997**: Mick Foley's multiple personalities

71 first place votes
65 second place votes
62 third place votes

 18  7  6  123   Mick Foley's multiple personalities
  9 11  5   88   Stone Cold Steve Austin
  5  5  8   56   NWO
  6  5  3   51   D-generation X
  5  3  3   40   Bret Hart
  3  4  3   33   Sting
  4  1  3   29   Rob Van Dam as "Mr. Monday Night"
  4  2  1   28   BWO
  1  6  1   25   Undertaker
  2  4  1   24   Disco Inferno
  1  2  4   19   La Parka
  1  1  3   14   Buff Bagwell
  1  2  1   13   Mortis
  1  2  1   13   Kane
  2  0  1   12   Raven
  1  1  2   12   Loose Cannon Brian Pillman
  1  1  0    8   Goldust
  1  0  1    7   Shawn Michaels
  1  0  0    5   Kaientai Deluxe
  1  0  0    5   Disciples of Apocalypse
  1  0  0    5   "WAR" opening on Monday Night RAW
  1  0  0    5   "Innovator of Violance" Tommy Dreamer
  1  0  0    5   "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn
  0  0  2    4   Owen 3
  0  0  2    4   Nation of Domination
  0  1  0    3   Taz
  0  1  0    3   Stevie Richards
  0  1  0    3   Sandman
  0  1  0    3   Rockabilly
  0  1  0    3   OZ Academy
  0  1  0    3   Nitro runs late
  0  1  0    3   Billy Kidman as a Goth
  0  1  0    3   Arn Anderson's retirement
  0  0  1    2   Shane Douglas
  0  0  1    2   Queen Debra
  0  0  1    2   New Blackjacks
  0  0  1    2   Infernal Kaoru
  0  0  1    2   Demise of Four Horsemen
  0  0  1    2   Chivas Riyadas (soccer goats)
  0  0  1    2   Billy Gunn & Road Dog
  0  0  1    2   Audio Simulcast of PPV's on Web Sites
  0  0  1    2   Alex Wright
  0  0  1    2   Al Snow as a psycho
  0  0  1    2   "The Natural One" Mike Modest

MIKE SWEETSER:  Mankind?  Cactus Jack?  Dude Love?  Which one?  You gotta
love it. :)  Austin just being Stone Cold has been damn profitable for the
WWF, so it's definitely working, and the same with WCW and the NWO.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Wrestling Move

Award Description:

To be given to the move that is just the damn best thing you've seen this
past year. This should probably be a "finishing" move or something really
spectacular.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Scott Steiner's Frankensteiner
  1991: Scott Steiner's Frankensteiner
  1992: Jushin Liger's moonsault off the second ropes to floor
  1993: Big Van Vader's moonsault
  1994: Vader's moonsault
  1995: Hakushi's Space Flying Tiger Drop
  1996: Wildman Marc Mero's Wild Thing shooting star press

**1997**: Bret Hart's figure four leglock around the ringpost

75 first place votes
72 second place votes
66 third place votes

  8  4  5   62   Bret Hart's figure four leglock around the ringpost
  7  5  5   60   Diamond Dallas Page's Diamond Cutter neckbreaker
  7  5  0   50   Rey Mysterio Jr.'s springboard huracanrana
  6  5  1   47   Taka Michinoku's Michinoku Driver powerbomb
  7  1  3   44   Buff Bagwell's Blockbuster top rope somersault neckbreaker
  2  7  5   41   Steve Austin's Stone Cold Stunner neckbreaker
  5  2  0   31   Taka Michinoku's reverse springboard moonsault from the top rope to the floor
  4  1  3   29   Shawn Michaels' fall from cage into announcers' table
  3  2  4   29   Eliminators' Total Elimination combination
  3  2  0   21   Billy Kidman's Shooting Star Press
  3  0  2   19   Rey Mysterio Jr.'s somersault plancha into headscissors
  1  4  1   19   Undertaker's no-hands tope
  0  4  1   14   Rob Van Dam's split leg moonsault
  0  3  2   13   Hugh Morrus' No Laughing Matter moonsault
  1  2  0   11   Marc Mero's TKO fireman's carry into neckbreaker
  1  0  3   11   Huracanrana(Who?)
  2  0  0   10   Scott Hall's Outsider Edge crucifix powerbomb
  2  0  0   10   Sabu's triple jump moonsault
  1  1  1   10   Rey Mysterio Jr.'s springboard somersault DDT
  0  2  2   10   Dean Malenko's Texas Cloverleaf leglock
  1  0  2    9   Bret Hart's Sharpshooter leglock
  1  1  0    8   Shawn Michaels' Sweet Chin Music superkick
  1  1  0    8   Mortis' Flatliner
  0  2  1    8   Koji Kanemoto's reverse top rope Frankensteiner
  0  1  2    7   Hector Garza's corkscrew plancha
  0  0  3    6   Syxx' bronco ride in the corner
  0  0  3    6   Chris Candido's Blond Bombshell top rope powerbomb
  1  0  0    5   Vader's Moonsault
  1  0  0    5   Top Rope Huracanrana(Who?)
  1  0  0    5   Taka Michinoku's springboard plancha
  1  0  0    5   Sting's Scorpian Death Drop
  1  0  0    5   Shooting Star Press(Who?)
  1  0  0    5   New Jack's suicide dive off of the entrance way to the ECW Arena
  1  0  0    5   Kudo Driver
  1  0  0    5   Justin Bradshaw's Lariat
  1  0  0    5   Eddie Guerrero's frog splash
  1  0  0    5   Akira Hokuto's Reverse Exploder Suplex
  0  1  1    5   KAORU's Excaliber
  0  1  1    5   Dude Love's Sweet Shin Music kick
  0  0  2    4   Ric Flair's figure four leglock
  0  1  0    3   Taz' Tazplex suplex
  0  1  0    3   Syxx's Buzzkiller crossface
  0  1  0    3   Superkick(Who?)
  0  1  0    3   Shocker's vertical tope
  0  1  0    3   Rick Steiner's bulldog
  0  1  0    3   Ken Shamrock's huracanrana
  0  1  0    3   Ken Shamrock's belly-to-belly suplex
  0  1  0    3   John Kronus's 450 Splash
  0  1  0    3   Japanese Cyclone Suplex(Who?)
  0  1  0    3   Giant's chokeslam
  0  1  0    3   Double Suplex(Who?)
  0  1  0    3   Disco Inferno's Indian leglock
  0  1  0    3   Curt Hennig's Hennigplex fisherman suplex
  0  1  0    3   Chris Jericho's top-rope Frankenstiener
  0  1  0    3   Aguila's space flying tiger drop
  0  0  1    2   Taz' Tazmission
  0  0  1    2   Takaiwa's Death Valley Driver off the top rope.
  0  0  1    2   Shawn Michaels' elbow from the apron to a table
  0  0  1    2   Owen Hart's piledriver
  0  0  1    2   Marc Mero's Wild Thing Shooting Star Press
  0  0  1    2   Juventud Guerrera's Air Juvi plancha
  0  0  1    2   Jushin Liger's Palm Blow
  0  0  1    2   Jushin Liger's Liger Bomb running powerbomb
  0  0  1    2   Great Sasuke's no hands somersault plancha
  0  0  1    2   Dudleys' Dudley Death Drop
  0  0  1    2   Death Valley Bomb
  0  0  1    2   Chyna's huracanrana
  0  0  1    2   Chris Benoit's diving headbutt

JAMES KALYN:  Bret's ringpost figure-four got a better reaction than any
move from the fans in the bar where I saw Wrestlemania.  It looks painful,
it's still kinda new, and it can be done to anyone.

IRIS POSTLER:  Did I mention that I'm a huge Bret Hart fan?

MIKE SWEETSER:  The Stunner's been a move to mark for, esp. after he laid
out McMahon with it. :)  Total Elimination just whips major ass, and the
Buff Blockbuster is a great new move and Bagwell's doing good with it.

JOSEPH COLLINS: Bret's figure-four around the ringpost has been one of the
neatest moves executed by Bret since his WWF return.  Shamrock's belly to
belly is one of the more crisply executed moves in the business.  And the
Total Elimination takes a sense of timing & accuracy so that the moves comes
off looking (and landing) properly.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Match

Award Description:

To be given to the best wrestling match you've seen this year, either live,
on TV, PPV, or in an arena, or on tape. If it took place in the past year,
it is eligible. In 1994, this award was split into three: North American,
Non-North American, and overall.  In 1997, due to lack of participation on
both the NA and non-NA sides, it was recombined.

Previous Winners:

  1990: 04/22/90: Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart vs. Marty Janetty & Shawn
                  Michaels (SNME)
  1991: 03/21/91: Steiners vs. Kensuke Sasaki & Hiroshi Hase (Tokyo, aired
                  on taped PPV)
  1992: 01/18/92: Royal Rumble (Royal Rumble)
  1993: 10/24/93: Cactus Jack vs. Big Van Vader (Halloween Havoc)
  1994: (overall/NA) 03/20/94: Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (WrestleMania)
  1994: (non-NA)     04/16/94: Chris Benoit vs. Great Sasuke (Super J Cup)
  1995: (overall/NA) 08/27/95: Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (SummerSlam)
  1995: (non-NA)     11/20/94: Aja Kong vs. Manami Toyota (AJW V*TOP Tourney)
  1996: (overall/NA) 03/31/96: Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania)
  1996: (non-NA)     03/17/96: Jushin Liger vs. Shinjiro Otani

**1997**: 10/05/97: Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker (Hell in the Cell cage)

67 first place votes
60 second place votes
57 third place votes

 25 10  7  169   10/05/97 Shawn Michaels v. Undertaker (Hell in the Cell)
 10 11  5   93   03/23/97 Bret Hart v. Steve Austin (submission match)
  6  8  1   56   10/26/97 Eddie Guerrero v. Rey Mysterio Jr.
  3  2  6   33   09/22/97 Hunter Hearst Helmsley v. Cactus Jack (falls count anywhere)
  0  7  5   31   02/26/97 Davey Boy Smith v. Owen Hart (Euro final)
  2  2  3   22   04/13/97 Great Sasuke & Gran Hamada & Masato Yakushiji v. Taka Michinoku & Dick Togo & Terry Boy
  2  2  1   18   02/23/97 Konnan & La Parka & Villano IV v. Juventud Guerrera & Super Calo & Ciclope
  3  0  0   15   01/20/97 Kenta Kobashi v. Mitsuharu Misawa
  1  2  2   15   11/17/96 Bret Hart v. Steve Austin
  1  1  2   12   11/  /96 Eliminators v. Sabu & Rob Van Dam
  1  1  2   12   08/11/97 Shawn Michaels v. Mankind
  2  0  0   10   06/  /97 El Samurai v. Koji Kanemoto
  1  1  1   10   10/13/97 Rey Mysterio Jr. v. Dean Malenko
  1  1  1   10   02/16/97 Bret Hart v. Steve Austin v. Vader v. Undertaker (Final Four)
  1  0  2    9   07/06/97 Hart Foundation v. Steve Austin & Goldust & Ken Shamrock & Legion of Doom
  1  1  0    8   08/09/97 Terry Funk v. Sabu (barbed wire)
  1  1  0    8   04/  /97 El Dandy & Shocker & Mascara Magica & Brazo de Oro & Fiera & Ultimo Dragon & Negro Casas & Atlantis v. Hijo del Santo & Scorpio Jr. & Kevin Quinn & Felino & Black Warrior & Dr. Wagner Jr. & Silver King & Satanico
  1  0  1    7   08/04/97 Hulk Hogan v. Lex Luger
  1  0  1    7   04/13/97 Sabu v. Taz
  0  1  2    7   08/03/97 Steve Austin v. Owen Hart
  0  1  2    7   06/08/97 Steve Austin v. Shawn Michaels
  1  0  0    5            Raven v. Dreamer (final meeting)
  1  0  0    5            Mike Modest v. Robert Thompson
  1  0  0    5   09/14/97 Eddy Guerrero v. Chris Jericho
  1  0  0    5   08/11/97 Aja Kong & Kyoko Inoue v. Etsuko Mita & Mima Shimoda
  0  0  2    4   06/08/97 Hunter Hearst Helmsley v. Mankind
  0  1  0    3            Terry Funk v. Bret Hart (Funk retirement match)
  0  1  0    3            EMLL 16-man Cibernetico match
  0  1  0    3            Chris Jericho v. Nick Patrick
  0  1  0    3            Chris Benoit v. Kevin Sullivan (falls count anywhere)
  0  1  0    3   10/  /97 Chris Candido v. Lance Storm - ECW Arena
  0  1  0    3   08/31/97 Manami Toyota v. Aja Kong
  0  1  0    3   08/03/97 Bret Hart v. Undertaker
  0  0  1    2            Sabu v. Flash Funk (RAW)
  0  0  1    2            New Japan KDX v. Seikengun Ten-man at Osaka Dome
  0  0  1    2            Eliminators v. Rob Van Dam & Sabu (Cyberslam)
  0  0  1    2   11/24/96 Ultimate Dragon v. Rey Mysterio Jr
  0  0  1    2   08/02/97 Sabu v. Terry Funk (barbed wire)
  0  0  1    2   07/13/97 Lizmark Jr. & Hector Garza & Juventud Guerrera v. La Parka & Psychosis & Villano IV
  0  0  1    2   07/06/97 Hunter Hearst Helmsley v. Mankind
  0  0  1    2   06/29/97 Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada v. Etsuko Mita & Mima Shimoda
  0  0  1    2   04/  /97 Legion of Doom v. Godwinns (Shotgun Saturday Night)
  0  0  1    2   02/23/97 Randy Savage v. Diamond Dallas Page
REJECTED - out of range
  0  1  0        11/09/97 Shawn Michaels v. Bret Hart
  0  0  1        08/18/96 Undertaker v. Mankind (Boiler Room Brawl)

CHRISTOPHER ROBIN ZIMMERMAN:  Everyone loves the submission match, but Bret
Hart's return to the WWF started with a BETTER match with Steve Austin at
the '96 Survivor Series.  Alas, we've all forgotten how great that match was
- along with the superb call of Ross and McMahon (yes, that's right).  And I
think it was the SuperBrawl trios match that proved once and for all that
American fans COULD enjoy a Lucha-style match on an American TV show - even
if Ciclope was in it.  (Even better, I got to see it live at the Cow Palace!)

RICK SCAIA:   Anybody who votes anything other than the Hell in the Cell
match between Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker as Match of the Year gets my
vote for Clueless Putz of the Year.  No other match in a LONG time (much
less during the last 12 months) has combined such incredible work, with such
high drama, and tossed in PPV main event status to boot.

LOKI:   Hell in the Cell (Shawn Michaels versus the Undertaker) was in my
opinion the best match of the year.  I enjoyed the innovation of leaving the
cell and continuing the match on the roof.  When the Undertaker had Michaels
above his head on the roof of that cage, the shear thought of tossing him
off was thrilling.  Then the eventual fall of Michaels off the cage and
through the table was great.  Anyone who was willing to do this in a match
is truely awesome.  The blood that dripped down Michaels, that left stitches
the next night gave the feeling that both wanted to win the match really
bad.  Although some would argue Kane's arrival ruined the match, I would say
it added to the match. What a way to debut, tearing the door off the cage
and then going in to confront and beat up the Undertaker.

TOM SERVO 30:  I had to vote for the fabulous 8 man lucha match from EMLL
(even though it was hell trying to write that up on the ballot). Anyone who
has any interest in Lucha Libre, I encourage you to find a tape of this
match.

IRIS POSTLER:  I was astonished that neiter Bulldog nor Owen cheated in that
match (well, Owen a little bit). I also liked Owen's speech afterwards. And,
of course, the match happened in Germany :)

JOSHUA HOLMES:  Misawa/Kobashi went 42 mintues, only 25 or so that was put
on TV.  It was still one of the greatest matches I had ever seen, and it
make me a AJPW fan for life.  What incredible build-up.  Eddy/Rey showed the
world what luchadores do with TIME TO WRESTLE.  Geez, Bischoff, take a hint.
DBS/Owen was simply fantastic.

MIKE SWEETSER:  Notice something about my picks?  The first two involve Eddy
Guerrero.  There's a REASON for that. :)  I've waited all year to vote for
Davey Boy vs. Owen, and I finally get my chance.  Woohoo!

JOSEPH COLLINS: Bret & Austin's WrestleMania bout featured the perfect mix
of intense brawling, scientific wrestling, crazy bumps, and scripted drama
unlike any other bout this year. The heat & fan response was incredible, and
it was the performance that saved WrestleMania XIII (which until that match
had looked like a bad In Your House).  Davey Boy & Owen had the best match
of the Monday Night Wars to date, and could have headlined a ppv with this
bout.  The Shawn/Steve matchup at KotR was just good wrestling (but a bad
ending).

DEAN !: El Samurai vs Koji Kanemoto is the embodimentof why I love
professional wrestling- heat, stiffness, intensity, grit, courage, drama,
surliness, stoicism. The EMLL 16-man Cibernetico match was the embodiment of
all that is good in Lucha Libre- grace, beauty, tradition, speed, drama,
emotion, intensity.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Feud

Award Description:

To be given to the feud that gave us the most heated and best wrestling
match(es) of the year. In 1994, this award was split into two: North
American and Non-North American.  In 1996, due to lack of participation on
the non-NA side, it was recombined.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Doom: Ron Simmons & Butch Reed vs. Horsemen: Arn Anderson & Barry
        Windham
  1991: Doom: Ron Simmons & Butch Reed vs. Steiners
  1992: Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage
  1993: Big Van Vader vs. Cactus Jack
  1994: (NA)     Cactus Jack & partner vs. Nasty Boys
  1994: (non-NA) All Japan Women vs. JWP (& other outside women)
  1995: (NA)     Dean Malenko vs. Eddy Guerrero
  1995: (non-NA) Aja Kong vs. Manami Toyota
  1996: NWO vs. WCW

**1997**: Bret Hart / Hart Foundation vs. Steve Austin

72 first place votes
70 second place votes
61 third place votes

 18  7  4  119   Bret Hart (Hart Foundation) v. Steve Austin
 13  9  5  102   Bret Hart v. Shawn Michaels
  5  8  5   59   Diamond Dallas Page v. Randy Savage
  3  7  7   50   Hunter Hearst Helmsley v. Mankind
  2  6  7   42   Steve Austin v. Owen Hart
  6  1  4   41   Sabu v. Taz
  2  5  3   31   Shawn Michaels v. Undertaker
  3  3  2   28   Sting v. NWO
  3  3  2   28   Jerry Lawler v. Tommy Dreamer
  3  2  1   23   KDX v. Seikengun
  2  2  3   22   WCW v. NWO
  2  2  3   22   Brian Pillman v. Goldust
  3  0  3   21   Chris Benoit v. Kevin Sullivan
  2  0  0   10   Tommy Dreamer v. Raven
  1  1  1   10   WWF v. WCW
  1  1  1   10   Hijo de Santo v. Casas Brothers
  0  2  2   10   Eddie Guerrero v. Rey Mysterio Jr.
  1  0  1    7   Disco Inferno v. Alex Wright
  1  0  0    5   Vince McMahon v. Bret Hart
  1  0  0    5   Mima Shimoda & Etsuko Mita v. U-Tops
  0  1  1    5   Sabu & Rob Van Dam v. Eliminators
  0  1  1    5   Ric Flair v. Syxx
  0  1  1    5   Eliminators v. Dudley Boys
  0  1  0    3   Undertaker v. Kane
  0  1  0    3   Ric Flair v. Curt Hennig
  0  1  0    3   OZ Academy v. GAEA
  0  1  0    3   Jeff Jarrett v. Steve McMichael
  0  1  0    3   Horsemen v. NWO
  0  1  0    3   Eliminators v. Gangstas
  0  1  0    3   Canada v. United States
  0  1  0    3   Brian Christopher v. Taka Michinoku
  0  0  1    2   Tommy Dreamer v. Rob Van Dam
  0  0  1    2   Rey Mysterio Jr. v. Konnan
  0  0  1    2   Jim Cornette v. Phil Mushnick
  0  0  1    2   ECW v. WWF

MIKE SWEETSER:  Austin vs. Harts has had some cheap heat, but face it, heat
is good these days.  DDP vs. Savage has had some fine matches, and Eddy
vs. Rey has been loads of fun, esp. with Eddy in a mask and stealing
Rey's. :)

ROB MAURINO:  Best Feud is Hart vs. Austin.  Their classic match and double
turn at  Wrestlemania made both Austin and Hart renegade heroes in the
U.S. and Canada respectively.  2nd best goes to Sting vs. NWO .  I don't say
WCW vs. NWO because Sting is the only one who does any damage.  Third place
goes to Lawler & co. vs. ECW.  It was fun to see Lawler in a hot feud again,
even though it didn't last too long.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst Wrestler

Award Description:

To be given to the name athlete who was the worst overall wrestler in the
past year. Minimal technical ability, lousy interviews, non-existent
workrate, and the charisma of a rock should describe this person.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Junkyard Dog
  1991: Andre The Giant
  1992: Nailz
  1993: Giant Gonzalez
  1994: Hulk Hogan
  1995: Hulk Hogan
  1996: Hulk Hogan

**1997**: Hulk Hogan

72 first place votes
69 second place votes
65 third place votes

 23  9  4  150   Hulk Hogan
  5  7  4   54   Jim Duggan
  5  4  8   53   Lex Luger
  3  5  7   44   Sycho Sid
  5  4  1   39   Roddy Piper
  4  5  1   37   Dennis Rodman
  2  4  6   34   Ray Traylor
  2  5  4   33   Ahmed Johnson
  2  4  1   24   Glacier
  3  1  2   22   Jeff Jarrett
  2  3  1   21   Kevin Nash
  2  0  2   14   Steve McMichael
  2  0  1   12   Jim Neidhart
  2  0  0   10   Sting
  2  0  0   10   M. Wallstreet
  0  1  3    9   Alex Wright
  1  1  0    8   Reggie White
  1  0  1    7   Vincent
  1  0  1    7   Tommy Dreamer
  1  0  1    7   Syxx
  1  0  1    7   Kane
  0  2  0    6   Rocky Maivia
  0  2  0    6   Randy Savage
  0  2  0    6   Phineas Godwinn
  0  2  0    6   Executioner
  0  2  0    6   Ernest Miller
  1  0  0    5   Sunny(Not a wrestler)
  1  0  0    5   Steve Austin
  1  0  0    5   Billy Kidman
  0  1  1    5   Taz
  0  1  1    5   Sandman
  0  0  2    4   Meng
  0  0  2    4   Giant
  0  1  0    3   Undertaker
  0  1  0    3   Road Block
  0  1  0    3   Raven
  0  1  0    3   Jinsei Shinzaki
  0  0  1    2   Super Calo
  0  0  1    2   Steven Regal
  0  0  1    2   Marcus Alexander Bagwell
  0  0  1    2   Marc Mero
  0  0  1    2   Konan
  0  0  1    2   Jesse Jammes
  0  0  1    2   Hunter Hearst Helmsley
  0  0  1    2   Henry Godwinn
  0  0  1    2   Diamond Dallas Page
  0  0  1    2   Crush

RAY DUFFY:  Worst Wrestler :  M. Wallstreet.  As bad as hogan is, nobody
sucks the life out of a match like M. Wallstreet.

JAMES FABIANO:  Again, Hogan and Piper are living on name value and fan heat
only, and not much else.  Ahmed rounds out the threesome for injuring other
wrestlers and getting injured himself too often.

MIKE SWEETSER:  GOD, I hate Duggan.  Will he PLEASE go away?  UT and Dreamer
are themselves, meaning horrible.

CHRISTOPHER BIRD:  Is there *anybody* ruining the sport more than Kevin
Nash?  He's responsible for ruining the tag team division in WCW for an
entire year, has a monster ego, won't job to anybody, and on top of all that
his ringwork has gotten so bad it's scary. Hogan is a close #2, but if you
count them up he's wrestled more actual *minutes* than Nash, which says
something. #3 is Ray Traylor, who just makes me ill to look at the sad
remains of what was once the Big Boss Man.

TOM SERVO 30:  There were many wrestlers that I really wanted to vote for,
but there were some people that I absolutely had to vote for. Dennis Rodman,
Ernest Miller and Ray Traylor have been hell to watch this year, so they got
my votes, but I'll give Hulk Hogan, The Outsiders, The Steiner Brothers and
Glacier honorable mentions. You guys deserve it.

DEAN !: Jeff Jarrett and Shinzaki are one and two because they have ability
but are too stinking lazy to try at all, so my contemp is bigger.  TAZ sucks
because he works his dangerous little style which forces real wrestlers to
take big bumps for him, but he's too banged up to risk taking a bump
himself.  How do people miss the irony of this sack of shit?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst Tag Team

Award Description:

To be given to the name tag team who were the worst overall wrestlers in the
past year. Minimal technical ability, lousy interviews, non-existent
workrate, the charisma of a rock, and lousy team moves should describe this
pair.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Rhythm & Blues: Greg Valentine & Honky Tonk Man
  1991: The Patriots: Todd Champion & Firebreaker Chip
  1992: Bushwhackers: Luke Williams & Butch Miller
  1993: The Colossal Kongs: Awesome Kong & King Kong
  1994: Bushwhackers: Luke Williams & Butch Miller
  1995: Tekno Team 2000: Travis & Troy
  1996: Godwinns: Henry O. & Phineas I.

**1997**: Godwinns: Henry O. & Phineas I.

73 first place votes
67 second place votes
64 third place votes

 27 10  7  179   Godwinns - Henry O. & Phineas I.
  7  5  3   56   Outsiders - Scott Hall & Kevin Nash
  4  9  4   55   Glacier & Ernest Miller
  6  4  5   52   Los Boricuas - Savio Vega & Miguel Perez & Jose Estrada & Jesus Castillo
  4  4  8   48   Legion of Doom - Road Warrior Hawk & Road Warrior Animal
  6  3  4   47   Steiner Brothers - Rick & Scott
  3  7  0   36   Truth Commission - Jackyl & Sniper & Recon & Rambo & Interrogator
  2  4  6   34   Disciples of Apocalypse - Crush & Chainz & 8-Ball & Skull
  2  2  5   26   Faces of Fear - Meng & Barbarian
  2  2  2   20   American Males - Marcus Bagwell & Scotty Riggs
  1  3  2   18   Public Enemy - Flyboy Rocco Rock & Johnny Grunge
  2  0  2   14   High Voltage - Rage & Kaos
  1  1  2   12   Nasty Boys - Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags
  1  2  0   11   Harlem Heat - Booker T. & Stevie Ray
  0  3  1   11   Flying Nunns (Sisters of Love) - Sister Angelica & Mother Smucker
  0  2  1    8   Dudley Boys - Buh Buh Ray & D-Von
  0  0  3    6   Full Blooded Italians -
  1  0  0    5   Steve Austin & Shawn Michaels
  1  0  0    5   Southern Posse -
  1  0  0    5   Power Company -
  1  0  0    5   Extreme - Devon Storm & Ace Darling
  1  0  0    5   Armstrong Brothers - Brad & Brian
  0  1  1    5   Texas Hangmen - #1 & #2
  0  1  1    5   Horsemen - Steve McMichael & Jeff Jarrett
  0  1  1    5   Billy Gunn & Jesse Jammes
  0  0  2    4   Blackjacks - Barry Windham & Justin Bradshaw
  0  1  0    3   Vicious & Delicious - Scott Norton & Buff Bagwell
  0  1  0    3   Steve Austin & Dude Love
  0  1  0    3   Bushwackers - Luke & Butch
  0  0  1    2   Villanos - IV & V
  0  0  1    2   Mortis & Wrath
  0  0  1    2   Jim Neidhart & Brian Pillman
  0  0  1    2   Hardy Boys - Matt & Jeff

CHRISTOPHER BIRD:  Again, the Outsiders have ruined tag wrestling in WCW for
the entire year; thanks to them, every other tag team in WCW had to settle
for either pointless "#1 contender" feuds (or, occasionally, they got to job
to the Outsiders, whoopee). They couldn't even *lose* the belts cleanly
(Syxx subbed for Nash). The Steiners are so horrid it's scary.  Please,
Scott, Rick...give it up. Finally, we have Glacier and Miller, who can kick
a whole lot, and that's about it. And for all those who voted for the
Godwinns...hey, at least they work every week, are willing to job, and bust
their ass in the ring.

MIKE SWEETSER:  Public Enemy have gone to hell, do not pass GO, do not go to
da pay windah.  Same with the LOD.  Faces of Fear are the king and prince of
noselling.

DEAN !:  Steiners and LoD are lousy and contempible.  The Dudleys are a
distant third because they just suck. They don't make me violently ill.

JOSHUA HOLMES:  The #1 (LOD) and #2 (Steiners) worst tag teams are current
Big Two Champions.  #3 held the WCW belts for most of the year.  Ame
rican Tag Wrestling is pretty much dead.

JAMES FABIANO:  The fact that the Godwinns are only NUMBER THREE should
scare the bejesus out of you.  They still suck, but somehow I found them
easier to swallow as heels.  No, the #1 and #2 spot goes to members of the
WWF No-Personality Brigade, the Truth Commission and D.O.A. (in their
various combinations) to be exact.  Not only are they all lousy wrestlers,
but they have little or no character at all, having had barely any mic time.
(I believe we have only heard Crush and Jackal talk)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst Heel

Award Description:

To be given to the person whose casting as a bad guy just didn't work well.
Maybe there was just no heel heat drawn or maybe the fans actually cheered
this person, but for whatever reason the heel image just didn't get over.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Rick Martel
  1991: The Mountie Jacques Rougeau
  1992: Razor Ramon
  1993: Giant Gonzalez
  1994: Bastion Booger
  1995: Zodiac (The Butcher/Brutus Beefcake)
  1996: Hulk Hogan

**1997**: Ahmed Johnson

71 first place votes
66 second place votes
63 third place votes

 12  3  5   79   Ahmed Johnson
  6  9  6   69   Rockabilly
 11  2  1   63   Hulk Hogan
  5  4  2   41   Jeff Jarrett
  4  4  3   38   Eric Bischoff
  3  6  2   37   Vincent
  3  2  4   29   Rocky Maivia
  4  0  2   24   Godwinns
  3  1  2   22   Davey Boy Smith
  2  2  3   22   Kevin Nash
  2  2  3   22   Bret Hart
  1  5  1   22   Alex Wright
  3  2  0   21   Steve Austin
  2  2  2   20   Syxx
  2  1  3   19   Savio Vega
  0  2  4   14   Nick Patrick
  0  2  3   12   Jesse Jammes
  0  1  3    9   Steve McMichael
  1  1  0    8   Meng
  1  0  1    7   Buff Bagwell
  0  1  2    7   Scott Hall
  0  2  0    6   Vader
  0  2  0    6   Kidman
  1  0  0    5   Uncle Cletus
  1  0  0    5   Truth Comission
  1  0  0    5   Tiger Ali Singh
  1  0  0    5   Sultan
  1  0  0    5   Scott Norton
  1  0  0    5   Jerry Lawler
  0  1  1    5   Jose Estrada Jr.
  0  1  1    5   Curt Hennig
  0  0  2    4   M. Wallstreet
  0  1  0    3   Ric Flair
  0  1  0    3   Randy Savage
  0  1  0    3   Marc Mero
  0  1  0    3   Jim Ross
  0  1  0    3   Giant
  0  1  0    3   Doug Furnas & Phil LaFon
  0  1  0    3   Brian Christopher
  0  1  0    3   Billy Kidman
  0  1  0    3   Big Bubba Rogers
  0  0  1    2   Shawn Michaels
  0  0  1    2   Razor Ramon II
  0  0  1    2   Los Boricuas
  0  0  1    2   Konnan
  0  0  1    2   Jesus Castillo Jr.
  0  0  1    2   Hunter Hearst Helmsley
  0  0  1    2   David Talyor

RAY DUFFY: Hogan's b-movie acting wrecks taking him serious at all when he
now does his tired heel schtick every week.  Rockabilly was just a bad bad
gimmick idea.  And was there a point to turning Ahmed?

IRIS POSTLER:  Ahmed Johnson joining the Nation? I never could understand
it...

JAMES KALYN:  It says a lot about how bad the tag scene is when all three of
my votes for worst heel are tag teams.  There needs to be something to make
fans care, and these guys just can't do it.  Furnas & LaFon are great in the
ring, but have zero personality, so making them heels was a horrible choice;
heels need more personality than faces, IMHO.

JAMES FABIANO:  One of the "highlights" of my trip to A.C. for RAW was
seeing Tiger Ali Singh wrestle some jobber to choruses of "boring".  Even
doing the "I'm part Canadian" gimmick afterwards couldn't get him over.

MIKE SWEETSER:  There's a difference between legit heel heat and booing
because you just want the guy to go away.  Jeff Jarrett exemplified the
latter in WCW.  Bret would've been a good heel, but they still cheered him
in Canada.  Bret, to be a heel, you gotta be a heel everywhere, not just the
U.S. :)  Bischoff is more annoying than good.

JOSEPH COLLINS:  Does Eric Bischoff have to interject himself in everything?
He is obnoxious & annoying, and spends his time in front of the camera to
what he does off camera (kiss Hulk Hogan's ass).  Bischoff needs to get a
life and get off my TV.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst Babyface

Award Description:

To be given to the person whose casting as a good guy just didn't work well.
Maybe there was just no face heat drawn or maybe the fans actually booed
this person, but for whatever reason the face image just didn't get over.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Dusty Rhodes
  1991: P.N. News
  1992: Sid Justice
  1993: Lex Luger
  1994: Hulk Hogan
  1995: Hulk Hogan
  1996: John Tenta

**1997**: Rocky Maivia

71 first place votes
64 second place votes
60 third place votes

 13  6  4   91   Rocky Maivia
  5 10  8   71   Ray Traylor
  8  3  8   65   Jeff Jarrett
  5  6  0   43   Vader
  4  3  7   43   Glacier
  5  1  2   32   Steve Austin
  4  2  3   32   Jesse Jammes
  3  3  3   30   Shawn Michaels
  4  3  0   29   Dude Love
  3  4  0   27   Jim Duggan
  2  3  3   25   Lex Luger
  3  3  0   24   Patriot
  1  2  2   15   Disco Inferno
  0  3  1   11   Eddie Guerrero
  2  0  0   10   Ric Flair
  2  0  0   10   Diamond Dallas Page
  1  1  1   10   Ahmed Johnson
  0  0  5   10   Chris Jericho
  1  0  2    9   Taz
  1  0  2    9   Freddie Joe Floyd
  1  1  0    8   Scotty Riggs
  1  0  1    7   Giant
  0  1  2    7   Goldust
  0  2  0    6   Sting
  1  0  0    5   Juventud Guerrera
  1  0  0    5   Alex Wright
  0  1  1    5   Tommy Dreamer
  0  1  1    5   Larry Zbyszko
  0  1  0    3   Sandman
  0  1  0    3   Randy Anderson
  0  1  0    3   Kyoko Inoue
  0  1  0    3   Crush
  0  1  0    3   Bart Gunn
  0  0  1    2   Scott Steiner
  0  0  1    2   Marc Mero
  0  0  1    2   Brian Pillman
  0  0  1    2   Beulah

IRIS POSTLER:  Steve Austin a face? Ok., the fans cheer for him.

MIKE SWEETSER:  When you're a top face, with the #2 belt in the fed, and
they're BOOING YOU TO HELL, something's not working.  Duggan and Traylor
just blow completely.

JAMES FABIANO:  Would Rocky Maivia ever make a good wrestler and a babyface?
After the WWF shoved him down our throats, we may never care to find out.
Goldust in my  opinion is much better as a heel gimmick.  Other than during
the Pillman feud, he drew no heat.  And Chris Jericho has been made into an
80's pretty boy  babyface, which is a shame because it detracts from the
fact that he's a good  wrestler.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst Worker

Award Description:

To be given to the name wrestler whose workrate is so low it's barely
measureable.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Junkyard Dog
  1991: Andre The Giant
  1992: Nailz
  1993: Giant Gonzalez
  1994: Hulk Hogan
  1995: Hulk Hogan
  1996: Hulk Hogan

**1997**: Hulk Hogan

71 first place votes
68 second place votes
64 third place votes

 31 12  4  199   Hulk Hogan
  6  8  7   68   Roddy Piper
  5  8  8   65   Lex Luger
  6  9  1   59   Kevin Nash
  5  4  4   45   Sycho Sid
  3  4  3   33   Jim Duggan
  2  2  7   30   Ahmed Johnson
  2  2  3   22   Sting
  1  2  4   19   Jim Neidhart
  0  3  5   19   Scott Hall
  1  2  1   13   Giant
  1  1  0    8   Ray Traylor
  1  0  1    7   Steve McMichael
  1  0  1    7   Jeff Jarrett
  1  0  1    7   Curt Hennig
  0  1  2    7   Crush
  0  2  0    6   Steve Regal
  1  0  0    5   Vader
  1  0  0    5   Marc Mero
  1  0  0    5   M. Wallstreet
  1  0  0    5   Interrogator
  1  0  0    5   Henry Godwinn
  0  1  0    3   Sandman
  0  1  0    3   Randy Savage
  0  1  0    3   Nailz
  0  1  0    3   Lugar
  0  1  0    3   Jinsei Shinzaki
  0  1  0    3   Glacier
  0  1  0    3   Faarooq
  0  1  0    3   Bill Goldberg
  0  0  1    2   Vincent
  0  0  1    2   Undertaker
  0  0  1    2   Tommy Dreamer
  0  0  1    2   Tiger Ali Singh
  0  0  1    2   Taz
  0  0  1    2   Renegade
  0  0  1    2   Reggie White
  0  0  1    2   Konnan
  0  0  1    2   Kane
  0  0  1    2   Hunter Hearst Helmsly
  0  0  1    2   Disco Inferno
REJECTED
  0  0  1        Either Godwinn

MIKE SWEETSER: Thanks for coming back, Duggan, I found someone to vote for.
Neidhart's one of my favs, but he still can't work, and Piper doesn't
deserve to be in five main events.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Least Favourite Wrestler

Award Description:

To be given to the wrestler you like the least, regardless of the reason.

Previous Winners:

  1991: Hulk Hogan
  1992: Hulk Hogan
  1993: Hulk Hogan
  1994: Hulk Hogan
  1995: Hulk Hogan
  1996: Hulk Hogan

**1997**: Hulk Hogan

73 first place votes
67 second place votes
65 third place votes

 22  7  4  139   Hulk Hogan
  7  6  5   63   Jeff Jarrett
  7  1  2   42   Lex Luger
  2  5  4   33   Duggan
  3  3  4   32   Syxx
  2  5  3   31   Jim Duggan
  3  3  3   30   Kevin Nash
  4  1  2   27   Shawn Michaels
  2  4  2   26   Scott Hall
  2  2  3   22   Roddy Piper
  3  1  1   20   Sycho Sid
  0  3  3   15   Faarooq
  0  4  1   14   Rocky Maivia
  2  1  0   13   Dude Love
  2  1  0   13   Bret Hart
  0  3  2   13   Alex Wright
  2  0  1   12   Henry Godwinn
  1  1  2   12   Konnan
  1  2  0   11   Phineas Godwinn
  0  3  1   11   Curt Hennig
  1  1  1   10   Glacier
  0  3  0    9   Ray Traylor
  1  1  0    8   Hunter Hearst Helmsley
  1  1  0    8   Bill Goldberg
  1  0  1    7   Steve Regal
  0  1  2    7   Taz
  0  2  0    6   Crush
  0  0  3    6   Billy Gunn
  1  0  0    5   Truth Comission
  1  0  0    5   Sting
  1  0  0    5   Sandman
  1  0  0    5   Patriot
  1  0  0    5   Jim Neidhart
  1  0  0    5   Goldust
  0  1  1    5   Steve McMichael
  0  1  0    3   Vince McMahon
  0  1  0    3   Undertaker
  0  1  0    3   Randy Savage
  0  1  0    3   Marc Mero
  0  1  0    3   Kevin Sullivan
  0  1  0    3   Jose Estrada Jr.
  0  0  1    2   Vincent
  0  0  1    2   Ultimate Warrior
  0  0  1    2   Tommy Dreamer
  0  0  1    2   Steve Austin
  0  0  1    2   Scotty Riggs
  0  0  1    2   Scott Steiner
  0  0  1    2   Savio Vega
  0  0  1    2   Rick Steiner
  0  0  1    2   Meng
  0  0  1    2   Jim Powers
  0  0  1    2   Jacqueline
  0  0  1    2   Giant
  0  0  1    2   Executioner
  0  0  1    2   Disco Inferno
  0  0  1    2   Diamond Dallas Page
  0  0  1    2   Buh Buh Ray Dudley
  0  0  1    2   Buff Bagwell

LOKI:   Sting is my least favourite wrestler.  I can't believe anyone cheers
for that guy.  Someone who puts on make up and hangs out in the rafters for
18 months!!  Maybe if the guy was badly injured it wouldn't be so bad, but
he wasn't.  It bothers me even more that this DOINK WANNABE is cheered for
doing little things like threatening people with a baseball bat.  He's
nothing but a big crybaby who cried in the rafters until they said he could
have his title match.

MIKE SWEETSER:  Duggan, Jarrett and Dreamer could all go away and the world
would be a much better place.

JAMES KALYN:  Ultimate Warrior hasn't wrestled in quite a while, but I still
can't stand the man, much more than I hate most current wrestlers.

JOSEPH COLLINS: Hogan sucks.  I don't know why he needs to be the World
Champion if he is only going to wrestle 10 or 12 dates any given year (he
can't even make it to all the Nitros).  After his loss at Starrcade, I don't
care if he still wrestles, I just want him away from the belt. Alex Wright
is annoying enough to beat out Piper, who bothers me because his time has
passed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most Deteriorated Wrestler

Award Description:

To be given to the person whose skill has deteriorated the most over the
past year. This person should be a shadow of his/her former self.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Dusty Rhodes
  1991: Hulk Hogan
  1992: Hulk Hogan
  1993: Hulk Hogan
  1994: Hulk Hogan
  1995: Hulk Hogan
  1996: Hulk Hogan

**1997**: Roddy Piper

70 first place votes
64 second place votes
61 third place votes

  8 11  4   81   Roddy Piper
 11  7  2   80   Hulk Hogan
  7 11  6   80   Ric Flair
  4  2  8   42   Greg Valentine
  6  3  1   41   Jake Roberts
  3  3  3   30   Marc Mero
  3  3  2   28   Public Enemy
  4  0  3   26   Kevin Nash
  4  0  3   26   Executioner (Terry Gordy)
  2  3  3   25   Steve Regal
  2  3  1   21   Scott Steiner
  1  3  3   20   Vader
  3  0  1   17   Curt Hennig
  2  0  3   16   Syxx
  2  1  1   15   Sting
  1  2  2   15   Brian Pillman
  1  2  1   13   Arn Anderson
  1  1  2   12   Bret Hart
  1  2  0   11   Goldust
  1  1  1   10   Bobby Eaton
  0  2  0    6   Hacksaw Jim Duggan
  0  0  3    6   Randy Savage
  1  0  0    5   Scotty Riggs
  1  0  0    5   Jinsei Shinzaki
  1  0  0    5   Jeff Jarrett
  0  1  1    5   Ray Traylor
  0  0  2    4   Barry Windham
  0  1  0    3   Steve Austin
  0  1  0    3   Lex Luger
  0  1  0    3   Eddie Guerrero
  0  0  1    2   Undertaker
  0  0  1    2   Terry Funk
  0  0  1    2   Sycho Sid
  0  0  1    2   Scott Hall
  0  0  1    2   Kyoko Inoue

OTTO HEUER:  1st:Steve Regal - After the airline incident, he seemed to have
added ten inches to his gut.  Granted, he seems to have worked most of it
off in the last month, but still it was pretty bad. 2nd:Arn Anderson - I
don't want to dis the guy, since he's a great man, a great interview, and
was solid in the ring, but you have to admit - he ain't what he was a year
ago. 3rd:Brian Pillman - see above.

RAY DUFFY:   For some dumb reason, hogan will win again.  People, you have
to have skills to begin with to deteriorate. Terry Gordy is REALLY a shell
of what he used to be.  Scott Steiner is on a one man crusade dispose of all
the roids in wrestling by taking them himself and Pillman's numberous ankle
injuries make him a wrestler who got over via character rather than than
great wrestler he was at one point.

IRIS POSTLER:  Marc Mero, 'cause he's no longer high-flying. Of course, it's
not his fault.

MIKE SWEETSER:  Public Enemy, like I said earlier, have gone to hell.  Scott
Steiner took too long at the gas station with the airhose.  In goes air, out
goes workrate.  And Gordy left ECW to be the Executioner.  WHY?

JOSHUA HOLMES:  Quite obviously, Sting is the most deteriorated, since he
DID NOT WRESTLE AT ALL the entire voting period.  Pathetic.  Mero and Syxx
both look really crappy after their injuries.

JAMES FABIANO:  You won't find Hulk Hogan in my Most Deteriorated picks,
under the criteria someone suggested in the 1995 RSPW Awards: "You had to be
good to be deteriorated, that's why no Hogan."  With that said, Flair gets
first; it's a shame to see him limited to chops and the figure four.  Regal
let himself go physically and isn't as watchable as he used to be.  As for
Mero, I blame his new gimmick more than the man himself.  Basically, he's
now Johnny B. Badd: Year One, minus the feminine ring attire.

JOSEPH COLLINS: Piper sucks.  He can't wrestle worth a lick anymore, his
workrate is sooo poor, and he can't brawl worth a damn.  The match with
Goldust over a year ago was good.... was it props & clever editing that made
us miss his sorry workrate then?  Maybe WMXII was a little nostalga.  But
the program with WCW was a poor move and showcased Piper's lack of stamina &
mobility.  Did Goldust carry the Rowdy one?  Hogan can't carry anyone to
anything descent anymore, so maybe that was the telling sign.  Nonetheless,
when I watched Piper, it was like watching an old old man in the ring.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most Underrated Wrestler

Previous Winners:

  1990: Terry Taylor
  1991: Cactus Jack
  1992: Owen Hart
  1993: Chris Benoit
  1994: 1-2-3 Kid
  1995: Barry Horowitz
  1996: Owen Hart

**1997**: Chris Benoit

70 first place votes
66 second place votes
64 third place votes

 11  7  2   80   Chris Benoit
  3 12  4   59   Flash Funk
  7  3  5   54   Al Snow (Leif Cassidy)
  5  5  1   42   Buff Bagwell
  3  5  3   36   Hunter Hearst Helmsley
  3  3  4   32   Owen Hart
  3  2  2   25   Juventud Guerrera
  2  3  3   25   Billy Kidman
  3  2  1   23   D-Lo Brown
  3  0  2   19   Hugh Morrus
  3  1  0   18   Marc Mero
  3  0  0   15   Disco Inferno
  1  1  3   14   La Parka
  0  2  4   14   Silver King
  2  0  0   10   Stevie Richards
  2  0  0   10   Scott Taylor
  2  0  0   10   Billy Gunn
  1  0  2    9   Dean Malenko
  1  1  0    8   Rey Mysterio Jr.
  1  1  0    8   Chris Jericho
  1  0  1    7   Undertaker
  1  0  1    7   Miguel Perez
  1  0  1    7   Chavo Guerrero Jr.
  1  0  1    7   Brian Pillman
  0  1  2    7   Rob Van Dam
  0  1  2    7   Psychosis
  0  2  0    6   Mortis
  0  2  0    6   Barbarian
  1  0  0    5   Yoshiko Tamura
  1  0  0    5   Taka Michinoku
  1  0  0    5   Sabu
  1  0  0    5   Ken Shamrock
  1  0  0    5   Headbangers
  1  0  0    5   Chris Candido
  1  0  0    5   AntiFaz de Norte
  0  1  1    5   Vader
  0  1  1    5   Scotty Riggs
  0  1  1    5   Brian Christopher
  0  0  2    4   Jerry Lynn
  0  0  2    4   Alex Wright
  0  1  0    3   Takeshi Ono
  0  1  0    3   Lance Diamond
  0  1  0    3   Konnan
  0  1  0    3   Kaoru Maeda
  0  1  0    3   Kane
  0  1  0    3   Hikari Fukuoka
  0  1  0    3   Giant
  0  1  0    3   Faarooq
  0  1  0    3   Barry Windham
  0  0  1    2   Waylon Mercy
  0  0  1    2   Ultimo Dragon
  0  0  1    2   Super Calo
  0  0  1    2   Sonny Onoo
  0  0  1    2   Rocky Miavia
  0  0  1    2   Public Enemy
  0  0  1    2   M. Wallstreet
  0  0  1    2   Kevin Nash
  0  0  1    2   John Kronus
  0  0  1    2   Jerry Lawler
  0  0  1    2   Hoshikawa
  0  0  1    2   Bobby Eaton
  0  0  1    2   Blackjack Bradshaw

OTTO HEUER:  This one was hard to narrow down to 10, much less three.  I had
to pass up guys like Bobby Walker, Lenny Lane, Jerry Lynn, Alex Wright, TPE,
Raven, Malenko (my gawd, he's PWI#1, give the guy a push!), Juventud, La
Parka, Owen Hart, and Syxx. 1st:Chris Benoit - The hardest worker in the
world.  Bar none.  Give him some gold and push him to the main event
matches. 2nd:Psicosis - The best Rudos in the biz.  He flies into the third
row with no regard for his own well being.  I want him on the "All Hack"
team. 3rd:Billy Kidman - Maybe he'll finally get a mini-push now that he's
part of Raven's Flock, but I'm pissed that he hasn't been allowed to do
anything yet.

JOSHUA HOLMES:  Few people appreciate Bagwell and the Barbarian.  Buff is a
great comic heel with some really nice suplexes, dropkicks, and the cool
Blockbuster.  The Barbarian has show some really fantastic stuff over the
past year: Belly-to-Belly Superplex, Jack-knife, Diving Headbutt.  Besides
that, he's a very stiff worker with crisp shots.  Siler King is a great
wrestler from Mexico, and most people overlook all the amazing stuff he can
do.

JAMES FABIANO:  He may not exactly be Rey Misterio Jr., but I think La Parka
is a highly misused talent who could get over if given a chance by WCW.  His
work is great, and he also has a great character.  The WWF totally fucked up
with the former 2 Cold Scorpio, saddling him with that lame gimmick and
making him do frequent jobs.  And hopefully someone will finally give Al
Snow the break he deserves.

DEAN !:  I forgot to nominate AntiFaz (like it would have mattered) but he's
as awesome as any other young Lucha punk, but people don't go on and on
about him.  Takeshi Ono is too good to be underrated for too long, and
Hoshikawa is the new young hope of MP.  NJ should steal him IMMEDIATELY when
MP is finally through.

MIKE SWEETSER:  It wouldn't surprise me whatsoever if in the next year, D-Lo
Brown was WWF Intercontinental champion.  He's damn good in the ring, and
his frog splash is awesome.  Al Snow has been underpushed and underused for
years, and he's a lock in this category for me.  La Parka needs a push to
the cruiserweight belt NOW.

RAY DUFFY:  Most Underrated Wrestler :  Al Snow and Flash Funk are two guys
which the WWF really dropped the ball with.  Both are fantastic workers who
can carry a lot of people to good matches but are being jobbed into the
ground. Silver King is a great worker, but he like most of the luchadors in
wcw are just not getting the push that they could.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst Wrestling Gimmick

Award Description:

To be given to the wrestler who had the worst character gimmick in the past
year.

Previous Winners:

  1991: Mike Rotundo as Irwin R. Shyster
  1992: Papa Shango's voodoo
  1993: Doink the Clown
  1994: Doink the Clown
  1995: Dungeon of Doom
  1996: The Leprechaun

**1997**: Glacier / Blood Runs Cold

71 first place votes
70 second place votes
64 third place votes

  9 14  8  103   Glacier (Blood Runs Cold)
  9  2  5   61   Kane
  6  9  1   59   Rockabilly
  5  6  4   51   Razor Ramon II & Diesel II
  3  2  9   39   Uncle Cletus
  3  3  4   32   WWF "gangs"
  4  3  1   31   Godwinns
  4  3  0   29   Marvelous Marc Mero
  3  1  3   24   Hollywood Hulk Hogan
  3  2  1   23   NWO
  0  4  5   22   Jesse Jammes as "the real Double J"
  2  1  3   19   Raven
  2  2  1   18   Sting as "The Crow"
  2  2  1   18   Nation of Domination
  2  1  2   17   Dude Love
  0  3  4   17   Los Boricuas
  2  2  0   16   Truth Comission
  2  2  0   16   Flash Funk
  3  0  0   15   Chivas Riyadas
  1  0  2    9   Goldust
  1  1  0    8   Steve McMichael's Haliburton
  1  1  0    8   Lori Fullington as Raven's drug-addicted whore
  1  1  0    8   Giant
  1  1  0    8   Disciples of Apocalypse
  1  0  1    7   Stevie Richards as Raven's stooge
  1  0  0    5   WWF minis
  1  0  0    5   Racism
  1  0  0    5   Hocking merchandise during PPV
  0  0  2    4   Curt Hennig as the most wanted Free Agent in Wrestling
  0  1  0    3   WCW
  0  1  0    3   Sultan
  0  1  0    3   Sexism
  0  1  0    3   Endless hotline plugs
  0  1  0    3   "The Icon" Shawn Michaels
  0  0  1    2   Two-Time Slammy Award Winner Owen Hart
  0  0  1    2   Super Heel Masami
  0  0  1    2   Miss Slammy Contest
  0  0  1    2   Flying Nunns
  0  0  1    2   ECW
  0  0  1    2   Dragging shows out during commercials of next one
  0  0  1    2   Canada vs. USA
  0  0  1    2   Bill Goldberg

JAMES FABIANO:  Blood Runs Cold sucks, the Lori gimmick just rubbed me the
wrong way, and sorry Vince, but throwing a bunch of guys together and
calling them a gang does not guarantee the success of the NWO.  Especially
when none of said gangs have any personalities to speak of.

CHRISTOPHER BIRD: Arrgh, such choices. Rockabilly is #1, easily, for
managing to basically ruin IYH: Revenge of the 'Taker. Glacier earns #2,
only avoiding #1 because of those nifty lasers. "The Real Dubba J" never got
over, and thank god they dropped it, and he gets #3.

MIKE SWEETSER: Take a couple decent wrestlers and Bryan Clarke, toss in a
Tod Gordon lookalike and a kickboxer, add in a huge push and enough snow and
laser lights for 20 rock concerts, stick in a blender, and whaddya get?  The
stupidest angle this year, Blood Runs Cold.  I just hate Mero, and this
boxer gimmick blows, especially after he took such pains to prove he was a
wrestler.  Tony Anthony better have gotten some damn good money.

JOSEPH COLLINS: While no one on this newsgroup has a favorable opinion of
the Truth Commission, the Interrorgator could prove to be a menace in the
mold of Kevin Nash, and the Jackyl has shown at least solid mic skills.
Recon & Sniper could be trained to do something, but with the four of them
all togehter in a wierd para-military gimmick, it kills all of their
potential.  Sting as the Crow doesn't work, because Sting had a perfectly
plausible gimmick before (the most popular in WCW, even with the face
Hogan).  Uncle Cleuts was just a bad, bad idea, as well as a misuse of a
veteran talent like Tony Anthony.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst Wrestling Move

Award Description:

To be given to the move that is the worst thing you've seen this year. This
shouldn't be given to a move that was flubbed by a wrestler - the move was
performed correctly, but was just too stupid for words. This move should
probably be a "finishing" move or something that was meant to be
spectacular.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Hulk Hogan's leg drop
  1991: Hulk Hogan's leg drop
  1992: Crush's Compactor head-vise
  1993: Crush's Compactor head-vise
  1994: Hulk Hogan's leg drop
  1995: Hulk Hogan's leg drop
  1996: Hacksaw Jim Duggan's taped fist

**1997**: Hulk Hogan's leg drop

69 first place votes
65 second place votes
59 third place votes

 22  6  3  134   Hulk Hogan's legdrop
  6  6  3   54   Syxx' bronco ride in the corner
  6  3  4   47   Lex Luger's Torture Rack backbreaker
  1  5  7   34   Crush's heart punch
  4  3  1   31   Dennis Rodman's armdrag
  2  4  4   30   Rocky Maivia's shoulderbreaker
  3  2  2   25   Patriot's Uncle Slam full nelson slam
  1  1  4   16   Greg Valentine's elbow to the head
  3  0  0   15   Shawn Michaels' Sweet Chin Music superkick
  2  1  1   15   Chris Jericho's Liontamer Boston crab submission hold
  1  2  2   15   Shane Douglas' belly-to-belly suplex
  1  3  0   14   Dude Love's Sweet Shin Music kick
  1  1  3   14   Rockabilly's Shake, Rattle and Roll swinging neckbreaker
  2  0  1   12   Sycho Sid's sunset flip
  1  1  2   12   Syxx' Buzzkiller crossface
  0  3  0    9   Kevin Nash's powerbomb
  0  1  3    9   Vincent's cobra clutch
  1  1  0    8   Ronnie Garvin's stomp
  1  1  0    8   Roddy Piper's sleeper
  1  1  0    8   Marc Mero's TKO neckbreaker
  1  1  0    8   Jim Duggan's three-point stance clothesline
  1  1  0    8   Dean Malenko's Texas Cloverleaf leglock
  1  1  0    8   Chris Jericho's Giant Swing
  1  1  0    8   Chokeslam(Whose?)
  0  2  1    8   Ray Traylor's press slam
  1  0  1    7   Eddie Guerrero's Frog Splash
  0  2  0    6   Randy Savage's elbow smash
  1  0  0    5   Sidewalk Slam(Whose?)
  1  0  0    5   Patriot's Patriot Missle
  1  0  0    5   Goldust's Final Curtain
  1  0  0    5   ECW(huh?)
  1  0  0    5   Curt Hennig's Hennigplex fisherman suplex
  0  1  1    5   Steve Regal's Regal Stretch submission hold
  0  1  1    5   Godwinns' Slop Drop reverse DDT
  0  1  0    3   Scott Hall's Outsider Edge crucifix powerbomb
  0  1  0    3   Meng's Tongan Death Grip clawhold
  0  1  0    3   Ken Shamrock's anklelock submission hold
  0  1  0    3   Jinsei Shinzaki's Featherweight powerbomb
  0  1  0    3   Jim Duggan's taped-fist punch
  0  1  0    3   Headlock(Whose?)
  0  1  0    3   Faarooq's Dominator
  0  1  0    3   Eric Bischoff's kick to the face
  0  1  0    3   Diamond Dallas Page's pancake piledriver
  0  1  0    3   3 point stance(Whose?)
  0  0  1    2   Yuji Nagata's Nagatalock reverse figure four leglock
  0  0  1    2   Yakuza Kick(?)
  0  0  1    2   Sting's Scorpin Death Drop reverse DDT
  0  0  1    2   Steve McMichael's football tackle
  0  0  1    2   Steve Austin's Stone Cold Stunner neckbreaker
  0  0  1    2   Sleeper(Whose?)
  0  0  1    2   Scott Putski's Polish Hammer
  0  0  1    2   Saturn's Rings of Saturn submission hold
  0  0  1    2   Kevin Sullivan's stomp
  0  0  1    2   Kevin Shamrock's belly-to-belly suplex
  0  0  1    2   Ken Shamrock's belly-to-belly suplex
  0  0  1    2   Double Stomp(Whose?)
  0  0  1    2   Disco Inferno's Chartbuster neckbreaker
  0  0  1    2   Buff Bagwell's Buff Blockbuster top rope somersault
  0  0  1    2   Abdominal Stretch with rope assist(Whose?)

OTTO HEUER:  1st:Eddie Guerrero's Frog Splash - What the hell is the
jackknife supposed to accomplish.  This shouldn't be a sellable move, much
less a finisher! 2nd:Shane Douglas' Belly to Belly suplex - see above
3rd:Hulk Hogan's legdrop - I just gotta vote for this every year. How the
hell is this a finisher when Psicosis does a killer legdrop off the top
TURNBUCKLE?!!

TOM SERVO 30:  I'm suprised that it wasn't nominated, but I voted for Eric
Bischoff's kick to the face. As if we're supposed to believe that a pencil
neck like Bischoff can knock a pro wrestler to the ground with one kick? I
don't think so.

JAMES FABIANO:  Roddy Piper's sleeper.  When a wrestler's finisher is a move
commonly used as a resthold, you know you have a problem.

JOSHUA HOLMES:  The Bronco Ride.  UGH!  What *is* this supposed to do?  Nash
can barely get his opponents up for the powerbomb, and it's ugly when he
does.  The Torture Rack is just stupid.  Hey, you're across my shoulders,
you should give up!

MIKE SWEETSER:  The three-point stance is one of the worse finishers I've
EVER seen.  Jericho's Liontamer could be countered SO easily, and Maivia's
shoulderbreaker sucked period--thank god he changed finishers.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst Match

Award Description:

To be given to the worst wrestling match you've seen this year, either live,
on TV, PPV, or in an arena, or on tape. If it took place in the past year,
it is eligible.

Previous Winners:

  1990: 06/13/90: Ric Flair vs. Junkyard Dog (Clash of Champions XI)
  1991: 05/19/91: El Gigante vs. Sid Vicious (SuperBrawl I)
  1992: 01/18/92: Beverly Brothers vs. Bushwhackers (Royal Rumble)
  1993: 04/04/93: Hulk Hogan vs. Yokozuna (WrestleMania IX)
  1994: 09/18/94: Jim Duggan vs. Steve Austin (Fall Brawl)
  1995: 03/19/95: Hulk Hogan vs. Vader (Uncensored)
  1996: 03/24/96: Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair & Arn Anderson &
                  Lex Luger & Kevin Sullivan & Meng & Barbarian & Ze Gangsta
                  & Ultimate Solution (Uncensored)

**1997**: 10/26/97: Hulk Hogan vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper (Halloween Havoc)

61 first place votes
54 second place votes
51 third place votes

 16  3  3   95   10/26/97 Hulk Hogan v. Roddy Piper (cage)
  5  6  5   53   05/18/97 Steve McMichael v. Reggie White
  2 10  3   46   07/13/97 Hulk Hogan & Dennis Rodman v. Lex Luger & Giant
  3  4  4   35   03/23/97 Rocky Maivia v. Sultan
  5  1  3   34   10/26/97 Disco Inferno v. Jacqueline
  4  0  2   24    (Nitro) Hulk Hogan v. Giant (Robin Hood ad break match)
  3  2  1   23   03/23/97 Sycho Sid v. Undertaker
  3  1  2   22   12/29/96 Hulk Hogan v. Roddy Piper
  1  3  1   16   02/23/97 Hulk Hogan v. Roddy Piper
  2  0  1   12   09/01/97 Ray Traylor v. Prince Iaukea
  2  0  0   10   09/07/97 Farrooq v. Crush v. Savio Vega
  2  0  0   10   01/25/97 Hulk Hogan v. Giant
  1  1  1   10   06/15/97 Ric Flair v. Roddy Piper
  1  1  1   10   04/20/97 Jesse Jammes v. Rockabilly
  1  1  0    8   07/13/97 Randy Savage & Scott Hall v. Diamond Dallas Page & Curt Hennig
  0  1  2    7   09/08/97 Patriot v. Hunter Hearst Helmsley v. Savio Vega
  0  1  2    7   08/09/97 Lex Luger v. Hulk Hogan
  0  2  0    6   09/07/97 Faarooq v. Crush v. Savio Vega
  0  2  0    6   06/23/97 Ken Shamrock v. Rockabilly
  1  0  0    5            Ric Flair v. Curt Hennig
  1  0  0    5   10/26/97 Steve McMichael v. Alex Wright
  1  0  0    5   09/07/97 Bret Hart v. Patriot
  1  0  0    5   08/09/97 Outsiders v. Steiners
  1  0  0    5   04/13/97 Shane Douglas v. Pitbull 2
  1  0  0    5   01/25/97 Big Bubba v. Hugh Morrus
  1  0  0    5    (WCWSN) Bobby Eaton v. M. Wallstreet
  0  1  1    5   11/24/96 60 man Battle Royal (World War 3)
  0  1  1    5   08/09/97 Steve McMichael & Chris Benoit v. Jeff Jarrett & Dean Malenko
  0  0  2    4   09/07/97 Brian Christopher v. Scott Putski
  0  0  2    4   01/25/97 Outsiders v. Steiner Brothers
  0  0  2    4    (Nitro) Hacksaw Jim Duggan v. Renegade
  0  1  0    3            Chris Benoit v. Kevin Sullivan (retirement match)
  0  1  0    3            Jinsei Shinzaki v. Undertaker
  0  1  0    3   12/15/96 Undertaker v. Executioner
  0  1  0    3   10/26/97 Lex Luger v. Scott Hall
  0  1  0    3   10/06/97 Nailz v. Yugi Nagata
  0  1  0    3   08/03/97 Disciples of Apocalypse v. Los Boricuas
  0  1  0    3   07/13/97 Chris Benoit v. Kevin Sullivan
  0  1  0    3    (Nitro) Jim Duggan v. Renegade
  0  0  1    2            Godwinns v. Legion of Doom
  0  0  1    2            Disco Inferno v. Alex Wright
  0  0  1    2            Chris Benoit v. Meng (second death match)
  0  0  1    2            Bill Goldberg v. Disco Inferno
  0  0  1    2   11/24/96 Chris Jericho v. Nick Patrick
  0  0  1    2   08/09/97 Giant v. Randy Savage
  0  0  1    2   08/04/97 Hulk Hogan v. Lex Luger
  0  0  1    2   06/08/97 Undertaker v. Faarooq
  0  0  1    2   02/23/97 Hulk Hogan v. Reggie White(Huh?)
  0  0  1    2      (RAW) Vader v. British Bulldog (Dog Collar)
REJECTED
  2  1  0                 Hulk Hogan v. Roddy Piper (Which one?)
  1  0  0                 Lex Luger v. Hulk Hogan (Which one?)
  0  1  0                 Anything with Savage
  0  1  0                 Steve McMichaels v. Anyone
  0  1  0                 Any Luger match
  0  1  0                 Ahmed Johnson v. ANYONE (seriously)
  0  0  1                 Anything with Hogan & Savage
  0  0  1                 Bret Hart v. Shawn Michaels(too late)

MIKE SWEETSER:  I forgot which WCWSN this was on, and I'm GLAD.  Eaton
vs. Wallstreet was literally the most boring match I've ever seen.  Maivia
vs. Sultan didn't deserve to be on a house show, much less WrestleMania, and
Steiners-Outsiders had Dusty Finish all over it.  Yikes.

IRIS POSTLER:  I never saw the WCW matches, so I don't know how worse they
were.  Ken Shamrock/Rockabilly? Can't remember it, so it must have been bad

JAMES FABIANO:  I'm SO disappointed that I couldn't fit the DOA-Boricuas
gang bore, I mean, war from SummerSlam.  But thanks to Halloween Havoc, I
found two worse matches!  Hogan vs. Piper was just a pissawful excuse for a
main event.  You can argue that Disco vs. Jackie was a gimmick match, but
when you consider that Beulah and Bill Alfonso did basically the same
gimmick match a few weeks earler on ECW TV and made it look good, that's
really no excuse.  Rounding off the Terrible Three is another horrible main
event, Resthold-A-Mania '97, aka Undertaker vs. Sid at WrestleMania.

DEAN !:  Shane Douglas vs PitBull II at Barely Legal wins in a walk.  Boy!
Did that stink!  Shinzaki vs the Undertaker has the singular notariety of
being the first match ever where the Undertaker has worked circles around
another opponent. Steve McMichael/Chris Benoit vs Jeff Jarrett/Dean Malenko
at RoadWild gets third for the pansy ass booking that sacrificed a great
match between Benoit and Malenko to advance the worthless and shitty careers
of Jeff Jarrett and Steve McMicheals.

JOSHUA HOLMES:  WCW played host to the two worst matches in wrestling
history this year.  White/McMichael made me physically ill to watch.  I
seriously had to leave the room, it was so bad.  Rodman/Hogan v. Luger/Giant
made a huge laughingstock out of the sport, and the press had a field day
taking shots.  Piper/Hogan, Age in the Cage, was so bad that the Second
Coming of Jesus mid-match would have made have bumped it up to a DUD.

JOSEPH COLLINS: Worst match of the year?  It was a good thing Hogan & Piper
had three matches, otherwise I would have had to look elsewhere.  The worst
was definitely watching Hogan & Piper huff & puff there way up a cage and
around the ring.  An embarassment to wrestling, IMODO.  Hogan/Piper at
Starrcade was poorly done (and the ending was screwed up by a stupid fan),
but at least the Superbrawl match-up had a nice post-match brawl that was
almost interesting--if we hadn't seen a screwjob ending to keep the belt
around Hulk.  My only disappointment was I didn't get to list Hogan-Giant
during Robin Hood for the jeer it so richly deserved.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst Feud

Award Description:

To be given to the feud that nobody cared about at all this year. When they
were pushing the feud on TV, you'd go to the fridge for a snack.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Hulk Hogan vs. Earthquake
  1991: Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter
  1992: Ultimate Warrior vs. Papa Shango
  1993: The Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzalez
  1994: Doink vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
  1995: Hulk Hogan vs. Dungeon of Doom
  1996: Big Bubba vs. John Tenta

**1997**: Nation of Domination vs. Disciples of Apocalypse vs. Los Boricuas

67 first place votes
62 second place votes
61 third place votes

 11  4  6   79   Nation of Domination v. Disciples of Apocalypse v. Los Boricuas
  9  4  5   67   Hulk Hogan v. Roddy Piper
  8  7  2   65   Disco Inferno v. Jacquelyn
  3  6 11   55   Godwinns v. Legion of Doom
  7  2  1   43   Jeff Jarrett v. Steve McMichael
  3  7  3   42   Glacier & Ernest Miller v. Mortis & Wrath
  3  5  4   38   Rockabilly v. Jesse Jammes
  6  0  3   36   Chris Benoit v. Kevin Sullivan
  1  5  1   22   Ahmed Johnson v. Nation of Domination
  3  2  0   21   Sting v. NWO
  2  0  2   14   Public Enemy v. High Voltage
  2  0  0   10   NWO v. WCW
  1  0  2    9   Nick Patrick v. Randy Anderson
  1  0  2    9   Harlem Heat v. Steiners
  1  1  0    8   Eric Bischoff v. Larry Zbyszko
  1  1  0    8   D-generation X v. Hart Foundation v. Nation of Domination
  1  0  1    7   Roddy Piper v. Ric Flair
  0  1  2    7   Scotty Riggs v. Buff Bagwell
  0  1  2    7   Ray Traylor v. NWO
  0  1  2    7   Raven v. Stevie Richards
  0  2  0    6   Disciples of Apocalypse v. Truth Comission
  1  0  0    5   Shawn Micheal v. Undertaker
  1  0  0    5   Roddy Piper v. NWO
  1  0  0    5   Larry Zbyszko v. Scott Hall
  1  0  0    5   Bart Gunn v. Billy Gunn
  0  1  1    5   WCW v. NWO
  0  1  1    5   Steiners v. Outsiders
  0  1  1    5   Scott Norton v. Ray Traylor
  0  1  1    5   Diamond Dallas Page v. Curt Hennig
  0  0  2    4   Canada v. USA
  0  1  0    3   Rockabilly v. Jesse James
  0  1  0    3   Ric Flair v. Syxx
  0  1  0    3   Public Enemy v. Steiners
  0  1  0    3   Konnan v. Luchadors
  0  1  0    3   Four Horsemen v. NWO
  0  1  0    3   Bret Hart v. Steve Austin
  0  1  0    3   Billy Gunn v. Flash Funk
  0  1  0    3   Bam Bam Bigelow v. Spike Dudley
  0  1  0    3   Alex Wright v. Disco Inferno
  0  0  1    2   Patriot v. Bret Hart
  0  0  1    2   MWO v. AAA
  0  0  1    2   Goldust v. Brian Pillman
  0  0  1    2   Eddie Guerrero v. Chavo Guerrero Jr.
  0  0  1    2   Diamond Dallas Page v. Randy Savage
  0  0  1    2   Bret Hart v. Vader

MIKE SWEETSER:  Benoit vs. Sullivan wasted one of the best in the world just
so a booker could get off by being on a few PPVs.  No one cared about Hogan
vs. Piper, and Steinres vs. Heat wasted the Heat.

IRIS POSTLER:  I liked the idea of NOD/DOA/LB, but a good idea isn't enough

RAY DUFFY: Disco v. Jackie was a shame.  Disco has a lot of potential and
has been improving, so what do we do, bury him by making him job to a woman.
LOD v. Godwinns, who cares?  nWo v. WCW :  It's been over a year, you'd
think wcw could get organized by now, but the same shit happens every week
and nobody does anything.  Seen it, taped it, gonna see it again for the
next 52 weeks.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most Disappointing News item

Award Description:

To be given to the wrestling news item that most disappointed you when heard
of it. When you first learned of this news story, you couldn't believe that
it was true, and when you learned that it was, you were bummed out for a
while.

Previous Winners:

  1991: Scott Steiner gets injured
  1992: Legion of Doom: Hawk & Animal split up
  1993: WWF brings Hulk Hogan back and gives him the title
  1994: WCW signs Hulk Hogan and makes him World champion
  1995: Death of Eddie Gilbert
  1996: Scott Hall and/or Kevin Nash leave WWF and/or join WCW

**1997**: Death of Brian Pillman

70 first place votes
63 second place votes
59 third place votes

 52 11  5  303   Death of Brian Pillman
  8 17  3   97   Arn Anderson retires from active wrestling
  1 10  9   53   Steve Austin suffers spinal damage from PPV piledriver
  2  3  1   21   Death of Plum Mariko
  0  3  4   17   Marc Mero out with knee injury, loses high-flyer gimmick
  0  2  5   16   USWA shuts down
  0  2  3   12   Stevie Richards leaves ECW / joins WCW
  0  0  5   10   Viewers' Choice doesn't pick up ECW pay-per-view events
  0  1  3    9   Tod Gordon is revealed as "ECW mole" for WCW
  1  0  1    7   WCW fires Disco Inferno
  1  0  1    7   Sportatorium scheduled to be demolished
  1  0  1    7   Perry Saturn leaves ECW
  0  1  2    7   Dennis Rodman gets $1 million to wrestle
  0  2  0    6   AJW goes bankrupt
  0  0  3    6   Shawn Michaels & Bret Hart have real life feud
  0  0  3    6   Michinoku Pro suspends activity
  1  0  0    5   Sargeant Slaughter returns to WWF as Comissioner
  1  0  0    5   Curt Hennig is WCW's "impact player"
  0  1  0    3   Vader turns face
  0  1  0    3   Terry Funk retires
  0  1  0    3   Steve Regal's behaviour on transnational flight leads to suspension
  0  1  0    3   Raven signs with WCW
  0  1  0    3   Jushin Liger undergoes brain surgery
  0  1  0    3   Curt Hennig joins the NWO
  0  0  1    2   WWF fails to sign Great Sasuke
  0  0  1    2   WCW announces intent to start new 2-hour wrestling show
  0  0  1    2   Steven Regal lets himself go physically
  0  0  1    2   Roddy Piper's ego is continually catered to at WCW
  0  0  1    2   Ric Flair hasn't retired
  0  0  1    2   Hogan v. Sting match put off until Starrcade
  0  0  1    2   ECW angle dies in WWF
REJECTED
  1  5  3        Bret Hart leaves WWF(too late)
  1  0  0        Vince McMahon screws Bret Hart(too late)

JAMES KALYN:  A lot of my votes reflect Bret jumping to WCW.  This is far
from a sure thing (as I write this) - I guess it shows just how much I don't
want to see this come to pass.

MIKE SWEETSER:  Arn retiring from wrestling is one of the worst things that
could've happened.  We'll miss you, Arn.  Vader as a face didn't work in
WCW, but the WWF's too stupid to realize that, and Pillman dying was tragic.

JOSHUA HOLMES:  Brian Pillman's death is one of the most depressing news
items I can ever remember happening in wrestling.  It hurt to watch him try
to work so hurt, to see him fall apart, and then to see him dead.  It's
painful from a human standpoint, not just a wrestling standpoint.  Arn
Anderson said good-bye to us, as we said good-bye to the last of a dying
breed: tough, no-nonsense, get-the-job-done men.  MP is too great a
promotion to go.

JOSEPH COLLINS: How could Pillman's death not be the most disheartening item
anyone has heard over this (or any) year.  When a great performer so close
to the sport leaves it due to injury, that is disappointing enough.  But
when he leaves us for good, and leaves behind 5 kids and a wife, it is
especially sad.  The Pillmans will hopefully be taken care of by WWF & WCW,
and even though he may have lost a step or three in the ring, he was still
fun as hell to watch.  Thanks for the memories.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most Obnoxious Personality

Award Description:

To be given to the person who just rubs you the wrong way. This could be
anybody involved in the wrestling biz.

Previous Winners:

  1991: Dusty Rhodes
  1992: Vince McMahon
  1993: Vince McMahon
  1994: Hulk Hogan
  1995: Eric Bischoff
  1996: Eric Bischoff

**1997**: Eric Bischoff

73 first place votes
70 second place votes
63 third place votes

 24  8  7  158   Eric Bischoff
  6  3 10   59   Hulk Hogan
  8  5  0   55   Shawn Michaels
  4  7  6   53   Debra McMichael
  4  5  6   47   Gene Okerlund
  6  4  2   46   Vince McMahon
  4  5  3   41   Bill Alfonso
  2  6  2   32   Syxx
  3  4  2   31   Jeff Jarrett
  2  1  3   19   Todd Pettengill
  2  1  3   19   Joel Gertner
  1  3  2   18   Kevin Nash
  2  1  2   17   Nitro Girls
  0  3  3   15   Tony Schiavone
  0  2  4   14   Scott Hall
  1  1  0    8   Bret Hart
  1  0  0    5   Mark Madden
  1  0  0    5   Jim Cornette
  1  0  0    5   Jerry Lawler
  1  0  0    5   Dok Hendrix
  0  1  1    5   Taz
  0  1  1    5   Sgt. Slaughter
  0  1  0    3   Ultimate Warrior
  0  1  0    3   Ric Flair
  0  1  0    3   Phil Mushnick
  0  1  0    3   Lee Marshall
  0  1  0    3   J. J. Dillion
  0  1  0    3   Hunter Hearst Helmsley
  0  1  0    3   Buff Bagwell
  0  1  0    3   Bob Ryder
  0  1  0    3   Ahmed Johnson
  0  0  1    2   Sting
  0  0  1    2   Roddy Piper
  0  0  1    2   Paul Bearer
  0  0  1    2   Mike Tenay
  0  0  1    2   Dusty Rhodes
  0  0  1    2   Commandant

OTTO HEUER:  Oh, my.  There were too many to choose from.  HOW could I leave
out Scheme Gene, Fonzie, Pettingzoo, and The Huckster himself?!  Here's how:
1st:Deborah McMichael - Is there a more annoying voice in the sport? She's
not even good looking. 2nd:Jeff Jarrett - Did this guy borrow part of
Hogan's huge ego or what?  The fact that this three-move guy thinks he's a
main eventer is amazing.  The fact that the WWF is paying him big bucks is
just weird... 3rd:Vince McMahon - "OneTwoThreeWeHaveANewChampionNoWeDon't".
Need I say more?

MIKE SWEETSER:  Keep this in mind that I'm not insulting Joel by voting for
him here..he's SUPPOSED to be obnoxious!  I'm just giving him the award he's
worked so hard for all year. :)  Okerlund can go plug his hotline somewhere
else, and someone needs to gag Deborah McMichael.

JOSEPH COLLINS: It's not the character that Eric plays on WCW telecasts that
annoyies me so much.  It's the off-camera character.  The one that does
chats with Prodigy.  The one who believes he is the savior of wrestling and
is going to put WCW out of business.  The one who has ripped on Ric Flair
behind the scenes, and thus refusing to acknowledge the fact that it was
Flair who kept Bischoff's company together before he ran it, and even in the
early stages of Bischoff's tenure (what would Starrcade '93 have been
without Flair?).  The one who believes that Hogan, Savage, and Piper are the
only ones who put asses in the seats.  The one that tried take Brian
Pillman's death and use it as a battleground for the WWF/WCW wars.  The one
who'd rather spend money buying up the WWF's old (and in some cases current)
talent and relive WWF history like he's done something origional, and
furthur has the gall to call it "his talent."  I hate him more than the
spineless wretch he plays in front of the WCW cameras.  And I may be the
only one voting for Bob Ryder, but it's my vote.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Manager

Award Description:

To be given to the manager who outperformed his peers at ringside and behind
the microphone in interviews.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Jim Cornette
  1991: Bobby Heenan
  1992: Mr. Perfect
  1993: Jim Cornette
  1994: Jim Cornette
  1995: Jim Cornette
  1996: Sunny

**1997**: Chyna

64 first place votes
52 second place votes
49 third place votes

  9  5  6   72   Chyna
 10  4  2   66   Sonny Onoo
  6  8  4   62   Bill Alfonso
  6  3  2   43   James Vandenberg
  5  3  1   36   Jim Cornette
  5  3  1   36   Francine
  3  3  4   32   Sable
  3  3  2   28   Ted DiBiase
  3  2  3   27   Jacquelyn
  1  2  4   19   Beulah
  0  2  6   18   Paul Bearer
  2  1  1   15   Eric Bischoff
  2  1  1   15   Commandant
  2  1  0   13   Sunny
  1  2  1   13   Marlena
  1  0  4   13   Jackyl
  1  1  1   10   Kimberly
  1  1  0    8   Rick Rude
  1  1  0    8   Joel Gertner
  0  2  1    8   Woman
  1  0  1    7   Jimmy Hart
  1  0  0    5   Queen Debra
  0  1  1    5   Teddy Long
  0  1  1    5   Elizabeth
  0  1  0    3   Slick(?)
  0  1  0    3   Sista Sherri
  0  0  1    2   Mr. Fuji
  0  0  1    2   Jason

JAMES KALYN: Are there any real managers anymore?  I mean guys with stables
and who'd send their men after titles, guys like Bobby Heenan in the WWF of
the 80's... Right now, my 3 picks manage a total of three men (Shawn, HHH,
Kane).

MIKE SWEETSER: Sonny Onoo did a damn good job in WCW all year...and as far
as Marlena and Jacquelyn go, I'll give you two reasons that I voted for
both. :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Announcer

Award Description:

To be given to the commentator/announcer who makes the most insightful and
entertaining comments while pushing his product. As of 1992, the difference
between this and colour commentator will be enforced.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Jesse Ventura
  1991: Jesse Ventura
  1992: Jim Ross
  1993: Jim Ross
  1994: Jim Ross
  1995: Jim Ross
  1996: Jim Ross

**1997**: Jim Ross

69 first place votes
57 second place votes
49 third place votes

 34 15  8  231   Jim Ross
 18 13  4  137   Joey Styles
 11  8 13  105   Mike Tenay
  0 10  8   46   Vince McMahon
  2  6  6   40   Tony Schiavone
  0  2  4   14   Kevin Kelly
  1  1  1   10   Michael Buffer
  1  0  0    5   Sunny
  1  0  0    5   Jerry Lawler
  1  0  0    5   Howard Finkel
  0  1  1    5   Eric Bischoff
  0  1  0    3   Boston Idol
  0  0  1    2   Scott Hudson
  0  0  1    2   Scott Hall
  0  0  1    2   Michael Cole
  0  0  1    2   Gordon Solie

OTTO HEUER: I hate to leave good ol' JR off the list, but no one called the
action in the ring better than Noah Anthony Schiavone, Joey Styles, and Mike
Tenay this year.

CHRISTOPHER BIRD:  A word on Vince McMahon; sure, he ruined wrestling during
the Eighties, sure, he can't remember the names of any of the more complex
moves, but face it...nobody in the business has his vocal flair, and that
counts for quite a bit.

MIKE SWEETSER:  If Tenay'll stop orgasming for the corkscrew plancha, he
could turn into the best PBP man since Solie.  Ross and Styles were
top-notch all year.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Colour Commentator

Award Description:

To be given to the colour commentator who provides the most insightful and
entertaining comments.

Previous Winners:

  1991: Bobby Heenan
  1992: Bobby Heenan
  1993: Jesse Ventura
  1994: Bobby Heenan
  1995: Bobby Heenan
  1996: Bobby Heenan

**1997**: Jerry Lawler

68 first place votes
64 second place votes
57 third place votes

 17  9 14  140   Jerry Lawler
 12 19  5  127   Bobby Heenan
  6  7  7   65   Larry Zbyszko
  7  8  1   61   Jim Ross
  5  3  6   46   Mike Tenay
  6  1  3   39   Joey Styles
  2  6  5   38   Jim Cornette
  4  1  6   35   Rick Rude
  3  2  2   25   Shawn Michaels
  3  2  1   23   Dusty Rhodes
  2  3  1   21   Brian Pillman
  0  2  3   12   Owen Hart
  1  0  1    7   Kevin Nash
  0  1  1    5   Curt Hennig
  0  0  1    2   Kevin Kelly

CHRISTOPHER ROBIN ZIMMERMAN:  Shame on you if you didn't vote for Owen Hart.

MIKE SWEETSER:  Nash, Heenan and Lawler are funny as hell and occasionally
insightful.  Good enough. :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Interviewee

Award Description:

To be given to the person who gives the best interview in the biz. This could
be a wrestler or a manager.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Ric Flair
  1991: Ric Flair
  1992: Ric Flair
  1993: Ric Flair
  1994: Ric Flair
  1995: Shawn Michaels
  1996: Stone Cold Steve Austin

**1997**: Stone Cold Steve Austin

70 first place votes
67 second place votes
63 third place votes

 21 12  3  147   Steve Austin
 12  5  9   93   Ric Flair
  8 10  8   86   Shawn Michaels
  6  1  9   51   Mankind
  4  5  2   39   Arn Anderson
  2  7  3   37   Shane Douglas
  4  2  5   36   Kevin Nash
  4  2  4   34   Brian Pillman
  2  3  2   23   Bret Hart
  3  1  2   22   Stevie Richards
  1  2  2   15   Raven
  1  1  1   10   Diamond Dallas Page
  0  2  2   10   Hulk Hogan
  0  1  2    7   Syxx
  0  2  0    6   Taz
  0  2  0    6   Chris Candido
  1  0  0    5   Chris Benoit
  1  0  0    5   Alex Wright
  0  0  2    4   Rob Van Dam
  0  1  0    3   Tommy Rich
  0  1  0    3   Scott Hall
  0  1  0    3   Owen Hart
  0  1  0    3   Mike Modest
  0  1  0    3   Jerry Lawler
  0  1  0    3   Goldust
  0  1  0    3   Eddy Guerrero
  0  1  0    3   Disco Inferno
  0  1  0    3   D-generation X
  0  0  1    2   Roddy Piper
  0  0  1    2   Randy Savage
  0  0  1    2   Queen Debra
  0  0  1    2   Jim Cornette
  0  0  1    2   Faces of Fear(?)
  0  0  1    2   Faarooq
  0  0  1    2   Buff Bagwell

MIKE SWEETSER: Austin's become the best interviewee in the world.  Douglas
has been top-notch this year, and Mankind, Dude Love, whatever, have been
hilarious.

IRIS POSTLER: RIW, Dude Love, Mankind and Cactus Jack in a conversation

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Angle

Award Description:

To be given to the best angle you've seen in the sport this year.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Horsemen turn heel
  1991: "Real World Champion" Ric Flair challenges Hulk Hogan
  1992: Ric Flair "knew Elizabeth first"
  1993: WWF brings in Sean Waltman as 1-2-3 Kid
  1994: Shane Douglas forfeits NWA title moments after winning it
  1995: Barry Horowitz finally wins on WWF television
  1996: NWO forms and attempts takeover of WCW

**1997**: Bret Hart turns on USA, reforms Hart Foundation

64 first place votes
58 second place votes
54 third place votes

 12  9  3   93   Bret Hart turns heel, reforms Hart Foundation
  6  7 10   71   Cactus Jack returns on RAW
  4  4  6   44   Shawn Michaels & Hunter Hearst Helmsley revive the Kliq
  4  6  2   42   ECW takes over RAW
  4  5  2   39   NWO parodizes Four Horsemen
  6  2  1   38   Steve Austin applies Stone Cold Stunner to various non-wrestlers
  2  5  2   29   Steve Austin comandeers Bret Hart's ambulance
  3  1  5   28   Jerry Lawler invades ECW
  5  0  0   25   NWO(huh?)
  2  1  5   23   Brian Pillman claims paternity, gets "win Marlena" stipulation match
  3  1  1   20   Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels fight on and off screen
  2  0  4   18   Arn Anderson offers Curt Hennig his spot in the Horsemen
  1  4  0   17   El Hijo del Santo turns rudo
  2  1  0   13   Curt Hennig joins NWO
  1  2  0   11   ECW's Triple Threat
  1  0  3   11   Mankind becomes Dude Love
  1  1  1   10   Kane is alive
  0  2  0    6   Sting wages silent war against WCW
  0  2  0    6   Shawn Michaels takes a chair to Undertaker
  1  0  0    5   Raven's Nest
  1  0  0    5   NWO vs. WCW
  1  0  0    5   FBI
  1  0  0    5   Disco Inferno becomes Television Champion
  1  0  0    5   Bret Hart, Steve Austin both turn in submission match
  0  1  0    3   WWF vs. WCW
  0  1  0    3   Road Dog and Billy Gunn bring attention back to tag team ranks
  0  1  0    3   Giant rejoins WCW
  0  1  0    3   Bam Bam Bigelow turns on the Triple Threat
  0  1  0    3   Alex Wright turns heel
  0  0  1    2   WWF acknowledges the existence of other federations
  0  0  1    2   Sabu Turns Heel
  0  0  1    2   Roddy Piper and the ICON angle
  0  0  1    2   Return of the Gigilo
  0  0  1    2   Pitbull 1 returns from injury as Rick Rude's surprise for Shane Douglas
  0  0  1    2   OZ Academy invades GAEA.
  0  0  1    2   Mr. Perfect & Hunter Hearst Helmsley set up Marc Mero
  0  0  1    2   Larry Zbyszko makes Scott Hall's life a misery
  0  0  1    2   Dean Maleneko v. Rey Mysterio Jr. v. Eddie Gurrero

MIKE SWEETSER: McMahon got Stunnered.  Good enough for me!  The parody of
the Horsemen was tasteless, but funny as hell, and that's what was
important. :)  And the Pillman-Goldust angle was good enough, but made me
wish that for 30 days, I was Brian Pillman. :)

JAMES FABIANO: Nothing could compare to how hard I marked out when the one,
the only, Cactus Jack made his return in MSG.  Even so, the RAW centered
around Steve Austin injuring Bret Hart was also well done, from the fight
itself to Stone Cold comandeering Bret's ambulance (hilarious!) to Brian
Pillman ambushing Austin with a chair.  And say what you will about their
feud getting stale, but I had chills up my spine when Pitbull 1 returned
from his neck injury and destroyed Shane Douglas.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Organization

Award Description:

To be given to the organization/promotion that has the best product. This is
the organization whose TV and house shows you just can't miss.

Previous Winners:

  1990: NWA
  1991: WWF
  1992: WCW
  1993: SMW
  1994: ECW
  1995: WWF
  1996: WWF

**1997**: WWF

68 first place votes
57 second place votes
54 third place votes

 27 17  8  202   WWF
 19 11 14  156   WCW
 15 17 13  152   ECW
  3  1  3   24   All Japan
  1  2  5   21   Michinoku Pro
  1  2  2   15   New Japan Pro Wrestling
  1  2  1   13   EMLL
  0  2  1    8   APW
  0  2  0    6   GAEA
  1  0  0    5   All Japan Women
  0  1  0    3   CWM (Championship Wrestling Midwest)
  0  0  1    2   USWA
  0  0  1    2   PCCW
  0  0  1    2   NWC
  0  0  1    2   NWA
  0  0  1    2   NJPW
  0  0  1    2   ISW (Incredibly Strange Wrestling)
  0  0  1    2   ACW (Alternative Championship Wrestling)

OTTO HEUER:  I'm sure I missed some debate on RSPW about whether or not the
nWo should be on the list as an org or not, but I went with: 1st:WCW - They
just entertained the hell out of me over the last year.  Sure, they did some
stupid things and didn't push the wrestlers I would have liked to have seen
on top, but match for match, no one delivered week in and week out like WCW
did. 2nd:CWM (Championship Wrestling Midwest) - They've only had two matches
(AFAIK) but they're doing everything right. 3rd:ISW (Incredibly Strange
Wrestling) - I know, I know.  ECW should have been #3, but you gotta vote
for a league with the Ku Klux Klown and Cletus the Fetus.

JAMES FABIANO: I didn't vote for best or worst organization this year
because, in my opinion, there was no best or worst.  WWF, WCW, and ECW (the
only ones I have regular access to) all have room for improvement, but each
had a strongpoint that put something watchable in every federation.

CHRISTOPHER BIRD: The WWF gets the top vote. I'm not going to say that
everything the fed did was top-notch 100% terrific, because it wasn't. But
really, no other federation has had the problems of the WWF this year.  Half
their roster has been out of action for lengthy amounts of time due to
injury (Marc Mero, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Ahmed Johnson, Steve Austin,
Brian Pillman, Goldust, the Patriot, Mick Foley...even the freaking
Sultan). Their timeslot got shifted on them not once but twice. Their cable
outlet keeps getting bought out and they have to scramble to keep their
spot.  Their chief competitor has unlimited funds to work with (and
seemingly takes great joy in undercutting them wherever possible). And of
course, one of their top draws died in mid-angle. And despite all this, they
manage to put on a more or less entertaining show each week. That's
wrestling genius at work. No more, no less.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best TV Show

Award Description:

To be given to what is on average the best wrestling TV show. In 1994, TV
shows and major shows were given separate award categories.

Previous Winners:

  1991: 03/21/91: WCW & New Japan Supershow (aired on tape)
  1992: 01/18/92: WWF Royal Rumble
  1993: WWF Monday Night RAW weekly TV
  1994: WWF Monday Night RAW
  1995: WWF Monday Night RAW
  1996: WWF Monday Night RAW

**1997**: WWF Monday Night RAW (WWF RAW is War / WWF RAW / WWF War Zone)

71 first place votes
62 second place votes
53 third place votes

 30 21  4  221   WWF Monday Night RAW
 22 18 13  190   WCW Monday Nitro
 16  6 11  120   ECW Weekly TV
  0  5  8   31   WCW Saturday Night
  0  4  6   24   WWF Shotgun Saturday Night
  2  2  1   18   Champ Forum
  0  1  3    9   WWF Superstars
  0  2  0    6   New Japan TV
  1  0  0    5   GAEA
  0  1  0    3   All Japan Women TV
  0  0  1    2   WWF Summerslam Flashback
  0  0  1    2   WWF LiveWire
  0  0  1    2   Telelatino Lucha Libre
  0  0  1    2   PCCW Sunday Night
  0  0  1    2   EMLL TV
REJECTED
  0  1  1        WWF
  0  1  1        WCW

JOSEPH COLLINS:  Raw is always putting its best foot forward, while WCW
Nitro seems to be mailing it in half the time.  Truthfully, I enjoy the WWF
more than WCW on the whole, so that's why I watch Raw, and I like it better.
While WCW can often have the best match on either show, there is too much on
Nitro that drags down the overall viewing quality, while Raw is consistent
enough to keep me interested the whole time.  The addition of the WWF's
light heavyweight division will no doubt help.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Major Show

Award Description:

To be given to the best major event. This could be a pay-per-view, a TV
special, or any big arena event. In 1994, TV shows and major shows were
given separate award categories.

Previous Winners:

  1991: 03/21/91: WCW & New Japan Supershow (aired on tape)
  1992: 01/18/92: WWF Royal Rumble
  1993: WWF Monday Night RAW weekly TV
  1994: 03/20/94: WWF WrestleMania X
  1995: 08/27/95: WWF SummerSlam
  1996: 03/31/96: WWF WrestleMania XII

**1997**: 04/14/97: ECW Barely Legal

56 first place votes
48 second place votes
43 third place votes

 13  8  5   99   04/13/97 ECW Barely Legal
  7  8  3   65   07/06/97 WWF In Your House: Canadian Stampede
  6  8  4   62   10/05/97 WWF In Your House: Badd Blood
  5  2  2   35   08/03/97 WWF SummerSlam
  3  5  2   34   03/23/97 WWF WrestleMania XIII
  4  1  4   31   09/14/97 WCW Fall Brawl
  3  3  1   26   01/19/97 WWF Royal Rumble
  2  2  2   20   08/17/97 ECW Hardcore Heaven
  1  2  4   19   09/21/97 WWF One Night Only
  0  1  7   17   02/16/97 WWF In Your House: Final Four
  2  1  0   13   09/07/97 WWF In Your House: Ground Zero
  2  0  0   10   12/29/96 WCW Starrcade
  0  2  1    8   10/26/97 WCW Halloween Havoc
  1  0  0    5            NJPW Osaka Dome
  1  0  0    5   05/03/97 EMLL
  0  1  0    3            EMLL with 16 Man and Jalisco/Steel
  0  1  0    3   06/08/97 WWF King of the Ring
  0  0  1    2            ECW As Good As It Gets
  0  0  1    2   11/29/96 WWF Survivor Series
  0  0  1    2   10/10/97 Michinoku Pro
  0  0  1    2   07/13/97 WCW Bash at the Beach
  0  0  1    2   04/20/97 WWF In Your House: Revenge of the Taker
REJECTED(should have been in 37a)
  3  1  0        WWF Monday Night RAW
  2  1  0        WCW Monday Nitro
  1  0  0        ECW's PPV(which one?)
  0  0  2        WCW Saturday Night
  0  1  0        WWF Shotgun Saturday Night
  0  0  1        WWF LiveWire

LOKI: One Night Only was my choice for the best show of the year.  The
Undertaker/Hart match was great, the undercard was solid and the main event
was an emotional high.  The people in England were really into for good
reason.  The Main event of Shawn Michaels versus the brittish bulldog had
bottles littering the arena and boos coming from everywhere and Michaels put
on a classically strong heel preformance against the bulldog's home crowd.

JOSEPH COLLINS:  Barely Legal will probably win, but for my money, the WWF's
summer offering came together just a little better, mostly because of the
great ending to the Bret-UT match and the incredible performances by Steve
Austin, Owen Hart, and Mankind.  ECW's foray into ppv made history, and it
was a great show, but it lagged a little behind.  Still, the ECW pulled off
making a bingo hall look like a legit arena and coming off as a million
dollar promotion while keeping its gritty, hardcore edge.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Promotional Move

Award Description:

To be given to the best move made by a promotion this past year. This could
include giving somebody a push, demoting someone, firing someone hiring
someone, or anything of a promotional nature.

Previous Winners:

  1991: WWF signs Ric Flair
  1992: WCW signs Jake Roberts
  1993: WWF works with SMW & USWA
  1994: WWF pushes Bret Hart as champion again
  1995: WCW signs Sabu, Chris Benoit, Eddy Guerrero & Dean Malenko away
  1996: WCW signs Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Ted DiBiase & Syxx

**1997**: ECW uses "working agreement" with WWF

65 first place votes
61 second place votes
61 third place votes

 13  3  4   82   ECW uses "working agreement" with the WWF
  5  5  3   46   WWF extends RAW to two hours, airs more shows live
  2  9  4   45   WWF signs Taka Michinoku
  6  1  2   37   WCW signs agreements with Mexican promotions
  3  4  2   31   ECW runs pay per view events
  3  3  3   30   WWF turns Shawn Michaels heel
  4  3  0   29   WWF lets Steve Austin do what he wants
  3  2  3   27   WWF introduces Light Heavyweight division
  1  4  3   23   WWF signs Ken Shamrock
  1  3  4   22   WWF goes more hardcore
  2  1  3   19   WWF sells "Austin 3:16" shirts
  1  3  0   14   WWF aligns Hunter Hearst Helmsley with Shawn Michaels
  1  1  3   14   WWF treats Brian Pillman's death with respect
  1  1  3   14   WCW signs Raven & Stevie Richards
  2  0  1   12   NWO stays strong all year
  2  0  1   12   ECW brings in Michinoku Pro wrestlers
  1  1  2   12   WCW rehires Disco Inferno
  1  1  1   10   WWF turns Bret Hart heel
  0  2  2   10   WCW doesn't resign Jeff Jarrett
  0  2  1    8   Sting slowly evolves into a Crow-like figure
  1  0  1    7   WCW runs Nitro late
  0  2  0    6   WWF signs Jeff Jarrett
  0  2  0    6   WCW signs Curt Hennig
  1  0  0    5   WWF saves money to sign wrestlers by taping every other RAW
  1  0  0    5   WWF releases Sid
  1  0  0    5   WWF & ECW don't work together
  1  0  0    5   WCW releases Jeff Jarrett
  1  0  0    5   WCW holds off Sting/Hogan match until Starrcade
  1  0  0    5   WCW doesn't have Roddy Piper's "family" wrestle at Uncensored
  1  0  0    5   Giant rejoins WCW
  0  0  2    4   WCW increases Terry Taylor's booking power
  0  0  2    4   ECW gives Bam Bam Bigelow heavyweight title
  0  1  0    3   WWF opens website
  0  1  0    3   WWF makes Undertaker champion
  0  1  0    3   WCW turns Eddie Guerrero heel
  0  1  0    3   WCW brings in Raven's Nest
  0  1  0    3   WCW airs Mike Tenay's Lucha Libre Reports
  0  1  0    3   ECW uses BWO
  0  1  0    3   Curt Hennig joins NWO
  0  0  1    2   WWF uses T&A to spark interest in Light Heavyweight division
  0  0  1    2   WWF signs Mr. Aguila
  0  0  1    2   WWF signs Brian Lee and Bruise Bros
  0  0  1    2   WWF increases overseas marketing
  0  0  1    2   WWF brings back minis
  0  0  1    2   WWF brings back Glen Jacobs
  0  0  1    2   WCW works with Mexican organizations
  0  0  1    2   WCW turns Alex Wright heel
  0  0  1    2   WCW eliminates Horsemen
  0  0  1    2   GAEA's acquires of Toshiyo Yamada
  0  0  1    2   APW resigning Frank Murdock
REJECTED
  5  1  0        WCW signs Bret Hart (too late)

CHRISTOPHER BIRD: ECW's PPVs take the cake. There really wasn't anything
else this year in any fed which so drastically improved their situation
(*and* were entertaining for the wrestling fan).

ROB MAURINO: Best Promotional Move is WCW holding off Sting-Hogan until
Starcade.  It seemed like a dumb idea initially, but keeping Sting up in the
rafters all year made him more popular than he's ever been.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst Manager

Award Description:

To be given to the manager whose presence at ringside and during interviews
is really unnecessary. This person does little to enhance the matches in
which his/her wrestler(s) participates.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Mr. Fuji
  1991: Coach John Tolos
  1992: Harvey Wippleman
  1993: Harvey Wippleman
  1994: Harvey Wippleman
  1995: Harvey Wippleman
  1996: Teddy Long

**1997**: Uncle Cletus

62 first place votes
56 second place votes
50 third place votes

 12  8  3   90   Uncle Cletus
 10  3  8   75   Debra McMichael
  7  6  5   63   Teddy Long
  7  7  3   62   Paul Bearer
  5  3  4   42   Sonny Onoo
  2  7  5   41   Clarence Mason
  6  1  3   39   James Vandenberg
  2  3  5   29   Ted DiBiase
  1  4  1   19   Jacqueline
  2  2  1   18   Sable
  1  3  2   18   Sister Sherri
  1  2  2   15   Jimmy Hart
  1  2  2   15   Elizabeth
  1  2  0   11   Eric Bischoff
  2  0  0   10   Bill Alfonso
  0  1  2    7   Marlena
  1  0  0    5   Rick Rude
  1  0  0    5   Beulah
  0  1  0    3   Iron Sheik
  0  1  0    3   Commandant
  0  0  1    2   Vincent
  0  0  1    2   Francine
  0  0  1    2   Damien Kane
  0  0  1    2   Colonel Rob Parker

MIKE SWEETSER: Deborah sucks, and not in that way.  Teddy Long is the
manager to the jobbers, and Paul Bearer is pointless without UT.

JAMES FABIANO: The winner and still "champion," the Maker of Jobbers Teddy
Long!  And can someone tell me what good Jimmy Hart did?  To say he lost
something after his WWF 80's glory days is an understatement.  (Then again,
so did most of the guys headlining WCW's events)  As for Ted DiBiase, I just
didn't notice or care when he disappeared from the NWO, nor would I if he
stopped coming out with the Steiners.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst Announcer

Award Description:

To be given to the commentator/announcer who makes the dumbest comments
while pushing his product. This person probably gets you to turn down the TV
when he/she is announcing. As of 1992, the difference between this and
colour commentator will be enforced.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Vince McMahon
  1991: Vince McMahon
  1992: Vince McMahon
  1993: Vince McMahon
  1994: Eric Bischoff
  1995: Eric Bischoff
  1996: Eric Bischoff

**1997**: Tony Schiavone

64 first place votes
53 second place votes
43 third place votes

 20  4  5  122   Tony Schiavone
  9 10  7   89   Lee Marshall
  5  8 10   69   Vince McMahon
  6  8  3   60   Eric Bischoff
  7  5  0   50   Mike Tenay
  0  5  4   23   Chris Cruise
  0  4  3   18   Scott Hudson
  1  1  1   10   Jim Ross
  1  1  0    8   Todd Pettingill
  1  0  0    5   Rick Rude
  0  0  2    4   Kevin Kelly
  0  1  0    3   Steve McMichaels
  0  1  0    3   Jerry Lawler
  0  1  0    3   Bobby Heenan
  0  0  1    2   Teddy Long
  0  0  1    2   Jim Cornette
REJECTED (colour only or noncommentators)
 11  4  5        Dusty Rhodes
  2  0  0        Gene Okerlund
  1  0  0        Sunny
  0  0  1        Honky Tonk Man

JAMES FABIANO: Gee, Tony, can you talk about the match instead of the NWO
for just one minute?

CHRISTOPHER BIRD: How horrible are Schiavone and Tenay? They openly admit
they don't care about commenting on matches, opting instead to babble about
the nWo and Sting (OH MY GOD IT'S STING!) and *anything* but the match
itself. Tenay knows most of the moves' names, but damned if he ever mentions
them any more. Schiavone doesn't even have that. And both of them have
little drama ability (Tenay makes a run-in seem like writing lines in
detention). Bad, bad, bad.

MIKE SWEETSER: McMahon, Cruise and Marshall will be doing commentary on that
Tenta-Loch Ness Ironman match in hell.

JOSEPH COLLINS:  The WCW announcers get the nod as the worst for the simple
fact that they can't tell a fake Sting from a real Sting...and the rest of
the damn country can!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst Colour Commentator

Award Description:

To be given to the commentator/announcer who makes the dumbest comment while
pushing his product. This person probably gets you to turn down the TV when
he/she is announcing.

Previous Winners:

  1991: Dusty Rhodes
  1992: Lord Alfred Hayes
  1993: Randy Savage
  1994: Dusty Rhodes
  1995: Steve McMichael
  1996: Dusty Rhodes

**1997**: Dusty Rhodes

58 first place votes
45 second place votes
39 third place votes

 30  2  0  156   Dusty Rhodes
  7  8  6   71   Honky Tonk Man
  4  5  3   41   Dok Hendrix
  4  3  4   37   Larry Zbyszko
  2  4  7   36   Savio Vega
  3  3  2   28   Bobby Heenan
  2  3  1   21   Jerry Lawler
  0  5  3   21   Mike Tenay
  1  3  1   16   Lee Marshall
  1  3  0   14   Jim Cornette
  2  0  0   10   Tony Schiavone
  1  0  2    9   Rick Rude
  0  1  2    7   Vince McMahon
  0  1  2    7   Ted DiBiase
  0  1  2    7   Eric Bischoff
  0  2  0    6   Jim Ross
  1  0  0    5   Sunny
  0  1  1    5   Chris Cruise
  0  0  1    2   The empty seat next to Joey Styles
  0  0  1    2   Shawn Michaels
  0  0  1    2   Owen Hart

IRIS POSTLER:  Dok Hendrix is a colour commentator?

JAMES FABIANO: Dusty is so bad it's actually funny to listen to him, if you
weeeeeeeeeeeel.  Larry's comments about the Mexican and Japanese workers are
absolutely ridiculous.  Heenan is nowhere as sharp as he used to be as a
heel announcer.  And to top it all off, all three do the same damn thing
almost every WCW announcer does.....ignores the match to put over the NWO,
Hogan, Sting, etc.

MIKE SWEETSER:  Honky, Rhodes and DiBiase were HORRIBLE.

JOSEPH COLLINS: WCW Saturday Night's and ppv's are not disernable without
your handy-dandy trusty-dusty Rhodes to English pocket dictionary.  Someone,
ANYONE, needs to teach Dusty how to speak, or kick him in his bellie-wellie.
Bobby Heenan has fallen so far in the last few years it's incredible.  I
don't know what it is... must be hanging around Schivone & Rhodes (perhaps
stupidity IS contagious).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst Interviewee

Award Description:

To be given to the person who gives the worst interview in the biz. This
could be a wrestler or a manager.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Ultimate Warrior
  1991: El Gigante
  1992: Ultimate Warrior
  1993: Giant Gonzalez
  1994: Yokozuna
  1995: Hulk Hogan
  1996: Ahmed Johnson

**1997**: Ahmed Johnson

66 first place votes
61 second place votes
59 third place votes

 37  6  3  209   Ahmed Johnson
  1  5  7   34   Paul Bearer
  5  0  4   33   Hulk Hogan
  1  7  3   32   Steiner Brothers
  1  6  4   31   Faarooq
  3  3  1   26   Debra McMichael
  2  1  3   19   Sting
  2  1  2   17   Sycho Sid
  1  1  4   16   Lex Luger
  0  2  5   16   Meng
  1  2  2   15   Alex Wright
  1  3  0   14   Dean Malenko
  1  2  0   11   Giant
  2  0  0   10   Curt Hennig
  1  1  1   10   Ken Shamrock
  1  1  1   10   Hunter Hearst Helmsley
  0  2  2   10   Bret Hart
  0  2  1    8   Steve McMichael
  1  0  1    7   Benoit
  0  1  2    7   Bill Goldberg
  1  0  0    5   Taz
  1  0  0    5   Shawn Michaels
  1  0  0    5   Rick Steiner
  1  0  0    5   Davey Boy Smith
  1  0  0    5   Commandant
  1  0  0    5   Chris Benoit
  0  1  1    5   Scott Hall
  0  1  1    5   Raven
  0  1  1    5   Jeff Jarrett
  0  1  1    5   Dan Severn
  0  1  0    3   Tommy Dreamer
  0  1  0    3   Steve Austin
  0  1  0    3   Scott Steiner
  0  1  0    3   Rey Mysterio Jr.
  0  1  0    3   Ray Traylor
  0  1  0    3   Owen Hart
  0  1  0    3   Kevin Sullivan
  0  1  0    3   Harlem Heat
  0  1  0    3   Dude Love
  0  1  0    3   Doug Furnas & Phil LaFon
  0  1  0    3   Brakus
  0  0  1    2   Syxx
  0  0  1    2   Ric Flair
  0  0  1    2   Randy Savage
  0  0  1    2   Legion of Doom
  0  0  1    2   Goldust
  0  0  1    2   Eric Bischoff
  0  0  1    2   Elizabeth
  0  0  1    2   Eddie Guerrero
  0  0  1    2   Bill Alfonso

OTTO HEUER:  Another one that was hard to narrow down to three.  I used to
have to decide between The Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage for the top
spot; this year I ended up with: 1st:Debra McMichael - Shrill voice and
couldn't stay on topic 2nd:Ahmed Johnson - Seriously.  What language is he
speaking? 3rd:Paul Bearer - Actually, I've never heard him interview, but
whenever he comes on screen and his lips start moving, my dog starts barking
uncontrollably.

MIKE SWEETSER:  Deborah was an annoying bitch, the Steiners made no sense,
and Severn was just too bland.

IRIS POSTLER:  Sorry, but I can't understand Ahmed's words. Thank Goodness
most of his interviews come with undertitles (right word?) [I think
subtitles - CRZ]

DEAN !:  TAZ/Tommy Dreamer/Raven:  GOD! Could anybody listen to these
cretins and not get physically ill or fall asleep?  At least Raven is a
decent wrestler.

JOSEPH COLLINS: Alex is awful on the mic.  There was a time when skills
alone could get you by in WCW, but that is gone.  Debra & Bearer easily have
the most annoying voices that I have ever heard.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst Angle

Award Description:

To be given to the worst angle you've seen in the sport this year. It may be
the worst because of taste or because of execution.

Previous Winners:

  1990: Earthquake breaks Hulk's ribs & get well card drive /
        Black Scorpion (tie)
  1991: WWF exploits the Gulf war
  1992: Papa Shango curses the Ultimate Warrior
  1993: WCW's Cactus Jack gets amnesia; search leads to Cleveland
  1994: WCW gives Hulk Hogan the WCW Title
  1995: WCW bills Giant as Andre the Giant's alleged son
  1996: Jim Ross announces return of Razor Ramon and Diesel to WWF

**1997**: Brian Pillman claims paternity of Dakota Runnells

67 first place votes
61 second place votes
59 third place votes

  7  6  3   59   Brian Pillman claims paternity, gets "win Marlena" stipulation match
  8  5  1   57   Ahmed Johnson joins Nation of Domination
  7  6  1   55   Diesel II and Razor Ramon II wrestle in WWF
  7  3  3   50   Paul Bearer accuses Undertaker of burning family, brother surviving
  4  4  6   44   Honky Tonk Man's search for protege ends with Rockabilly
  7  1  1   40   Sting slowly evolves into Crow-like figure
  4  2  5   36   Roddy Piper holds Team Piper tryouts on live Nitro
  4  4  0   32   Nation of Domination's locker room graiffiti'd with epithets
  4  2  3   32   Outsiders run Steiner Brothers off road
  2  4  2   26   NWO parodizes Four Horsemen
  2  1  2   17   Ray Traylor returns, feuds with NWO
  1  3  0   14   USA v. Canada
  2  0  1   12   Chris Benoit has to run through Dungeon of Doom to get to Kevin Sullivan
  1  2  0   11   Roddy Piper named WCW commissioner
  1  1  1   10   Randy Savage joins NWO
  1  1  1   10   Crush and Savio Vega, fired by Faarooq, form rival factions
  0  2  2   10   James Vandenberg and "rare oddities" arrive to combat Glacier, steal helmet
  1  1  0    8   NWO repeatedly uses fake Stings to end matches
  0  1  2    7   Curt Hennig turns on Horsemen
  0  0  3    6   Ted DiBiase turns face, joins Steiners
  0  0  3    6   Nick Patrick repents, rejoins WCW
  1  0  0    5   Flying Nunns
  1  0  0    5   ECW & WWF work Together
  1  0  0    5   D-Generation X
  1  0  0    5   Blood Runs Cold
  0  1  1    5   Harvey Schiller suspends Eric Bischoff
  0  0  2    4   WWF low-carders try to take over AAA
  0  0  2    4   Steve and Debra McMichael split up
  0  0  2    4   Dennis Rodman joins NWO
  0  1  0    3   WWF overuses gangs
  0  1  0    3   WWF brings back Sgt. Slaughter as Comissioner
  0  1  0    3   WCW/NWO feud drags on
  0  1  0    3   Raven hypnotizes Sandman's family
  0  1  0    3   NoD v. Hart Foundation racist angle
  0  1  0    3   NWO beat up various WCW wrestlers every week on Nitro.....and Sting and other WCW wrestlers only come to the rescue every other week
  0  1  0    3   Justin Bradshaw convinces the Stalker to join him, New Blackjacks formed
  0  1  0    3   Jacqueline challenges Disco Inferno
  0  1  0    3   Giant turns face
  0  1  0    3   Faarooq creates New Nation of Domination
  0  1  0    3   Bill Alfonzo turns on Taz, joins Sabu and Rob van Dam
  0  0  1    2   WCW signs and then begins to ruin several ECW stars
  0  0  1    2   Sandman steals ambulance at Hardcore Heaven
  0  0  1    2   Raven's Nest fails to get off the ground
  0  0  1    2   NWO
  0  0  1    2   Mero vs. Butterbean(too late)
  0  0  1    2   Kevin Sullivan has affair with Jaqueline
  0  0  1    2   Hulk Hogan as champion
  0  0  1    2   Godwinns bring in their Uncle Cletus
  0  0  1    2   Giant destroys Luchadors
  0  0  1    2   Debra and Steve McMichael split
  0  0  1    2   Debra McMichael's "surprise" is Wright and Goldberg
  0  0  1    2   "Fan" climbs into cage at Havoc

OTTO HEUER:  I kept myself from voting for the NWO running the Steiners off
the road, since I don't know where they had intended to go with that before
they decided to scrap the idea.  It could have been interesting or it could
have been really lame. 1st:Paul Bearer accuses UT of burning family, brother
surviving 2nd:Diesel II and Razor Ramon II wrestle in WWF 3rd:Nick Patrick
repents, rejoins WCW

RAY DUFFY:  The Steiners of Hazard angle was just sad.  Let's see, we've got
video tape of guys getting run off the road and nothing happens to the Wolf
Pack... RIGHT.  Next thing you know Sting and Luger'll steal a police car
and nothing.... will... happen.... DOH! Piper having his friends wrestle him
on Nitro was horrible and the fans turned on Piper because of it.  And if
the WWF wants to get a more serious direction, they really have to kill off
the super natural gimmicks with the Taker.

JAMES FABIANO:  I would have no problem with the NOD Turns On Ahmed angle,
except A) He wasn't a member for more than, oh, a few weeks and B) We still
don't know exactly why it happened!  Also hard to explain is if WCW is so
united against the NWO, then why do they only come out to stop the weekly
Nitro beating every other week?  Finally, in the last slot is a late entry:
the Giant crashing the Lucha battle royal on Nitro.  Ugh.....I said it once
and I'll say it again: the Mexicans deserve better than being used as cannon
fodder like this.

MIKE SWEETSER:  They should've kept Savio and Crush in the NOD, just so we
would've have all these damn racial and gang angles in the WWF.  This
Undertaker angle is so nonsensical, even PWI picked it up. :)  And Ray
Traylor, no one cares if you want to beat up the nWo.  Go away.

JOSEPH COLLINS:  WCW is the worst?  Well, when there are at least dozen
workers who should be getting better pushes (Malenko, Benoit, Jericho,
Harlem Heat, Giant, Flair, Juventud, Ultimo, just off the top of my head),
the tag belts are held by two singles wrestlers (who spend much of the year
in a singles program), the World Title is never defended and used only as an
air guitar, where four or five wrestlers pull the booking strings to favor
their own interests, where the first two matches outwork the last two by 3
or 4 stars, where wrestlers get big money contracts and the promotional
direction is formed to destroy the WWF, where reality is in constant
suspense, where the same ending for ppv (that you by 29.95 to 33.95 dollars
for) is used for months.... there isn't any reason they shouldn't be named
worst promotion.  Sadly, the USWA is going out of business, and AWF went
under.  But WCW was still the most mismanaged & disappointing promotion in
the world.  Congratulations.

JOSEPH COLLINS:  Team Piper try-outs were the dullest thing I've seen on
Nitro yet.  Piper was huffing & puffing after the first damn guy, and there
were 3 more to go!!!  In a federation lousy with talent, Piper had to look
to outside sources to try and find his "family?" The fact that the crowd
didn't buy it (only cheering when the last man-John Tenta came out) proved
exactly how poor it was.  Piper named commisser wouldn't have been too
terribly stupid if the WWF hadn't done it first, and Piper proceeded to book
himself a cage match with Hogan... with the title NOT on the line!?!?!
Piper was definitely involved in the worst that WCW (and overall wrestling)
had to offer.  And of course, let's not forget The Steiners being run of the
road.  The Outsiders videotaping the event...no one getting arrested.  Ugh.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst Organization

Award Description:

To be given to the organization/promotion that has the worst product. This
is the organization whose TV and house shows you wouldn't even think of
attending. Probably not even as a freebie.

Previous Winners:

  1990: WWF / AWA (tie)
  1991: WCW
  1992: WWF
  1993: WCW
  1994: WCW
  1995: WCW
  1996: AWF

**1997**: WCW

53 first place votes
39 second place votes
32 third place votes

 16  6  6  110   WCW
 12  5 10   95   USWA
  8 14  2   86   AWF
  7  5  5   60   WWF
  3  2  1   23   AAA
  2  2  2   20   ECW
  2  1  3   19   World Class II
  1  0  0    5   Tokyo Pro
  1  0  0    5   Hardcore Wrestling (small Canadian league)
  1  0  0    5   APW
  0  1  1    5   CWA (Dallas)
  0  1  0    3   PWF
  0  1  0    3   NWL
  0  1  0    3   CSWA
  0  0  1    2   IWA
  0  0  1    2   All Japan

CHRISTOPHER BIRD: As much as I dislike WCW's practices, even *they* can't
take #1 this year. The USWA managed to completely self-destruct in a fit of
bungling so impressive that it involved a fictional person! And the AWF was
just so bad, it gets #2, even if it *was* only on the air for a few weeks
during the voting period. But congrats, WCW: your predatory business
tactics, piss-poor booking, and generally lousy matches get you #3!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst TV Show

Award Description:

To be given to what is on average the worst wrestling TV show. In 1994, TV
shows and major shows were given separate award categories.

Previous Winners:

  1991: 07/07/91: WCW Great American Bash
  1992: 12/03/91: WWF This Tuesday In Texas
  1993: 04/04/93: WWF WrestleMania IX
  1994: WCW World Wide
  1995: WWF Mania
  1996: AWF Warriors of Wrestling

**1997**: WWF LiveWire

54 first place votes
46 second place votes
42 third place votes

 13  7  5   96   WWF LiveWire
  9  5  8   76   WCW Pro
  4  8  6   56   WCW Main Event
  8  0  1   42   AWF Warriors of Wrestling
  2  6  7   42   WCW Worldwide
  2  8  3   40   WWF Superstars
  5  2  2   35   WCW Saturday Night
  1  4  3   23   WWF Shotgun Saturday Night
  4  0  1   22   WCW Monday Nitro
  0  2  5   16   WCW Prime
  2  0  1   12   WWF Monday Night RAW
  0  3  0    9   USWA Championship Wrestling
  1  0  0    5   WWF(?)
  1  0  0    5   WCW Nitro (syndicated version)
  1  0  0    5   ECW Weekly TV
  1  0  0    5   APW Weekly TV
  0  1  0    3   WWF New York

RAY DUFFY:  AWF Warriors of Wrestling.  This show was so bad, I ended up
watching a bad episode of the Super Friends rather than put up with it.

CHRISTOPHER BIRD: The syndicated version of Nitro takes it. It was *one hour
long*. That means remove all the cruisers, make sure all the nWo stuff stays
in (and every Lex match, for some reason), cut out in the middle of matches,
and be subjected to the evil, dreaded presence of Mark "Castrate Me For The
Good Of Humanity" Robertson. *Nothing* was as bad as this. Not even *AWF
WARRIORS OF WRESTLING*, for god's sake.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst Major Show

Award Description:

To be given to the worst major event. This could be a pay-per-view, a TV
special, or any big arena event. In 1994, TV shows and major shows were
given separate award categories.

Previous Winners:

  1991: 07/07/91: WCW Great American Bash
  1992: 12/03/91: WWF This Tuesday In Texas
  1993: 04/04/93: WWF WrestleMania IX
  1994: 06/19/94: WWF King of the Ring
  1995: 03/19/95: WCW Uncensored
  1996: 03/24/96: WCW Uncensored

**1997**: 01/25/97: NWO Souled Out

53 first place votes
41 second place votes
35 third place votes

 32  4  0  172   01/25/97 NWO Souled Out
  5  9  5   62   08/09/97 WCW Road Wild
  3  5  2   34   07/13/97 WCW Bash at the Beach
  3  2  3   27   03/23/97 WWF WrestleMania XIII
  1  3  5   24   05/18/97 WCW Slamboree
  1  4  2   21   10/26/97 WCW Halloween Havoc
  0  4  3   18   06/08/97 WWF King of the Ring
  2  2  0   16   09/14/97 WCW Fall Brawl
  0  1  4   11   09/07/97 WWF In Your House: Ground Zero
  0  2  1    8   04/13/97 ECW Hardcore Heaven
  0  1  2    7   06/15/97 WCW Great American Bash
  0  1  2    7   04/06/97 WCW Spring Stampede
  1  0  0    5   10/05/97 WWF In Your House: Badd Blood
  1  0  0    5   08/03/97 WWF SummerSlam
  0  1  1    5   11/17/96 WWF Survivor Series
  0  0  2    4   03/16/97 WCW Uncensored
  0  1  0    3   12/15/96 WWF In Your House: It's Time
  0  0  1    2   05/11/97 WWF In Your House: Cold Day in Hell
  0  0  1    2   04/20/97 WWF In Your House: Revenge of the Taker
REJECTED (should be 45a)
  2  0  0        WCW Monday Nitro
  1  0  0        WWF Monday Night RAW
  1  0  0        WWF LiveWire
  0  1  0        WWF Superstars
  0  0  1        WCW Main Event

JOSHUA HOLMES: WCW continues to showcase the worst wrestling in the world in
its PPV's.  It's hard, considering there's always one match you want to see,
and then the endless crap pours through.

CHRISTOPHER BIRD: God, a threesome of WCW things. Firstly, there was nWo
Souled Out. (long pause) It had one okay match in Syxx/Guerrero, and that
was it. Completely it. God, what a horrible show. I'm still trying to
repress memories. Halloween Havoc is #2 for five or six terrible matches
(despite a terrific match from Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero). Road Wild
was just lame, lame, lame...it gets #3 for Hogan winning the belt back, the
Outsiders not losing the belts, Alex Wright being involved in a
cruiserweight title match, and DDP jobbing cleanly to Curt "Fat" Hennig.

JAMES FABIANO: In order, I voted for Halloween Havoc, Slamboree, and
Wrestlemania.  Sure, each one did have one or two good matches (two of which
I voted for as MOTY). Unfortunately, those matches were buried in loads of
crap.  Rocky vs. Sultan?  Mongo vs. Reggie??  Jackie vs. Disco???  Hogan
vs. Piper (Age in a Cage)????

JOSEPH COLLINS: Souled Out was a no-brainer.  But WrestleMania is suppose to
be the WWF's crown jewel, and it turned out to be no better than any In Your
House of the last year.  That it was headlined by a UT-Sid Main Event, the
name could have almost been changed to RestholdMania.  Bret-Austin stole the
show and made it worthwhile, but at Mania, we should expect better.

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Worst Promotional Move

Award Description:

To be given to the worst move made by a promotion this past year. This could
include giving somebody a push, demoting someone, firing someone hiring
someone, or anything of a promotional nature.

Previous Winners:

  1991: WCW loses Ric Flair
  1992: WCW bans off the top rope moves under Bill Watts
  1993: WCW tapes 13 weeks of TV at one time in Orlando, Fla.
  1994: WCW lets Hulk Hogan control his scenarios
  1995: WCW gives Hulk Hogan too much control
  1996: WWF lets Scott Hall and/or Kevin Nash go

**1997**: Sting doesn't wrestle for the entire year

61 first place votes
58 second place votes
54 third place votes

  8  3  2   53   Sting doesn't wrestle for entire year
  8  0  1   42   ECW & WWF fail to continue extensive cooperation
  1  9  2   36   WCW allows Dennis Rodman to wrestle
  4  1  2   27   NWO fails to evolve much over course of year
  1  4  4   25   WCW lets Hulk Hogan keep title for most of the year
  2  3  2   23   WWF goes back to taped Raws
  2  3  1   21   WCW repeatedly uses fake Stings to end matches
  1  4  2   21   WCW has very few world title matches
  3  1  1   20   WWF whines about WCW rather than improving their product
  3  0  1   17   WWF changes LiveWire from live call-in show to taped clip show
  2  1  2   17   WCW signs football players for PPV matches
  1  3  1   16   WCW brings in Nitro Girls
  2  1  1   15   WWF has interview with Melanie Pillman the night following Brian Pillman's death
  1  1  3   14   WWF creates several "gangs"
  2  1  0   13   WWF misuses workers
  1  2  0   11   WWF stops showing live Shotgun Saturday Night
  1  1  1   10   WCW misuses workers
  0  2  1    8   WCW gives Jeff Jarrett the US title
  1  0  1    7   WCW "integrates" cruiserweights
  0  1  2    7   WWF gives Rocky Maivia intercontinental title
  0  2  0    6   WWF keeps Shawn Michaels
  0  0  3    6   WWF gives Patriot PPV title match very soon after joining
  1  0  0    5   WWF forces Brian Pillman back into the ring
  1  0  0    5   WWF changes Superstars to mostly reruns of Raw
  1  0  0    5   WCW lets itself be buried by NWO every week
  1  0  0    5   WCW exists in same state for an entire year
  1  0  0    5   WCW drops women's wrestling
  1  0  0    5   WCW continues to give main-events full of geezers
  1  0  0    5   Great Sasuke aligns with WWF alienating New Japan from Michinoku Pro
  1  0  0    5   ECW pushes Lawler-Sabu-Van Dam angle at expense of other angles
  1  0  0    5   ECW & WWF use "working agreement"
  0  1  1    5   WWF neglects tag team titles
  0  1  1    5   WWF brings back Sgt. Slaughter as commissioner
  0  1  1    5   WCW lets Kevin Sullivan continue to book
  0  1  1    5   EMLL waffles between WWF and WCW
  0  1  1    5   ECW makes video of Mass Transit incident available
  0  0  2    4   WCW misuses Raven's Nest
  0  0  2    4   WCW lets Outsiders keep tag titles for most of the year
  0  1  0    3   WWF runs "racist" angle
  0  1  0    3   WWF misuses Ken Shamrock
  0  1  0    3   WCW creates ladies cruiserweight title
  0  1  0    3   WCW brings back Disco Inferno
  0  1  0    3   WCW announces plans to expand to Thursday nights
  0  1  0    3   Vince McMahon gives bullshit chat
  0  1  0    3   USWA sold to Cleveland "investors"
  0  1  0    3   ECW loses tons of talent
  0  1  0    3   Brian Pillman's "XXX Files"
  0  0  1    2   WWF signs Jeff Jarrett
  0  0  1    2   WWF misuses King of the Ring tournament
  0  0  1    2   WWF keeps Godwins
  0  0  1    2   WWF doesn't make good use of light heavyweights
  0  0  1    2   WWF bring back Jeff Jarrett without the blinkin' hat
  0  0  1    2   WCW pushes too many old farts
  0  0  1    2   WCW pushes Alex Wright
  0  0  1    2   WCW makes Saturday Night just another show where nothing happens
  0  0  1    2   WCW loses Jeff Jarrett
  0  0  1    2   WCW lets wrestlers book their own angles
  0  0  1    2   WCW and WWF use weekend shows as fodder for RAW and Nitro clips
  0  0  1    2   Poor tag teams and managers in all leagues
REJECTED
  8  1  0        Various Bret Hart leaving observations(too late)

JAMES FABIANO:  In my opinion, one of the worst things a promotion can do to
itself is waste wrestlers with talent.  With more and more hardcore fans out
there, it would be wise to push that talent for more of a "something for
everyone" atmosphere.  This year, the WWF was the greater of two evils as
far as that goes, not even trying to get guys like Scorpio, Snow, Furnas and
Lafon over.  At least WCW has pushed a few of its workers, like Rey, Dean,
and Eddy.  They still have a long way to go too, though  (using most non-Rey
luchas as jobbers, not allowing Chris Benoit to go anywhere, etc.).
Finally, as much as I like 'em, ECW really fucked up when they allowed even
one copy of the Mass Transit incident to be sold.  It got in the wrong hands
shortly thereafter, and led to ECW getting limited television and pay per
view.  Not good at all.

RAY DUFFY:  WCW has just totally mishandled the whole nWo angle.  The nWo
does whatever they want, beats up anyone they want, WCW does absolutely
nothing, gets tricked by fake stings, fights amoung themselves every week.
I can see this happening for a little while but a full year?  COME ON!  Even
the announcers can't feign outrage because the same thing happens every week
and nobody does anything.  "Gee, Brian, nobody's out there to save DDP."
"Yup, tune in next week for more of the same."

CHRISTOPHER BIRD:  Two words: Nitro Girls. They deaden ratings. They have no
purpose in the show other than to be T&A. Christ, they aren't even good
*dancers*.

CHRIS QUIGLEY:  It's still debatable whether McMahon screwed Bret Hart over
in his final match, but from my vantage point, McMahon took the heart and
soul of the WWF (pun intended) and ripped it out by the roots.

JOSEPH COLLINS:  The WWF & ECW working together was the best thing that
either of them could have done, but by cutting it off, they hurt the chances
of ECW getting casual viewers of switch over (if they find WWF guys they
like) or helping the WWF achieve the "hardcore" edge they strive for.  WCW
intergrating the Cruierweights wasn't really a great idea.  Having Rey
Jr. get pummeled by Nash brings down Mysterio's value in the eyes of the
common fan.

ROB MAURINO:  Worst Promotional Move is WWF rushing back Pillman into the
ring when he wasn't ready.  It may have been Pillman's own doing, but they
still should have advised him against it.  Something tells me that they
aren't giving Austin the best of advice either.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
And now, some netter-suggested awards:

Funniest thread on RSPW:
(Tie) the Star Wars Wrestling Federation (aka "Star Wars Sucked!") and Ed
Lambrakis' news updates on Sting's Bird

BEST THEME MUSIC
1) Chris Benoit (non-Horsemen)
2) Eddy Guerrero's heel music
3) Steve Austin
4) Mortis
5) Sabu
6) Shane Douglas/The Triple Threat
7) The Patriot
8) Sandman

Biggest Pain in the Ass To RSPW Awards Keepers: James Fabiano ;-) [Hey, *I*
didn't say it! - CRZ]

MOST OVERDUE HEEL TURN:
1) Eddy Guerrero
2) Shawn Michaels
3) Sabu

RSPW HEEL OF THE YEAR '97: Sabu424 and Fitz3860 (tie)

The one wrestling moment during the past year that made me mark out most:
"Wait a minute! That's not La Parka! It's Diamond Dallas Page!"  "BAAAAANG!"