Although WWE has one PPV left, TLC, taking place tomorrow night, it's time for the annual Achievement Awards. As I haven't been following WWE & TNA as much as I used to, and Lucha Underground hasn't been on long enough to merit consideration for awards, I decided that this year's awards would encompass TNA, WWE, & Ring of Honor, as we'll save Lucha Underground for next year. Here we go.
Eddie Guerrero Memorial MVP award:
In Ring of Honor, the award doesn't go to a wrestler this year, but to an authority figure, namely, Nigel McGuinness. The former champion has been a rock of stability since returning to ROH, and doesn't need to work the same stereotype seen elsewhere.
In WWE, this year's MVP award goes to Daniel Bryan, who's spent most of the 2nd half of 2014 on the DL. It's pretty obvious that without DBryan on the active roster, WWE has taken on the same, tired old routine of having the key angles revolve around John Cena in the absence of current champ Brock Lesnar. The product suffers from fatigue as a result. Vince McMahon needs to finally admit to himself and the fans that he really is out of touch.
Wrestler of the Year:
ROH: Michael Elgin gets the nod here. Elgin's title reign was cut short due to visa issues, which were resolved quicker than had been assumed. However, we saw a lot more range from Elgin in the matches we saw. Jay Briscoe, Jay Lethal, Adam Cole, and Roderick Strong were all considered, but all are bogged down with bad ideas (i.e. Lethal in the House of Truth). 2015 should be better for all concerned.
WWE: Bryan.
Babyface of the Year:
WWE: Daniel Bryan, for obvious reasons.
ROH: Cedric Alexander. In time, he'll win singles gold, but he made the most of his feud with the Decade, and now is waiting for another challenge.
Heel of the Year:
WWE: Seth Rollins. After turning on his Shield "brothers" in June, Rollins won Money in the Bank, but has taken the lazy man's route, needing agent-producers Jamie Noble & Joey Mercury to watch his back. What a waste of talent.
ROH: Truth Martini. He's a fashion victim, a dirtbag, and proud of being both. James Mitchell is still looking for his red suit.
Woman of the Year: AJ Lee. When will the rumors stop about AJ possibly leaving WWE, just because her husband, CM Punk, left in January? Not any time soon. AJ morphed from heel to babyface in a double turn with Paige over the summer, and is still head and shoulders above the rest of the Divas, save maybe for Natalya, who's bogged down with a Total Divas-inspired angle with her hubby, Tyson Kidd.
Tag team of the Year:
WWE: The Rhodes Brothers, Dustin (Goldust) & Cody (Stardust), edge out the Usos for the honor. Why Cody decided to follow his big bro in becoming a painted freak, I don't know, but the Stardust gimmick got over very quickly. Their heel run won't last much longer, though.
ROH: reDRagon repeats here, because no one has put on more consistent matches than Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly. I'm not saying this out of bias because Fish is from my home district, it's just facts. People are still raving about the matches they had with the Young Bucks, and I can't wait to see reDRagon vs. the Time Splitters from Final Battle.
Newcomer of the Year:
ROH: Hanson came out of nowhere and won the Top Prospect tournament, and is soldiering on as a solo act with tag partner Ray Rowe on the DL. Hanson clearly has future champion written all over him, and it won't be long.
WWE: Rusev dropped the first name (Alexander), but little else, though manager-girlfriend Lana (CJ Parker-Perry) needs to learn some manners, dignity, and discipline. Inevitably, Rusev will face John Cena, this generation's Hulk Hogan, and that's when he'll finally lose, though common sense would have him lose the US title before then. Lana's act is already wearing thin. Rusev's is not. The man can talk.
Match of the Year:
Lucha Underground finally gets some love. Fenix vs. Pentagon, Jr. vs. Drago from November is something to see. It was the American TV debut for all 3, and, trust me, it raised the bar.
Feud of the Year:
ROH: Michael Elgin vs. Adam Cole. Enough said.
WWE: Usos vs. Wyatt Family. Too bad they broke up the Wyatts shortly after their last battle with the twins.
These people need help in 2015:
Jay Lethal: The sooner he gets rid of Truth Martini, the better. The Flair-inspired promos are fine, but Martini is an albatross.
Dean Ambrose: He's this generation's Roddy Piper. Why Vince doesn't see this, I don't know. Having Piper in Ambrose's corner at a major event in 2015 would be golden.
TNA Creative: They need to get off to a fast start on Destination America and come up with fresh ideas. James Storm's Redneck Revolution is a Wyatt Family rip-off that's embarrassing to read and/or watch.
Lucha Underground: The seasonal format doomed Lucha Libre USA, but then, so did their choice of networks. Robert Rodriguez needs to do more to promote the show and his El Rey Network.
Mike Tenay: Bumped from TNA's broadcast booth in favor of Josh Mathews, in an effort to skew younger, Tenay would be wise to leave TNA and join Jeff Jarrett's Global Force Wrestling. Or start a podcast, like everyone else is.
What do you guys think? Let me know.
