Wrestling Observer Ballots, #4CR Style!

Back for another Roundtable edition of the Hashtag Wrestling blog! I’m still Billy Carpenter, and

I’m joined again by my good friends Anthony Johns (@hailmegatron), Samuel DiMascio

(@concrete1992), Anthony Pope (@APope45) & Martin Dixon (@BunnySuicida). This week we

worked on a very cool project, as we all got our hands on the Wrestling Observer 2012 Year-End

Ballot and decided to fill them out and do our own awards right here on the blog! We followed the

same guidelines (for the most part) as the Observer states on the ballot, but for those not familiar I’ll

break down scoring for you real quick: the Category A awards required each of us to pick a 1st,

2nd &3rd place finisher in each category. Points were given on a basis of 5-3-2, and winners are

determined by total points. Category B awards required one pick for each award, and winners were

chosen by total number of votes. We’ve also gone one step further and provided you with little blurbs

sprinkled throughout to give you some insight into our picks. Without any further ado, let’s get into it

shall we?

*CATEGORY A AWARDS*

Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year)

1. CM Punk-23 points

2. Kazuchika Okada-7 points

3. Hiroshi Tanahashi- 6 points

“This award was never in doubt, and I would’ve been surprised if it had gone any lower than this. I

love Okada & Tanahashi, but like I said during the BITW debate, CM Punk has been the #1 guy in

the biggest company in the world since Survivor Series 2011. He’s the complete package and I’m

sure he’ll be in contention for this award again next year.”—Billy Carpenter

Other vote getters: Austin Aries, John Cena, Kevin Steen, Sheamus, Daniel Bryan

Most Outstanding Wrestler

1. Daniel Bryan-12 points

2. Kazuchika Okada-10 points

3. El Generico-9 points

“Daniel Bryan has consistently shown in the ring why he is the best wrestler in wrestling. His

technical prowess, his knowledge of the sport, and his athleticism make him enjoyable to watch no

matter who he is facing. He could make a broom look like God in the ring.”—Anthony Johns

Other vote getters: Kevin Steen, CM Punk, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Wade Barrett

Best Box Office Draw

1. The Rock-15 points

2. John Cena-7 points

3. Brock Lesnar-6 points

Other vote getters: CM Punk, Daniel Bryan

Feud of the Year

1. CM Punk vs Chris Jericho-12 points

2. The Rock vs John Cena-9 points

3. James Storm vs Robert Roode/Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus (tie)-5 points

“This was my feud of the year. Such a great and personal story, and featured a rare moment of

cursing on WWE TV by Punk.”—Anthony Pope

Other vote getters: Young Bucks vs Rick Knox, Dolph Ziggler vs Chris Jericho, CM Punk vs Daniel

Bryan, Low Ki vs Prince Devitt, Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi, Brock Lesnar vs Triple H,

Kofi Kingston vs Wade Barrett

Tag Team of the Year

1. Christopher Daniels & Frank Kazarian/Team Hell No (tie)-15 points

2. The Young Bucks-8 points

3. Super Smash Bros.-6 points

“Funny, entertaining, and great in the ring, Team Hell no was a breath of fresh air, especially when

real tag teams are so rare in WWE now.”—Anthony Pope

“Kaz & Daniels are the most entertaining thing on Impact each week. Both can flat out go in the

ring, and they’re a great comedy heel duo, ala Edge & Christian. Entertaining and awesome

workers, what more could you ask for?”–Billy Carpenter

Other vote getters: The Colony, Kota Ibushi/Kenny Omega, Kofi Kingston/R. Truth

Most Improved Wrestler

1. Kazuchika Okada-10 points

2. Bully Ray-7 points

3. Kane/Dean Ambrose-5 points (tie)

“Two years ago Okada was playing the role of Samoa Joe’s comedy sidekick O-Kato in TNA. Fast

forward to 2012, he returns to NJPW, and takes the IWGP title from Hiroshi Tanahashi in an

absolute barn-burner of a match. No-one’s career has experienced a resurrection quite like Okada &

he’s justifying the faith NJPW is putting in him by consistently being awesome.”—Martin Dixon

Other vote getters: Sami Callihan, Big Show, Michael Elgin, John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe,

Ricochet, Wade Barrett

Best on Interviews

1. CM Punk-25 points (unanimous)

2. Austin Aries-5 points

3. Eddie Kingston/Chris Jericho/The Rock/Ken Anderson (tie)-3 points

“CM Punk’s name is synonymous with great mic work, and has been for years. He’s in a class by

himself right now. I think his promo work has put him on a level reserved for the Flair’s, Austin’s &

Rock’s of the world. Like I said in our BITW roundtable, his ‘pipebomb’ in 2011 was THE story in

pro-wrestling that year. In 2012, he continued to dominate on the mic.”—Billy Carpenter

Other vote getters: Bully Ray, Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Steen

Most Charismatic

1. Daniel Bryan-13 points

2. CM Punk-8 points

3. The Rock/John Cena/El Generico (tie)-7 points

Other vote getters: RD Evans, Ryback, Kazuchika Okada

Best Technical Wrestler

1. Daniel Bryan (unanimous)-25 points

2. Davey Richards-6 points

3. Eddie Edwards-4 points

“On the first episode of NXT Daniel Bryan put a basic heel hook on Chris Jericho and the fans went

nuts for it. Bryan marries awesome charisma with the crisp mat work of William Regal in his prime.

Davey Richards may be the better worker, but Bryan’s character work is a technical marvel in its

own right.”—Martin Dixon

Other vote getters: Mike Quackenbush, Alex Shelley, CM Punk, El Generico, Antonio Cesaro,

KENTA, Kurt Angle

Bruiser Brody Memorial Award (Best Brawler)

1. Kevin Steen-20 points

2. Bully Ray-7 points

3. Masada-5 points

“It’s telling that in a “workrate” company like Ring of Honor, it’s “ace” is Kevin Steen. He may not

be the ultra violent CZW type, but his wild brawls with Steve Corino & El Generico have a story

telling quality so lacking from most no DQ matches.”—Martin Dixon

Other vote getters: Black Terry, Mark Henry, Big Show, Kane, The Undertaker, Togi Makabe,

Sheamus

Best Flying Wrestler

1. Ricochet/PAC (tie)-10 points

2. Kenny King/Kota Ibushi (tie)-8 points

3. El Generico-5 points

“The man known as Ricochet is the definition of an aerial artist. Watching him go through the air is

a thing of beauty. Being able to fly around the ring is one aspect of being considered the best high-

flying wrestler in the world but it’s not the only one. The way he incorporates it into his matches and

makes a story with it is what sets him apart from some of the great flyers on the planet. Take his

match with El Generico in PWG where his moves weren’t just exciting to watch but was an integral

part of the story in that match. His work in DGUSA/EVOLVE/DG would have made him a contender

but his work in PWG cemented him has the best high-flyer of 2012.”—Samuel DiMascio

Other vote getters: Rich Swann, AR Fox, Zema Ion, Shelton Benjamin, Low Ki

Most Overrated

1. Matt Morgan-10 points

2. Ken Anderson-6 points

3. Ryback/Rob Van Dam/Jeff Hardy (tie)-5 points

Other vote getters: Davey Richards, Lance Archer, Hulk Hogan, Sting

Most Underrated

1. Dolph Ziggler-10 points

2. Tyson Kidd-7 points

3. Samoa Joe/Jack Swagger (tie)-5 points

“Dolph Ziggler gets the short end of the stick most of the time. His in ring ability is one that a lot of

new wrestlers don’t have. He deserves to be in the WWE Title picture with what he has to offer.”—

Anthony Johns

Other vote getters: AJ Styles, Drew Gulak, Justin Gabriel, Zema Ion, Wade Barrett, Hirooki Goto,

Damien Sandow, Kassius Ohno/Chris Hero, James Storm

Promotion of the Year

1. New Japan Pro Wrestling-18 points

2. WWE-12 points

3. Chikara-7 points

“Was there really a better promotion in 2012 than NJPW? They had an exciting juniors division with

the likes of Prince Devitt and Low Ki being standouts. They had solid tag divisions. They had quality

Best of the Super Junior and G1 Climax Tournaments. They had two of the best shows in the world

for 2012 with Dominion and Kings of Pro Wrestling. Oh and NJPW also had numerous heavyweight

classics with Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tetsuya Naito, and Minoru Suzuki which all

could be in the debate for MOTY. All of this awesomeness was contained in one promotion, so yeah;

NJPW was the best promotion on the planet in 2012.”—Samuel DiMascio

Other vote getters: PWG, Ring of Honor, TNA

Best Weekly Show

1. Monday Night RAW-12 points

2. WWE NXT-10 points

3. Ring of Honor-8 points

“20 years is the main reason why WWE Raw is the top show. It was the first show for WWE and its

flagship show. No matter how good or bad, wrestling fans around the world tune into WWE raw

every Monday.”—Anthony Johns

Other vote getters: Impact, SmackDown!, Main Event, Saturday Morning Slam, Dragon Gate Infinity

Match of the Year

1. The Undertaker vs Triple H (HIAC, WM 28)-10 points

2. CM Punk vs Chris Jericho (WWE Title, WM 28)-8 points

3. CM Punk vs Daniel Bryan (WWE Title, Over the Limit)-7 points

(From my review of this match for voicesofwrestling.com)

“This was the culmination of a story that began before WrestleMania 25, and this match should’ve

been the swan song for both men. I was there live for this one, and I honestly don’t think anything

came close in terms of crowd reaction—maybe Cena/Rock, but that was more for the novelty of

seeing Rocky wrestle his first match in 8 years.

This was art, and my most enduring wrestling memory of 2012.”—Billy Carpenter

Other vote getters: Kazuchika Okada vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (6/16), Kazuchika Okada vs Tetsuya

Naito (3/4), Eddie Kingston vs Sara Del Rey (7/28), CM Punk vs Daniel Bryan (RAW, 1/30), El

Generico vs Kevin Steen (Final Battle), John Cena vs Brock Lesnar (Extreme Rules), PAC vs Jushin

Liger (5/27), Minoru Suzuki vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (10/8)

Rookie of the Year (*note: this didn’t go exactly by Observer guidelines for the award)

1. Antonio Cesaro-7 points

2. Dean Ambrose/Richie Steamboat/Tominaga (tie)-5 points

3. Kassius Ohno/Big E. Langston (tie)-3 points

Other vote getters: Daichi Hashimoto

Best Non-Wrestler Performer

1. Ricardo Rodriguez-18 points

2. Paul Heyman-10 points

3. AJ Lee-7 points

“As much as I hate Del Rio, that’s how much more I adore Rodriguez. Funny, amusing, and a great

wrestler, I always look forward to seeing him on my TV Set every Monday and Friday night.”—

Anthony Pope

Other vote getters: Truth Martini, Vince McMahon, Vickie Guerrero

Best TV Announcer

1. Jim Ross-8 points

2. Nigel McGuiness/JBL (tie)-7 points

3. William Regal-6 points

“Kind of telling about the regression of the art of announcing when Jim Ross, who wasn’t even full-

time this year, took the nod here. While I do like the others listed above as well, when JR filled in for

Jerry Lawler for a few months this fall, he showed us what we’ve been missing at the booth. Here’s

hoping that some others step their game up in 2013.”—Billy Carpenter

Other vote getters: Booker T, Matt Striker, Mike Quackenbush

Worst TV Announcer

1. Michael Cole-21 points

2. Tazz-10 points

3. Jerry Lawler/The Miz (tie)-5 points

“What hasn’t been said about Michael Cole? I try to avoid things that are bad but Michael Cole is

one of those horrible things that you can’t avoid when watching the WWE. The man is annoying as a

heel announcer to the point it sometimes distracts from the match and as a traditional announcer he

adds nothing of value to what I am seeing. All that adds up to him being the worst announcer of

2012.”—Samuel DiMascio

Other vote getters: JBL

Best Major Show

1. WWE WrestleMania 28-15

2. WWE Extreme Rules/NJPW Dominion/Chikara King of Trios (tie)-5 points

3. ROH Final Battle/WWE Money in the Bank/NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling (tie)-3 points

“Attending a WrestleMania is, to me, the apex of being a wrestling fan. It’s THE biggest show of the

year in this business, and this past year I got to attend my first one. I was treated to a great card,

featuring the return of The Rock as he battled John Cena in one of North American wrestling’s last

‘dream matches’. The WWE title match between Chris Jericho & CM Punk was absolutely fantastic

and, of course, the HIAC match between The Undertaker & Triple H was legendary. All of that,

along with the experience of the whole weekend, made this an easy pick for me.”—Billy Carpenter

Other vote getters: AJPW 3/20 show, TNA Destination X, NJPW Best of the Super Juniors (Final

Night)

*CATEGORY B AWARDS*

Worst Major Show

-WWE Over the Limit, TNA Lockdown, WWE Money in the Bank, WWE Extreme Rules (tie)

Best Wrestling Maneuver

-Kazuchika Okada’s “Rainmaker”

Other vote getters: Randy Orton’s ‘RKO’, Hirooki Goto’s ‘Shouten’, Daniel Bryan’s ‘No Lock’, El

Generico’s ‘Brainbustahhhh!’

Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic

-WWE turning Jerry Lawler’s heart attack into an angle.

Other vote getters: NWA: New Jersey promotes ‘Mortis’ (aka Kanyon) for a live event, TNA

mentioning Jeff Hardy’s past WWE championship wins.

Worst Television Show

-WWE Smackdown!

Other vote getters: Impact Wrestling

Worst Match of the Year

-John Cena vs John Laurinitis (WWE Over the Limit) (unanimous)

Worst Promotion

-CZW/TNA (tie)

Best Booker

-Gedo & Jado/Hunter ‘Delirious’ Thompson(tie)

Promoter of the Year

-Vince McMahon/Mike Quackenbush (tie)

Best Gimmick

-Damien Sandow

Other vote getters: Dolph Ziggler, Antonio Cesaro

Worst Gimmick

-Brodus Clay

Other vote getters: Zack Ryder, The Miz as a face

Best Pro Wrestling DVD

-CM Punk: Best in the World (unanimous)

I’m sure that there will be much discussion between us about these awards, but feel free to let us

know what YOU think too! Follow us on Twitter and join in the conversation.