Post by tystates on Feb 16, 2009 22:04:18 GMT -5
2116 PWI ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: Harley Race
First runner-up: Bobo Brazil
Second runner-up: Buddy Rogers
Third runner-up: Giant Baba
Others receiving votes: Nick Bockwinkel, Frank Gotch, Killer Kowalski, Mil Mascaras, Jimmy Snuka, and Johnny Valentine.
Harley Race was a major focal point of the wrestling action in 2116. After getting off to a slow start, Race turned things around in early March. He began his trek toward a first world heavyweight championship reign. Race captured the title from Buddy Rogers in mid-May, but would lose it two months later to Giant Baba. Race became a two-time champion in September and nearly finished the year with the belt. The same night he won the gold from Baba is when Bobby Heenan became his new manager. The Heenan Family dominated wrestling the rest of the year. After defeating Killer Kowalski earlier in the night, Race lost the title to Mil Mascaras at Starrcade on December 26.
The “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers earned the distinction of being the first world heavyweight champion. He defeated Nick Bockwinkel, Harley Race and Frank Gotch in a one-night tournament to win the title. After holding the gold for 19 weeks he lost it to Harley Race. Rogers couldn’t take the belt back in his rematch and lost a title match later in the year at the Crockett Cup Tag Team Tournament. He went through a series of matches with Killer Kowalski and Nick Bockwinkel, as well as teaming with Jimmy Snuka. Rogers took up the fight with Giant Baba and Bobo Brazil against the Heenan Family toward the end of the year.
Bobo Brazil stayed at the very top of the rankings the entire year. He took the United States title from Gorgeous George on March 7 and kept it for 5 ½ months. After being upset for the belt by Jimmy Valiant in August, Bobo kept himself at the top of the ladder and teamed with the Giant Baba to reach the finals of the Crockett Cup Tag Team Tournament. Bobo feuded with the Heenan Family and was unable to take the world title from Harley Race. At this same time the Sheik arrived out of nowhere and began attacking Bobo. This feud is still in its infancy after only a couple months and has already reached a steel cage match at Starrcade.
Giant Baba was the perennial No. 1 contender for the world title for most of the first six months of the year. He was unable to take the strap from Buddy Rogers at the Parade of Champions, but got the job done against Harley Race at SuperClash I. Race won the title back less than two months later. Baba has joined with Bobo Brazil to take on the Heenan Family and remains a top challenger for the world title.
TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR: Road Warriors
First runner-up: The Valentines
Second runner-up: Giant Baba & Bobo Brazil
Third runner-up: Ox Baker & Sandman
Others receiving votes: Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff, Killer Bees, Midnight Express, and the Valiant Brothers.
Hawk and Animal, the Legion of Doom, controlled the tag team division for the entire year. The Road Warriors won the world tag team titles on Feb. 1 from the Valentines, and remained title holders the rest of the year -- a total of 47 weeks. The LOD have only lost two matches, in the first round of the tag team title tournament to the Valiants and by count out to Baba and Bobo Brazil in the semifinals of the Crockett Cup. Greg and Johnny Valentine continually came back for title shots as the year progressed, including a steel cage match in Japan. The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff and Frank Gotch and Richard Hutton were teams that came back more than once for a chance at the titles. Paul Ellering’s team has held off Jim Cornette’s Midnight Express, winning a scaffold match at Starrcade. So far 11 different teams have come up short in trying to take the belts.
The father and son duo of Johnny and Greg Valentine have gone through a diverse and volatile year. They won the tournament for the tag team titles but dropped them to the Road Warriors in their first title defense. In between trying to regain the straps, they feuded with Ted DiBiase and King Kong Bundy after the Million Dollar Team injured the Hammer. The team then took on Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel in another series of matches. Greg Valentine began to work with Brutus Beefcake while his father moved more to singles competition. The Valentines rejoined for the Crockett Cup and beat Baba and Bobo Brazil to win the tournament. Problems started the following week when Johnny Valentine won the Beat the Champ TV title from Bundy. They came up short against the LOD in a 2/3 falls match, and then lost a steel cage match in Japan. Greg turned on his father afterwards and left him laying in the ring. Johnny Valentine won the U.S. title while in the Orient but lost it to Nick Bockwinkel on the same tour. The father and son have been feuding ever since with dad winning a dog collar match at Starrcade.
The two most popular wrestlers, Giant Baba and Bobo Brazil, formed an excellent team off and on all year long. While taking on Ted DiBiase and his stable, the duo fought Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel for most of the year. When Bobby Heenan came on the scene and formed his own group of wrestlers they continued to take on all his family members. Baba and Bobo entered the Crockett Cup and lost in the finals to the Valentines, but beat the Road Warriors by count out in the semis. They got a tag team title match but didn’t take the belts.
Ox Baker and the Sandman worked together at times for most of the year, and later joined with Sabu. The two lost their only title match to the Road Warriors at the Parade of Champions. The hardcore combination fought the Destroyer and Red Bastien and also the Valentines. Baker and Sandman went through a string of tough matches against Frank Gotch and Richard Hutton as well as Jim Duggan and Don Leo Jonathan. They reached the quarterfinals of the Crockett Cup.
MOST POPULAR WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: Bobo Brazil
First runner-up: Giant Baba
Second runner-up: Road Warriors
Third runner-up: Jimmy Snuka
Others receiving votes: Red Bastien, Jim Duggan, Killer Bees, Koko B. Ware, Mil Mascaras, Johnny Valentine.
The fans couldn’t get enough of Bobo Brazil. His gentle demeanor when not wrestling, the time he took to talk with the people and sign autographs did nothing but endear him to everyone. He was a very dominant U.S. champion, keeping the belt for over five months. He was unselfish in helping others in their battles such as the Giant Baba. Bobo immediately went up against the likes of Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel and intensified his efforts once Bobby Heenan arrived on the scene.
The Giant Baba immediately connected with the fans despite speaking very little english. The Japanese superstar fought and clawed all year long and maintained a very high ranking the entire year. Baba never lost site of the world title and finally claimed the gold in July.
The arenas exploded whenever the Legion of Doom’s music hit the loud speaker. The Road Warriors completely ruled tag team wrestler this year. The fans absolutely loved their highly physical nature and ability to take it as well as dish it out.
Jimmy Snuka didn’t quite have all the in-ring success he would have liked, but the fans were behind him all year long. The Superfly didn’t win any titles but kept himself involved in some tough feuds and matches, as well as fighting all the bad elements in the promotion like the Million Dollar Team and the Heenan Family.
MOST HATED WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: Harley Race
First runner-up: Ted DiBiase
Second runner-up: Nick Bockwinkel
Third runner-up: The Sheik
Others receiving votes: Bundy, Destroyer, Gorgeous George, Iron Sheik, Midnight Express, Jimmy Valiant, Greg Valentine.
Harley Race couldn’t find a friend in any arena around the world. The man’s pompous attitude about how much better he is than everyone else made enemies wherever he went. He was hated even more after winning the world title on two different occasions. Race found a way to make people despise him in excess after hiring Bobby Heenan as his manager.
While Ted DiBiase didn’t keep himself in main event matches, he stayed atop the fans’ most hated list very easily. From his antics before matches trying to buy wrestlers off to the stunts he pulled with those in attendance, harping on their low self-esteem and not paying them the money he promised. His Million Dollar Team grew as the year went on even when King Kong Bundy joined Bobby Heenan. DiBiase hired the Destroyer after he turned on Red Bastien, then added Bob Orton Jr. He brought the Missing Link over from the Orient and his poor treatment of the man should keep him high on this list for next year.
Nick Bockwinkel was very much unliked because of the way he talked down to the fans. His sheer arrogance got under everybody’s skin. After joining the Heenan Family Bockwinkel won the U.S. title which only served to make the fans hate him even more.
The Sheik would have been way higher on this list if he had more time in the year. In early November the Sheik appeared out of nowhere and attacked Bobo Brazil for no reason during a world title match with Harley Race. The Sheik and Bobo battled the rest of the year, with Sabu joining the fray against Brazil. Their first singles match took place in Japan and the two have already moved to the steel cage, an encounter that the Sheik won at Starrcade.
MOST IMPROVED WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
Winner: Buddy Rose
First runner-up: Johnny Valentine
Second runner-up: Ox Baker
Third runner-up: Red Bastien
Others receiving votes: Dick Hutton.
It was a very up and down year for Playboy Buddy Rose. His singles career was struggling and the tag team he formed with Gorgeous George just never went anywhere. Rose defeated his partner to become the first Beat the Champ TV title holder, and Rose began wrestling better after that. Rose and George still teamed together occasionally until tempers boiled over and they broke up after the Crockett Cup. Rose took the upper hand in their feud when he beat George in a Dog Collar Match in Japan. They fought to the end of the year where Rose downed George in a Hair vs. Hair Loser Leaves Town for 90 Days Steel Cage match at Starrcade.
Johnny Valentine had a slow start to the year and was struggling in singles competition. He teamed with his son Greg and were the first world tag team champions but soon lost to the Road Warriors. He became TV champion late in the year and then defeated Ox Baker for the U.S. title while in Japan, but dropped it to Nick Bockwinkel the following day.
Ox Baker was having a hard time as well early in the year. His tag team with the Sandman showed some success though. Baker took the U.S. title from Jimmy Valiant and kept it for over two months. Baker seems to be slowly moving away from partners Sabu and the Sandman and has been partnering with Killer Kowalski.
Red Bastien has shown his mettle as a tag team wrestler this year. His combination with the Destroyer was pretty good until his partner left him alone in the ring. Bastien continued to do well with Mil Mascaras, but with the Mexican winning the world title that pairing is on hold. Bastien has been improving in singles matches and begun working with Dick Hutton.
WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: Harley Race
First runner-up: Bobo Brazil
Second runner-up: Buddy Rogers
Third runner-up: Giant Baba
Others receiving votes: Nick Bockwinkel, Frank Gotch, Killer Kowalski, Mil Mascaras, Jimmy Snuka, and Johnny Valentine.
Harley Race was a major focal point of the wrestling action in 2116. After getting off to a slow start, Race turned things around in early March. He began his trek toward a first world heavyweight championship reign. Race captured the title from Buddy Rogers in mid-May, but would lose it two months later to Giant Baba. Race became a two-time champion in September and nearly finished the year with the belt. The same night he won the gold from Baba is when Bobby Heenan became his new manager. The Heenan Family dominated wrestling the rest of the year. After defeating Killer Kowalski earlier in the night, Race lost the title to Mil Mascaras at Starrcade on December 26.
The “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers earned the distinction of being the first world heavyweight champion. He defeated Nick Bockwinkel, Harley Race and Frank Gotch in a one-night tournament to win the title. After holding the gold for 19 weeks he lost it to Harley Race. Rogers couldn’t take the belt back in his rematch and lost a title match later in the year at the Crockett Cup Tag Team Tournament. He went through a series of matches with Killer Kowalski and Nick Bockwinkel, as well as teaming with Jimmy Snuka. Rogers took up the fight with Giant Baba and Bobo Brazil against the Heenan Family toward the end of the year.
Bobo Brazil stayed at the very top of the rankings the entire year. He took the United States title from Gorgeous George on March 7 and kept it for 5 ½ months. After being upset for the belt by Jimmy Valiant in August, Bobo kept himself at the top of the ladder and teamed with the Giant Baba to reach the finals of the Crockett Cup Tag Team Tournament. Bobo feuded with the Heenan Family and was unable to take the world title from Harley Race. At this same time the Sheik arrived out of nowhere and began attacking Bobo. This feud is still in its infancy after only a couple months and has already reached a steel cage match at Starrcade.
Giant Baba was the perennial No. 1 contender for the world title for most of the first six months of the year. He was unable to take the strap from Buddy Rogers at the Parade of Champions, but got the job done against Harley Race at SuperClash I. Race won the title back less than two months later. Baba has joined with Bobo Brazil to take on the Heenan Family and remains a top challenger for the world title.
TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR: Road Warriors
First runner-up: The Valentines
Second runner-up: Giant Baba & Bobo Brazil
Third runner-up: Ox Baker & Sandman
Others receiving votes: Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff, Killer Bees, Midnight Express, and the Valiant Brothers.
Hawk and Animal, the Legion of Doom, controlled the tag team division for the entire year. The Road Warriors won the world tag team titles on Feb. 1 from the Valentines, and remained title holders the rest of the year -- a total of 47 weeks. The LOD have only lost two matches, in the first round of the tag team title tournament to the Valiants and by count out to Baba and Bobo Brazil in the semifinals of the Crockett Cup. Greg and Johnny Valentine continually came back for title shots as the year progressed, including a steel cage match in Japan. The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff and Frank Gotch and Richard Hutton were teams that came back more than once for a chance at the titles. Paul Ellering’s team has held off Jim Cornette’s Midnight Express, winning a scaffold match at Starrcade. So far 11 different teams have come up short in trying to take the belts.
The father and son duo of Johnny and Greg Valentine have gone through a diverse and volatile year. They won the tournament for the tag team titles but dropped them to the Road Warriors in their first title defense. In between trying to regain the straps, they feuded with Ted DiBiase and King Kong Bundy after the Million Dollar Team injured the Hammer. The team then took on Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel in another series of matches. Greg Valentine began to work with Brutus Beefcake while his father moved more to singles competition. The Valentines rejoined for the Crockett Cup and beat Baba and Bobo Brazil to win the tournament. Problems started the following week when Johnny Valentine won the Beat the Champ TV title from Bundy. They came up short against the LOD in a 2/3 falls match, and then lost a steel cage match in Japan. Greg turned on his father afterwards and left him laying in the ring. Johnny Valentine won the U.S. title while in the Orient but lost it to Nick Bockwinkel on the same tour. The father and son have been feuding ever since with dad winning a dog collar match at Starrcade.
The two most popular wrestlers, Giant Baba and Bobo Brazil, formed an excellent team off and on all year long. While taking on Ted DiBiase and his stable, the duo fought Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel for most of the year. When Bobby Heenan came on the scene and formed his own group of wrestlers they continued to take on all his family members. Baba and Bobo entered the Crockett Cup and lost in the finals to the Valentines, but beat the Road Warriors by count out in the semis. They got a tag team title match but didn’t take the belts.
Ox Baker and the Sandman worked together at times for most of the year, and later joined with Sabu. The two lost their only title match to the Road Warriors at the Parade of Champions. The hardcore combination fought the Destroyer and Red Bastien and also the Valentines. Baker and Sandman went through a string of tough matches against Frank Gotch and Richard Hutton as well as Jim Duggan and Don Leo Jonathan. They reached the quarterfinals of the Crockett Cup.
MOST POPULAR WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: Bobo Brazil
First runner-up: Giant Baba
Second runner-up: Road Warriors
Third runner-up: Jimmy Snuka
Others receiving votes: Red Bastien, Jim Duggan, Killer Bees, Koko B. Ware, Mil Mascaras, Johnny Valentine.
The fans couldn’t get enough of Bobo Brazil. His gentle demeanor when not wrestling, the time he took to talk with the people and sign autographs did nothing but endear him to everyone. He was a very dominant U.S. champion, keeping the belt for over five months. He was unselfish in helping others in their battles such as the Giant Baba. Bobo immediately went up against the likes of Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel and intensified his efforts once Bobby Heenan arrived on the scene.
The Giant Baba immediately connected with the fans despite speaking very little english. The Japanese superstar fought and clawed all year long and maintained a very high ranking the entire year. Baba never lost site of the world title and finally claimed the gold in July.
The arenas exploded whenever the Legion of Doom’s music hit the loud speaker. The Road Warriors completely ruled tag team wrestler this year. The fans absolutely loved their highly physical nature and ability to take it as well as dish it out.
Jimmy Snuka didn’t quite have all the in-ring success he would have liked, but the fans were behind him all year long. The Superfly didn’t win any titles but kept himself involved in some tough feuds and matches, as well as fighting all the bad elements in the promotion like the Million Dollar Team and the Heenan Family.
MOST HATED WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: Harley Race
First runner-up: Ted DiBiase
Second runner-up: Nick Bockwinkel
Third runner-up: The Sheik
Others receiving votes: Bundy, Destroyer, Gorgeous George, Iron Sheik, Midnight Express, Jimmy Valiant, Greg Valentine.
Harley Race couldn’t find a friend in any arena around the world. The man’s pompous attitude about how much better he is than everyone else made enemies wherever he went. He was hated even more after winning the world title on two different occasions. Race found a way to make people despise him in excess after hiring Bobby Heenan as his manager.
While Ted DiBiase didn’t keep himself in main event matches, he stayed atop the fans’ most hated list very easily. From his antics before matches trying to buy wrestlers off to the stunts he pulled with those in attendance, harping on their low self-esteem and not paying them the money he promised. His Million Dollar Team grew as the year went on even when King Kong Bundy joined Bobby Heenan. DiBiase hired the Destroyer after he turned on Red Bastien, then added Bob Orton Jr. He brought the Missing Link over from the Orient and his poor treatment of the man should keep him high on this list for next year.
Nick Bockwinkel was very much unliked because of the way he talked down to the fans. His sheer arrogance got under everybody’s skin. After joining the Heenan Family Bockwinkel won the U.S. title which only served to make the fans hate him even more.
The Sheik would have been way higher on this list if he had more time in the year. In early November the Sheik appeared out of nowhere and attacked Bobo Brazil for no reason during a world title match with Harley Race. The Sheik and Bobo battled the rest of the year, with Sabu joining the fray against Brazil. Their first singles match took place in Japan and the two have already moved to the steel cage, an encounter that the Sheik won at Starrcade.
MOST IMPROVED WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
Winner: Buddy Rose
First runner-up: Johnny Valentine
Second runner-up: Ox Baker
Third runner-up: Red Bastien
Others receiving votes: Dick Hutton.
It was a very up and down year for Playboy Buddy Rose. His singles career was struggling and the tag team he formed with Gorgeous George just never went anywhere. Rose defeated his partner to become the first Beat the Champ TV title holder, and Rose began wrestling better after that. Rose and George still teamed together occasionally until tempers boiled over and they broke up after the Crockett Cup. Rose took the upper hand in their feud when he beat George in a Dog Collar Match in Japan. They fought to the end of the year where Rose downed George in a Hair vs. Hair Loser Leaves Town for 90 Days Steel Cage match at Starrcade.
Johnny Valentine had a slow start to the year and was struggling in singles competition. He teamed with his son Greg and were the first world tag team champions but soon lost to the Road Warriors. He became TV champion late in the year and then defeated Ox Baker for the U.S. title while in Japan, but dropped it to Nick Bockwinkel the following day.
Ox Baker was having a hard time as well early in the year. His tag team with the Sandman showed some success though. Baker took the U.S. title from Jimmy Valiant and kept it for over two months. Baker seems to be slowly moving away from partners Sabu and the Sandman and has been partnering with Killer Kowalski.
Red Bastien has shown his mettle as a tag team wrestler this year. His combination with the Destroyer was pretty good until his partner left him alone in the ring. Bastien continued to do well with Mil Mascaras, but with the Mexican winning the world title that pairing is on hold. Bastien has been improving in singles matches and begun working with Dick Hutton.
