2017 Wrestling Observer Awards

[Snowman1]

Didn't see a thread, so thought I'd post 'em here. Several people would have interesting thoughts, so better late than never! :yay:

(Courtesy: cagesideseats, unless Adam wants to post the real thing.
Only posting the top 3 to save space.)

LOU THESZ/RIC FLAIR AWARD

(WRESTLER OF THE YEAR)

1. A.J. STYLES (462) 2.920

2. Kazuchika Okada (285) 2,637

3. Tetsuya Naito (190) 2,610

MOST OUTSTANDING WRESTLER

1. A.J. STYLES (341) 2,436

2. Kenny Omega (249) 2,352

3. Kazuchika Okada (172) 1,735

BEST BOX OFFICE DRAW

1. CONOR MCGREGOR (1,005) 5,206

2. Brock Lesnar (9) 1,302

3. Nate Diaz (1) 1,006

FEUD OF THE YEAR

1. CONOR MCGREGOR VS. NATE DIAZ (677) 3,582

2. John Cena vs. A.J. Styles (38) 940

3. Los Ingobernables en Japon vs. Chaos (47) 848

TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR

1. YOUNG BUCKS (599) 3,801

2. Scott Dawson& Dash Wilder (323) 2,456

3. Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano (21) 1,059

MOST IMPROVED

1. MATT RIDDLE (190) 1,026

2. The Miz (127) 1,020

3. Juice Robinson (83) 991

BEST ON INTERVIEWS

1. CONOR MCGREGOR (627) 3,468

2. The Miz (106) 924

3. Chris Jericho (32) 909

MOST CHARISMATIC

1. CONOR MCGREGOR (381) 2,715

2. Shinsuke Nakamura (270) 2,116

3. Tetsuya Naito (121) 1,227

BRYAN DANIELSON AWARD

(BEST TECHNICAL WRESTLER)

1. ZACK SABRE JR. (453) 3,273

2. Kyle O'Reilly (282) 2,568

3. Kushida (67) 594

BRUISER BRODY MEMORIAL AWARD

(BEST BRAWLER)

1. TOMOHIRO ISHII (410) 3,044

2. Katsuyori Shibata (337) 2,873

3. Chris Hero (186) 1,545

BEST FLYING WRESTLER

1. WILL OSPREAY (741) 4,467

2. Ricochet (199) 3,276

3, Volador Jr.(70) 870

MOST OVERRATED

1. ROMAN REIGNS (242) 1,516

2. Braun Strowman (72) 719

3. Baron Corbin (57) 564

MOST UNDERRATED

1. CESARO (217) 1,571

2. Neville (124) 1,106

3. Sami Zayn (108) 865

PROMOTION OF THE YEAR

1. NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING (618) 4,215

2. Ultimate Fighting Championship (346) 2,878

3. World Wrestling Entertainment (69) 988

BEST WEEKLY TV SHOW

1. NEW JAPAN WORLD PRO WRESTLING (198) 2,070

2. WWE Smackdown Live (200) 1,626

3. WWE Talking Smack (165) 1,191

PRO WRESTLING MATCH OF THE YEAR

1. HIROSHI TANAHASHI VS. KAZUCHIKA OKADA 1/4 TOKYO (363) 2,568

2. Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya Naito 8/13 Tokyo (286) 2,451

3. Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii 8/6 Osaka (74) 854

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

1. MATT RIDDLE (924) 4,773

2. Lio Rush (47) 2,142

3. Fred Yehi (9) 919

BEST NON-WRESTLER

1. DARIO CUETO (231) 1,656

2. Daniel Bryan (202) 1,561

3. Paul Heyman (124) 1,107

BEST TELEVISION ANNOUNCER

1. MAURO RANALLO (279) 2,199

2. Corey Graves (172) 1,910

3. Shimpei Nogami (117) 888

WORST TELEVISION ANNOUNCER

1. DAVID OTUNGA (260) 2,018

2. Matt Striker (119) 1,651

3. Byron Saxton (103) 1,138

BEST MAJOR WRESTLING SHOW

1. NEW JAPAN WRESTLE KINGDOM 9 1/4 TOKYO (709) 4,001

2. PWG Battle of Los Angeles 9/3 Reseda (125) 1,409

3. WWE NXT Takeover Dallas 4/1 Dallas (64) 907

WORST MAJOR WRESTLING SHOW

1. WRESTLEMANIA 32 4/3 DALLAS 274

2. TNA Bound for Glory 10/2 Orlando 92

3. Bellator: Gracie vs. Shamrock 2/19 Houston 69

BEST WRESTLING MANEUVER

1. KENNY OMEGA ONE WINGED ANGEL 189

2. Kazuchika Okada rainmaker 123

3. Young Bucks Meltzer driver 95

MOST DISGUSTING PROMOTIONAL TACTIC

1. BELLATOR KIMBO VS. DADA 500 FIGHT 198

2. WWE Brock Lesnar doing hardway to Randy Orton 176

3. Aldo Ross (Adam Rose) mug shot T-shirt 46

WORST TELEVISION SHOW

1. WWE RAW 308

2. TNA Impact 165

3. Lucha Underground 107

WORST MATCH OF THE YEAR

1. SHELLY MARTINEZ VS. REBEL 3/17 ORLANDO 436

2. Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose 5/22 Newark, NJ 87

3. Kimbo Slice vs. Dada 5000 2/19 Houston 71

WORST FEUD OF THE YEAR

1. TITUS O'NEIL VS. DARREN YOUNG 322

2. Yoshitatsu vs. Bone Soldier 70

3. Roman Reigns vs. HHH 48

WORST PROMOTION OF THE YEAR

1. TNA IMPACT WRESTLING 412

2. AAA 181

3. WWE 68

BEST BOOKER

1. GEDO 851

2. Joe Silva 93

3. Ryan Ward 63

PROMOTER OF THE YEAR

1. DANA WHITE 610

2. Takaaki Kidani 244

3. Paul Levesque 66

BEST GIMMICK

1. BROKEN MATT HARDY 483

2. Los Ingobernables en Japon 226

3, Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens 32

WORST GIMMICK

1. BONE SOLDIER 105

2. The Cabinet 86

3. Make Darren Young Great Again 77

Talked with @Stopspot a little about this in a previous thread, but lol @ WWE getting third place in both best and worst promotion...

Thoughts???

 

[Stopspot]

Fucking howling at Riddle snapping up both Rookie of the Year and Most improved. Howling. I'll gladly give the guy most improved because Riddle is tremendous, but Meltzer's fucking qualifications for a rookie are laughable. Matt Riddle debuted in 2015 and is somehow a 2016 rookie and the 2016 most improved. If 2016 was his rookie year wouldn't he be unable to even take part in the most improved category until 2017, since your rookie year quality is what is used as basis to equate how much you have improved?

 

[Prince Bálor]

Bucks over Revival is hilarious. But then again, Meltzer is a huge NJPW mark, so... :quimby:

Wow, Riddle has improved THAT much, huh? I mean, I haven't watched his matches since his EVOLVE debut, but I'll have to check 'em out now.

 

[Snowman1]

Bucks over Revival is hilarious. But then again, Meltzer is a huge NJPW mark, so... :quimby:

Wow, Riddle has improved THAT much, huh? I mean, I haven't watched his matches since his EVOLVE debut, but I'll have to check 'em out now.

That + the 100 people voting LU as Worst Promotion really made me laugh. Add in Gedo running away with Best Booker + NJPW on AXS winning Best Weekly Show, two categories I'm shocked SD didn't get more love for.
But meh, maybe that's my fanboy side coming out

Unpopular Opinion: Cesaro Most Underrated felt like it was poorly thought out. Neville pre-heel turn anyone?
I'd say Roman too, but want to avoid that debate... And not really sure who else you'd put in that category. Cody is really the only person I know of.

 

[Stopspot]

That + the 100 people voting LU as Worst Promotion really made me laugh. Add in Gedo running away with Best Booker + NJPW on AXS winning Best Weekly Show, two categories I'm shocked SD didn't get more love for.
But meh, maybe that's my fanboy side coming out

Unpopular Opinion: Cesaro Most Underrated felt like it was poorly thought out. Neville pre-heel turn anyone?
I'd say Roman too, but want to avoid that debate... And not really sure who else you'd put in that category. Cody is really the only person I know of.

TBF I buy LU getting worst promotion.

It's a promotion that doesn't tour regularly, doesn't make money and struggle to hold on to its major talents due to constant backstage chaos.

But I also understand that most probably just look at quality of content. And LU's style is not for everyone. It's one of those promotions that you either love or don't get at all.

 

[Geese]

TNA in 2016 made improvements which didn't warrant it coming in second place for Worst show of the Year. "Broken" Matt and Eli Drake were the top stars of Impact. Rosemary had those interesting segments with Bram. Eli cut the promo of the year about his daddy's mashed potatoes and had memorable feuds with James Storm and Ethan Carter III. TNA tried something innovative with Deletion: Final Deletion, Delete or Decay, and Total Nonstop Deletion. And Impact showed me a match which I hadn't seen before with that exposed turnbuckles, empty arena match pitting Rockstar Spud against Braxton Sutter.

And If you don't agree with me then you're a dummy, yeah.

 

[Mike Thunder]

Only saw this now. Matt Striker the 2nd worst announcer of 2016?! WTF