Look at that picture over there. How did I not think of Best Female Wrestler? Duh. Thanks boots.
I like the idea of adding subcategories to the Best Match for Best Singles Match and Best Trios Match. Maybe instead of Trios, it’s just Best (any number) Tag match, lumping Pairs and Atomicos in? (Ciberneticos, mulit-way cage matches, and other misc would only be eligible for Best Match.)
The reason I’d include Best Tag and Best Trios in a bad year for those categories is to illustrate how bad a year it’s been – but I guess you do that even greater by leaving off the awards at all. Someone figure out 5 tags and 5 trios which could be considered reasonable choices, or I’ll probably just skip it.
Putting Best Title to that same standard
– NWA Middleweight (Averno -> Mistico)
– NWA Light Heavyweight (Shocker -> vacant -> Wagner -> Atlantis)
– Mexican National Trios (Safari/Felino/Volador -> Dr. X/Nitro/Sangre -> Maximo/Texano/Sagrado)
– CMLL Tag (Atlantis/Panther -> Averno/Mephisto)
– ??? Maybe an IWRG?
This is kinda on the line. CMLL LH title hasn’t made TV since the Ultimo/Park End Of Year match, though that did air in the US. CMLL Trios has been dead. Both the CMLL Welterweight (Mephisto) and Mexican Welterweight (Dr. X -> Mephisto) have gotten a little attention, but not much. I’m not sure.
Leaving it out for a moment, we’ve got
1) Best Wrestler: (top 5)
2) Best Match: (top 5)
3) Best Singles Match: (top 3 for rest)
4) Best Trios? Match:
5) Best Tecnico:
6) Best Rudo:
7) Best Female:
8) Best Promotion:
9) Best Rivalary:
10) Best Legend:
11) Most Improved:
12) Most Underutilized:
Any other suggestions?
I’m gonna just shelf this till Decemeber, because I don’t want to start voting till late December. I’ll preview the awards and talk about nominees at that time, except I want to discuss the #1 award right now, because it’ll come up elsewhere.
Best Wrestler Nominees
I think this is a lot more complex choice than it seems on face value. There’s three obvious nominees: El Hijo de Perro Aguayo, Mistico, and Dr. Wagner Jr.. Even if they’re not your choice, it’s pretty understandable why people would vote for them.
I don’t think they’re the only worthy choices to win, though. Let me also suggest:
Konnan and Vampiro: They’re both working part time schedules, their matches are not what people would call ‘good’ and the booking makes no sense. They’re also main eventing the biggest shows in the country, and the fans are into their matches – that’s gotta mean something. There’s probably a case to be made that one of these two men were the biggest draws in the country this year (don’t know if we’ve got the numbers to prove it), and if that means something to you, you’ve got consider them. (I figure most people will not.)
Shocker probably should get some down ballot consideration, because he was a major figure in both CMLL and AAA. I think he’s hurt a lot by timing – he wasn’t around long in CMLL to do anything major, and he missed out on TripleMania because of the TNA show (and he seems to be out of TNA now), so I think he’s a step below the other two.
There’s one more CMLL candidate, the guy they’ve been booking around for the last six months, who will probably be involved in something major on the year end show, and will likely get a big win tonight: Atlantis. Again, not a personal favorite, but from the build to Wagner/Atlantis to Atlantis getting booed to Atlantis turning rudo, he’s been a central figure in what CMLL has presented. If he beats Santo for the Leyenda de Plata, he’ll have two big wins (Gran Alternativa), have won the NWA Light Heavyweight title, and done as much damage to the indestructible Mistico as anyone. Mistico was the man of the first half of the year, but it’s been Atlantis the second half, and I’m figuring on him getting the important lucha Magazine vote.
I think a lot depends on where CMLL and AAA go for the end of year shows; it could elevate someone from the pack, or it could give a shot to someone like Universo if they win a big match (and have a good match.)
Am I missing anyone? On a world wide scale, I think Dr. Wagner and Mistico will get some votes (Perro not as strong, because it hasn’t been as much a breakout year for him, I guess), and I have this feeling that Konnan is the guy Meltzer is thinking about who won’t get many votes.