2012 Wrestling Observer Award Winners

[Postman Dave]

LOU THESZ/RIC FLAIR AWARD (WRESTLER OF THE YEAR)

1. HIROSHI TANAHASHI

2. C.M. Punk

3. Kazuchika Okada


MIXED MARTIAL ARTS MOST VALUABLE

1. ANDERSON SILVA

2. Jon Jones

3. Ronda Rousey

MOST OUTSTANDING WRESTLER

1. HIROSHI TANAHASHI

2. Kazuchika Okada

3. Daniel Bryan

MOST OUTSTANDING FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

1. ANDERSON SILVA

2. Jon Jones

3. Ronda Rousey

BEST BOX OFFICE DRAW

1. THE ROCK

2. John Cena

3. Brock Lesnar

FEUD OF THE YEAR

1. HIROSHI TANAHASHI VS. KAZUCHIKA OKADA

2. Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen

3. The Rock vs. John Cena

TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR

1. CHRISTOPHER DANIELS & KAZARIAN

2. Kane & Daniel Bryan

3. Young Bucks

MOST IMPROVED

1. KAZUCHIKA OKADA

2. Michael Elgin

3. Rush

Top WWE: 4. Damien Sandow

Top TNA: 5. Bully Ray

BEST ON INTERVIEWS

1. C.M. PUNK

2. Chael Sonnen

3. The Rock

MOST CHARISMATIC

1. THE ROCK

2. Hiroshi Tanahashi

3. John Cena

BEST TECHNICAL WRESTLER

1. DANIEL BRYAN

2. Prince Devitt

3. Davey Richards

BRUISER BRODY MEMORIAL AWARD (BEST BRAWLER)

1. KEVIN STEEN

2. Togi Makabe

3. Bully Ray

Top WWE: 4. Sheamus

BEST FLYING WRESTLER

1. KOTA IBUSHI

2. Ricochet

3. Pac (88)

Top TNA: 11. AJ Styles

Top WWE: 12. Sin Cara

MOST OVERRATED

1. RYBACK

2. The Miz

3. Garett Bischoff

MOST UNDERRATED

1. TYSON KIDD

2. Dolph Ziggler

3. Daniel Bryan

PROMOTION OF THE YEAR

1. NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING

2. Ultimate Fighting Championships

3. World Wrestling Entertainment

6. Total Nonstop Action

BEST WEEKLY TV SHOW

1. TNA IMPACT

2. Ring of Honor

3. WWE NXT

4. WWE Monday Night Raw

TNA Impact previously won the past five worst weekly TV show awards.

PRO WRESTLING MATCH OF THE YEAR

1. TANAHASHI VS. SUZUKI 10/8 TOKYO

2. John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar 4/29 Chicago

3. Davey Richards vs. Michael Elgin 3/31 Ft. Lauderdale

11. A.J. Styles & Kurt Angle vs. Christopher Daniels & Kazarian 6/10 Arlington, TX

MMA MATCH OF THE YEAR

1. CHAN SUNG JUNG VS. DUSTIN POIRIER 5/15 FAIRFAX

2. Benson Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar 2/26 Saitama

3. Georges St-Pierre vs. Carlos Condit 11/17 Montreal

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

1. DINASTIA

2. Mr. Touchdown

3. Eita Kobayashi

No WWE or TNA wrestlers listed.

BEST NON-WRESTLER

1. PAUL HEYMAN

2. Ricardo Rodriguez

3. Vickie Guerrero

BEST TELEVISION ANNOUNCER

1. JIM ROSS

2. Nigel McGuinness

3. William Regal

WORST TELEVISION ANNOUNCER

1. MICHAEL COLE

2. Taz

3. Booker T

BEST MAJOR WRESTLING SHOW

1. NEW JAPAN KINGS OF PRO WRESTLING 10/8 TOKYO

2. WWE Extreme Rules 4/29 Chicago

3. WWE WrestleMania 4/1 Miami

WORST MAJOR WRESTLING SHOW

1. UFC 149 7/21 CALGARY

2. Extreme Reunion 4/28 Philadelphia

3. WWE No Way Out 5/20 East Rutherford, NJ

BEST WRESTLING MANEUVER

1. KAZUCHIKA OKADA RAINMAKER

2. Antonio Cesaro Neutralizer

3. Daniel Bryan Yes/No/LeBell lock

MOST DISGUSTING PROMOTIONAL TACTIC

1. WWE’S PRESENTATION OF PAUL HEYMAN AND C.M. PUNK COMING IN DURING JERRY LAWLER’S RETURN, AIRING CLIPS OF HIM WHILE HE WAS DEAD AND BEING REVIVED, AND THE FAKE HEART ATTACK PROMO

2. Extreme Rising using Sabu’s overdose/passing out while advertising his return to the promotion

3. UFC’s handling of Jeremy Stephens’ arrest, trying to bail him out and still have him fight on the show while he was stuck in jail that afternoon

WORST TELEVISION SHOW

1. WWE RAW

2. TNA Impact

3. Ultimate Fighter: Nelson vs. Carwin

WORST MATCH OF THE YEAR

1. JOHN CENA VS. JOHN LAURINAITIS 5/20 RALEIGH

2. Santino Marella vs. Ricardo Rodriguez 6/17 E Rutherford

3. Clay Guida vs. Gray Maynard 6/22 Atlantic City

WORST FEUD OF THE YEAR

1. JOHN CENA VS. KANE

2. TNA vs. Aces and 8s

3. John Cena vs. John Laurinaitis

NOTABLE PREVIOUS WINNERS: 2002 - HHH vs. Kane; 2003 - Shane McMahon vs. Kane; 2004 - Kane vs. Lita & Matt Hardy; 2007 - Kane vs. Big Daddy V; 2008 - Rey Mysterio vs. Kane; 2010 - Edge vs. Kane

WORST PROMOTION OF THE YEAR

1. TOTAL NONSTOP ACTION

2. Ring of Honor

3. World Wrestling Entertainment

BEST BOOKER

1. GEDO & JADO

2. Joe Silva

3. Mike Quackenbush

4. Vince McMahon

PROMOTER OF THE YEAR

1. DANA WHITE

2. Takaaki Kidani

3. Vince McMahon

BEST GIMMICK

1. JOSEPH PARK

2. Damien Sandow Savior of the Masses

3. Daniel Bryan Yes/No

WORST GIMMICK

1. ACES AND 8S

2. Tensai

3. Natalya farting

BEST PRO WRESTLING BOOK

1. SHOOTERS BY JONATHAN SNOWDEN

2. Heroes and Icons by Oliver/Johnson/Mooneyham

3. From Prison to Promise by Booker T

BEST PRO WRESTLING DVD

1. C.M. PUNK BEST IN THE WORLD

2. Last of McGuinness

3. Such Great Heights: The Jon Fitch Story

Japan dominated this year, not a great year for American wrestling apparently.

Not sure how TNA can have the best TV show & worst promotion when TV accounts for the majority of their output and recognition, but whatevs.

Glad to see Bad Influence beat Hell No in at least one set of awards.

Most over/under rated awards come as across as the smarkiest of smarkdom. Ryback's hella fun, just because he isn't having 5* matches every week doesn't mean he's overrated.

 

[The Viper]

......how is Garett Bischoff overrated...? That one's flabbergasting to me. The majority of everyone is not a fan of the dude. It's not like he really sucks but he keeps getting praise for some reason.

Oh well. Decent winners. I really should watch more Japan. The first NJPW show I have ever watched was Wrestle Kingdom 7 a few weeks ago. Great show.

 

[Castiel]

I couldn't help but think the exact same thing when reading the over/underrated awards, smarky as all hell! Ziggler and Bryan are underrated? Mr. MITB and the tag champion that are focused on weekly? Hell, isn't most of this smarkiness though? I mean those guys deserve to be there, Tanahashi and Okada absolutely rock it but it feels like they just want to blow them.

Cena/Big Johnny is nowhere near the worst matches of the year. It was fun as hell, just shouldn't have main evented a PPV. Looking at the 2011 awards they were praising Miz and now he's overrated.. ok. And HA at ROH getting hate now that they've got some exposure. At least Joseph Park gets some love, that's all that really matters.

 

[Hoss]

These awards are Blue as all hell. I question almost all of these decisions, except the MMA awards and Best Promoter. Maybe Wrestler of the Year as I am a Tanahashi fan. I wouldn't put Okado up there though, nor would I call the Neutralizer one of the best finishers. I could really rant about this for a while but all I'll say in summarization is that these awards are LAME.

 

[Fuji Vice]

I wouldn't put Okado up there though

Hard to argue that he wasn't the most improved wrestler this year.

 

[Hoss]

I was referring to his contention in the Wrestler of the Year category. I would have to give Tanahashi, Punk and Steen that recognition. I definitely think Okado has come a long way from where he was a year ago, no doubt.

 

[Swamps]

Wow, Kane has been voted in the Worst Fued of The Year very often. Man, can't help but feel bad for the guy, but some of those fueds (Big Daddy V) I can't even remember. I will say his fueds with Rey and Matt Hardy sucked.