Consistency
Match Quality
Storyline Quality
Innovation
Rivalry Chemistry
Diva (s) of the Year: Nikki Bella/Sasha Banks
This may not be the most popular choice, but Nikki gets the award for Diva of the Year. However, this was not as convincing of a choice as Paige last year. Nikki's biggest claim to fame is the fact that she broke AJ Lee's record for longest Title reign as Diva's Champion. Of course, the biggest criticism of her is the fact that she was only the champion because of the following reasons:
1. AJ Lee retiring
2. Relationship with John Cena
3. Ratings for Total Divas
Nikki has improved very much in the ring compared to where she was before, but that is not saying much. She is still leagues behind female legends like Trish Stratus, Lita, Madusa, Sherri Martel, etc to contemporaries like Natalya, Paige, Sasha Banks and AJ herself. In the long term, I think Nikki will just be seen as a placeholder Champion with not much to offer. However, she was the most consistent due to her run as champion in a fledgling Divas Division and a failed "Divas Revolution". The standards have not been high for the Divas to begin with lately, and Nikki was pretty much all that they could offer from a Main Roster standpoint.
This award was tough, but I have to call it a tie as Sasha Banks was the female MVP for NXT. Sasha proved night in and night out that she was truly the Boss. Banks carried the NXT Women's Title with respect and her own personal swagger. The Boss knew how to bring it as NXT Women's Champion. The highlights of her time in NXT were here matches with the likes of Becky Lynch, Charlotte and Bayley. Their match at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn is considered by many to be the best Women's match ever, or at least in the Top 5 somewhere. Sasha won in epic fashion. This match put the "Divas" to shame as it was typical Wrestling 101 for Women. They followed that with the Ironman/Ironwoman Match at NXT Takeover Respect with Bayley winning in Sasha's NXT farewell. Both of these matches have become modern day classics as they add to Sasha's NXT legacy.
Tag Team of the Year: New Day
This was clearly the best choice hands down. Ever since the USO's stepped away due to injury, the New Day has carried the Tag Team Division. They are truly the ultimate entertainers on the Main Roster of WWE. Initially, this was looked at as a joke, but they struck gold with this gimmick. This has been a great vehicle for them to not only showcase how entertaining they really are, but it is a great boost to each of their careers. Their segments have been excellent, and they have been able to back up their words with their work in the ring. By nature, the New Day are heels but their comedic timing keeps the fans from truly hating them. Even though they chant "New Day Sucks", this team continues to prove that "New Day Rocks". The biggest feather in their hat has been their victory over the Legendary Dudley Boyz. Don't be sour.
Dominating Performance of the Year: Brock Lesnar destroys New Day at Beast in the East
What else needs to be said? Brock Lesnar doing what he does best. Arrive, Destroy, Leave, Repeat. WWE held their exclusive Network Event "Beast In the East" live in Japan on the 4th of July at 5 am. I did not wake up that early, but I caught the repeat. Brock Lesnar was the marquee attraction as he was heavily advertised in the promotional photos. Lesnar destroyed Kofi Kingston almost like King Kong Bundy destroying S.D. Jones at the first WrestleMania. after defeating Kingston in easy fashion, Lesnar wiped the ring with Big E and Xavier Woods as he left a trail of destruction in the ring.
Surprise of the Year: Seth Rollins cashing in at WrestleMania
Seth Rollins turned heads and created the much needed headlines for WrestleMania as he cashed in the MITB Briefcase to become the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Rollins ran in to cash in the Briefcase as he focused on Roman Reigns. Seth cashing in at Mania is what helped save an otherwise middle of the pack WrestleMania and making it a headline success. Even though Seth had the briefcase, nobody expected WWE to pull the trigger for him to cash in on the Grandest Stage of them all.
Inspirational Wrestler of the Year: John Cena
This may not seem like the popular vote among the IWC, but John Cena has been a huge inspiration just from this year alone. From the time that he reclaimed the US Championship from Rusev at WrestleMania, John has not disappointed. The way that Cena has elevated the value of the United States Championship while raising the bar for younger talent (ex: Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins). Cena's status as champion has done miracles for that title. In fact, one can make the case that this has been Cena's best year when it comes to in-ring work. From his series of matches with Rusev, Kevin Owens, Rollins and even Cesaro, John has stepped up to the plate from one match after another. John is an inspiration simply from the way that he rises above his lifetime critics in the IWC. If anything, Cena looks more like the good guy as the IWC looks more like villains.
Return of the Year: The Dudley Boyz
After a 10 year absence, the Dudley Boyz made their long awaited return the night after Summerslam to an electric crowd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It was a natural homecoming not just from WWE, but from the New York crowd as well considering how legendary they are in that area as well as around the world. Bubba and D-Von did not waste time as they interrupted the New Day by giving them the 3-D Dudley Death Drop. The Dudleyz started their return run by feuding with New Day for the Tag Titles. They came up on the losing end, but they elevated the hottest Tag Team today. Anytime you are considered worthy of the Dudleyz attention, you have to be special.
Rookie of the Year: Kevin Owens
Without question, Kevin Owens has made the biggest impact from the NXT Class that is being called up to the Main Roster. Kevin is very impressive both in the ring and on the mic. Owens knows how to cut a great promo not only in WWE, but on Social Media (look at how he owns the trolls on Twitter). Even though he has spent many years on the Indy Scene (ROH), Kevin is still considered a rookie by the WWE standards. Owens made a giant splash of momentum from the time that he first arrived on the Main Roster to feud with none other than John Cena himself. Owens did not break under pressure. In fact, Kevin brought his game to another level as his trilogy with Cena has raised his stock within WWE. Kevin made waves when he defeated the legendary 15-time champion by pinning him cleanly (no interference). Even in his two losses to Cena, Owens still looked like a star ready for bigger things. The best thing about this is the fact that Kevin has not had to change what has made him a star. He has stuck to his guns, and the fans and executives have learned to respect him for that. Kevin Owens is a true original, and his performance against the franchise of this era has been outstanding. Even though he was robbed of the Slammy Award in favor of Neville (bad idea), Kevin Owens has proven that he is the true MVP of NXT.
Most Improved Wrestler of the Year: Roman Reigns
2015 has been a roller coaster year for Roman Reigns. It has been a tale of two cities. In the first half of the year, Reigns won the Royal Rumble in front of one of the most hostile wrestling cities ever (Philadelphia). From there, he was prematurely launched into the Main Event scene for WrestleMania. Clearly, the heat from the fans forced WWE to push the panic button for Seth Rollins to save the main event of Mania. I'm sure that WWE knew that Roman needed to make improvements, but they did their best early on to be as optimistic as possible when they put Reigns in that position. They were clearly in denial about what he seriously needed to improve on. Then, he goes into the feud with the Wyatt Family. That ultimately culminates in their HIAC match with Roman winning. In between that time, Reigns worked hard to make improvements and smooth out the edges to develop and become sharper. It has not been an easy process by any means, but it has paid off with him winning the title at the end of the year.
Babyface/Most Popular Wrestler of the Year: Cesaro
Ever since Vince McMahon said that he could not connect with the fans and could not grab the "Brass Ring" in his Interview on Stone Cold's Podcast, Cesaro has answered the challenge to prove his doubters wrong. Each time an opportunity comes, Cesaro has stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park. After that "Brass Ring" statement, Cesaro's fans support has risen to a new level. Even Austin himself has gone to bat to defend him. This has been a turnaround for Cesaro after his identity was ripped apart once he won the Andre The Giant Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXX. We know how that story went. First, he turns heel. Next, his Big Swing is taken away. Then, he aligns with Paul Heyman only to be naturally overshadowed by Brock Lesnar himself. Then, he splits from Heyman only to go on a losing streak. When 2015 hit, Cesaro made a turnaround. He teamed with Tyson Kidd with Natalya as their manager. I call them the "Brass Ring Club". Together, they won the Tag Team Titles before Tyson got injured. Cesaro has provided great quality matches and has shown that he is capable of making the best out of whatever opponent he has been given to work with. Soon, he was given his Big Swing back by creative. Cesaro has proven to be a top notch performer. He is a remarkable athlete as a man his size has been able to do incredible things during his matches. As time goes on, Cesaro has continued to add new weapons to his arsenal. From the Sharpshooter to the Crossface and even a flying forearm. Whatever you need, Cesaro can deliver. From John Cena, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens to Big Show and Ryback. Cesaro has proven that he can bring the best out of himself and his opponent. His matches with Cena for the US Title have been some of the biggest highlights of RAW this year. They created masterpieces together. They were not only the best of Cesaro's career, but they can rank among the best of Cena's career as well. Cesaro's popularity has grown to the point where he has his own fan section in every arena that he goes to. Cesaro is a wrestling machine in every sense of the word. He is a throwback to the legendary technical wrestling that fans have been used to for years. His momentum was put on hold from an injury as this leaves him out for WrestleMania. This is one of the many huge blows that WWE has suffered going into the biggest show of them all. However, you cannot deny that Cesaro has made a great rebound compared to where he was a year before.
Who's Next? (Breakout Show of the Year): NXT Takeover Brooklyn
Breakout Star of the Year: Kevin Owens
Enough said.
Feud of the Year: Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker
This was a story of unfinished business from Brock Lesnar's groundbreaking victory over Undertaker at WrestleMania 30. Taker took a full year off to heal. He returned for a cup of coffee at WrestleMania 31 to show that he still has it. Fast forward to July. Brock Lesnar was on the verge of defeating Seth Rollins for the WWE Championship. Suddenly, the lights went out. As soon as they came back on, it was The Undertaker. Taker wasted no time in destroying Lesnar as he made the exclamation point using the Tombstone Piledriver. This was a highly intense feud, so much so that the entire locker room had to hold them back from each other. It was a clash of the titans. This would lead to their match at Summerslam, where Taker defeated Brock with "Hell's Gate". During the feud, Undertaker went a different route by constantly giving Brock a low blow. It has even become a punchline. The series would conclude with their vicious "Hell in a Cell" match with Brock getting the victory.
Match of the Year: Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins (Royal Rumble 2015)
This match was in fact a Showstopper. Brock Lesnar retained the WWE Championship in a great Triple Threat Match at the Royal Rumble to kick off 2015. He defeated John Cena and Seth Rollins. One thing that made this so special was that it was the polar opposite of the Royal Rumble match itself. People were worried about Brock as Champion because of his limited schedule. Cena was reinventing himself as a Workhorse, and Seth was still "Mr. Money In The Bank" as he was the Wildcard in this match. This did not disappoint at all. In fact, it went beyond expectations. Seth showed Lesnar, Cena and the WWE Universe that he could hang under pressure in the Prime Time Main Event spotlight. Rollins and Cena threw everything including the kitchen sink. This match further established Brock is a Superhuman mutant that can withstand multiple assaults and still come out as the conqueror. He went back to the well with the German Suplexes. Those are Cena's Kryptonite (watch Summerslam 2014). Seth's arsenal as a showstopping workhorse was on full display. He brought his A Game and took it to two of the all-time greats. The highlight of the match was when Seth gave Brock an Elbow Drop through the announce table. Rollins pulled out moves that were never seen in the Shield. Lesnar withstands everything as an overpowered monster and finishes things off with the F5 to remain WWE Champion.
PPV of the Year: WrestleMania 31
This WrestleMania came as an unexpected surprise. WWE did a great job of turning the corner when it comes to being too predictable. The highlight of this as I have said before was Seth Rollins becoming champion. Earlier in the show, Rollins lost to Randy Orton in a spectacular match. The highlight for me was when Orton countered the Curb Stomp with the RKO. Daniel Bryan won the Intercontinental Title in a great Ladder Match. Sadly, he could not hold onto it because of injuries. Triple H defeated Sting in the WCW Icon's debut match. It was still special even though Sting came out on the losing end. Undertaker returned to defeat Bray Wyatt to bounce back from his loss to Lesnar the year before. John Cena defeated Rusev to reclaim the United States Championship in honor of America. These were the things that made WrestleMania 31 a hidden gem in the history of Mania.
Wrestler of the Year: Seth Rollins
Once again, Seth Rollins has been the MVP of WWE. With his ups and downs, Seth has been the lightning rod for highlights and high-quality matches. Very few people have raised their game the way that Rollins has. Seth finished what he started in 2014 following the breakup of the Shield. He won MITB, had the top feud with Dean Ambrose and was without a doubt the top heel and most improved of the three. 2015 was the completion. Rollins cashed in his MITB Briefcase at the most opportune time at WrestleMania to become the new WWE Champion. Rollins defeated each challenger that came his way, big or small. He defeated Shield members Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns along with future HOF'er Randy Orton in a Fatal Four Way match. He retained the title against Brock Lesnar at Battleground (thanks to Undertaker). Rollins defeated another future HOF'er and modern day legend in John Cena at Summerslam to become the WWE Champion and US Champion. At Night of Champions, he defeated WCW Icon Sting. Rollins is a hybrid of Edge and HBK and their influence continues to shine in his performances. Other than Cena, nobody has been as consistent as Seth Rollins. He has been consistent, has great match quality, innovation and chemistry in the ring. When you add everything together, Seth Rollins was the Wrestler of the Year without question.
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