The 2017 Wrestling Examiner Awards
For the fourth time, we here at the Wrestling Examiner and proud to bring you the Wrestling Examiner Awards. This year, we will go even deeper into your favorite promotions and hand out more awards than ever before. However, we will not have a Lucha Underground category this time, as they did not tape any shows in 2017. With that being said, let's get started.
NJPW:
PPV of the Year: Wrestle Kingdom 11
Not only was Wrestle Kingdom 11 the best show of the year, it has the possibility of going down as one of the best pay-per-views of all-time. It started with an underrated bout between the Young Bucks and Roppongi Vice, had a great junior heavyweight title match between KUSHIDA and Hiromu Takahashi, a MOTY contender between Tetsuya Naito and Hiroshi Tanahashi over the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, and some little match between Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega. You might have heard of it. But even without that colossal main event, this would probably still be a shoe-in for show of the year. That's how good Wrestle Kingdom 11 was.
2016 Winner: Wrestle Kingdom 10
Breakout Star of the Year: EVIL
Before Kazuchika Okada and EVIL met in the group stage of the G-1 Climax, Okada had not lost a singles match in 352 days. Most, if not all people, expected him to have some difficulty with EVIL, but ultimately put him down around the 15-20 minute range. Instead, EVIL absolutely battered him and pinned him. It was a shocking moment and one that took everyone by surprise. Now, a few months removed, it's easy to see that that moment was just one part of EVIL's phenomenal year. He beat Hiroshi Tanahashi in the first round of the New Japan Cup and made the semifinals, he finished third in Block B of the G1 Climax (behind only Omega and Okada), won the World Tag League alongside SANADA, and won the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship thrice alongside SANADA and BUSHI. It's very clear that EVIL will also have a great 2018 and exceptional career going forward.
2016 Winner: Kenny Omega
Match of the Year: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega at Dominion
Let's make one thing clear: the Okada/Omega trilogy was unarguably one of the greatest string of matches in wrestling history. Granted, everyone has their own ideas about which match was better, but we're going to go with #2 here. The hour-long draw was an instant classic that not only called back to the first match but used it as inspiration. Remember how Omega couldn't hit the One-Winged Angel at Wrestle Kingdom? Well, he hit it at Dominion, but Okada got a rope break. Remember the table spot from Wrestle Kingdom? They alluded to that one with something similar five months later. What I'm trying to say is that without the Wrestle Kingdom match, the Dominion match might not have been this legendary. Still, all three of these matches deserve to go down in wrestling history.
2016 Winner: Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya Naito- G1 Climax Day 18
Most Underrated Star of the Year: Tomohiro Ishii
Ishii might be one of the IWC's favorite wrestlers right now, and for good reason. The Stone Pitbull is tough as nails and hits harder than most wrestlers. It's a shame that his age prevents Gedo from going all in with him, but we still can appreciate his incredible work. If you're unfamiliar with him, be sure to check him out. A good place to start: his match with Kenny Omega at Long Beach. That dragon suplex spot off the ring apron will leave you shocked and awed.
Return of the Year: Chris Jericho
The last time Chris Jericho worked in New Japan was about two decades ago. Since that time, Jericho had become synonymous with WWE. Sure, he was a part-timer now, but no one ever thought he would wrestle anywhere else. That all changed in October when Jericho shockingly challenged Omega to a match at Wrestle Kingdom. Just like that, a dream match we didn't know we wanted materialized and Jericho changed the wrestling business again. He seems to do that quite frequently.
Rising Star of the Year: Beretta
Trent Beretta was criminally underused when he was in WWE. The man was the definition of a jobber and never really got to show off his talent. That's all changed in the last few years as he's impressed with promotions such as ROH, PWG, and NJPW. This year, he finally joined the Heavyweight division after months of speculation. And though he hasn't been super successful, he's made great strides. His match with Kenny Omega for the US Championship was a show stealer and Gedo seems willing to invest in him. Watch for big things from Beretta in 2018.
2016 Winner: SANADA
Junior Heavyweight of the Year: KUSHIDA
Another year with KUSHIDA being the ace of the Junior Heavyweight division. Many thought he would move up to the Heavyweight ranks after losing to Hiromu Takahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 11 but Gedo had other plans. KUSHIDA completed a fantastic redemption arc that saw him win Best of the Super Juniors and defeat Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. And though he later dropped the title to Will Ospreay, it's clear KUSHIDA runs the division.
2016 Winner: KUSHIDA
Comeback Star of the Year: Minoru Suzuki
Suzuki and his cronies spent the last two years wreaking havoc in Pro Wrestling NOAH before returning to New Japan in January. Suzuki was immediately thrust into the main event scene and had an excellent match with Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Though he failed, he eventually beat Okada's CHAOS stablemate Hirooki Goto for the NEVER Openweight Championship, a title he carried for the rest of 2017.
2016 Winner: Tetsuya Naito
Heavyweight Tag Team of the Year: Guerillas of Destiny
Ever since Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows headed to WWE, G.O.D. have been the aces of NJPW's tag division. They entered 2017 as IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions and won the titles again at Dominion. And while every other championship team this year may have held the gold longer (Ishii and Toru Yano, Tencozy, War Machine, and K.E.S.), no one was as involved in the title scene as much as the brutal Samoans. Plus, they swore a lot. Like, a lot a lot. Honestly, it has to be seen (or heard rather) to be believed.
2016 Winner: Guerillas of Destiny
Maneuver of the Year: Kenny Omega's One-Winged Angel
One of the biggest complaints about WWE today is that finishers are not very well-protected. That's not an issue at all in Japan, as moves such as Okada's Rainmaker and Naito's Destino are extremely protected. But no move is protected as much as the One-Winged Angel. Omega usually saves it for big occasions and when he does hit it, it's almost always a match ender. We got an example of how impactful it is at Wrestle Kingdom 10 when Okada did everything he could to avoid it because he knew he probably would not be able to kick out of the ensuing pin.
Junior Heavyweight Tag Team of the Year: The Young Bucks
Just as G.O.D. ruled the Heavyweight tag title scene, their fellow Bullet Club members dominated the junior tag ranks. They held the titles twice this year (including defending it at Wrestle Kingdom against Roppongi Vice) and ended the year as the next challengers.
2016 Winner: The Young Bucks
Most Improved Star of the Year: Juice Robinson
When Juice Robinson was CJ Parker in NXT, he was pretty uninspiring. He had a pretty bland moveset and didn't really have any charisma. Now, he's a big fan favorite in New Japan and has a number of big matches on his belt. He faced Naito for the Intercontinental Champion earlier in the year, beat Omega in the G1 Climax, and then faced Omega in a rematch for the US title. That US title match was excellent and easily the best match of the young Robinson's career. Not bad for a guy who was previously best known for giving Kevin Owens a bloody nose.
Feud of the Year: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega
Moment of the Year: Katsuyori Shibata Appears at the G-1 Climax
When Shibata and Okada met for the Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis, it was a bloody, brutal affair. Both men dished out vicious strikes and took even harder ones. It was an excellent match but there were consequences. Shibata suffered a subdural hematoma and had to be rushed to the hospital. For months, no one knew if he would ever even walk again. Then, at the finals of the G1 Climax, Shibata made a surprise appearance. He simply walked into the ring and said "I am alive. That is all." It was fitting for a man who was usually silent and preferred to let his fists do the talking. It is believed that Shibata will never wrestle again, but this was an incredible and emotional moment.
Wrestler of the Year: Kazuchika Okada
Go back and read the descriptions of the previous awards again. There's a common factor in a lot of them: Kazuchika Okada. The man who became the first Japanese wrestler to be listed as #1 on the PWI 500. The man who was one-half of arguably the greatest match ever. The match who was the top star of a promotion expanding internationally. The man who was IWGP Heavyweight Championship for all of 2017. The man who is undoubtedly the NJPW Wrestler of the Year.
2016 Winner: Kazuchika Okada
Impact:
Knockout of the Year: Sienna
For most of the year, Sienna was on an absolute tear. Thanks to her interactions with Karen Jarrett, Sienna was pushed as the top heel in the Knockouts division and beat Christina Von Eerie to become GFW Women's Champion. From there, she beat Knockouts Champion Rosemary to unify the two titles. Sienna would hold the title all the way until Bound for Glory, where she dropped the title to Gail Kim in a triple threat match also involving Allie.
2016 Winner: Gail Kim
2015 Winner: Gail Kim
Comeback Star of the Year: Petey Williams
During his original stint with Impact (back when it was known in TNA), Williams won two X-Division titles and became pretty well-known thanks to his awesome Canadian Destroyer move. He ended up leaving in 2009 and traversed the world, competing for various indy promotions across the globe. He made a shock return to Impact this year and continued right where he left off. He quickly became the most popular star in the X-Division and entrenched himself in the upper midcard.
2016 Winner: Matt Hardy
Feud of the Year: LAX vs. oVe
The LAX/oVe feud was messy at times, but when it was good, it was really good. The early interactions and vignettes of oVe in Mexico were among the best things going on in Impact at the time and made the tag titles seem really important. Unfortunately, this feud peaked too early. The double turn and the addition of Sami Callihan just complicated matters and made everything too messy.
Breakout Star of the Year: Eli Drake
Eli Drake was always getting passed over. Over the last year or so, fans have been clamoring for the former WWE developmental product to be given a run as the top guy. Unfortunately, he kept being passed over for stars such as Alberto El Patron and Bobby Lashley. But this year, all the pieces fell into place. Drake won the Global Championship in a star-making performance and gave Impact the top guy it needed.
2016 Winner: Mike Bennett
2015 Winner: Rockstar Spud
2014 Winner: Ethan Carter III
Rising Star of the Year: Dezmond Xavier
Thanks to the return of Low-Ki, Xavier's debut flew a little under-the-radar. Nonetheless, he managed to shine in his debut match and used that momentum to win the Super X Cup. And while he has yet to win the X-Division Championship, his time is surely on the horizon.
X-Division Star of the Year: Trevor Lee
Lee was the only wrestler to hold the X-Division Championship twice this year. While both of his reigns weren't lengthy nor very meaningful, the two reigns are enough to give him the edge over the likes of Low-Ki, Sonjay Dutt, and Dezmond Xavier.
Tag Team of the Year: LAX
Ortiz and Santana were by far Impact's most dominant tag team this year. They were unbeaten for months, as they ran through teams such as the Veterans of War, Garza Jr. & The Laredo Kid, and Fallah Bah & Mario Bokara. They were also the only team to have multiple title reigns, as they unified the Impact World Tag Team titles and GFW Tag Team titles.
Match of the Year: Eddie Edwards vs. Davey Richards at Slammiversary
Impact was pretty iffy on match quality this year. Even though they were packed with talented stars like Johnny Impact, Trevor Lee, Low-Ki, Dezmond Xavier, and Ethan Carter III, a lot of the big matches fell flat. That wasn't the case here, as Edwards and Richards continued their blood feud in tremendous fashion. This was a brutal, hard-hitting match that all wrestling fans should watch.
Return of the Year: Low-Ki
We knew there was going to be a mystery competitor in the six-way match for Trevor Lee's X-Division Championship. No one thought it would be one of the greatest X-Division stars of all-time. The former NJPW star won a great match to win his fifth X-Division Championship.
Debut of the Year: Johnny Impact
Impact had one of the most hyped arrivals in recent Impact memory. After weeks of intrigue, he finally debuted in the 20-man melee for the vacant Global title. Though he ultimately fell short (he finished third to Eli Drake and Eddie Edwards), he put in a great performance and really stood out in a star-packed match. Our runner-up here is Alberto El Patron. Although he showed up to great fanfare and won the World title from Bobby Lashley, the ensuing controversy over his win clouded the win itself and turned into a very messy storyline.
Moment of the Year: Eli Drake wins the Global title
Thanks to a certain airport incident between Alberto El Patron and Paige, the Global Championship was vacated and a 20-man Gauntlet for the Gold match was held to determine the new champion. It was a fun match that was eventually won by the #1 entrant: Eli Drake. It was a very surprising result, as men like Bobby Lashley, Johnny Impact, and Low-Ki were the favorites.
Maneuver of the Year: Petey Williams's Canadian Destroyer
When we first saw Petey Williams use the Canadian Destroyer more than a decade ago, the wrestling world was shaken to its core. A piledriver looks lethal already, but adding a front flip to it? That just takes things to a whole different level. Fortunately for fans, Williams brought back the Canadian Destroyer when he returned to Impact and the move has been very well protected thus far. The only person to kick out of it: Eli Drake.
Most Underrated Star of the Year: Andrew Everett
Everett started the year as possibly the next great X-Division babyface. He's a great high-flying wrestler who the fans were behind. He also had a history with Trevor Lee, the division's big bad. Unfortunately, Lee was passed over by stars such a Sonjay Dutt and Low-Ki. Eventually, he was paired right back up with Trevor Lee with pretty much zero story explanation. It's a real shame that Impact officials weren't able to do more with this talented star.
Nonwrestler of the Year: Jim Cornette
Impact had a revolving door full of authority figures this year, including Dutch Mantell, Karen Jarrett, and Bruce Pritchard. By far, the best one was Jim Cornette. Although he was on screen for a short time, he managed to entertain every single time. Go back and watch his exchanges with the likes of Bobby Lashley, Ethan Carter III, and Moose for proof.
PPV of the Year: Slammiversary
This was a very easy choice as Impact only had two pay-per-views this year. The other one was Bound for Glory, and that was widely panned. The Rosemary/Taya Valkyrie match was canceled at the last second, American Top Team was terrible as usual, the double turn between oVe and LAX was very poorly executed, Trevor Lee had no business retaining his X-Division Championship, and the main event (which was actually turning out to be an excellent match) was ruined by outside interference. Slammiversary, on the other hand, had a really fun tag match between Joseph Park/JB and Josh Matthews/Scott Steiner, a great Full Metal Mayhem match that ended the Edwards/Richards feud, and a great celebrity appearance by DeAngelo Williams.
Wrestler of the Year: Eli Drake
Impact took a bit of a chance by making Drake their top star, but the man has proven it was the right choice. He's carried himself very well as champion, had some good matches, and is incredible on the mic. But it was also the time before the title win that he shone, particularly with the feud with Moose and DeAngelo Williams.
2016 Winner: Matt Hardy
2015 Winner: Ethan Carter III
NXT:
Feud of the Year: Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne
In 2014, our feud of the year involved the NXT Championship. The year after that, it was for the NXT Women's Championship. Last year, it revolved around the NXT Tag Team Championship. In 2017, our feud of the year was all about the United Kingdom Championship. It started in January when Bate beat Dunne in the finals of a two-day tournament to become the inaugural UK champ. It was a very good match, but nothing compared to what would follow. The duo would clash twice more in May and December in MOTY contenders that showcased two of the best young wrestlers in the world.
2016 Winner: The Revival vs. #DIY
2015 Winner: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley
2014 Winner: Adrian Neville vs. Sami Zayn
Moment of the Year: Tommaso Ciampa turns on Johnny Gargano
With all due respects to teams such as American Alpha and Enzo & Cass, #DIY was arguably the most popular tag team in NXT history. They had an unbelievable story arc that saw them overcome the odds and win the NXT Tag Team Championship. Unfortunately, just a couple of months after winning the belts, they dropped the titles to the unstoppable duo of Akam & Rezar. Gargano and Ciampa failed to reclaim them at both TakeOver: Orlando and TakeOver: Chicago. After the Chicago match, Ciampa turned on Gargano in a brutal, shocking display that drew a chorus of boos from the crowd. Once the assault was done, Ciampa calmy sat at the edge of the announce table and watched the medics tend to his former partner. It was an eerie moment that showed what a psycho Ciampa truly is.
2016 Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura Debuts
Maneuver of the Year: Ember Moon's Eclipse
In terms of pure aesthetic quality, Ember Moon's diving corkscrew stunner is the easy choice. It's a gorgeous move that is a sight to behold. On top of that, the move is very well protected, as Asuka is the only person to kick out of it,
2016 Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura's Kinshasa
Match of the Year: Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne at TakeOver: Chicago
Forget being NXT Match of the Year, this might be the best WWE match of the year. This was an absolute instant classic, as both men dusted off big moves and told an incredible story that ended with Dunne dethroning Bate.
2016 Winner: Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura at TakeOver: Dallas
2015: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley at TakeOver: Brooklyn
Most Improved Wrestler of the Year: Andrade "Cien" Almas
I gave Almas the Rising Star award last year because he had floundered as a babyface but found new life when he turned heel. This year, he took things to a whole new level. He had a number of great matches against guys like Drew McIntyre, Aleister Black, and Johnny Gargano and captured the NXT Championship in November.
Debut of the Year: Aleister Black
Black has one of the greatest entrances in NXT history. The low growl that starts off his entrance theme and that awesome "rise from the grave" always pops the crowd. Of course, we didn't know all of this when Black debuted, so it was a real treat to see it.
Breakout Star of the Year: Velveteen Dream
Patrick Clark has been on TV since Tough Enough in 2015. He's had a number of gimmicks, including being a Donald Trump supporter, but none of them stuck. It wasn't until Clark became the Velveteen Dream that the pieces fell into place. Suddenly, he tapped into a well of previously hidden charisma and in-ring talent that has made him a fan favorite down in Full Sail.
2016 Winner: Johnny Gargano
Title Reign of the Year: Asuka's NXT Women's Championship Reign
There's no other choice here. Asuka wins this award for the second year in a row after felling all of her challengers, including Nikki Cross, Ember Moon, Peyton Royce, and Billie Kay. Though she vacated the title in August, it was because she could move on to the main roster. Besides, no one else in NXT was ready for Asuka.
2016 Winner: Asuka's NXT Women's Championship Reign
Tag Team of the Year: Authors of Pain
Akam and Rezar were on an absolute tear for most of the year. At Orlando, they knocked off Gargano and Ciampa to become NXT Tag Team Champions. A few months later, they successfully defended those titles against #DIY and The Revival in one of the year's best matches. They had another great match in Chicago (a ladder match with #DIY) before finally picking up their first loss at Brooklyn. They were also a part of that incredible War Games match in November. If this year hasn't quieted claims that this duo can't wrestle, then I don't know what can.
2016 Winner: The Revival
Return of the Year: Drew McIntyre
When Drew McIntyre was released by WWE three years ago, not a lot of fans expected him to return. He had tasted some minor success but it seemed like he just wasn't cut out for the top promotion. McIntyre used this opportunity to reinvent himself. He became a non-nonsense shit-kicking machine and tore it up in promotions such as TNA, WCPW, and EVOLVE. When he was resigned by NXT in January, it was clear he had returned a different man. His return match with Oney Lorcan was a hard-hitting affair and a sign of things to come.
Woman Wrestler of the Year: Asuka
Asuka was the most dominant women in all of NXT. And WWE. And the entire wrestling world. No woman could stand up to her in the ring. No one could dethrone her. No one could hope to defeat her. No one could match her reign of dominance. No one was ready for Asuka. No one is ready for Asuka.
2016 Winner: Asuka
2015 Winner: Sasha Banks
2014 Winner: Charlotte
Most Underrated Star of the Year: Kassius Ohno
Ohno returned to NXT this year after tearing it up on the independent scene. He has had to hold back on his vicious strikes and holds to better fit in with the WWE style and this has definitely hurt him. Nonetheless, Ohno is still a highly capable wrestler, something a lot of fans seem to have forgotten.
Rising Star of the Year: Fabian Aichner
Aichner may lose more often than he wins but that could be about to change. The Cruiserweight Classic competitor has put on quality match after quality match with opponents such as Roderick Strong and Johnny Gargano. Even though he has yet to have a real storyline, his matches have become must-see and huge talking points. He's definitely ready and deserving of a bigger spotlight.
2016 Winner: Andrade "Cien" Almas
Wrestler of the Year: Johnny Gargano
For the first time ever, the wrestler who holds the NXT Championship at the end of the year does not walk away with this award. Rather, it is the #1 Contender for the Championship and a former NXT Tag Team Champion. Johnny Wrestling is the heart and soul of wrestling. His world-class selling and top-notch character work allow him to tie the audience around his finger and get them emotionally involved in his matches. No one else in NXT has such a connection with the audience. Gargano has a chance to go down with the likes of Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, and Bayley as the brand's biggest ever stars.
2016 Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
2015 Winner: Finn Balor
2014 Winner: Sami Zayn
ROH:
Tag Team of the Year: The Young Bucks
Matt and Nick Jackson completely dominated the ROH tag scene nearly the entire year. Besides a short title reign by the Hardys, the Jacksons held the ROH Tag Titles from the beginning of the year all the way up until Death Before Dishonor XV, where they dropped the straps to the Motor City Machine Guns. They currently aren't without titles however, as the duo has teamed up with fellow Bullet Club member Adam Page to form the Hung Bucks and win the ROH Six Man tag titles.
2016 Winner: The Young Bucks
Most Underrated Star of the Year: Punishment Martinez
What other big men can do a tope con Hilo? I'm pretty sure the list is pretty short and that it starts with this man. Martinez has an incredible aura around him that has been well protected by ROH. His involvement in feuds and title contention is definitely lacking, but he should be able to do all that and more in 2018.
Comeback Star of the Year: TK O'Ryan
On March 10th of 2017, O'Ryan attempted a moonsault off of the ring apron when he smashed his leg into the guardrail and shattered his leg. It was a gruesome injury and incredibly difficult to watch. O'Ryan was on the shelf for months before finally making his in-ring return towards the end of the year.
2016 Winner: Colt Cabana
Breakout Star of the Year: Silas Young
Young's gruff "Last Real Man" persona has always helped him stand out on the ROH roster but 2017 was the first time he really shone. His months-long feud with Jay Lethal was career-making and established him as an upper midcarder. He got to show off how great he was on the mic and how underrated he is in the ring. His excellent year ended with him capturing Kenny King's ROH TV Championship at Final Battle.
2016 Winner: Dalton Castle
Debut of the Year: Bully Ray
The former ECW, TNA, WWE, etc. star made his debut at Manhattan Mayhem and put current NXT star Adam Cole through a table. His timely debut saved The Briscoes and Bobby Fish from the Bullet Club and formed a partnership between Jay, Mark, and Bully that eventually led to them becoming ROH Six Man Tag Team Champions.
Maneuver of the Year: Marty Scurll's Chickenwing
The Crossface chickenwing is probably best associated with Bob Backlund. The former WWE Champion used the move on wrestlers such as Bret Hart and Duke "The Dumpster" Droese. Other wrestlers such as Daniel Bryan, Asuka, and Triple H have also used/use the move. It's notably fallen out of fashion however, and wasn't held in high regard for years. That is, until Marty Scurll came along. Now, the chickenwing is once again highly regarded and Scurll always gets a big pop from the crowd when he calls for it.
Most Improved Star of the Year: Adam Page
Page will probably never be the focal point of the ROH part of Bullet Club. He'll probably never be ROH World Champion. Yet, it cannot be argued that Page can still be a very part of the promotion. He's currently 1/3 of the Six Man Tag Champions and has started to get the crowd behind him. It helps that his in-ring work has improved tenfold this year.
Match of the Year: The Hardys vs. The Young Bucks at Supercard of Honor
For the second year in a row, our winner here involves the Young Bucks and ladders. Not only was this a hard-hitting blinder of a match, but it took place in front of the largest crowd in Ring of Honor history.
2016 Winner: Ladder War VI
PPV of the Year: Final Battle
ROH's version of WrestleMania definitely impressed this year. It started with an underrated opener between Will Ospreay and Matt Taven, a legitimate four-star match between Jay Lethal and Marty Scurll, and ended with fan favorite Dalton Castle winning the Ring of Honor World Championship.
2016 Winner: Final Battle
Moment of the Year: Christopher Daniels wins the ROH World Championship
No one ever thought Daniels was going to be World Champion. It always seemed like he would be destined to be featured on lists of best wrestlers to never be World champs, like Kofi Kingston, the Million Dollar Man, and Jake Roberts. Daniels changed all of that at ROH's 15th Anniversary Show when he knocked off Adam Cole to win the big one.
Feud of the Year: Jay Lethal vs. Silas Young
As I said before, this was the feud that put Young on the wrestling map. These two had excellent chemistry and had a great feud that spanned months. At the end of it, Young stood tall (literally) to cap off this excellent feud.
Wrestler of the Year: Cody
Cody started the year as Bullet Club's newest member and used his popularity to become one of ROH's top stars. He ended Christopher Daniels's notable World title reign (after first falling short in an excellent triple threat match also including Jay Lethal) and held the title all the way until Final Battle.
2016 Winner: Adam Cole
2015 Winner: Jay Lethal
WWE:
PPV of the Year: Royal Rumble
The last few Royal Rumble shows have all suffered a bit. The 2016 edition had an uninspiring Rumble winner, 2015 and 2014 shall never be spoken of again, 2013 was an average show at best, etc. The 2017 Royal Rumble was not without its flaws but it was still a great show. Charlotte and Bayley had a fun match with an excellent ending, John Cena and AJ Styles had an instant classic, and Randy Orton won a very good Rumble match.
2016 Winner: Survivor Series
2015 Winner: WrestleMania 31
Female Wrestler of the Year: Charlotte Flair
Flair was on top of both the Raw and Smackdown female divisions this year and tangled with wrestlers such as Sasha Banks, Natalya, and Bayley. Her match quality in 2017 definitely decreased from the prior year but she was still in top form.
2016 Winner: Charlotte Flair
2015 Winner: Nikki Bella
2014 Winner: Paige
Overall:
Weekly Show of the Year: NXT
While Lucha Underground had its share of iffy episodes, NXT continued to churn out quality shows. It even featured a number of great TV matches, including Asuka vs. Nikki Cross in a Last Women's Standing match for the NXT Women's Championship and Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate for the United Kingdom Championship.
2016 Winner: Lucha Underground
2015 Winner: Lucha Underground
2014 Winner: NXT
Legend of the Year: Bobby Heenan
After a long battle with cancer, the Brain finally passed away in 2017. The man considered the greatest manager of all-time appeared in the corner of legends such as Andre the Giant, Ric Flair, and "Ravishing" Rick Rude. He was also incredible as a commentator. His partnership with Gorilla Monsoon is the stuff of legends and his work in the 1992 Royal Rumble match is widely considered to be the greatest commentary ever.
Legend of the Year: Chyna
2015 Winner: Dusty Rhodes
2014 Winner: Ultimate Warrior
Commentator of the Year: Corey Graves
Commentating in 2017 was a mixed bag. Michael Cole was great in the United Kingdom Championship tournament but failed to truly impress on Raw, most fans forgot Percy Watson was even there, Josh Matthews was absolutely infuriating to listen to at times, and Booker T made fans reach for their mute button. Then there was Graves: the former NXT Tag Team Champion has become one of the best commentators in wrestling history seemingly out of nowhere. The runner-up here: Kevin Kelly, who does a seminal job for NJPW.
Tag Team of the Year: The Usos
Matt and Nick Jackson put up stiff competition but the Usos definitely deserve this award. Their feud with the New Day was WWE's best of 2017 and they won the Smackdown Tag Team titles twice. Their thuggish personas got so over that WWE was forced to turn them face after their incredible Hell in a Cell match in October. Not bad for a team that spent much of 2016 being booed relentlessly (thanks, Roman).
Match of the Year: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega at Dominion
There are really only three possible answers here: any of the three matches that Omega and Okada had this year. All three of them were awe-inspiring and epic in their own unique ways. In the end, we have to give the nod to match #2. If Vince McMahon ever booked an hour-long match to end in a time limit draw, he would probably be booed out of the building. Gedo on the other hand, helped weave together a beautiful story full of many little intricacies that glued fans to their screens.
PPV of the Year: Wrestle Kingdom 11
Look, this isn't even close. Wrestle Kingdom 11 will go down as one of the greatest shows in wrestling history along with the likes of WrestleMania X-7 and WrestleKingdom 10. That's how good it was.
Feud of the Year: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega
How could it be anything else? Okada and Omega had three of the greatest matches in wrestling history and left more than enough room for many more. And who wouldn't want to see more matches between these two?
Promotion of the Year: New Japan Pro Wrestling
NJPW wins this award based on match quality alone. Think a minute of all the incredible matches Gedo booked this year, including Okada vs. Omega I, Okada vs. Shibata, Okada vs. Omega II, Omega vs. Naito, KUSHIDA vs. Ospreay, Okada vs. Omega III, Ospreay vs. Scurll, Beretta vs. Omega, Naito vs. Elgin, Suzuki vs. Okada, Tanahashi vs. Ibushi, Tanahashi vs. Sabre Jr., Omega vs. Robinson, and Tanahashi vs. Naito. But we also have to look at the business side as well. That has to be considered a success, as NJPW ran shows in the U.S. for the first time ever while increasing the subscriber count for New Japan World.
2016 Winner: New Japan Pro Wrestling
2015 Winner: NXT
Wrestler of the Year: Kazuchika Okada
Let's forget the question of which wrestler had the best 2017. Okada is the clear choice. He held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship the entire year, had a boatload of great matches, and served as NJPW's undisputed ace. No, the real question is: did Okada have one of the great years in wrestling.
Thanks to all you of readers who checked us out in 2017. Here's hoping 2018 is an even bigger year.
NJPW:
PPV of the Year: Wrestle Kingdom 11
Not only was Wrestle Kingdom 11 the best show of the year, it has the possibility of going down as one of the best pay-per-views of all-time. It started with an underrated bout between the Young Bucks and Roppongi Vice, had a great junior heavyweight title match between KUSHIDA and Hiromu Takahashi, a MOTY contender between Tetsuya Naito and Hiroshi Tanahashi over the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, and some little match between Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega. You might have heard of it. But even without that colossal main event, this would probably still be a shoe-in for show of the year. That's how good Wrestle Kingdom 11 was.
2016 Winner: Wrestle Kingdom 10
Breakout Star of the Year: EVIL
Before Kazuchika Okada and EVIL met in the group stage of the G-1 Climax, Okada had not lost a singles match in 352 days. Most, if not all people, expected him to have some difficulty with EVIL, but ultimately put him down around the 15-20 minute range. Instead, EVIL absolutely battered him and pinned him. It was a shocking moment and one that took everyone by surprise. Now, a few months removed, it's easy to see that that moment was just one part of EVIL's phenomenal year. He beat Hiroshi Tanahashi in the first round of the New Japan Cup and made the semifinals, he finished third in Block B of the G1 Climax (behind only Omega and Okada), won the World Tag League alongside SANADA, and won the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship thrice alongside SANADA and BUSHI. It's very clear that EVIL will also have a great 2018 and exceptional career going forward.
2016 Winner: Kenny Omega
Match of the Year: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega at Dominion
Let's make one thing clear: the Okada/Omega trilogy was unarguably one of the greatest string of matches in wrestling history. Granted, everyone has their own ideas about which match was better, but we're going to go with #2 here. The hour-long draw was an instant classic that not only called back to the first match but used it as inspiration. Remember how Omega couldn't hit the One-Winged Angel at Wrestle Kingdom? Well, he hit it at Dominion, but Okada got a rope break. Remember the table spot from Wrestle Kingdom? They alluded to that one with something similar five months later. What I'm trying to say is that without the Wrestle Kingdom match, the Dominion match might not have been this legendary. Still, all three of these matches deserve to go down in wrestling history.
2016 Winner: Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya Naito- G1 Climax Day 18
Most Underrated Star of the Year: Tomohiro Ishii
Ishii might be one of the IWC's favorite wrestlers right now, and for good reason. The Stone Pitbull is tough as nails and hits harder than most wrestlers. It's a shame that his age prevents Gedo from going all in with him, but we still can appreciate his incredible work. If you're unfamiliar with him, be sure to check him out. A good place to start: his match with Kenny Omega at Long Beach. That dragon suplex spot off the ring apron will leave you shocked and awed.
Return of the Year: Chris Jericho
The last time Chris Jericho worked in New Japan was about two decades ago. Since that time, Jericho had become synonymous with WWE. Sure, he was a part-timer now, but no one ever thought he would wrestle anywhere else. That all changed in October when Jericho shockingly challenged Omega to a match at Wrestle Kingdom. Just like that, a dream match we didn't know we wanted materialized and Jericho changed the wrestling business again. He seems to do that quite frequently.
Rising Star of the Year: Beretta
Trent Beretta was criminally underused when he was in WWE. The man was the definition of a jobber and never really got to show off his talent. That's all changed in the last few years as he's impressed with promotions such as ROH, PWG, and NJPW. This year, he finally joined the Heavyweight division after months of speculation. And though he hasn't been super successful, he's made great strides. His match with Kenny Omega for the US Championship was a show stealer and Gedo seems willing to invest in him. Watch for big things from Beretta in 2018.
2016 Winner: SANADA
Junior Heavyweight of the Year: KUSHIDA
Another year with KUSHIDA being the ace of the Junior Heavyweight division. Many thought he would move up to the Heavyweight ranks after losing to Hiromu Takahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 11 but Gedo had other plans. KUSHIDA completed a fantastic redemption arc that saw him win Best of the Super Juniors and defeat Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. And though he later dropped the title to Will Ospreay, it's clear KUSHIDA runs the division.
2016 Winner: KUSHIDA
Comeback Star of the Year: Minoru Suzuki
Suzuki and his cronies spent the last two years wreaking havoc in Pro Wrestling NOAH before returning to New Japan in January. Suzuki was immediately thrust into the main event scene and had an excellent match with Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Though he failed, he eventually beat Okada's CHAOS stablemate Hirooki Goto for the NEVER Openweight Championship, a title he carried for the rest of 2017.
2016 Winner: Tetsuya Naito
Heavyweight Tag Team of the Year: Guerillas of Destiny
Ever since Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows headed to WWE, G.O.D. have been the aces of NJPW's tag division. They entered 2017 as IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions and won the titles again at Dominion. And while every other championship team this year may have held the gold longer (Ishii and Toru Yano, Tencozy, War Machine, and K.E.S.), no one was as involved in the title scene as much as the brutal Samoans. Plus, they swore a lot. Like, a lot a lot. Honestly, it has to be seen (or heard rather) to be believed.
2016 Winner: Guerillas of Destiny
Maneuver of the Year: Kenny Omega's One-Winged Angel
One of the biggest complaints about WWE today is that finishers are not very well-protected. That's not an issue at all in Japan, as moves such as Okada's Rainmaker and Naito's Destino are extremely protected. But no move is protected as much as the One-Winged Angel. Omega usually saves it for big occasions and when he does hit it, it's almost always a match ender. We got an example of how impactful it is at Wrestle Kingdom 10 when Okada did everything he could to avoid it because he knew he probably would not be able to kick out of the ensuing pin.
Junior Heavyweight Tag Team of the Year: The Young Bucks
Just as G.O.D. ruled the Heavyweight tag title scene, their fellow Bullet Club members dominated the junior tag ranks. They held the titles twice this year (including defending it at Wrestle Kingdom against Roppongi Vice) and ended the year as the next challengers.
2016 Winner: The Young Bucks
Most Improved Star of the Year: Juice Robinson
When Juice Robinson was CJ Parker in NXT, he was pretty uninspiring. He had a pretty bland moveset and didn't really have any charisma. Now, he's a big fan favorite in New Japan and has a number of big matches on his belt. He faced Naito for the Intercontinental Champion earlier in the year, beat Omega in the G1 Climax, and then faced Omega in a rematch for the US title. That US title match was excellent and easily the best match of the young Robinson's career. Not bad for a guy who was previously best known for giving Kevin Owens a bloody nose.
Feud of the Year: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega
This was probably the easiest award to give. What other rivalry produced such great matches, captivated audiences worldwide, and set the wrestling world alight? Here's to more great matches between these two in the future.
Moment of the Year: Katsuyori Shibata Appears at the G-1 Climax
When Shibata and Okada met for the Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis, it was a bloody, brutal affair. Both men dished out vicious strikes and took even harder ones. It was an excellent match but there were consequences. Shibata suffered a subdural hematoma and had to be rushed to the hospital. For months, no one knew if he would ever even walk again. Then, at the finals of the G1 Climax, Shibata made a surprise appearance. He simply walked into the ring and said "I am alive. That is all." It was fitting for a man who was usually silent and preferred to let his fists do the talking. It is believed that Shibata will never wrestle again, but this was an incredible and emotional moment.
Wrestler of the Year: Kazuchika Okada
Go back and read the descriptions of the previous awards again. There's a common factor in a lot of them: Kazuchika Okada. The man who became the first Japanese wrestler to be listed as #1 on the PWI 500. The man who was one-half of arguably the greatest match ever. The match who was the top star of a promotion expanding internationally. The man who was IWGP Heavyweight Championship for all of 2017. The man who is undoubtedly the NJPW Wrestler of the Year.
2016 Winner: Kazuchika Okada
Impact:
Knockout of the Year: Sienna
For most of the year, Sienna was on an absolute tear. Thanks to her interactions with Karen Jarrett, Sienna was pushed as the top heel in the Knockouts division and beat Christina Von Eerie to become GFW Women's Champion. From there, she beat Knockouts Champion Rosemary to unify the two titles. Sienna would hold the title all the way until Bound for Glory, where she dropped the title to Gail Kim in a triple threat match also involving Allie.
2016 Winner: Gail Kim
2015 Winner: Gail Kim
Comeback Star of the Year: Petey Williams
During his original stint with Impact (back when it was known in TNA), Williams won two X-Division titles and became pretty well-known thanks to his awesome Canadian Destroyer move. He ended up leaving in 2009 and traversed the world, competing for various indy promotions across the globe. He made a shock return to Impact this year and continued right where he left off. He quickly became the most popular star in the X-Division and entrenched himself in the upper midcard.
2016 Winner: Matt Hardy
Feud of the Year: LAX vs. oVe
The LAX/oVe feud was messy at times, but when it was good, it was really good. The early interactions and vignettes of oVe in Mexico were among the best things going on in Impact at the time and made the tag titles seem really important. Unfortunately, this feud peaked too early. The double turn and the addition of Sami Callihan just complicated matters and made everything too messy.
Breakout Star of the Year: Eli Drake
Eli Drake was always getting passed over. Over the last year or so, fans have been clamoring for the former WWE developmental product to be given a run as the top guy. Unfortunately, he kept being passed over for stars such as Alberto El Patron and Bobby Lashley. But this year, all the pieces fell into place. Drake won the Global Championship in a star-making performance and gave Impact the top guy it needed.
2016 Winner: Mike Bennett
2015 Winner: Rockstar Spud
2014 Winner: Ethan Carter III
Rising Star of the Year: Dezmond Xavier
Thanks to the return of Low-Ki, Xavier's debut flew a little under-the-radar. Nonetheless, he managed to shine in his debut match and used that momentum to win the Super X Cup. And while he has yet to win the X-Division Championship, his time is surely on the horizon.
X-Division Star of the Year: Trevor Lee
Lee was the only wrestler to hold the X-Division Championship twice this year. While both of his reigns weren't lengthy nor very meaningful, the two reigns are enough to give him the edge over the likes of Low-Ki, Sonjay Dutt, and Dezmond Xavier.
Tag Team of the Year: LAX
Ortiz and Santana were by far Impact's most dominant tag team this year. They were unbeaten for months, as they ran through teams such as the Veterans of War, Garza Jr. & The Laredo Kid, and Fallah Bah & Mario Bokara. They were also the only team to have multiple title reigns, as they unified the Impact World Tag Team titles and GFW Tag Team titles.
Match of the Year: Eddie Edwards vs. Davey Richards at Slammiversary
Impact was pretty iffy on match quality this year. Even though they were packed with talented stars like Johnny Impact, Trevor Lee, Low-Ki, Dezmond Xavier, and Ethan Carter III, a lot of the big matches fell flat. That wasn't the case here, as Edwards and Richards continued their blood feud in tremendous fashion. This was a brutal, hard-hitting match that all wrestling fans should watch.
Return of the Year: Low-Ki
We knew there was going to be a mystery competitor in the six-way match for Trevor Lee's X-Division Championship. No one thought it would be one of the greatest X-Division stars of all-time. The former NJPW star won a great match to win his fifth X-Division Championship.
Debut of the Year: Johnny Impact
Impact had one of the most hyped arrivals in recent Impact memory. After weeks of intrigue, he finally debuted in the 20-man melee for the vacant Global title. Though he ultimately fell short (he finished third to Eli Drake and Eddie Edwards), he put in a great performance and really stood out in a star-packed match. Our runner-up here is Alberto El Patron. Although he showed up to great fanfare and won the World title from Bobby Lashley, the ensuing controversy over his win clouded the win itself and turned into a very messy storyline.
Moment of the Year: Eli Drake wins the Global title
Thanks to a certain airport incident between Alberto El Patron and Paige, the Global Championship was vacated and a 20-man Gauntlet for the Gold match was held to determine the new champion. It was a fun match that was eventually won by the #1 entrant: Eli Drake. It was a very surprising result, as men like Bobby Lashley, Johnny Impact, and Low-Ki were the favorites.
Maneuver of the Year: Petey Williams's Canadian Destroyer
When we first saw Petey Williams use the Canadian Destroyer more than a decade ago, the wrestling world was shaken to its core. A piledriver looks lethal already, but adding a front flip to it? That just takes things to a whole different level. Fortunately for fans, Williams brought back the Canadian Destroyer when he returned to Impact and the move has been very well protected thus far. The only person to kick out of it: Eli Drake.
Most Underrated Star of the Year: Andrew Everett
Everett started the year as possibly the next great X-Division babyface. He's a great high-flying wrestler who the fans were behind. He also had a history with Trevor Lee, the division's big bad. Unfortunately, Lee was passed over by stars such a Sonjay Dutt and Low-Ki. Eventually, he was paired right back up with Trevor Lee with pretty much zero story explanation. It's a real shame that Impact officials weren't able to do more with this talented star.
Nonwrestler of the Year: Jim Cornette
Impact had a revolving door full of authority figures this year, including Dutch Mantell, Karen Jarrett, and Bruce Pritchard. By far, the best one was Jim Cornette. Although he was on screen for a short time, he managed to entertain every single time. Go back and watch his exchanges with the likes of Bobby Lashley, Ethan Carter III, and Moose for proof.
PPV of the Year: Slammiversary
This was a very easy choice as Impact only had two pay-per-views this year. The other one was Bound for Glory, and that was widely panned. The Rosemary/Taya Valkyrie match was canceled at the last second, American Top Team was terrible as usual, the double turn between oVe and LAX was very poorly executed, Trevor Lee had no business retaining his X-Division Championship, and the main event (which was actually turning out to be an excellent match) was ruined by outside interference. Slammiversary, on the other hand, had a really fun tag match between Joseph Park/JB and Josh Matthews/Scott Steiner, a great Full Metal Mayhem match that ended the Edwards/Richards feud, and a great celebrity appearance by DeAngelo Williams.
Wrestler of the Year: Eli Drake
Impact took a bit of a chance by making Drake their top star, but the man has proven it was the right choice. He's carried himself very well as champion, had some good matches, and is incredible on the mic. But it was also the time before the title win that he shone, particularly with the feud with Moose and DeAngelo Williams.
2016 Winner: Matt Hardy
2015 Winner: Ethan Carter III
NXT:
Feud of the Year: Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne
In 2014, our feud of the year involved the NXT Championship. The year after that, it was for the NXT Women's Championship. Last year, it revolved around the NXT Tag Team Championship. In 2017, our feud of the year was all about the United Kingdom Championship. It started in January when Bate beat Dunne in the finals of a two-day tournament to become the inaugural UK champ. It was a very good match, but nothing compared to what would follow. The duo would clash twice more in May and December in MOTY contenders that showcased two of the best young wrestlers in the world.
2016 Winner: The Revival vs. #DIY
2015 Winner: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley
2014 Winner: Adrian Neville vs. Sami Zayn
Moment of the Year: Tommaso Ciampa turns on Johnny Gargano
With all due respects to teams such as American Alpha and Enzo & Cass, #DIY was arguably the most popular tag team in NXT history. They had an unbelievable story arc that saw them overcome the odds and win the NXT Tag Team Championship. Unfortunately, just a couple of months after winning the belts, they dropped the titles to the unstoppable duo of Akam & Rezar. Gargano and Ciampa failed to reclaim them at both TakeOver: Orlando and TakeOver: Chicago. After the Chicago match, Ciampa turned on Gargano in a brutal, shocking display that drew a chorus of boos from the crowd. Once the assault was done, Ciampa calmy sat at the edge of the announce table and watched the medics tend to his former partner. It was an eerie moment that showed what a psycho Ciampa truly is.
2016 Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura Debuts
Maneuver of the Year: Ember Moon's Eclipse
In terms of pure aesthetic quality, Ember Moon's diving corkscrew stunner is the easy choice. It's a gorgeous move that is a sight to behold. On top of that, the move is very well protected, as Asuka is the only person to kick out of it,
2016 Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura's Kinshasa
Match of the Year: Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne at TakeOver: Chicago
Forget being NXT Match of the Year, this might be the best WWE match of the year. This was an absolute instant classic, as both men dusted off big moves and told an incredible story that ended with Dunne dethroning Bate.
2016 Winner: Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura at TakeOver: Dallas
2015: Sasha Banks vs. Bayley at TakeOver: Brooklyn
Most Improved Wrestler of the Year: Andrade "Cien" Almas
I gave Almas the Rising Star award last year because he had floundered as a babyface but found new life when he turned heel. This year, he took things to a whole new level. He had a number of great matches against guys like Drew McIntyre, Aleister Black, and Johnny Gargano and captured the NXT Championship in November.
Debut of the Year: Aleister Black
Black has one of the greatest entrances in NXT history. The low growl that starts off his entrance theme and that awesome "rise from the grave" always pops the crowd. Of course, we didn't know all of this when Black debuted, so it was a real treat to see it.
Breakout Star of the Year: Velveteen Dream
Patrick Clark has been on TV since Tough Enough in 2015. He's had a number of gimmicks, including being a Donald Trump supporter, but none of them stuck. It wasn't until Clark became the Velveteen Dream that the pieces fell into place. Suddenly, he tapped into a well of previously hidden charisma and in-ring talent that has made him a fan favorite down in Full Sail.
2016 Winner: Johnny Gargano
Title Reign of the Year: Asuka's NXT Women's Championship Reign
There's no other choice here. Asuka wins this award for the second year in a row after felling all of her challengers, including Nikki Cross, Ember Moon, Peyton Royce, and Billie Kay. Though she vacated the title in August, it was because she could move on to the main roster. Besides, no one else in NXT was ready for Asuka.
2016 Winner: Asuka's NXT Women's Championship Reign
Tag Team of the Year: Authors of Pain
Akam and Rezar were on an absolute tear for most of the year. At Orlando, they knocked off Gargano and Ciampa to become NXT Tag Team Champions. A few months later, they successfully defended those titles against #DIY and The Revival in one of the year's best matches. They had another great match in Chicago (a ladder match with #DIY) before finally picking up their first loss at Brooklyn. They were also a part of that incredible War Games match in November. If this year hasn't quieted claims that this duo can't wrestle, then I don't know what can.
2016 Winner: The Revival
Return of the Year: Drew McIntyre
When Drew McIntyre was released by WWE three years ago, not a lot of fans expected him to return. He had tasted some minor success but it seemed like he just wasn't cut out for the top promotion. McIntyre used this opportunity to reinvent himself. He became a non-nonsense shit-kicking machine and tore it up in promotions such as TNA, WCPW, and EVOLVE. When he was resigned by NXT in January, it was clear he had returned a different man. His return match with Oney Lorcan was a hard-hitting affair and a sign of things to come.
Woman Wrestler of the Year: Asuka
Asuka was the most dominant women in all of NXT. And WWE. And the entire wrestling world. No woman could stand up to her in the ring. No one could dethrone her. No one could hope to defeat her. No one could match her reign of dominance. No one was ready for Asuka. No one is ready for Asuka.
2016 Winner: Asuka
2015 Winner: Sasha Banks
2014 Winner: Charlotte
Most Underrated Star of the Year: Kassius Ohno
Ohno returned to NXT this year after tearing it up on the independent scene. He has had to hold back on his vicious strikes and holds to better fit in with the WWE style and this has definitely hurt him. Nonetheless, Ohno is still a highly capable wrestler, something a lot of fans seem to have forgotten.
Rising Star of the Year: Fabian Aichner
Aichner may lose more often than he wins but that could be about to change. The Cruiserweight Classic competitor has put on quality match after quality match with opponents such as Roderick Strong and Johnny Gargano. Even though he has yet to have a real storyline, his matches have become must-see and huge talking points. He's definitely ready and deserving of a bigger spotlight.
2016 Winner: Andrade "Cien" Almas
Wrestler of the Year: Johnny Gargano
For the first time ever, the wrestler who holds the NXT Championship at the end of the year does not walk away with this award. Rather, it is the #1 Contender for the Championship and a former NXT Tag Team Champion. Johnny Wrestling is the heart and soul of wrestling. His world-class selling and top-notch character work allow him to tie the audience around his finger and get them emotionally involved in his matches. No one else in NXT has such a connection with the audience. Gargano has a chance to go down with the likes of Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, and Bayley as the brand's biggest ever stars.
2016 Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
2015 Winner: Finn Balor
2014 Winner: Sami Zayn
ROH:
Tag Team of the Year: The Young Bucks
Matt and Nick Jackson completely dominated the ROH tag scene nearly the entire year. Besides a short title reign by the Hardys, the Jacksons held the ROH Tag Titles from the beginning of the year all the way up until Death Before Dishonor XV, where they dropped the straps to the Motor City Machine Guns. They currently aren't without titles however, as the duo has teamed up with fellow Bullet Club member Adam Page to form the Hung Bucks and win the ROH Six Man tag titles.
2016 Winner: The Young Bucks
Most Underrated Star of the Year: Punishment Martinez
What other big men can do a tope con Hilo? I'm pretty sure the list is pretty short and that it starts with this man. Martinez has an incredible aura around him that has been well protected by ROH. His involvement in feuds and title contention is definitely lacking, but he should be able to do all that and more in 2018.
Comeback Star of the Year: TK O'Ryan
On March 10th of 2017, O'Ryan attempted a moonsault off of the ring apron when he smashed his leg into the guardrail and shattered his leg. It was a gruesome injury and incredibly difficult to watch. O'Ryan was on the shelf for months before finally making his in-ring return towards the end of the year.
2016 Winner: Colt Cabana
Breakout Star of the Year: Silas Young
Young's gruff "Last Real Man" persona has always helped him stand out on the ROH roster but 2017 was the first time he really shone. His months-long feud with Jay Lethal was career-making and established him as an upper midcarder. He got to show off how great he was on the mic and how underrated he is in the ring. His excellent year ended with him capturing Kenny King's ROH TV Championship at Final Battle.
2016 Winner: Dalton Castle
Debut of the Year: Bully Ray
The former ECW, TNA, WWE, etc. star made his debut at Manhattan Mayhem and put current NXT star Adam Cole through a table. His timely debut saved The Briscoes and Bobby Fish from the Bullet Club and formed a partnership between Jay, Mark, and Bully that eventually led to them becoming ROH Six Man Tag Team Champions.
Maneuver of the Year: Marty Scurll's Chickenwing
The Crossface chickenwing is probably best associated with Bob Backlund. The former WWE Champion used the move on wrestlers such as Bret Hart and Duke "The Dumpster" Droese. Other wrestlers such as Daniel Bryan, Asuka, and Triple H have also used/use the move. It's notably fallen out of fashion however, and wasn't held in high regard for years. That is, until Marty Scurll came along. Now, the chickenwing is once again highly regarded and Scurll always gets a big pop from the crowd when he calls for it.
Most Improved Star of the Year: Adam Page
Page will probably never be the focal point of the ROH part of Bullet Club. He'll probably never be ROH World Champion. Yet, it cannot be argued that Page can still be a very part of the promotion. He's currently 1/3 of the Six Man Tag Champions and has started to get the crowd behind him. It helps that his in-ring work has improved tenfold this year.
Match of the Year: The Hardys vs. The Young Bucks at Supercard of Honor
For the second year in a row, our winner here involves the Young Bucks and ladders. Not only was this a hard-hitting blinder of a match, but it took place in front of the largest crowd in Ring of Honor history.
2016 Winner: Ladder War VI
PPV of the Year: Final Battle
ROH's version of WrestleMania definitely impressed this year. It started with an underrated opener between Will Ospreay and Matt Taven, a legitimate four-star match between Jay Lethal and Marty Scurll, and ended with fan favorite Dalton Castle winning the Ring of Honor World Championship.
2016 Winner: Final Battle
Moment of the Year: Christopher Daniels wins the ROH World Championship
No one ever thought Daniels was going to be World Champion. It always seemed like he would be destined to be featured on lists of best wrestlers to never be World champs, like Kofi Kingston, the Million Dollar Man, and Jake Roberts. Daniels changed all of that at ROH's 15th Anniversary Show when he knocked off Adam Cole to win the big one.
Feud of the Year: Jay Lethal vs. Silas Young
As I said before, this was the feud that put Young on the wrestling map. These two had excellent chemistry and had a great feud that spanned months. At the end of it, Young stood tall (literally) to cap off this excellent feud.
Wrestler of the Year: Cody
Cody started the year as Bullet Club's newest member and used his popularity to become one of ROH's top stars. He ended Christopher Daniels's notable World title reign (after first falling short in an excellent triple threat match also including Jay Lethal) and held the title all the way until Final Battle.
2016 Winner: Adam Cole
2015 Winner: Jay Lethal
WWE:
PPV of the Year: Royal Rumble
The last few Royal Rumble shows have all suffered a bit. The 2016 edition had an uninspiring Rumble winner, 2015 and 2014 shall never be spoken of again, 2013 was an average show at best, etc. The 2017 Royal Rumble was not without its flaws but it was still a great show. Charlotte and Bayley had a fun match with an excellent ending, John Cena and AJ Styles had an instant classic, and Randy Orton won a very good Rumble match.
2016 Winner: Survivor Series
2015 Winner: WrestleMania 31
Female Wrestler of the Year: Charlotte Flair
Flair was on top of both the Raw and Smackdown female divisions this year and tangled with wrestlers such as Sasha Banks, Natalya, and Bayley. Her match quality in 2017 definitely decreased from the prior year but she was still in top form.
2016 Winner: Charlotte Flair
2015 Winner: Nikki Bella
2014 Winner: Paige
Title Reign of the Year: Neville as Cruiserweight Champion
To paraphrase Ric Flair, the title doesn't make the man, the man makes the title. If that's the case, then no one did more for their title than Neville. The Cruiserweight Championship was just a purple strap before Neville came along. Once he got his hands on it, it became a prize worth fighting over. Although Enzo Amore hurt that prestige a little bit, the Cruiserweight Championship still remains a worthy title thanks to the work of Neville.
To paraphrase Ric Flair, the title doesn't make the man, the man makes the title. If that's the case, then no one did more for their title than Neville. The Cruiserweight Championship was just a purple strap before Neville came along. Once he got his hands on it, it became a prize worth fighting over. Although Enzo Amore hurt that prestige a little bit, the Cruiserweight Championship still remains a worthy title thanks to the work of Neville.
2016 Winner: The New Day as WWE Tag Team Champions
2014 Winner: The Usos as WWE Tag Team Champions
Return of the Year: The Hardy Boyz
The day before WrestleMania, Matt and Jeff Hardy wrestled Matt and Nick Jackson in a ladder match for the ROH Tag Team Championship. It was ROH's best match of the year and took place in front of ROH's largest crowd ever. The next evening, they made a shock return to WWE and beat three other teams to win the Raw Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania. The crowd reaction they elicited upon returning was one of the biggest all year.
2016 Winner: Shane McMahon
2015 Winner: Sting
Comeback Superstar of the Year: Kurt Angle
After about a decade in TNA, Angle finally made his return to WWE. Two days after headlining the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2017, Angle was announced as the new Raw GM. That has proven to be a wise decision as Angle has been witty and entertaining. He even competed in two matches, including as a part of The Shield at TLC. It's clear that the Olympic hero is no longer in his prime, but he is still a joy to watch.
2016 Winner: Goldberg
2015 Winner: The Undertaker
2014 Winner: Tyson Kidd
2014 Winner: The Usos as WWE Tag Team Champions
Return of the Year: The Hardy Boyz
The day before WrestleMania, Matt and Jeff Hardy wrestled Matt and Nick Jackson in a ladder match for the ROH Tag Team Championship. It was ROH's best match of the year and took place in front of ROH's largest crowd ever. The next evening, they made a shock return to WWE and beat three other teams to win the Raw Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania. The crowd reaction they elicited upon returning was one of the biggest all year.
2016 Winner: Shane McMahon
2015 Winner: Sting
Comeback Superstar of the Year: Kurt Angle
After about a decade in TNA, Angle finally made his return to WWE. Two days after headlining the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2017, Angle was announced as the new Raw GM. That has proven to be a wise decision as Angle has been witty and entertaining. He even competed in two matches, including as a part of The Shield at TLC. It's clear that the Olympic hero is no longer in his prime, but he is still a joy to watch.
2016 Winner: Goldberg
2015 Winner: The Undertaker
2014 Winner: Tyson Kidd
Faction of the Year: The New Day
WWE was pretty much devoid of good factions in 2017. Absolution has dominated the Raw women's division but they debuted in November. Riott Squad never tasted that kind of success and has always felt like an Absolution tribute act. The Shield was great for a few weeks but were struck by injury and a viral outbreak. Then there's New Day, who hosted WrestleMania and won the Smackdown Tag Team titles twice.
WWE was pretty much devoid of good factions in 2017. Absolution has dominated the Raw women's division but they debuted in November. Riott Squad never tasted that kind of success and has always felt like an Absolution tribute act. The Shield was great for a few weeks but were struck by injury and a viral outbreak. Then there's New Day, who hosted WrestleMania and won the Smackdown Tag Team titles twice.
2016 Winner: The New Day
2015 Winner: The New Day
2014 Winner: The Shield
Breakout Star of the Year: Braun Strowman
When Strowman first debuted the night after Summerslam in 2015, fans weren't quite sure what to make of him. Sure, he had an impressive physique and looked intimidating as all hell, but he was green as grass. When it was rumored that he might face Undertaker at 'Mania, fans revolted. The plans were shelved and the Strowman push was made more subtle. He started facing jobbers (including James Ellsworth) before being given a monster push again. In 2017, Strowman became arguably the most popular superstar in all of WWE. His feud with Roman Reigns was career-making, he had two matches for the Universal Championship, and he headlined multiple pay-per-views. It should only be a matter of time until Strowman wins the big one.
When Strowman first debuted the night after Summerslam in 2015, fans weren't quite sure what to make of him. Sure, he had an impressive physique and looked intimidating as all hell, but he was green as grass. When it was rumored that he might face Undertaker at 'Mania, fans revolted. The plans were shelved and the Strowman push was made more subtle. He started facing jobbers (including James Ellsworth) before being given a monster push again. In 2017, Strowman became arguably the most popular superstar in all of WWE. His feud with Roman Reigns was career-making, he had two matches for the Universal Championship, and he headlined multiple pay-per-views. It should only be a matter of time until Strowman wins the big one.
2016 Winner: Alexa Bliss
2015 Winner: Kevin Owens
Tag Team of the Year: The Usos
This was a close one against Sheamus & Cesaro, but just like at Survivor Series, the Usos win. They started off the year with a hot TV feud with American Alpha to win the Smackdown Tag Team titles (and had some great TV matches while doing so), retained against Breezango, and then had the best feud of the year (spoiler alert) against New Day. Their thuggish gimmick got over huge and they even got to show off their great mic skills, something that had gone unnoticed up to this point.
This was a close one against Sheamus & Cesaro, but just like at Survivor Series, the Usos win. They started off the year with a hot TV feud with American Alpha to win the Smackdown Tag Team titles (and had some great TV matches while doing so), retained against Breezango, and then had the best feud of the year (spoiler alert) against New Day. Their thuggish gimmick got over huge and they even got to show off their great mic skills, something that had gone unnoticed up to this point.
2016 Winner: The New Day
2015 Winner: The New Day
2014 Winner: The Usos
Match of the Year: The New Day vs. The Usos at Hell in a Cell (Hell in a Cell Match)
Hell in a Cell matches in the PG era are a mixed bag. Without blood, it's hard to amp up the in-ring action. Some matches can still be really good, think Undertaker vs. Triple H at WrestleMania 28 or Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker in 2015, or a bland affair (such as Roman Reigns vs. Rusev in 2016 or Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins that same night). These two teams came into Hell in a Cell with an explosive rivalry that needed a conclusion. And we got just that. For 22 minutes, Xavier Woods, Big E, Jimmy Uso, and Jey Uso hit each other with every weapon they could get their hands on. We even saw an incredible spot where Xavier Woods barricaded Jey Uso in the corner using kendo sticks. It was easily the best Hell in a Cell match in years and was WWE's best match of the year.
Hell in a Cell matches in the PG era are a mixed bag. Without blood, it's hard to amp up the in-ring action. Some matches can still be really good, think Undertaker vs. Triple H at WrestleMania 28 or Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker in 2015, or a bland affair (such as Roman Reigns vs. Rusev in 2016 or Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins that same night). These two teams came into Hell in a Cell with an explosive rivalry that needed a conclusion. And we got just that. For 22 minutes, Xavier Woods, Big E, Jimmy Uso, and Jey Uso hit each other with every weapon they could get their hands on. We even saw an incredible spot where Xavier Woods barricaded Jey Uso in the corner using kendo sticks. It was easily the best Hell in a Cell match in years and was WWE's best match of the year.
2016 Winner: AJ Styles vs. John Cena at Summerslam
2015 Winner: Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins at Royal Rumble
2014 Winner: Team Cena vs. Team Authority at Survivor Series
Moment of the Year: Kevin Owens turns on Chris Jericho
The Festival of Friendship was one of WWE's best segments in years. It was an absurd, incredibly entertaining segment that saw Chris Jericho shower his best friend with gifts. But it was the conclusion that had us all talking: Kevin Owens turning on Jericho in a heartless, cruel attack. It ended one of the best pairings in recent WWE memory while sparking a great feud.
2016 Winner: Goldberg beats Brock Lesnar
2015 Winner: Seth Rollins Cashes In
2014 Winner: Brock Lesnar Breaks the Streak
Debut of the Year: Tye Dillinger
It made too much sense to ignore: Tye Dillinger, the Perfect 10, had to enter the Royal Rumble at #10. It was perfect in theory and perfect in execution. Dillinger's entrance drew a huge reaction and even though he didn't last too long, it was still a great debut.
2016 Winner: AJ Styles
2015 Winner: Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks
2014 Winner: Sting
Talker of the Year: Kevin Owens
For the first time, someone not named Paul wins this award. Owens has always been one of WWE's best mic workers but he took it to a new level this year. Case in point: check out his promo from the week after the Festival of Friendship. Owens came across like a ruthless warlord while attacking Goldberg, his next title contender. It was easily one of the best WWE promos of 2017 and only one of Owens's great moments.
2016 Winner: Paul Heyman
2015 Winner: Paul Heyman
2014 Winner: Paul Heyman
One Night Performance of the Year: Roman Reigns at Royal Rumble
Reigns started off the night by taking on Kevin Owens in a No DQ match for the Universal Championship. It was a car-wreck of a match and these two heavyweights left a lot of carnage in their wake. Reigns looked like he had the title won before Braun Strowman interfered and cost him the match. Later in the night, Reigns entered the Royal Rumble match at #30. He eliminated three superstars, including The Undertaker, before being tossed out by Randy Orton to finish as the runner-up.
One Night Performance of the Year: Dean Ambrose at Royal Rumble
2015 Winner: Seth Rollins at Night of Champions
2014 Winner: Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 30
Maneuver of the Year: Neville's Red Arrow
Neville rarely used the Red Arrow in 2017. It may seem like a paradox but that made the move even more powerful. The former NXT Champion only busted out the move when he was desperate (such as against Austin Aries at 'Mania) and the gorgeous corkscrew shooting star press never failed to put an opponent away.
2016 Winner: Baron Corbin's End of Days
2015 Winner: Neville's Red Arrow
2014 Winner: Neville's Red Arrow
2015 Winner: Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins at Royal Rumble
2014 Winner: Team Cena vs. Team Authority at Survivor Series
Moment of the Year: Kevin Owens turns on Chris Jericho
The Festival of Friendship was one of WWE's best segments in years. It was an absurd, incredibly entertaining segment that saw Chris Jericho shower his best friend with gifts. But it was the conclusion that had us all talking: Kevin Owens turning on Jericho in a heartless, cruel attack. It ended one of the best pairings in recent WWE memory while sparking a great feud.
2016 Winner: Goldberg beats Brock Lesnar
2015 Winner: Seth Rollins Cashes In
2014 Winner: Brock Lesnar Breaks the Streak
Debut of the Year: Tye Dillinger
It made too much sense to ignore: Tye Dillinger, the Perfect 10, had to enter the Royal Rumble at #10. It was perfect in theory and perfect in execution. Dillinger's entrance drew a huge reaction and even though he didn't last too long, it was still a great debut.
2016 Winner: AJ Styles
2015 Winner: Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks
2014 Winner: Sting
Talker of the Year: Kevin Owens
For the first time, someone not named Paul wins this award. Owens has always been one of WWE's best mic workers but he took it to a new level this year. Case in point: check out his promo from the week after the Festival of Friendship. Owens came across like a ruthless warlord while attacking Goldberg, his next title contender. It was easily one of the best WWE promos of 2017 and only one of Owens's great moments.
2016 Winner: Paul Heyman
2015 Winner: Paul Heyman
2014 Winner: Paul Heyman
One Night Performance of the Year: Roman Reigns at Royal Rumble
Reigns started off the night by taking on Kevin Owens in a No DQ match for the Universal Championship. It was a car-wreck of a match and these two heavyweights left a lot of carnage in their wake. Reigns looked like he had the title won before Braun Strowman interfered and cost him the match. Later in the night, Reigns entered the Royal Rumble match at #30. He eliminated three superstars, including The Undertaker, before being tossed out by Randy Orton to finish as the runner-up.
One Night Performance of the Year: Dean Ambrose at Royal Rumble
2015 Winner: Seth Rollins at Night of Champions
2014 Winner: Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 30
Maneuver of the Year: Neville's Red Arrow
Neville rarely used the Red Arrow in 2017. It may seem like a paradox but that made the move even more powerful. The former NXT Champion only busted out the move when he was desperate (such as against Austin Aries at 'Mania) and the gorgeous corkscrew shooting star press never failed to put an opponent away.
2016 Winner: Baron Corbin's End of Days
2015 Winner: Neville's Red Arrow
2014 Winner: Neville's Red Arrow
Feud of the Year: The New Day vs. The Usos
It's rare when a feud produces a MOTY contender. This feud had two: their tag match at Summerslam and their HIAC match at Hell in a Cell in October. Throw in their rap battle on Smackdown and you have WWE's best feud of 2017 and the best tag team feud in years.
It's rare when a feud produces a MOTY contender. This feud had two: their tag match at Summerslam and their HIAC match at Hell in a Cell in October. Throw in their rap battle on Smackdown and you have WWE's best feud of 2017 and the best tag team feud in years.
2016 Winner: Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens
2015 Winner: Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker
2014 Winner: Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose
Rising Star of the Year: Carmella
Carmella might still not be a great in-ring wrestler but she's still going to be a future champion. How do I know that? Because she won the first-ever women's Money in the Bank ladder match in the summer of 2017.
2016 Winner: Enzo Amore & Big Cass
Wrestler of the Year: AJ Styles
This was a really tough choice. You could easily pick Braun Strowman here but Styles is our choice. The Phenomenal One held both the WWE Championship and the United States Championship twice while becoming the undisputed ace of Smackdown. He's so over it defies belief while continuing to dazzle inside the ring on a nightly basis (see his matches against John Cena or Brock Lesnar for proof). There are no two ways about it, AJ Styles was WWE's best wrestler of 2017.
2016 Winner: AJ Styles
2015 Winner: Seth Rollins
2014 Winner: Seth Rollins
2015 Winner: Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker
2014 Winner: Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose
Rising Star of the Year: Carmella
Carmella might still not be a great in-ring wrestler but she's still going to be a future champion. How do I know that? Because she won the first-ever women's Money in the Bank ladder match in the summer of 2017.
2016 Winner: Enzo Amore & Big Cass
Wrestler of the Year: AJ Styles
This was a really tough choice. You could easily pick Braun Strowman here but Styles is our choice. The Phenomenal One held both the WWE Championship and the United States Championship twice while becoming the undisputed ace of Smackdown. He's so over it defies belief while continuing to dazzle inside the ring on a nightly basis (see his matches against John Cena or Brock Lesnar for proof). There are no two ways about it, AJ Styles was WWE's best wrestler of 2017.
2016 Winner: AJ Styles
2015 Winner: Seth Rollins
2014 Winner: Seth Rollins
Weekly Show of the Year: NXT
While Lucha Underground had its share of iffy episodes, NXT continued to churn out quality shows. It even featured a number of great TV matches, including Asuka vs. Nikki Cross in a Last Women's Standing match for the NXT Women's Championship and Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate for the United Kingdom Championship.
2016 Winner: Lucha Underground
2015 Winner: Lucha Underground
2014 Winner: NXT
Legend of the Year: Bobby Heenan
After a long battle with cancer, the Brain finally passed away in 2017. The man considered the greatest manager of all-time appeared in the corner of legends such as Andre the Giant, Ric Flair, and "Ravishing" Rick Rude. He was also incredible as a commentator. His partnership with Gorilla Monsoon is the stuff of legends and his work in the 1992 Royal Rumble match is widely considered to be the greatest commentary ever.
Legend of the Year: Chyna
2015 Winner: Dusty Rhodes
2014 Winner: Ultimate Warrior
Commentator of the Year: Corey Graves
Commentating in 2017 was a mixed bag. Michael Cole was great in the United Kingdom Championship tournament but failed to truly impress on Raw, most fans forgot Percy Watson was even there, Josh Matthews was absolutely infuriating to listen to at times, and Booker T made fans reach for their mute button. Then there was Graves: the former NXT Tag Team Champion has become one of the best commentators in wrestling history seemingly out of nowhere. The runner-up here: Kevin Kelly, who does a seminal job for NJPW.
Tag Team of the Year: The Usos
Matt and Nick Jackson put up stiff competition but the Usos definitely deserve this award. Their feud with the New Day was WWE's best of 2017 and they won the Smackdown Tag Team titles twice. Their thuggish personas got so over that WWE was forced to turn them face after their incredible Hell in a Cell match in October. Not bad for a team that spent much of 2016 being booed relentlessly (thanks, Roman).
Match of the Year: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega at Dominion
There are really only three possible answers here: any of the three matches that Omega and Okada had this year. All three of them were awe-inspiring and epic in their own unique ways. In the end, we have to give the nod to match #2. If Vince McMahon ever booked an hour-long match to end in a time limit draw, he would probably be booed out of the building. Gedo on the other hand, helped weave together a beautiful story full of many little intricacies that glued fans to their screens.
PPV of the Year: Wrestle Kingdom 11
Look, this isn't even close. Wrestle Kingdom 11 will go down as one of the greatest shows in wrestling history along with the likes of WrestleMania X-7 and WrestleKingdom 10. That's how good it was.
Feud of the Year: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega
How could it be anything else? Okada and Omega had three of the greatest matches in wrestling history and left more than enough room for many more. And who wouldn't want to see more matches between these two?
Promotion of the Year: New Japan Pro Wrestling
NJPW wins this award based on match quality alone. Think a minute of all the incredible matches Gedo booked this year, including Okada vs. Omega I, Okada vs. Shibata, Okada vs. Omega II, Omega vs. Naito, KUSHIDA vs. Ospreay, Okada vs. Omega III, Ospreay vs. Scurll, Beretta vs. Omega, Naito vs. Elgin, Suzuki vs. Okada, Tanahashi vs. Ibushi, Tanahashi vs. Sabre Jr., Omega vs. Robinson, and Tanahashi vs. Naito. But we also have to look at the business side as well. That has to be considered a success, as NJPW ran shows in the U.S. for the first time ever while increasing the subscriber count for New Japan World.
2016 Winner: New Japan Pro Wrestling
2015 Winner: NXT
Wrestler of the Year: Kazuchika Okada
Let's forget the question of which wrestler had the best 2017. Okada is the clear choice. He held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship the entire year, had a boatload of great matches, and served as NJPW's undisputed ace. No, the real question is: did Okada have one of the great years in wrestling.
Thanks to all you of readers who checked us out in 2017. Here's hoping 2018 is an even bigger year.
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