2015 Year End Awards (Wrestling)

Welcome to 2016. I hope everyone has enjoyed their holidays and kicked off the New Year strong. Now is the time to present my Awards for the previous year. This is a tradition that I started last year, and I would like to continue by once again recognizing the wrestlers that stood out the most. My criteria is still the same as before:

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

This was the most power packed event of an already loaded Summerslam weekend. Many can say that this was even better than Summerslam itself which says a lot. NXT Takeover took place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn the night before Summerslam. The Main Event was Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor in a rematch for the NXT Title in a ladder match. Finn Balor defeats Owens to remain champion in a spectacular encore of their match in Japan. Other matches included Bayley vs. Sasha Banks for the NXT Women's Title, Japan legend Jushin "Thunder" Liger vs Tyler Breeze, and Samoa Joe vs. Baron Corbin. The show received widespread critical acclaim. It has received reviews from 8/10 to 9.5/10. This was by far the best NXT show of the year. You can even say that this was the best show of WWE overall this past year.

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.

Road To The Battleground

Monday Night's "Go Home" Episode of RAW leading up to BattleGround was explosive! This has been one of the best episodes of RAW this year so far, along with the RAW's during the Road To WrestleMania. This past Monday, we saw some major shifts take place as WWE is shaking up their landscape heading into Sunday.

RAW presented some momentous segment, but none more so than this:

Diva Takeover (#GiveDivasAChance):

This segment was the talk of the entire Internet Wrestling World, as the #GiveDivasAChance Movement is coming to life from Twitter to the live WWE Product. The Bellas and their whipping girl Alicia Fox come to the ring as Nikki blows her horn about how dominant she has been. (We know the real reason why she is having a long reign) She talks about how there is no more competition left in the Divas Division. Suddenly, WWE Princess Stephanie McMahon interrupts Nikki's rant.

Stephanie shuts Nikki down like she knows how to. She follows up by saying that the Divas Division needs some competition and that it is time to make changes. Steph proceeds to introduce contenders for Nikki Bella's title, as Paige is the first to come to the ring. Nikki tells Stephanie about how many times Paige has failed to win back the title. Stephanie puts Nikki in her place saying that Paige came out because she wanted her to be there. When it comes to dealing with the Bella Twins, I am always on Stephanie's side.

Finally, WWE pulls the trigger to inject new blood into a dying Division. Stephanie introduces the NXT Women. First, she calls up Becky Lynch. Next, Steph gives clues for Sasha Banks by calling her the "Boss" before bringing her out. Last but not least, Stephanie introduces a woman who can style and profile: Charlotte Flair!!!

These three women came out to a monstrous ovation from the crowd because this is what fans have all been crying about and begging for across Social Media. Stephanie then asks Nikki if this is what she had in mind when she said she was looking for competition.

This segment made my night, as Stephanie is putting the pieces in place across the Chess Board of the Divas Division. Brilliant move by the heiress to the McMahon Empire. WWE has heard the cries and the complaints from the Internet about #GiveDivasAChance on Twitter, starting from AJ Lee. Maybe that AJ is gone, WWE decided to finally push the button since she is not screaming about it anymore.

It would have been nice to see them teamed up together to battle the main roster. Instead, Charlotte and Becky join Paige while Sasha joins Naomi and Tamina. I won't complain. Stephanie says that she has set the table of opportunity, and she wants to know who will take it. The action kicks off from their, as the contenders corner the Bellas.

Nikki bumps into Sasha Banks and war breaks out. Banks grabs Nikki by the hair and throws her to the mat before everyone else joins in on the fight. The NXT Divas put the Main Roster Divas on notice as they dominate them. Charlotte locks Alicia Fox in the Figure Four. Becky Lynch locks Brie Bella in an Armbar. Sasha Banks gives Nikki her finisher (Bankrupt) before locking her in a modified Crossface as the Divas Champion taps out.

Paige's Team and Naomi's Teams stand strong in victory as the Bellas and Alicia Fox crawl out of the ring in defeat. Meanwhile, Stephanie stands at the ramp with a smile on her face. WWE has been known to drop the ball many times, even when it comes to the women.

At the same time, they have not dropped the ball with every woman that has come through the company. Great Female Stars like Melina short-changed themselves with poor decisions. That is one of the exceptions.

However, I don't think it will happen this time because they cannot afford to make the same mistakes this time around. Stephanie McMahon has thrown down the gantlet as she has lit a brand new fire among the females in wrestling. I have high hopes for the Women of NXT on the Main Roster.

Even though plans are set for Nikki Bella to break AJ Lee's Record, I believe that the Bella Twins will be exposed badly by first class female wrestlers like Sasha Banks, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch. The Bellas do not outshine them at all from looks wise, to in-ring wise. Compared to them, The Bellas are pretty mediocre.

Nikki and Brie are the faces of Total Divas, but they don't have much to offer after that. The Bellas place in the company is frowned upon, because of the men in their lives.

They have made it to the top, mostly because of John Cena and Daniel Bryan's wallets. I am just telling it like I see it. Nikki has improved in the ring and on the mic, but she is not Trish Stratus or Lita. One would think that Brie would have improved as an in-ring technician because of her husband Daniel Bryan. Clearly, that talent was not transmitted as AJ Lee would say.

Nikki is the better Bella because she simply amplifies her narcissistic attitude.

Each of these three ladies from NXT has their own special qualities. Charlotte has greatness in her DNA because of who her Dad is. She is much better than her brother David ever was. Initially, there were people who picked Charlotte as the lead female. However, that is not the case as Sasha Banks is fantastic in the ring as well. The biggest difference between Sasha and Charlotte is charisma. Banks has the edge in personality and attitude, so that gives her an edge.

Meanwhile, the rest of the women on the roster are pretty much left in the dust. Nattie, Cameron and Summer Rae have fallen into the background. Natalya has wrestling in her bloodline like Charlotte, but she does not draw the kind of interest as the Bellas and Paige. Cameron was clearly the weak link between her and Naomi. Summer Rae is stuck in this dreadful Love Storyline between Rusev, Lana, and Dolph Ziggler.

Bayley is the next to make the move to the Main Roster. That way, we can finally have the Four Horsewomen.

Triple H has already made his presence known through his impact on the Men of NXT (Owens, Neville, Balor, Zayn). Now, Stephanie is making her imprint with the Females. I believe that Dusty would be proud.

Battle for the US Title:

John Cena originally came to the ring to place his Open Challenge to anyone willing to take the US Title. Rusev comes out to challenge Cena. Before the match starts, Kevin Owens sticks his nose in the scene. Owens cuts a great line about Summer Rae calling her a Lana wannabe. Cesaro steps into the picture, as Cena steps away. The match becomes a triple threat, with outstanding action.

The Value of the US Title has increased exponentially, because of John Cena. Now, it has become a hot commodity that others scratch and fight for. The match ends with Rusev pinning Cesaro after a Superkick. Rusev then goes one on one with Cena. The match ends with Kevin Owens attacking Rusev while having John Cena locked in the Accolade.

This makes the buildup for the US Championship Match even stronger, as Cena and Owens have put together back to back "Match of the Year" Candidates.








Brock Lesnar vs Seth Rollins (Beast vs Architect):

Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar come to the table for a contract signing for their WWE World Heavyweight Championship match to close the show. Anytime Brock Lesnar is involved in a contract signing, bad things happen. They did on Monday.

Paul Heyman is a master of the mic as he cuts a terrific face promo talking about how everyone wants to see Seth Rollins get killed. Heyman emphasized how Brock will destroy Rollins.

Earlier in the night, Seth warned Kane that if anything went bad during the contract signing, that it was all on him.

The Contract Signing completely melted down as Lesnar flipped the table over Rollins and attacked him. Kane did his best to keep The Beast away but failed. Lesnar finally wipes his hands of the Big Red has been with an F5 before smashing Kane's ankle with the steel stairs.

After Brock leaves, Seth cuts an intense promo about how he will slay the Beast. Rollins turns his attention to a fallen Kane for a moment that many people have been waiting for. Seth insults Kane and calls him a disappointment before stomping on his broken ankle.

This is how Brock Lesnar should be booked and utilized. Watching Lesnar put Kane out of his misery is what I enjoyed.

"Suplex City" has taken on a life of its own, and Brock is enjoying his greatest marketing success since he Broke The Streak. I believe that phrase had to come from Lesnar himself, and the fans can tell that it feels original.

Seth could very well be on his way to Suplex City.

Going into Sunday, Seth Rollins is on his own. Kane and J&J Security are finally out of the picture. Honestly, I don't know who will win. Brock could dominate him to win back the title. However, Seth could find a way to screw Brock out of the title.

This is what Seth Rollins seriously needs because I believe his title reign has been greatly diminished. Kane and The Midget Squad have been dragging him down during this title reign. Rollins has gone from being a potential Shawn Michaels to becoming The Miz.

Great heels know that they could win clean, but chose to cheat when they need to. Edge, Ric Flair, and Eddie Guerrero knew that they were great, but cheated when they saw it was time to. Seth Rollins has gone from someone who cheated when he knew he could beat someone to cheating because he is not able to. 9 times out of 10, Seth's wins have come because he needed two semi-retired Cruiserweights and a washed up Monster to help him win.

Ric Flair has had the Horsemen help him here and there, but Naitch has also shown that he could take care of business by himself. Edge has had help to win before, but many of his matches ended with his own dirty tactics. Same goes for HBK. Seth has had to have others fight his battles for much of his tenure as Champion.

Rollins has gone from being an Architect to an Imbecile. The Miz's WWE Title run has become more believable than Seth Rollins, and that is terrible.

Now, Seth has the green line to shine the way that he is capable of since Kane and J&J "Security" are out of the picture. WWE has been slowly planting the seeds for Seth to break away from the Authority. We have seen this plan progress even more on Monday.

Who knows? Maybe The Shield could come together to take down Lesnar.

Overall, this RAW leading up to BattleGround receives 4 Ric Flair "Big Gold" World Heavyweight Titles out of 5.